Prologue: Living

My knowledge of the existence of gods in this world had grown deeper. The goddess named Gaia had been able to use the power of Dominus, the Original God, who was the world itself. I knew it might’ve been a little late to realize this, but I was almost positive that her name had the same meaning as the word “Gaia” from my previous life. Or maybe my Polyglot skill just translated it that way.

The other gods, also known as the Eight Pillars here, had been born from these two. Ultimately, they’d fought with each other. But not out of hatred. No, the differences in their beliefs had meant that they couldn’t compromise. Still, they’d probably stayed friends until the very end.

Then there was the place called the Demonic Forest. It’d been created by one of the gods—the ancestral dragon, Lucinellius. After he died, the enormous supply of mana in his body had spread over a vast area, leading to its birth. He’d been the last of his brethren to die. Despite being all alone for so long, he’d rejoiced in life till he’d taken his last breath.

His way of life had left a lasting impression on me. I wanted to live and die like he had. Living was difficult. Very few things went as planned, with countless troubles, problems, and stresses piling up. You couldn’t tell me that everyone hasn’t thought “To hell with all this!” at least a few times in their lives because they were feeling overwhelmed, or frustrated, or like they just wanted to cry.

But still, the act of living in and of itself was a wonderful thing worthy of praise. “Live life to the utmost. For that is the duty of the living.” I wanted to spend each day without forgetting that.

My life would be a long one. My days since I’d come to this world had passed by in the blink of an eye, and I was sure they’d continue to do so. Still, those days were way too long. Which was exactly why...I thought that in order to live my life to the fullest, it was absolutely necessary to kill time to eliminate the boredom of everyday life.

“Oookay. What to do, what to do...”

I was by myself on one of the upper floors of my demon lord castle, looking down at the meadow area. For a while now, I’d been pursuing my goal of exploring the Demonic Forest, and I was happy to report that I’d uncovered most of its mysteries.

As far as the world outside was concerned, there wasn’t anything particularly concerning I needed to think about. Sure, the Reauxgard Empire had seen more than its fair share of turmoil lately, but unless something serious happened again, they could handle things just fine without me. I had also been to the dwarves’ and therianthropes’ homelands and deepened my relationships with their respective leaders. At this point, the only enemies I could really call enemies were probably monsters. Human supremacy wasn’t something I had to personally involve myself with. Besides, based on what Nell’d told me, things had calmed down a ton on that front.

In other words, what I was trying to say was...I was bored. My major goals of becoming as strong as Lefi and developing my dungeon were things that I’d be working on for as long as I lived, so no worries there. But I’d accomplished my small and medium goals, so there was that.

That said, I’d been taking it easy until now, doing whatever I wanted anyway. It was just that I was at loose ends about what to do next. I did have the option of just lazing around like a NEET and relaxing by playing board games like shogi with Lefi and my other wives, but to be honest, I already did that every day. I wasn’t in the mood for castle renovations today either.

Hmm. Should I look for a new hobby?

I was gonna live a hella long time. And I’d heard that boredom was the greatest enemy of the long-lived races. Folks like the Spirit Emperor and Siserius, the elderly dragon I’d met on my way to the dwarves’ homeland, probably traveled at least partially to kill time. Traveling is nice. I’d been out and about a lot recently, so I didn’t plan on leaving the dungeon for a while, but after that, maybe I’d visit the Ellane Allied Federation. I’d always been interested in that country, especially because of its developments in science and technology.

Let’s see, what other hobbies can I think of? The arts? I could try my hand at an instrument... I’d probably give up after like three days, though. I suspected painting was doomed to the same fate. W-Well, I’m basically an architect, so that should count as good enough for the arts!

Maybe I was better off leaving the new hobbies for another day. Like someday. Yeah, sounds good. I didn’t know what life would be like in a century or two, but a little boredom never hurt anyone. Plus, I was more than satisfied with my life now!

“Ya know, I just realized that I haven’t tested my wings’ performance limit.”

I had that sudden thought while looking at the sky in the meadow area. Thanks to my racial evolution, I now had three pairs of wings. I knew that my output had improved significantly, but I didn’t know by how much since I hadn’t tried. Heck, I still didn’t know how far I could fly if I got serious about it. Welp! Since I’m bored anyway, might as well give it the ol’ college try.

I went out onto a nearby balcony and unfurled my three pairs of wings. Then, putting my back into it, pun not intended, I leaped over the railing and took off into the air. I worked all six wings together and flapped as hard as I could. At the same time, air pressed against my body. I accelerated with a whoosh.

“Ha ha! This is fantastic!”

Fast. So insanely fast. Slicing through the air, I felt like I’d become a bullet. I was moving at such a high speed that I wouldn’t have been able to keep my eyes open if I hadn’t used elemental magic to create a windbreak in front of my face.

Mwa ha ha ha! I am speed, the wind itsel— Dwah!

Krash. The sound of a powerful impact. I’d reached the edge of the meadow area. Instantly, I blacked out, losing control and falling...before slamming into the meadow with a thud.

“Ngh! Urrrgh... Ooowww...”

The impact of the fall brought me back to my senses, and I slowly sat up while holding my aching face. Ouch. Goddamn, that hurts. It stings like a motherfucker. My nose didn’t seem to be broken, but blood immediately began to ooze thickly from both nostrils, plopping onto the ground. There was a lot. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had a nosebleed this bad. I couldn’t even breathe properly because of how clogged my nose was with blood.

“I’m dyiiing... But I can’t use a Super Potion on this.”

While I personally used Super Potions like they were nothing, in the world outside, a Super Potion was the wonder drug of all wonder drugs. No surprise, then, that one vial cost a very pretty Dungeon Point. And if my wives found out that I’d wasted any of my stash because of my own stupidity, I was in for an earful, so I’d just have to grin and bear it. Having no other choice, I took out some tissues from Inventory, rolled them up, and stuffed them in both nostrils. I could only imagine how pathetic I looked, and the image made me wanna cry.

“Frick... Is this place really that small?”

The meadow area’s size was limited. It seemed to go on forever, but transparent walls stood at certain points, like the one I’d just hit. However, I had expanded it quite a bit from its initial size, making it nearly four times larger now than it was before. Apparently, that still wasn’t big enough.

Actually, maybe not. It probably just felt small because I’d been going faster than I’d expected. That meant I was faster now at full throttle than anything I’d ever experienced before. Saying I was as fast as a fighter jet might’ve been an exaggeration, but not by much, because I must’ve been close to that speed. So the day when I could fly at Mach speeds might not have been far off. At the very least, I had to have been faster than the airships that were beginning to fly all over the world. Whatever the case, if I was gonna test out my wings’ performance, shouldn’t I have gone to the Demonic Forest instead?

“Anyway, I have a new short-term goal: expand the meadow area.”

For starters, I wanted it to be twice as wide as it currently was. Aaand I figured it was about time to add mountains and valleys too. I planned on making the meadow area into something more than just a meadow.

“What did you do to yourself?”

As I worked furiously on this latest expansion project like a demon lord possessed, someone called out to me from nearby, their voice laced with suspicion. It was Lefi. She was out for a walk. Lately, she’d been doing light exercises every day for a set amount of time. After hearing that even pregnant women needed to move around, she’d decided that walks were for her. Pretty sure she was exercising more now than she had before she’d gotten pregnant.

Just seeing her made me happy, and I couldn’t stop the grin from forming on my face.

“Hi, Lefi. Well, uhhh...I was flying, and then I crashed.”

“Excuse me?”

“I was testing out my wings and crashed into the wall at the edge of the meadow area...”

She looked legitimately dumbfounded by my words.

“I... I knew you were an imbecile, but this is a new height, even for you.”

“Hrngh...”

Considering the mess I’d made of myself, I didn’t have a good comeback.

“Good grief. Have Shii heal you later.”

“Why don’t you do it?”

“Because you will never learn otherwise, so you would do well to remain as you are for the time being.”

“Grr... Dearest wife, I do not think it right for you to rub salt into the wounds of your brokenhearted husband.”

“Well, this wife is exasperated by her husband’s stupidity and has no intention of comforting him at the moment. I suggest you take a good, hard look at your face in a mirror.”

“Never.”

“That is your right. As for me, I shall return to my daily constitutional. You are free to expand the meadow area to vent your anger, but be sure to come back in time for dinner.”

“Ha! The meadow area has made an eternal enemy of me! I will build a new paradise here, turn it into something grander than a mere meadow, and have my vengeance!”

“Yes, yes. Do as you will. Should you be late, inform us accordingly.”

Lefi went back to her walk, leaving me to my expansion work.

In light of where I lived, even if I did get bored, that would be reason enough to find things to do to alleviate the boredom, thereby making my days not boring. A hundred years, two hundred years, a thousand years from now, I had no doubt I’d still be fooling around with Lefi just like this.

Chapter 1: How the Long-Lived Spend Their Lives

As usual, Iluna, Shii, and En were playing together.

“Hey, hey, Yukiki made the meadow area bigger! Let’s go check it out!”

“Smell like adventure to me!”

“I...sense excitement. I bet Master made something else too. Lots of drama and romance.”

“You’re so smart, En! When I asked Yukiki, all he said was, ‘Heh heh heh... You girls will just have to see it with your own eyes.’ So I think you’re definitely right.”

Shii used to be the only one Iluna called by her name. Up until now, she’d had cutesy nicknames for En and the wraith sisters. For example, EnEn and RuiRui. The adults had sometimes followed suit. But since the grown-ups had started calling all the little girls by their normal names, Iluna had done the same.

“Ooh! It gonna be ’mazing! Because Master don’t stop until perfect!”

“Yup...without a doubt.”

“Okay, it’s settled! Mrs. Leila! We’re going on an adventure today, so can you pack us lunch?!”

“Of course. I’ll get right on it. Please give me a few minutes.”

“Thank you!”

“Thaaanks! Am ’cited for lunch!”

“Adventure...then a picnic. I can’t wait.”

Having come to a unanimous decision on the day’s schedule, the girls begin preparing for their adventure.

◇ ◇ ◇

After changing into comfortable clothes and stuffing their boxed lunches into their backpacks, the girls headed to the demon lord castle to add a few more companions to their adventuring party: the wraith triplets. As soon as they called out their names, the three sisters—Rei, Rui, and Roh—whooshed through the castle walls, appearing out of nowhere.

“What’s going on?” “Adventure?! Let’s go!” “The weather’s nice, so it’ll be fun. Well, the weather’s always nice here.” Each girl said her piece, then vanished to possess her favorite high performance adventure doll before coming back. The dolls’ joints were structurally similar to humans’, each hand had five fingers, and they had been specially purchased by Yuki for a lot of DP.

The Six Musketeers. With the usual suspects all together now, the Little-Girl Adventure Squad set off in high spirits on their inaugural adventure. Their destination was the new, unfamiliar part of the meadow area, which they always used as their playground. They knew every nook and cranny of the place, their knowledge second only to Yuki’s, so with just one look around, they could immediately guess where to start their adventure. And before long, they’d reached the unfamiliar land.

It was a massive forest, lush with greenery, reminiscent of the Demonic Forest outside. Because Yuki knew those woods well, the one before them felt so primeval that it was hard to believe it had been created by a person. Even the girls, usually fearless, found themselves a bit overwhelmed by its might.

Since ancient times, people had instinctively feared the great outdoors, as it was beyond their comprehension. In the same vein, the Demonic Forest was feared by mankind not only for the powerful monsters inhabiting it, but also because it was a place that inspired a primitive fear, hence its name. Yuki had captured those characteristics well and re-created them here.

“L-Let’s go! This is exactly the adventure we wanted!”

“R-Right! Okay! We starting our adventure!”

“We’ll...be fine. I always go to places like this with Master.” En did her best to encourage Iluna and Shii.

“Oh, yeah, you do... You totally do! We’re invincible as long as we have you, En!”

“Yup... You can count on me.”

“Ooh! You so cool!”

Mustering their courage, they entered the forest. Incidentally, fear as a concept didn’t exist for the wraith sisters, so they simply observed curiously from above. Although the forest was lush and overgrown, it had been created with the intention of serving as a playground for little girls, which was why it had been modified in key places. They spotted a path that didn’t seem like a path. It was surprisingly easy to traverse and had been designed to be safe. They decided that they should probably follow it, so they trekked onward, looking at everything as they did.

Trees. Grass. Other flora. Many places probably intentionally hidden in the shade. Small, intriguing depressions and the like. The deeper into the forest they went, the more excited they grew.

“Hey, hey, hey! I want make this Base Two! Maybe on top of trees?!”

“Oh my gosh! A tree house secret base! Brilliant idea, Shii! When we get back, we have to talk to Yukiki about it!”

“Extremely...brilliant. Can’t have enough secret bases, and a tree house one is super adventurous.”

Then, Rei “spoke” first, saying something along the lines of, “A tree swing, a tree swing! Let’s make a tree swing!” Followed by Rui’s “We should make a hidden watchtower so we can spot intruders instantly!” And lastly, Roh said, “I want to connect two trees with a bridge so we can go back and forth.”

Since the pursuit of adventure was a firm part of their mindsets, the little girls were a bit distracted from their actual adventure in favor of discussing their plans for a tree house. It was quite a serious discussion too. The fact that they were going full speed ahead with the build was what made them part of the demon lord family.

At that moment, something strange came into view from deep among the trees. Intrigued, the girls walked farther and found three doors with a stone monument placed in front of them. It gave the impression that it had existed for a very long time—despite, of course, having been built only recently—and there was a short sentence carved into it.

“This must be the special thing Yukiki made!”

“I...think so too. It feels like ruins I saw not too long ago.”

“Um, um, I read...”

The text on the stone monument turned out to be...a riddle!

“What do you call a fiend that visits if you’re too lazy?”

Despite the imposing stone monument, the riddle itself was easy and playful since it was directed at little girls.

Below the riddle were three options.

Kettle

Pillow

Wife

The moment they saw the options, the girls all looked at each other.

“Number three!” Iluna and Shii shouted together.

“Number...three!” En exclaimed a very short beat after.

The wraith triplets chose the same answer, each lifting three fingers.

“This too easy!”

“If...you know that Master is the one who came up with the question, the answer will come easily.”

“Now, now! We only just started the game! This means we go through the third door, right?”

They opened a door with a large “3” carved into the middle and stepped through it.

As an aside, the wives would discover the riddle and scold Yuki for it. Naturally.

Anyway, that turned out to be the correct answer because there was a path beyond the door. When the girls looked next to them, they saw that the other two doors each led to a pitfall—with something like a trampoline at the bottom, which made them think that maybe they did want to take that fall.

For some reason, though, the correct path abruptly ended halfway. A rope hung from above, placed within reach. It sported very tight knots that made for perfect footholds. The little girls understood what they had to do the second they saw it.

“I know this! The ‘Ahhhaaahhh’ man!”

“You’re right, Shii!”

“Yup...Tarzan.”

Incidentally, a thick mat lay underneath, so it was safe even if they fell headfirst. In fact, it would be fun if they did fall. Everything down to the smallest detail had been designed with the little girls’ safety in mind.

“Okay, let’s do it! Ahhhaaahhh!”

Iluna grabbed the rope first, swung herself hard enough to generate momentum, then launched herself forward. Centrifugal force carried her to the other side, where she jumped off and stuck the landing.

“Wowie, Iluna! Good job! Me next! Ahhhaaahhh!”

Shii grabbed the rope and mimicked Iluna. Unfortunately, her hands slipped halfway over the gap. She fell onto the mat underneath.

“Aha ha ha ha! I falled! One more time! One more time!”

“Shii...we still have more to see up ahead, so don’t get stuck having fun falling here.”

“Darn it, Shii! You did that on purpose!”

“Tee hee hee. Busted?”

“One look at your face and anyone can tell! All right, girls, onward and forward! You know there’s more fun stuff up ahead.”

“You right!”

Shii trotted across the mat and made her way up the stairs designed to lead to the other side. En swung from the rope next, her characteristic pause in her Tarzan yell, and made it across without a hitch. The floating wraith triplets also went to the trouble of using the rope while doing the Tarzan yell, but they added three spins before landing gracefully at the same time. Well, it wasn’t really a landing since they flew around, so they’d just made it look like one. However, if this had been a proper competition, they would have definitely received a perfect score.

“Aha ha ha! Ten out of ten!”

“That very artistic!”

“Yup... Your Tarzan yell is unbeatable too.”

The wraith sisters puffed out their chests with pride at hearing the others’ compliments.

“All right, let’s see what’s up ahead.”

Iluna faced forward. A number of structures were there. One was a handrail attached to a wooden wall so you could climb to the top and go around to the other side. Another was a bridge made of ropes and logs used to cross over to the other side. There were also swings, slides, and climbing nets, with more contraptions farther back. This was obviously a fairly large-scale construction.

In short, the little girls were in an athletic area, one with nature spread out before them. Along their route, Yuki had set up all of the athletic facilities he had seen in his past life and decorated them in an Oklahoma Jones style. Some of them went through caves, behind waterfalls, or underground. Yuki had enjoyed himself while building everything. His goal had been to create an athletic game that would make players want to play the same thing over and over again.

“Amazing! This is amazing! Okay, girls, let’s take this one at a time!”

“Yeah! We figure out rest after!”

“So...this is where the real adventure begins.”

The young girls helped each other clear all the levels one by one.

“We’re hooome!” Iluna and Shii sang.

“We’re...home.”

They had said their goodbyes to the wraith triplets at the castle. Back home now, the adults greeted them upon their return. They immediately clustered around Lefi.

“Lefifi, guess what, guess what! We went on a huuuge adventure today! We got sooo much exercise!”

“We did ‘Aaahaaahhh’ man yell, we jump, fly, and lots and lotsa other things! So fun!”

“It is obvious you savored the life of an adventurer. All that activity must have made you ravenous.”

“Yeah! We’re starving! We ate our lunch, but all our energy is gone!”

“All out gas.”

Lefi chuckled at the girls’ excited chatter.

“Gah ha! I see, I see. Right, then. Into the bath you go. When you are finished, dinner will be ready, so save your tales of adventure for then.”

“Okey dokey! Ahhh, I can’t wait to eat!”

“Me too, but I excited for bath time too!”

“Food...is the best. But so is bath time. It was inevitable that bath maniacs would exist in our home.”

“Gosh, you two love baths, huh? Nellie is super crazy about bath time too!”

After warming up in the waterfall hot spring, they ate a delicious dinner, talked about the day’s adventures, and then finally laid their exhausted bodies down in fluffy futons for a deep sleep.

◇ ◇ ◇

In a clearing in the Demonic Forest, Rir and I squared off against each other.

“...”

“...”

My pet’s gaze was as sharp as it was when he was in battle mode, and he radiated a fearsomely powerful aura. It was almost suffocating. There were no openings in his stance. Even though we were still at the “sizing each other up” stage, sweat trickled down my cheek from nerves. I guess this is the majesty of a fenrir, huh? My ever-dependable pet was nothing more than a dangerous opponent at the moment. I’d fought powerful enemies countless times before, and right now, Rir’s vibe rivaled theirs.

Calm down. In terms of combat skill, he had me beat. I was inferior to him. The only place I had the upper hand was in terms of level. When it came to fighting, he surpassed me in technique, aptitude, the ability to think quickly on his feet, and more. That being the case, I needed to take the initiative. If he got the jump on me, I’d lose without ever being able to turn the tables in my favor.

The current me fought using a combination of En in close quarters and magical traps. However, Rir knew all the traps I had at my disposal and how I used them—where I’d plant them, how I’d hide them, and when I’d use them. I could create things he’d never seen before by using elemental magic, but that didn’t mean it could do everything. Besides, it was impossible to think of something new on the spot. I was at a disadvantage in melee range too, since he also outclassed me in hand-to-hand combat.

If En was here with me, she would’ve been able to at least somewhat make up for my shoddy combat ability. Unfortunately for me, she wasn’t. The weapon in my hands right now was a practice greatsword that only resembled her in heft.

Considering I had very few cards in my proverbial hand, though, I didn’t have a lot of options open to me. Look. Think. While Rir was familiar with my fighting style, luckily for me, I could say the same about him. What else? My wings. Yes, his Morphing Chains special ability meant he could generate chains from anywhere and manipulate them freely, allowing him to use them as a foothold for three-dimensional mobility. But he lacked the freedom of sky that I had. If I was going to find any chance of victory, that was it.

Determined, I watched his movements and exhaled deeply. Then, knowing I was being reckless, I charged. As soon as I did, he activated Morphing Chains in hopes of hindering me. Since I’d anticipated him doing exactly that, I observed the movement of his chains while closing the gap between us.

Too bad for me that Rir had also anticipated what I was doing. His fangs rushed toward me. He’d timed his charge to match mine.

“Damn it!”

Him being too close put him out of my range, so although my practice sword struck home, the blow wasn’t all that effective. Probably did as much damage as a fly swatter. He, on the other hand, was more than capable of attacking even at zero distance.

His sharp fangs dominated my field of vision. I knew how lethal they were. They could pulverize the carapace, hide, skin, or whatever else of any monster. Definitely didn’t wanna be on the receiving end. I strained my body, already moving thanks to his previous attack, by forcing it to dodge his snapping jaws while simultaneously unleashing a strike to keep him in check.

But apparently, that was part of Rir’s plan too. He’d taken advantage of the fact that I knew what a threat his fangs posed and suddenly stopped his assault once I’d focused all my attention. My attempt to ward him off failed, and as I lost my balance, he resumed his chomping attack. I couldn’t dodge.

My next move was earth magic. Except not to use as an attack or anything. It was just intended to put some distance between us by making the ground rise a lot. A lot, a lot.

Regroup. But even that short exchange highlighted the difference in our fighting sense so much that it made me wanna cry. I really was a pathetic master.

Our back-and-forth continued for a while. I leveraged everything I had—my body, my brain, my skills, and my magic. The battle was intense. Even the slightest mistake would lead to instant defeat. I guessed that less than three minutes had passed, but it felt like we’d been fighting for an hour. That was how intense it was.

As the fight heated up, my thoughts sped up, and the world seemingly slowed down. Though it wasn’t a battle of life and death, I had to fight like it was if I wanted to win. Still, on the whole, it felt like I was being pushed back, so for a while, Rir had the upper hand.

Then, eventually, the stalemate broke when I failed to parry a gouging slash from one of his front paws and fell in a disgraceful heap.

“Shit!”

I frantically tried to regain my balance, but it was too late. Rir pounced. First, he slashed at me with his claws. I just barely managed to block with my practice sword. Next, he charged at me with everything he had. I couldn’t avoid it, and found myself lifted into the air. His third attack was meant to be the killing bite. With me immobile in the air, he chomped down on my torso—playfully, of course.

I’d lost.

“Damn... Victory is not mine.”

Rir released me from his mouth, and I rolled along the ground. He then plodded over and sat down next to me.

“Grr.”

“Yeah, nice work.”

On today’s agenda had been a mock battle. Although I’d fought beside him many times, I’d never actually fought him. We’d had a few light exchanges in the past to test out attack methods and teamwork, but this was the first time we’d had a serious mock battle. I’d thought it would be a good experience, and I’d been right, though it’d also made me realize that I probably should have done it sooner. My loss hadn’t done anything to undermine the experience either.

As I stood up, I gave the practice sword I’d used today a once-over. It was looking a bit worse for wear considering how often I’d parried Rir’s attacks with it... Thankfully, it wasn’t bent or cracked, so it was still in relatively good shape.

It had an extremely heavy adamantite core because I’d designed it to closely resemble En. The wooden part covering the core was made from magical hardwood, a tough and sturdy tree that grew in the Demonic Forest. The tree being especially rich in mana actually made it stronger than ordinary iron.

In my extremely humble opinion, my practice sword was far superior to any steel sword out there. I would’ve bet it’d fetch a pretty high price on the market. Not to mention its high attack power. I was pleased with the result despite it being just a practice sword, so I’d named it Setsumaru. Since I liked it, I planned on using it at any opportunity I could get.

“Maaan, you really are stupid strong, huh, Rir? This little match made me grateful all over again that you’re on my side.”

“Grr.”

Translation: “You went easy on me, didn’t you? If I still couldn’t win then, that would be quite pathetic of me.”

“What? No. I was totally serious. I went all out, and the fact of the matter is, I lost.”

“Grr,” Rir said with a shake of his head.

He’d told me that he would definitely win a mock battle like that one. He might’ve even been able to perform better in a normal fight. But in a situation where losing meant death, I was the one who was more effective, and all he could do was help me. In short, I’d only lost because I hadn’t truly given it my all.

“Wait, you really think that? I mean, I’m happy you feel that way, but doesn’t this prove the powerful differential between you and me?”

“Grr.” Rir shook his head again.

I guess...he’s not completely wrong. That had been a mock battle and not an extreme, kill-or-be-killed situation. Plus, Rir wasn’t my enemy. He was my beloved pet. So no matter how serious I thought I’d been, there might’ve actually been a part of me that’d stopped me from going all out...

“Well, whatever it may be, I can’t fight alone. I can only do it with my pets at my side, and that goes for you most of all. I’ll be counting on you from here on out too, buddy.”

When I grinned at him, he smiled back at me and rubbed his head against my shoulder. I patted him gently. Then, he suddenly turned his head, staring off into the distance. I did the same. A beat later, the Maps function opened on its own to warn me of a formidable enemy—a monster. Maybe thanks to my race evolution, I was now able to sense its presence even from afar without using any skills. Rir was still better at it than me, of course, but I felt like I’d gotten much closer to his level.

As for the red blip on the map... The enemy was strong, which came as no surprise. On par with the monsters in the western area, if I had to guess. Probably a bit too much for the other pets to handle. Not me and Rir, though. The way we were now, we could take it down no problem.

“Oookey dokey, let’s put what we learned from this mock battle to good use and kill this dumb sumbitch!”

“Grr.”

I hopped on Rir’s back.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Mr. Yuki, can I ask you for a favor?”

Nell suddenly said that while we were relaxing in the dungeon.

“Hmm? Sure, what is it?”

“Well, I want you to make me a weapon.”

“Oh yeah? Got a new collection in mind?”

Weapon fanatic Nell and her increasingly crazy weapons collection. Since she’d already filled her room in the castle to the point that it was overflowing, she’d started filling the empty rooms there with new weapons after asking me, “Hey, Mr. Yuki, if you don’t have a use for this room yet, can I use it to store more weapons?” With a stunned look on her face, Leila had interjected with, “You’ve already made such a mess... Don’t you think you should tidy up or relinquish a few items first?” And to that, Nell had responded, almost childishly, “I-I take good care of my weapons, okay?!”

No biggie, though. Although she never used anything in her collection for its intended purpose, I sometimes saw her in the living room taking care of them with an incredibly happy expression. Just the act of maintaining them was fun for her. She really was a hardcore weapons enthusiast.

As a sidenote, Nell was still the only member of our family who actually used the rooms in the castle. I’d thought that Iluna and the other kiddos would want their own rooms soon, so I’d gotten them ready, but they’d all given me some variation of, “Huh? Don’t need it.” True to their word, they hadn’t used any of them even once. At this point, I was pretty sure my castle’s usage rate was less than five percent. And the number of vacant rooms was only going up.

“N-No, that’s not it! I mean, yes, a new one would be nice, but that’s not what this is about!”

So you do want a new collection.

“All right, then you can have this. You’ll see that I inscribed it with its name, Juugaku! It’s just a toy—uh, I mean, a prototype, so its abilities aren’t that great, but it looks cool, doesn’t it? Like it could tear apart any opponent.”

I opened Inventory and took out a large, bifurcated sword shaped like the jaws of a beast, which was what I’d named it after. I’d wanted to try making a weapon like something out of Creature Hunter, so I’d used my Weapon Enhancement skill to make it. Its weird shape made for a weak weapon, though, meaning it was basically a toy. Because I’d used materials from the Demonic Forest, unnecessarily rare ones at that, it was probably stronger than a steel sword, though I figured it’d work best as a club.

“Oh, wow... It’s so fierce! The essence of this weapon is in this jawlike part?!”

“Yeah. Thought it looked cool.”

“Interesting. So there’s no real meaning. But I really like that sentiment too!”

“See, you get it, Nell.”

“Heh heh heh. While rugged weapons are nice, I think weapons born of ideals are great as well.”

“Dang, girl, I sure would love to spend a night talking about weapons with you.”

“We can do that, because I have a few ideas myself! I’d like to take this opportunity to have you make them into a reality.”

“No wonder you’re my wife.”

Nell was the only one in my family who understood this kind of romanticism. Apparently, women, unlike men, didn’t seem to be all that interested in things like weapons. So it was nice to have someone who could relate...

Just as we were getting even more excited, she suddenly looked like she’d come to her senses.

“No, no, no. We’re going off on a tangent again. The real issue here is that I want to return this holy sword to the Church.”

She tapped the sword leaning against the wall. Her beloved sword, Durendal.

Knowing how rare and famous it was, the only thing I could say was, “No way... Are you sure?”

“I am. This weapon originally belongs to the country and is managed by the Church, so even though I’m using it, I’m not its actual owner.”

“Hmm... Well, a holy sword has to be valuable, so no wonder it’s only on loan.”

Despite it having been in her possession for years, Nell’d only been borrowing the thing, huh?

“Exactly. But I’ll retire from being the hero soon, right?”

“Yup... You sure will.”

“Which is why, in thinking of the future, I believe it’s about time I let go of this sword... Though admittedly, I am reluctant to do so, since I’ve entrusted my life to it for so long that I think of it as my partner.”

Looking a little sad, my wife stroked her beloved sword. For me, it’d be the same as letting go of En. I couldn’t even imagine what Nell was going through since she’d been using Durendal for much longer. In En’s case, at least, I would never let her go, because not only did I create her, she was now basically my daughter.

“Gotcha. And that’s why you want a replacement sword?”

“It is. I decided that if I’m going to entrust my life to a weapon after Durendal, it would be best if that weapon were made by you. I don’t want to use anything else.”

Dang, woman. You sure know how to make a man happy...

A weapon to replace a holy sword. Yeah, the responsibility was huge, but the idea alone had my creative juices flowing. To date, the only weapon I could say I’d put all my effort into making was En. No, I had to use her full name here—Zaien. After having brought to life a being I considered my own child, I felt content, which explained why I hadn’t gotten serious about weaponsmithing since. I legitimately thought I’d never be able to make anything as good as her again, never mind better, and I was satisfied with that. But now that we were talking about a weapon to protect Nell, I had to get serious. I had to put my heart and soul into making it. I had to make something on par with En.

“Okay. I’ll do it. This demon lord shall most certainly craft a weapon worthy of his wife, the hero!”

“Thank you, Mr. Yuki. I can’t wait to see what you create!”

She beamed at me.

◇ ◇ ◇

All right, so. Weaponsmithing. The first thing to take into account was the shape of the weapon. Nell had been using her holy sword for many years, so in her case, the length, width, weight, center of gravity, and so on of the new blade needed to be similar since that was what she was used to. Plus, it was a double-edged sword, and they were used completely differently from single-edged ones.

“Hey, can I borrow Durendal for a bit?”

“Of course. Here you are.”

I pulled it from its sheath and gave it a few quick swings. Compared to En, it was much lighter—wait, no, using En as a metric wasn’t a good idea. It was wrong of me to say, but she was ridiculously heavy. However, Durendal was much, much heavier than a regular steel sword that was around the same size. As far as the ease of imbuing it with magic went... Nice. Just as easy as pouring my magic into En. Now, let’s see what it’s made of. Mostly mythril, but it also contained adamantite and orichalcum. I was no expert, but even I could tell that the sword’s sharpness and material makeup weren’t just good, they were off the charts. The smith who’d made Durendal was, without a doubt, incredibly skilled. Definitely a sword worthy of being a national treasure.

Speaking of rare metals, while mythril was relatively easy to come by, it was more than twice as common as adamantite. And orichalcum? Production was extremely low. Nell had told me once that producing one kilogram every two hundred years was actually a lot.

But! I could buy as much orichalcum as I wanted from the DP Catalog! So I’d use that to make Nell’s sword! Of course, the cost was gonna be astronomical. That said, I wasn’t overly strapped for it right now, and above all, it was for Nell’s sake, so I didn’t think I was gonna get any flak from my other wives this time.

Okay, so a replacement for Durendal means I have to go all ou— Hold up. Since she’s here, why not get Nell involved in the process too? I’d decided that something similar would work well, but now that I was thinking about it again, just asking her what she wanted felt like a much better idea.

“Let’s try a few things out first. I’ve got a bunch of toys slash prototypes, so just let me know what strikes your fancy as far as specs go.”

I practically saw a light bulb go off over her head at my words.

“In that case, a katana!”

“As in...a katana katana?”

“Yes! I’ve always wanted to try one! I can’t handle something as big as En, but you’ve made a few curved swords, right, Mr. Yuki? So I’d like to try one!”

Nell sounded excited and eager.

“Sure, why not? Here, let me show you the rest too, just in case.”

I pulled prototype weapons out of Inventory one by one. Whenever I created a weapon, I almost always started by making it out of iron. It was super cheap on the DP Catalog, easy to process, and easy to use for practice. Because of that, I had plenty of iron prototypes, both good and bad.

“Wooow. You have sooo many weapons, Mr. Yuki. Tee hee.”

I found it cute the way her expression was melting, but also, I felt some type of way knowing the look on her face was because she was surrounded by weapons. Then again, I did like that side of this hero too, so all good.

Anyway, just as Nell started testing things out, joy all over her face, En walked over to us, curious about what we were doing.

“A...weapons show?”

“Ooh, good timing, kiddo. Actually, I’m in the middle of making a new sword for Nell. And since you’re my beloved weapon, feel free to tell me your thoughts on the subject.”

My daughter being a sword herself, even professionals might as well have been amateurs in comparison to her expertise on blades of all kinds. I was positive she’d know what sort of weapon suited Nell better than I would. But she scrunched up her face instead, which wasn’t the reaction I was expecting.

“Hrrrm... I want to say I’ll protect Nell too, but I’m Master’s sword...”

“Heh. Thank you, En. The sentiment alone makes me very happy. Oh, how about this, then: Will you let me swing you around a bit next?”

“Okay...”

She immediately returned to her sword body, resting upright next to her, and Nell picked her up. Holding her firmly in both hands, she tried a few swings.

“Whoooa... You’re not having any trouble at all, are you?”

My beloved sword was something that a normal human could barely wield. Hell, that was true even for an abnormal human. I knew Nell’s abilities went far beyond those of an ordinary person, but had she really improved this much? She’d just told me a second ago that she couldn’t handle something like En. Yet that’d turned out to be a lie the second she’d picked up my sword girl.

“Darn it... It vexes me to admit this, but I don’t think I can bring out a hundred percent of En’s power. Her range and weight...don’t suit me. Yup, she’s definitely made for you, Mr. Yuki. Thank you, En. You can go back to your human form now.”

“Well...that’s too bad.”

She emerged from her real body and stood there again in her human form.

“So? Get any more specific ideas of what you want?”

“As much as I love the idea of a katana, I think my best option is a double-edged sword after all.”

Figured as much.

“Mm... Something like this would be good. But I’d like the blade to be a bit thicker. Perhaps a bit wider too. It should be roughly twice as heavy as this one, which is too light, and that conversely makes it more difficult to use.”

Nell chose an orthodox steel sword similar to Durendal. In terms of ease of use, that was a winner.

“All right, what about the length of the blade?”

“Hmm... I’m torn...”

“For...you, 1.1 times the length of that would be perfect when we account for the length of your hands and your height.”

“Really, En? Then please follow her advice, Mr. Yuki!”

“Roger that.”

Okay, I had a pretty solid idea now. I’d test it out with a steel prototype first. Adjust the weight by mixing in some adamantite. As for the shape, I decided to make several with blades of different widths and thicknesses, then let Nell tweak the one that fit her best. I prepped some iron, activated Weapon Enhancement, and completed the first prototype.

“Try this one next.”

“Will do!”

◇ ◇ ◇

After that, I took both Nell’s and En’s opinions into consideration, made a bunch of adjustments, and then finally created a product that was just right.

“Despite being a prototype, it’s still a pretty good sword. I could make a fortune selling it.”

“It...is a good sword. But I’m better.”

“Ha ha! We know, En, we know. Okay, Nell, aside from the weight, you’re good with the shape, right?”

“I think so. I can’t say for sure until I actually hold it, but when it comes to steel goods, I doubt anyone can make anything better than this.”

“Cool, then the next one I make will be the real thing.”

The core would be made of adamantite, and it’d be covered with orichalcum. I’d also mix in some of Lefi’s claws I’d gotten my hands on in her old nest. The hilt would be made of the magical hardwood that grew in the Demonic Forest, and the guard would be made of mythril, which was easy to work with. I’d already memorized the shape of the blade after having made so many steel prototypes.

“M-My heart is pounding. Is yours as well, Mr. Yuki?”

“I’ll...watch too,” En said.

Feeling their intense stares boring into me, I concentrated and activated Weapon Enhancement. Holy smokes. My mana was being sucked out with incredible force. Apparently, an enormous amount of it was needed to create the weapon because I’d refused to compromise on the quality of the materials. With my current mana supply, I didn’t think I’d run out, but it was decreasing at a potentially dangerous rate. Much to my relief, though, my mana stopped being depleted when two-thirds of it had been absorbed. And then, it was done.

A jet-black blade that looked like it could swallow even darkness itself. Thick and double-edged. There wasn’t much in the way of decoration, and unlike Durendal, it had no carvings on the blade either. And yet, it was no less beautiful. The color and luster of the materials made it sparkle and shine like the loveliest jewel. The more mana was poured into it, the more it would penetrate. Along with it, the pressure of the blackness would increase, almost making it feel like you were being sucked in by a gravitational force.

“Phew... I think that worked.”

Not gonna lie, I felt bone-tired. Probably on account of the huge amount of mana that’d been drained out of me. Then again, it had been a while since I’d felt this sense of satisfaction. Thanks to all the prototypes I’d made beforehand, the weapon was the best one I’d crafted since En.

“Okay, now it just needs a name... Got it. Yoruha.”

Yoruha: A straight sword made by Supreme Ruler Yuki. Like branches and leaves that stretch in the night, it swallows and envelops all. It absorbs the magical energy of any opponent it cuts, increasing its power as it does so. ??? to ??? in ???. Quality: ???

What the hell? Some parts were garbled and unreadable. It was normal for the quality to be undefined, but an obscured section outside that? This had been happening a lot lately... Is some god watching over me? If we were talking smithing, then it had to be Dweorg.

Then there was the line about it absorbing the energy of its opponents and growing stronger. En had a similar power, and so did the magic blade that ginger leader of the fiends had used, Totund Ruin. Although that one had sucked down its opponent’s mana. Maybe that was just how swords at a certain power level operated in this world—incomplete in their current forms but evolving as they fought.

“Oh my goodness! Th-This is amazing! Absolutely incredible, Mr. Yuki!”

“Hrrrm... It’s strong.”

Nell’s eyes sparkled brighter than ever, while En growled, sounding a bit frustrated. Don’t you worry, Miss En. You’re the bestest there ever was.

“Try swinging it.”

“O-Okay!”

Handling it like she thought it was fragile, Nell began testing it out. She went through the motions of swordplay, swinging it again and again before handing down her verdict.

“Excellent.”

“Yeah?”

“Yes. It feels so right, I can’t believe it’s my first time holding it. How do I put it... It feels like an extension of my arm. Amazing. I still can’t believe it fits so well in my hands...”

Good, she likes it. Nell stared at the black blade in amazement, but there was something a little sentimental about her expression.

“You feel bad about Durendal, dontcha?”

“I do... I know there’s nothing I can do, but with this, I really have no reason to use it anymore. And that makes me a bit sad. Though of course, I’m incredibly excited about this...Yoruha, was it? That you made for me, Mr. Yuki.”

I understood that feeling too. Of the weapon you cherished, that you entrusted your life to, no longer being used. The emotions coursing through Nell right now must’ve been especially strong.

And it was En who replied.

“That’s...the life of a weapon. It changes to suit its wielder. And if it doesn’t grow, then it won’t be used.”

“You’re absolutely right. Okay, Mr. Yuki, I want to try it out! I want to try slicing a monster! A monster! I need to actually cut a living thing, slash through flesh and bone, see how it feels!”

As if to change her mood, the hero said those menacing words with a bright smile. All I could do was chuckle wryly in response.

“Okay, okay, let’s head to the Demonic Forest. Might as well summon Rir and the others so we can test it out to your heart’s content on a variety of monsters.”

“I’m...going too,” En chimed in.

“Thank you, both of you!”

And so, I’d finished Nell’s new sword, Yoruha, which meant “night leaf.” The plan was for us to accompany her for the next few hours while she tested it out until she was satisfied. Working together with the pets, she managed to kill one of the monsters in the western area with it, also confirming that its sharpness was on par with En’s. Nell looked both delighted and entranced by the bloodstained sword. Honestly? Kinda scared me. That was not the kind of face you showed in public. But she sure was cute.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Lefi.”

“What is it?”

“I’m super-duper bored right now, so do an imitation of something.”

“Oh dear, I see I am to be subject to another episode of my husband’s ‘Sudden and Unreasonable Requests’ series. Fortunately for you, I am a capable wife who will handle this latest unreasonable request impeccably.”

“Nice. You seem more hyped than usual, Lefi, my darling wife. So show me whatcha got.”

“Feast your eyes on...an enraged adductor muscle!”

“Pfft.”

Even before Lefi began her impersonation, her intro had me laughing. Meaning I lost immediately.

“Daaang, woman, when the hell did you get so good at messing with me? I hardly recognize you now.”

“Hmph. You have much to learn. A wife is a wife precisely because she evolves. What of you? Are you able to evolve as a husband?”

“Well, now that you’ve thrown down the gauntlet, I have no choice except to show you what I’m made of! My turn now! Behold, Lefi! For I am a half-baked piece of meat!”

That was what I did an imitation of.

“...”

“...”

Lefi looked incredibly disappointed.

“Uhhh, you could say something, y’know...”

“My husband does not have an aptitude for jests.”

“Slander! If I’d been born at any other time, I’d be a big-name entertainer taking the world by storm, selling out every venue. I’d be a huge star, for sure.”

“I regret to inform you that you may search every world twice over, and you will discover that none such as you describe exists.”

Blasphemy! You dare say a world capable of accepting my genius doesn’t exist?

We joked around with each other for a bit more before I spoke in a more serious tone.

“Lefi.”

“What is it?”

“Deadass, I am so bored that it’s not even funny. Isn’t there anything to do? I’ll even play shogi. Actually, maybe something else.”

“What do you expect me to do? I can see with my own eyes that you have ample time on your hands. The question, then, becomes how to fill it. Hmm...”

Lefi racked her brain, unable to come up with any ideas.

“I appreciate how our kids are so good at having fun and making the most of each day. Which just made me realize I’ve never seen the little-girl gang bored. Like, ever.”

“Children are simply better at such things than adults, for the first thing we do is attempt to use our minds to find ways to pass the time.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s how a topic like this turns into a discussion like this. You’re right, though. Grown-ups should learn from kids’ innocence more.”

“You are more than childish—ahem, I mean, you are more than innocent enough. I feel there is nothing more for you to learn.”

“Is it just my imagination, or did I just hear you insult me, my dear?”

“Most certainly your imagination. More importantly, back to the matter at hand... I have it. Let us take a page from the little ones’ book and play a game of tag.”

“You know I don’t have a shot at winning.”

And that’s true for any game involving our bodies. Not to mention that I don’t think there are many sports left that I can beat you in, damn it. Of all the games we’d played so far, the only ones I could just barely squeak out a win against her were table tennis and badminton. In them, using too much power led to the ball or the birdie, respectively, flying every which way.

Her power was so overwhelming that it was actually hard for her to adjust it, which in turn made her bad at those sports. Having said that, she was working on that weakness too now that she was playing with the little girls more. Also, thanks or maybe no thanks to my race evolution, I was actually getting worse at controlling my own power, making that another factor closing the gap between me and her in that respect.

Case in point, a few days ago, I’d ended up breaking a dish I was washing because I’d scrubbed too hard. I didn’t have any issues if I was careful with my strength, but space out for one second and bam, something ended up broken. This had been happening more often lately. At the rate things were going, there was a very good chance of me taking the title in our household’s Clumsy Championship, so you could imagine that I was feeling the pressure a bit. I can’t believe I have to practice how to hold back now too. What is the world coming to?

Speaking of the Clumsy Championship, Lew and Shii were contenders too. They were way better—or should I say worse—at it, meaning I didn’t have to worry as much about winning. For now.

Conversely, the battle for first place in the Deft Championship was between Nell and Leila. While Iluna and En definitely fell into the “dexterous” category, no way they stood a chance against those two in the adult gang. En was unrivaled as far as slashing went, truly a master, but her skills were limited otherwise.

“Very well. Then I shall restrain myself and lose at the very end. What say you?”

“Never mind me. Is that actually fun for you?”

“It is indeed. For building up her husband’s ego is also a wife’s duty.”

“Okay. Works for me.”

We headed to the meadow area.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Haah, haah!”

Run. Run away. Panting heavily, sweating like a pig, and moving my body to its limits, I fled the approaching terror. All I could hear was my own harsh breathing and my heart pounding like a drum.

“Wherever are you going, hmm? Do you truly believe you can escape me?”

From behind me came the footsteps of death personified: the Supreme Dragon, Lefisios.

“Grr! Damn this calamity who would bring about sloth and corruption to this world and lead it to its end! Unsatisfied with the three meals, naps, and snacks she gets every day, this incarnation of evil itself dominates her husband and works him like a slave!”

“Why, you... Suffer the pain of your wife’s surprisingly serious kick!”

“Whoa! Dammit, woman! Are you trying to kill me?!”

Lefi sent me flying into the air with a kick. Well, more like she hooked me with her foot and sort of flung me with it. In a panic, I busted out my three pairs of wings, which allowed me to stay in the air. It hadn’t actually hurt that much, but being hurled several dozen meters into the air had definitely freaked me out.

“H-Hey! I thought we were playing tag!”

“Change of plans! A husband with the gumption to speak ill of his wife must be punished! Bwa ha ha ha! Now enjoy my aerial sleeper hold!”

“Nuuuooohhh!”

“Followed by an aerial cobra twist!”

“Gaaaaah!”

“But wait! There is more! An aerial pile driver!”

“Dwaaah?!”

Lefi unfurled her wings and closed the distance between us in an instant. She then proceeded to whale on me, executing one wrestling move after another with precision and perfection. There was no actual ring for her to smack me down on since we were in the air, but the roller coaster of sudden free falls and rises was pretty freaking scary. Also, the choke hold was just plain painful. Didn’t matter if it was executed in the air or on the ground, y’know? I could hear my bones creaking. I felt like they would break any second now.

“So? Do you surrender? Hmm? Hmm?!”

“Ngggh! D-Don’t underestimate me! The fight doesn’t end until the fat lady sings, Lefi! I haven’t even shown you my moves, so don’t count your chickens before they hatch!”

“Such brave words! Fine! I acknowledge your mettle and shall go easy on you!”

“Uh, I’m not so sure about— Ngggaaah!”

After that, Lefi continued using me as her punching bag. I would just like to point out that pro wrestling didn’t actually exist in this world. Every move she knew was one I’d taught her, so really, I was reaping what I’d sown. Well, I found a way to alleviate my boredom, and I’m enjoying myself, so all’s well that ends well.

◇ ◇ ◇

Aside from Rir, Yuki had four others under his command: Orochi the giant snake, Yata the giant crow, Byaku the bakeneko, and Seimi the water sprite. As dungeon monsters, they were adults from the moment of birth and possessed a certain degree of knowledge and power so that they could be immediately deployed as combat assets. Because this was an abnormal way of growing up, however, there were some drawbacks. Namely, that they lacked common sense to a degree.

Wild animals gained wisdom and learned to reason by surviving in the harsh environments of nature. People interacted with others in their daily lives, learning life lessons one at a time, making mistakes, and growing. It went without saying that the Demonic Forest was a harsh environment unlike any other in the world, so they had honed their abilities as dungeon summons rapidly.

In addition to each other, the four pets had started to learn many other things through their interactions with the members of Rir’s wild-monster army. Even so, they had only been alive for a short time, and thus there was still a lot they didn’t know or understand, despite their adult bodies and mental ages. For better or for worse, they were pure.

Rir was also a being born of the dungeon, but he was exceptionally intelligent and quick on the uptake. Through observation and analysis, he had acquired these skills early on, as well as the wisdom to act as a leader. Among the other four pets, Byaku the bakeneko was relatively sensible and could be considered Rir’s second-in-command, but she was still a bit scatterbrained. Consequently, that left not only Rir’s monster army at her mercy but Rir himself too.

“Grr...” Rir sighed when Orochi and Byaku both averted their gazes.

A stretch of land lay in battered ruins before them—the result of their research and practice of new techniques. Well, that in itself wasn’t the problem. The problem was that they’d destroyed an area close to the cave where the first door connected to the meadow area was located.

It looked like a smoking wasteland from an apocalyptic movie. Byaku and Orochi had been so absorbed in their research that they’d snapped to their senses at the sight and realized, “Oh no, this is bad.” That was when they’d sent out a panicked summons to Rir. While they also had some control over the dungeon, compared to Rir’s, theirs was very simple and limited. For that reason, he was usually the one to clean up the mess when something went wrong.

Incidentally, Yata wasn’t with them today. He was flying around somewhere else. Seimi was, though, and didn’t seem at all bothered by the situation. She just floated around aimlessly, with a “Hmm? I don’t really get it” look on her face. But that was business as usual for the water sprite, so everyone just ignored her. In the meantime, Rir cautioned the other two, “You know how vital it is to be aware of your surroundings at all times.”

Orochi and Byaku, particularly the latter, ranked second to him in terms of authority. They were charged with keeping an eye on and managing everyone. Even Rir’s personal monster army relied on Byaku to some extent, so he also entrusted her with various tasks.

Incidentally, Rir was the object of much fear and awe. Strength was everything for monsters, so a being as powerful as him was a source of dread, regardless of the person himself, or in his case, the wolf himself. His personality didn’t change the fact of his nigh-divine existence.

Despite that, he possessed a charisma that drew monsters to him. In contrast, Byaku was more gentle-mannered and observant. Though not as feared as him, her personality meant she was equally well-liked, earning her the position of a reliable big sister figure to the monster army under his command.

As far as the others’ personalities went, Orochi was serious with a strong sense of responsibility, but he tended to be more careless than Byaku. Moreover, because of his size and terrifying face, the other monsters were more reluctant to depend on him. The same went for Yata. And Seimi was just Seimi to everyone. Members of Rir’s monster army often made comments like, “Well, that’s just Seimi for you...” and “Seimi is just...Seimi, you know?”

“Grr, raar.”

“Hissss.”

“Meooow...”

Although the pets were reliable in battle, Rir was well aware that they, like their master, had quirks of their own. So he issued the following order: “All right, I’ll use the power of the dungeon to fix this, which means it’s our job to earn the necessary DP.” Orochi and Byaku obeyed, their expressions embarrassed.

Rir’s monster army also ended up involved in the ensuing large-scale monster hunt that doubled as training. The wild monsters were annoyed at having suddenly been forced to participate, but hunts like these were held on a regular basis to ensure the dungeon territory’s safety. Plus, they generally obeyed Rir and the other pets, so their reactions were along the lines of, “Ahhh... Here we go again,” and, “It is what it is...” And so, the group launched its assault on hostile monsters. The only one who’d avoided being roped in was Yata, since he wasn’t nearby.

Then, a few hours later, they had accumulated the DP they’d needed. They were finally able to repair the damaged land, allowing dungeon-born trees and grass to grow again. Just as the scenery reached the point that it looked almost identical to how it had been before their inadvertent destruction, they heard a voice calling to Rir from afar.

“Heeey, Riiir!”

It was their master.

“Oh, snap. Were you busy or something?”

“Grr. Grr?”

He’d replied, “We actually just finished. Is something wrong?”

“Nah, just got hit with a sudden craving for seafood, and lots of it. So we’re off to the sea! The sea for me! Let’s catch some ginormous monsters there!”

“Grr?”

“No clue! We’ll figure it out once we’re at the ghost ship dungeon!”

Then, he cackled and walked away. Rir sighed, a wry smile on his face. Thus did his suffering continue another day...

◇ ◇ ◇

That day, Shii was taking a walk by herself.

“Hmm, hmm, hmmmm!”

She strolled through the meadow area, humming happily. Iluna and En weren’t with her, nor were the wraith sisters. On the surface, it seemed like the little-girl gang was always together, and in truth, they were. Sometimes, though, each girl would play by herself. Iluna might practice magic, or En might accompany Yuki on one of his trips to the outside world. When they felt like doing their own thing, they simply didn’t get together.

Currently, Iluna was reading a book at home, and En was learning how to brew a delicious cup of tea from Leila. The triplets were exploring the Great Woods Athletic Zone that Yuki had built in the meadow area. They wanted to have a grasp of everything. Shii had considered joining them, but for some reason, she just wasn’t in the mood today and wanted to take it easy, so she’d decided to go for a walk in the meadow area all on her own.

Unlike her, Iluna, and En, the wraith sisters were rarely apart. No one knew if Yuki having summoned all three of them at the same time using DP had anything to do with it. Whatever the case, the trio had a strong sense of oneness, so they almost never acted alone.

“Blue sky, why you so bluuue? But you feel gooood, so who care why?! Ah, ants!”

Spotting the ants in their formation, Shii stopped singing, crouched down, and began chasing them.

When nature was created using the power of a dungeon, the creatures likely to live in that environment were created at the same time, albeit only smaller ones. In Yuki’s dungeon, there were fish in the river and insects in the meadow. Naturally, though, these small animals weren’t considered his subordinates. They didn’t listen to him either. They simply carried on with their natural lives. This was proof that dungeons weren’t just demon lords’ lairs but miniature gardens. What spread out here was a prototype of the world itself.

However, as if none of that mattered at all, Shii began observing the ants.

“Mr. Ant, you hard worker, black, and have amazing pincer. Do I want be like you? No, not really. I just want relax forever.”

Chattering about her true feelings, she followed the line of ants and eventually discovered a gap in a corner of a flowerbed in the castle. Ants entered and exited through it repeatedly.

“Ohhh! So this your house! Tee hee, interesting. Ah, I wonder if this what god feel like when they look at us.”

While muttering the vaguely disconcerting sentiment, she gazed upon the ants busy at work. That was all Shii did. Nothing else.

Let’s digress for a moment. Whenever Yuki, the master of this dungeon, heard the word “ant,” the first thing that came to mind wasn’t these tiny ones, but enormous ones inhabiting the Demonic Forest. Their size was typical of the monsters living there. The way his face twitched just hearing the word revealed how much he was a part of this world now too. It was the army of ants that had solidified his hatred of insects in general, and frankly speaking, the traumatic experience had instilled in him a specific phobia of ants.

“Oookay! You guys work hard, sooo...I give you candy! Enjoy!”

Each little girl had been given a special pouch imbued with spatial magic. From hers, Shii took out a piece of her favorite candy and placed it in front of the nest. At first, the ants seemed perplexed, but once they realized it was food, they instinctively began to swarm around it. The sight made her feel like she’d done something good, so with a smile on her face, she finished her observation of the ants, then resumed her cheerful stroll.

“Walking good! Wonderful and healthy! But wait. These not my real legs. So still wonderful? Well, moving body feels good, so who care?!”

To Shii, her human form was only a temporary one. Her true form was that of a small, round slime, the weakest species. Strictly speaking, she wasn’t even a she. She simply took the guise of a little girl. But she had never once cared about that difference between herself and the others.

Even when it came to her own species, her reaction was ever so casual, along the lines of, “I’m slime? I am, I am!” To her, the fact that everyone looked different from everyone else was so normal that being bothered at all by differences was a foreign concept to her. Never mind that almost nothing and no one in the dungeon could be called “normal” in the first place, so it was no wonder she felt that way.

And so, Shii continued her stroll, wandering here and there, basking in the soothing sunlight of the dungeon. She followed the butterflies, smelled the flowers in the flower beds, dug her fingers through the soil, poked at a pill bug she found in hopes that it would roll into a ball, and much more. She enjoyed her time alone, doing whatever her heart commanded. Just as she approached the building everyone who lived there called the inn, she caught sight of a familiar figure.

“Ah! Master! It Masteeer!”

When he heard her voice, Yuki turned to look in her direction. Shii waved excitedly before running over to him.

“Oh, hey, Shii. Playing by yourself today?”

“Yup! On a walk! What you doing, Master?”

“Me? Well, this line was bugging me, so I was just fixing it. Whaddya think? Looks cooler now, doesn’t it?”

“Hmm, don’t know!”

“You don’t know, huh? I guess them’s the breaks.”

“Them the breaks!”

With a laugh, Yuki petted Shii’s head. When her master stroked her like that with his big, warm hands, it made her feel incredibly happy. Smiling, she rubbed her face against his waist.

“Tee hee hee! I got to meet Master during walk, so today super great day!”

“Oh yeah? Well, I’m super happy I got to see you here too, Shii.”

“Reeeally? Tee hee hee! I happy toooo!”

Yuki gave the beaming Shii a few more head pats before sitting down on the inn’s porch.

“Okay, I’m done with my repairs, so if you’re free too, why don’t we hang out? What do you wanna do, kiddo?”

“Yaaay! Um. Ummm... I know! Sun bath!”

“Wait, that’s it? You just wanna bathe in the sun?”

“Yup! The sun feel sooo nice here!”

Then, Shii sat down on the porch with him.

“Ha ha! You’re not wrong. Well, the sun feels nice everywhere in the dungeon.”

“You not wrong!”

Yuki brought two pillows from the adjacent room, then stretched out, resting his head on one. Shii lay down next to him on the other and basked in the sunlight, enjoying the gentle heat all over her body. Enveloped by that warm, happy feeling, she began to nod off...

◇ ◇ ◇

The wraith triplets were drifting their merry way through the meadow area of the dungeon that day too. They’d gone from inside the castle to the meadow without any particular destination in mind. This entire place was their garden. They were second only to Yuki in their knowledge of the area, and their current favorite place was the newly created Great Woods Athletic Zone. That being the case, they’d decided they would wander there again today.

The new facilities and places that Yuki had created were fresh and fun for them, which made their floating exploration worthwhile. Actually, that wasn’t quite true. Their behavior was an instinct carved into them as dungeon monsters. In order to protect their territory, it was their duty to scrutinize and understand every inch of the inside, so it had become a part of their daily lives. They were little warriors, and warriors always remained vigilant.

Under that pretense, the sisters were having fun as usual when the eldest, Rei, suddenly muttered to the middle and youngest, Rui and Roh, respectively. She mentioned how they hadn’t been playing any pranks lately, had they? Her remark shocked the other two.

Rei was absolutely right, and that was unusual, since the triplets were known for their mischief-making. Everyone in the dungeon—even Nell, who was the easiest to startle—had gotten used to their pranks. Plus, the trio themselves were running out of ideas, so they’d been acting out much less often than usual recently.

They only used a prank once. It was no fun playing it a second time. Who wanted to be stuck in a rut? Not them.

That plus the simple fact that playing with the other little girls was just plain fun meant they regularly put off thinking up new pranks until later. Except later never came, and all they did was play. Once they stopped being mischievous girls, they were no longer themselves. Yuki and the others would probably disagree, but for them, it was a matter of pride—one they mustn’t forget.

At this point, though their exploration wasn’t over yet, they realized this was no time for adventuring in the Great Woods Zone. Then, Roh spoke up. She said that as dungeon monsters, their duty was to protect the dungeon, and that took priority. Rei and Rui mulled over her words thoughtfully.

Surprisingly, they were proud of being dungeon summons. Shii was in the same position as them while also being the very first to have been created in the dungeon, making her their senior, so to speak. Whenever they brought that up, her response was always a puzzled, “Huuuh? We dungeon monsters?” However, the wraith triplets firmly believed that if invaders came, they had to fight and protect everyone! Well, there hadn’t been any since Nell had first arrived, so they hadn’t had any opportunities to demonstrate their resolve since then. Also, if any enemies were dangerous enough to even make it as far as the meadow area, Yuki definitely wouldn’t let the triplets leave the safe area, meaning the day they would have to fight would probably never come again.

In any case, they wanted to think up a new prank. However, in order to protect the dungeon, they wanted to explore the Great Woods Zone soon, so the three sisters pondered their next move. It was then that Rui had an idea. What if they scouted locations for pranks while exploring the area? Even if everyone had gotten used to their pranks, they would definitely be surprised by the triplets using this new and unfamiliar zone to mess with them.

Rei and Roh oohed and aahed. The former praised Rui for the idea, while the latter, wearing a concerned expression, asked her if she’d eaten something strange. With a “Rude!” Rui scowled angrily, and the other two ran away giggling. Their sudden game of tag put a kibosh on the serious discussion they’d been having up until then. They forgot all about duty and pranks. So the wraith triplets enjoyed another day at their leisure, free to do as they pleased.

◇ ◇ ◇

In Arsil, the capital of the Kingdom of Alisia, sounds of a sword fight echoed throughout a training ground adjacent to a certain church. The two opponents fought so intensely that it was hard to believe they were only training. One of the people swinging a wooden sword was the female commander of the holy knights, Carlotta Demeyere. The other was the hero, Nell.

Both of them were “magical sword masters” who made extensive use of magic in battle. While not a particularly pretty sight, their fight played out in colorful, flashing sparks and small explosions that led to cracks and holes all over the ground. Normally, they wouldn’t practice to the point of causing so much damage to the training arena, but today was special because it had been some time since they last fought. Because of that, the two were putting as much effort as they could into their mock battle.

Carlotta Demeyere was a remarkable figure. In addition to her political acumen and military expertise, she had originally made a name for herself through her physical prowess, rising to the rank of knight commander at a young age. She observed her opponents’ movements, analyzed them, and then used logic to trap and defeat them. Those who fought her deluded themselves into believing their every thought was being read, which resulted in their movements dulling, and eventually, their loss.

Humans, physically inferior to other races, had mastered combat techniques that relied solely on their intellect, and Carlotta’s swordplay took that principle to the extreme. Moreover, her skill with a blade had been honed by the previous hero, Lemiro, himself hailed as an expert swordsman bearing knowledge passed down for generations among humans. Not only had she learned from him, but she had made the moves her own, improving and refining them for ease of use.

On top of all that, Carlotta had trained with Nell, so she knew the girl’s quirks. That familiarity had allowed her to toy with the extraordinary hero—before, at least. But now, the difference in ability between the two of them was so great that even her knowledge of her opponent wasn’t enough to help Carlotta bridge the gap.

Even if she stepped on a trap Carlotta had set, Nell jumped away before it could activate. Even when Carlotta intentionally lured her into using a specific attack, the hero forced herself to stop partway, perhaps realizing danger was afoot, and switched to a different one. A strike that Carlotta thought would land, Nell avoided with nimble footwork that was now incomprehensible. The hero’s movements, which used to be so straightforward and easy to read, now included a handful of unfamiliar techniques. Plus, her casting of magic in between added to Carlotta’s feeling of being overwhelmed.

Nell’s offense was particularly troublesome. Though her swings appeared light, the sound her sword made as it sliced through the air conveyed the heft in them. If Carlotta took even a glancing blow, she would likely be thrown off-balance instantly, ending the mock battle right then and there. It left her with no choice but to parry and dodge everything. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.

How rapidly she’s grown. Is this the potential of one chosen to be the hero? In terms of skill alone, Carlotta was far superior, so the fight raged on without a clear victor. But she realized she’d lose if something didn’t change, and so she acted to take the initiative.

However, Nell has been trained by both Carlotta and the previous hero. She, too, possessed the ability to observe her opponents. But it was in her everyday life that she’d honed it.

Surprisingly, little girls weren’t above doing dangerous things, and unsurprisingly, her husband wasn’t either. In his case, he showed no hesitation. What was more, two of her fellow wives were unpredictable in their clumsiness. Yes, they had become more responsible recently, but people didn’t change so quickly. Thanks to her family, Nell had naturally developed the habit of keeping an eye on her surroundings, and that habit came into play in this scenario too.

She’s coming. In her hyperfocused, supercharged world, Nell sensed a change in her opponent. Carlotta had decided to take the fight to her, in a manner of speaking.

As she’d predicted, her superior took a step forward, but Nell attacked at the same time. She focused on speed instead of force. With the wind taken out of her sails, Carlotta narrowly managed to avoid the assault, and only because of her constant reminder to herself not to get hit by Nell. But that was a bad move on her part.

Without warning, Nell let go of her wooden sword mid-strike. Just as it was about to fly away, she grabbed it again with her other hand, then spun around in a circle, executing a follow-up attack powered by centrifugal force. The move was so unexpected that Carlotta was unable to dodge it. Though she somehow managed to block by wedging her wooden sword between them, she still bore the brunt of the swing.

That decided their bout. Carlotta’s wooden sword snapped halfway down the blade, and the impact sent a shock wave up her arm, stiffening her body. She dropped to one knee under the sheer weight of Nell’s strike. Seizing the opportunity, Nell unleashed a third blow—stopping it right at Carlotta’s neck.

“I win, Miss Carlotta!”

Beaming, Nell drew her wooden sword back and reached out to help her superior up. Carlotta took her hand and stood up, wearing a smile of her own, a combination of frustration and satisfaction.

“Haah... And I lost, despite giving it my all. Never mind that we were only sparring. You did well. I certainly can’t beat you now.”

“No, we were evenly matched, right until the very end! You’re amazing, Miss Carlotta. I was at your mercy, constantly wondering what you’d do next and what I should do. Honestly? It felt like my mind was on the verge of shutting down.”

“Heh. Even so, you saw right through me. You handled each of my techniques deftly. Once I realized I was no longer a match for you physically, I had to rely on cheap tricks... But you picked up on those too. You’ve grown strong, Nell.”

“Tee hee... Thank you. Praise from you makes me the happiest, Miss Carlotta!”

Carlotta smiled softly at the sweet, embarrassed girl. Nell had grown tremendously in the past year, no doubt due to the variety of experiences she’d had since meeting the demon lord. Her potential had always been great, so all of those experiences had fueled her into becoming who she was now. I know she’ll be the strongest hero in history. Carlotta’s smile widened as she imagined that future.

“Nell, your schedule is open all day today, yes?”

“It is, since I’ve been on standby quite a bit lately. I’m grateful for that, though, because I know you and His Majesty are making it that way out of consideration for me.”

“Excellent. Then I propose we go out on the town, just the two of us. You can tell me everything you’ve been up to lately.”

“I’d love that!”

Just then, someone called out to them.

“Might I join as well?”

Nell and Carlotta turned toward the voice.

“Lady Naforazey!”

“Your Majesty!”

It was the elf queen, Naforazey Faraye.

◇ ◇ ◇

Naforazey stopped Nell and Carlotta before they could bow. She approached them with three elvish soldiers who appeared to be her personal guards.

“How have you fared since we last met? Well, I hope. I watched you fight, and I must say, I’m impressed all over again. I wonder how many in my unit are as capable as you two. What say you to working for me?”

“Tee hee. Thank you for the invitation. However, we have sworn our loyalty to this country.”

“We’re truly honored you hold us in such high regard, Your Majesty, but I must second Nell. Forgive us for refusing.”

“Is that so? What a shame. I suppose I’ll simply have to make do with my own.”

All the women smiled, knowing Naforazey was joking. During the great war, Nell and Carlotta had traveled to the Elvish Enclave and provided indispensable aid to the elves. Nell, in particular, had fought and defeated an enemy general on her own, then treated the seriously injured queen. Well, she’d given her one of the Super Potions from the huge supply the overprotective Yuki had forced on her. No wonder the elves thought of her so fondly. Another unintended result of the incident was the more positive feelings elves held toward humans.

“I trust this will be a wake-up call for you lot to strive for higher reaches too, hm?”

“Y-Your will be done, my lady!”

Naforazey was, in fact, the most talented of the elves at present, possessing abilities rivaling those of Nell and Carlotta. That made the trio acting as her guards the inferior ones. Of course, they were elite, capable soldiers. They had to be, given their roles. Which was why their rueful smiles conveyed their understanding of reality.

“Hero, is the demon lord in good health?”

“He is! Living his life however he pleases, doing what he loves. Just the other day, he said, ‘Behold, great meadow, for I shall turn you into the vast expanse of nature itself!’ Then, he went and created all sorts of things, like a forest and rivers.”

“I...see. I would say he’s the same as ever, but I know not how true that is. So I’ll merely say that I am glad to hear he is hale.”

“Well, he’s certainly operating on a grand scale, eh, Nell? Is he always like that?”

“Yes! Crafting is his passion. He makes weapons, but he also builds houses, gardens, trees, and playgrounds for the children. Everything, really.”

Seeing Nell gush about her husband made Carlotta and Naforazey smile too, albeit wryly. All that mattered was that the couple seemed to be happy.

Then, Nell asked a question.

“Do you have a request for him? I can pass it on if you do...”

“Serendipitous for you to say so, for I do indeed. I am still mulling the idea over, and I actually came here to discuss it with your king...” Naforazey paused before continuing. “I wish to host a large festival with all the races.”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Ahhh! You! Are! The! Worst! That was the last one, you imbecile!”

“Ouch, ouch, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! But you didn’t eat it, so I thought you were full!”

“I only left it! So that I! Could! Savor! It!!!”

“And I said I was sorry, didn’t I?! Jeez, rip my head off over one measly dorayaki!”

“You have the gall to defy me after you ruin my fun?! I will be ripping off more than just your head! Reflect on your actions, you evil cur! No, you are evil personified!”

“Damn straight! That’s my name, and don’t wear it out! Too bad you’re married to the great Demon Lord Yuki, Lefisios, dear wife of mine!”

“Ugh! You are insufferable!”

While we bickered, Lew spoke up, exasperated.

“Come on, you two, enough already. Here, Lefi. You can have mine.”

“Curse you! And are you certain?!”

“Yup. I was already full and trying to decide what to do with it, so this works out!”

“Lew! You are the number one member of this family! Next time, I shall... Well, I may not offer you any sweets. However! I will find some way to repay you in spirit!”

“In spirit, huh? I’m sure she’ll looove that. Yup.”

“Silence, you wicked husband!”

“Yes, yes, evil person—”

“Not another word! I will thank you not to repeat that abominable performance!”

The little-girl gang cackled with glee as they watched us.

“Lefifi, you’re always sooo serious when it comes to sweets.”

“Lefifi love them lots, huh?!”

“I...understand. The sweets Leila makes are so yummy.”

“Wee ones, allow me to teach you a very important lesson. Even adults like what they like! To enrich our lives, we must have foods and hobbies to enjoy.”

After Lefi’s needlessly arrogant speech, Leila piped up.

“Tee hee. Cooking is well worth it for me since you all eat everything I make.”

“Okay, but jeez, Leila, just look how good you’ve gotten at it. All this fuss over one dorayaki.”

“You said it, Lew. You could probably go pro and open up shop at this rate, Leila.”

“Oho. Leila, a confectioner? I commend you for such a fine idea, Yuki. Leila, confectionery is a subject full of unplumbed depths. What say you? Does your curiosity stir?”

“Don’t pressure her, you sugar-obsessed weirdo.”

While we were lazing around like that, the Comm Orb: Revamped glowed. More often than not, that meant the message was important, regardless of who the caller was. I immediately poured my mana into it to answer. And then, I heard a voice.

“Oh, good, we’re connected. Mr. Yuki, can you hear me?”

It was Nell.

“Yup, sure can. What’s up? Did something happen?”

“This isn’t an emergency or anything, so don’t worry. Just, um, if you have time, would you come to the royal capital soon?”

“You got it. How soon do you want me there?”

“It doesn’t have to be right away, but the earlier you can manage, the better.”

“Then how about I pop in tomorrow morning?”

“Perfect, thank you!”

“No prob. Does this have anything to do with the king?”

“Sort of. Lady Naforazey is here at the moment, and she’d like to discuss something with you, Mr. Yuki.”

Wait, the elf queen? Seriously? Was there some new development in race relations?

◇ ◇ ◇

I left home early the next day. After sneaking through the nearest door to Nell’s country, I hopped on Rir, who I’d brought with me as usual, and we ran straight to the royal capital along a hidden route. By the way, I’d thought about leaving En behind since I wasn’t going to fight or anything, but she’d mean-mugged me and said, “Master...the last time you did that, you were kidnapped. Or did you forget?” Lefi, of course, had felt the need to butt in with a “You are correct, child. This imbecile tends to embroil himself in all manner of trouble. Protect him, En.” I hadn’t even had a comeback because they’d both been spitting facts, so I’d caved and brought her along too.

Then, there were Leila and Lew, who’d been busy worrying about me. The former had said, “Master Yuki, why don’t I prepare a few days’ worth of food for you? I believe I’ll include some preserved items as well, just in case.” The latter, “My lord, you have everything you need in your Inventory, right? Make sure you double-check, okay?!”

Finally, couldn’t forget what Iluna and Shii had said: “Yukiki, you better come back safe and sound!” and “Master strong, but don’t drop guard!” respectively.

Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but this latest round had made me realize that recently, my fam had a serious tendency to get overprotective every time I left the dungeon for more than hunts and stuff. But considering that I’d given them plenty of reasons to worry because of my dumbassery, I couldn’t really give them crap for it, could I?

Anyway, back to the present. I’d gotten used to making regular trips to Arsil, so after about two hours on fenrirback, the outer walls of the city came into view. Since it was impossible to stay hidden from this point on, I slowed Rir down. Didn’t wanna scare the humans, y’know? With everyone’s eyes on us, we reached the giant gate in the outer wall.

Despite seeming a smidge nervous, the soldiers on guard let me through without much issue. They’d stopped questioning me after getting to know me a while back. One of them led me to a parlor in a nearby building after telling me that Nell would come as soon as I arrived, so a shrunken Rir and I waited there for her. Ten minutes later, she showed up. Seemed like she’d already been on her way.

“Oh gosh, I’m so sorry for the wait, Mr. Yuki!”

“Nah, it’s fine. I know how busy you are.”

The three of us left the building, then Nell and I mounted Rir, who was big again. I was in the front, and she sat behind me.

“Even more so now with all the elves here. Honestly, I find their admiration of me embarrassing.”

“Ha ha! Makes sense, seeing as you did so much for them during the war. You really are the hero, huh?”

“Ha! The hero enraptured by the demon lord, more like! Are you scared of being in my clutches?!”

Nell said with a laugh, hugging me from behind. Her scent wafted through the air, and I enjoyed the feeling of her soft, warm body pressed against mine.

“Oh nooo. I’m shaking in my boots. I’ll have to tempt you even more so you don’t get fed up with me and decide I’m the enemy instead!”

“Tee hee. You already know I can’t wait to see what tricks you have up your sleeve.”

Bantering, we made our way through the royal capital.

◇ ◇ ◇

We arrived at the castle in the center of Arsil and were immediately ushered inside, where Nell led us to a conference room. Soldiers stood at attention against the wall, and a man and a woman sat across from each other at a table—Reyd Glorio Alisia, the king of Alisia, and Naforazey Faraye, the queen of the elves.

“Welcome, welcome.”

“Demon lord! It’s good to see you again.”

I returned their greetings with my own, then the four of us chatted for a while about what we’d been up to since we’d last seen one another. We talked about our lives, our countries, and current events. Basically, it was the “breaking the ice” portion of the meeting.

“So, you guys wanted to discuss something, right?”

“Indeed. The world is expanding as we speak. With the humans’ development of airships, the gap between our multitude of societies is narrowing, and interaction between all of us members of mankind is growing. Ergo, I believe the next thing we need is entertainment.”

“Aha. The good ol’ ‘bread and circuses’ strategy, huh?”

From what I remembered of my old life, the phrase had originally been used in a negative sense, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t true, especially here and now. In my opinion, it was essential to living a happy and fun life.

“Hmm, an interesting way to put it. We needn’t worry about food, as the airships will do much on that front, leaving us with the matter of entertainment. That is where the festival comes in. I propose we host one for all to mingle and enjoy.”

“Ooh, I like that a lot. Not gonna lie, I’m already excited.”

A festival for all the races, huh? It’d be a great opportunity to interact with different cultures. Plus, it sounded like a blast!

“However, during the planning stage, Fynar said something that has stuck with me. ‘Looking ahead to the future, I’d like to add one more element to the festival.’”

“And what would that be?”

Naforazey gave a sharp nod in response to my question.

“He’s suggesting...a proxy war.”

“Inch. Res. Ting.”

That was all she needed to say for me to figure out right away what the other leaders were thinking.

“Let me guess, ’cause the instinct to fight hasn’t gone away?”

“Yes. As a result of our victory in that great war not so long ago, all the races are content now, save for the people of the Reauxgard Empire. However, that will change as time passes. Especially for the demons and their deep-rooted belief in ‘might makes right.’ Though Fynar has considered the situation from many angles, a solution will likely require looking at least a century into the future.”

The nature of living things didn’t change that easily. In this world, the environment itself was harsher than the one back in my old world, so as a result, no race could escape the need to fight—it was deeply ingrained in our instincts. Demons were particularly prone to conflict, but as someone who knew what life had been like on Earth, I knew that other species exhibited the tendency too. Right now, the excitement of winning the war still lingered, but that would eventually die down. Hence the festival-slash-proxy-war. Very interesting.

“Basically, we need some kind of competition, right?”

“Perceptive as always. A fighting tournament would suffice...although we’d like something a bit different from combat. Still, a joint contest involving multiple races means there are bound to be physical advantages and disadvantages. That is what we were in the midst of discussing.”

King Reyd then picked up the thread from her.

“’Tis as the Lady Naforazey says. As in combat, humans and elves have little chance of winning competitions that test physical abilities such as running and jumping. I think something that allows for a bit more tactical flexibility would be preferable. Thus, we are tentatively considering a contest that tests magical ability. Elves may stand out, even dominate, but any race will be able to compete.”

“What say you, demon lord? Have you any other notions?”

I took a few minutes to consider what they’d just said. A competition that was a proxy war in disguise. The second she’d said as much, the first thing that’d popped into my head was sports, followed immediately by the Olympics. What all this boiled down to was, they wanted to create something similar. Unfortunately, this world didn’t really have sports in the sense of easy-to-understand ball games like basketball and soccer. Instead, it mostly had track-and-field-style events like footraces and weightlifting—activities that tested simple physical ability.

At home, I’d used DP to buy stuff and play sports from my previous life, but not knowing much about sports in this world, I’d asked Leila to educate me on the subject. Long story short, for the people here, “sports” that involved punching were popular with all the races. While I was sure those were fun in their own way, events where people had to show off their physical abilities would put humans at a disadvantage, just like the king had said. To use an analogy, it was like when me and Lefi played sports. The only times I could beat her were when I understood the gameplay and tactics better.

Hmm, a sport where you can win using strategy despite a difference in physical ability... A group sport fit the bill better than an individual one. Immediately, I thought of soccer, baseball, and basketball, but... Hmmmm...

No matter the sport, once the rules became more widely known, it would become famous and exciting in this world too. The problem was the time and effort to reach that stage. While it would’ve been great to kick things off with a bang, I decided I should probably start by teaching them the concept of sports themselves first. No better opportunity than now. After I did that, we could add magic to really make something unique to this world. Wouldn’t that be awesome? I’d love it if professional sports could eventually be made for all the races. Since I had a lot of free time, I’d go to every game.

But as anyone who’d played any sport for any amount of time knew, just the simple act of kicking and throwing a ball was difficult. Plus, I myself was an amateur who enjoyed watching more than actually playing, so I wasn’t sure how much I’d be able to teach them. To make the games more interesting for spectators, it’d be better for them to know about formations and stuff. Except I didn’t know much on that front either, so I’d have to ask the people of this world to come up with them.

All right, in that case...what’s better, rugby or American football? Of course, both sports were too complicated for amateurs to play. Well, technically, that was true for all sports. Still, carrying things with your hands, running, and most importantly, getting into formations and tackling others... Maybe all of that was easy enough as a sport for people in this world to learn from scratch?

The most likely competitors would be soldiers or hotheads who made their living through combat, so they’d probably enjoy either option. Because unlike other sports, both had a lot of physical contact, which was great for hyping up the players and the audience. I thought so, at least! The same went for professional wrestling and martial arts. I mean, come on, grown men going mano a mano? Sure got the blood flowing, didn’t it?

But wait. What about scrums and lines of people crashing into each other? Do humans have a chance of winning?

Humans could do anything. They were nimble, full of mana, and most of all, intelligent. They showed their true worth in team battles, where they dominated so hard that even other races took a page from their playbook. Though physically weak, the reason humans had been able to survive until now and remain top dogs as a race of mankind was because they used their wits and made up for differences in ability with technique. But their physical weakness remained a fact. They were the weakest of all the races. Feeble.

That was true for the elves too. They were incredibly skilled in magic, which was what allowed them to hold their own against other races. But in terms of physical strength, they were weaker than humans. Honestly, though, the image of elves playing rugby felt surreal, and I really, really wanted to see that.

Thinking about the situation that way, demons really were strong. While dwarves and therianthropes were insanely strong, their magical abilities were mediocre at best. Maybe that was why they felt lower on the totem pole in terms of power. Compared to the other four races, demons were a lot less unified and harder to generalize about, but they were stronger both physically and magically. They could compete with dwarves and beastfolk in strength, and they could use magic as skillfully as elves.

In the same vein, though, their diversity, lack of unification, and meathead natures were exactly why they’d never won any wars until now. But if a clever leader like Fynar seriously tried to take over the world, the rest of mankind would eventually be conquered. Maybe even easily. Knowing him, he’d already stared into the future and decided that would be a bad move, hence that shady, scheming dude favored reconciliation and harmony instead.

In light of each race’s unique characteristics, the best way to categorize them would be by class rather than by race, but that would be pointless. If the goal was to have a proxy war, then having the races compete against each other would probably be better... Although with sports like F1 or cycling, where you competed using vehicles, differences in physical ability didn’t matter as much. This was a world with magic, so I personally would’ve loved to see something like a hover race. That would be so freaking hype.

Realistically, horses were an option. Horse racing might be fun to watch. Another option could be...monster races? Ooh, I’d watch that. Fast monsters of different levels competing against each other? Excitement galore! Heck, we didn’t even have to make things formal. We could go the exhibition match route, and I’d enter Rir, just to see how he’d perform.

Whoa, buddy. Hold your...horses. Calm down. You’re going way off track here. The idea was actually just fine as a suggestion for Naforazey’s entertainment portion, but what she needed right now was a competition between people. Damn, this is hard.

“Okay, so. I thought of a bunch of things, but for now, I’ll tell you two about all the sports I know of, and we can brainstorm together from there.”

I took a whiteboard out of Inventory.

“What is that?” Naforazey asked.

“This is a chalkboar— Uhhh, basically, it’s a tool for explaining things. You can write stuff on it, and also erase it. I need to explain what I’m about to say visually. Otherwise, you won’t get it.”

“Hmm... That seems quite useful. Do you always carry such things on your person?”

“Yup. Never leave home without it!”

The whiteboard, one of a demon lord’s secret gadgets! All-powerful in its capacity to aid a demon lord when they explain things to others...

Incidentally, I definitely didn’t hear Nell muttering to herself, “Mr. Yuki, I see you’re still stuffing anything and everything into your Inventory. You really need to fix that bad habit of yours.” I definitely didn’t see amused exasperation on her face either.

◇ ◇ ◇

“And that’s everything I know. I’m sure people would have fun if they played any of them. But these are sports for humans, so if all the races were to play, we’d need to tweak the rules a bit more.”

“I see... Reyd, you didn’t tell me humans had such a host of these games passed down through your history.”

“B-Because I did not know they existed... In which countries are these played?”

“No clue. Let’s just say my info source is Leila, one of the ovine, and leave it at that, yeah?”

The elf queen seemed impressed by my bald-faced lie.

“Fascinating! I know the ovine well. A few of the wisest of our elves studied in their village. Hmm, fascinating indeed...”

“Are these ovine demons, then?” Reyd asked.

“Yup. Buncha scholars brimming with curiosity. One of them is one of my wives. If you have any humans who show promise, you should send them to their village to learn. I’m positive they’ll gain something from it. They pretty much welcome anyone who comes.”

Not to mention how totally cool the place was. Their museums were seriously as modern as the ones in my old life. Some of them were even more advanced. The ovine used them to attract tourists, and the way they had everything set up was brilliant. I seriously wanted to visit again.

“Among mankind, that clan undoubtedly possesses the most advanced knowledge. Traveling to the demon world is no longer so difficult, and as the demon lord said, I think it would be a boon to send one with potential as part of national policy.”

“Since you two agree on the matter, I suppose I’ll give it serious thought,” Reyd remarked.

After that, I steered the conversation back to the reason they’d summoned me here in the first place.

“All right, let’s try to stay on topic. What do you guys think about all the sports I mentioned?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to the ones you called ‘rugby’ and ‘American football.’ Your description alone was thrilling, and they seem fairly easy to adapt to our needs. Either would be fit for a proxy war disguised as a tournament.”

“I concur with Reyd. The audience would enjoy the spectacle.”

“Yeah, I think so too. It’ll definitely be exciting. Which brings us to the difference in physical ability. The only way to make up for that is with magic. We could set certain restrictions on the use of magic, and that should level the playing field. I have no idea what the restrictions should be or how to devise a strategy for them, though. I’m sure you guys are better with that end of things.”

No matter what we chose, the most important thing was fairness. To ensure that no race had an advantage, we needed to discuss the details down to the smallest, actually hold competitions, and identify any issues. That was the hardest part. I also thought we should consider mandating protective gear, because I had a feeling any sport we adapted for this world would be more extreme than the original back on Earth. Thankfully, healing magic existed here, so as long as you weren’t seriously injured, you’d be fine.

“Well, ’tis a challenging situation, but, yes, we should gather experts from each nation to decide on the rules. Another point that we will need to address in the future.”

“No matter what sort of contest we host, we shan’t know until we actually try. I trust one of you is recording this conversation so we can reference it as necessary later?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“And you as well for our records?”

“Of course, sire.”

An elf and a human standing by the wall, taking notes of the meeting, each replied.

“Feel free to ask me if there’s anything you’re curious about. I’m not a professional in this field either, so there are gaps in my knowledge.”

After the two bowed in response to my offer, I turned back to the king and queen.

“Also, as for the people participating in the competition, I think we should have the royal, imperial, personal, whatever guards from each country learn the rules first. Why? ’Cause they’re the cream of the crop, which means S-tier physical abilities, intelligence, and tactical teamwork. It’ll be easier for them to pick things up.”

“We’re of the same mind, demon lord. I myself had the same thought on who the first competitors should be.”

“I agree with you both. As well, considering the scale of the festival, I think ’tis more exciting to hold multiple contests over several days rather than only one. We can attract more visitors this way. I suggest...at least a week.”

“Excellent. I wish to make it as spectacular as possible. As far as the venue goes...the Reauxgard Empire is our best choice. I trust you have no objections, demon lord?”

“Not a one. I know we’re still planning, but I’m already having fun. What do you guys think about splitting up the teams by countries?”

“I think that’s the only way.”

“In that case, I know I’m just a figurehead of an emperor, buuut...Reauxgard’s gonna enter too, and we’ll leave you all in the dust!”

When I grinned at the two monarchs, they did the same.

“On behalf of the elves, I accept your challenge, demon lord!”

“As the king of Alisia, I can’t afford to lose. My people will show both humans and nonhumans alike our strength.”

“Looks like we got ourselves a match, lady and gent!”

I didn’t think of myself as the leader of a country at all, but this kind of “game” was a whole nother story. As emperor, I’d personally train our team and make sure everyone knew Reauxgard’s name far and wide!

◇ ◇ ◇

“This is so exciting, Mr. Yuki! What you said about the tournament earlier was just so...just so great!”

Nell, who was sitting next to me, sounded excited. We were on our way home after my meeting with the other heads of state. The three of us had kept talking for an hour afterward. As for what exactly we’d be doing, we’d decided to leave that for another day because we wanted to include the other leaders, especially Fynar. We’d be able to hash things out better and faster with him involved. We had a direction in mind, and that was a pretty good start.

We didn’t want to drag our feet on this since that risked the festival not being held until a few years down the line, so the plan was for all of us kings, lords, and so on to meet again in Reauxgard in a month. We were also hoping to use the opportunity to have that sort of face-to-face meeting at regular intervals. In other words, international conferences. Had to admit, it was damn exciting to see a framework for all races to move forward steadily beginning to take shape. No doubt problems would crop up, but I was confident we’d work through them. After all, it was only by overcoming them that this world would have a future. I was super motivated to see the tournament succeed, so I intended to help in any way I could. That would probably take up a lot of my attention for the near future.

Wait, before that, I need to bring a doctor home. For Lefi. Right now, Leila was in charge of her care, bringing back relevant books from her visits to her village and rapidly improving her knowledge in the field of obstetrics. I couldn’t leave it all to her indefinitely, though. I was doing my best for Lefi and the baby, so with the tournament to deal with now too, I really would be busy for a while.

“I am so freaking stoked for this. With progress like this between races based on mutual understanding, I think the world as a whole can move one step forward. And this festival will be an important tool for that.”

Nell stared happily at me.

“What? I got something on my face?”

“Mm, no. I was just thinking that you’re actually quite intelligent, Mr. Yuki.”

“What do you mean, ‘actually’? Doesn’t the way I look practically ooze intelligence?”

“Um, no. It practically oozes stupidity.”

“Aren’t you being kinda mean, Mrs. Nell?”

“Aha ha ha! I’m sorry.”

“Well, if I’m being totally honest, I’m not particularly smart. No one would call me an intellectual. Iluna’s way smarter than me.”

I just knew stuff. I lacked the intelligence and experience to put it to good use.

“I think you have a quick mind, Mr. Yuki, but you tend to have a low opinion of yourself when it comes to this topic.”

“I dunno about that. I fail a lot, so wouldn’t someone with a quick mind do better?”

“All right, yes, you do fail when you get carried away. But I’d say that has become your, shall we say, style.”

“How about we don’t?”

My adorable wife chuckled at my protest and continued.

“As a wife, I do want you to be careful. However, despite your mountain of mistakes, you don’t repeat them. You learn from them, use your experience, and try to be more prudent the next time. I think that’s an excellent attitude to have. Don’t you?”

“...Huh. I never thought about it like that.”

The affection on her face was like a mother praising her child. It left me speechless, so all I could do was stare back at her.

“Hey, Mr. Yuki. Do you have any plans today?”

“Nope.”

“Then why don’t we, um, spend the rest of the day together? I’ve been put in charge of you... In other words, this is His Majesty being considerate, which means I don’t have any more work for the day. And since the two of us haven’t been alone in some time, I thought...”

She looked a little shy as she peeked up at me.

“Nell.”

“Wh-What is it?”

“Why are you so gosh darn cute?”

“Wh-Where did that come from?!”

“Well, my wife is just so freaking adorable that I think I’m gonna pass out due to cuteness overload. I wanna shout out all my feelings for the world to hear.”

“Please don’t.”

She gave me a rueful smile, then took my hand. I laced my fingers tightly in hers.

“So can I take this as a ‘yes’ to my request?”

“You can take it as a ‘hell yes.’ Even if a war breaks out right now, I’ll ignore it for this date with you.”

“Though I can’t ignore it should that happen.”

And so, Nell and I strolled around town, spending time together.

By the way, we’d completely forgotten about Rir, leaving him all by his lonesome. When we remembered later and went to pick him up, all he said was “You know, I’ve been waiting for you...” We both apologized profusely to him. The fact that neither Nell nor I found it strange for an owner to apologize to their pet really drove home how unique our family was.

Side Story 1: Husband and Wives

One day, I was sitting cross-legged on the floor at home, reading a book, when suddenly, someone leaned on me from behind. A soft warmth enveloped my back, and hands covered my eyes. Hmm, I know this sensation...

“Guess who?!”

She deliberately pitched her voice in a weird falsetto, but I wasn’t so easily fooled. Obviously.

“Lew.”

“Tee hee! Got it in one!”

She popped her head out from behind me and flashed me an adorable smile.

“Gosh, my lord, you can tell the difference between us right away, huh?”

“Sure can. You, my dear, are especially easy since you’re flat as a board.”

“I-I am not! Not totally!”

Okay, fine, technically, she was right. She wasn’t completely flat. The “she” in question growled at my amused gaze.

“Grr... By nature, we werewolves don’t grow that big in the chest department! I’ll have you know that mine are average!”

“Calm down, woman. You know I’m not particularly picky when it comes to boobs. Just because they’re bigger doesn’t necessarily mean they’re better.”

“But you like Leila’s breasts, don’t you?”

“...”

“Pervert.”

She scowled at me when I didn’t have a comeback.

“Y-You’re not playing fair bringing that up, so get off my back!”

“Well, you’re the one trying to flatter me with pretty words even though you actually think a body like Leila’s is the best! Ugh! All men are the same!”

“And what’s wrong with liking what we like?!”

“Aha! Now you’re turning this around on me! Typical!”

“Shut up, you flat-chested wench! If you’re so mad about those mosquito bites, just get a boob job!”

“‘F-Flat-chested wench’?! How dare you say something like that to your wife! You don’t deserve to call yourself my husband!”

“Not my fault you don’t get it ’cause you’re a woman! As a man, I can’t resist a woman’s breasts, okay?! Don’t get me wrong, thighs are my favorite! I love them! Using someone’s lap as a pillow is the best! But big boobs are filled with dreams! Hopes! And love!”

“You are the most disgusting man in the world. And for your information, the only thing there is flesh!”

“Lew, Lew, Lew. Sweet, innocent Lew. To a man, a woman’s body is one of life’s biggest mysteries. Everything about it is without equal...”

“But you like breasts and thighs in particular, right?”

“Yes.”

“You didn’t even hesitate! Is there a word worse than ‘disgusting’? ’Cause that’s where I honestly am right now.”

“Do not despair, Lewin, my wife. Your ears and buttocks are uniquely sublime. As for your figure... Heh. Perhaps in another life your luck will improve.”

“Don’t you dare laugh at me!” Lew snapped.

Okay, so it wasn’t that Lew’s figure was bad. Her bod was on point, actually. I really liked it. She was slim, but not too skinny, and just muscular enough. The kind of body type that men liked. In fact, I really, really liked it. I loved her body from the bottom of my heart. I wasn’t gonna say that at this point, though.

But then there was the perfect Leila—the epitome of femininity. Compared to her, Lew came across as pretty normal. Also couldn’t forget about Nell. While her build was similar to Lew’s, her boobs were pretty big, and she was super toned since she trained every day.

As for Lefi, well, she was in a league of her own. Perfect already. She wasn’t someone you could discuss in terms of breast size or anything superficial like that. Sure, she didn’t have much of a chest, but at the moment, the variety in my wives’ body types was so well-balanced that it felt like a literal miracle, so I honestly hoped she and everyone else stayed the same forever. I was sure they all felt the same way too.

“Darn you, you... You! You jerk!”

Lew started smacking me. Mwa ha ha. You sure are cute when you’re mad.

“Lew, babe, take it easy. Ya got nothing to worry about.”

“You expect me to believe you after everything you just said?!”

“Okay, you’re right, I may have gone overboard, so now, I want you to truly listen to what I’m about to say.”

“...Fine. Talk.”

“There is no doubt that Leila’s figure is amazing! To be honest, I love it! But I love yours too! Because first and foremost, what I love is you, your personality! The same goes for the others. Which makes your physical parts a nice little bonus. Na mean?”

I put my arms around her waist and pulled her close while giving her my passionate speech.

“Y-Yeah? You don’t say.”

She turned away from me, pouting on purpose. But I saw right through her thanks to the way her ears and tail twitched gleefully. Too cute.

“Be that as it may, I can’t trust you, my lord, since you have a silver tongue!”

“All right, challenge accepted. I’ll just have to prove my feelings to you.”

I slid one arm behind Lew’s back and the other under her knees, then lifted her up in a bridal carry. Realizing what I was intending, she blushed with embarrassment.

“Y-You know it’s barely past noon, don’t you?”

“Don’t care. I’m in the mood now, so we’re off to the bathhouse.”

“A-As you wish...” she said, entrusting herself to me.

◇ ◇ ◇

For no particular reason, I found myself sitting on my throne in the real throne room.

“...”

With my elbow propped on an armrest and my chin resting on my palm, I sat there cross-legged and just spaced out. As usual, I felt good sitting there. The throne itself wasn’t all that comfortable, but just sitting on it really did it for me. I liked it so damn much that I sat on it whenever I saw it. Whether I sat with my arms crossed, my legs crossed one over the other, or cross-legged like now, I felt at ease. Almost a sense of unity with the throne.

And in a way, that made sense, because the dungeon had brought me into this world. It’d fleshed out my body and everything else that was my existence from my soul, which you could call the information part of me. I didn’t think it was wrong to call myself the dungeon’s child. But maybe it was more accurate to refer to myself as a piece of it?

In any case, since I was some sort of entity connected in many ways to the dungeon, it was only natural that I’d have a high affinity with the throne, which itself was the center of the dungeon. To use the example from earlier, it was like my arms and legs. I just realized, this throne is a mystery in itself.

There’d been one in the ruins of a dungeon I’d recently discovered in the western area of the Demonic Forest. The dungeon had once belonged to the ancestor of dragonkind. Oh, and there had been a throne in the phantom ship dungeon too.

Now that I thought about it, the Reauxgard Empire had one too. Not the extravagant kind you’d find in an audience chamber where a ruler sat, obviously, but one like mine, connected to a dungeon. After my exploration of the ruins in the Demonic Forest, I’d gotten curious and gone to the empire to look for it. Lo and behold, I’d found it in a room adjacent to the private quarters that’d belonged to Shen, formerly Emperor Shendra. The room itself had looked like a library, and the throne had been all by its lonesome inside. I was pretty sure that room was the equivalent of my throne room in my dungeon, which made it the start of everything in Reauxgard.

Having said that, it hadn’t really looked like a throne room. It wasn’t as spacious as mine, and its long line of masters probably hadn’t expanded it ever. Perhaps there’d been no need to, or it simply hadn’t been possible.

Speaking of, after reading the surviving records related to that dungeon, I’d come to the conclusion that the Reauxgard dungeon had more restrictions than mine. I knew that since it was passed down from generation to generation, the number of available functions decreased, but even accounting for that, it didn’t seem like there was much I could do, period.

First of all, unlike mine, it didn’t have a vast DP Catalog. Even excluding items from my old life, there were fewer options for monster summons, and the ones it did have weren’t as strong. It also didn’t have as many choices for facilities and such. Thankfully, though, after I became its demon lord, its standards were overwritten to match my dungeon’s.

Except that got me thinking, maybe mine was the unique one. I suspected the discrepancy probably lay in the power each dungeon possessed at its inception. Supposedly, the Reauxgard Empire also used to be a huge natural landscape, but it was hard to imagine that the mana was as dense back then as in the Demonic Forest. On a related note, I would’ve liked to know the phantom ship dungeon’s original state. Unfortunately, it didn’t contain any records or documents, so your guess was as good as mine.

Anyway, let me get back on track. Wherever a dungeon existed, there was always a dungeon core, a throne room, and a throne. So the question became, why were the core and throne room a set at all? When you got right down to it, a dungeon was the seed of a world. So if that made its master, a lord, the ruler of that world, then the throne room existed to match that position?

I figured there had to be some kind of meaning to the whole thing. But then I thought of those cheerful gods. Maybe they’d created the concept of a throne room because “it looks cooler” or “the throne looks nice” or whatever. Dungeons were created by Dominus, who basically was this world, but maybe the gods had given advice along those lines. Surprisingly, I felt like I was on the right track, and that was pretty funny in and of itself.

Just when I put myself in a good mood, Leila popped her head out from the kitchen and came over with a tray.

“Master Yuki, your snack is ready.”

“Sweet, thanks.”

Pancakes today, huh?

Leila brought the tray over to a small table next to the throne, and I stabbed a bite-sized piece with my fork and popped it into my mouth. Mmm, delicious. Then, I put my fork down and drank the tea she’d made, which was also on the tray. Mmm, also delicious.

Honestly, I wasn’t particularly fond of sweets, so I was actually happier when the tea was more delicious than the snacks themselves. Maybe that was just how things went as an adult, savoring deeper, richer flavors. It wasn’t just black tea either, but green too. And the tea Leila made was always ten outta ten.

In a thoroughly good mood now, I spent the next while relaxing, eating and drinking the things this beautiful young woman had prepared for me. Truly the most luxurious moment of time.

“Ahhh. This is so freaking good, Leila. Your cooking skills are as top-notch as ever.”

“Tee hee, thank you. I noticed a faraway look in your eyes. Something on your mind, perhaps?”

“Nothing major. Just a bunch of random stuff.”

Then, an idea suddenly popped into my head, and I couldn’t help but grin.

“Hmm, I am feeling good right now, but also a bit...unsatisfied. Maybe a bit cold. Specifically, somewhere north of my knees. As the demon lord who’s the embodiment of evil, I’d very much enjoy the embrace of a beautiful woman to keep me warm.”

“Is that so? Shall I summon Lefi?”

“No, no, my dear. I find I have a hankering for someone else. Let’s see... A tall, slender knockout with gorgeous white hair and horns. Well, well. Lucky me to have someone right in front of me who fits that very description.”

Leila blushed and huffed in exasperation at the same time.

“While I certainly wouldn’t describe myself so, I suppose it also isn’t my place to quibble with your desire, Master Yuki. If you’ll excuse me.”

Ever so gracefully, she sat down on my lap. I wrapped my arms around her waist from behind and hugged her loosely. She placed her hands on top of mine.

“Oh man, what an amazing feeling to experience the warmth, scent, and softness of such a beautiful woman. Am I in heaven?”

A demon lord with a stunning woman as his servant. How very evil. Wonderful. Fantastic. Just how a demon lord should be! Mwa ha ha ha! I am Demon Lord Yuki, one who commits atrocities, brings chaos to the world, and indulges in all his desires!

“If you’re not careful with your phrasing, someone may accuse you of sexual harassment, you know.”

“I don’t need to hold back now that you’re my wife, Leila! Of course, if you don’t like being close to me, you can just say so.”

“I hate it when you tease me so, Master Yuki.”

She pouted, her cheeks pink. To see Leila, the most mature person in my family, acting like this was just too much for this weak-ass demon lord. Overwhelmed by a surge of affection, I hugged her tightly. For a moment, she seemed unsure, then she tentatively leaned her body against mine, twisted herself around, and rested her head on my shoulder.

“If the others saw me here, I think I’d die of embarrassment,” she whispered in my ear.

The sweetness of her voice sent shivers down my spine, and the vixen herself definitely noticed since we were practically glued together. Her lips curved in amusement, and she kept talking.

“As I’ve come this far, perhaps I should engage in a more blatant show of affection?”

“Your husband agrees with your idea. He thinks that’s exactly what a beautiful woman serving an evil demon lord should do!”

“Is that so? Then I shall endeavor to be a villainous woman worthy of said husband, the evil but also kind and caring demon lord who loves all of his multiple wives and is gentle with his children.”

Leila brought her face closer to mine. She touched my chin and kissed my cheek lightly, almost taking a playful bite before slowly, passionately, and carefully running her tongue over it. The sticky sound of her saliva combined with her sweet, hot breath nearly made me lose my mind. With her other hand, the one not stroking my jaw, she took one of mine and intertwined our fingers.

“Oh dear, Master Yuki. For an evil demon lord, your heart is racing quite fast, hm?”

“H-Hey, not even an evil demon lord would be able to keep his cool under an assault like this.”

“I see. Then we’ll simply have to train you even harder, won’t we?”

“P-Please go easy on me, mistress.”

Her only response was a lovely, seductive smile.

By the way, Lefi had secretly watched us the whole time, and later said with a grin, “I, for one, am pleased to see you two furthering your relationship.” When Leila’s face went scarlet, I thought it was just the cutest thing ever.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Tee hee hee! Mr. Yuki, I’m home!”

“Whoa!”

I caught Nell when she dove into me and hugged me tightly.

“Mmm, I love your smell! Tee hee, I’m so happy!”

She rubbed her head against my chest, her smile relaxed. I stroked her hair with a wry smile.

“Welcome back, O dignified hero who acts even younger than Iluna and the other kiddos.”

“I am no longer on the clock, which means I’m not the hero anymore!”

“Okay, then what are you now?”

“Your wife, of course!”

She sounded a little embarrassed. Jeez, you’re so cute.

Nell had been coming home more often lately. But because of her work, there were times when she couldn’t stay for long, so I let her do whatever she wanted while she was here. This time, she’d been away on a military expedition and hadn’t been home for about a week, which probably explained why she looked happier than usual. Out of everyone in my family, she was the best at letting herself be spoiled by others—especially me—because she was honest with herself. She was always clear about what she wanted from me and her desires in general, and that made it easy for me to handle her needs.

“Nell! Welcome back! You must be super tired, so we’ll make some tea right away! And by ‘we,’ I mean Leila.”

“Yup, that sounds about right. Oh, and I’m home!”

The way she’d commented on that before actually greeting Lew was so Nell.

“Well, she is the best at making tea! Which is why I’m in charge of plating the snacks and serving them!”

“Tee hee. We’re all good at different things. I’ll help out too, then. You’ll have a cup of tea as well, won’t you, Mr. Yuki?”

“What? No, you just got back. If they need help, I’ll do it.”

“I’m fine, Mr. Yuki, gosh! You just sit!”

So saying, Nell headed off toward the kitchen, where Lefi and Leila welcomed her back too.

Maaan, what a real domestic hero. Off to make tea meant to soothe your fatigue.

A short time later, the tea was ready, and we sat next to each other at the table. My other wives weren’t here. They were each doing their own thing, maybe out of consideration for us. The little-girl gang had left earlier in the day to play in the meadow area and weren’t back yet.

“Oh, listen to this, Mr. Yuki. One of the holy knights brought his wife to the order to introduce her to us. She greeted us with a smile, saying, ‘I’m his wife. Thank you all for always being so kind to my husband.’ I’d like to do that too.”

“Yeah? Then how about I drop by and say hello to your colleagues too?”

“No, no. That’s the opposite of what I want. Besides, everyone in my unit already knows you.”

She wasn’t wrong. I visited her knightly order whenever I went to Alisia, so introductions felt unnecessary at this point. I remembered some of their faces and names. That included her boss, the lady knight commander, Carlotta.

“I have this dream, you see. To introduce myself to my next-door neighbors when I meet them for the first time and say, ‘Hello, I’m his wife!’”

“Huh. Next-door neighbors only?”

“I suppose anyone in the neighborhood would work too!”

“Gotcha. Well, as sweet as your dream is, unfortunately for us, our next-door neighbors are just over the mountain.”

They were dragons to boot. Not to mention that considering we were deep in the Demonic Forest, I was almost positive we wouldn’t be seeing any next-door neighbors anytime soon. Not even in a century, I would’ve bet.

“Then let’s visit them some time soon so I can greet them, Mr. Yuki!”

“Sure, why not? I’m sure they’ll say something like ‘Pleased to meet you as well’ while they smile awkwardly at us.”

“Ha ha! I can just imagine the confusion on their faces when we appear out of nowhere.”

Facts. Dragons really were open books when it came to showing emotions. As for the ones who were our neighbors, I saw them in the area every six months or so, and I always gave them a quick wave to say hello. Despite being so deep in the Forest, they sensed my presence right away every time. Depending on the individual, they’d fly down nearby, and we’d have a little chat, so I thought I’d built a good relationship with them. I’d already memorized the faces and names of the ones living in the Forest. I didn’t know if me being Lefi’s husband had anything to do with it, but they were all generally gentle and kind.

Ooh, idea. If I got my hands on some good booze or something in the outside world, I’d share some with them. In barrels, of course. With my connections now, it wouldn’t be too hard either. Well, considering their long life spans, even a reunion after ten years wasn’t that long to them, so from their perspective, my family and I were neighbors they saw pretty often.

After a few more jokes back and forth, Nell told me about what she’d been up to on her latest work trip, and I told her what I’d been up to. That said, my life was pretty much the same as always, so I didn’t have much to talk about. But wait. I do actually have major news to tell her.

“By the way, Iluna can use elemental magic now.”

“What? Really?! That’s amazing! It’s so difficult too! We have to celebrate!”

Leila had been teaching Iluna magic little by little for a while now, but when Iluna had told her she wanted to be able to use the same kind of magic as me, Lefi’d taken over. As of now, their combined efforts had finally paid off. Leila had said that elemental magic could only be used by those whose bodies were extremely compatible with mana. However, Iluna had a talent for spirit magic, one personally endorsed by that old man, the Spirit Emperor. Spirits were beings that could be described as masses of pure magical energy. And so, with the help of all those folks, Iluna had succeeded in activating elemental magic.

Both elemental and spirit magic worked through a similar process, and Iluna’d said that familiarity was what’d allowed her to use the former. She still couldn’t do much with it, but she’d told me it was getting easier and easier for her to cast it. Knowing what a hard worker she was, I was sure she’d improve by leaps and bounds. Plus, she was way more talented than me, so I was excited to see what the future held for her.

By the way, as far as the little-girl gang’s magical abilities went, Iluna was the only one who could use elemental magic. En had memorized most of the magic that Leila’d taught her, though, so she had a talent for magic too, particularly fire magic. One reason for that was probably the Crimson Flame sorcerous circuit I’d installed in her a long time ago. It’d transformed into a skill for her. Another reason was that she controlled fire whenever I turned her into a pseudo-jet engine, though we hadn’t used that much lately because of the huge increase in her base attack power. Still, when it came to fire magic, her level was probably the same as mine. That being said, my fire abilities were honestly hot garbage, so they were useless unless I combined them with my spirit magic. But out of all the elements, Lefi was the best with fire, and she was the one who’d taught En the key points of controlling it.

As for Shii, she was the second best at healing magic in our family after Lefi. However, maybe because she was a healing slime, she didn’t seem to have an aptitude for other magics. Speaking of her healing magic, though, she was so good at it now that she could instantly heal broken bones. Nell’d said that level of skill would put her in high demand on the front lines, so it was fair to say my little slime girl was impressive in her own right.

Then we had the wraith triplets, whose powers were, simply put, extremely specialized. For the eldest, Rei, that was telekinesis; for the middle sister, Rui, illusion magic; and for the youngest, Roh, mind magic. Sadly, they still couldn’t use any other magic, but each had become incredibly skilled in her area of expertise. Rei could control around thirty objects at the same time, the illusions Rui created were so sophisticated that they couldn’t be detected even when you scrutinized them from up close, and Roh’s mind magic was strong enough to control monsters in the southern area of the Demonic Forest and make them my allies.

Hmm... Setting the other two aside, I needed to warn them to be very careful about how they used Roh’s mind magic. The potential ferocity was second to none. What I found insane was that they’d honed their abilities almost entirely through constant mischief. Sure, the rest of the family was already used to it, but without me even realizing it, they’d mastered their magic while surprising, confusing, and delighting us.

In short, I was really proud of all my kiddos’ talents.

“We actually had a pretty big party the day Iluna got it right for the first time. Made all her favorite dishes and everything.”

“Aw, that’s wonderful! She must have been so happy. I wish I could have been there too.”

Nell probably hadn’t meant for me to hear that last part. Too bad for her that my racial evolution had enhanced my hearing like nobody’s business.

“Okay, since you’re back, let’s celebrate again! We’ll throw an even bigger party this time!”

“Huh? But—”

“We were actually all pretty disappointed that you weren’t here. It was work, so whatever. But you’re back now, so we have to do it again! We’ll make Iluna’s favorites together!”

Nell nodded, her expression delighted as she listened to me.

“You’ve convinced me, Mr. Yuki. I’ll put my all into this party!”

“Awesome. And I’ll be right there with you. How about you and I make dinner tonight?”

It was getting late, so we walked to the kitchen together to do just that. The others weren’t there since I’d already told them to leave things to us.

“Now, what were Iluna’s favorites again? I’m sure she likes corn soup, so let’s definitely make that. Oh, mustn’t forget the meat. The question is what kind...”

Nell put on an apron, rolled up her sleeves, and began prepping the ingredients, all while pondering what dishes to actually make. When the hero noticed me watching her, she looked quizzically up at me.

“Is something the matter?”

“Nah, just thought you looked great in that apron. You’re the picture of a young housewife.”

“Truly? Tee hee, thank you.”

Nell giggled shyly, then took a step toward me, stretched up on her tiptoes, and kissed me on the cheek. We stared at each other for a few seconds.

“Heh. Mr. Yuki, do you know your face is red?”

“Mrs. Nell, do you know yours is too? Anyway, chop-chop. Time’s a-wastin’.”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

◇ ◇ ◇

In the inn I’d built in the meadow area, I was lying out in the external corridor, reading a book. Stretched out on top of me was Lefi, who’d come over from the real throne room, aka the living room, earlier. A gentle breeze blew, rustling through the trees and grass. The wind chimes hanging from the ceiling tinkled. The sound of water flowed from the small pond in the garden. Couldn’t have asked for a more pleasant afternoon.

Of all the buildings I’d built, this inn was one of my favorites. Maybe it was because I was originally Japanese. The tatami rooms, this engawa—I just felt at home. In the beginning, the rest of my family had found everything about this place strange, but they were used to it by now, especially Lefi. No one said anything if I lay down anywhere in here, so I lazed around as much as I wanted.

“Husband.”

“Whaddya want, wife?”

I answered Lefi without turning my attention away from the book I was reading.

“I am...what is the word? Bored. As a husband, is it not your duty to entertain your wife?”

“Hmm. So, wife of mine, you want to kill time, do you? However, I regret to inform you that I’m very busy reading a book at the moment, thus I am unable to assist. I suggest you find either a book of your own or some other means to entertain yourself.”

“How dare you speak this way to your wife when she is with child? Such a coldhearted husband. I worry now that this attitude of yours indicates you will be unable to fulfill your duties as a husband when our child is born.”

“Dearest Lefi, it seems to me that your understanding of what constitutes a husband’s duties is unreasonable.”

“Meaning you would simply leave me to my own devices? Truly, how callous! Have you no love for me?”

“Love is finite, Lefisios. As of late, I have poured mine on Lew, Leila, and Nell, thereby decreasing my supply for you.”

“You say such cruel things. Love should be infinite and given in equal measure.”

“Unfortunately, you’re wrong, because every love has its limits. You should keep that in mind.”

“I disagree. All that means to me is your capacity for love is limited.”

“Well, ’tis foolish to ignore your own inadequacies and blame others, Lefisios. As much as I would like to shower everyone with love equally, I find it hard to keep up with a certain wife’s unreasonable demands.”

“What is that phrase you are so fond of? Oh yes, ‘Pot, meet kettle.’”

She wasn’t wrong since I was usually the one making the unreasonable demands. So we continued bickering playfully like we usually did.

“You know how I’m feeling right now? Like I’ve already unspooled an entire line of hose, but I’m still turning the lever, expecting more to come out.”

“I do not understand what you are saying.”

“You don’t, huh? Don’t you think that’s elegant? I don’t.”

“Now I know for certain that you are not using your brain for the things you are saying, Yuki.”

“Well, we all have the same spinal reflexes.”

“What are you talking about? I always consider every word I say, and I speak with you in mind. I am certain there are only a handful of other people in the world who are as careful about their speech as I am.”

“Maaan, that sounds exhausting.”

“Which is how I am feeling right now, in fact.”

Shoot, I’ll bet. This was a completely unproductive conversation, but our conversations always went something like this.

“By the by, I noticed you have been reading a great deal as of late. Have you discovered anything of note?”

“Yup, I borrowed a bunch of books from the castle in Reauxgard’s capital. Of course, some are interesting and some aren’t, but the interesting ones are really interesting.”

This world didn’t have manga, movies, or games, but it did have books. I suspected that magic was the reason printing technology was surprisingly advanced, and thanks to that, there was a relatively huge amount of books in circulation. As long as demand existed, the supply increased to meet it. And with such a high supply, there was plenty of stuff that even an uneducated dumbass like me would find interesting. That said, prices were higher than they’d been in my previous life.

“You don’t read books, do you?”

“I do not like printed text because it tires my eyes.”

“You know you’re the reason I can’t come down on Shii like a ton of bricks for hating books, right?”

Among the little girls, Shii hated studying the most. She ran away from anything that wasn’t a picture book, smiling her usual cute smile. Lefi was just as bad, except that she made a face instead of smiling. I must’ve hit a sore spot with my remark because she sounded a teensy bit agitated when she shot back.

“W-Well, Lew does not read either! She is just as awful with her studies as I am!”

“Actually, no. Just because she doesn’t like studying doesn’t mean she isn’t smart. At the very least, she’s good enough at certain subjects to teach them.”

Lew was the daughter of her clan’s leader, which naturally made her a well-educated young lady. In fact, in terms of knowledge, she was solidly at the level of an aristocrat. She hated math, but she was pretty good at the local language, so in modern-Earth phrasing, she was good at liberal arts. She just didn’t stand out in our household because of Leila, the supergenius, and Nell, who’d been drilled with knowledge as part of her education as the hero.

In her early days here, Lew hadn’t been able to do housework at all, but that was partly because she was technically a noble. That said, she was still pretty clumsy and a bit of a scatterbrain, which accounted for the other reasons.

All that to say, while I was definitely the biggest idiot in our family, Lefi here was probably a close second. As the oldest out of all of us, she sometimes knew things that even Leila didn’t. Win some, lose some, I guess. That was life.

“Wh-What?! I... I feel betrayed. Here I thought we were dragons of a scale!”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure Lew wouldn’t be happy about being put in the same category as you.”

“Then you will be displeased to learn that I also put you in the same category as me.”

“Pssh, don’t be dumb. If things were different, everyone in the world would know me as a great sage. That’s why I’m on a different level than you guys, so no, we aren’t the same, thank you very much.”

“You do realize that is something a complete imbecile would say, yes?”

Yeah, I do. Leave me alone.

We kept talking for a good long time about stupid stuff without doing anything else. Even though she kept saying she was bored, Lefi didn’t leave my side. Then, eventually, I heard her soft snores. Apparently, the gentle breeze and warm sunlight had put her right to sleep. She was using my belly as her pillow. Her mysteriously symmetrical face looked completely relaxed.

“Mrs. Lazy Bones is probably having a nice dream, huh?”

I stroked her head, then took a blanket from Inventory and draped it over her. Then, with her warm weight resting on me, I went back to reading my book.

Chapter 2: A Little While Later

About a month had passed since my meeting with the Elf Queen and King Reyd of Alisia. As of now, I hadn’t heard anything from them or the other rulers. While they wanted to move on to the next steps as soon as possible, because this was a new endeavor, they were having a tougher time than expected deciding what kind of competition they’d hold and what its rules would be. Nell, acting as a liaison, was keeping me up to date on their progress. Having said that, they had managed to work out the basis, and the next round of discussions was scheduled to take place in Reauxgard soon.

You might be wondering if I’d been slacking off lately. Well, I was happy to report that wasn’t the case at all. I’d actually been working my ass off pretty much every day. I’d decided to do something about my recent spell of boredom by going ahead with the number one task I’d been putting off but wanting to do: expanding the dungeon’s territory.

That said, this current round of expansion wasn’t about securing DP, so both the scope and area were relatively small. But I was fine with that since my goal this time was simple—to build and extend a proper road. I could install my special doors anywhere inside my dungeon’s territory, so in that sense, this project was important. The final destination of this road would be Leigeghegg, the capital of the demon world. This was part of my preparations for Lefi’s pregnancy. If something happened to her, I could bring a doctor in right away.

Speaking of, her belly had grown, but just a little. She’d always had a great bod, so even the smallest changes were easy to pick up on. Sometimes, her pregnancy took an obvious toll on her health, causing her pain and suffering that I couldn’t even begin to understand as a man. Even then, though, she remained calm, maybe because her mindset was “it is what it is.” She didn’t complain anytime she felt unwell. In fact, she was happy and excited, knowing that the baby in her belly was developing normally. What a woman.

I’d felt Lefi’s strength so many times before, but I felt it even more now that she was becoming a mother. Women were strong. The male half of any species was no match for the female half.

As far as the pregnancy itself went, I didn’t know much about the concept in the first place, so it wasn’t really my place to comment. However, according to Leila, who’d been rapidly increasing her knowledge on the subject, the changes in Lefi’s body were about two months behind that of a normal humanoid pregnancy. Leila also suspected that the delay would only lengthen as the pregnancy continued. Lefi’s dragon side was really coming out in full force. Even now, her body was quite the mystery. Well, to every man, a woman’s body would always be the ultimate mystery— Actually, let me not take that thought any further at the risk of freaking myself out.

I’d also been thinking about what to name our baby, but I hadn’t come up with anything specific yet. This child would be with me for the rest of my life, until the day I died, so it wasn’t a decision to be made lightly. One of the reasons I struggled with the task was because I was looking for a name that could be written in kanji but that also sounded like it was from this world. Difficulty level: extreme.

Honestly, though? It wasn’t just the name for this baby. I needed to think of an entire list for when I had kids with Lew, Nell, and Leila. I didn’t have to worry as much with Nell because we hadn’t yet...you know. But that didn’t apply to Lew or Leila. If either or both of them got pregnant anytime soon, their babies might be born before Lefi’s, so I couldn’t afford to slack off on the name front.

Oh man, I’m really cutting it close, huh? Just thinking about it made me nervous. I’d already steeled my resolve, but I gave myself another kick in the ass to work harder.

All of that rambling was to explain why I’d been spending my days expanding the road, hunting monsters when I ran out of DP, and then going back to road expansion. I’d already extended it as far as the demon world, and if I rode Rir, I could reach the capital in a day. I should probably hit Fynar up for permission. I wanted to ask about the competition too.

“Okay, Rir, I’m pausing the expansion and heading to Leigeghegg tomorrow. You’re coming with me.”

“Grr?”

“Yup, I’m going to see Fynar. I feel kinda bad about incorporating his territory into mine without his permission, y’know? But considering how much work I’ve done, I have to ask now.”

On that note, my guess about the dungeon category that’d initially shown as “Domi?s ???” had turned out to be right. It was, in fact, “Dominus Upgrade.” When it’d first appeared, I’d needed an insane amount of DP, something I never would’ve reached even if I saved for a hundred years. Recently, though, that number had gone down. Not by much, mind you. Just one less zero. Still, that made me suspect that the more I expanded the dungeon’s territory, the fewer digits there would be. Because the bigger a dungeon grew, the more powerful it became. So I probably wasn’t too far off the mark with my theory.

“Grr.”

“Exactly! Mwa ha ha ha! It won’t be long now before the entire world falls under my domain!”

And so, joking around with Rir, I went on with my day’s work.

◇ ◇ ◇

The next day, I left early in the morning with Rir and En, slipping through the door I’d placed closest to the demon world’s capital. Then, I hopped on my trusty fenrir’s back, and off we went. The journey was uneventful. Folks in passing carriages as well as travelers and adventurers on foot kept giving us shocked looks, but we continued on, unbothered. Finally, late at night, a huge, familiar-looking city came into view in the distance. En, who’d been chatting with me, was asleep in Inventory, and I was starting to feel a bit tired myself, so the timing couldn’t have been better.

Leigeghegg was a maze. Take just a few steps into the city and you’d easily get lost. Deadass. Not even joking. This was my fourth time here, but the first time with just my family. Up until now, I’d always had someone I could rely on to accompany me. Since I didn’t trust my sense of direction, I decided to rely on Rir’s senses.

“We finally made it. Man, whenever we take trips like this, it hits me all over again that you and I really did evolve. Our stamina is off the freaking charts. At this rate, performance aside, I think we could keep going for about three days if we really wanted to.”

“Grr.”

“True. Considering our current levels, if we get into a super dire situation and are forced to use the dungeon return devices, that’s just proof of our shitty fighting styles. Then again, Lefi did say she once fought a fenrir for a few days straight. I guess it really just depends on the opponent, then.”

From what I’d heard, fenrirs were particularly tough as a species. I could see that just by looking at Rir right now. While I was feeling a bit tired, he still seemed to have plenty of energy left. All I’d done was sit on his back, but this guy had run all day. He really did have a bottomless well of stamina. I suspected that his body’s fuel economy was way better than that of other living creatures. His engine had to be incredibly high performance. The more time we spent together, the more I realized that fenrirs were at the top of this world’s hierarchy, right next to dragons. That explained why his race itself hadn’t changed even though his abilities had improved dramatically at the same time as mine thanks to the dungeon.

“Can I just say how jelly I am of how strong you are? Just hanging out with a pack of little girls is enough to exhaust me.”

“Grr,” Rir chuckled. He’d said, “Me too.”

“Oh yeah? Then I guess you’re not the only one with an endless supply of stamina, huh? That means that little girls reign supreme in this world, right?”

“Grr, raar.”

Translation: “No doubt about it.”

Yup, no doubt about it. I called it the “Little Girls Are the Strongest Theory” and was even considering presenting it at an academic conference.

As we talked, we slowly made our way toward the open front gates of the demon world’s capital. The way the soldiers stared so intently at us, I resigned myself to being stopped and questioned. Same old, same old. But then, a man appeared, waved his hand to dismiss the tense demon soldiers, and turned to me and bowed.

“We’ve been waiting for you, Your Majesty.”

It was dark, so I couldn’t see his face very well, but I recognized the voice.

“Runougil, is that you?”

He was a subordinate of the Demon King, a member of the Covert Imperial Guard. He was also the man who’d captured Emperor Shendra during the war, and as a consequence of his injuries from said war, all the mana had disappeared from his body. And apparently, he’d been waiting for me.

“Why are you here?”

“Today, we received reports of a wolf moving at an incredible speed along the road leading to the capital, with a man riding it. The wolf’s description matched that of someone we know very well.”

Ah, okay. So that’s how he knew to wait for us.

“Gotcha. Sorry if I caused any trouble for your guys. I just wanted to talk to Fynar for a bit. Is he in the city right now?”

“He is indeed. If it’s urgent, I can lead you to him straightaway...”

“Nope. Just something minor, so no need for special treatment. That being said...you guys got a place we can stay? My plan was to look for an inn or something.”

“Of course. I shall make the arrangements.”

“Thanks a bunch.”

With Runougil as our guide, Rir and I walked through the demon world’s capital. Boy, was I relieved about not getting lost.

◇ ◇ ◇

After spending the night at an inn Runougil had shown us to, a subordinate of the Demon King’s was waiting for us in the lobby bright and early, ready to act as escort to the castle.

“Yuki. It’s been a while.”

We found Fynar in the parlor, waiting for us.

“Sorry for taking time out of your busy schedule.”

“Hello...Uncle Fynar.”

“Hello to you as well, darling En.”

En bowed deeply, and Fynar returned her greeting with a genuine smile, no trace of his usual shadiness in it.

“I had an assortment of sweets prepared, since I heard you would be accompanying Yuki. Would you like to try some?”

“Ah...! I’m so happy. Thank you.”

“Ha ha! Good for you, En. Appreciate it, Fynar.”

“Think nothing of it. It makes me happy to see you both happy over such a small gesture.”

One of the demon maids waiting by the wall walked briskly over with a tray of snacks. En picked one up and began munching happily next to me, while the Demon King watched with a smile. Jeez, seeing him like this makes it all too easy to imagine him as just some nice boy next door.

By the way, Rir wasn’t with us. Though he always took care to wash his body really thoroughly, leaving himself spotless, I still felt some kinda way about bringing him inside, so I’d asked him to wait outside.

Runougil wasn’t here either. Considering he was Fynar’s right-hand man, he was probably working on something else, which only made me realize all over again that despite how easily the Demon King had agreed to meet with us, I knew our impromptu visit would have a significant impact on his schedule. Thanks, buddy.

“Now then, Yuki. Tell me what brings you here today.”

“Weeell... I’m in the process of expanding my territory into the demon world right now, and since I’m getting close to the capital, I thought I should let you know.”

“Oh? Meaning you connected your domain all the way from the Demonic Forest to here?”

“Yup. You know how Lefi’s pregnant? I want to be able to summon a doctor immediately if something happens. But I thought it might be kinda rude to do it without your permission.”

“Ah, I see... That certainly is vital. Heh. You are quite the conscientious one, aren’t you? A trait for which I’m most grateful. Permission granted, of course. Do let me know where precisely the door will be. I’ll station someone there.”

That meant they’d know which door led to my dungeon... But really, it was probably best to just accept that. Well, I didn’t plan on making it a direct route to my place anyway. Instead, the path would be a roundabout one with several “stops” in between.

“I’m okay with that. Since I’m still working on the route, I’ll do it with your specs in mind. The goal is somewhere within the capital, so...a mansion or something would be good. Let me buy one.”

I didn’t have any real-world cash on me, but with the DP Catalog, I could buy all kinds of things. Also, because this had to do with the dungeon’s territory, I didn’t have to stretch my limited allowance. Heh heh heh.

Fynar, meanwhile, chuckled and shook his head.

“I have no issue with that. On account of the many ways in which you’ve come to my aid, allow me to gift you the estate next to the castle. I’ll have it ready to hand over to you within the day.”

“Huh? No way, that’s too much. Let me just buy it from you, fair and square.”

“Please, I insist. Besides, dealing with money takes time and is, frankly, a bit of a hassle.”

I actually felt like it would be less of a hassle to do this kind of deal with money, but maybe that was just a leftover mindset from my old life. Giving a whole house to me for free felt like bribery. Hmm, what to do...

“May I suggest using the estate as the Reauxgard Imperial Embassy? Or would that be inconvenient for you?”

I took a moment to think. Rather than my personal mansion, it would be an official government building. Taking maintenance and whatnot into account, that seemed like the better option.

“All right, let’s roll with that. Thanks for looking out for me.”

“Perfect. I’ll have you inspect it later today.”

I thought that was the end of the conversation, but Fynar wasn’t done.

“Now then. Though I hesitate to call this doing you a favor, perhaps you might consider a request of mine?”

The smile on his face immediately roused all my suspicions.

“So this was your plan from the start, huh?”

“Ha ha! Please, don’t be so defensive. Trust me when I tell you that this is a very personal matter.” He paused before continuing. “The truth is, I’ve decided to get married.”

“Wait, what? Married? You?!”

My jaw dropped in shock. I knew I looked like an idiot, and Fynar laughing only confirmed that.

“An excellent reaction. Yes, me, married. When I saw you and yours together last time, I truly thought how wonderful it must be to have a family.”

En, who’d been silently munching on sweets until that point, spoke up.

“Wooow... Congratulations, Uncle Fynar. You’re so right about that.”

“Thank you, En. I’d very much like a wife of my own now.”

“Good... Because you’ll have fun every day, and smile lots too.”

“Heh, that sounds lovely. I’m envious of you. It seems I have my work cut out for me if I’m to build a family like yours.”

Their easygoing conversation brought me back to my senses enough to give him a reply.

“I-I see... Gotta hand it to ya, you went from making a decision to taking action lightning fast, and that’s pretty impressive.”

Only about two months had passed since we’d toured the imperial capital with this guy. He’d said back then that he didn’t have a partner, but to think he was so gung ho about getting married after such a short time... I was starting to see his true power as the king who made other powerful leaders wary.

“Well, I am the Demon King, after all. I don’t lack for options in that department.”

The smile he gave me was a refreshing one, especially for him. At least, that was what I thought until it turned unusually strained for him.

“But... How to phrase this... The truth is, I have a particular young woman in mind. However, she’s quite cross with me, and I can’t quite figure out what I did wrong. All I know is that I’ve failed on multiple occasions. I’ve never had an experience like this.”

Ya know...I can imagine it. Fynar was good at everything, and he had a quick mind. From what I’d seen, he was the type who preferred efficiency above all else. In other words, logic was at the heart of how he operated. No matter who you asked about him, they’d probably give you that same answer.

On the other hand, it wasn’t right to think of relationships with women in terms of efficiency. Instead, they needed to be considered emotionally, in line with your sensibilities. That included all the “waste” and “inefficiency” that came with relationships—something Fynar probably wasn’t used to. If you used logic for things that were based on emotion, it was only natural that they wouldn’t go smoothly.

“That’s why I was hoping you, Yuki, could teach me things in that regard. Your timing truly couldn’t be more perfect.”

“What about the people who work for you? Did you ask them for help?”

“I did. But I’m their king, remember. Everyone’s a tad reserved about what they say.”

Truuue. Who would wanna stick their nose into their boss’s love life, amirite? Especially when said boss was a king. In that respect, I might be just what the doctor ordered.

That being said, his worries were mine too, and on a daily basis no less. Thankfully for me, the women in my household were always ready to scold me whenever I made a mistake, which let me think about what I did wrong and what I should’ve done differently. Since I was analyzing myself again, I came to a realization: My sex drive might’ve weakened because I’d become a long-lived race. The prevailing view in this world was that the shorter a race’s life span, the more children they had, so conversely, the longer a race’s life span, the fewer they had. Although, of course, there were a few reasons for that.

Since I would probably live for over a thousand years, maybe my instinct in terms of survival of the species was weaker than it’d been when I was a human. Not to say that I didn’t feel anything when I saw the women in my family, in their, uh...more natural states. I totally did, and every time, I wanted to press my hands together in gratitude. Otherwise, my sex drive just kinda lay dormant. I’d pretty much lost all sense of what it meant to be human by now, but when it came to my race change, it hit me particularly hard at times like these.

“Fair enough. While I don’t mind talking about this stuff, I have to warn you that I screw up. A lot. Every day. To the point that I annoy the heck out of them.”

“Well, from what I saw in Reauxgard, you all seemed to get along well. So at the very least, you’re doing better than me in that regard. I’d love to know the secrets to understanding the feminine mind.”

You’ll be the first to know if I ever actually figure them out.

“Sure, why not? I’ll tell you the things you need to watch out for. Just remember that it’s from my personal experience, so take what I say with a grain of salt.”

“I appreciate it.”

The fact that he was listening to me like this meant that the Demon King saw me as an equal, a real friend, regardless of our positions. And honestly? That made me sorta happy.

◇ ◇ ◇

I listened to the Demon King talk about his wife-to-be for a while. Though she was also a demon, her race was different from his in that she was a Wise Devil. On top of that, she was an ordinary person, not a noble or anything like that. Well, demons as a race valued power over status, so that wasn’t all that important anyway. Still, it was pretty rare for a commoner to be chosen as the king’s consort.

Originally one of the castle maids, she’d known Fynar since he became Lord of the Demon World. So for a few decades at least. Unsurprising for a long-lived species. He described her as a very expressive woman. All the maids who worked at the castle were the best of the best, and even among them, every one of her movements was so beautiful that she stood out without even realizing it. And that, apparently, was why she’d left such a strong impression on him in the first place. It was the reason he’d first spoken to her. To compare her to my family, she was basically Leila.

Fynar had joked earlier about “not lacking for options,” but the fact was, he’d actually found someone he thought was “the one,” which explained his decision to get married. But because his intended wife was such a reliable person, Fynar was struggling with how to manage the relationship. She got mad at him a lot for not taking breaks and looking after himself properly on account of his hectic routine.

“Ha ha ha! That’s actually legitimately funny. In your case, I think it’s better to have someone close to you who’ll get angry because of stuff like that.”

All the rulers I knew basically put their own needs last. They saw that as a given and weren’t bothered by their own mindsets at all. They all had a strong sense of responsibility to their duties as leaders. Real talk? I was probably the only one who didn’t. That was why I thought it was good for Fynar to have someone who cared about him more than he cared about himself.

In my family, with so many people, we naturally looked out for one another, which worked out perfectly for us. In fact, Lefi was usually the first to notice that something was out of whack with someone. For example, she was the first to pick up on Leila’s mood anytime she was a little off, and that was saying something since Leila was pretty impassive most of the time.

“Hmm, you make a good point. Up until now, I’ve been able to use my busy schedule as an excuse to get away with it. However, intellectually, I understand that such disregard for myself isn’t a good thing.”

Despite being aware of his own bad habit, he probably hadn’t done much about it because of his position.

“Dude, just let her nag you every day. Oh, also, let her boss you around to her heart’s content. You’ll thank me later.”

“I...think it would be funny if you became like Master, Uncle Fynar.”

En was totally relaxed now, just like at home, and she sounded entertained by the thought she’d just said out loud. Yeah, my kids had probably—okay definitely seen me in all my pathetic glory more times than I could count. So she wasn’t wrong in saying that it’d be funny if Fynar turned out the same.

The Demon King stared at us in exasperation.

“I see you’re enjoying yourselves at my expense, hm? In any case, do you understand now how much I still need to accustom myself to? She will soon be my queen, but she has no intention of leaving her post as a maid.”

Props, lady. Props.

“She sure sounds like wife material to me. I’d like to meet her sooner rather than later.”

“How about today, then? Would one of you be so kind as to summon my betrothed?”

The Demon King called out to his subordinates, and one of them left the room to do his bidding. Not long after, a woman appeared. She wore a maid uniform and stood there ramrod straight, her slender silhouette elegant. No one would call her a girl because she was all woman, and a beautiful one at that. A single horn grew out of her forehead, like oni from Japanese mythology. Her brown hair was so dark that it was almost black, and her facial features combined with the single horn created the impression of a lovely Japanese woman. A kimono would’ve suited her perfectly.

“Kua, this is the emperor of Reauxgard and the master of a labyrinth, Demon Emperor Yuki. My goodness, you do have a long list of titles, don’t you? And the girl next to him is his daughter, Zaien. She’s a magic blade. An extremely rare one too. Come, greet them.”

Then, the maid he’d called Kua turned to me and curtsied gracefully.

“A pleasure to meet you, Your Majesty and Lady Zaien. My name is Kuaralka. Fynar has told me so much about you. I must start by apologizing for all the trouble my husband is causing you, Emperor Yuki.”

“No worries. It’s not your fault. Just do me a huge favor and keep a close eye on him, yeah?”

“Leave it to me. Though I’m most unworthy to be his wife, I shall do my utmost to admonish him.”

“Yuki, you’re the only one who has no right to complain.”

The smile Fynar gave me was pointed, and I shrugged in response.

By the way, Kuaralka’d kept a straight face the whole time. She must’ve taken my joke seriously. Ya know, I think she and I are gonna get along juuust fine. I wanted to bring my army of wives over to introduce them to her.

“You’re...so pretty.”

“Thank you, Lady Zaien. You are as well. Your attire is so stunningly colorful and beautifully constructed. It suits your refined aura perfectly.”

“Thank...you. Please call me ‘En.’”

“Very well, Lady En. And you can call me ‘Kua.’”

“Okay...Kua. It’s nice to meet you. But you don’t have to call me ‘lady’ or be so formal.”

“Then ‘En’ it is. As far as my speech is concerned, it’s second nature, so please allow me some grace on that front.”

“Got...it. I think you’d like everyone else in our family too, Kua.”

“Well, I’m delighted to hear that.”

Fynar beamed as he watched the two of them converse.

“Do you see what I mean now? Quite the odd one, isn’t she?”

“To say such a thing while the ‘odd one’ is standing right before you must mean you’re prepared to face the consequences, my lord?”

“...Perhaps you could give me a hint as to what these consequences are?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Oh dear. Your punishment is going to be so severe that you can’t tell me?”

“Riiight. Well, obviously we don’t have to worry about you two being compatible.”

What was the best way to put it... They were nothing alike, but they just might’ve been a perfect match.

◇ ◇ ◇

After that, we had a casual chat with Fynar’s wife. I managed to get a general idea of her personality, including the fact that the jokes she told with a straight face were surreal and hilarious. It was good to know that she wasn’t all business all the time. An important note was that it was hard to tell whether she was joking or not thanks to her serious demeanor. But the way she laughed softly here and there and the words she spoke hinted at her love for Fynar. Plus, her attitude toward En showed that she had a kind heart, so I got the feeling that she was a very affectionate person. As if to prove that, it didn’t take long for my kid to warm up to her. Look at you, dude, choosing such an interesting character for your wife.

As we continued talking, the conversation turned to Rir and his sublime fluff. En said she’d take Kua to him right outside so she could see for herself, and the two of them left the parlor. Our conversation thus far had been about random things, so this seemed as good a time as any to bring up the topic on my mind with the Demon King. We both sipped on the tea we’d been served.

“Oh yeah, I’ve been meaning to ask. What’s the status of the tournament?”

“We’re making progress. We’ve decided on the general flow and events. As a matter of fact, I was planning to gather everyone, including you, and hold a meeting in Reauxgard soon. There will be two contests for this inaugural tournament.”

I wasn’t surprised to hear that.

“One tests the beauty and difficulty of magic. The other tests physical strength, magical skill, tactical acumen, and teamwork. For the latter, we chose these essential factors thanks to everything you taught us. The names for the contests are still tentative, but we’ve landed on ‘Magic Festa’ and ‘Battle Festa,’ respectively. If you have other suggestions, I am, of course, happy to lend an ear.”

“Wooow... Both of those have a nice ring to them.”

Sports originating in this world that used magic. Not only had I been involved in this whole shebang since the start, but I’d get to watch them actually come to life too. As someone who’d loved sports—well, competitive events in general—in my previous life, I couldn’t have been happier. Sport, game, pastime, whatever. Any kind of serious competition was fun in and of itself.

“This is where things grow challenging. How can we get these newly created sports to take hold, give the people hope, and use them to promote harmony? How can we separate them from politics? As much as we’d like to maintain the enthusiasm currently blanketing the world, we also can’t neglect the foundation, else we risk a hard and rapid fall. It’s imperative that we find a proper balance.”

Fynar’s serious tone calmed me down before I got too ahead of myself.

“Hmm... All good points. We wanna hold it while the people still have high hopes, but since this’ll be the first attempt, we’ll probably still miss something no matter how much we try to account for everything.”

“I would say that some sort of problem will most definitely arise. And when it does, will we be able to deal with it without falling behind schedule? Incidentally, I’m considering asking the dwarves to build a stadium first. In the imperial capital. What do you think?”

“I think it’s a great idea. It’s gotta be something that wows people and stands the test of time for centuries... Ooh, what if we made it multipurpose? A venue that can accommodate all types of events. We could build hotels and shops nearby too.”

Personally, I’d be happy to have something like the massive complexes from my old world, the ones centered around a stadium usually. I could feel my excitement skyrocketing at the thought of a bunch of hotels in a row, a department store, and even a park. Wait a sec... Did the concept of a department store even exist in this world yet? Maybe I could use this opportunity to get it out there.

That said, a construction project on this scale would cost a lot of money and a lot of time. The latter was the bigger problem, so for now, I thought our best bet was to start with a stadium and a hotel for spectators to stay in. Not gonna lie, though, I hoped Fynar and the others would take a long-term approach to this. It’d be nice if they came up with big ideas like I just had.

With that in mind, the seaside was probably the best location. Unlike in my previous life, the circulation of goods and services was a major issue in this world. Despite the gradual proliferation of airship technology here, there was a big difference in the transport capacity of oceangoing vessels, for both people and goods. Since this competition involved folks from countries all over the world, the most convenient spot would be as close to the sea as possible.

Fortunately, the imperial capital of Galia was huge, and its southern end faced an ocean. Befitting its location in one of the world’s leading powers, it was large enough to rival both the demon world’s capital and Alisia’s. Although on second thought, Galia might’ve actually been bigger.

Speaking of transportation tech, I wished someone in this world would develop a train. You heard me right—a train. In terms of history back on Earth, this world was probably somewhere between the early modern and modern eras. At the same time, it was clear that this world’s development was slow compared to the length of its history. It was probably because of the harsh environment the humanoid species had to deal with. In addition to powerful external forces such as monsters, mankind consisted of many different races, meaning seeds of conflict were scattered everywhere.

According to the god Lúin, Dominus, the world itself, sought entropy. In other words, diversity. To be honest, though, I felt like the end result was a bit too diverse.

Still, there were sights here that couldn’t be seen anywhere else, so I understood Dominus’s motivation. This world was cruel, cold, merciless, and brutal. But more than anything, it was wonderful. I wondered if Dominus and the other gods would be pleased with the tournament we were planning...

“Color me intrigued. While I do believe the dwarves should be in charge of drawing up the blueprints, I would very much like to hear what you’re thinking right now, Yuki.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you what I can.”

So, we continued our discussion.

◇ ◇ ◇

The discussion with Yuki went smoothly. With their business concluded, he and his little entourage said their goodbyes and left. Fynar and his wife, Kuaralka, saw them off, then returned to the parlor, sitting side by side on the sofa.

“Well? What did you think of them?”

Her expression remained unchanged as she answered his question.

“I found them quite interesting. Now I understand how they were able to become friends with someone as unique as you, Your Majesty.”

“Oh? You’ve never had a problem being honest with me, hm?”

“Do you want me to be more reserved?”

“...No. I don’t think I do.”

Kuaralka beamed at Fynar, and he responded with a wry smile of his own.

Their relationship had been like this for a long time now. She seemed earnest, but in reality, she was ruthless and blunt with her words. And he was taken care of by her.

Of course, because of the difference in their social status, with him being a king and her being a commoner, the times they interacted with each other were few and far between. Even when they did meet, they only exchanged a few words. And yet, despite the short time they’d spent together, she had left him with an indelible impression of her presence. As he’d told Yuki earlier, part of it had to do with her every movement, beautiful and elegant as it was. But the rest could be attributed to her work ethic and consideration for him.

For example, when work dragged on and he stayed up late, she would pester him. “If you don’t rest soon, your efficiency will drop.” Along with such constant refrains, she would offer him a warm midnight snack. And when he was tired in the mornings, she would open his windows anyway, then wake him up with a glass of warm milk and the admonishment, “This is why I told you to go to bed early last night.”

Sometimes, her reprimands almost came off as nagging. Even then, he could definitely hear the concern for his health and well-being in her voice. He couldn’t deny that it was a refreshing change of pace, one that made him happy. It was no wonder Kuaralka remained in his heart.

As a result, when Fynar considered the topic of marriage, she was the first one to come to mind. Despite having been friends for a relatively short time in comparison to their race’s long life spans, they had known each long enough to grasp the other’s personality. He also knew that she was unattached.

Once his mind started down that path, he made his decision quickly, and immediately proposed. “Be my queen, won’t you?” Those had been his words. For her part, she had seemed taken aback by his nonchalant approach. Nevertheless, she’d replied, “Well...Your Majesty is the type to fail without being watched over, so I suppose I’m the only one fit enough to continue taking care of you every day.” And so, she had agreed to marry him.

They were both “odd ones” in that sense. One point of similarity for them.

“The rest of Yuki’s family is just as interesting, so I’d very much like to introduce you to them. I know our connection to them will last a long, long time.”

“I’m looking forward to building a relationship with these friends in whom you’ve placed your trust, my lord.”

Fynar seemed a bit puzzled by Kuaralka’s response.

“Is my trust in them so obvious?”

“Yes. I can tell by your face how relaxed your guard is around them. You’re very easy to read, Your Majesty.”

“Am I truly? People often tell me they don’t know what I’m thinking...”

“Do you know who takes care of you every day?”

“I... You do.”

“I watch every aspect of your life, from the moment you stagger out of bed in the morning to the moment you fall asleep late at night. That is precisely why I can tell straightaway what is on your mind simply by your facial expressions and tone of voice.”

Kuaralka spoke calmly.

“You know, Yuki always says he is no match for his wives, and now I finally understand what he means.”

“Excellent. Your awareness of that will make things much easier for me henceforth. We shall start by improving your lifestyle, wherein I’ll train—I mean, work with you, one step at a time.”

“Do my ears deceive me, or did you just say you would ‘train’ me?”

“Train, work. In the end, it all amounts to the same thing, no?”

“What a queen, to not even couch your words the least bit.”

“And who chose me for the role?”

“Oh? You say I brought this upon myself?”

“Never fear. I’ve already sworn to follow you wherever you go. No matter what happens, we’ll live our lives together, sharing our lot with one another.”

Kuaralka spoke without hesitation, her voice calm but firm with determination. Fynar froze for a moment, as if overwhelmed, before replying with an expression of amused resignation.

“I couldn’t be more glad to have you as my wife.”

“Tee hee. I’ll continue to serve you by your side, doing whatever I can to aid you.”

Having just begun their journey as husband and wife, the two would continue to build their relationship step by step. Together. Until their very last breaths.

Side Story 2: A Bath Maniac’s Elegant Bath Time

Night.

“Mmm...”

A moan escaped from Nell’s mouth as she soaked in the bath, the water sloshing gently. The bath salts Yuki had given her exuded a faint, pleasant scent that was extremely comforting. She felt like the fatigue of the day was slowly melting away from deep within her body.

This was one of the dormitories managed by the Church in the royal capital, Arsil. Lately, Nell had been busy working in the frontier town of Alfiro instead. On days when she had nothing else to do, she could return to the dungeon, but this most recent assignment had taken her to the royal capital, where she’d been for a few days now. With work over for the day, she was enjoying a long soak in the bath in her room.

Incidentally, this bath had been built within the past year, at her request. Nell had grown used to bathing every day in the dungeon and could no longer bear to go without one, so one day, she’d begged the Church leaders to build a bath for her. She’d even told them that she would pay for it. They had acquiesced and demolished a room in the dormitory for it.

She was perfectly aware of how selfish the request had been. However, as a self-proclaimed bath maniac, she was fully prepared to go to war over the topic. She couldn’t take a bath? Fine, let the fight come to her. Krieg! Krieg! Krieg! Zeal in her heart, Nell had charged forward, and she’d successfully won her bath. She hardly ever asked for anything, did her job well, and was now one of the most important people in the country, so the Church leaders had granted her request with no questions asked.

The system was designed to produce hot water using a magical device, which took a day to charge up through the mana in the air. Once activated, hot water would flow until the charge was depleted. It was, in fact, a fairly expensive tool. Being the kind of valuable item only found in the homes of royalty or nobility, it would fetch a fortune if sold on the market. Clearly, then, its use for her sake demonstrated how much the nation valued her.

And just by dint of being her, the people weren’t surprised, what with her strong bond as the wife of Demon Lord—no, Demon Emperor Yuki. Originally a soldier, she was now also the empress of another country, which caused some debate within the government as to how she should be treated. The decision they reached was that between her political position and her first-rate abilities as the hero, she was to be afforded the utmost respect.

Though somewhat perplexed by all this, Nell nevertheless accepted the prevailing attitude with ease. She knew that if she acted with too much humility, people might think she was easy to manipulate. That would create unnecessary trouble for Yuki, and she didn’t want that. Furthermore, her dignified behavior added to her aura. Although she was still technically a girl in terms of age and appearance, the way she carried herself meant that not a single high-ranking official in the country saw her that way anymore. Of course, she didn’t know that.

And so, as she enjoyed a leisurely dip, Nell murmured to herself.

“But compared to the bath at home, this one still feels a bit small.”

They had two huge baths there. The one at the waterfall hot spring was big enough for the whole family to stretch out comfortably in. They could even swim in it if they wanted to.

The little girls had to be careful with that sort of horseplay in the outside world, but there was no need to fuss in baths that only the family used, so they swam in it every day, enjoying themselves to the fullest. The bath was where they ended their days after playing until they were exhausted. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that their days were meaningful.

More than anything, though, a bath just felt good. Fatigue vanished in an instant, as if it dissolved into the hot water, and was replaced by a sense of vitality, as if strength welled up from deep within. In fact, the waterfall hot spring in particular restored energy and mana, in addition to myriad other effects. The phrase “secluded hot spring” fit it perfectly. In Nell’s opinion, it was one of the best baths in the world.

Considering that an entire room had been demolished to make it, this one in the royal capital was fairly spacious and comfortable, but even so, Nell couldn’t help but compare it to the bath at home and find it lacking. Admittedly, because of its size, her being the only one in it made her feel lonely. She took particularly long baths, so it was normal for someone else in the family to come in while she was there when she was home. Each of them took turns talking about trivial things, and when their bodies were on the verge of overheating, they got out. She enjoyed those bath-time chats very much. As it so happened, they were one of the reasons for her long baths.

For his part, Yuki understood that and, out of consideration for the rest of them, bathed a little later. Nevertheless, he did occasionally join them, relaxing in the hot water alongside his family. Those moments were just so...blissful.

“Tee hee. When did I grow so selfish?”

Despite being blessed by the environment in the royal capital, Nell found herself feeling dissatisfied. She could go home anytime she wanted. Why, then, was she feeling particularly selfish now?

Stop it. Enough of these thoughts. They make me want to go home right now.

She still had work to do, and she couldn’t do it if she were despondent.

“All right! Tomorrow is another day to do my best!”

Refreshed, she rose from the bathtub.

◇ ◇ ◇

Nell’s work continued for a while. This time, her job was to exterminate a War-level monster that had appeared in the countryside. It had likely migrated from elsewhere and was deemed too powerful for the garrison and knights guarding the region to handle, thus the job of exterminating it had fallen to the Holy Order of Faldienne, of which she was a member.

However, the job was taking longer than she had initially anticipated, so much so that she had been forced to temporarily return to the royal capital and rethink her strategy. This was due to the monster’s elusive nature. Reports indicated that the target was highly intelligent and could use magic to disappear, making it extremely difficult to capture. In light of its War-level classification, the monster’s combat ability itself was high, and the military unit first dispatched to handle it had suffered heavy casualties. Its ability to vanish meant that no one knew its true form. Moreover, it was likely responsible for several unsolved incidents in the area.

After marking all of the locations that had suffered damage on a map and carefully examining the information, she and her superiors confirmed that the monster wasn’t stationary. In other words, it hadn’t built a nest, instead remaining constantly on the move as it hunted. A cunning creature. As a result, even when they rushed to the most recent site of destruction, she and the others in the Order came up empty-handed.

With little progress being made on the search, Nell herself was beginning to think that if this dragged on any longer, she would simply ask her husband to exterminate it before the damage worsened. So when she finally found it, her swordsmanship reflected all the irritation she’d built up.

“Good grief... It’s all your fault that this assignment took so long. I’ve had to sleep outside all this time. Do you know how long it’s been since my last bath? You’ll be taking responsibility for it now, thank you very much.”

Nell swung her sword in genuine anger. The blade flashed. It wasn’t a flashy strike designed to send her opponent flying. Instead, its deadly accuracy slashed through the monster’s neck with the ease of a knife cutting tofu. Blood gushed. Still, the chameleonlike monster tried to act. Then, as if all the strength had left its body, the creature lost its balance before falling completely motionless. Hunt successful.

On the subject of her weapon, she had already returned her holy sword, Durendal, to the Church, despite using it being second nature to her. She had made the decision with her eyes on the future. Now, her primary weapon was a straight sword named “Yoruha” that Yuki had made specifically for her. It boasted a terrifying sharpness that was honestly quite unnerving. She still remembered how the scabbard she had intended to keep it in had ended up sliced in half when she’d sheathed the sword. The blade had gone clean through, only stopping when it was stuck halfway through the floor. Because of that, she stored it naked inside a bracelet imbued with spatial magic. This made her even lighter than before, and that was saying something, considering how lightly armored she’d been from the start. The only other weapon in her possession was the dagger named “Gekka” that Yuki had given her long ago. It was strapped to the back of her waist.

Hmm, I can’t point this sword at anyone now. It was so sharp that she genuinely feared cutting someone in half, even if they wore metal armor or had a shield. She doubted her best efforts to hold back would work. Perhaps it would be smart to have a different sword for everyday use. One that was a little less sharp. She certainly hadn’t expected to worry over a blade that was too sharp.

“An instant kill, eh? No surprise there.”

After watching Nell slaughter the monster like it was nothing, the commander of the Holy Order of Faldienne and Nell’s direct superior, Carlotta Demeyere, muttered almost to herself.

“Other than its heightened ability to sense danger, it was just an ordinary monster. Easy enough to take down in one hit like that.”

“An ordinary monster, you say? Even though its attack power was high enough to crush massive trees with a single blow?”

“Well, I suppose it would have hurt terribly if it had hit me.”

Carlotta could only smile wryly at the nonchalant way Nell answered.

A blow from the creature wouldn’t have just been painful. It would have been fatal. During their battle, it had displayed a strong sense of cunning, disappearing mid-attack and utilizing trap-like magic. Even for the elite knights of Faldienne, at least two or three men would have been lost in a confrontation with an enemy that powerful. Yet Nell, undeterred, had managed to defeat it all by herself. She now possessed skills truly befitting the hero, a strength that stood out even among past heroes.

“I think I’ll have you teach from now on, Nell.”

“Honestly, I don’t have the confidence to teach my training methods. Especially my latest one, which involves the pets sparring against me.”

“You mean...that fenrir your husband has under his command?”

“Not Rir, but there are four others. Those are the ones I’m talking about. Thanks to the brutal efficiency of their teamwork, monsters now barely pose a challenge to me.”

Nell was referring to Orochi, Yata, Byaku, and Seimi. Their similar abilities made them excellent training partners. The mock battles they fought occurred in a variety of combinations, such as one-on-one, two-on-two, one-versus-many, and more. Because of her practice with them, an opponent had to be on their level for her to even break a sweat now. Conversely, she didn’t train with Rir or Yuki because their abilities were too different and unique. Not to mention that Yuki in particular didn’t want to point a weapon at her.

“I... I see. Yet another glimpse into your unusual family.”

“Stooop. I think they’re fairly normal. It just so happens that we have lots of colorful races, all of whom I find charming, you know?”

“I wonder how many people would agree with you.”

They dealt with the aftermath while chatting.

◇ ◇ ◇

A few days later, Nell’s assignment finally ended, and she returned home to the dungeon.

“I’m home!”

Several voices immediately replied.

“Ah! Welcome back, Nellie!”

“Welcome back!”

“Welcome...back.”

“Oh snap, look who it is! Welcome back, Nell. You were gone for a while, huh?”

“Welcome back indeed. From the looks of you, it is plain you had a trying experience.”

“Welcome back! Heh, you really do look tired.”

“Welcome back, Nell. I’ll make some tea right away.”

“Thank you, Leila! And oh my goodness, you wouldn’t believe what a pain in the neck it was. This time, we fought a monster that refused to stay in one place. We just couldn’t find it.”

Her family’s warm welcome instantly lifted the tension tightening her body. She enjoyed the snacks and tea Leila had made and told them about her latest job. It wasn’t long before the little girls grew bored and went out to play. As for the adults, their favorite pastime was chatting just like this with each other, like old friends. They talked for a while about all sorts of things, but Nell had been holding back for too long, so she took her chance when there was a lull in the conversation.

“All right, I want to take a bath! A really long one! To the point that I simply melt and become one with the water! Then, I’ll cover the heavens and the earth and conquer the world!”

“Chill, Nell. The thought of a bath is eating away at your brain’s language center. I think everyone here has figured out that you want a bath and you want it now.”

“My name is Nell, and I am a freedom fighter who seeks a bath! Refuse to cater to my demands, and I shall take action accordingly!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes! Henceforth, when I make sweets, I shall intentionally replace the sugar with salt.”

“Damn, that is some serious terrorism.”

“Even if Leila’s the one making them, I’ll sidle in next to her, offering to help, then sneak in some salt.”

The look on Nell’s face was foreboding.

“Well, I’m not sure how I feel about that scenario.”

While Yuki shook his head in amused exasperation, Leila smiled as usual.

“My lord, I think you’re the only one who can keep Nell in check right now.”

“Lew is right, Yuki. Nell is the sort to do what she says she will. Therefore, you, as her husband, must heed her demands and prevent disaster.”

“Okay, okay. Freedom Fighter Nell, ready am I to lend you an ear. What else do you seek? Besides a bath, of course.”

“Huh? Um...”

Nell hadn’t really thought about anything else because of her single-minded desire to take a bath. But then, a thought occurred to her.

“I seek...to take a bath together, and soothe the fatigue of a warrior’s everyday trials and tribulations! Mr. Yuki, wash my back!”

“Well? What are you waiting for? Do your duty, hostage.”

“Ha ha! Omigosh, Lefi, that’s the perfect word!”

“Don’t call me that. But fine, let’s take this bath. As a husband, it’s my responsibility to do something about my wife’s exhaustion.”

“Oh, um...thank you.”

“Why do you look embarrassed when you’re the one who asked me to do this?”

Under the other women’s warm gazes, Nell and Yuki headed toward the inn. They entered the changing room and took off their clothes side by side. Considering how much time they’d spent together, being seen naked no longer made her heart race. Nevertheless, she still felt a bit self-conscious, which conversely made her want him to look even more. But Yuki was surprisingly unruffled in situations like this. He was probably used to it by now since he was the only man here. That knowledge did nothing to alleviate her mild sense of frustration, though.

“Hey. Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No reason. All right, Mr. Yuki, time for you to wash my back! And my head too!”

“Yeah, yeah. Come on, sit over there.”

The two of them entered the shower area and sat next to each other in front of a shower. He turned on the water, then began washing her body, his hands gentle. Maybe owing to him helping the little girls wash their hair, his movements were practiced, and she found herself relaxing under his touch. He used just the right amount of pressure.

“Mm... Your back is beautiful.”

“Tee hee, thank— Eep! H-Hold it!”

“Ooh, so smooth and amazing to touch.”

“You do realize that you sound like a dirty old man right now, don’t you?”

“Hey, you go on and about my abs all the time, so consider this tit for tat.”

“Th-Then... Next time, I’ll wash your body, Mr. Yuki! Return the favor for this oh so loving ministration!”

“Sure, why not? But maybe do something about the way you use your hands, yeah?”

“So that is how you describe your wife’s devotion? Fine. There’s only one suitable punishment for such a dastardly husband!”

“Bah ha ha ha! Stop! Cut it out!”

“Where does it itch, sir? Tell me, and I’ll make sure to tackle it in the full-body massage I’m going to give you now.”

“Your hands are the reason I’m itchy!”

After they washed their bodies together, they walked past the regular bath and headed to the waterfall hot spring beyond it. Even the normal bath here was leagues more pleasant than any in the outside world, but the waterfall hot spring was exceptional. You could say it was where Nell’s love of baths had been born.

“Ahhh... So warm and relaxing. I missed this.”

“Well, thank you for that feedback. I couldn’t be more pleased to hear that I’m able to satisfy the demands of a bath maniac.”

“Tee hee. What can I say except that freedom fighters who demand baths are quite selfish. You should pat yourself on the back for achieving such a feat.”

“Jeez, you really love baths, huh?”

“Well, if you ask me which I like better, you or the bath... Hmm... I guess I’d say you, Mr. Yuki.”

“I’m not sure how I feel about you hesitating, especially when you’re comparing me to a bath.”

“I’m joking, I’m joking.”

Nell chuckled and rested her head on Yuki’s shoulder. He put his arms around her and pulled her close, gently stroking her head. Neither of them said a word, simply basking in the warm, comfortable silence. Her heart was filled with contentment. She couldn’t experience this feeling anywhere except here, at home. And so, Nell enjoyed the hot bath to her heart’s content.

Chapter 3: The Magical War Games

Almost six months had passed since I went to the demon world and received my very own estate from Fynar. During that time, I’d finished the road to the demon capital, and now, I could go there whenever I wanted. I was super stoked to have more room for activities.

Thanks to our monster hunts in the Demonic Forest during the road expansion, my level had steadily gone up alongside Rir’s and the other four’s. That said, he and I had only seen a small increase in ours. It’d become noticeably harder to level up for us, maybe on account of the power Lúin had given me. While all the other pets’ levels had gone up by nearly ten, Rir and I were only up by three. But my goal these past few months was to increase my DP instead of leveling, so we hadn’t taken on powerful monsters that would’ve necessitated risking our lives. Still, leveling up was only going to get tougher from here on out.

Look at Lefi. It’d taken her a thousand years to reach her current level. Compared to that, my recent increase might’ve actually been pretty significant in the grand scheme of things.

The rest of the leaders had already hosted meetings in Reauxgard three times, and I’d been to two of them. The tournament bringing together all the nations had officially been named “Mankind’s Joint Competition,” but we’d already given it the nickname “Magical War Games.” We’d also worked out the rules and held a few practice matches. The only thing left to do was a final cleanup of what was fair and wasn’t.

Construction in Reauxgard had also begun, with the dwarves playing a key role. I’d flown over to check it out and found the stadium already being built at an incredible pace. I could sing the praises of the dwarves to high heaven and it still wouldn’t be enough. They’d carefully analyzed and incorporated general knowledge I’d shared with them into the plans, so even though it was still unfinished, just watching the thing being built had excitement flowing through my veins.

Despite hearing how good they were at building these kinds of things, witnessing it with my own eyes had been a whole different story. I wasn’t sure if their use of magic had anything to do with it, but in terms of speed, they were pretty much on par with construction companies from my previous life. That didn’t mean shoddy work, though. The foundation was solid, sturdy. Plus, having looked over what they’d finished so far, the build overall was pretty sophisticated. It’d felt like I’d gotten a secret glimpse at the dwarves’ advanced technological and engineering skills.

Furthermore, because the tournament had already been announced, eagle-eyed merchants had already started swooping in to set up shop. With Reauxgard at its center, a new economic sphere seemed to be gaining momentum.

Since the end of the war, this world’s peoples had been doing their best to take another step forward. We were still technically in the postwar period, but everyone was doing what they could to try to break out of it and move into the future. Times, they were a-changin’.

While I was personally thrilled to be part of such a historic moment and excited to see what came next for the world as a whole, I’d say the biggest change for me in the last six months was my home.

“Hmm. The child is growing well. It’s difficult to pinpoint an exact date for the birth, but based on the records Leila put together, I would say another year or so.”

With her hand on Lefi’s stomach, an elderly woman using some kind of magic quietly gave her diagnosis. Her name was Zena. A kind-looking old lady with drooping eyes and a smile always on her face, she just so happened to be the midwife Fynar had arranged for us. She was a demon, by the way. Zena was a seasoned midwife who’d been working in the castle for ages, having delivered the children of many Demon Kings. I’d asked her to come all the way from the demon world so she could check on my wives’ health.

Fynar had told me, “She’s likely one of the best midwives in this world. Be sure to ask her about any concerns you may have.” Hand to heart, I couldn’t have been more grateful to have met the guy. He was a real one.

“A year from now... I guess ours is a pretty unusual case, huh?”

She nodded in response to my question.

“Only to be expected, since this child has a demon lord and the Supreme Dragon as their parents. As such, I have no doubt that they, too, will be born as a powerful race. In turn, that means their nutritional and magical needs are orders of magnitude greater than those of a normal child. This also places a greater strain on the mother, so please keep that in mind.”

“Gah ha! Fear not, for I am the Supreme Dragon for good reason! Do not look so worried, Yuki.”

Lefi gave me a very manly grin. Her belly was even bigger now, suggesting that the life inside was thriving. It’d been a year since she’d gotten pregnant. A normal person would’ve already given birth, but she still had a year left. Turned out that her gestational period was closer to that of dragons after all.

“Okay, fine. But if anything happens, you better tell me right away. Got it?”

“And what will me telling you accomplish, hm? Not much, I wager. However, I understand your concerns. You know very well that I am not putting on a brave face or any such nonsense. Women are strong. Is that not so, Zena?”

“Tee hee. Indeed they are. Men have their own strengths, but so do we women.”

“Excellent point. Do you see, Yuki? Do not fret.”

“All right, all right. I know when I’ve been beaten.”

I knew women were strong. I also knew that men couldn’t win against women, neither in this life nor in my old one. But knowing didn’t stop me from worrying.

That got me back to wondering what my kid’s race would be. I thought it’d be pretty funny if they were born a Supreme Ruler like me. But maybe they’d be a Demon Dragon instead. Or maybe a Draconic Lord? Ooh, that sounds ridiculously powerful. Realistically, though, Draconian, as in dragon person, made the most sense. Another thing I was curious about was how much effect my power as a demon lord—well, the dungeon’s power—would have on them.

As for names, I’d thought of several boy and girl names over the past six months. I doubted any more would come to mind in the meantime, so now it was just a matter of Lefi and I hashing it out until we chose something we both liked.

After finishing her exam of Lefi, Zena began looking over another of my wives.

“This one’s much easier, hm? I will, of course, keep an eye on you as well, but supposing this is a normal pregnancy, I don’t foresee any problems. I would say you’re due in roughly seven months. You and the babe are both doing well.”

“Tee hee hee. Did you hear that, my lord? We’re doing well.”

Lew beamed at Zena’s words.

Yuuup. She was pregnant too. She’d found out about a month and a half ago, when the other women had noticed a change in her physical condition. When she’d told me, I’d hugged her so many times I lost count.

“Same goes for you! You better tell me if anything feels off!”

“I’ll be fiiine, my lord! I’m gonna use this to my advantage and have you spoil me!”

“Damn, you said that right to my face too.”

“Tee hee hee. Well, I’m a mother now too! So I have to be strong!”

Lew puffed her chest out proudly. Seriously, everything she did was insanely cute.

“I’m so happy you two are doing well...but gosh, I’m also a little envious.”

I looked at Nell, who had a shy smile on her face.

“Just so you know, Mr. Yuki, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel! It won’t be long before Alisia has a system that will allow them to manage even without me, so just you wait!”

Nell had been working steadily toward decreasing her workload as the hero for a while now. She used to work in the royal capital but was now stationed out of Alfiro after having been transferred there. It was the frontier city closest to the Demonic Forest. I had a door installed near there too, so unless there was an emergency, she basically came home every day.

I could give huge props to airships for that too. The technology had been developed by the Ellane Allied Federation, and once everyone and their mothers had discovered how useful they were, it hadn’t taken long for a bunch of countries to adopt airships as a means of travel. More and more air routes were being added by the day. Large nations like the Kingdom of Alisia were putting in extra effort, and it now owned over a dozen ships. That meant more flights, hangars, and mechanics. As a result, rapid-response systems had been quickly implemented all across the world, making it possible to deploy required personnel to areas where they were needed at a speed like nothing before.

Nell was one of the many people to benefit from the change. I knew part of the reason they’d built a station in Alfiro was out of consideration for me. But that didn’t change the fact that I was grateful. With the Demonic Forest being my home base, the Kingdom of Alisia would always be my neighbor, so I hoped our friendly relationship would continue long into the future.

Since we were on the topic, lots of therianthropes, particularly werewolves like Lew, often stayed in Alfiro out of a desire to improve their relations with other races. I’d already told her relatives about her pregnancy. They wanted to visit us once she gave birth, and of course I’d said yes. We wouldn’t have to wait too long either.

And then, after Nell, Leila spoke with a smile.

“I’m...ready whenever you are, Master Yuki.”

“Maaan, how’d I get so lucky with all of you?”

Sooo, uhhh...I’d been with Leila a few times, but we hadn’t conceived yet. That was fine, though. Totally normally, in fact. I mean, it was common knowledge in this world that couples of different races had a hard time with procreation, so if anything, it was kinda nuts how fast Lefi and Lew had gotten pregnant. From what I’d heard, beastfolk had a particularly easy time conceiving, which probably explained Lew’s pregnancy. I reminded myself to reassure Leila next time we were alone that we weren’t in a rush. I didn’t want her feeling pressured in any way. We had all the time in the world, so we could take it slow and go at our own pace.

“Okay, so this means our oldest will be Lew’s.”

“Oh, wow... You’re right, my lord. But I don’t think it makes much of a difference, since I doubt they’ll be born that far apart. They’ll both be zero years old at the same time!”

I knew I had predicted exactly this scenario when Lefi’d first told me her suspicions about how long her pregnancy would last. Except I hadn’t been all that serious, so a part of me was still surprised about being right.

“This is quite a rare case, you see,” Zena cut in. “It is already unusual to have four wives, much less for all of them to be different races. Yuki, as the sole husband to this many women, you certainly have your work cut out for you. You understand what I mean, don’t you?”

“Yes. Yes, I do.”

She smiled and nodded at my response. Then, Lew piped up enthusiastically.

“It’ll be fine, my lord. Even if future you ends up as nothing more than our freeloading boy toy, we’ll make sure to take care of you!”

“Is that supposed to make me happy? ’Cause it totally doesn’t.”

A demon lord who was basically his wives’ exclusive gigolo. Where was his dignity? Answer: nowhere. What a terrible day to know words.

“Oh, then when that time comes, I’ll go out into the world and earn some money! Though my duties will lessen soon enough, I think I can still make enough money as a provisional hero to support everyone!”

Please don’t talk about being the hero like it’s just another part-time job normal wives do.

“In that case, I shall use the knowledge I’ve acquired thus far and earn a living as a makeshift merchant.”

“Hmm, hmm, hmm. Then I will hunt monsters and sell them! I am certain their parts sell for a high price in man’s society, yes? Leila, with the two of us joining forces, we would be nigh unstoppable.”

“Heh. You make a very strong argument, Lefi. If you and Nell hunt the monsters and have Lew peddle their various materials, I’m confident we could build a massive trading company in no time. We’d also likely have tons of resources that only we could secure.”

“Gosh, that sounds fun! Count me in!”

“I’ll do my best as your shopgirl!”

“Ladies, ladies. While it warms my cold, evil heart to see you all so excited, I feel the need to ask something very important that may, unfortunately, put a damper on things. Have you forgotten where exactly you spend your days?”

And another thing! None of us technically even needed to go outside anymore because of the DP that’d been flowing on the daily ever since the Reauxgard Empire had become part of my territory. I could stay holed up here for the rest of my life, spend like a maniac, and still have plenty left over.

As I was joking around with my wives, Iluna, who’d been there the whole time, clenched her fists.

“We’re here to help too, okay?! We can do lots of things! We might mess up cooking sometimes, but we’ll work hard to get it right!”

“We help lots!”

“Yup... Together.”

After the three little girls said their piece, the wraith triplets showed that they shared the same sentiment through their determined expressions.

“Gah ha! Thank you, little ones. We shall indeed depend upon you should ever we find ourselves in need. As our children’s elder sisters, we are relying on you to guide them.”

“Tee hee hee! Leave it to us! We won’t disappoint you!”

“We big sisters! I like the sound that!”

“Me...too. We’ll be good big sisters.”

Zena’s face lit up at their reactions.

“Heh. I’m glad to see you all get along so well. Though childbirth is difficult, it’s also a truly precious and wonderful experience. Let’s all work together and do our best.”

“Thank you so much, Zena!” Nell spoke first.

“Thanks from me too, Zena!” Then Lew.

“You’re absolutely right. We all need to work together in every aspect of our lives,” Leila added.

“I entrust myself to you until the babe is born, Zena,” Lefi finished.

“I have a feeling there’s nothing you young ladies can’t do.”

Zena beamed at them. Then, their conversation became even more lively. Seeing them in such high spirits, a single thought popped into my head. Ah, bliss.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Lew, how ya feeling?”

“Great! Nothing to worry about!”

My wife and I were sitting next to each other in the dungeon. She answered my question with a happy smile while rubbing her stomach lovingly. Lew’s child. Our child. When she’d first given me the news, I was shocked. But not long after, joy had run through my entire body, and I’d been so happy that I’d cried. I’d thought the same thing with Lefi, but I’d never known that becoming a parent could make you so ecstatic until I was actually in that position. I’d never known it could be so heartwarming.

“Tee hee! Now that I’m pregnant too, please don’t be so mean to me, okay?!”

“Scout’s honor.”

I nodded in vigorous agreement, which for some reason made her give me side-eye.

“Well...aren’t we being suspiciously obedient?”

“Hey, I’m not a monster. I know I can’t make unreasonable demands of you now that you’re pregnant. So I’m being considerate. I can’t even tell you what I was scheming either. Woe is me.”

“Oh my gosh, so you were planning to do something to me!”

“Yeah, ’cause that’s how we roll. You’re the only one I can mess with like this. Le sigh.”

“This brave little act of yours isn’t fooling me, my lord.”

“The fact that your first reaction to me agreeing to your request was that I’m being ‘suspiciously obedient’ means you actually wanted me to mess with you more, right? So you can’t fool me.”

“Why do you look so smug when you’re spouting nonsense?”

“You noticed, did you? Thanks for that.”

“You’re welcome. Even though I don’t know why you’re thanking me in the first place. Gosh, you’re incorrigible.”

Lew chuckled wryly in response to my nonchalant shrug. Since I was sitting cross-legged, she lay down, using one of my thighs as a pillow. I stroked her hair, combing my fingers through it. Then, I moved on to her ears. They felt incredibly soft to the touch. Her tail twitched in pleasure. She relaxed into me, a smile playing on her lips.

“Lew?”

“What is it, my lord?”

“I’ve talked to Lefi about this a few times, but I... I honestly think of myself as a hopeless man.”

She listened quietly.

“You already know about my shortcomings, and I’m sure I’ll show you a lot more of my pathetic side from here on out. I might even disappoint you sometimes.”

I had already made up my mind to be a good dad, but I was painfully aware that there were so many things I wasn’t good at. That I couldn’t do anything alone.

“But still, I promise to do my best. I’ll love you and our child with all my heart. I just wanted to get it all out there again.”

Lew spoke then.

“Everything you just said...is how I feel too.”

That was her answer.

“I fall short in everything. As a woman, as a wife, as a mother. Compared to the other three, I’m a complete failure. I don’t even know what I’m good at, if there even is anything I’m good at.”

By “the other three,” she must’ve meant Lefi, Leila, and Nell. Her self-deprecating words told me that she was painfully aware of her own shortcomings, just like me. Strangely enough, though, she didn’t look sad or upset.

“But...despite being such a failure, as long as I have you by my side, I think I’ll be able to handle the challenge of raising a child. I already know how much you love me, my lord. Gosh, this is so embarrassing to say.”

“Then stop talking.”

Staring up at me from below, Lew grinned and poked me in the cheek.

“Besides, I don’t think any of us are complete on our own.”

“What do you mean?”

“We’re all flawed in our own way. Me, you, and Lefi are the most obvious, but even dependable people like Leila and Nell have their flaws too.”

“Tell me more, O wise one.”

“Tee hee. Stooop. But fine, I’ll keep going. All of us being together makes us invincible. If we work together, we can do anything. I think that’s what being a family means. It’s when you choose who you want to spend your life with.”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

I looked down at Lew. She looked up at me. Our eyes conveyed our feelings more than words could’ve ever hoped to.

“My lord.”

“Yeah?”

“I just wanted to say all that too.”

Then, Lew took my hand, laced her fingers into mine, and gave me the most beautiful smile. To show her the emotions welling in my heart, I lowered my face and kissed her soft, pink lips.

◇ ◇ ◇

A few days after Zena’s visit, I was on my way to the Reauxgard Empire. I’d actually been going there pretty regularly for the past six months—once a week, to be exact. Because for the first time, I was actually doing my job. Having said that, I only nodded along as the official person in charge, while everyone else actually managed, well, everything else. I also tried to keep the nodding to a minimum to make things easier for us all.

“Listen up, humans. You probably have your own opinions about me. And of course you do. I mean, we were sworn enemies trying to kill each other. So being all buddy-buddy after that would be even more disgusting, right?”

I was kicking off today’s agenda with a visit to the training ground next to the imperial castle. Watching me were the soldiers under my nominal command. They belonged to the Reauxgard First Imperial Order of Knights, this country’s imperial guard. For generations, the commanding officer had been the emperor, which technically made me their leader now. I’d learned that just the other day.

Back when I’d passed through Reauxgard on my way to the dwarves’ homeland, imperial guards had escorted us. But they’d been part of the Second Order, a mixed-race group formed after the Great War, while the First had been formed before I became emperor. Meaning they were all humans.

The reason we’d gathered here today was to discuss the tournament because the knights of the First would be the ones competing. Members of the Second weren’t here since they were currently hard at work with their regular duties. That’d probably change in the future, though. There would come a time when anyone, regardless of race, would be able to participate as long as they possessed the necessary skills.

Long story short, the people standing before me at this very moment were the Reauxgard Empire’s athletes in the competition. Back when I’d pretty much just ignored the empire, these folks hadn’t had much work to do, so they’d spent their days training. On the rare occasion when I had shown up before, they’d rushed to take up their guard positions, then either gone back to training or patrolled the imperial castle once I’d left. However, things had changed once I’d started coming here regularly six months ago. Um, sorry about that, peeps.

As members of the imperial guard, they were considered the country’s elite, but their superior abilities hadn’t been put to good use at all as a fighting force. That was about to change. Now that Reauxgard had become a place where VIPs from other nations gathered regularly, they’d be surprisingly busy with their security work. I’d have a proper chat with them later.

“Regardless of how you feel, I’m the emperor of this country. My predecessor, Shendra, entrusted me with the role, and I accepted it. So, I’ll do what I can.”

I mean, I had promised the guy. At this point in time, I had the settings for the empire tuned down to the details. For example, just like in the Demonic Forest, if a being above a certain power level appeared here, Maps would open automatically and notify me. That said, by the Demonic Forest’s standards, there was a good chance nothing here was strong enough to be caught by my sensors, so I’d made the requirement a little more lax. I’d already eliminated every single monster within the country that could only be dealt with by the likes of me. That just left whatever might try to get in from the outside.

Occasionally—very occasionally, mind you—groups of humans banded together and demonstrated enough hostility for Maps to open. They were usually criminals or extremists. I didn’t make a move when that happened. Just handed their location data over to my people and let them handle it. Dealing with them wasn’t my job. Sorry not sorry.

Still, it rarely reached that point, and I hadn’t run into any situations like that lately. From that, I’d decided that the country’s police and judicial systems were functioning properly since the new order of governance had been implemented. I was sure petty criminals still existed within the borders, but that was whatever. What mattered was the authorities being able to eliminate large crime syndicates. I also had it on good authority that the organization a certain steward in the imperial castle belonged to was working hard behind the scenes.

“Show the other races what you can do. Show the world how humans, inferior in strength and magic, can defeat them and win. This is your chance. Don’t waste it.”

No one said anything. But their eyes were eloquent, showing me the zeal each harbored. Maybe I was imagining it, but it felt like the temperature had suddenly gone up.

“Let’s do this. Just because it’s a game doesn’t mean Reauxgard’s prestige isn’t on the line. Make damn sure everyone in this world knows our name by the time it’s over!”

“Aaaaaye!”

The guards’ passionate roar shook the air in the training ground.

◇ ◇ ◇

In the waiting room next to the training ground we’d been in earlier.

“I expected nothing less of you, Your Majesty.”

So said the vice commander of the Reauxgard First Imperial Order of Knights—in other words, the de facto commander. His name was Helgar Landros. He was tall, muscular like a soldier should be, and handsome, despite his thick beard and mustache. He was probably in his thirties.

Apparently, he was also a member of a certain organization that protected the country from the shadows. He’d quietly revealed his true identity to me once we were alone to avoid the other guards finding out. That explained why he was the only one who’d been willing to meet me halfway from the start.

“Uhhh, what are we talking about?”

“The speech you just gave. Short, but passionate. Left quite an impression.”

If it wasn’t obvious, I was in the middle of a meeting with the guy. We were going over the rules for the competition, the upcoming schedule, and all sorts of other details.

“Was it really? You know I’m just an emperor in name only, so as a commoner at heart, I’m not used to this kinda stuff.”

“Ha ha! A demon lord claiming to be a commoner? You’re very funny, my lord.”

I wasn’t kidding. While the knightly orders were made up of ordinary soldiers, the majority of them were actually nobles. Specifically, they were a category known as military nobles, making them an elite, well-educated group. For a half-assed guy like me, the opposite of elite, to have suddenly shown up, it was no wonder they resented me, even if they didn’t show it.

That being said, despite the many aristocrats in the empire, there was a pretty good system in place to allow talented people of all stripes to get ahead on merit alone, so plebs weren’t missing out on upward mobility either. I’d found out that it was hard for nobles to get promotions based simply on their status or connections.

Hard, but not impossible. While there were some who did, it was a relatively meritocratic society, and the Demon King had praised the empire during one of our chats before. To him, the way they did things was more advanced than other countries. We could thank Shen, the former Emperor Shendra, for establishing the legal framework. More testament to his incredible and varied talents.

“We clearly felt the passion contained within your words. To be perfectly frank, there are many of us who don’t know you as a person, and some who only remain under your command because it’s our job.”

“Good enough for me.”

“Not for us, however. Rather than ordinary knights, we are members of the imperial guard. That means absolute loyalty to Your Majesty must come first. Though our circumstances are unique at the moment, we can’t waver on that. If we do, we’re not fit to be part of the imperial guard.”

“Gotcha...”

I guess that’s how these folks think, huh? It made sense, though. Anyone in a royal or imperial guard was the closest to the king or emperor, respectively. If they rebelled, their success was guaranteed. Well, for normal leaders. I was stronger than them, so they’d lose if they tried that shit against me. No surprise, then, that absolute loyalty was the other requirement for the role besides power.

Speaking of loyalty, I’d realized a while ago that democracy probably wasn’t a good fit for this world. Monsters, myriad races, and other potential dangerous sparks lay everywhere. With so many crises and the like, it’d be difficult to act unless power was centralized. I didn’t know what would happen as time passed, but for now, for better or for worse, a system led by some sort of ruler was the best.

“But I think everyone has an idea of who you are after that speech just now. That’s why their expressions transformed at the end.”

“Let me make something clear, Helgar. I meant what I said earlier. If we’re gonna participate in these games, we’re gonna do it right. And that means kicking the other countries’ asses. Sure, this is just a friendly competition, and socialization is definitely part of it. And sure, ultimately, it is just a game. But games are fun only when you take them seriously.”

“I agree, my lord, especially because this is an excellent opportunity to show the world our strength. I would be lying if I said our blood isn’t humming with excitement. Let’s give it our all.”

Helgar flashed me a broad, manly grin.

The tournament, Battle Festa, came down to a format similar to rugby or American football. You scored a point by carrying the ball into the opponent’s side of the field. In this world, people understood it as a territory capture-style game. Naturally, punching and kicking weren’t allowed, but you could grab, swat, and charge, which was why we’d made it mandatory for everyone to wear protective gear—well, armor, really.

Right now, they were reusing armor normally worn by soldiers, but the dwarves were designing specialized gear. I’d heard that they planned to take measurements for everyone in the Reauxgard Empire soon. Just metal armor would probably cause injuries, even with healing magic, so I hoped they came up with a good design.

Magic was allowed, but only three spells: Gust, Earth Wall, and Shot. None of these had direct offensive power. Instead, they could be used to hinder an opponent’s actions. How people used those spells would add variety to fighting styles.

Having said that, strictly speaking, there was one other magic allowed, and that was terraforming. It was also possibly the most important element in the competition. After the match began, players could use the magic to modify the field. Would they change the terrain to make it easier to defend or easier to attack? Or would they make it all-purpose to do both? Heck, someone might do something even more extreme that no one had thought of.

Terraforming was allowed during the game too, so the field could change from moment to moment to suit the situation. Whether to give your team an advantage or put the opposing team at a disadvantage was a factor that’d have a huge impact on the tournament. In order to eliminate the potential for personal bias and make terraforming a completely strategic element, we’d decided it should be done using magical tools. A prototype had already been completed, but only after lots of discussions between the dwarves and elves.

In addition to the players’ own mana, additional mana would be stored in the devices, meaning that players would need to manage a set number of resources, which would also play into the game’s strategy. We had a bunch of other detailed rules too, and I had a feeling more would probably be added little by little as time went on, but those were the broad strokes.

For the inaugural competition, the participants would be royal guards or their equivalents from each country. However, any team that met the requirements could participate regardless of nationality. I’d heard that several large trading companies and groups of adventurers active across borders were planning to enter. It was a good opportunity for people to make a name for themselves. This tournament was on a global scale, after all, so any powerful organization would of course be champing at the bit to join the fray.

By the way, I wasn’t involved in the Magic Festa part of the event, but the contestants from Reauxgard would be court magicians, and an elf diplomat stationed in the country would be supervising. Shen himself had personally trained them during his time as emperor, so they were the best of the best. I had a feeling they’d do well too. The competition tested artistry and the difficulty of the spells cast, so innate ability didn’t matter that much. I just wanted them to get a jump on the competition and leave them in the dust.

Thinking about it all over again, the dwarves and elves had been doing a fantastic job during the prep stage. Of course, humans, demons, and therianthropes were also helping out, but those two races were at the center of it all. Without them, the Magical War Games would still be an idea on paper, a long way off from reality. On that note, I should really check out the proposed site for the stadium sometime soon.

After Helgar and I talked for a while longer, we returned to the training ground and began a full-scale practice session with the rest of the imperial guardsmen. First of all, they needed to understand the nature of the competition. The other leaders and I had decided that began with the rules, which should be explained one by one. The worst thing would be to lose points because of a foul, but since this was the inaugural tournament, mistakes were bound to happen, so best to go over the rules a bunch before the real thing.

Hmm... Maybe I should have them assume that’s how they’ll lose points. My team would be lucky if they could get away without breaking any rules. Yeah, this might be the way. I couldn’t have them be too slow on the field because they were too worried about the rules.

The current favorites to win were the demons led by the Demon King himself. With so many demonic races and the size of the demon world alone, three teams were participating. Fynar was heading one directly, and rumors were already spreading about how dangerous they were.

Demons were powerful. On stats alone, they topped mankind’s leaderboard. Fynar’s involvement meant eliminating their meathead weakness, making them even more formidable as opponents. They were the ones to watch out for. Everyone’s goal was to beat them.

On the other hand, the team with the worst odds was...us. As a former reigning power, people knew the strength of Reauxgard’s soldiers. But now, after being defeated and colonized, the empire was being underestimated. No one made it obvious, but I could tell.

And real talk? This was the most exciting development so far. I planned to make a shit ton of people miserable when they lost their bets on us.

“In the sport that inspired Battle Festa, the basic principle is to create a formation like this and attack. However, in the version for the tournament, you can use magic and modify the arena. First, we need to come up with the basic formation that’s easiest for you guys.”

I drew circles representing the field and players on a whiteboard I took out of Inventory and began showing them what I knew. Tangent—they’d wanted these whiteboards for meetings, so I’d bought ten of them with DP and given them to the imperial government. Use them well.

“One thing I want you to keep in mind is that this sport is basically a territory capture-style game, so no matter how you do it, you score a point if you carry the ball into the enemy’s territory. You score if you run like this and cross this line, or if you dive like this and cross the line even a little.”

I explained while shuffling around, pointing out what I meant on the diagram.

“The first defensive formation I can think of is to create a wall at the goal line using an Earth Wall. We’ll need to come up with a countermeasure for that.”

Magic couldn’t be used inside the goal line. It could, however, be used in the area in front of it. A simple but highly effective rule that everyone would probably take advantage of.

“And it just so happens that I have an idea. Watch this.”

I took a ball that resembled a rugby ball, one that people had started calling a “battle ball,” in my hand, focused my mana, then jumped. I didn’t fly with wings. No, I jumped in the true sense of the word. Obviously, the distance I went was beyond anything you’d expect from a race of man because when I eventually landed, I’d gone more than half the field. The guards cried out in surprise. Good, it worked.

The trick was simple. I’d used elemental magic with roughly the same effect as the wind spell Gust on the bottoms of my feet before jumping.

“What you just saw was me using the Gust spell. Combining it with a jump will allow you to get over an Earth Wall and increase your mobility dramatically. The only downside is that it’ll probably only work the first time. After that, your opponent may counter with some Gust combination of their own or Shot. In that case, I suggest passing the ball while jumping with Gust. It may not work out like we want. But.”

I paused to grin before continuing.

“If we can pull it off, don’t you think we have a real shot at winning regardless of physical ability? We could compete in three dimensions against opponents who can only move in two.”

There was no need to explain the advantage. Eventually, people would figure out countermeasures, or other teams might come up with the same idea. But in this first tournament, that technique alone would probably be enough.

By the way, Iluna was the one who’d come up with the idea. When I’d told her about the competition, she’d replied, “Ooh! What if you can fly, poof, using magic?! I feel like that would make you unbeatable!” I’d mulled it over, decided she was right, then tested it out. Bow down in gratitude to the great Iluna, plebs.

And so, the imperial guard and I began preparing for the competition.

◇ ◇ ◇

Galia, the capital of the Reauxgard Empire. The once glorious city had fallen into decline after the country’s defeat in the recent war, but little by little, it had regained its former glory, now reborn as a more diverse city than before. Once inhabited only by humans, it had become a hub for airship traffic, and at present, it teemed with a variety of humanoid races. All this had led to increased trade and a booming economy.

Although each of the victorious leaders had their own motives for the rapid development of the Reauxgard Empire, it wasn’t out of exploitation. Instead, the goal was to make it a place to balance power among multiple nations as well as generate revenue. As a result, the country had avoided ruin despite being on the losing end of the war.

Since Galia had been the only imperial city used as a battlefield, the others suffered only economic damage, minimizing the extent of the decline in national power. Furthermore, anyone arrogant enough to break the law was ruthlessly arrested and severely punished, even if they were a citizen of a victorious nation. The people of the empire appreciated that fairness, which also explained the relatively smooth transition from the previous system of governance. Their mindset could largely be attributed to the policies and ideas of the previous emperor, Shendra, who had emphasized the importance of reason.

Having said that, the authority of the current emperor, known as Demon Emperor Yuki, also played a not-insignificant part in their acceptance of the new rule. He was a presence that no one in the empire or around the world could ignore. In terms of real political power, he had almost none. He possessed no financial resources either, and though he held the title of emperor, everyone, himself included, understood that it was just a pretense, something merely in name.

Despite all that, the influence he wielded had reached a level that was unmatched in this world. Why? Simply put, he was strong. His overwhelming power as a demon lord and the monsters under his command made him a concern for the leaders of various countries. Every time he heard something along those lines, he would smile ruefully and say, “Stop. You’re exaggerating...” But the truth was, no one could surpass Demon Emperor Yuki in military might, so all those in power genuinely believed that they must never make an enemy of him.

Demons weren’t the only ones who respected those with power. Even a mysterious demon lord who had suddenly risen to power would be shown a certain amount of respect as long as they weren’t extremely violent. For that reason, everyone trod carefully when it came to him, showing him a great deal of consideration despite him essentially being a nominal ruler. They didn’t want him wreaking havoc on their nations either, especially after his warning of, “Mess with my people and get put on my shit list.” So the other rulers had their personnel in the empire ensure that their citizens were behaving properly.

Of course, the wounds left by the war had not yet healed, and memories of their defeat were still vivid in the imperial citizens’ minds. Many problems still had to be solved, the biggest one being public order. The booming economy had led to a sudden influx of people. In addition to the human supremacists who continued to cause turmoil, this meant that numerous criminal organizations, covert operatives, and countless other unscrupulous figures had infiltrated the country and become increasingly active.

The people who originally controlled the seedy underworld that existed in the Reauxgard Empire weren’t so vicious as to be called public enemies because they knew how to restrain themselves to an extent. Effectively, the authorities hadn’t actively pursued them. Instead, successive emperors had put in place a system that allowed truly violent criminals to be caught within a week by using the dungeon’s Maps function. Criminal organizations and those who crossed the line were also immediately eliminated.

The same used to be true for external criminal organizations trying to gain a foothold in the empire. They had been completely shut out before, but now that the country had opened up, they were rushing to infiltrate. Even though it was a defeated nation, the Reauxgard Empire was still one of the continent’s major powers. If they could establish themselves here, they stood to make enormous profits. Thanks to Demon King Fynar’s thorough countermeasures, villainous syndicates had been eliminated one after another, and the country was gradually easing out of its unstable security situation. However, the situation remained what could be called a cat-and-mouse game. And in some places, the downsides were already playing out.

“Geh heh heh! Hey now, little lady, what’s yer hurry?”

“Whatcha doin’ out so late? I bet you haven’t had enough fun, right? We can fix that for ya.”

Night. In the entertainment district of the imperial capital of Galia, two drunk demon men were harassing a passing human woman. She tried to hurry away, but they blocked her path. Their nasty grins conveyed their obvious pleasure in toying with her.

“P-Please let me through.”

“Aww, don’t be like that. We got something much better than those weak humans, you know.”

“Yeah, ain’t no doubt in my mind ya’d like it too. So be a doll and wipe that frown off your face. No need to get all worked up.”

Their lascivious sneers widened, and one of them dragged the woman toward him. Then, a passing human man grabbed his arm.

“All right, you’ve had your fun. Now let her go.”

“Whazzat?”

“Ooh, lookee here. Someone’s puttin’ on a show for us.”

One of the demon men glared at him, while the other, his breath reeking of alcohol, cackled mockingly. The human man remained calm.

“Everyone knows the officials are cracking down on conflicts between different races everywhere in the empire. I don’t know who you are or where you’re from, but acting like idiots while you’re drunk will only cause problems for you two.”

“Shut yer goddamn trap! Think yer so damn smart, do ya?!”

The enraged demon forcibly shook off the human man holding his arm, then punched him. The dull sound of flesh hitting flesh could be heard, followed by gasps and cries from the people around them who had been watching the exchange unfold. The human man stumbled a bit under the blow but remained unfazed.

“Did that punch feel good? You know how crowded this entertainment district is. What’s your next move? Will you hit me again? Everyone here saw what you did, so are you going to continue with this stupidity when there are so many witnesses?”

Although the demon man who’d thrown the punch was still furious and ranting, his friend, perhaps less drunk, started looking uneasy. The small, rational part of his mind must have realized they were in a bad position.

“Hey, let’s go,” he said, pulling his drunk friend along as he left the scene.

The onlookers cheered and applauded because the human man had defused the situation with just words. The woman bowed her head in thanks to him, and a few moments later, the man was alone once again.

He walked down the night-darkened alley. Light spilled from the shops and taverns. The cheerful commotion of the people inside and out. Everyone wanted to forget the hardships and pains of everyday life and regain their energy by immersing themselves in moments of pleasure. In stark contrast to the cool air of the alley, this town was like the border between dream and reality.

The human man ruminated. He knew. The new regime wasn’t trying to destroy this country, but rather to govern it with a sure hand. Foreign soldiers and officials stationed here by their countries who acted tyrannically or outrageously were promptly demoted or, if they committed a crime, severely punished. He didn’t intend to do it because it would be a hassle, but he was sure that if he filed a complaint about the dispute earlier, it would be investigated properly. Because even now, the judiciary operated honestly and without corruption. This emphasis on law and order was much appreciated, especially in light of the transition to the new system, which more than doubled business opportunities and created plenty of jobs. He could understand why some folks were satisfied with the current situation, one in which they earned enough to live on.

He didn’t believe in foolish ideas like human supremacy. He had never thought that humans were particularly superior and found it unpleasant to see people obsessed with that delusion, raging endlessly about it. In his opinion, their behavior lowered the dignity of all humans.

However. However... With the nation’s politics in the hands of other races... As the human supremacists liked to say, they had to find a way to break the cycle. While he saw no issue with other races rising to power in the Reauxgard Empire, the real power needed to be held by its people. Achieving that through violence or exclusionary ideology was out of the question, yet the fact remained that they had to somehow regain control of the country’s core. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to move forward.

“Change is never easy, eh...” he murmured with a soft chuckle. Nevertheless, a spark of determination burned in the man’s eyes.

The man was unaware. Unaware of those who watched him from the shadows. Unaware of those trying to exploit the influence he held. The seeds of malice were abundant, and they existed everywhere.

◇ ◇ ◇

“All righty, then. I’m off.”

“Yes, do your best at work. How strange... When I say such things, it makes me feel as if you have become a much more normal husband.”

“What the heck, woman? You make it sound like I’m not a normal husband. For your information, there’s no other husband who’s as normal as me!”

“I do believe something is rather odd about how you assess yourself. Place your hand over your heart and think about yourself carefully.”

“I am pleased to announce that I have already done my due diligence and arrived at this conclusion thusly.”

“So this is how I learn your mind is going. How very unfortunate.”

After Lefi and I exchanged a few more jokes, the rest of my family wished me a safe trip, and I left my home. My destination was the Reauxgard Empire, a place I’d been visiting pretty regularly as of late. Specifically, I wanted to check out the stadium that was currently under construction.

I exited the imperial castle through one of my special doors, then walked a short distance toward the stadium. It wasn’t long before I heard the sound of hammers striking, men shouting, and some kind of heavy machinery. Maybe it’s a huge magical device? Energy and excitement surged inside me.

“All right, put those materials o’er there. Ye blitherin’ idjit, I said there, not there! All it takes is one mistake ta bring summat this big down, ye ken! Mind yerself, will ye!”

So shouted Dodah, the king of the dwarves. He was in charge of the construction, and the loudest here by far. With the dwarves as a whole at the heart of the construction project, him being here in person meant the craftsmen had themselves a solid manager. He was so dedicated to the project that ever since construction of the stadium began, he hadn’t returned to their village even once, instead opting to stay here in Reauxgard the whole time. “I’d be lyin’ if I said a project o’ this scale didnae get my builder’s blood astir!” That was what he’d said to me.

The human, therianthrope, and demon artisans working with him were doing a surprisingly good job too. Watching them at work made me realize all over again how talented people like them were. That was when one of the human artisans spoke up.

“I hate to admit this because it’s right embarrassing, but we definitely couldn’t have done it alone. It’s only thanks to the aid of you and your kinfolk at key points that we can even build this quickly.”

Hearing that, one of the dwarf artisans smiled wryly and replied, “Much obliged. But ye should know that the only time we can work this fast, flawlessly, and without the slightest deviation, is when our king’s in charge.”

Because the man known as Dodah could see the big picture. That allowed him to instantly spot the issues with progress and assign just the right number of craftsmen to just the right place, as well as gauge the use of materials and the wear of tools, then allocate the exact right amount. One of the craftsmen mentioned that it was probably because he started with a solid image of the finished product in his head, which he then worked backward from.

Impressive indeed. Everything I’d heard about him being the best craftsman of the dwarves had turned out to be true. Though he was technically a blacksmith and not a carpenter, the dwarf king was obviously just that good at making stuff in general. I chatted up the man in question when I thought I wouldn’t be disturbing him while he was working.

“Yo! Working hard or hardly working?”

“Eh? Well, well! Look who it is! Welcome, laddie, welcome. Glad ta see yer doin’ well.”

“Right back atcha. Seriously, though, this is amazing. It looks completely different from the last time I saw it, and it hasn’t even been that long. Love it, though.”

“Aye. We’re honored ta be involved. So, what brings ye here today?”

“Nothing in particular. Just came to see how things are going. And to offer a little something—ta-da! Food. The chefs in the castle went all out, so there should be enough for everyone.”

I opened Inventory, set up a few tables with a ton of plates and cutlery, and placed three huge, piping hot pots on them. There was enough food for hundreds of people, so you could imagine the stacks of plates alone.

“A million thanks! What a mouth-waterin’ scent. Right then, lads, time ta eat up!”

All work stopped at the dwarf king’s booming shout, and the craftsmen gathered around. Yup, he sure runs a tight ship. Then, he gave a few quick instructions, and the food was ready to be dished up for everyone. They all thanked me in their deep voices and began eating. Before long...

“What is this? It’s delicious! So damn good!”

“Never thought I’d eat something like this here.”

“This may just be the most delicious meal I’ve ever had in my life.”

“I think I might cry.”

The chefs working in the castle had made beef stew. The ingredients consisted mainly of the monsters I’d hunted in the Demonic Forest, so I had no doubt that it was hella high-quality. Guaran-freaking-teed. While the craftsmen chowed down on the stew and recovered their energy, I talked to the dwarf king.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot. En, say hi to our old friend.”

When I took En’s real form from the rift in space, her human form immediately poofed into existence, and she bowed her head to him.

“Hello...Uncle.”

“Oho, the wee Miss Zaien in the flesh! I mun say, ye always give me a fright when ye show up like that, but glad am I to see ye doin’ well, lassie. I trust ye’ve been stuffin’ yerself with mountains o’ meat?”

“Yup... I eat a lot and exercise a lot.”

En flexed her little bicep, and the dwarf king patted her on the head, looking like an old man staring fondly down at his grandkid.

“Children really are a blessing, eh? I hope this tournament leads ta a bright future for ’em all.”

“It will. We’ll make sure of it.”

I knew he didn’t have any kids of his own. He did have a wife, though. I’d actually met her once before, when I’d visited the dwarven homeland. But looking at him like this, it was clear that he loved children, so there must’ve been a reason they didn’t have any. I also knew the topic wasn’t something I should ask about, so I cleared my throat before speaking again.

“How long do you think it’ll take to finish the stadium?”

“Two months, give ’r take. The rest ’round it will take some time ta develop, but everythin’ we need’ll be ready by the time the tournament starts. Ye have my word.”

“Great, thanks. Let me know if you have any issues. I was gonna say I could solve them in a jiff, but considering I’m just a figurehead, I may not be able to take care of them that fast. Still, I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Me...too, Uncle.”

“Gah ha ha! With ye on our side, Miss Zaien, an army couldnae stop us.”

“Oh, so you don’t need this demon lord’s help, huh?”

“I dinnae want ta imagine a situation where we’d need yer help, laddie.”

That was fair. Things would have to be pretty damn bad if anyone had to specifically ask me for help. Admitting defeat, I laughed and shrugged before continuing.

“Oh yeah, when this is finished, we can totally name it ‘Dodah Stadium.’”

After all, the Dwarf King was responsible for everything from the design to the final build. That made him the perfect person to name it after.

“While I appreciate the sentiment, we already chose a name.”

“Whaaat? That’s news to me.”

“I willnae tell ye just yet. Only after we finish.”

He grinned.

Just then, I sensed a powerful presence. At the same time, Maps popped open. Enemies in the vicinity.

“Hiiissss!!!”

“Raaawwwrrr!!!”

Two low, earthshaking roars reverberated throughout the air. Turning in the direction from which they’d come, I immediately saw the sources come into view.

Race: Sea Serpent

Level: 87

Race: Cruel Tortoise

Level: 91

They showed up smack-dab in the center of the still-under-construction stadium. A snakelike monster resembling Orochi and a turtle-like monster with such a ferocious face that it was hard to believe it was related in any way to the original gentle animal. Both were humongous, the size of something you’d find in the Demonic Forest. What made the turtle even freakier was that it walked on two legs. It was no Ganera, though.

Dumbass, stop focusing on what they look like. The most important question here was, where the hell did they come from? Maps hadn’t given me advance warning. Even without that, though, someone would’ve noticed monsters this big. Plus, there was nowhere nearby for the behemoths to hide.

The fact that I hadn’t picked up on their presence meant they’d appeared there out of nowhere. The first thing that came to mind was spatial magic. Since my special doors existed, it stood to reason that someone else could use similar magic. That someone must’ve used it to summon monsters here. But Maps didn’t show any hostile indicators other than the two monsters in the stadium. No sign of anyone who might be the caster.

All the craftsmen were taking a break, and only a few guards remained inside the arena. The situation was too delicate to jump to the conclusion that one of them had done this. In that case, maybe the spell had been set up in advance and activated when the right conditions were met?

“Gaaah!”

“What in the hell?!”

The builders screamed and fled. Some tried to fight back with the tools they had on hand, but others knocked them unconscious by punching them, then dragged them away. I guess they think they’re doing them a favor? No, now’s not the time. I’ll think about that later.

These monsters were pretty powerful. Still, even a human army could defeat them. Having said that, they were strong enough that it would be impossible to avoid casualties.

“Well, demon lord, looks like we’re goin’ ta be needin’ yer help straightaway. What say ye?”

“You got it. This is the kinda job that’s right up our alley, right, En?”

“Yup...!”

Once En returned to her sword form, I drew her from her sheath while simultaneously unfurling my three pairs of wings. I tossed her sheath into Inventory, then charged. First up in our sights was the sea snake MF. It looked to be the weaker of the two. Seeing me approach, it froze in fear for a moment before beginning to thrash around wildly. It must’ve sensed my power.

“Hey, cut it out. These good people just finished making that!”

“Bad...snake. It should take lessons from Orochi.”

“Damn straight! When my homie accidentally breaks something because of his huge body, he recoils in embarrassment!”

“Yup... He’s so cute when he says sorry.”

Slash. En’s blade met no resistance as she cut through its flesh, slicing deep into the sea serpent’s body. It shrieked. Because of its sheer size, one strike alone probably wouldn’t kill it, so I decided to keep slashing until it was dead.

“I’m gonna make kabayaki outta you— Whoa!”

Ice magic. Dozens of projectiles that looked like ice spears raced from Ganera toward me as I floated in the air. Phew, almost grazed me. Good thing for me that I was super mobile. Despite it firing the ice spears one after the other like a machine gun, its barrage was no match for me! Mwa ha ha ha!

Seeing me approach, Ganera retracted its body into its shell with a loud swish just as En’s blade reached it. Jeez, that’s hard. I slashed at the belly instead of the shell, but that side was also hard as a rock. Though her blade went through, the cut wasn’t enough to cause serious damage. Should I slash it while its head was sticking out, or should I use magic? No, most of my spells were area-of-effect style, so anything I used would probably cause unnecessary damage to the stadium. I decided magic was a no go. Since En had broken the surface, I figured I could just slash it to pieces. But just then...

“Nooot on mah watch!”

A huge bang, followed by Ganera stumbling. There stood the Dwarf King, who’d swung a huge hammer. And the craftsmen too.

“Listen up, lads! These two scum o’ the earth think they can destroy what we’ve built. Well, I say we prove ’em wrong!”

“Diiieee!!!”

Each craftsman, armed with a weapon—well, a tool that could be used as a weapon—raised that battle cry and charged toward Ganera. To be honest, I’d thought they’d left? But maybe they’d only retreated to regroup earlier. Jeez Louise, what am I gonna do with these guys? I couldn’t help but smile wryly. Then, the Dwarf King shouted in my direction.

“Demon lord! We’ll show this’n what for. Ye handle that wiggly bastard!”

“Aye, aye, cap’n! Just don’t die on me!”

I left the turtle monster to them and faced the sea serpent again. It was getting more frightened by the second and trying to escape. I bet you’ve got it rough, huh? Suddenly dragged out of the sea to this place without so much as a howdy do.

When it noticed me drawing closer, the monster stretched its jaws wide and closed in—a desperate attempt to swallow me whole. I dodged it by spinning sideways using my three pairs of wings, and as I spun, I swung En. Her long blade sliced clean through its neck in one stroke. With its head gone, the body twitched and convulsed before eventually going motionless.

“En, on to the next!”

“Yup...!”

With the sea serpent eliminated, I immediately turned around and flew toward the giant turtle. As for the artisans, some were injured, but they were all alive. Only the Dwarf King was still punching away with all his might, and the others tried to keep up with him, refusing to be outdone. These folks really were...tough? Sturdy? Durable? Something along those lines.

“All right, I’ll take it from here!”

Ganera retracted its arms, legs, and head into its shell again and tried to counter me with magic. But its defense was meaningless. With its arms and legs inside, the monster started toppling forward, and I got underneath it just in the nick of time to kick it.

“Take thiiis!!!”

I kicked in the vicinity of its neck from below, sending its massive body flying and flipping it over. I scrambled onto its belly and stabbed it deep inside with En’s blade. Blood spurted. It unleashed a bitter, agonizing cry from inside its shell. I poured my strength into both arms and ran across its belly, slashing all the way from top to bottom in one go before jerking my sword out. En’s beautiful crimson blade, stained with blood, emerged from its flesh with a swish.

The spell aimed at me, half formed, vanished into thin air. The turtle monster’s head and limbs hung limply from its shell. It was no longer breathing.

The Dwarf King nodded vigorously at the sight and raised his voice.

“Lads! We won!”

“Aaaaaye!”

The craftsmen’s triumphant roars echoed throughout the unfinished stadium.

Epilogue: Glimpses of Malice

“Sooo. What the hell were these things?”

After the monster hunt was over and the injured had been rescued, the stadium had suddenly become noisy with soldiers rushing in and curious onlookers. The Dwarf King and I were standing in front of the two corpses.

“Logically speakin’, whoever was behind this used spatial magic ta teleport the monsters in. But a few questions remain. First o’ all, movin’ a monster this massive would require a considerable amount o’ mana and preparation both. Unless ye happen ta be ridiculously out-of-the-ordinary like yerself, o’ course.”

Okay, point for you.

“On account o’ them appearin’ in this stadium, the summonin’ mechanism mun be here somewhere... But ye posted men day ’n’ night ta guard against acts o’ terror.”

“Meaning...they somehow managed to slip past them?”

“Aye. The Demon King hisself is keepin’ a close eye on things, ’n’ it’s nae easy ta outwit him, ye ken? Not ta mention that we’ve been workin’ here the whole time. One o’ me men would have noticed summat suspicious, like a magic circle or somethin’, despite them bein’ absolutely hopeless.”

There were plenty of people around. And yet, the teleportation spell had activated, then voila, the monsters had appeared. They’d deadass come outta nowhere.

“That bein’ the case, it seems more’n likely that one o’ me own was behind it... But I did thorough background checks when I first hired ’em, I did, and I swear on mah soul that havin’ worked with ’em all this time, they’re naught but good-natured idjits. So I’d like ye ta believe that it wasnae them...”

“True, true. I mean, we were all eating together when these big bastards showed up, so that alone would put more suspicion on the guards. But I doubt we’ll get anywhere racking our brains over the who. What bothers me more is the how. I think this was some kind of time-delayed spell.”

“Do ye know?”

“Yeah. I don’t know if it activated when certain conditions were met or at a set time, but from what I could tell using Maps, there were no other blips nearby the second the monsters showed up. I even used my other demon lord abilities to double-check. The only other life signs were the guards a bit away. But I don’t think they would be so obvious about it.”

“Fair enough. I s’pose the number o’ folks who’d commit a crime while still in the area is low. Though that depends on their goal, eh?”

Their goal. Dodah was right. There had to be a reason for this, but what exactly was it? If it was just to get someone to accept their demands or to assert existence, wouldn’t there have been some kind of declaration ahead of time? Was the perpetrator planning to issue a statement taking responsibility later on? While I mulled over possible motives, the Dwarf King started talking again, rubbing his impressive beard.

“Another thing I find very concernin’ is the monsters’ strength. Without you, dozens, maybe hundreds o’ people would’ve died ’fore we defeated ’em. So how on earth did the mastermind manage to transport two o’ the bloody things?”

Definitely a question that needed answering. Finding and capturing monsters required the power of a demon lord at the very— Wait. What if someone out there possessed even a fragment of a demon lord’s power? During the battle earlier, I’d only seen levels, stat values, and skills, so I used Analysis on the corpses again.

“I freaking knew it.”

A certain title appeared in that section—Demon Lord’s Subordinate. That meant these guys were dungeon summons, just like Rir and the others. Now I know where they’d come from. Inch. Res. Ting.

“Master...look.”

At that moment, En gently tugged on the hem of my shirt.

“What’s up, kiddo?”

I looked in the direction she was pointing with her small hand. Thanks to her, I spotted an object mixed in with the rubble. A dagger. But of course, it wasn’t just any dagger. Some kind of intricate pattern was on its surface.

Teleportation Dagger: Depending on the amount of mana imbued, it can teleport a target to any location at any time. Quality: A+

Very interesting. Its ability alone made it a national-treasure-level item. However, I wasn’t surprised to discover that it existed here in the Reauxgard Empire. Why? Because this was a dungeon. With the DP Catalog, you could buy almost anything as long as you had the DP to spend. Meaning someone had the basic authority to control this dungeon, which was why they’d bought both the monsters and the dagger...

No, wait. That didn’t feel right. I was almost positive that no one other than the long line of emperors had the power to control the DP Catalog. None of them had ever given anyone basic authority like I had with my peeps because the empire had a system in place where only the emperor could wield that power. So one of the previous emperors must’ve bought all this. Then was the information leaked, or did someone find out somehow?

A dagger that size could’ve been discreetly hidden among supplies, and the crime could’ve been committed even without the culprit being nearby. Upon closer inspection, I realized I was right. The dagger was stuck in one of the supplies, placed in just the right spot so it wouldn’t draw anyone’s attention. It must’ve been there when everything had been brought in.

As for the monsters... The only thing I was sure about was that they’d been summoned or something through a dungeon function. When I’d inherited the Reauxgard Empire, the number of monsters under my command had actually increased. They’d been bought or created by Shendra and all the emperors who preceded him. Except I hadn’t wanted any more pets, and unlike the undead in the phantom ship dungeon, the monsters in this country were normal creatures that needed looking after, so I’d left everything to the imperial unit known as the monster guard. They controlled them, and I didn’t interfere.

They had fought in the war on the empire’s side but had been stymied by the Demon King’s tactics. Still, the fact that they’d established a means to control monsters completely meant neighboring countries viewed them as a serious threat. In reality, though, they were just the demon lord’s subordinates. Maybe someone had exploited that feature this time. Despite technically being under my command, they could still somehow disobey me if they wanted to. The two had looked legitimately scared when they’d seen me, and if they’d just bowed down, I wouldn’t have killed them.

“Good eyes, En.”

“Not...really. I just sensed something weird.”

She beamed at me when I gently patted her head. So cute. I continued thinking while stroking her hair.

Let me put together all the data I have so far. First, this incident was caused by a dungeon item or function. Since only past emperors had the authority to use DP, one of them must’ve been responsible. Was it in preparation for the Great War and just never used? Or did it exist for an entirely different reason? I wouldn’t know for sure without questioning the culprit, but one thing was certain: There was an enemy out there somewhere who wasn’t a fan of this tournament. Dollars to DP that someone was from this country.

I couldn’t say for sure, but it should’ve been difficult, if not impossible, for anyone other than those with a certain level of power in this country to obtain and use DP-related items. After all, the ordinary masses didn’t even know this was a dungeon. The human supremacists immediately popped into my head as suspects. For whatever reason, though, they didn’t quite fit in this case.

I didn’t have any basis for it, but something about this felt different from before. Without knowing their goal, the whole thing just seemed more...calculated. Deliberate. Like there was some kind of specific purpose.

Sure, the human supremacists I’d met in the Kingdom of Alisia had been pretty crafty with their long-term mindsets. Their goal had been to fan the flames of human animosity toward other races, which was how I’d unluckily gotten myself into a bit of trouble a while ago. Thanks to the other rulers working together, and especially Reyd’s full cooperation, they’d managed to bring the situation under control and restore a tentative peace. But without them, those flames would’ve definitely turned into a firestorm.

As far as the ones who came after went, though, they acted for more shortsighted reasons. Just because they didn’t like other races. Just because other races aggravated them. Just because other races had taken their jobs from them. For people like them, turning to human supremacy as the outlet to vent their frustrations had been inevitable. That was how shortsighted people operated, after all. They were happy as long as they could relieve their frustrations.

I had no clue if I was on the right track with any of this, but the smartest and safest thing to do was determine the enemy’s identity. A big question mark in all this was why they’d chosen to do something now. Since they’d let the monsters rampage here, they must’ve wanted to disrupt the Games. However, if total domination was their aim, the most effective time would’ve been during the actual tournament. The chaos and damage would’ve been so much worse.

So why had they acted now, in this awkward period when nothing of note was going down? We’d have to tighten security even more thanks to this incident, but people would be even more hyped now to make sure the Games actually took place. How much meaning did this action have? Had the mastermind not expected us to go as far as killing the monsters? Had they thought the stadium would suffer more damage? Still, just like I’d thought before, there were other occasions where a terrorist attack would’ve had more impact... No, wait. If something like this had happened when all the countries had gathered and countless spectators were in the stands, Reauxgard’s position would’ve weakened to the point that it would’ve been impossible to move forward.

This world was nowhere near as kind as the one in my previous life. An enemy that didn’t even benefit their own race would simply be crushed. Now that this country belonged to me, I personally wouldn’t take things to such an extreme, but I doubted my enemy thought that way. I was another race, and a demon lord at that. No wonder, then, that some folks might see me as the first to take advantage of them. So did my opponent only want to disrupt the tournament but avoid escalating the situation even more? Was I ultimately right about the culprit being an imperial citizen?

“...”

I studied the layout on the Maps screen. It was an incredibly useful function. I’d say a demon lord’s greatest power was probably the ability to do anything with DP, but Maps was the next best thing. It allowed me to check where hostiles were and what they were doing at any given time, as well as view their threat level in detail. In this case, though, while I wouldn’t go so far as to say it was useless, I didn’t think it’d be very effective either. Because aside from my family, it basically labeled everyone else as an intruder. In other words, an enemy. So it was impossible to find a specific enemy. Would be nice to do, though, huh?

“Ugggh. Why can’t things just be easy for once?”

Maybe because enemies could appear anywhere, anytime? This whole thing was shaping up to be a giant pain in the ass. But I wasn’t gonna lose. No matter what their intentions, I’d fight them off and make the tournament a success.

Special Story 1: Two Pairs

That day, Lefi had ventured alone into the Demonic Forest to visit Rir’s wife.

“Hello, hello. I am here to visit.”

“Grr.”

His wife welcomed her warmly. She and Lefi got along well. Though they’d only known each other for a short time, they had already opened up to each other quite a bit.

Lefi valued her family deeply and loved them from the bottom of her heart. If she were to find herself in a situation where she had to choose between the world and her family, she would choose the latter without hesitation. That was the irrevocable truth in her heart.

However, the reality was that she had lived for a much, much longer time than any of them. For better or for worse, she had lived her life bound by the laws of nature for millennia before being heavily influenced by her demon lord’s family. While Yuki’s impact on her had been especially strong, the values ingrained in her by her long years prior to knowing him and the others would never completely disappear.

Not that it mattered much, of course, but perhaps that was why she felt an affinity with Rir’s wife. She, too, was a member of a strong race at the top of the ecosystem and had spent her days alone. Their circumstances were similar. Rir’s wife also possessed an abundance of life experience, in her case, as a wolf. As such, she saw the other adults in the dungeon—Yuki, Nell, Lew, and Leila—as young ones. Conversely, she considered Lefi to be a sort of equal, despite not having lived nearly as long as her. Moreover, both Rir’s wife and Lefi were older than their respective husbands. So, from her perspective, Lefi was the easiest person to talk to because they had the most similar values, much in common, and lived relatively long lives.

There were some things you could talk about because you were family, and there were some things you didn’t want to talk about for the same reason. Whether you got along or not wasn’t the issue. That was just how life was for everyone. Thus, each viewed the other as a sort of confidante to talk about things they couldn’t with their families, lending to a comfortable friendship.

“Grr?”

“We are both hale and hearty. Trust that I am taking the utmost care. And what of you? How are you getting on with Rir?”

“Grr...”

Rir’s wife sighed, and Lefi let out a peal of laughter.

“Gah ha ha! I see. I can just picture the sorry look on his face. He is surprisingly easy to read.”

“Grr.”

“I know, I know. He is quite the reliable fellow. However, perhaps he no longer thinks of recklessness as recklessness and charges ahead like it is nothing because he is always with Yuki. That said, compared to my imbecile, Rir is leagues more clever and more levelheaded.”

Lefi sighed this time, and Rir’s wife rumbled in commiseration.

“Grr, grr.”

“It is as you say. So long as we are in the Demonic Forest, fighting is inevitable and likely to continue for a long time to come... But my husband has a few screws loose, so I must admit to feeling a tad uneasy whenever they go to the western area...”

“Grr...”

Looking toward where Lefi was pointing, Rir’s wife had said “Ah...” with an understanding look on her face. She, too, had a strong sense of the unique nature of the Demonic Forest. Even now, she could detect countless powerful beings coming from one direction in particular—the western area. She knew from experience that strong monsters generally didn’t leave places with high concentrations of mana, so she knew it was relatively safe here. Still, it must have been extremely difficult to secure a safe zone like this. Her former home was also considered a hidden location, but this place was far more remote. Even a fenrir like her could easily die if she accidentally wandered into the western area. Frankly, she still couldn’t believe she was living in a place like this.

“Grr.”

“Is that so? Perhaps that is simply the way of things.”

“Grr?”

“Well, my imbecile, the biggest of them all, is much too stubborn. Even though he knows I can finish a fight quickly, he never relies on me for that. He only asks for my help when things are truly hopeless and there is a risk of harm to our family. He has even challenged other dragons in the past and won.”

“Grr...”

“Gah ha! That is why I call him an imbecile. Though it annoys me to no end, he simply refuses to give in at such times. He will not even listen to a thing I say.”

Rir’s wife answered with another rumble, an amused smile on her face because of both Lefi’s obvious exasperation and the happiness she couldn’t hide.

“Grr.”

“Hmph! H-He was merely playing a jest on me then. More importantly, what of you? Has Rir demonstrated his resourcefulness to you?”

“Grr...grr...”

“Yes, well, Rir does have that side to him. He is what Yuki calls the ‘cool’ type. Not to mention his strong sense of responsibility.”

“Grr?”

“Mine? More often than not, he whines all the time. He is quite pathetic, you see. However, when it truly matters, he is ever the calm one. I suppose that is just how men are.”

“Grr.”

Even when wives were of different races, they could talk forever about their husbands, the good and the bad.

◇ ◇ ◇

“So, Yuki, Rir. For the sake of you useless husbands, we shall teach you how to hunt!”

“Grr.”

The two of us dudes had been summoned out of nowhere by our wives, who wanted to talk to us about something. Curious, Rir and I made our way to the den he shared with his wife. When we got there, we found Lefi, standing with her arms crossed and looking proud for some reason, and Rir’s wife, sitting next to her with a smile on her face.

“Uhhh...what now?”

“Grr?”

Lefi answered us.

“You two are much too pathetic. That will not do.”

“Wow, hello to you too.”

“At this rate, you will one day be killed by a monster and die as mewling groans escape your weak bodies. Therefore, before that happens, we are going to train you!”

“Th-Thanks?”

I didn’t really understand what was going on, but Lefi seemed pretty gung ho about it. Where was all this coming from, anyway? I knew she’d gone to visit Mrs. Rir today, so I wondered if this was what they’d discussed.

“Wait a sec. You know you aren’t supposed to do anything too strenuous, right? Hunting is as tough as it gets.”

“To me, hunting monsters is but a trifle! No different from jogging! Thus have I decided to publish a book titled Hunting for Pregnant Women: The Practical Edition. I aim to make it a bestseller.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“I plan to market it with the headline ‘A Must Read! After Perusing This, Pregnant Women Can Fight! And Protect Their Husbands!’”

“Again, what the hell are you talking about?”

This was very bad. Clearly, I’d given Lefi too much weird knowledge. Also, did she really think she could write a dang book without ever having read a single one? I distinctly remembered her telling me she hated the written word.

Ignoring my remark, Lefi, still inexplicably excited, jumped onto Mrs. Rir’s back.

“Come! With us! We are off to the western area!”

“Mrs. Rir, you know you don’t have to humor her, right?”

But Rir’s wife only chuckled cheerfully in response.

“Grr.”

“R-Really? If you’re sure, then... Okey dokey, Rir. I don’t really know what’s going on, but I guess we’re going.”

“G-Grr.”

Rir looked confused too. Despite our hesitation, I climbed onto his back and off we went after Lefi and his wife. This was all so out of the blue that I hadn’t brought En with me, so in light of our destination, I took out a weapon I’d made a while ago to defend myself but had never used before—Gouha, another war club. The name translated roughly to “thunderous domination.”

Gouha: A war club crafted by Supreme Ruler Yuki. It has the power to destroy everything, capable even of shattering heaven and earth. However, it’s far too heavy to be called a weapon. Quality: S+.

I’d created it as a successor to Goumetsu, the original war club I still used occasionally, and its shape was pretty similar. The difference was that Gouha was bigger. Even though I knew how heavy it actually was, Goumetsu felt fairly light to me now, so I’d made the head on Gouha even bigger and more than doubled the weight. It was heavy enough that even I could just barely wield it with one hand. I’d fine-tuned it to the max without going so hard that it would throw me off-balance whenever I brandished it. If I swung it with a hundred percent of my current strength...well, like the description said, I would shatter heaven and earth.

I’d asked Lefi to try it out once, and she’d swung it around like she was swinging a dead branch. To be honest, I hadn’t been all that surprised. Despite the improvement in my own abilities, I’d felt the vast difference between the two of us even more keenly. Though Gouha was nowhere on En’s level or as refined as Yoruha, the sword I’d made for Nell a while back, it was still pretty good. I actually liked it a lot.

So, after some time running, Lefi and Mrs. Rir suddenly stopped. We’d arrived in the western area of the Demonic Forest.

“We are here. Listen well, Yuki, Rir. When in enemy territory, begin by sensing the presence of living creatures. Keep calm, and you shall be able to sense the signs of life everywhere.”

“O-Okay.”

Puzzled, I just nodded along as she started her lecture, her tone super serious. Her words and actions were weirder than usual.

“Now, Mrs. Rir shall advise you.”

Rir’s wife nodded sharply and let out a rumble.

“Grr.”

Translation: “Let’s put our energy into this and do our best.”

Yes, ma’am.

“Fine words. Fine words indeed. Have you taken them to heart? Good. Here is the next bit of counsel: Should you sense a monster’s presence, strike first! Take the enemy’s life with that singular blow. That is how you can triumph while minimizing your losses!”

“Right.”

I knew that already.

“Then let us put it into practice straightaway! Do you see that large thing over there? It looks mighty, but with enough determination of your own, you can take it down with a bang! Say it with me! A bang! Go on, give it a try.”

“Are you nuts?”

The monster Lefi pointed at was a particularly large one that looked like a plesiosaur. Its size surpassed anything in the very depths of the Demonic Forest. Every footfall and movement was a heavy thud that shook the ground. We could hear and feel the tremors all the way over here.

Any which way I looked at it, this was not the kind of opponent we should be messing with. In fact, on stats alone, it was way, way, way stronger than me and Rir. And that was despite our evolutions.

“Argh! Of course you complain before you even try. Fine. I shall lend a helping hand to my worthless husband! Hah!”

Not a millisecond after Lefi psyched herself up, there was a huge thud. When I looked at the plesiosaur, I saw its head flying. Then, its massive body collapsed, and blood splattered everywhere.

...

“Do you see now? That is how you pulverize an enemy.”

“No, I don’t, actually. I don’t know what I should’ve learned from you just now. Wanna ask me what just happened? Beats me.”

“The absolute gall. This is why husbands are such a thorn in women’s sides. Can you not at least identify your own wife’s one-shot spirit beam and use something like it yourself?”

“Oh, is that what that was? Silly me. How could I have missed that? Seriously, Lefi, I don’t get you today.”

She was insanely pumped. Just raring to go. Also, the way that head had flown off just now definitely wasn’t because of a beam.

“G-Grr...”

Below me, Rir sounded confused. I feel you, bud. You and I are in the same boat right now.

“I trust you are observing closely? Now, Mrs. Rir, kindly impart another piece of advice.”

Mrs. Rir nodded and spoke.

“Grr.”

Translation: “Put your mind to it and you, too, can shoot a beam.”

If you say so, ma’am.

“Yes, yes, most excellent. Now, Yuki, Rir, give it a go! Yuki, shoot with your eyes! Rir, shoot with your mouth! Come now, ‘time is a-wasting,’ as you are so fond of saying.”

“Are you nuts?”

Why are you ladies so into beams? On top of that, our only options were to shoot them from our eyes and mouths.

“Lefi.”

“What?”

“If you wanted to play, all you had to do was ask.”

One thing I’d figured out by now was that she was enjoying jerking us around. Well, I guess I didn’t really need to point that out considering how obvious she’d been about it this whole time.

“Hmm... I see. Then let us end this farce here.”

See? I freaking knew it. Rolling my eyes at the ridiculousness of it all, I put Gouha back into Inventory. What a waste of my determination it’d been to lug it on my shoulder. Next time, buddy.

“So, you wanna tell me what that was all about?”

“If you must know, we felt the need to remind you both of a wife’s majesty. Are you suitably awed?”

“You really think that’s what you did? Boy, do I have another bridge to sell you. And besides, we already know damn well that our wives are majestic. Isn’t that right, Rir?”

“Grr.”

For his part, my homie was discussing something with his wife. The rueful smile on his face told me that he was no match for Mrs. Rir’s mischief. Don’t see him looking like that every day... I guess he’s only like this with the missus.

“Huh? What’s with that look on your face?”

“Well, I was just thinking that Mrs. Rir really is a cougar. You, though... Not so much.”

“Oho, I see you yet have the temerity to say such things to my face. Very well. For your bravery, I shall let you off by simply turning you into minced meat.”

“Does that really count as letting me off?”

Pretty sure that meant she didn’t forgive me.

Lefi snorted, then continued.

“Fine. I will be honest. I merely thought it would be nice for the four of us to take a break every once in a while. We shall be together for a long time, so should we not deepen our bonds with more regular interactions?”

Mm. So that’s what you were thinking. Mrs. Rir wasn’t just our newest neighbor but as close to family as you could get. Now that she was married to my boy Rir, it was inevitable that she’d have more contact with the rest of my family in the future. Then maybe this was Lefi’s way of making time for us all to get to know each other better.

“All righty, then... I say we spend the day just the four of us! But not here in the western area. I’d like to keep my head on, thanks. Sooo, what do you guys wanna do?”

“That is for you two to decide. I have already shown you an excerpt from Hunting: The Practical Edition. One type of recreation, if you will. And Mrs. Rir has bestowed upon you both her wisdom as well. Is that not so?”

“Grr.”

Grinning, Rir’s wife nodded.

“You call that recreation?”

“What else would one call it? So, Yuki, Rir, the metaphorical ball is in your court. We are looking forward to how you husbands will entertain us wives.”

“Grr.”

“...”

“...”

Rir and I looked at each other. We moved away from them and began discussing our next step in hushed whispers. Our wives just watched over us with happy smiles.

Special Story 2: Camping

One day, all of us in my family were visiting the beach in one of the dungeon territories I owned. The phantom ship dungeon drifted aimlessly at sea. The sight was so beautiful the first time I’d seen it that I’d decided to make it part of my domain. I’d been here before to swim, and I’d even brought the Groll clan here to welcome them when Lew and I had gotten married. I thought it was entirely possible that this beach was on a different continent than the one we lived on. Once, I’d flown around for a few hours to check out the surrounding terrain, but I hadn’t spotted anything that looked like this place. I’d been looking at Maps the whole time too, so I was pretty sure I was right.

Naturally, I couldn’t be a hundred percent positive because it could just be somewhere I was unfamiliar with on the same landmass. Whatever the truth was, though, at the very least, I was confident in saying that this area was definitely uncharted territory. There wasn’t a single settlement or town for several hundred kilometers. Off in the distance towered a huge mountain range that stretched seemingly across the entire horizon. I suspected that, more than anything, was responsible for deterring the humanoid species from encroaching here. While a sea route did exist, the monsters inhabiting the vicinity were surprisingly strong. All in all, this place just wasn’t fit for the various races of mankind.

Though the monsters here were nothing compared to the ones in the Demonic Forest, they were strong enough that you’d need at least a unit of normal soldiers to take one down. In comparison, one monster in the Forest required an entire army.

I thought there might be people on the other side of the faraway mountain range, but I had no plans to explore that far, so I’d just leave this place the way it was and develop it as my private property. Mwa ha ha ha! Time to create the perfect demon lord resort here!

“Wow! When was that house built?!”

“Oh! Amazing!”

“Yup...it is.”

The little-girl gang was super excited, pumping their arms into the air. Meanwhile, the wraith triplets flew around however they darn well pleased, enjoying the beach. I bet I knew what they were thinking, and that was, “Ah, freedom.” Next to them, the adult gang looked kinda dumbfounded.

“When in the world did you even... Never mind. You only excel at such things.”

“I can’t believe you were making all this without us ever noticing, Mr. Yuki.”

“You really are a genius, my lord! Everything you make is always so thrilling and beautiful.”

“I do believe this would be a pleasure to tidy up.”

Before our eyes lay a log cabin styled like a beach shack. A huge terrace fronted the windows, and a pier extended from the building for walks out over the water or some fishing. I’d made it as a contrast against the beautiful color of the sea here. The whole design was simple, but I thought it’d turned out pretty well. And why wouldn’t it have?! When you were a demon lord of my caliber, you could leverage the scenery and create something that looked even more incredible in photos. Never mind that normal photos didn’t exist in this world and only magical devices that could render something like them.

You might be wondering why we’d even come to the beach today. Answer: no particular reason. Nell had the day off, so we’d been brainstorming ideas for fun things to do. Then, I’d remembered all the renovating I’d done here and decided to bring everyone with me.

We weren’t gonna swim, though. I mean, if the little girls wanted to, they could, and I was ready for that, just in case. But the main purpose of this jaunt was camping, simply because I’d realized that I’d never been before.

Despite the beach-hut-style log cabin, we didn’t actually plan on using it except for short breaks or things like using the bathroom. If someone said the word “camping,” the first thing you’d think of was the mountains. We spent all our time in the mountains, though, so they didn’t really get us excited like that. While you couldn’t knock the Demonic Forest for all the terrific views of nature it had, the ocean was a less familiar sight to us, which made it more novel.

“Oookay, what do you guys wanna do? I’ll get everything set up for camping, but if you wanna swim in the ocean, go ahead. You can play on the beach too, just don’t go too deep into the forest behind here. If you do, make sure you take Rir and the others with you.”

This time, I’d brought my entire pet army with me. They were relaxing nearby. Their job was to eliminate any monsters that came near, but I’d already done it for them since I hunted monsters in the area regularly. Nothing had come calling recently. Besides, wildlife wasn’t stupid. The locals had probably already figured out that a creature, aka me, had claimed this area as his territory. And my pets were at the top of the food chain here.

By the way, if you were wondering about the phantom ship dungeon, well, it continued to drift out to sea day in and day out. It hadn’t been near land lately, meaning no gain of any new territory. Even if it did, the only thing around here was just a normal, boring forest, which I didn’t really want. A solitary island was a different story, though. I’d remodel all of it and turn it into a playground. I only did cursory checks of the ghost ship’s surroundings when I felt like it, but maybe I needed to check more often and more thoroughly from now on.

“Ummm, I’ll help you first, Yukiki! Setting up camp looks like fun!”

“Me too! ReiRei, sisters, you come too!”

The wraith triplets floated back to me at Shii’s call. “Okaaay!” “Huh?!” and “I’ll help” were their reactions as they possessed their respective dolls to help out.

“Leave...it to me. I’ll do anything.”

“Yeah? You little cuties are the freaking best. All right, let’s do this!”

And so, we started setting up camp. The first thing I took out of Inventory was a tent. I began by assembling the frame.

“So this is a tent! It’s huge!”

“Even Rir can fit!”

“G-Grr.”

“It’s...like a secret base. I’m excited.”

“I’ve slept in tents a few times, but I’ve never seen one this big.”

Nell commented while skillfully helping me set it up. No surprise that soldiers had plenty of opportunities to use them.

“Yeah, I thought about getting two, but I felt like that was a bit much, so I settled on one big one.”

We had a lot of people. Not counting the wraith triplets, who hardly ever slept, there were eight of us. And an eight-person tent was ginormous. But! This way was more fun.

The sheer size of the tent meant lots of rods and parts for the frame, making it look like a puzzle. You probably already guessed that I’d bought it with DP. And since it was a product from my past life, it was stupid expensive. I kept that last part a secret from everyone, though. It really shouldn’t be a big deal, because we’d all enjoy it and use it for however long. In that sense, it had solid bang for your buck, right?

“Hmm... Assembling this contraption you call a tent is quite difficult. Why is it so complicated?”

“I used one back in my village once, and it was a lot easier to put up than this thing. What was this material again, my lord? Right, plastic— Gah!”

One of the frames she was putting together smacked Lew across the cheek. Apparently, she’d used too much force, so it’d bent, then snapped back with a vengeance.

“Unnngh... Ouch.”

“Yo, you okay?”

“Gosh, Lew, you need to be more careful.”

“LewLew, Shii help with her special magic! Pain, pain, fly ’way!”

“Thanks, Shii... Grrrr, I can’t believe the darn tent attacked me.”

Lew stared at it resentfully as Shii cast a healing spell on her. It wasn’t an attack, you doofus. Just pure carelessness on your part.

“It’s no fun getting hurt by something like this, so you all better be careful.”

Despite the minor accident, Leila and Nell took the lead in assembling the tent, since the former was quick to figure out how to put things together and the latter was used to them thanks to her job. After that, it didn’t take long for us to finish.

“We’re done!”

“Yaaay!”

“Nice...and spacious.”

“Okay, we’ll start by putting out enough futons for everyone...”

I went inside and took out the right number of futons from Inventory, laying them down with a poof. I’d considered sleeping bags to really set the mood, but I didn’t think they’d be comfortable to sleep in, so I’d decided against them and gone with regular futons. Discomfort meant fatigue and stress. No thanks. I’d bought something else too, though.

“And for the pièce de résistance—a buttload of cushions!”

“Wooow!”

“Wooow!”

“Wow...”

I pulled a bunch from Inventory and scattered them all over the place. The little-girl gang went wild, squealing and jumping into the piles.

“Again you waste your DP on such frivolity... What, pray tell, will you do with all this?”

Lefi propped her hands on her hips and sighed in exasperation.

“Sorry, sorry. I just couldn’t help it... Ha! Did you really think I’d say that?! Take my cushion beam to the— Whaaat?!”

Lefi foiled my surprise attack by grabbing the cushion I threw at her.

“You naive fool! Have you no notion how obvious you are?! Now you take my ‘reflect on your wasteful spending’ beam!”

“Gaaaaah!”

Since it was just a cushion, it wouldn’t hurt no matter how hard she threw it. But the “reflect on your wasteful spending” part hit me like a truck. I stumbled in shock and retreated from the sheer force of her attack.

The kids grinned as they watched us.

“Troops! Looks like we’re about to engage in a cushion war instead of a pillow fight!”

“Commander Iluna! Corporal Shii reporting for duty! I’s ready to go!”

“Corporal...En here. Preparations for cushion bombing are complete.”

Holding cushions in both hands and eyes sparkling, they were ready to fire. The wraith triplets, still possessing their dolls, were also whizzing around happily while holding cushions. Rei, in particular, was raring to go with how many cushions she had floating in the air using her telekinesis. Oh yeah, she was gonna be the one to watch out for on this battlefield.

“Ha ha! Okay, then I’ll join in too! Take this!”

The First Cushion War. The one who started it all was the hero, Nell. The one who took the hit was Lew, standing next to her.

“Ahhh! I’m down! Time for me to counter— Joke’s on you! Here’s a surprise attack instead!”

“Oh dear, you got me, Lew. I suppose I’ll have to join in as well, then. What do you say to this?!”

“Mwa ha ha! Thus do we commence the First Cushion War!”

“Troops, charge!”

“Chaaarge!”

“Saboteur...En. Cushion trap setup complete.”

“Whoa! Ha ha ha! Dang, you got me!”

The little girls charged at me with their cushions, and we all fell backward on the stack of futons behind me.

“Strike now, wee ones! It is your chance to bury him alive in that pile of cushions!”

“Oh nooo! I’m done for!”

After they did exactly what Lefi commanded, I stood up and began my counterattack. And so, we enjoyed throwing cushions at each other for a good while. The women hard-focused me. By my estimate, I probably took three times as many hits as the kids. Going for this big-ass tent had been the right choice after all.

◇ ◇ ◇

After having so much fun that we broke a sweat and were starting to get tired out from all the activity, the First Cushion War came to an end. The adult gang set up the collapsible table and chairs to take a short break, and the little-girl gang went off to play by themselves. They opted not to swim, instead playing in the sand on the beach and exploring with their pet army, searching for a new secret base. The wind carried the sound of their happy voices to us.

We grown-ups were totally relaxed, in a good mood, drinking coffee and chatting. Even though we were together every day, I still found it strange how we never ran out of things to talk about. In fact, we talked nonstop.

“All right, ladies, I think this is the perfect time for some barbecue! Who’s ready to eat?!”

“Your love for barbecue truly is boundless, eh?”

“But I love it too. We get to chat together like this and enjoy ourselves while eating lots of delicious food.”

“Makes you wonder why barbecues are so much fun in the first place, huh, Nell? Especially when we already do everything you just said every day.”

“Tee hee. Well, Lew, I’m certain the ambience of the outside world has a lot to do with it. The smell of the fire, the ingredients—it all comes together for a different kind of pleasure from the ordinary.”

“Good, good. At least you two understand the charms of barbecue. You’re well on your way to becoming barbecue meisters, which makes you even worthier of being this demon lord’s wives.”

“Bah. What a ridiculous requirement for the position.”

With the sun beginning its descent in the west, we adults started prepping for the barbecue before it got dark. Camping equaled barbecue. That was just how it worked. I would hear no objections. Besides, we always hosted, and the little girls always looked forward to them too. No denying that I loved barbecues so much that I had them even on regular occasions. We held one about once every two months, so everyone already knew what to do.

First, I pulled a set of tools from Inventory and worked with Lefi and Nell to stoke the charcoal in the homemade brick barbecue grill I’d installed here. Leila and Lew went back to the dungeon to grab the ingredients they’d already prepped in the kitchen, and we helped arrange them on the table. The meats this time around were tenderloin, skirt steak, sirloin, kalbi, spare ribs, pork belly, various chicken parts, sausage, and salted beef tongue. I’d made sure to buy a wide variety since my family loved meat of all kinds. And that went double for the little girls. The adults couldn’t compete with their love of meat.

There were also a ton of tasty vegetables. The main one was cabbage, but we also had asparagus and bell peppers, which were incredibly delicious when grilled. The rest of the ingredients consisted of seafood. I loved seafood in particular, so I always bought it to indulge myself. In addition to steamed giant clams, which were absolutely delicious drizzled with soy sauce, we had scallops, turban shells, octopus legs, shrimp, tuna steak, and more. There was also cooked rice and fried noodles to round things off. Naturally, I hadn’t forgotten about the wraith triplets. I’d crafted special ingredients full of mana for them. I wondered if Shii would want to try those too. Damn, just looking at all this is making me drool.

“Oh yeah, can one of you bring Mrs. Rir here? Let’s have her eat with us.”

“Very well. I shall do it.”

“Omigosh, she’s coming too?! I’m so excited!”

“You never change, do you, Lew?”

“Rir doesn’t mind your fawning, but don’t be rude to his wife. Got it?”

“I feel like the fact that you even have to warn her is the real issue here, Mr. Yuki.”

Just as Lefi headed back to the dungeon to invite Mrs. Rir, Iluna and the kids returned, satisfied with their adventuring.

“Yaaay! Dinner’s almost ready! Tee hee hee! I looove barbecue!”

“You girls can keep playing, you know.”

“We good! We ’splored lots!”

“Yup...we’re fine. I’m so hungry I can’t move, though.”

“What En said! We went on so many adventures, we’re starving!”

“Starving!”

The wraith sisters nodded in agreement. Guess we’ve got some hungry, hungry hippos, huh?

“Then we’ll start grilling as soon as Lefi gets back.”

“Yay!” Iluna and Shii squealed in unison.

“Yay...!” En followed a beat later.

“Heh heh! I’m dying to eat too after seeing what a great job Leila and Nell did with everything! I know it’s gonna be delicious!”

“Agreed. When those two put their minds to it, every dish is guaranteed to be scrum-diddly-umptious.”

No lies detected.

“Tee hee, we try!”

“All those ingredients simply had me itching to put my skills to good use.”

A few minutes later, Mrs. Rir arrived, and the pet army came over. The gang was all here.

“Grr.”

“Grr.”

“Rir, my man, relax, will ya? And Mrs. Rir, don’t be shy, just enjoy yourself. That would make us happy.”

“Indeed. Let us eat and drink together today.”

I had meat for the pets—huge chunks, probably weighing several hundred kilograms—and a huge barbecue grill for them all ready. Rir could handle it just fine. When it came to stuff like this, he worked the hardest and got the most done. With his off-the-charts talents, he did a better job of things when he did them himself instead of leaving them to his subordinates. In other words, he wound up doing most of the work. But now that he had a wifey of his own, she’d probably help him out. I wished them all the happiness together.

“All right, folks... Let’s do this!”

At my words, my family, including the pet army, all started grilling meat, vegetables, and seafood. We laughed, ate the most delicious food, talked about all kinds of things, and just enjoyed our time together. Times like these really were the best. Priceless, irreplaceable moments.

Afterword

Hello, this is Ryuyu! Thank you very much for buying volume 14!

I realize this question is a bit out of nowhere, but are you all confident in your Japanese? Now that I’m an actual author, I’ve noticed all too often that there are so many words I’ve memorized wrong! It isn’t just one thing either, but all kinds. Misunderstanding the meaning of words, writing the incorrect kanji, and so on.

The folks who proofread my work have been quick to point out my errors. “Maybe this should be like this?” So thanks to them, I’ve been able to relearn a lot of correct Japanese. To be honest, I used to think I had a pretty good grasp of the language, but you know what they say when you assume... Can you imagine how embarrassed I felt when I realized how wrong I was?!

Dictionaries are important. I’m dead serious. I’m sure you’ll be surprised at how many words you’ve learned incorrectly too. If you come across one you’re not sure about, try looking it up in a dictionary.

All right, that’s enough about me. Let’s get to the story. In volume 14, we finally see more development with not just Lefi’s pregnancy but Lew’s too. Like I wrote in the main text, Yuki’s child with Lew will be born first, then Lefi’s. Some of you may be wondering why Lew’s is the first, but I have a solid reason for this. Spoilers, I’m thinking Lefi’s going to have a boy, and Lew’s going to have a girl. Because I wanted him to have a biological older sister. Though I contemplated making Lefi’s son the oldest, I felt that having a girl be the oldest would cause a lot of mayhem—um, I mean, it would create an interesting family environment (lol). On that note, I’d also love to write a story about Yuki’s children as they grow up and become their own people.

Finally, I’d like to end with acknowledgments. To my editor, to Daburyu, and to Note Tono for helping me create this story. To everyone else involved, and to the readers who read this story: thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

See you again somewhere! Auf Wiedersehen!