Prologue: The Times and Troublemakers

The times had changed. The days when the different races were at odds with each other, killing each other, and antagonizing each other were over. Although the current framework was crude, they had joined hands with the common goal of working together. Some were bewildered by the change, but whether they liked it or not, the world had entered its next stage. And so, in order to stabilize the instability of this new era that had just begun and further strengthen the bonds between the various races, the rulers had put a plan into action—the Magical War Games. A joint competition for all the races.

While it was definitely not in character for me, I was also lending a hand with the event as the twenty-third emperor of Reauxgard. Naturally, that meant my days were much, much busier than before. But this was something I wanted too. The shifts in this world were no longer something I could ignore. They’d become important to me as well. Iluna and the other girls’ growth. Lefi’s and Lew’s pregnancies. With those things in mind, which energized me every day, I was fired up to help with the preparations.

Unfortunately, things never seemed to quite go to plan. Monsters had suddenly appeared at the under-construction stadium. Two of them, out of nowhere. We’d managed somehow because I’d happened to be there. If I hadn’t, the damage would have been devastating. It might sound conceited, but the fact was, without me, dozens of people would’ve died, and more than half of the construction site would’ve been destroyed. That was how powerful the monsters had been.

There was a troublemaker in the empire. I’d never actually thought everything would go smoothly, but either way, whoever it was had serious cojones. Sure, I might’ve just been a figurehead with almost no authority, but I was still the emperor. They wanted to use underhanded methods like that to attack this country? Bring. It. On. If the bastard thought we’d give up just ’cause of stupid crap like that, boy, did I have another bridge to sell ’em.

◇ ◇ ◇

We put a strict gag order in place to prevent rumors from spreading about the incident at the construction site. After a thorough investigation of the monster corpses, I converted them into DP, short for Dungeon Points, erasing any trace of them. Then, the craftsmen immediately set about fixing the damage. They worked through the night and completed the repairs in less than three days.

Despite our best efforts, though, there was no pretending that the incident never happened. No matter how much you tried to keep this kind of stuff hush-hush, people wouldn’t be able to keep their mouths shut, so of course, word would spread. Especially with how many folks were involved with the project. It was only a matter of time before the incident became a hot topic of conversation. Apparently, rumors were already swirling, to the point that even I knew government officials everywhere were up in arms about it.

As for me, I couldn’t exactly abandon everyone here and traipse back home, so I’d popped back into the dungeon to give them a quick rundown of what was going on, then come back to the Reauxgard Empire to keep doing what I could. I’d never imagined the day would come when I would be trapped by obligation to the world of mankind. Honestly, though? It was starting to be a real pain in my ass. This was not my style. It wasn’t how I rolled. I wasn’t even a regular guy, just a regular demon lord. I couldn’t lead humans.

So. Lately, I’d been thinking about the problem, and I might’ve found a solution. It wasn’t something I could pull off alone, so I’d probably have to ask for the Demon King’s advice and hash things out with him. I was hopeful, though...

Just as those thoughts were running through my head, one of my imperial subordinates approached.

“Your Demonic Majesty, the Demon King has arrived.”

“Oh snap, really?!”

I busted my wings out and flew off to my destination: an airport in the imperial capital. I arrived in less than ten minutes and saw an airship that looked like it’d just landed, with people disembarking and luggage being unloaded while the maintenance crew got to work. My eyes scanned the crowd before spotting one particular group that included the Demon King.

“Demon King!”

“Why, Yuki. I didn’t expect you to welcome me personally.”

“Yeah, well, with how complicated things are getting, I figured it’s better to be safe than sorry. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to come here.”

I knew very well just how damn busy the man was. Hell, even I had a ton on my plate now. In fact, I would’ve bet good money that there wasn’t a single ruler in my network who had free time at the moment.

“Quite true, quite true. Problems just keep popping up one after another. I must admit, I’m very much looking forward to exposing the mastermind behind all this bother once we catch them.”

Despite the usual enigmatic smile on his face, he looked tired to me. And also fed up.

“You haven’t been sleeping, have you?” I asked pointedly.

“I’m busy enough as it is, and now this nonsense on top of it. When I’m engrossed in my work, my wife will come over to me with a smile. Of course, she knows there’s nothing I can do about it, so she doesn’t complain, instead merely expressing her concern. However, the truth lies in her eyes. Every time she does this, she’s telling me to read her mind.”

Yeah, Fynar and his wife were getting along just fine.

“You’re now an official member of the club exclusively for husbands who are under their wives’ thumbs. Congrats, buddy.”

I cackled at him.

“Thank you. Do you know what the worst part is? That I’m actually rather enjoying this state that grants me membership.”

He shrugged back at me.

“Nice having a family, huh?”

“Yes. Confusing at times, certainly, but yes. Now I myself understand that unique sense of comfort, of belonging.”

Now that we were done with the small talk, Fynar’s expression turned serious.

“Allow me to get straight to the point. I’ve heard the details, and...I believe you may be the target.”

“Beeecause of how those monsters came outta nowhere?”

The Demon King nodded.

“Indeed. Powerful ones, no less. To be perfectly blunt, when I first heard about it, your face immediately came to mind.”

“Huh...”

Keeping and controlling monsters. It wasn’t all that common an activity, especially for those above a certain power level. Yeah, I’d taken them down, but with all the rumors already making the rounds, that fact was irrelevant. There were plenty of ways to use this latest incident to go about undermining me, like saying that I must’ve done something wrong to incite a rebellion among my subordinates. Basically, this attack was part of an information warfare strategy.

What was more, I knew that those monsters were a demon lord’s summons. I hadn’t actually shared that information with the others yet, including Fynar. I planned to tell him later.

“The sea serpent aside, I don’t have any turtles.”

I did have Orochi, but he looked nothing like the monster I’d taken down. He was way smarter and way cuter. That said, I couldn’t deny the one thing he had in common with that thing: they were both intimidating snakes.

“That doesn’t matter to people who don’t know you. If they associate you with the sea serpent monster, they’ll naturally think of it as your subordinate. Besides, you’ve been going to all sorts of places with your fenrir lately, haven’t you? In other words, the impression that Demon Emperor Yuki and his pet monster make as a set has spread quite far.”

Rir was my partner, albeit in a different sense from my wives. I didn’t want him to be lumped together with just any old monsters, but from an outsider’s perspective, I guess no one could tell anything other than that he was a powerful monster.

“So, let’s discuss how to handle this. The first thing we need to do is to change the rumors. We need to be careful. Any careless or clumsy missteps in these sorts of situations always end up backfiring. We’ll have to spread similar but new rumors to offset them. Everyone loves conspiracies, after all.”

“True, true. Spreading more rumors weakens their impact.”

“We should also begin investigating the dagger you and yours found. Its presence alone indicates that there’s some kind of information that will lead us back to the culprit. I’ll assign a dedicated team to the task.”

“Much obliged. My peeps here in the empire have made some progress on that front, so they might have some useful information to share with yours.”

“Perfect. I’ll arrange a meeting between them and my people. Seems we’ll be even busier from here on out, Yuki. Thank you in advance for your help, my friend.”

“Don’t mention it.”

Just as we were about to leave the airport, an intense sense of doom alerted all five of my senses. My body moved without a thought. Using elemental magic, I created a wall of water that covered everyone in my vicinity.

The Demon King looked confused, but before he could open his mouth to say anything, a section of the airport exploded. I felt the heavy boom in the pit of my stomach. Flames whooshed up, and rubble and debris scattered everywhere. The explosion had come from what looked like a control tower located right next to the airport.

Ear-piercing screams rang out. People were burning in the flames fanned all over. The cloud of smoke from the blast and collapse made it hard to see anything.

“Goddammit!”

I punched and shattered chunks of rubble flying toward me, then used more elemental magic to create dozens of blocks of water, which I poured on the people who were on fire to extinguish the flames. Though the explosion was already past, my Danger Detection ability was still reporting the presence of threats nearby. More than anything, my senses were shouting at me that whatever this was, it wasn’t over yet.

While I’d experienced my heightened senses—thanks, racial evolution—before, the change felt particularly pronounced now. Sound, smell, light, vibration, and above all, magical energy. In this world, mana was responsible for the occurrence of most events. It generated magical energy not only during battle or simply when using magic, but also in everyday movements that required little effort and tasks that required more intricate attention. However minuscule its consumption, mana created change. Lefi had always said that I was pretty obtuse concerning all that, but now, I sorta kinda felt like I’d gotten a tiny bit closer to the world she sensed.

As comprehension dawned on him, the Demon King suddenly hardened his expression. He raised his voice so that his subordinates could hear him over the noise.

“Casualty report, now!”

“Squad One, no losses!”

“Squad Two, two with minor injuries, one seriously wounded!”

“S-Squad Three has two unconscious!”

“All right, withdraw the injured for the healers—”

“Here, take these elixirs and use them however you need to!”

I pulled a pouch containing several bottles out of Inventory and tossed it to the Demon King.

“I owe you! You heard him, tend to the wounded at once! Everyone else, help the civilians evacuate and keep an eye on our surroundings!”

“M-My lord, you must retreat as well!”

Fynar rejected that very reasonable suggestion from one of his people.

“No. If I were to evacuate first in this situation, it could lead to very irksome rumors! Besides, the safest place for me is by Yuki’s side!”

“Except I’d rather you got out of here too, dude!”

“Yuki! Did you or did you not just agree to help me?!”

“Shit! I really need to learn when to shut my stupid mouth!”

Then, the Demon King’s subordinates immediately sprang into action. They quickly rallied the airport security guards, who were overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, and with Fynar himself at the helm, everyone began moving in an organized fashion, prioritizing evacuation and helping the wounded. Man, his leadership skills are always so impressive. I trusted him to get that end of things sorted.

“En!”

“I’m...here! Leave it to me!”

I pulled her from Inventory. I’d left her in there in her sword form so we’d be ready to deal with anything that happened—and my foresight had paid off. Unfortunately. My mana supply ramped up, and I summoned dozens of my usual water dragons in the blink of an eye. But these weren’t lethal, because they weren’t designed to attack. It was literally just water in the shape of dragons.

Not a second later, I sensed a sudden increase in magical energy in the air, followed by another explosion. Since I’d seen it coming, I sent my dragons charging in and smothered the blast with the deluge of water. Thankfully, there was no sign of anyone near the blast’s origin, so I rushed in without hesitation. My momentum almost took the whole building down. Thanks to my quick reaction, I succeeded in reducing the spread of damage to almost zero.

Too bad the shit didn’t stop hitting the fan. The next thing I sensed was the presence of a powerful creature. After drawing forth more of my mana for the upcoming battle, I kicked things off by gathering spirits around me and pouring my magic into them and En. Spirit magic was now one of my most important weapons. Whatever spell I activated, having their help increased its power.

Okay, confession. The power of my magic had improved so much that it was actually causing problems. I couldn’t use it in more enclosed spaces like the new stadium construction site. It wouldn’t be a problem in this airfield, though. Before, I’d been forced to let opponents weaker than me rampage before I’d managed to take them down. I wouldn’t make that mistake again. I’d hunt this damn thing down the moment it showed its ugly mug. Once I was all ready and fired up for a smackdown, the thing I sensed finally appeared.

“Fuuugg!”

Race: Fire Elemental

Level: 95

This time, one entity emerged, letting out an animalistic roar. In short, it was a fire giant. Its entire body was covered in fire, blazing with it and burning violently. The vaguely humanoid mass that looked like lava stood nearly four meters tall. All that fire plus it being jet-black gave it an incredibly menacing appearance that brought to mind the word “devil.” It looked like something that would rampage as the vanguard of evil during Armageddon.

Its temperature must have been insanely high, because anything it got close to burst into flames in an instant. It left scorch marks on the airfield’s pavement as it plodded toward me. The closer it got, the more I could feel the heat radiating from its body. A few more feet and my clothes would start to burn.

First things first, though: its list of titles. I could confirm without a doubt that “Demon Lord’s Subordinate” was on there. Whale, whale, whale. Fynar was right about me being the target. That meant the goal of this attack was to ruin me in the eyes of society, because monsters were a “mark” for the people to associate with me. Roundabout? Sure. Insidious? Definitely. Which made me think I must’ve been making my enemies pretty damn nervous.

“En, we can’t let it do any more damage to the airfield. Let’s finish this before it really goes wild!”

“Got...it! Master, I can use my sword beam here!”

“Okay, fire away!”

Sword beam. Also known as the Magic Edge Cannon. It was a concentrated attack I’d developed shortly before heading to the dwarves’ domain, my aim having been to replicate Lefi’s Dragon’s Roar. I hadn’t tried it since my racial evolution, so I was itching to see how much more powerful it might’ve gotten. Magic Edge Cannon normally took some time to charge because I needed to incorporate spirit magic into it, but this time, I’d readied everything in advance.

“Oh dear... This is bad. Very, very bad. Everyone, brace for impact!”

Behind me, I could hear the Demon King shouting orders to his people.

“Sorry, but I’m gonna have to cut your performance short by turning you into charcoal!”

I swung my sword. The air itself shuddered. A boom like a battleship’s main cannon being fired rang out, followed by a concentration of mana so dense that you could literally see it piercing through the air.

Hoooly baloney. I might have put too much power into that. The recoil hit me hard, like nothing I’d ever experienced before. I was surprised my arms didn’t break—it was that powerful. It did blow me away, though. Panicked, I whipped out all three pairs of wings to regain control of my body as it hurtled through the air.

The attack was so strong that even I’d felt the impact, so what’d happened to the goddamn devil thing that’d taken it head-on? It’d vanished. Not fatally wounded or blasted backward. I was talking complete annihilation. Roughly two-thirds of its body was just gone, and all that remained were the tips of its feet. Naturally, its HP was zero, meaning it was super dead.

“Wooow... So cool.”

En sounded kinda excited.

“S-Sure was...”

As for me, I could feel my face twitching uneasily.

Water was my elemental forte, which made me well-suited for water spirits when it came to using water magic. But there was no water nearby and not many water spirits, so I’d thought that would naturally reduce Magic Edge Cannon’s power, since it used spirit magic. Actually, what we’d just witnessed might’ve just been exactly that, a weaker version. In turn, that made me wonder how much more powerful it would’ve been if I’d fired it near water. While I stood there frozen in shock at the sight before my eyes, I heard a voice behind me speak.

“Yuki... I realize this sounds a tad strange to say after you’ve already defeated the enemy, but...you may want to think a bit more about your offensive methods,” the Demon King said with a rueful smile.

“Uhhh, my bad?”

I couldn’t think of anything else to say.

◇ ◇ ◇

The enemy’s attack ended with the fire devil. I didn’t detect any more changes in magical energy, so I decided things had calmed down enough for me to work with the Demon King and his people to clean up the mess. To no one’s surprise, the overall damage was considerable. In terms of casualties, thanks to everyone acting swiftly to evacuate people, the number was pretty small when you considered the scale of the explosion, but it still wasn’t zero. In particular, the first of the two explosions had taken place in a completely unexpected location. Those two blasts had also destroyed the airport’s control tower and the adjacent building. Well, technically, the building’s collapse had been less because of the explosion and more because of my magic... An acceptable loss, though, since I’d managed to prevent further casualties.

Two of the airships docked nearby, the one the Demon King had come on and another that was there for maintenance, had both sustained a moderate amount of damage. They weren’t so bad that they couldn’t be fixed, though. Engineers had already started repairs on the Demon King’s ship, and they estimated it’d be back in operating condition within a week. Apparently, that was his personal vehicle and not just a regular passenger airship, which was why they were treating it as a top priority. If push came to shove, I would’ve offered to send him back to the demon world through my door, but it didn’t look like I’d have to go that far.

The country’s police and fire departments had also shown up about twenty minutes after I’d blasted the monster all the way to the moon, figuratively speaking, and were currently very busy removing rubble and investigating the scene. They’d said they wanted to interview us too, but to be honest, it was a hassle dealing with them right now. Plus, the Demon King and I had a whole heckuva lotta stuff to discuss, so I decided to postpone their questioning until later. No point in having power if I couldn’t abuse it, right?

“Goodness. We managed. Somehow. Certainly couldn’t have done it without you, Yuki. Thanks to you, we were able to limit the damage a great deal.”

Now that things had calmed down, the Demon King breathed a sigh of relief.

“Look at it from another angle, and all this is possibly my fault.”

“Any fool who tries to blame you shall have a very long conversation with the entirety of the forces under my command. I’m sure they can be persuaded to see the light.”

“Ya know, normal people would call that intimidation, not persuasion.”

“Is that right? Learn something new every day, as you say.”

The Demon King shrugged nonchalantly, and I burst out laughing. Ladies and gents, my very considerate friend.

“Well, I suppose we add this incident to our growing list of troubles. I truly didn’t expect such a well-executed terror attack. However, the bigger the scale, the more evidence there is. For example—”

At that moment, one of Fynar’s demon subordinates came over to make a report.

“My lord, we’ve found the remains of an explosive.”

“Excellent timing. Yuki, shall we take a look?”

His people had discovered charred residue of some kind. It was so blackened that even Analysis wasn’t much help. All I could make out were vague symbols.

“Hmm. You there! A moment of your time?”

But Fynar seemed to have figured something out. The man he’d called out to was a soldier from the Reauxgard Empire. He seemed to be high up in rank—a commander, maybe, by the way he was issuing orders rapid-fire to the other soldiers around him. He immediately walked over when Fynar asked, though.

“How may I be of service, my lord?”

“This, right here. If memory serves, I believe this is a control number, the type imprinted on this country’s weapons. What do you think?”

The man’s cheek jerked slightly when he realized the meaning behind Fynar’s words while he inspected what we were looking at. And then, he nodded.

“You’re likely correct. We won’t know for certain until we investigate, but it’s highly likely that this is the Magic Burst Dust explosive that was supposed to be stored in the weapons depot.”

“Magic Burst Dust?” I repeated.

“Yes. It’s an explosive that requires a special magical mixture. Since it can only be made by researchers working for the military, it isn’t in public circulation...”

Meaning somebody’d misused it here.

“Do you understand, Yuki? What this explosive means, in conjunction with the monsters...”

“Management liability, I guess?”

Fynar nodded.

“Indeed. Those who commit terrorism are, of course, denounced, but if an attack involves the theft and use of items under the government’s jurisdiction, then naturally, those responsible for overseeing them will also be singled out for criticism—in this case, us.”

“Huuuh.”

A person in charge was there to take responsibility. And the people in charge of this country—specifically, its military—were Fynar, the other rulers, and me. No, as the emperor, even if only in name, I was the one ultimately in charge of the whole shebang. While my first instinct was to say, “I don’t give a crap,” the world probably wouldn’t like that.

“Looks like our enemy wants to see us fall as far as we can, huh?”

“Agreed. I have to commend them for devising such a rational way to ensnare and defeat us. Quite an evil scheme. However. This time, they’ve gone too far. Perhaps they were hoping to eliminate me. Instead, they’ve given us a clue to narrow down the list of possibilities as to their identity.”

“Thinking about it logically, maybe it’s a high-ranking official in this country with access to military supplies?”

“Yes, a strong possibility. We also have to consider that it could have simply been stolen, but only a limited number of people have access to the weapons storage facility. If we can obtain those names, the rest won’t be that difficult...”

Then, an expression flashed across Fynar’s face like a light bulb had gone off above his head.

“Whatcha thinking, Demon King?”

“The rest won’t be that difficult... No. It can’t be that easy. Would someone who went to such sinister lengths with this crime leave behind any clues that would lead to their identity?”

Fynar seemed to fall deeper into thought.

“The enemy’s movements were, in a word, flashy. Monsters. Military-grade explosives. But we failed to notice in time and stop them. They must have planned everything carefully, with countless disguises. And yet, they left behind evidence at the scene that links back to them. Much too convenient for us, no?”

The Demon King muttered to himself for a while, as if trying to organize his line of thinking, before turning his gaze back to me.

“For now, we work with the information we have and do our best to trace it back to the mastermind. Yuki, I know I asked for your help earlier, but I need a little time. Could you give me a week to gather information? I’ll need you to take action once I have things in order on my end.”

“Sure. Gonna be honest, I wanted to check in on my peeps back at home, so this is actually perfect.”

It wasn’t like I hadn’t been back to the dungeon, but I’d been spending most of my time here because of how busy I was. I wanted to see how Lefi and the others were doing. And, okay, it’d be nice to relax at home for a while too.

Chapter 1: Beneath the Surface

After helping everyone deal with the cleanup and aftermath at the airport, I slipped through the door that led to the real throne room and headed home with En.

“We’re home.”

“We’re...home.”

Immediately, we heard responses.

“Welcome back, you two. A job well done today.”

“Welcome back, my lord! I just made some tea. Would you both like some too?”

“Yes, please! Thanks.”

“Me...too. Thank you.”

Lefi and Lew were the only ones there.

En took her cup and plopped herself down on a chair, holding it in both hands and sipping. I also took mine, then sat down on my throne with a relieved sigh. I took a sip, the hot liquid wetting my parched throat.

I’m tired. Not, like, physically, but mental fatigue was still a thing even with my body’s insane specs. I’d been working so hard lately that I sometimes wondered why I was being so diligent with my job in the first place.

For better or for worse... Actually, for better, because it wasn’t something I’d ever felt bad about, I’d never lived among mankind in the world outside. All I’d done with this life so far was whatever I wanted all day, every day with my family in our dungeon.

But at the moment, others were starting to have an effect on my life too. Maybe even a little more than I would’ve liked. It would’ve been so much easier to say something like, “I don’t give a rat’s ass,” and leave them all to fend for themselves. Except I had more ties to the outside world now. And wonder of wonders, I wanted to cherish those ties.

My exhaustion must’ve been obvious, because just then, Lefi and Lew both spoke to me.

“Gah ha! A very tiring day, I take it?”

“You’ve been looking tired a lot lately, my lord. Did something happen again?”

“Yeah, a terrorist attack at the airport. Bombs went off everywhere and a monster showed up. Again. It was rough. Some folks got hurt too.”

“Master...you did your best. Thanks to you, no one died, and more people didn’t get hurt.”

“Ah, so that is how it is. I thought you had made yet another blunder, but I am glad to have been proven wrong.”

“Tee hee, looks like it was a good idea on your part to start taking En and Lord Rir with you on your trips to the outside world, my lord.”

“Yup... I protect him out there for you all.”

“And what a dependable little bodyguard you are, kiddo. Seriously.”

After a bit of small talk, En let out a cute little yawn. The sleepiness was clearly hitting her.

“I...want to take a nap.”

“Why don’t you lie down in our room, then?” Lew suggested. “I just took the futon down from the line, so all I have to do is put on the sheets. Gimme a minute.”

“Thank...you.”

“Of course! But I’ll wake you up in about an hour, okay? Since dinner is in two.”

“Okay...”

With that, En sleepily shuffled off to Lew and Leila’s room.

Lew and Leila still shared the same room. Occasionally, we all slept together in the main common area, but they were apparently used to their room, so most of the time, they still slept there. Just like how Lefi and I often played games before bed, they liked to chat before sleeping. The two of them had been close back when they’d been coworkers, and that hadn’t changed even now that they were officially family.

“Judging from En’s state, was the monster you encountered powerful?”

“Nah, we basically obliterated it with one hit before it could even attack. I couldn’t afford to hold back with so many civilians around. But En also used a ton of her mana, so maybe that’s why she’s so sleepy.”

“You know, my lord...I feel like you’re getting closer and closer to Lefi in terms of strength.”

“Gah ha! Well, he is indeed quite strong for one of mankind.”

“Personally, the stronger I get, the crazier your power feels to me.”

“As of late, Nell has been growing stronger as well. How do I put it... The aura of a true hero has been seeping out. Never mind that she is on the path to leaving that life behind.”

“I’ve always admired how good she is at managing her emotions. Sometimes she’s really silly and affectionate, and then there are the times when she’s super serious and looks so dashing. I honestly don’t think there’s any human who’s stronger than her.”

“Samesies. I’ve met a bunch of humans, and I can say for sure that even if a country’s most elite soldiers joined forces, they wouldn’t be a match for Nell. Hell, at her current level, she might just be able to hold her own against the best demon fighters.”

“The fact that she can fight the monsters of the Demonic Forest proves that she easily ranks among the highest of mankind. In her case, that and her maddening courage allow her to fully utilize all of her already outrageous talents. Speaking of Nell, she will return the day after tomorrow. In light of the event you all are in the midst of organizing, things are busy in her country as well.”

“Good to know. And yeah, that makes sense. No way Alisia isn’t busy when Reauxgard is.”

I knew Nell was working just as hard as me. I made a mental note to thank her when she came back.

“Time to change the subject. How are you two feeling?”

“We are well. Lew and I monitor each other’s health every day, and Leila keeps an eye on both of us, so there is no cause for concern.”

“Every day, I’m grateful for our family, my lord. Having everyone here makes the tough stuff a whole lot easier to manage.”

“Particularly Iluna and the other wee ones. They are always so considerate, trying to help us with everything. Truly, it fills my heart with joy.”

“Tee hee, I agree. I love watching them do their best because they’re so excited to be big sisters!”

“Good, good...”

As we chatted, I felt my fatigue melting away, my mind healing. Ahhh, this is the life...

“Is something the matter?”

“Nah. Guess I’m kinda tired too. I think I’ll get some shut-eye.”

“An excellent notion. Lew, lend him your lap.”

“Huh?! Me?!”

“Ooh, yeah, I’d love that. If you don’t mind, of course.”

“N-Not at all! Then, um...should we go to the inn, my lord?”

“Let’s.”

And so, Lew and I went to the inn, where she hastily laid out a futon for us. I stretched out, resting my head on her lap. She sat where a pillow would’ve been. I enjoyed the sensation of her thighs under my head.

“If it gets too uncomfortable for you, just move my head off, okay?”

“Thank you, but I’ll be fine. Don’t worry about me. All you have to do is sleep.”

Lew smiled as she gently ran her fingers through my hair.

“I’ll be right here, my lord.”

My wife’s soft, soothing voice. Her warmth and comforting scent hanging in the air. Cocooned in it all, I drifted off, my eyelids heavy...

◇ ◇ ◇

“Whoa. Iluna, you guys are cooking?”

After a surprisingly restful nap on Lew’s lap, I’d woken up to discover that it was just about time to start making dinner.

“What’s with that tone, Yukiki? You don’t think we can handle it?”

“N-No, it’s not that... Uh, can I help with anything?”

“Nope! You just sit over there with everyone else!”

So the little-girl gang went about their business in the kitchen, insisting on cooking dinner tonight. The wife gang sat at the table in comfortable silence.

“Okay, okay. But call me if you need me. Got it?”

“Gosh, Yukiki, we’ll be fine. You worry too much. Even if we get hurt, we have Shii right here.”

“Yup, yup! I’s here, and I just go ‘abracadabra,’ and bam! Pain gone!”

“Besides...you know we don’t get hurt a lot, Master, so just sit back and relax.”

En had woken up from her nap long after me. After she spoke, the wraith triplets bounced around like they were saying, “Leave it to us!” Clearly, the kids were united on this.

I glanced over at the wives, but they just grinned back at me.

“Fine. I know when I’m beat. Take it away, girls.”

Though I was feeling a bit anxious, I didn’t want to be a buzzkill, so like a good little boy, I went to hang with the adult gang sitting at the dining table.

“Dang, they sure are pumped. Don’t tell me they’ve been practicing cooking while I’m away.”

Up until now, they’d helped with prep, but the adults had always been in charge—doing the heavy lifting, so to speak. I couldn’t remember them cooking everything from start to finish. But in hindsight, the kiddos had had the occasional sleepover in their secret base, no adults allowed, so maybe they’d cooked for themselves on those nights. Though Leila must’ve prepped some of the ingredients at least, so I doubted they’d cooked everything from scratch... Then maybe they had been practicing while I was out.

“Indeed they have,” Lefi answered. “I mentioned it before, did I not? They help us in all sorts of ways.”

“Recently, they’ve been assisting us whenever we cook, Master Yuki,” Leila added. “They have a handle on basic dishes already.”

“That being said, if Iluna isn’t supervising, things start to take a weird turn,” Lew chimed in. “Especially Shii, Rei, Rui, and Roh, who always try to add something original to their cooking.”

“Gah ha! Which reminds me, you would expect En to stop them, no? But you would be wrong, for she instead joins in. The expression on her face is quite serious during their hijinks as well. All Iluna can do at that point is scold them with an exasperated smile.”

It was easy to imagine the picture Lefi’d painted. But then I wondered if maybe En didn’t have as much time to practice cooking as the other girls because she went with me on my work trips... That shouldn’t be a big problem though, since she was waaay better at cutting stuff than anyone, even the adults. As long as they divided up the tasks properly, they’d be fine. Still, it probably wouldn’t hurt if I took just Rir with me and left her at home a little longer. Although if I did that, she’d get angry and say something like, “I’m...your weapon, Master. You have to take me with you.”

“I see... Guess I can’t really call them little girls anymore, huh?”

“Indeed. While they are yet young, they are no longer the wee ones.”

Which means I have to call them the girl gang now instead of the little-girl gang, eh? I wasn’t blind. Wasn’t stupid either. I knew Iluna had gotten taller and that her mind was maturing. In this world, each race had a different life span, meaning they all had different ways of developing. It didn’t make much sense to think about this in terms of age like in my previous life. Even so, she’d probably be old enough to have just graduated from elementary school.

As for Shii, En and the wraith sisters, despite their appearances not having changed much in the time I’d known them, they also seemed to be growing up just like Iluna. To me, they still felt like little kids, but no doubt they were experiencing all kinds of things in ways adults didn’t know and figuring themselves out too. I honestly couldn’t help but feel moved.

“We’ve gone from being girls to wives and now mothers too! So, ladies, we need to do our best to act accordingly.”

“Well, that sort of thing comes naturally, so I see no need to force ourselves. Especially when our husband is just as childish as the actual children here, if not more so.”

“Wait, is the pot really calling the kettle black here?”

“Conduct ourselves as wives and mothers, hm? I must admit, I’m a tad worried about how I’ll do on those fronts.”

“Leila, if you are worried, I shudder to think what that says about the rest of us...”

“Ditto.”

“I couldn’t agree more!”

As the adults—minus Nell, who was away on work—continued talking, Iluna and the girls eventually finished cooking, then started bringing what they’d made out from the kitchen. Not counting the wraith sisters since they didn’t eat solids, there was a lot of food for seven people, but when I tried to help carry it, Iluna scolded me, telling me to sit down and let them handle it. So I obeyed. The girls went back and forth several times, carrying everything in carefully. And then, the table was set for dinner. The menu consisted of miso soup, white rice, stir-fried vegetables, chilled tofu, and braised burdock root.

“Whoooa! Everything looks amazing!”

It was a little late to be bringing this up, but thanks to my influence, rice was a staple in our household. Though we ate plenty of different things, we almost always included rice. Seeing all the Japanese-style dishes here made me realize that they’d cooked my favorites as a special treat for me tonight. As a former Japanese person, I still loved Japanese food, of course, but this feast reminded me all over again how little my food preferences had changed from my previous life.

“All right, let’s dig in! Bon appétit.”

“Bon appétit!” everyone else said in unison.

Then, we started eating our dinner.

Damn, that’s good. Everything was seasoned perfectly, cut evenly, and just plain delicious. If I didn’t know the kids had made it, I would’ve assumed one of the adults had.

“Man, this is seriously fantastic. I can’t get enough.”

At my words, the members of the girl gang all looked at each other and grinned. It was the same satisfied grin as whenever they pulled off a prank.

◇ ◇ ◇

The next day, Yuki had some time to relax.

Lefi was taking another walk in the meadow, which had become a daily routine since she’d gotten pregnant. It was usually sunny and comfortable there, but today, the weather was different. A bank of clouds covered the entire sky. Droplets of water fell down—rain. It made a plopping sound every time a drop hit the umbrella she held. With each step she took, she heard splashing under her feet.

“Gah ha. I just realized that it has been a long time since I have been rained on.”

She looked up at the umbrella, feeling amused. Dragons generally didn’t avoid the rain. They might take shelter from it because they thought it depressing, but even if they were to be rained on all day, their bodies wouldn’t get cold, let alone cause them to fall ill. Thus, umbrella culture didn’t exist for dragonkind.

Her old self would have been unbothered by the rain, paying it no mind. But for some reason, now...even the rain, pouring down on her, was interesting. She found it charming. It gave the meadow a different hue than usual. The demon lord’s castle, blanketed with gray clouds and drenched in rain. A familiar landscape, yet an unfamiliar one.

“Changing the way one lives their life...can change the way they see things so drastically.”

Lefi continued walking, still in a good mood.

In the meadow area, the weather basically never changed. All the plants and trees within the dungeon derived their nutrients solely from the dungeon’s magical power, so they wouldn’t wither even if it never rained, remaining lush and green. The only times it rained like this were on days Yuki had made it do so on a whim. He occasionally altered the weather on purpose because he thought it would be boring if it were always sunny. Today was the first time in a while he’d had some free time, and he’d realized that he hadn’t changed the weather in the dungeon as of late, hence the current state of the sky.

Yuki was quite particular about the four seasons, however. For example, he only made it snow for a few specific months. He also made subtle changes to the temperature because sudden changes could make people sick. That was why he essentially kept the weather pleasant and sunny most of the time, with rainy days like today happening only about once a month. On those days, the wee ones—no, the girls were the most excited. They had a talent for turning anything into play.

Upon seeing the change in weather today, they’d exclaimed, “Yaaay, it’s raining today! All right, let’s play in it!” Then, they’d put on their raincoats and rain boots and run outside, chock-full of energy.

As a matter of fact, Lefi had seen the girls just moments ago on her walk. They had been intent on digging a trench. Evidently, they were fascinated by the way the water flowed and turned into streams, so they had been building dams and tributaries and such. They’d been so absorbed in the day’s entertainment that they hadn’t even noticed her. Despite their growth, in that way, they were still children, and she hadn’t been able to help but smile at the sight.

I must remind them to bathe as soon as they head inside so they do not catch colds.

With that in mind, she walked another lap of her usual course. That was when Lefi noticed that the girls’ diversion had changed a bit from before. They had stopped expanding their trench-river, instead opting to float what looked like a paper boat on the water.

“What manner of amusement is this?” Lefi asked them as she approached.

Iluna answered, “Oh, hi, Lefifi! Yukiki said, ‘Oookay, time for a game of Pretend Pennywise! If we’ve got a river, then we gotta float paper boats down it!’”

“Penny-what? It matters not, as I suspect this is simply another one of his idiotic ideas. However, this is not an inelegant pastime. Where is the man in question?”

“Well, Leila came over and told him, ‘Master Yuki, you’ve spent a great deal of DP this month, haven’t you?’ So he abandoned his grand plan and went back.”

“Master head drooping!”

“Yup... Just like every time he loses.”

The wraith sisters nodded in agreement after En commented.

“Gah ha! I see, I see. The usual, then. You know, I think I shall attempt one myself! Might you teach me how to fold the paper?”

“Yeah! Okay, so first, you...”

And so, Lefi enjoyed this bout in the rain with Iluna and the other girls. Yuki, back again, joined them, and they competed to see who could make the most beautiful boat while also interfering with each other by throwing water and mud, followed by accusations of cheating. By the time they’d had their fill, it had grown dark, so everyone took a bath at the inn, warming up their bodies and minds to avoid getting sick. Then, pleasantly tired, they ate the delicious food Leila had made.

It was just like any other day. Days that came alive thanks to Yuki being by her side. Warmth spreading in her chest, Lefi was thankful for another day overflowing with color.

◇ ◇ ◇

“My lord, my lord.”

“Whatever is the matter, Lew, my dear wife?”

“You’re a dummy, aren’t you, my lord?”

“Why, that certainly came out of nowhere, didn’t it, Lew, my dear wife?”

Then, the rest of the wife gang, chilling nearby, decided to throw in their two cents. BTW, Nell was back now, so everyone was here.

“And yet, she did not stutter, Yuki, so there is no room for misunderstanding.”

“But don’t worry, Mr. Yuki, you’re a lovable dummy.”

“This is true. They say the dumber the child, the more adorable they are.”

“Why are you all ganging up on me? What did I do to deserve this bullying?”

“Two very good questions that can be answered with this: We do it because we wish to. More precisely, we wish to see you moan and groan under our relentless assault. No other reason.”

“I’m here for you, though, Mr. Yuki! Even if Lefi makes you cry, I’ll comfort you with a ‘There, there, it’s all right!’”

“Then perhaps I shall offer my lap for my poor, pitiful Master Yuki?”

“This is all your fault, Lew. You started this, so why don’t you tell me why, huh?”

“Aha ha ha! Weeell, you know how you like to tell Iluna and the girls, ‘If you don’t wanna end up an irresponsible good-for-nothing like me, you gotta study!’? Except you’re super knowledgeable, which makes me wonder what your standards for their education are.”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I only know stuff. I don’t have the ability to actually put it to good use. While I can say stuff like ‘Hey, how about that?’ or ‘What do you think about this?’ without really caring about the consequences, it’s impossible for me to actually leverage what I know. So I guess to answer your question, I want them to be smart enough to apply what they learn.”

For me, a smart person was someone who was capable of applying themself. Good grades were enough to get you through school, but that was it. Never mind that my grades had always been crap! Which was why calling me “knowledgeable” was a mistake. In my old world, everyone who’d finished compulsory education should’ve known as much as I did.

Also, I loved reading books, and that included manga. I watched a lot of anime too, so you could say I’d acquired a decent amount of knowledge through all of that as well. After all, people learned about specific, nerdy things through fun pastimes and not studying, and I was no exception. And I imagined that people who could apply what they’d learned had worked hard to be able to do so, both in this world and my old one. It was because they knew stuff that they were able to make use of it. At least, that was what I thought.

“But, my lord, I think you’re doing a pretty good job as emperor. Sure, you’re not perfect at it, but you’re doing your best, and that’s admirable. Even if it’s in name only.”

“I thank you, Lew, my dear wife. It seems you are the only one on my side... No, wait, now that I think about it, Nell and Leila are too. Which means Lefi is my enemy.”

“Oh, is it a fight you want? Then a fight you shall have.”

“Lefi, you’re pregnant, so no violent moves out of you,” Nell warned her.

“Fear not, for I have been learning how to trounce our husband without moving an inch. I will teach the rest of you my technique later.”

“Is it just me, or have you gotten more aggressive lately? Or maybe you always have been. Hmm.”

“A mother is one who protects her child! I must be strong against any imbeciles that come my way. Pardon me, I must be aggressive.”

“Now is that any way to talk to your husband?”

“You know she’s just messing with you, my lord. Lefi knows she can rely on you. And I do too!”

“I love you, Lew.”

She giggled, blushing. Damn, you’re too cute.

“Lew, cease your pandering. While I will not deny there are times when he proves himself dependable, he is fundamentally useless. We must remain ever vigilant so our children do not take after this fool.”

“Oh gosh, you’re right! They’d sure be a handful if they turned out reckless like my lord... It’s a good thing we don’t have to worry about Iluna and the other girls in that respect. They’re really naturally thoughtful, even though they can be so much like him.”

“You make a very good point, Lefi. Mr. Yuki is who he is, so it’s too late to change him, but we have to be careful with how the children grow up...”

“Master Yuki, I regret to inform you that I can’t come to your defense either. While a bit of mischief is charming, your attitude goes beyond that and right into foolhardy.”

“Cheese Louise, how exactly do you guys see me, then?”

“An imbecile.”

“A dummy.”

“For better or for worse, careless. Also dumb.”

“I would say you’re worth taking care of, though ill-advised to leave to your own devices.”

“Thank you for your honesty. Just feeling the love my wives have for me has me on the verge of tears.”

Clearly, I’d been very wrong to think anyone was on my side. A husband’s job was to protect his home all by his lonesome. I guess this is what they call a man’s battle...

“Aight, I see how it is. Since you lovely ladies insist on acting like that, I’ve got an idea too. Once the kids are old enough, I’ll teach them all kinds of naughty games that they can’t tell their mothers about and make things even harder for you all!”

“Pray elaborate on these games.”

“First, I’ll have them roll around in the mud—get ’em so dirty that laundry’s gonna be a real pain in the ass.”

“That definitely does sound like a pain,” Nell said with a laugh.

“But we have a magical washing machine, which makes laundry so much easier for us than it is for the rest of the world, my lord.”

“Okay, fine. Then I’ll teach them lots of sports that’ll get them all banged up! I’ll expand the athletic area I built recently and turn it into a place where they’ll be so obsessed with running around and doing stuff that they don’t even notice their scrapes and bruises! Their clothes will definitely get covered in mud there too.”

“I suspect that such activity will only make them stronger and healthier, Master Yuki.”

“They should not sustain grievous wounds. That is the only thing we ask you to be mindful of.”

“Now for my ultimate evil tactic! I’ll spoil the hell out of them, to the point that they get fed up with me, just to make them more independent faster! You’re gonna feel so lonely and emotional as you watch your children grow up so fast.”

“In other words, you’ll be raising them with lots of love, hm?” Nell teased.

“All I hear is that you’re going to do your best to be a good husband, my lord!” Lew added.

“Fine! Don’t believe me! See if I care! But just so you know, my plan is secretly already underway... You’ll see! It’ll play out just like how I said! And when it does, you’ll cry, scream, and despair at the cruel and wicked demon lord’s dastardly deeds, wondering what kind of man you chose as a husband.”

“O cruel and wicked demon lord, it is time for you to help us with dinner.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Yukiki, come here for a minute.”

Iluna said that out of the blue as she sat seiza style on the floor.

“Uhhh, sure.”

Doing as she asked, I went to sit down in front of her, unconsciously mimicking her posture.

“Sooo. How may I be of assistance, Miss Iluna?”

“Listen up, Yukiki. I have something to tell you.”

“And what might that be?”

Iluna, looking unusually serious, began talking.

“I know you’re very busy right now, Yukiki. You have lots to do, and I understand how tough your days are. I’m sure you’re tired enough as it is.”

“R-Right.”

“But right now, Lefifi and the others are having a hard time too.”

I immediately understood what Iluna was getting at and straightened up.

“Not just her and LewLew, but all of them. They don’t wanna burden you with their feelings and stuff, so they never say anything.”

“I see.”

That was all I could say in response.

“That’s why I think it would be best if you spent a little more time with each of them one-on-one. I know you really care about all of them, but you have to show them that. Don’t be afraid to let them spoil you.”

Iluna was an incredibly observant girl, always noticing everything that went on around her. If she was going out of her way to call me out like this, the situation had to be pretty dire. I should probably just do what she says.

I tried to be considerate of my wives, asking how they were feeling and if they wanted me to do anything. It might not’ve been enough, though. Sure, I’d been busy lately, but that was no excuse. After all, I was their only husband. Yes, I could rely on them, dump all my complaints on them, and so on. However, since I’d resolved to become their husband, it was a duty I had to fulfill. Using the word “duty” made it sound like I was reluctant, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. This was just something I had to do, y’know?

“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. Thanks for telling me before I let things get worse ’cause I’m a dumbass.”

“You don’t have to thank me, and you’re not a dumbass. We’re family. I’m just a kid who can’t do anything without you and the rest of the grown-ups, but I can at least watch out for everyone.”

That made me realize why Iluna had suggested that she and the other girls handle dinner by themselves. Because she saw how we were now.

“...”

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Just thinking that you’re already such a great big sister.”

“Well, of course I am! Who do you think has to keep an eye on Shii, En, Rei, Rui, and Roh, especially when they like doing whatever they want all the time?”

“Many apologies. And also many thanks, Miss Dependable.”

I couldn’t help but smile at how cute she looked as she pouted. My kiddos were all free-spirited. Shii and the wraith triplets had always been that way, but even En, who might seem quiet, was strong-willed. Once she set her mind to something, she pushed forward without worrying about others, so in some ways, you could say she was the most free-spirited of the bunch. So naturally, when left without adult supervision, they went anywhere they wanted, but it was Iluna who corralled them.

“Okay, okay, okay. I’ll look my wives square in the eyes, thank them for everything they do, and let them spoil me.”

“Excellent! We have to cherish the present while we can.”

Wise words, kid. Wise words. I won’t forget them. Just this one conversation was proof that though Iluna was still a child, she was no longer a little girl who needed us to tend to her every need. She was able to think things through for herself and determine right from wrong.

“I think... I think it’s about time.”

“Hmm? What are you talking about, Yukiki?”

“Iluna. You wanna start school soon?”

In this world, life spans differed and varied from those in my previous life. Humans were one thing, but when it came to demons and the other races, they classified people by generation instead of age. Meaning it wasn’t uncommon for people in the same school grade to be different ages. For example, I’d heard of elves being considered part of the same generation even if there were fifty years between them.

All that to say, I knew that I’d have to send Iluna and the other girls out into the world one day, but I’d always thought, “Well, that’s still a long way off.” Except not so much, since that time was here now. If she were still a little kid like when we’d first met, I wouldn’t think twice about keeping her safe here in the dungeon, where she could learn. This world was dangerous like that. Now that she was growing up, though, it was time for me, as her guardian, to show her the path that lay ahead. That was my duty too—something I had to do on behalf of her dead parents.

“School! The one we talked about before? In Leila’s village?”

“Yup. The one run by the ovine. Considering my continued expansion of the dungeon’s territory, it won’t be long before I have it connected to the demon world’s capital. As soon as I do, you can come back here every day.”

“But Leila told me they have a dorm.”

“Yeah, that’s an option, but I also want you to have the option to be able to commute. That way, me or one of the other adults can pick you up anytime. In case something happens, y’know?”

“Gosh, Yukiki, you worry too much.”

“Gosh, Iluna, you don’t worry enough. We’re family, so let me at least do that much.”

She giggled at my reply.

The school I was thinking of sending my kids to was the one in the ovine settlement. It had some of the best facilities and personnel in the world as far as educational institutions went, making it the perfect place for them to learn all kinds of things. The grown-ups and I had picked it after talking it over. Leila’s input had been especially valuable.

“Besides, if I send you, I’d wanna send the other girls along with you. And that for sure means an environment where all of you can come back to the dungeon lickety-split.”

“Oh, right, because Shii and the wraith sisters can’t be away from the dungeon for too long.”

“Yup.”

Because Shii and the triplets were dungeon summons. Dungeon summons were fine being away from the dungeon for a day or two, maybe even a week, but any longer and they’d weaken steadily because they were cut off from their constant power source, the dungeon. They wouldn’t starve to death even if they went without eating while in the dungeon’s territory, but that might not hold true outside of its domain. I knew all this from the knowledge that’d been implanted in me by the dungeon all the way back at the beginning of my life here, so regardless of how things panned out, I was gonna install a door nearby.

Some folks might say that dungeon summons didn’t need an education and this was just my ego talking. I would say those folks were right. Still, I wasn’t worried about Shii and the wraith triplets. I knew they’d have fun every day, even outside the dungeon. I wouldn’t even be surprised if Shii, who hated studying, enjoyed school. I also knew that slimes and wraiths, both races that could only be described as monsters, would be welcomed with open arms by the ovine precisely because of their clan’s bottomless well of curiosity.

So what was the problem? En. I had a feeling I wouldn’t be able to convince her to go to school. Why? Because of her race: magic blade. Going to school meant very few opportunities to tag along with me. But she was proud of the fact that she was a sword. A sword could only fulfill its true purpose when there was someone to wield it, someone to protect in battle. That was why she’d be reluctant to be separated from me, and I sure as shit couldn’t fight without her.

I’d made a bunch of different weapons, but En was my only main. Having said that, this would be a good thing. For both of us. Though she was a sword, she had a will of her own and a body. That made her a member of mankind. Therefore, I wanted her to learn about society.

“The question is, how do I convince En?”

Iluna must’ve realized what was bothering me when I said that.

“If she gets mad, I’ll mediate.”

“Miss Iluna, I’d rather you mediate before she gets mad.”

“Weeell, she can be pretty stubborn, so she’ll get mad either way... So just do your best, Yukiki! Fight!”

Iluna pumped her arms in the air.

“I don’t have much of a choice, do I?” I said with a wry smile.

Watching you grow up...makes me so happy I wanna cry.

◇ ◇ ◇

Night. Galia, the capital of the Reauxgard Empire. Under the cover of the deep darkness of the new moon, a group advanced. Though its members were clad in armor, the use of magic completely muffled the noisy clinking of the metal, and their stealthy movements despite the lack of illumination gave the impression of a high level of training. Alert, they made their way through the upscale residential streets, always aware of their surroundings, their tight formation putting them in a position to deal with anything that might emerge from the darkness.

Since the area was home to many nobles, guards were stationed at key points, but that didn’t pose a problem. Because as soon as the watchmen checked the sigils the group showed them as identification, they let them pass without a word. The Reauxgard First and Second Imperial Orders of Knights—that was the group’s true identity. In other words, imperial guards.

“Area secured, Commander.”

“Target is inside the abode. No presence of guards.”

They had finally arrived at their destination: a mansion. Although large, it wasn’t ostentatiously decorated, instead giving off a refined air.

The group was led by Helgar Landros, a man who had been planning counterterrorism measures with Yuki in preparation for the Magical War Games. Normally, investigations and captures such as this fell under the military police’s jurisdiction rather than the imperial guard’s. However, this time, erring on the side of caution, the country’s most powerful warriors had traveled all the way here.

The First Imperial Order of Knights had existed in Reauxgard since before the Great Corpse Dragon War, but the Second Order had been established after the war’s end by the various rules who had decided that a mixed-race unit was necessary. Put another way, it was a politically motivated force. It would eventually be absorbed into the First, however, with its supreme commander ultimately being the emperor. Or at least, that was the official position.

The true leader was Helgar Landros, the First’s vice commander and the head of the emperor’s personal guard. Why? Because he knew many of the country’s dark secrets. The covert organization Avend had been secretly created by Shendra, the former emperor, and even now, after his reign had ended, it continued to protect the country from the shadows. Helgar was a member of that organization, and he had planned this operation based on information it had gathered.

“Good. Squads one and two, prepare to enter. Squad three, secure the rear entrance. Squad four, stay on guard around the perimeter. As a reminder, even if the target resists, our directive is to capture, not kill.”

“Yes, sir.”

Helgar nodded at his subordinates’ response, then gave the order.

“Go!”

At his signal, the group stormed the estate grounds, moving like a single organism. In the blink of an eye, they took control of the interior. However, they knew from their advance briefing that only the target and his family were inside the mansion, so they secured the area without resorting to force.

And then, they came face-to-face with a couple and their child. They seemed to have been asleep, but the sound of the soldiers’ entrance must have woken them, because the man, in his pajamas with a sword in hand, stood guard in front of his terrified wife and child. He appeared to be in his mid-forties. Gray streaked his hair, and the wrinkles on his face suggested that he was a little older, but his gaze exuded a strength of will. He stared straight at the intruders, the look in his eyes and on his face indicating that he was coolly analyzing the situation.

Seeing his face, Helgar spoke calmly, keeping a wary watch on the man’s sword.

“You are Assemblyman Alveiro Velburn, correct? Please don’t resist. So long as you don’t, we vow not to harm you or your family in any way.”

“And you’re...knights. Judging by the crest on your armor, imperial guards. Which, in turn, makes this a serious matter. Fine, I’ll stand down.”

Understanding that his opponents operated under the government’s authority and that resistance was futile, the man, Alveiro Velburn, tossed his sword to the floor. Then, he obediently held out both arms.

“Thank you for your cooperation. If you’ll excuse me.”

Helgar clapped the shackles he had brought with him onto both of Alveiro’s hands. The arrest took place quietly, neither man wanting to make a fuss in front of the frightened child.

“Don’t fret. These are trustworthy soldiers. Do what they say and they won’t hurt you.”

Alveiro’s wife sucked in a sharp breath at his words, then nodded.

“I understand. We’ll await your safe return.”

“Hopefully I won’t be gone long. Right, then. Lead the way.”

And so, with soldiers flanking him, Alveiro walked toward the carriage that had been arranged for his transport. Once his family was out of sight, he spoke again.

“So tell me. The fact that imperial guards are investigating means the country believes I’m involved in something vital having to do with national politics. But what exactly are you arresting me for? Corruption? Sedition? Or perhaps my rivals bribed you to do this?”

He sounded amused.

“No, Assemblyman Velburn. You’re suspected of summoning monsters at the stadium and bombing the airport, so we’d like to question you regarding those incidents,” Helgar replied.

“...What?”

That was all Alveiro said as he stood there in slack-jawed shock, a complete departure from the composure he’d displayed up until that moment.

Upon seeing the genuine emotion on the man’s face, Helgar thought to himself, Ah, we might have made a mistake. But he kept his own expression impassive, not wanting to worry his subordinates.

◇ ◇ ◇

At present, Demon Emperor Yuki ruled over the Reauxgard Empire, but he was merely a nominal head of state, with policies set and implemented by the leaders of other countries. However, those leaders weren’t always present in the empire. Thus, naturally, others ran the country on a day-to-day basis—in this case, the senate. About half of its members had changed since the war, and relationships were complicated due to differing factions, but they still shared the same goal of governing the nation. In that sense, they were united in their views. They had suffered the misfortune of defeat, but they had slowly been rebuilding and managed to bring the empire to its current state.

And at this very moment, those very people were groaning, clutching their heads in despair.

“First the terror attacks at the stadium and the airport, now this?”

“If it isn’t one thing, it’s another...”

Their current headache was the gaggle of protesters that had descended on the imperial castle.

“Give us back our mentor!”

“To hell with this unjust inquiry!”

“We demand transparency!”

Angry shouts erupted from the gate outside, reaching all the way to where the senators were gathered. It wasn’t a riot; simply citizens exercising their right to protest. They weren’t carrying weapons or anything dangerous. But the passion and pressure radiating from them were so great that the government had no choice except to deploy troops. Officials could easily see that a single misstep could blow up the powder keg of a situation and turn it into a riot.

The protesters had one goal: the liberation of Alveiro Velburn. Alveiro had been running a private school of sorts. Those who could be described as his pupils had heard of his arrest and had come storming in, along with friends and acquaintances, all residents of the neighborhood he lived in. In all, there must have been at least two hundred people taking part in the demonstration.

The problem wasn’t the number. If the senators really wanted to, they could easily subdue the protesters. No, the problem lay in who was protesting. Among them were high-ranking military officers, well-known wealthy merchants, and even aristocrats who held important positions. It was no wonder the senators felt like the walls were closing in around them.

Alveiro Velburn’s popularity was as plain as day, which was an unpleasant truth in the current political climate. Unfortunately, there was simply no way they could ever free him. After all, he was the person who had emerged as the prime suspect during the investigation of a major incident involving Demon Emperor Yuki, Dwarf King Dodah, and Demon King Fynar Regnerius Saturnia—one that could have easily escalated into a diplomatic issue. That incident was the problem Reauxgard needed to solve before any other.

The empire couldn’t continue to embarrass itself as a disorganized mess, unable to accomplish anything without the help of other countries. As of now, it existed only because of those other nations. Even its current emperor wasn’t a born citizen. All of that had been inevitable following its defeat in the war, which was exactly why, in order to regain their sovereignty, even if bit by bit, it must solve its problems by itself.

It came down to honor. If a country couldn’t maintain its honor, it couldn’t survive. That was reality, no matter how trivial it might seem.

For that reason, now that the prime suspect had been apprehended, the senators wished to continue solving the case on their own. But then this commotion had erupted. The meeting had turned into an uproar, with everyone talking over each other.

“The evidence has been presented. His crime is heinous enough to warrant execution!”

“Have you any notion of the number of objections and complaints the senate has received?! If we do that, there will be chaos! Riots everywhere! Can you even begin to imagine what a disaster it would be if we lose control and have to call in the military?!”

“A former assemblyman is under suspicion. If we execute him without due process, won’t that be seen as an attempt at a cover-up?”

“Bah, you’re being too soft on him! Any further disrespect of the government will only lead to more problems!”

“That doesn’t mean we can act recklessly! Being proactive is one thing, but a drastic decision like this is something else entirely!”

Everyone offered their opinions, but they couldn’t reach a consensus. Just more proof of the impact the latest incident had had. The man known as Alveiro was far more famous and well-regarded than they’d imagined. The senate president remained silent for a moment, then let out a sigh.

“Either way, when a problem balloons to this scale, it’s beyond our capacity to judge. While I’d prefer outsiders to stay out of our politics...we have no choice in this case. First, contact the Demon King.”

“But, my lord...”

“This matter has involved citizens of other nations from the start. Given that, it would be better for ours that we demonstrate our willingness to cooperate. Fortunately, we were able to apprehend the prime suspect, so we’ve managed to save some face. It isn’t ideal, but if we overreach, we’ll fail. Any objections?”

No one said a word.

The man smiled faintly, pleased that the meeting was proceeding as anticipated.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Elaborate.”

A note of displeasure sounded in Demon King Fynar’s voice at his subordinate’s report.

“Yes, my lord. We’ve received an apology stating that they intended to contact us but were forced to act first due to the possibility of the culprit escaping. Evidently, they wished to seize the initiative, no matter how small, in this matter in order to improve the empire’s position.”

“So the imperial guard took action? Have you heard anything from them?”

“Yes, but they claim that the communication was delayed due to the senate’s emergency mobilization. They followed up with a more sincere apology as a result.”

“Oho... Fascinating. Quite impressive to be able to anticipate the imperial guard’s response.”

“I can’t speak for the other senators, but I believe the current president may have thought that far ahead. He’s demonstrated an exceptional ability to adapt in his negotiations with us at every step. In particular, I feel I must comment on his swiftness in handing over control of the investigation to us after the target was secured.”

The perfectly engineered move ensured that the Demon King and his allies couldn’t complain while still allowing them to take credit for the achievement. The senate had taken the action precisely because the protest movement was verging on a riot and it could no longer contain the people. But in a way, the timing was impeccable for them to dump the growing problem into the Demon King’s lap. Though annoyance had initially clouded Fynar’s face at the hassle, his expression changed to one of interest upon hearing the cleverness of the other side’s tactics.

“Hmm... Well, they’re running a country too, so I suppose I should have expected this much. What matters is that they captured the target. We demons can certainly learn from this sort of maneuvering. Truly, I feel as if I’ve caught a glimpse of the humans’ power to organize.”

“Personally, I can’t help but feel they’ve foisted more trouble on us...”

“No, no. You’re viewing this from a demonic perspective. Even if we are the victors now, if we neglect to learn, we’ll soon become the losers. As our interactions with other races increase, the only way for us to remain victors is to continue learning about the world outside our own.”

“Forgive me, sire. I’ll keep that in mind.”

For his part, Fynar had been carefully gathering information since the act of terror in the airfield because he had perceived intent in the enemy’s actions this time. That meant the enemy had something planned against them. It also meant that not all of the information they had obtained was necessarily accurate. So even though he had judged Alveiro to be a key player in all this, he hadn’t gone so far as to consider him guilty. Thus the source of his initial irritation upon learning that the imperial government had acted unilaterally to secure his target.

Alveiro Velburn. A nobleman with moderate leanings who had served in the senate since the time of the previous emperor, Shendra. He was a mid-level assemblyman who didn’t hold any special positions, but he ran his own private school, so as a thinker, he held considerable influence in both the political and business spheres, with a broad swathe of acquaintances. Their intelligence on the man had also confirmed he’d been on friendly terms with Shendra on a personal level, and that with a few more years of experience in the senate under his belt, he would become its next president.

Velburn had acted as one of the imperial commanders during the Great Corpse Dragon War, but after Reauxgard’s defeat, his criticism of the current governance structure had made him a target for covert surveillance by Fynar’s intelligence organization. And he was the one who had surfaced as a leading person of interest during the investigations into the incidents at the stadium and the airport.

First, there was the teleportation dagger, the device believed to have been utilized to send the monsters. The weapon’s origins were still under investigation, but Fynar and his people theorized that it had been hidden among the materials being delivered to the stadium. Their probe had revealed that Velburn had visited the warehouse when the materials were being stored at a port. That had been two days before the crime.

Yuki had told him that the teleportation dagger was likely a dungeon creation due to its rarity. Only high-ranking government officials knew of the dungeon’s existence and how to use it. That was how Alveiro’s name had first come up. Furthermore, in the matter of the airport bombing, they suspected that explosives lost at the Third Imperial Weapons Storehouse had been used, and his name had also appeared in the access records there. Though it had been cleverly concealed, proof of his visit to the weapons depot had been found within a week of the incident, with no other records of visits going back three months. While the soldiers managing the storehouse were still under investigation, they had been tentatively deemed innocent, which only deepened suspicion against Alveiro. Along with this evidence, his opinions and actions thus far didn’t help his case either.

Given all that, Fynar couldn’t help thinking, It all fits too well. He couldn’t shake the feeling that everything had been premeditated.

“Is there anything else?”

“Just one thing. A message from the vice commander of the Reauxgard First Imperial Order of Knights. He said he lacks definitive proof, but... ‘We might have made a mistake.’”

“Hmm, hmm, hmm. Concerning words indeed.”

Fynar pondered for a moment, then spoke again.

“I think a meeting is in order.”

“With whom, my lord?”

“Assemblyman Velburn. Oh, and while you’re at it, do reach out to Yuki for me as well.”

◇ ◇ ◇

“So, what did you find out?”

“A suspicious someone who presumably checks all the boxes. We captured an assemblyman named Alveiro Velburn. After a number of inquiries, most signs pointed to him as the guilty party.”

That was Fynar’s answer to my question. We were currently in Reauxgard’s imperial castle. He’d asked to meet here since there seemed to be progress on the terror attack. I’d been recharging at home these past few days, so I was ready and raring to go. I’d followed Miss Iluna’s wise counsel too, about letting my wives spoil me, and boy, had they!

“The way you said all that makes me think you don’t actually believe it. Am I right?”

“How very astute. Yes, I believe something is amiss. Which is why I thought the two of us should suss out the truth for ourselves.”

“Let me guess, we’re heading to...”

“Indeed. To where that young man is being held.”

We descended the rough stone staircase, our footsteps echoing, and eventually arrived at a prison cell. There were two soldiers standing guard and a middle-aged man with his hands shackled. So this is the guy...

It was obvious from his scruffy beard, his bedraggled clothes, and the fatigue on his face that he’d been here a while. But the thing that really struck me was his eyes, which still exuded power despite his exhaustion. They were eyes I’d seen many times before, radiating a powerful will and determination. Yeah, he’s got the kinda vibe that makes it easy to mark him as shady.

The man noticed us approaching. For a moment, he looked surprised, but then he bowed deeply.

“Well, well. What a pleasure to meet you both, Your Majesties. I hope you’ll forgive me for greeting you in such a deplorable state.”

Apparently, he knew us.

“We don’t mind at all, as we’re the ones who put you in here. So you are Alveiro.”

“Yes, my name is Alveiro Velburn. Since you’ve ventured all the way down here, I take it you have business with me?”

“Indeed we do. We have a few questions for you. I’ll be frank—were you involved in the terror attacks?”

“Damn, Fynar, you weren’t kidding about the ‘frank’ part.”

“We all know why we’re here, so I see no need to beat around the bush.”

True.

“Ha ha. I second that. Very blunt. Then I shall return the favor—it wasn’t me.”

Alveiro sounded very sure, so Fynar pressed him.

“But you’re dissatisfied with the current form of government, are you not?”

“I don’t deny that. I accept that foreigners are in charge of the business of running this country. I have to, since we lost the war. However, it’s wrong for a foreigner to be the head of this country. We won’t be able to move forward that way.”

Alveiro looked me right in the eye as he spoke. Telling me straight to my face, huh? He’s got balls, I’ll give him that.

“Your previous emperor was the one who told me to take on the job.”

“I know. But if you’ll pardon me for saying this, none of you understand the sheer stupidity of human beings. ‘This is the most efficient way to do things. Therefore, that is how we should do them.’ Few people are able to think so rationally.”

The man continued.

“The emperor is the symbol of this country. As such, we cannot accept a situation in which he is a foreigner. That is our logic. You may think we’re being rather self-serving, and you wouldn’t be wrong. That’s why, rather than concluding them right away, my plan was to continue negotiating over the next decade or so, seeking a path to a change of government.”

Ya know, it wasn’t like I didn’t understand what he was trying to say. It was totally reasonable for the people of Reauxgard to want that.

“All right, then. Next question. You recently entered the materials storage facility and weapons depot, didn’t you? Might you have any explanation for either of those visits?”

“Yes. Personal reasons.”

“Personal reasons. I see.”

“Yes. Nothing to do with terrorism.”

Knowing he was under suspicion, knowing his answer would only worsen his position, he still went with it? Huh.

Fynar’s interrogation didn’t end there.

Alveiro claimed that he wasn’t responsible for the crimes, but also that he was also unhappy with the current government. He’d even set foot in the storage facility where the teleportation dagger had probably been hidden, as well as the Third Imperial Weapons Storehouse, the source of the explosives used in the attack, shortly beforehand. He stayed stubbornly silent on that front.

All of that made him look extremely suspicious. Talking to him had also made me realize that he had the resolve and capacity to take serious action if he decided it was genuinely necessary. That was just the kind of aura he gave off. Even if he was a good person who thought terrorism was stupid, when it came to whether he could do it or not, the answer was that he could.

The Demon King next to me. Shendra, the former emperor. That ginger piece of shit who’d died in the war. And Nell’s boss, Carlotta, the lady knight commander. I sensed the same thing in this man as I did in them.

After asking him our questions, we stepped away from Alveiro.

“Interesting. I get why you don’t think he’s the culprit now.”

“While I have no doubt that terrorists lurk around him, I don’t think it’s him. I sense something amiss about everything in these incidents. A certain contrivance on the enemy’s part. Which is why I believe Alveiro being the culprit...”

I finished Fynar’s thought.

“Is too obvious.”

“Exactly. Though we still don’t have any evidence that he isn’t, I can’t help but feel as if the stage was deliberately set for him. Moreover, my intuition tells me that Alveiro is hiding something from us. The only clear thing about any of this is the complicated, tangled web.”

Yeah, he was definitely hiding something. Especially in light of his visits to the materials warehouse and the weapons depot. He’d practically confessed that something had happened when we’d questioned him about those. What was he so desperate to hide at the risk of putting himself at an even greater disadvantage?

“I guess this is a mess we won’t be solving so quickly and easily, huh?”

“Now do you see the bind I’m in? Hence I was thinking I’d ask for your help.”

“I don’t think there’s anything I can do, though. This stuff isn’t exactly my forte.”

“No, there’s something only you can do. Specifically, I want Alveiro to meet him. Since they were such good friends, I thought we could glean some information from any discussion they might have.”

“Uh... Oh. Ohhh. You sly little demon.”

When he saw that I’d figured out his plan, Fynar smiled his usual scheming, amused smile. Thanks to him, I’d remembered that we had our very own wild card.

◇ ◇ ◇

Following our visit to the prison, Fynar arranged for Alveiro’s temporary release, and we took him along with us. Our destination was the demon world. Now that the door to its capital had been installed, it was possible to travel back and forth between the Reauxgard Empire and the demon world at any time. Secretly, though. It was important to point that out.

No doubt that in my previous life, transporting someone who hadn’t been convicted of a crime yet—heck, even someone who had—to another country would’ve posed a major problem. Since this would be considered a serious infringement on sovereignty, the Demon King’s subordinates had pulled together and done their best to secure one day of freedom for the man. So, officially, Alveiro wasn’t on his way to the demon world. In fact, everyone except those in the know probably thought he was still being held captive. Anybody wanting to visit him in prison would find themselves unable to, thanks to the Demon King’s edict keeping them out.

As for Alveiro himself, while I was still suspicious of him, he didn’t put up any resistance and followed us obediently. We didn’t explain anything to him, but after passing through the door, I heard him muttering to himself, saying things like, “Could this be...” and “That door...” so he’d presumably figured out on his own that this was the demon world. There was only one reason we’d gone to all this trouble...

“Th-This... This can’t be!”

...and that was to bring him face-to-face with someone familiar. Someone who knew quite a bit about what was going on. Someone like...the former emperor.

“It’s been too long, Alveiro. I’m glad to see you’re well.”

“Your Majesty!”

The shock on Alveiro’s face quickly transformed into relief. Tears suddenly filled his eyes.

“Ngh... Hrngh... You’re...alive!”

Like a dam bursting, the tears started flowing as he sobbed. The former emperor watched over him warmly, doing nothing to stop him. There was definitely a bond between the two of them that we couldn’t understand.

After a few minutes, Alveiro finally calmed down. He took a deep breath, then exhaled before opening his mouth, his eyes red and swollen.

“Forgive me for the unseemly display, my lord. You see, we were only told you had been executed. They wouldn’t even allow us to see your body, so...”

“In a sense, that is true. The man you knew as Shendra is dead. The one before you now is simply Shen. Should it be known that the one responsible for the war remains alive, I’ll be forced to actually hang myself. So...since it is you who has learned the truth, let me tell you that I never want to lead a country again. I’m loath to ask, but won’t you keep this a secret?”

“O-Of course! I’m honored. The knowledge that you’re alive shall stay locked away in my heart. But truly...I’m so glad...”

“To be clear, they permitted me to live because our interests aligned. Nothing more, nothing less. But that’s precisely what matters in order to build trust. Even if we’re of different backgrounds, so long as logic prevails and both sides benefit, we can come to an agreement.”

“Then as far as your work goes, Your Majesty—I mean, Lord Shen, I assume you’re...a researcher?”

“You assume correctly. From morning to night, I study what I love, poring over tomes in my pursuit of knowledge. It’s a way of spending my days that was unthinkable when I was emperor. And I must admit, I’m quite enjoying myself. Though I do feel sorry for those like you who I left behind.”

“Please don’t. Not after all the hardships you endured. Any who complain will be dealt with accordingly.”

Seeing the look of deep satisfaction on Shen’s face, Alveiro smiled while looking like he’d burst into tears again. All I could think was that they both understood how tough things had been during Shendra’s reign. Nice to see how close they are.

Then, Shen’s tone turned serious.

“Right, then. Considering they went to great lengths to bring you all the way here, I can only conclude that you’ve gotten yourself into a spot of trouble.”

“Apologies, my lord, for being unable to govern the country you entrusted to us...”

“When undertaking a new endeavor, it’s only natural for problems to arise. In that sense, I commend you for your efforts. Having said that, I bear some responsibility for leaving you and the others to manage things at a most difficult time. So, if there’s anything I can do to help, I will.”

“But...”

Alveiro glanced furtively at me and the Demon King, who were standing nearby.

“You can trust them. While they put themselves and their peoples first, that doesn’t mean they’re fools who would try to exploit another country out of shortsighted greed. Of course, that wouldn’t be the case if they had proven themselves self-indulgent opportunists.”

“Such relentlessly rational thinking... You haven’t changed at all, Lord Shen.”

“Of course not. You used to warn me that people can’t accept everything simply on the basis of reason. Researchers do need to be flexible, but I’d no longer be myself without logic. And that won’t change, even if ‘Shendra’ is now ‘Shen.’”

In response, a smile full of both wryness and resignation appeared on Alveiro’s face. Then, he nodded.

“Understood. As you command. Your Majesties, I sincerely apologize for my conduct thus far. I’ll tell you everything I can.”

“That is much appreciated. I’m sure you have your reasons.”

“I do. Thank you for your understanding. At any rate... First, let me explain why I went to the materials storage facility and Third Imperial Weapons Storehouse. I was summoned by someone whose identity I’m not at liberty to disclose.”

I could practically see the light bulb lighting up over the Demon King’s head at those words.

“I see. So the one pulling the strings behind the scenes in Reauxgard right now is...”

“Yes, there’s only one answer,” Shen said.

“A member of the imperial family.”

Inch. Resting. Someone Alveiro couldn’t tell us about. From what I’d seen so far, the man’s loyalty was crystal clear. If the person who’d summoned him was a member of the imperial family, it was no wonder he couldn’t talk about them, no matter how much that put him at a disadvantage.

“However, Demon King, I doubt my family is behind this. They may be involved, but I believe someone else concocted the plan. They simply don’t have the ability to devise a scheme of this sort, partially because I made it impossible for them to do so.”

“I see, I see... Since you were my initial source of information on the empire, I had naturally ruled that possibility out.”

“What are you guys talking about?”

Shen answered my question.

“I’m embarrassed to admit that over the years, my family members became obsessed with power, to the point they’ve turned into fools. I thought the country would collapse if I allowed them to run unchecked, so I confiscated all of their authority and purged approximately half of them.”

“‘P-Purged’?”

That didn’t sound ominous at all.

“Why are you so surprised? If it weren’t me, it would have been someone else. For example, the Demon King standing next to you. He would do what is necessary.”

“I...don’t disagree. My wife is a different story, but anyone else in the way, even family... I suppose I would eliminate them.”

Shen and the Demon King sounded nonchalant as hell. Then again, I knew well enough that leaders of all stripes possessed that trait. A ruler’s role was to help and guide the many. The flip side of that was that they sometimes needed to discard the few. Abandon the minority if necessary, even if they were in trouble or if it meant their death. The ability to make tough calls like that was basically essential for a leader. Because while they had to take action to achieve everything from A to Z, it was actually impossible to do so.

“As a result, the current imperial family has no power to command the military, nor does it have the power to influence the judiciary. Its members also lack the ability to make plans and put them into action. They may become a banner or a symbol, but nothing more. Although they evidently have enough brains left to attempt something now that my influence has waned.”

Holy crap, that’s mean. But this guy never pulled his punches, so if that was what he said his family was like, then they probably were. In hindsight, though, I’d never heard anyone mention the imperial family in Reauxgard until now. Maybe because of Shen’s purge?

“So you think the reason they dragged your boy Alveiro into this was to weaken your old faction?”

“That is likely part of it. I’m dead, but that doesn’t mean everyone who supported me is too. As such, our influence remains. And this man was a pillar for us. If such an individual were to plot and carry out an act of terror that shook the nation, the remnants of our faction would face their inevitable demise.”

Shen’s words sounded like a compliment, but to Alveiro, the man in question, they were anything but, judging by the grimace on his face. I bet he felt guilty about his role in all this.

“Hmm... I do believe I’m starting to see the picture. Alveiro, in all likelihood, you were set up as the scapegoat. Perhaps you could enlighten us on your conversation with them?”

“I’m sorry. I can’t. I’m not authorized to discuss internal matters. However, I can tell you that I was blindsided when I discovered that I was being suspected of terrorism.”

Meaning whatever they’d talked about hadn’t had anything to do with that. But given the circumstances, whoever’d called him there had obviously planned to frame him from the start.

“What you see is what you get with him. He has the will and the talent to achieve what he sets his mind to, but his stubbornness is his singular flaw. He hasn’t changed at all since I’ve known him, and I’ve known him a very long time, so I suggest you give up on getting him to talk. I am another matter entirely, though. I can think of a few possible suspects, as well as those abetting them, so I shall keep you informed.”

“We appreciate it. Apologies for dragging you into this despite you leaving the country behind.”

“Well, I suspect half of this plot is revenge against me. If someone were to say I’m responsible as the former emperor, I wouldn’t be able to deny it. And it wouldn’t surprise me to learn that those fools think the same.”

That was when I cut in.

“If they really are the way you describe them, then they’re not the kind of people who’ll just say ‘Good riddance’ when someone they hate dies. They’re the kind who’d take it a step further by going scorched earth even after they die. Watch the world burn just because. I mean, they don’t have anything holding them down anymore.”

“Ha. That is exactly what it feels like. If all they wanted was revenge, they could have exacted it while I was still ‘alive.’ But they didn’t make a move until after the war ended, and now that I’m ‘gone,’ this is what happens. I know I’ve done plenty to earn their hatred. I only wish they had kept their harassment to me and me alone. I wouldn’t have minded keeping them company.”

“I kinda get why they didn’t think so. I wouldn’t wanna deal with someone like you either. Isn’t that right, Demon King?”

“Ha ha! Agreed. I think one war with you as an opponent was more than enough for me. I suspect I would be bankrupt in no time if in a game of wagers.”

“What a shame. I’d be more than happy to let bygones be bygones with whatever you have on your person right now.”

“Yeah, that’s called extortion, man.”

Watching the three of us banter, Alveiro looked happy for some reason.

“I see... So you have found friends with whom you can relax your guard, my lord. Equals.”

“Why you... I would appreciate it if you’d stop acting like I’m lonesome.”

“Heh, forgive me. But I’m still happy for you. Though I was glad to be your subordinate, I could never be on equal footing with you. However, I have to admit, I find it a tad strange that you’ve found connections with those we fought against...”

“Bah... Well, I’m living a life worthy of what’s left of it, and I don’t mind that it’s a comfortable one.”

“You’re no longer the unyielding man you used to be.”

“As emperor, I couldn’t even tell jokes, which was unfortunate, since I actually love them.”

“Why, surely you jest, my lord.”

So we joked and chatted for a little while longer. Then, the Demon King’s tone grew more serious.

“All right, I believe we’ve found a way to solve this. While the imperial family’s involvement certainly complicates things, I propose we leave them alone and instead cut off those acting as their eyes and ears. If Shen’s information is correct, that might be our best option.”

“I concur. By doing that, we immobilize them, then we finish them off at a later time. Specifically, after the tournament is over.”

“You guys are scary. If you two actually join forces for real, taking over the world would be a piece of cake.”

“Even if we did, it would be pointless if we couldn’t maintain our hold. I could barely manage one country.”

“Exactly. I already had my hands full with the demon world, but now, I have to think about the Reauxgard Empire as well. I don’t need more added to my plate, thank you.”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice how you guys never said you can’t do it. Typical. Oh yeah, speaking of dealing with the imperial family, I might have an idea. I actually came up with it a while back, buuut we can circle back to it later.”

“Oh? Do tell, Yuki.”

And that was exactly what I did.

◇ ◇ ◇

After visiting the demon world to get a detailed account of the empire’s internal affairs from Shen, I went back to Reauxgard, where I put Alveiro back into the prison without anyone being the wiser. Thanks to our disguises and tricks, no one had even noticed that he’d been gone. A few days later, the Demon King took Alveiro into custody under the pretext of questioning him and gave him back some of his freedom, albeit with certain conditions, the major one being that he’d be accompanied by a bodyguard at all times to prevent his assassination. The Demon King usually did his best to be considerate of humans and their reputation, but the way he exercised his authority without reservation at times like this was honestly hella impressive, proving just how much power he had.

Shen had a rough idea of who the enemy was. He’d compiled a list of those he knew to have malicious intent. But the problem was, it wasn’t up to us to act as judge and jury. Why? Because our opponents included members of the imperial family, which was arguably the country’s backbone.

The other rulers and I were currently in charge of the Reauxgard Empire. However, that didn’t mean the people had opened their hearts to us. Setting aside the issue of the former emperor having been responsible for the war, the Demon King and Shen predicted there’d be major backlash if we made any moves on the imperial family right now.

Since I knew the history of my previous world decently well, I could say with confidence that they were probably right. One look at how things had been handled when Japan was defeated during World War II was proof enough. In short, foreigners had to stay the hell away from the imperial family. That was obvious from the fact that Alveiro had figured out he’d been framed, despite not having mentioned it at first and only reluctantly telling us some things after Shen’d told him to. This problem really needed to be handled by the people of this country. Unfortunately for them, we were the ones sitting at the top of their judicial system.

All of which meant that we had to strategize. As part of that, what we needed now was time. Both to prevent any more terrorist attacks and also to host the Magical War Games as quickly as possible.

Initially, the goal had been what you might call a peaceful fight between the different races, but it’d changed a lot by this point.

“So every freaking day, I’ve been wondering why I have to worry about all this crap. And it’s really made me realize that you legit kings and queens are seriously amazing. I don’t even have any real authority, but here I am stressing the hell out, so the rest of you who actually take full responsibility and run your countries are incredible to me.”

I sighed deeply, sitting in one of the parlors in the imperial castle.

“Ha ha! I, too, have such worries weighing me down every day. Though I keep insisting I shall retire, I let all the chances pass me by, in light of all that has transpired.”

That reply had come from Reyd. He was the ruler of the Kingdom of Alisia, the country where Nell was serving as the hero. The man had arrived in Reauxgard a few hours ago on an airship. He was technically here on official business. Just to be safe, Nell was with him as an escort, and she’d been here until a short time earlier, when we had her step outside for a bit.

I’d personally heard him say a bunch of times before that he would quit being king, but being sucked into everything going on in the world had put a kibosh on that plan. With Alisia being one of the victors of the Great War, the country’d seen a dramatic increase in its relations with other races. Establishing air routes had also helped them form new diplomatic relations with nations it’d had no direct ties to before. All of those important issues and more had apparently made it difficult for him to step down.

Having said that, the next king had already been chosen, and Reyd was handing over his duties bit by bit. Still, he’d stay in the role for at least a few more years until things calmed down. While he was happy that he’d be able to accomplish so much by the end of his reign, he was mentally exhausted more than anything else. He told me all that with a wry smile.

“All I wanna do is hole myself up in the Demonic Forest, go back to being a simple demon lord, and just chill. Society is just too much of a hassle, y’know?”

“’Tis remarkable to even be able to say such a thing. After all, how many even have the option of choosing between life as an emperor and one as a demon lord? Very bold of you.”

“Weeell, it helps that the Demonic Forest is a surprisingly comfy place to live.”

“Pull the other one as well, why don’t you?”

Reyd and I both laughed.

“Now, let us get to the crux of why I am here. Tell me about this ‘wicked scheme’ of yours.”

“Okay, so. You’re the only one we can ask for help with this since you’re human and royalty.”

So I told him about the plan the Demon King and I had drummed up. The plan for me to step down as emperor.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Good work, Nell. Meeting you like this is a nice change of pace.”

“I agree. We’ve worked together a ton already, but not when we’re both doing different jobs. It feels...different. Interesting.”

I had some free time after finishing my conversation with King Reyd, so I’d decided that a nice, easy chat with Nell, who’d come as his bodyguard, was in order. We were in one of the many lounges of the imperial castle. The staff here already knew that I wasn’t particularly fond of stuffy formalities, so they’d prepared a room that wasn’t too extravagant. It was just the right size, with no butlers or maids waiting on us hand and foot. Though I was pretty sure they were on standby somewhere close, ready to come at a moment’s notice if I called for them.

“Your people here were really struggling with whether to treat me like the emperor’s wife or a state guest. I felt bad, so I asked them to treat me like a regular guard instead.”

“Ha ha! Figures. Maybe that’s why they looked so uncomfortable earlier.”

“Gosh, when you put it like that, I sound like some kind of crazy person.”

“Put your hand on your heart and think real hard about it.”

“Okay... The answer is...I’m better than you, even as a crazy person, Mr. Yuki!”

“Wow. Wooow.”

That’s messed up.

“Ha ha! Just kidding. I’d say we’re the same level of crazy!”

“And I would have to...disagree.”

“Gasp! The betrayal!”

I chuckled in response to Nell pretending to be surprised.

“Man, talking to you really makes all my exhaustion disappear. Forever grateful to my boy Reyd for bringing you along as his bodyguard!”

“Well, I’m glad you’re feeling better, Mr. Yuki, but I have to admit, I feel sort of conflicted at the thought of our conversation being responsible for that.”

“If that’s how feeling conflicted makes you look, then I gotta say, I like it!”

“Don’t think you can get away with sweet nothings forever, Mr. Yuki.”

After some more light banter, I asked my wife a question.

“You got time, Nell?”

“Yes. His Majesty said I can have the next few hours to myself.”

“Cool. Theeen... Since we’re alone, why don’t we relax here in the castle for a while? Or we could go shopping. Maybe hit up a weapons shop?”

“Squee! Yes, let’s! As far as shopping... I shouldn’t. I’m here for work, after all. I think I’ll just stay in the castle with you.”

“True, true.”

“In exchange...”

Nell glanced around to make sure we were alone, then moved from the sofa across from mine and plopped herself down next to me. Then, she leaned down to rest her head on my lap. She felt wonderfully warm.

“Tee hee! You’re my pillow now, Mr. Yuki!”

“Is this really all you want?”

“Yup! With Lefi and Lew pregnant, it’s hard for me to take up your time at home.”

Ah, now I see the light...

“I don’t think they’d mind, y’know.”

“I know. But it bothers me. So...I think I’ll just indulge myself now while I can!”

Nell looked up at me from below with a laugh. Ugh, how is everything you do so friggin’ adorable?

“Well, my lady, shall I pour you some tea?”

“Do as you see fit, good sir! But I think I’d prefer green tea instead of black.”

“Is that so? In that case, may I present to you a special brew from the House of Leila brand! Thanks to this wonderful magic called Inventory, it’s always freshly brewed! But wait, there’s more! House of Leila tea snacks! These are also freshly baked, which means you can always enjoy the fragrant aroma! They’re even delicious cold!”

“Ha ha! Omigosh, we’re probably the only ones in such a luxurious castle who would go to the trouble of bringing tea and snacks from home.”

“And why wouldn’t we? Everything Leila makes is delicious.”

When I took out a thermos, snacks, plates, and forks from Inventory and placed them on the table, Nell sat up. There was tableware in the room, but it was all obviously high-end, and I had zero desire to use any of it. I guess I could call this my castle now, but for whatever reason, it still felt like someone else’s house, which meant I wasn’t gonna cut loose like I should’ve.

I’m such a dumbass. I’ll never be an arrogant, ruthless demon lord at this rate. I still have a long way to go, huh? Maybe if I push the castle’s staff around like a real hard-ass... Hmm... Nah. I’ll just end up wanting to do the work myself.

“Hey, Mr. Yuki. Hey. Heeey.”

“Yes, my lady. Say ‘aah.’”

“Mmm... So delicious! I knew you knew what I wanted.”

“I damn well better, considering I’m your husband.”

Nell enjoyed being pampered, so it was easy for me to figure out what she’d want me to do at a time like this.

“Tee hee, why am I not surprised? All right, you too, Mr. Yuki. Open wide.”

“Mmm... Superb. One wife’s powerful confectionary creations, plus another wife hand-feeding me said creations. I suspect that this combination extends a man’s life span by at least a year. I really must present this theory at a conference.”

“What conference?”

“Why, the one held by the Harem Promotion Society.”

“That sounds like a conference sure to cause a stir!”

Ain’t that the truth?

And so, I enjoyed tea time with Nell. Time passed by like a lazy river. Just as fun and chill as one too.

“Hey, Mr. Yuki?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m so excited for the children to arrive. Aren’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Tee hee. Actually... No, never mind.”

“What is it?”

“Nothing.”

Smiling like the cat that ate the canary, Nell scooted down to rest her head on my lap again.

“Snacking while lying down... We can’t do this with Iluna and the girls around since we have to set a good example for them.”

“Which is why you should be bad when you’re not at home! Hero, if you wish to stop the Demon Lord’s atrocities, now is the time.”

“Hmm. This hero has already succumbed to temptation and fallen into evil’s clutches, so that won’t be possible. I’ll simply watch with a smile as chaos devours the world!”

“A very fitting attitude for my wife. As a reward for being such an excellent consort, I shall give you a head pat.”

“Tee hee. Huzzah!”

I stroked Nell’s smooth, soft hair. Joking around with my wife like this...was one of my reasons for living.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Trouble abounds in this country too, hm?”

Despite the aftermath of the war leaving him unable to use magic ever again, Runougil, whose alias was the Silent Assassin, continued to operate in the underworld as the Demon King’s right-hand man. Following a terrorist attack targeting the rulers, he had once again infiltrated the Reauxgard Empire and, while commanding his subordinates, was gathering information for the next operation. In other words, he was conducting an espionage campaign.

His base was the entertainment district in the imperial capital. This place of greed had seen an unprecedented influx of money since other races had begun visiting. As a result, conspiracies swirled everywhere, making it the perfect place for someone to plot evil. That explained why he was not only directing his subordinates, but also going undercover in one of the luxury casinos there to monitor his target, the one deemed guilty by the Demon King. His orders were to let the fish swim free and only catch it if the situation escalated. Thus, as the target began to move, he did as well. He reached for the knife hidden in his pocket.

It was at that moment that his attention was caught by a maid. Dressed in the same style as the casino waiters, she was completely unremarkable. He felt like she’d disappear if he took his eyes off her. Her brow twitched for a moment when she realized she was being watched, but her professional smile never wavered as she approached him in an inconspicuous fashion.

Hmm, she’s excellent at hiding her presence. I’d like my people to learn from her. She certainly lives up to the expectations of an operative recruited by the former emperor.

“A member of Avend, I take it? My lord, the Demon King, has told me about your organization.”

“My superior has entrusted me with information. I’m to give it to you first.”

“Understood. Go on, then.”

Their conversation was drowned out by the noise of the casino.

◇ ◇ ◇

Reyd Glorio Alisia, the king of the Kingdom of Alisia. When he visited Reauxgard on official business and heard Yuki’s most recent “evil plan,” he had immediately agreed to cooperate. One reason was because he owed Yuki a great debt, but more simply, he thought that it would also benefit his country.

The Reauxgard Empire was still a great power. While Alisia was clearly more powerful now, the empire remained among the top three most powerful nations populated by humans. This applied to both economic and military power. During the previous emperor’s reign and up until the war broke out, its leaders had acted with shrewd calculation, demonstrating to its neighbors not only the military might of a great power but also its ability to maneuver through tactics that didn’t involve force.

Even for the Kingdom of Alisia, the empire’s influence was so great that it had to be considered a potential enemy because of it strengthening the power of humans. The Reauxgard Empire had single-handedly pushed the human race to great heights. Therefore, in terms of the balance of power, it would frankly be troubling if the empire, once the Kingdom’s potential enemy, were to sink into ruin.

For now, the balance of power in the world had shifted. With the future in mind, the Kingdom of Alisia had involved itself heavily in the Great Corpse Dragon War, but that conflict had brought an end to the era in which humans held the upper hand. Now, the other races had begun to ascend.

Reyd didn’t think that was a bad thing in itself. Until now, humans had been a tad too dominant, which had been a source of conflict for all the races. However, if things continued as they were, there was a very real possibility that the humans would find themselves pushed down the hierarchy.

For the next few years, life would follow some semblance of the usual, but looking forward ten or twenty years down the line, the situation became increasingly cloudy. Since Demon Emperor Yuki, the most powerful living person among mankind, wasn’t human, it was an undeniable fact that humans were a step or two behind, even with no action on his part.

Therefore, balance was the key. If the balance between mutual benefit, tightly woven and unshakable, and military power, something not easily interfered with, wasn’t maintained, war would come in no time. Concepts like charity and compassion, while important in themselves, were utterly useless when it came to running a country. Instead, what both sides needed for clear understanding were tangible benefits and power.

No matter how kindhearted the other kings and queens were, they were ultimately rulers. Each prioritized their own country’s interests, so they cooperated because they believed that doing so served those interests. However, Demon King Fynar possessed an excellent instinct for that particular realm of politics. He understood what it meant to maintain a distance that allowed both parties to remain happy together and acted accordingly. Thanks to that man’s skills, the framework of a new world was taking shape, and everyone now racked their brains to ensure it thrived into the next generation. The Demon King could truly be called the leader of the current world.

Knowing that, Reyd believed that the “wicked scheme” Yuki and the Demon King had hatched would be beneficial to his country in the future. He believed that eliminating the rot in and stabilizing the Reauxgard Empire would ultimately be beneficial to the human race. To be perfectly honest, he harbored a measure of resentment toward the empire. One might wonder why. The answer? Because he knew that even though it was demons who had carried out the plan that killed his son, it was Reauxgard that had devised it.

As long as he lived, he could never forget that fact. However, everything he was doing was necessary to ensure he remembered his son’s death. That way, when he himself died, he could so proudly, knowing he led his country. So he would do it. He would do everything he could and survive. His mind was made up.

Then, with resolve in his heart, he traveled to a large palace located in Reauxgard’s capital. His goal? To meet with its residents.

“My goodness, Lord Reyd, what unseemly worries you have. It is only because of our noble bloodline that our citizens are allowed to live as such.”

“Hmm... I suppose that’s one way of thinking.”

The people in the room were close relatives of former Emperor Shendra—in other words, members of the imperial family. Every single one of them wore the same expression as the man before them.

“But surely the country exists because of each and every one of them. In that case, are you not allowed to feel a measure of fondness for them?”

“Well... You make a fair point, I’ll give you that. As long as they’re fulfilling their role as tools, a bit of praise here and there wouldn’t hurt.”

They were frank—almost appallingly so—with the foreign royal they’d only just met. That short exchange had made it amply clear that this was a completely normal mindset for them. That the issue at hand was nothing for them to concern themselves with.

I see.

Reyd had presided over his country for many long years as its king. Naturally, he had interacted with all sorts of people, and he was able to get a general idea of someone’s personality from just a few words. Even so, after such an exchange, would anyone else have arrived at a different conclusion? That being, to put it mildly, that they were scum.

The concept of protecting one’s country didn’t even exist for these people. They thought of the citizens in the same vein as dust and filth. The only thing that mattered to these parasites was themselves.

’Tis no wonder they were kept in the shadows.

Occasionally, those who could be described as foolish appeared among royal and imperial bloodlines. They had everything and the power to get away with anything, so they reached adulthood without ever exercising the ability to reason. He now understood why the former emperor had stripped these people of their authority and kept them essentially confined.

For a moment, Reyd felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. But thanks to the social skills he had learned as king, he didn’t let it show. He simply continued to smile.

Well, they will never be in the spotlight again. Now is their only moment of freedom, and it will be fleeting, because the board is set and we’ve made our move. We will ensure that the rubbish ends up where it belongs—in the bin.

◇ ◇ ◇

This happened a few days before King Reyd Glorio Alisia of the Kingdom of Alisia visited the Reauxgard Empire. I was with the First and Second Imperial Orders of Knights, the personal guards responsible for protecting the emperor. After capturing Alveiro Velburn but suspecting that he might not be the villain, they’d quietly kept an eye on things and, based on information provided by the intelligence organization, begun preparing for their next operation.

“Everyone’s here. Good. I’ll now brief you all on Operation ‘Put the Trash Where It Belongs.’”

Helgar Landros, vice commander of the First and the man in charge of overseeing the entire imperial guard, led the meeting. Just as he was about to continue, one of his subordinates raised his hand.

“Um, sir? May I ask a question first?”

“Go ahead.”

“Is, uh... Is that person over there His Majesty the Demon Emperor?”

I answered in Helgar’s place.

“Nope. It’s the mysterious helper, Masked Upsilon.”

“There you have it. He is the mysterious... What was it again?”

“Mysterious helper, Masked Upsilon. And this is my equipment, a fishing net for capturing people. I also have a trash can for the trash.”

“You heard him, everyone. Begging your pardon, Your Majesty, but if you could put away the fishing net and trash can...”

“Sir, you just addressed him as ‘Your Majesty.’”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding. I usually use an odachi—I mean, a greatsword, but it makes it hard to hold back. Mostly, though, I don’t want my kid touching any scumbag blood, so I’m basically bare knuckling it this time. Thanks in advance.”

“Thank you, Upsilon. You all understand, don’t you? This gentleman is a mysterious helper, unknown to us, who just so happened to be passing by. Don’t forget that.”

I could practically see the light bulbs going off over the rest of the imperial guards’ heads as they finally caught on. Ideally, we wanted people not to think I’d intervened and that the citizens of this country had solved this problem on their own. However, my goal today wasn’t to target the imperial family but their proverbial eyes and ears, so I wasn’t all that serious about hiding my identity. All that mattered was that we could keep up the pretense that I wasn’t there. Like, I couldn’t let them see my face, hence I was wearing my mask for the first time in a while.

After seeing that his subordinates understood, Helgar’s tone became more serious.

“Let me continue. Our enemy this time has used monsters in acts of terror twice now. In other words, we don’t know what they’ll do if cornered. Depending on the situation, it’s entirely possible they will resort to any means, no matter the consequences. Therefore, I’ve decided to ask the strongest person in this country to lend me his strength.”

As for my fighting forces, I was planning to have En be on standby in Inventory, but I’d decided not to bring Rir or the pet army along. Their presence would make it obvious that I was me, even with a mask on. But like Helgar’d just said, there was a chance the enemy might summon monsters again, so I’d brought En just in case.

The monsters that this country had summoned using Dungeon Points during the previous emperor’s reign were now technically under my command and working together with my monster-tamer units. Despite all that, the enemy could still rock our shit with items I didn’t know about, so it was best to have as many of our bases covered as possible. Could never be too careful. Also, if I didn’t take precautions like this now, I was afraid I’d get in trouble when I got home. Yeah.

“Don’t forget what our enemy is like this time around. They believe that if it’s for their own benefit, it doesn’t matter if a few citizens die. Focus on capturing them quickly.”

From there, Helgar went on to explain the details of the operation to everyone. He started with the goal, which was to capture the target alive and take him away. Like he’d said, there was a good chance the enemy would act regardless of the consequences, so he went over any potential concerns about executing the plan one by one.

While an operation like this wasn’t really part of the imperial guard’s job, if you wanted powerful folks that weren’t allied with the enemy, they were the best option. The Second Imperial Order had been established after the war, essentially making them convenient pawns for me and the other rulers. The First Imperial Order, though, was originally headed by former Emperor Shendra. In other words, they were just as hostile as the enemy. You could also say the Second made the best pieces for us to move on the board in this country.

Once the briefing ended, Helgar finally addressed me.

“Master Upsilon— No, Your Majesty. Is there anything you’d like to say?”

The fact that he deliberately called me that meant that he wanted me to speak in my role as the emperor. I mulled it over a bit, then took off my mask and answered.

“What they did to you... What they did to us was spit in the face of what we’re working toward and smear it with dirt. But we won’t take that lying down, which is why we’re gonna crush them. We won’t let them get away with it.”

I tended to forget because I usually spent my time in the dungeon, but life held much less value in this world than it had in my old one. People died easily, and even the concept of human rights was vague. Basically, it was up to you to do something with your life. Otherwise, you’d just starve to death.

In a world like this one, the life or death of a stranger held little meaning, especially for those in charge of a country. To them, people were probably just numbers, even more so than they’d been in my old life. In this world, where aristocratic rule prevailed, no matter how many subjects died, it hardly shook the foundations of their power.

Surrounded by super smart and rational folks like the Demon King, King Reyd of the Kingdom of Alisia, and even Shen, the former emperor of Reauxgard, I’d forgotten all that. But they were in the minority. That was why, to be honest, when I’d first heard that the imperial family was involved in the recent terrorist attacks, I’d thought, “Ah, not this shit.” They were a serious pain in the ass, though. We couldn’t afford to let dipshits like them gain a foothold in this country.

Still, even if I was just a figurehead, I was the emperor. So, while time was on my side, I’d follow the ways of this world and use force to eliminate any enemies that stood in my way.

“No way in hell we’re letting anyone think that something stupid like this will actually stop us. We can’t let this great nation that values reason sink because of a few idiots. So let’s do this. Time to clean up the trash.”

At my words, the imperial guards roared in approval. The operation commenced at the same time that the king of Alisia was drawing the imperial family’s attention at the palace.

◇ ◇ ◇

A huge amount of smoke suddenly billowed up from the Reauxgard Empire’s senate building, covering the entire thing. The only real effect it had was to make it difficult to breathe. But in a country that had experienced two terrorist attacks already, that was enough.

“Another terrorist attack?!”

“Damn it! This is where they strike next?!”

“Run! Everyone, get out now!”

“Wait, what about the documents?!”

“Is now really the time to be concerned about that?!”

The people working there screamed and began to run around in a panic as chaos engulfed the place. Everyone realized that this was the site of the next terrorist attack. And then, the imperial guards on duty rushed in.

“First and second units, stay alert! We don’t know what will appear, so be extremely cautious! Everyone else, assist with the evacuation! Folks, please stay calm and follow our instructions!”

Raising his voice, Helgar, vice commander of the First Imperial Order of Knights, established a measure of order, with the senators obeying his and his men’s commands. Though one of them wore a dubious expression, he evacuated as instructed.

“Apologies, but you will have to come over here.”

“What in blazes?!”

Seemingly out of nowhere, two knights grabbed him and dragged him into the shadows. Without any consideration for the pain he might be suffering, their swift but forceful action immobilized him in the blink of an eye. Thanks to the poor visibility caused by the smoke, no one else noticed what was happening.

“I suggest you don’t attempt anything. You, unlike members of the imperial family, would be very easy to make disappear—Senate Leader.”

So said Helgar, who’d been giving evacuation orders just a moment ago. The person he and his men had apprehended was the president of the senate, Cyrus Aegir. He was the target of this terrorist attack we’d carried out. But wait, there’s more! We’d fabricated evidence to make it seem like the imperial family had carried out the attack. This went beyond the gray area and straight into the black zone, but since no one else was killed or even harmed, it was a sin I was willing to accept.

Let me give you a quick rundown of the plot. The imperial family and the senate president had committed two terrorist attacks. The latter had been committing these crimes on the orders of the former, but now that they no longer needed him, a terrorist attack targeting him had taken place in the senate!

The whole point of this was to bring to light evidence that the imperial family’d had a hand in all the incidents thus far. Buncha evil bastards were about to get theirs, lemme tell ya. Shen and the Demon King suspected that the real mastermind was the senate president, and that he was just using the imperial family, but in order to fully expose everyone involved, we’d made it look like they were the ones pulling the strings. On top of all that, Senator Alveiro, the prime suspect in the terrorist attacks, was still in custody, so this latest one would probably weaken suspicion against him.

“What are you playing at, Helgar? The imperial guard, meant to protect the country, is committing a terrorist attack? It’s just as I thought. Those under the influence of the former emperor can’t be trusted.”

“Stop pretending to be innocent. You already understand why we’ve taken action, don’t you? We know you were planning to capture Alveiro and hand him over to the Demon King for execution, but His Majesty was one step ahead of you.”

With that, Helgar unleashed his fury. He grabbed Aegir, who’d been shoved to the floor, by the collar and snarled at him.

“You and your ilk are the rot destroying our country from the inside. You’ll pay for that, and for manipulating the rest of us.”

“Oh, how I quake before the high and mighty soldier! Bah! Get off your high horse! You have no notion of what politics is truly about!”

Provoked, the senate president twisted slightly, moving his tied hands.

“Stop him!”

The command Helgar shouted to his subordinates holding the man’s arms came a beat too late. Aegir pulled a dagger from within his robe and threw it. It had a familiar shape, and as if the necessary requirements were met, the magical power contained within surged all at once. When it did, a monster appeared.

Race: Huge Claw Wolf

Level: 88

A gigantic, wolflike monster appeared. It had enormous, knifelike claws growing out of its paws, and it glared ferociously at us like we were its prey.

“Wh-Who the bloody hell actually summons a monster right here in the senate?!” Helgar cried out.

“With security so tight, I wondered where to send this wolf, but you gave me the perfect opportunity, so I really must thank you!” Aegis retorted mockingly.

“Brace yourselves, men! Well, considering how quickly you exposed yourself, I suppose we should be thanking you.”

“Why are you so confident?”

“We wouldn’t be. If we were the only ones here, that is.”

“What?”

Their guard up, the knights smoothly stepped into formation. Meanwhile, I stood by myself, watching and cackling to myself. Mwa ha ha! Of all the monsters he’d decided to summon, it had to be a wolf! Compared to Rir, it was a whole lotta nothing in terms of both abilities and build. It didn’t have nearly the overwhelming aura my boy did. Oh my, such big claws you have! All the better to...slice an apple with. What a joke.

I’d kept myself hidden this whole time, suppressing my magical energy while just observing the situation. Now, I stepped forward and spoke.

“Down.”

I didn’t try to intimidate the monster in any way. There was no need to use En either. All I did was stop holding back. I just stared at it intently and slowly repeated myself.

“This is the last time I’ll say it. Down. If you don’t wanna die, don’t defy me. Easy peasy.”

“...Grr.”

The wolf shivered, then lay down.

“Good monster.”

I ruffled its head. What a smart wolf. Maybe I should let it run wild in the Demonic Forest and have it become part of Rir’s monster army. If using a wolf monster was the best move Aegir had to try to frame me for the terrorist attacks, he was screwed. Something irrational like an insect would’ve been way better. That would’ve definitely turned into a fight and given him at least some ammo for his plot.

“How?!”

“Monsters are the best. Unlike morons like you, they can sense their opponent’s abilities just by looking at them.”

Dealing with wild creatures was way easier than dealing with people.

“That voice... Demon Emperor Yuki?!”

“That’s ‘Your Majesty’ to you. I guess it doesn’t matter, though, since I’m gonna execute you for treason anyway. Wait, no, I’m not Yuki right now, so scratch all that.”

With an evil grin, I kept talking.

“While we’re at it, show me everything you got. I wanna see just how terrifying your ‘trump card’ is. Or was that it? Helgar, tie up his legs so he can’t escape, but keep his hands free.”

I wanted to confirm that these assholes had more monsters we didn’t know about. It’d be easier for me if he just got it all out of the way now. I had the future to think about, y’know?

“Well then. You heard the mysterious masked man’s demands. This is your last chance to reveal any other tricks up your sleeves, quite literally. However, if you have nothing else to show us, that’s fine as well. We’ll simply take you away like this. And no one else will ever know that you’ll never see the light of day again.”

“Damn it all to hell!”

Power. A compressed torrent of it. A storm of attacks so intense that even the word “storm” seemed a lukewarm description. It raged through the senate building now that the evacuation was complete and no one was inside except for the imperial guard and the suspect, Senate President Cyrus Aegir. And the one wielding this power that would kill anyone caught in it was Demon Emperor Yuki.

“Ha ha ha! Weak sauce! At the very least, they should be vicious enough to have poisonous claws or fangs or something, jeez! Not that it’d do ya any good ’cause of my Super Potions, but still!”

“Hmm... No sophistication in their attack or defense. We’d probably win even if they were more powerful than you, Master.”

“I doubt they have any experience fighting since they were created using the dungeon’s power! Sealed away somewhere all this time!”

“I...think so too. They’re big, but they fight like children. Also, this doggy is weak, but it’s fighting for you, Master, which is admirable.”

“Yeah, he’s so cute and brave, trying to help me! I’ll take it back with us and have Rir and the others take care of it! Sure, it’s pretty weak for its level, but being in the Demonic Forest with my pets will whip it into shape in no time!”

“Yup... Rir will do a good job teaching it.”

“He’ll probably just stare off into the distance with that look on his face that says, ‘As if I don’t have enough work already!’ Oh. Ohhh... Maybe my new friend here submitted so fast because it could smell Rir’s scent on me!”

Demon Emperor Yuki, the magic sword rumored to be his daughter, and the wolf that had surrendered within moments fought several giant monsters that were their opponents. A scorpion the size of a carriage, a massive bear with four thick arms, a giant mass of flames, a grass monster with writhing tentacles, a crocodile with a jaw so brutal that it looked like it could even bite through steel, and a cunning lion that was light on its feet. It was truly astounding how the enemy had so many monsters at the ready in its arsenal.

If the members of the imperial guard had fought them alone, these powerful monsters would have annihilated them with ease. Instead, before the Demon Emperor and his allies, they simply fled or found themselves wounded, or worse, dead. Unlike the wolf that had capitulated immediately, these monsters had attacked from the get-go, reeking of desperation. So Yuki’s response had been, “Okay, then die!” and he’d begun his merciless rampage.

The senate building was practically in ruins, with the walls, floors, and furniture utterly destroyed and blood splattered everywhere. It looked as though a war had just taken place. But amid it all, only Demon Emperor Yuki remained unscathed. Standing next to his new wolf subordinate, he laughed, his might unbridled.

The imperial guardsmen simply watched the battle from afar. They knew they were no match for him, so any assistance they provided would amount to nothing. Moreover, the chance of injury or death would be high if they found themselves caught in his warpath.

“Incredible...”

When he heard his subordinate mutter to himself, Helgar Landros casually asked him a question.

“Do you know the story of His Excellency the Prime Minister?”

“You mean that staunch war hawk who suddenly turned moderate and thereby became a completely different person?”

“Yes, him. His Excellency has rarely made any public appearances recently, instead choosing to focus on coordinating things behind the scenes. At one time, though, he accompanied Emperor Yuki on a monster hunt.”

Another guard who had been listening to their conversation then chimed in.

“Ah... I see, so the prime minister witnessed His Majesty’s strength with his own eyes and realized that continuing to wage war would lead to the country’s destruction.”

“Precisely. He quietly made the best choice.”

They continued talking while they watched the battle unfold before their eyes.

In Reauxgard, emperors had held primary authority for generations, so the prime minister didn’t have much power compared to other nations. However, it was still a position that supported the monarch, perhaps second only to the emperor himself. The current prime minister was a capable one who had served as the right-hand man of the previous emperor, Shendra, but after the war, he had largely stopped steering the country’s course and had instead begun working behind the scenes, mainly balancing the interests of the Demon King and other foreign rulers involved in the empire’s administration. He was little more than a lackey now, given the way he listened to and carried out their demands.

As a result, many senators gossiped about him, claiming he’d been bought and had “started wagging his tail for other races.” Nevertheless, it was fair to say that the choice he’d made had been the best one. Because in thinking about his people’s future, the prime minister continued to act in service of his country more than anyone else.

“His Majesty Yuki has almost no political authority. He himself has said that he’s incapable, and though it may be rude, I happen to agree. In other words, his position is essentially that of a figurehead. And yet...all the other rulers involved in our empire’s defeat work to avoid incurring his displeasure.”

“Is he truly that powerful?”

“Yes. That alone makes him more qualified to be emperor than any other. A quality that leaders who rule great nations, who carry the weight of their races, could never ignore.”

Demon Emperor Yuki was undoubtedly an unusual king. Senate President Cyrus, lying on the ground, had clearly made a different choice than the prime minister. He viewed that uniqueness as a danger and felt that interference from other races had to be eliminated.

In a country where the emperor’s authority was strong, the senate, like the prime minister, was relatively weak. Therefore, it didn’t have the power to overturn the policies and measures instituted by the Demon King and his allies, who were reforming the country in their capacity as acting emperors. Perhaps he had thought he could use that as a pretext to achieve his goals...but his method had been to resort to terrorism.

Incidentally, he had likely entangled Assemblyman Alveiro in an attempt to completely dismantle the troublesome faction that was determined to carry on the former emperor’s legacy. In the end, though, Cyrus Aegir simply sought power. He wanted to eliminate anything in his way in order to advance his own career. Even at the cost of the lives of ordinary citizens.

Then, at long last, the battle ended. The monsters he had deployed in his last-ditch struggle were all defeated. Only their corpses lay strewn across the floor of the senate building.

“Bah ha! I wondered what kinda show you’d put on for me, but I gotta say, I’m disappointed. The mighty Reauxgard Empire fought against the world! Even in its defeat, its people tried to assert their dominance! So here I was expecting some epic monster, and all I got were these duds. Pathetic.”

“Y-You bastardizing savage! Your mere existence, cursed as it is, will surely bring disaster to this country! You’re a goddamn plague!”

“I know you are, but what am I? This is what you get for acting like a dumbass. I know I don’t have the skills fit for an emperor. I don’t know squat about politics, and I don’t know how to motivate people. If I were to try and do something as ruler, this whole place would probably end up a complete mess. Even then, I’m still better than you.”

Demon Emperor Yuki let out a mocking laugh before continuing.

“So let me just say this: The soldiers and legislators on your side have all been rounded up by Runougil. Maybe you’ve heard of him? In case you haven’t, he’s the Demon King’s right-hand man. Well, technically, they were rounded up by him and a certain intelligence organization. Either way, this is the end of your not-so-little clique. Now all you have to do is sit pretty in prison and watch as this country rises up without you.”

“You!”

Helgar shackled Cyrus’s hands again and forced him to stand. The man’s face was red with rage.

“No more tricks, my lord? Shall we be off, then?”

“Capture me here, and the other races who roam our streets as if they own them will never let us take back control of our country! Do you truly understand what your actions will lead to?!”

“You are the one who doesn’t understand. We are the imperial guard. Our sole purpose is to protect His Majesty and obey his orders. Having said that, regardless of our duty, I have no desire to obey you.”

The times had changed. Caught in the current, this country had no choice but to jump in, like it or not. After all, a muddy stream only flowed in one direction.

And so, the third terrorist attack ended. The appearance of several monsters had made its scale larger than the ones before, but thanks to the imperial guard’s heightened vigilance, the damage was minimal. However, afterward, the senate president’s whereabouts were deemed unknown, and he was presumed missing in action.

Ignoring how powerful the enemy had been, the imperial guard was criticized for failing to protect the most important person in the senate. However, a subsequent investigation raised the possibility that Senator Cyrus Aegir himself had been involved in the acts of terror. Furthermore, evidence was discovered that he had been acting on others’ instructions, and although their identities were never made public, rumors began to spread. They claimed that the senate president had been coerced by those with unsavory reputations, whose names were best left unsaid.

Despite the immense turmoil and confusion affecting the government, when Demon King Fynar intervened using his authority, the situation calmed down for a while. In the end, the true mastermind behind the terrorist attacks remained a mystery.

◇ ◇ ◇

At the imperial palace in Reauxgard, Reyd was in the middle of a meeting with the imperial family, meant to prevent them from taking any unnecessary action, when he suddenly saw a soldier hurrying their way. He jerked slightly out of reflex. Everything must be going according to plan, then.

“Forgive me for the interruption, but due to an emergency, we request that you suspend your talks for the interim and evacuate!”

“An emergency? What’s happening?”

A member of the imperial family chatting with Reyd asked that question. The soldier wore a tense expression as he replied.

“A third terrorist attack has taken place at the senate! We’ve received a report that the imperial guard is currently dealing with the situation.”

“What? A third? That... That isn’t what we discussed.”

“Is aught the matter?”

“No, nothing. Don’t worry about it. Well, Lord Reyd, considering the circumstances, care to take refuge with us?”

“I must decline, for I find myself a tad concerned. Surely the command center has already been established? Be so kind as to fetch someone to guide me there.”

“B-But, Your Majesty...”

“Well, aren’t you a diligent one, Lord Reyd? And unfailingly kind as well. Have someone escort him.”

“As you wish, my lord!”

“Thank you. I am certain we shall be seeing each other again soon enough.”

Now that his job was complete, Reyd didn’t wish to spend another second with the imperial family, so he left the room under the guise of collecting information. As soon as they were out of sight, one of the palace maids—a member of the spy organization Avend—joined him to act as a guide. Established by former Emperor Shendra, Avend continued to protect this country in secret even now, in his absence. Reyd knew the maid’s true identity, as he had met her beforehand, when she had acted as his liaison.

“Thank you for your efforts, Your Majesty.”

“Not at all, for in the end, I do all this for the sake of my own country. When I think about it like that, ’tis but a trifle. Although...you lot have it tough too, eh?”

“We’re used to it,” she replied with a bright smile.

“Ever the professional,” Reyd said with a chuckle, then continued. “Pray enlighten me on the current status of this latest, oh so dreadful act of terror. Has it already been carried out?”

“Well, we were correct in our prediction about the target summoning a monster, which Demon Emperor Yuki dealt with. However, the enemy also had more monsters ready than we expected.”

“Hmm. If he can’t defeat them, then no one in this country can. No, not just here, but throughout all of humanity, I suppose. So we shall assume he has the situation well in hand.”

Reyd smiled with amusement, showing no signs of concern whatsoever. The maid hesitated for a moment before asking him a question.

“Begging your pardon, my lord, but...you seem to get along well with His Majesty Yuki. Perhaps you might share your secret in that regard?”

“Secret, eh? I do believe I have one piece of advice for you: think of him as a normal young man.”

“Would you mind elaborating?”

“He’s just an ordinary person who possesses greater power than most.”

Demon Emperor Yuki was powerful. Compared to when Reyd first met him, he’d acquired such overwhelming strength that the king of Alisia doubted any other human could match him. But that was only one aspect of his character. He had saved Reyd’s daughter, and their bond had grown ever since. Thus, having known him for a fair amount of time, Reyd could confidently say that he was simply a good-natured young man. Though he would soon be a father himself and still struggled with many things, he had firmed his resolve and was moving forward step by step.

The people of the empire were unaware of that, however, and so they subconsciously feared Demon Emperor Yuki. In this world, with its myriad creatures that people could never hope to resist because their destructive power rivaled that of natural disasters, it was common to know how to handle those in power. But Yuki... Despite becoming emperor, he was far too close to being one such creature. He was so strong that he had managed to defeat their previous leader, Shendra.

No wonder, then, that people feared him, not knowing what sort of person he really was. Even so, as an acquaintance of his, Reyd couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard about others flinching in terror of his words and deeds.

“He is not a threat, ergo, there is no need to be afraid of him. Interact with him as you would any neighbor, and he will respond in kind. For he is an ordinary young man. Given his position, though, I imagine ’tis easier said than done.”

“No wonder you too are the leader of a great nation, Lord Reyd.”

“Bah ha ha! How very amusing. Alas, you won’t find another king as mediocre as I.”

Reyd, however, had no idea how valuable someone like him was. Someone who could speak to Demon Emperor Yuki on equal terms. And unbeknownst to him, those around him had already started thinking of him as a representative of the human race.

◇ ◇ ◇

The plan had gone smoothly. Of course it had, considering the Demon King was the one who’d thought it up. Since no key figures in this country had any brains on par with his, it’d been bound to work. Plus, this was one of those schemes where we stirred up trouble to get credit for solving it, so we’d made sure we were totally prepared before taking action. The repairs to the destroyed senate building—which, yeah, had been mostly my doing—had finished in just three days thanks to the help of Dwarf King Dodah. To no one’s surprise, everyone now called him “Boss,” including folks from other races.

For some reason, the elves had seemed to be feeling a rivalry with the dwarves, maybe because they’d been doing so much lately. They’d kept demanding that more work get tossed their way, which had honestly been baffling to me and funny to Fynar. But in my eyes, they’d been doing plenty by using their magical skills to do good work all over the place. They’d instructed the military’s mages, helped improve the airships, and even built magic circles to strengthen the foundations of buildings, which was supposed to be the dwarves’ forte. Admittedly, though, those weren’t the kinds of jobs that got the spotlight.

The therianthropes, on the other hand, had been pretty nonchalant as far as work went. “We can’t handle the complicated stuff. If you need a fight, just call us.” That’d basically been their attitude, so they’d pretty much just stuck to guard duty and the like. Which, fair enough. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses, right?

And as for the all-important imperial family... Well, we’d successfully isolated them by claiming that they were being evacuated for protection against the latest terrorist attack, and they were now being confined. All part of the plan to cut them off from the rest of the world. We were holding them in a space created by the dungeon’s power, similar to my meadow area back home, so anyone with authority could keep track of their every move. It went without saying that it was also impossible for them to escape. Politically, they’d never had any power to begin with, and on top of that, the Demon King, who’d temporarily exercised his own authority to deal with the attack, was now running most of the country’s affairs anyway, so there wasn’t much they could do.

This latest incident had only reminded me all over again how freaking scary Fynar was. It’d been a while since I’d felt that way. The sheer balls on the dude combined with his “I’ll do what’s necessary no matter what it takes” determination was just incredible. Seriously.

So yeah, those dipshits would probably stay locked up for at least five months, and when they got out, it’d be over for them. Curtains. Fin. The end. And because we had proof of their absolutely heinous crimes, not even they would be able to escape punishment. However, in order to be sure of that, we needed to transition away from the current system.

In five months’ time, we’d be hosting the Magical War Games a little earlier than planned. The Games would include a special event. For that, we needed...

“Finally free again, huh?”

“Hello, Your Majesty. I am indeed, and it’s all thanks to you. As an imperial citizen, I’m truly grateful for your assistance in purging the rot festering in our nation.”

Alveiro Velburn bowed his head. A member of the senate who’d been falsely accused and held captive. He’d been under the Demon King’s protection, but once we’d gathered enough hard evidence, the cloud over his head had lifted, along with his semiconfinement. Man was already back in the world of politics. We’d just ignore that half of our evidence had been, shall we say, fabricated.

It hadn’t been that long since I’d last seen him, but he looked a bit thinner to me. Despite being in what amounted to protective custody, there was no doubt he’d been living in the shadows for a while. He must’ve been pretty exhausted. But his eyes still exuded his strong will, and even though he looked tired, he was practically humming with energy. He had some real spirit. Not surprising for a man the former emperor thought so highly of.

“No problem at all. We just did what we wanted. That’s why we staged the third terrorist attack.”

Although there’d been zero casualties—that asshole, the senate president, didn’t count—during it, our methods hadn’t exactly been commendable. But they’d been necessary, so we’d done what’d needed doing. In a way, you could say we were in the same boat as Cyrus Aegir. Hmm, actually...I really don’t wanna be lumped together with him. That bastard didn’t give a rat’s ass how many ordinary folks died as long as he achieved his goals.

“You had no other choice. Even in this time of change—no, especially because it’s a time of change, drastic measures are necessary. It is the way of things. While we certainly need to be watchful of public sentiment in such times... Well, that is a given for those in our position.”

“True.”

He had a good understanding of this country. And why wouldn’t he? He was a politician with real ability, who understood the difference between reason and emotion. The nuances of life. Maybe because he served the former emperor, the embodiment of logic, for so many years... Whatever the case, it was a rare quality. Frankly, it’d be insanely presumptuous of me to make a high-handed judgment based solely on politics, so I was glad I didn’t have to. He’s the guy. I’ll go with him.

I’d promised Shen that I’d protect this country. And now that it was part of my dungeon’s territory, there was no way my ties to it would ever be severed. I would protect it. This was my domain. I wasn’t letting it go.

Maybe the title of emperor wasn’t all that necessary, then. Whatever form my role took was fine with me. They could even create a new position, something like the “Knight Order Zero,” and I’d be a permanent member.

As a piece who only came into play when it was time to defend the country, in the long run, I’d be doing more harm than good as emperor of Reauxgard. Honestly, though? I was tired of it. Plain and simple. Being a ruler just wasn’t my style. Shen, I’m sorry, but I’ve gotta give it up. I’ll keep protecting the empire, so I hope that’s good enough for you. Which is why—

“Okay, Alveiro. I came to see you today to tell you something very, very important. Listen up.”

“Go on...”

“As the twenty-third emperor, I hereby declare the following: Alveiro Velburn. Become the twenty-fourth.”

Side Story 1: Do Your Best, Doggy

In the Demonic Forest, Rir frowned at the Huge Claw Wolf that Yuki had brought with him, observing the monster intently. Even though it had been summoned by the senate president, an enemy, it had been able to determine on its own that it would be no match for Yuki. Therefore, it had followed him and survived.

“...”

“...”

Under Rir’s watchful gaze, the Huge Claw Wolf remained frozen, unable to move at all. The difference in rank was simply too great. The monster felt that even more keenly because Rir was a closer species to it than Yuki was, and so, it sat there motionless out of fear.

A while ago, when it had fought several monsters of the same rank alongside his new master, the scene had felt like carnage. But that seemed like child’s play compared to now. The intimidating aura emanating from Rir’s entire body told the wolf that one wrong move would spell its doom. Its instincts screamed at it to run away. He could easily imagine that if it did, it would be killed and torn to pieces, so it dredged up what it could of its rationality, on the verge of disappearing, and desperately suppressed those instincts. However, one could say that it was precisely because the monster was able to make such decisions that it had managed to survive facing Yuki, despite originally appearing as an enemy monster.

As for Rir, he wasn’t actually trying to intimidate the new addition to his monster army. He was simply assessing the strength of the wolf in front of him. He could tell it was afraid of him, but that didn’t mean he’d try to ease that fear. If it were to run away just because of something like this, it probably wouldn’t be able to live with them in the first place.

That said, when it came to this wolf, Rir had already decided to look after it for the immediate future. Just a short time ago, Yuki and En had said to him, “Take care of this one! Its combat skills aren’t that great considering its level, but throw it in with your monster gang and it should be able to manage life here,” and “Yup... This doggy may be weak, but it did its best for Master. It’s a cute little thing, so do your best to take care of it.” Upon hearing that, Rir had decided to accept his new charge.

And besides, Rir’s assessment was that the new recruit probably had potential. He’d heard that it was smart enough to have realized before fighting that it couldn’t win no matter what and to show an honest, submissive attitude. It had also had the courage to challenge six opponents of the same rank to a life-or-death battle just to prove that its submission was genuine. Even with Yuki and En on the scene, if it could accomplish that much, then it had potential, and with a little looking after, it would be able to live here without any problems. That was what Rir thought.

“Grr, raar.”

Thus, after completing his initial observation, Rir began to talk about how to live in the Forest. The first rule was not to attack people. If they attacked first, countering was fine, but if they showed no signs of aggression, just ignore them and let them go. Any sightings of mankind’s young in particular were to be reported immediately.

Naturally, that part of the rule had been created with Yuki’s family in mind. Iluna and the other girls had been strongly advised to always have Yuki, Lefi, or Nell accompany them when they went out into the Demonic Forest, and they made sure to obey, so it was unlikely any of the monster army would actually see the little girls outside on their own. However, it didn’t hurt to keep his subordinates aware of that fact. Rir also never failed to remind them that anyone who failed to abide by that rule would be deemed an enemy and eliminated expeditiously.

Fortunately for monsters, they almost always followed their superiors’ orders to a fault, so both Rir and his lieutenants, the other family pets, had yet to get rid of a single subordinate. One could say that was a sign of how deeply they respected his authority as their supreme leader. In essence, when Yuki wasn’t involved, Rir possessed a noble presence befitting a king of monsters. However, the moment their master appeared, his hardworking nature, which some might call that of a middle manager, suddenly came out.

The next thing Rir taught the new recruit was how to tell the difference between friend and foe. In the dungeon, there was a door in a cave that led to a meadow area. That cave could be considered the “starting cave.” Anywhere within a five-kilometer radius of it was part of Rir’s territory, so the wolf could assume that any monsters inside that range were allies. If it couldn’t tell the difference, it should state its name and speak to them. That was the quickest way to determine if they were enemies.

As part of his lesson, Rir told the monster it was vital to be on good terms with one’s allies. Though many of them were of different races, they lived as one big pack, so fighting was unacceptable. If any races absolutely couldn’t get along, they were to stay away from each other, and in such cases, report to him to mediate any issues.

As long as the wolf abided by the above guidelines, the pack would accept him. This forest was a harsh environment. Therefore, they needed to help each other to survive. In addition, Rir stressed that since the new member was a wolf, it should, to a certain extent, instinctively understand how to live with a group.

While he was explaining the rules one by one, Orochi and Seimi, two members of Yuki’s pet army, seemed intrigued by the situation and wandered close. Their comments translated to, “Is this the new addition, Lord Rir?” and “Ooh, a new friend?” Incidentally, while Orochi could express himself through his hissing, Seimi never spoke or made any noises, so the only way to understand her was via her floating movements. However, Rir had no problem with her method of communication since he’d spent so much time with her and the other pets. Furthermore, because they were dungeon summons like him, they could each tell what the others were thinking to a degree, even without expressing themselves explicitly.

That wasn’t the case with the other monsters under Rir’s direct command, though, so understanding Seimi was an absolutely necessary skill. Usually, she just floated to and fro. She never showed any signs of anger, and she didn’t involve herself with their subordinates more than required. Yet she was clearly a superior. And her intentions were difficult to grasp. The other monsters couldn’t afford to do anything that incurred her displeasure, so they all desperately tried to understand her.

“Grr,” Rir greeted the two with a nod, then continued. “He’s a newcomer, relatively close to us. He’s weak, but has the determination to protect our master, so I think he’ll manage with us.”

Orochi and Seimi looked surprised at his words. Well, technically speaking, neither’s face changed much, and Seimi’s floating was the equivalent of a “Hmm.”

“Hsss.” Translation: “I see you’re a smart one. In that case, you’ll definitely be fine here.”

In response, Seimi said... Perhaps it was better to say that she expressed her emotions through her movements. At any rate, Seimi said, “Then put on a show! Tell us a joke or something!”

The Huge Claw Wolf looked confused, still not fully understanding her intentions, so Rir translated for him.

“G-Grr?” Translation: “Huh?”

He froze again. He didn’t have any jokes. And what was a show? What exactly did she want him to do? Nevertheless, the request had come from a superior being, one he could never defeat. With his high intelligence, he realized that he had to do something interesting, so he frantically put his brain to work and...curled up.

“Grar.” Translation: “Ta-da! A furball!”

Silence filled the air. Thickened it. Then, Seimi handed down her review. You’re a funny guy!

“Grr.” Rir’s growl translated to, “Isn’t that nice? She liked it.”

“Hsss.” Orochi said, “Good job, newbie.”

Breathing a sigh of relief at their words, the Huge Claw Wolf couldn’t help but think to himself, This place is gonna be rough, huh?

Those who could think always faced challenges. Perhaps that was one aspect of monster society that set it apart from mankind.

Chapter 2: The Magical War Games

In the Demonic Forest, I gripped a dagger, then threw it. In an instant, all the mana in the dagger activated, and Rir, who’d been on standby at a distance, appeared in its place.

“Wooow...”

“Grr.”

He looked around, realized what’d happened, and rumbled with satisfaction.

“Oh yeah, this is a winner. Being able to summon you as fast as lightning if shit goes sideways is gonna be super-duper handy.”

“Grr.”

“Ha ha, sorry about that. But if I’d brought you along, it would’ve been obvious who I am. Okay, sure, I was only pretending to be someone else, so I didn’t really plan on hiding it in the first place. Still.”

I patted him soothingly after he complained about me not having taken him along recently. No matter what he said, he was, after all, a monster to others. If I took him to a crowded place like the Reauxgard Empire, the people there would be scared.

Back to the matter at hand, aka the teleportation dagger used in the terrorist attack. I’d looked into it and found it listed in my DP—Dungeon Point—Catalog, so I’d bought one to try it out. Final review? It was freaking amazing.

The amount of mana it needed to work was enormous, and it broke once it was activated, making it a single-use item. Another downside was that just one of them cost twice as much DP as the Super Potions I always used. Those were also called elixirs, and they were considered extraordinary healing items in the outside world. They were expensive too, though in my case, price wasn’t much of an issue.

I decided to buy a few dozen of the daggers since I found them to be quite useful. Of course, I’d store them in Inventory. And just in case, I’d toss a few into the pouches I’d given Iluna and the others that were enchanted with spatial magic. That’d give me a bit more peace of mind when the day came that I needed to let them venture out on their own into the world outside. Note to self to imbue them with mana beforehand so they’re ready to use whenever.

Oh yeah, sort of off topic, but I’d brought a Huge Claw Wolf home recently. Rir, who’d been looking after it, had said it was a fairly intelligent monster, so I’d summoned the thing for a little chat and learned a few things. It and the other monsters had never fought in all the time since they’d been “born.” They’d simply been sealed away. As far as it knew, it’d been summoned with knowledge of the dungeon implanted in it and then fallen asleep for some unknown reason, and when it’d woken up again, it’d been right in front of me. The same was probably true for the other monsters, so from their perspective, they’d been thrown into the thick of battle just a few seconds after being born.

When I thought about it, I felt kinda bad for the other monsters, the ones I’d killed. Then again, they were dungeon summons, so I guess you could say that was just part of their job. If they’d only been a bit more intelligent, like the Huge Claw Wolf I’d taken back... If they’d only submitted, I would’ve brought them along too.

I didn’t know how they’d gotten sealed. I’d looked through the dungeon’s functions, but I hadn’t found anything that looked particularly relevant, so I suspected it was some kind of magical technology unrelated to dungeons. From what I’d learned, the Reauxgard Empire was a major player in research into this sort of thing. But to be honest, I wasn’t all that interested in the subject, so it ultimately didn’t matter. Despite the wolf having told me everything it knew, there was still a chance that more monsters were shut away somewhere, so a location search might be necessary at some point, but the folks in charge could handle that without me. Also, the senate president’s interrogation was still ongoing, so whatever information we got out of him meant we’d see some progress soon.

As for the monsters’ origins, my theory was they’d been created even before Shen’s reign. At the very least, we’d been able to confirm that he was unaware of their existence, so he definitely wasn’t their creator. To paraphrase the Demon King on that front, “Perhaps emperors before Shen distributed monsters to high-ranking nobles in exchange for their cooperation. Since no concrete records of such have been found, we can only assume there were some serious backroom dealings.”

There was still a lot we didn’t know, like the exact dates of their summoning, why they hadn’t been used until now, and who owned them. Having said that, I didn’t think I needed to get involved in that investigation either. We couldn’t put a pin in things yet, though. All the terrorist stuff wouldn’t be truly over until the Magical War Games ended. However, chasing the mystery wasn’t my job. Not much I could do on that front anyway.

Actually, that’s a lie. I could still contribute, except only in a supporting role. Because I wanted to go back to being a normal demon lord as soon as possible. I just wanted to spend my days relaxing with my family. Honestly, the idea of being able to chill once I went back to being a regular ol’ demon lord felt kinda strange now.

“By the way, how’s Mrs. Rir doing?”

“Grr, grr.”

“Gotcha. If anything changes, just let me know. I know there aren’t any vets in this world, but I’ll do whatever I can.”

“Grr.”

Rir rumbled in gratitude.

Yup, turned out that Mrs. Rir was also pregnant. My kids would be coming sooner as far as I knew, but I was pretty sure dog gestation periods were short... Well, they were fenrirs, not dogs, so I genuinely had no idea how long her pregnancy would last, but odds were good that Rir’s pup would probably be born around the same time as my kids.

Oh man, Rir’s babies... They’d be fluffy, silky, and insanely adorable. I really hoped they and my kids would grow up together as siblings.

“Looks like we both gotta work even harder from now on, huh?”

“Grr.”

I fist-bumped him on the forehead.

◇ ◇ ◇

And so, time passed. Day by day, I worked on laying the groundwork for the Magical War Games. Helping with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks, showing up at political events at the Demon King’s request, hunting tough monsters, discussing craftsmanship with the dwarves, plotting more evil schemes, and assisting the imperial knights in practicing for their sporting events. Despite all the problems recently, things were going pretty well in this much-needed lull.

Of course, that didn’t mean the problems were completely gone. After all, we were in the middle of trying something new, and thanks to a bunch of factors, the Magical War Games had been moved up from our original schedule. That meant reworking all the plans we’d made, although postponing it would have been a different beast altogether. The other day, I’d overheard a conversation between the Demon King and the Dwarf King Dodah.

“Blast ye, mon, we already sped up construction! Dinnae tell me ye want us tae work faster!”

“But you can, can’t you, Dodah? Please? We’ll help too. I wouldn’t ask you if it weren’t absolutely necessary. I’m not opposed to begging either.”

“Och, ye wily wee bastard... In that case, we’ll stop work on a few o’ the less important buildings ’n’ focus on the main one instead. Should be able tae manage. Somehow...”

“Right, about that. Forgive me, Dodah, but we need you to make everything you’ve already designed upon our request. It’s all vital, you see.”

“Are ye tryna work us tae death?!”

I remembered that exchange between the two of them very well. Nobody could beat the Demon King in a battle of words, and that terrifying truth had played out when everything had gone according to his plan. It meant Dodah and everyone working with him had had to make adjustments for materials and labor on a scale several times bigger than originally planned, which had probably more than doubled the Dwarf King’s burden. With how much busier they’d gotten, I helped out with the heavy lifting on construction whenever I could.

The folks on guard duty were really flustered, saying things like “Your Majesty, you shouldn’t be doing this sort of work” or whatever. But we didn’t have time to waste, so I just calmed them down with an “All hands on deck” and went ahead with it anyway. Not gonna lie, it was less stressful than doing the emperor’s work. You can take that to the bank.

Thanks to the Dwarf King going out of his way to make it happen, construction around the stadium was progressing pretty well. As long as we ignored the minor stuff, the stadium itself was now ready to go. Dude was a certified boss.

The name of the stadium had also been publicly announced—Atvoini Dominurs. Dodah had named it. Apparently, in ancient Dwarvish, it meant “a hand to the world.”

You could say that this construction project once again demonstrated the dwarven race’s strength in manufacturing to the rest of the world. It’d be great if they kept at it, starting something like a Dwarven Construction Firm and expanding into other countries. It even fit perfectly with what the rulers sought, that being a society where a multitude of races could coexist.

As for the Demon King, the way he worked his people so hard made him seem like an unscrupulous slave driver. But that was just his way of keeping himself busy. Managing a single country was hard enough already, except he also managed most of the Reauxgard Empire, and on top of that was responsible for making sure all the races got at least something out of what they wanted. Though Elf Queen Naforazey and King Reyd of Alisia were helping him out, there was no doubt that the workload Fynar himself handled was incomparable to that of the other monarchs. Not to mention how effortless he made it all seem. He never showed any signs of fatigue, just that cool, collected expression. Genuinely impressed the hell outta me. The man was completely in his element, and clearly enjoying it too.

Despite all that stuff going on in the world outside, the most important thing to me these days was probably Lefi’s and Lew’s growing bellies. You could tell at a glance now that they were pregnant, that new life was growing within them. The lives of our children. They’d both be giving birth around the same time, probably after the Magical War Games.

But to be honest, I was already getting a little nervous. To be even more honest, I didn’t care about the Games or anything else anymore. Okay, maybe that was too extreme. More like I’d gotten really good at separating and prioritizing the different parts of my life. And right now, everything else was pretty far down on the list. Oh yeah, Mrs. Rir had a bun in the oven too. So, unable to contain my excitement, I made full use of the DP Catalog and bought lots and lots of stuff for the kids.

“Okay, this should be enough!”

“Hmm... Yuki.”

“Yes, Lefi, my dear wife? Check this out. If there’s anything else you need or want, you just let me know!”

“You are being much too rash,” she said with a wry smile. “Though I understand your desire to be prepared, you can purchase these straightaway, so I think it is fine to wait until after the babe is born. I will not say this is a nuisance. However...where, precisely, will you put it all?”

“Don’t you worry about that, ’cause I’ll just shove everything into Inventory!”

“Perhaps you should change your habit of doing exactly that. I wager the rubbish is piling up again.”

“It’s not trash! I only put things that are important to me in there!”

But the truth was, there was a bunch of stuff in there that I’d only ever use once... Still, it definitely wasn’t trash. Someday, I was sure I’d think, Ah, I’m glad I had this! again! Or...I know it was probably too little too late to say this, but maybe I was just a hoarder... Thanks to my ridiculously massive Inventory, I had a collection of garbage—I mean, stuff. All kinds of stuff.

If it were me alone, the dungeon would probably end up a hot mess, but Leila and Nell were good at cleaning. Plus, with the girl gang—upgraded from the little-girl gang—in residence, even I felt the need to tidy up as much as possible. Wouldn’t wanna set a bad example for them, y’know?

“All right, then let us organize your Inventory again sometime soon. I shall burn everything, one by one.”

“The hell you will.”

Merciless wench. She always went easy on Iluna and the others, saying things like, “Well, it is what it is. Though let us be sure to tidy up next time, shall we?” But when it came to me, she was absolutely ruthless. Ready to burn my shit at the drop of a hat, her flames not even leaving a speck of ash behind. I’ll never forget how you burned all my prototypes... But now that I thought about it, she’d never burned anything I really liked.

Exasperated, Lefi inspected all the toys I’d bought, then spoke.

“By the by, that... What was it called again? The Magical War Games? How is that faring?”

“We’re almost there. Sorted out most of the problems, and we’re on track for opening day. I’m sure it’ll all work out juuust fine. You guys should come watch too. I even abused my power as the emperor and had a VIP box made just for us!”

“For all your complaints about the role, you are quick to take advantage of it when it suits you, eh?”

“I mean, what’s the point of working hard if I can’t reward myself? Not like I’m a patriot either.”

I hated working for my own ideals, so why would I work for free for a country when patriotism wasn’t even a principle I believed in? Maybe it really is for the best that I give up being emperor. Speaking of, discussions on that front were progressing smoothly. And it looked like I’d also get that Knight Order Zero I’d thought up.

“Such a terrible ruler.”

“Damn straight! Because I’m a demon lord, and I’m only faithful to my own desires!”

I cackled, then carefully picked Lefi up and placed her on my lap. She leaned into me, all relaxed and stuff.

“So. The Magical War Games will take place, after which we will likely give birth, and after that, we shall send Iluna and the young ones to school. Do I have the right of it?”

“You sure do. I’m just glad we managed to convince En.”

“Gah ha! She has her pride. Truly a blade that does not bend or break.”

“Yeaaah. The way she lives her life is so cool. Being with En always makes me wanna stand undaunted, with my head held high.”

“Your posture is excellent, though.”

“Ohhh, you got jokes, do ya?”

“I do indeed. Go on, laugh. Now.”

“I see you’ve found a new way to pressure me, damn.”

Why does she look so smug about such a lame joke?

“You are my husband, are you not? You should be considerate of your pregnant wife’s mental health and laugh at even the smallest of jests to keep her in a good mood.”

“Bwa ha ha ha ha! You’re sooo funny, Mrs. Lefi! Oh god, I’m dying laughing! Ha ha ha!”

“Very good.”

“Wait, really? Whatever you say, my lady.”

Hey, if that was good enough for her, I could manage just fine.

Back to the topic of school. As we’d expected, En was reluctant about being away from me for long periods of time, but I’d gotten her to agree on the condition that I’d call her if anything dangerous happened. It definitely hadn’t been easy to convince her, but it’d been a big relief when she’d ultimately given in.

As far as actually enrolling them went, according to Leila, the best time would be after Lefi and Lew gave birth. Not long ago, I’d gone to the ovine village by myself and reunited with Madam Eldgalia, Leila’s mentor and basically her second mother. There, I’d filled out all the necessary paperwork.

Dang... The girls are gonna start school. I felt like my heart would explode from all the feels. I wasn’t arrogant enough to say I’d raised them, but it wasn’t wrong to say we’d all worked together to get to this point. We’d grown together as a family. And we’d keep at it into the future.

“What is it, Yuki?”

“Well...just thinking about the girls and how they used to be so little, and now they’re gonna start school... It’s enough to make a grown man cry.”

“Gah ha! You have said the same thing before.”

“I’ll probably say it again, since I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“It is the same for me.”

Lefi’s voice was soothing to my ears. Her warm weight comforted me, and her sweet scent enveloped me. She was a little heavier than before, thanks to our child nestled inside her.

“Lefi.”

“Hmm?”

“Ain’t happiness grand?”

She smiled a little, brushed her lips on my cheek, then snuggled into me again.

◇ ◇ ◇

“All right, folks, do you think you’ve done everything you can?”

I sighed as I asked the imperial guardsmen that question. They’d be the ones competing in the festival, so we were doing drills in the training grounds.

The Magical War Games would feature two competitions, and the members of the Reauxgard First Imperial Order of Knights would be competing in the Battle Festa. Everyone was wearing specialized armor that the craftsmen had finished making just in time, and although they were sweating and out of breath, they all looked pretty pleased with themselves. Since this was their first-ever competition, there were still areas for improvement. That said, everyone’d practiced hard and done a great job despite being busy with their actual jobs and their lives.

“Yes... Yes, I’d say we’ve done fairly well. I think we’re in good shape for the Games.”

Helgar Landros, the vice commander of the First, also nodded in satisfaction as he wiped away his sweat. Considering the various projects we’d worked on together, the two of us understood each other pretty well by now.

“You’ve all improved by leaps and bounds in such a short amount of time. I see why you’re the best of the best. And all this practice after putting in a hard day’s work. You must be tired.”

“Ha ha. We don’t have any grounds to complain. Not when you’re here working just as hard as the rest of us while remaining utterly unfazed.”

“I don’t wanna sound like an arrogant clown, but I don’t think you should compare yourselves to me. If I really wanted to, I could probably work for three days straight, no sleep required.”

The me now could, anyway. But I’d obviously never actually do that. It sounded exhausting.

Sensing that our practice was over, Leila and Nell, who’d come to help, called out to us.

“Everyone, dinner is almost ready.”

“We can push it back if you want, Mr. Yuki. What do you think?”

“Nah, let’s stick to the usual timeline. Hey, guys, wrap it up! Time to eat!”

“Aaaye!” the guards cheered.

With practice over, we got to work cleaning up and all that jazz. The guardsmen had helped us with a bunch of stuff, so to show my gratitude, I’d decided to invite them and their families over for a meal together. I thought it was important to have these kinds of interactions in order to improve my relationships with them.

You could basically call this a kickoff party for the Magical War Games, which were just around the corner. The knights’ wives and families had come to help cook, so they were chatting and working with Nell and Leila. I bet the fact that they looked like they were enjoying themselves was thanks to my two wives’ tact and graciousness. Though they were both technically an emperor’s wife, they were naturally friendly and used to this kind of thing.

As for Lefi and Lew... While I was positive Lefi would be able to handle herself, Lew would probably get nervous and fumble. Actually, maybe not. She was, after all, the daughter of a clan leader, so she’d gotten a proper, ladylike education growing up.

“I didn’t realize they’re both your wives, Your Majesty. And one of them is from the great Kingdom of Alisia... Do I detect a hint of romance in the air?!”

“Weeell, let’s just say it’s a long story better left for another day... Which reminds me, I never told you about my base. My home is in a place called the Demonic Forest, on the other side of Alisia, so I have some ties with that country.”

“Oh, I see, now it makes sense... No, wait a moment. Did you say the Demonic Forest? That unexplored region where one can still find nature in all its pristine glory?”

“Yup. My family and I live there.”

It’d been a while since I’d seen a reaction like Helgar’s. I knew it was a little late for this, but I couldn’t help but wonder just how much people in this country actually knew about me.

“I see... Then is the harshness of the environment the secret to Your Majesty’s strength?”

“Almost definitely. You don’t even wanna know how many times I came close to death in the beginning. Lots of pain and suffering too. But I somehow managed to survive, and here I am today.”

I had no doubt that the Demonic Forest had made me the man I was now.

“I take it there are still opponents you and your monster subordinates can’t defeat?”

“Yup. A whole lot of ’em. We’re still pretty weak in that sense, ’cause in this world, there’s always someone stronger than you.”

I could fight in the western area now. Sometimes, I even won. But plenty of stronger creatures still lived there. Opponents I wasn’t sure I could defeat even with my entire pet army. That was the extent of my strength at the moment.

“I’m amazed you can live in such a place.”

“Ha ha, yeaaah. I’d think the same as you if the tables were turned. I’m used to it now, though, and I secured a safe zone thanks to the dungeon’s powers, so life is pretty comfy.”

Ignoring the northern area, which was close to my base and also had very few monsters because it used to be Lefi’s territory and they could still detect her presence, the monster populations in the eastern and southern areas were weaker than us. And the monsters in that all-important western area were recluses to begin with, so they rarely ventured out of it, especially since mana was so heavily concentrated there. If I let my guard down in the Demonic Forest, I would definitely die. But now that I’d established a rhythm there, as long as I didn’t do that, life was pretty normal. Chill, even.

“Going back to the topic of my family, I have two more wives, but they’re both pregnant, so I didn’t bring them. They’ll be here for the Games, though, so I’ll drop by and introduce you.”

“Four, eh... You need a stout spirit to handle that many wives, my lord.”

“That’s a long story too. Or, several, I guess. The short version is, things just kinda ended up like this before I realized what was happening.”

A few of the other guardsmen joined our conversation.

“One wife is hard enough, but four? Impressive, Your Majesty.”

“When I think about all the trouble involved, one wife is plenty for me, personally.”

“I’d love to hear any advice you have on how to get along with the missus, my lord.”

“I don’t do anything special. I suck at a lot of things, but my wives make up for that. Though I guess one important tip would be not to go against them. It’s especially dangerous in my case, since the four of them can band together and form their own little army, which is really freaking scary— Oops, did I say that out loud? Ignore me.”

“Ha ha! Indeed. If you asked me who was more terrifying between my demonic instructor from my days training as a fledgling knight and my wife, my answer would be...that it’s a secret.”

“Smart man. Preach.”

“Mr. Yuki, I heard you just now.”

“How awful of you gentlemen to say such things when we’re simply doing our best for our husbands. Isn’t that right, ladies?”

After Nell and Leila spoke, the imperial guardsmen’s wives each blinded their husbands with brilliant smiles that implied things like, “So, that is the way of it, hm?” and “I’ll remember that, darling,” and “Just you wait until we get home.”

Ah yes. I see that many of you also live under your wives’ thumbs. Welcome to the club, comrades. I’m sure we’ll all get along just fine.

Not long after, dinner was ready.

“How about a toast, Your Majesty? Perhaps a few words about the Magical War Games?”

Helgar was the one who’d made that request.

“Sure. Gentlemen, it’s almost time.”

With a glass in hand, every guard listened to what I had to say.

“A lot’s gone down recently, and things have been tough. But everything we’ve done and continue to do is to ensure that the Games go off without a hitch. You’ll be happy as long as we do that, right? Yeah, I’m right. I know you all better than that now.”

I grinned evilly at them and continued.

“Yes, it’s important for the tournament to kick off, but after that...as the nation hosting the whole shebang, we’re gonna freaking win. Only then will Reauxgard be able to assert dominance. Only then will we be able to demonstrate this country’s strength. So you guys better win. With your own two hands, show everyone the might of the empire!”

“Aaaye!”

Hearing the men’s passionate shouts, I finished with a, “To victory!”

“To victory!” they said in unison.

We raised our glasses.

◇ ◇ ◇

And then, it was finally here. The day of the Magical War Games. One by one, guests who’d arrived by airship, ship, and carriage the week before were heading to the stadium, Atvoini Dominurs. The hotels in Reauxgard’s imperial capital of Galia were almost all fully booked, including the ones that’d been built specifically because of the Games. Naturally, the citizens of this country had also been looking forward to this day, so the place was jam-packed with people.

People, people, and more people. As far as the eye could see. Tons of merchants had set up stalls to take advantage of the opportunity, while acrobatic troupes and other entertainers performed in the plaza. The city’d been buzzing with activity since days before the event.

But none of that compared to today. The sheer number of people meant that soldiers were constantly shouting at the top of their lungs to guide people and thus ease congestion. Thanks to their efforts, we managed to keep things on just this side of absolute chaos.

The stadium, Atvoini Dominurs, had been designed with the most cutting-edge technology, meaning it was probably the largest building in the world in terms of audience capacity. Even so, it looked like all the seats would be filled in another half an hour. The standing room was crowded too.

This sight was the result of many species of mankind gathering together in one place. When people saw it, even as they struggled with the intense crowds, they sensed that the times had changed. And that made them more excited about the future to come.

Buuut I had a VIP box reserved for my family, so we were super-duper comfortable! Totally unaffected by the masses of humanity!

“Wow! This is amazing, Yukiki! I’ve never seen so many people before!”

“Me too! How many hundred out here?!”

“Not...hundreds, Shii, but thousands. Tens of thousands.”

The three girls’ excitement was palpable, and the same could be said for the wraith triplets, who whizzed around the room like busy little bees.

“According to the Dwarf King, the maximum capacity is a hundred thousand. For sure the biggest arena in the world.”

“A hundred thousand?!”

“Hundred thousand!”

“So...many that I can’t keep track.”

“Gah ha! We, too, are awestruck. Mankind never ceases to amaze.”

“The sheer number of people... It really is overwhelming, isn’t it?”

“Sheesh, must be tough for everyone out there... I feel sorta bad for them, but I’m also glad we have this room all to ourselves.”

“Like I could let you and Lefi sit out there in your condition.”

“Very true, Master Yuki... Lefi, Lew, do let us know straightaway if you’re feeling unwell, hm?”

“Yup, we will!”

“Indeed. We are counting on you lot.”

The adult gang, also more hyped up than usual, gazed at the view from the VIP box. The dwarves had done up the interior in an elaborate but tasteful style, and I’d used the DP Catalog to add a variety of things to make it more comfortable. For example, a plush sofa and a refrigerator. Heck, we could nap in here if we wanted to. I’d even installed a door that led back to the dungeon.

There were no butlers or maids here, though I didn’t really need any while I was with my family. Still, they’d come if I called them. It was just...well...

“While this room is very elegant, how do I say this... It feels familiar, does it not? Secure. Warm.”

“Yuuup.”

A subtle sense of home. No doubt thanks to all the stuff I’d bought using DP, some of which was the same as what we had back in the dungeon. I’d picked the best ones, and this was the result. Almost literally nothing new to see here.

“Aha ha ha! You’re right, Lefi. It feels like an extension of our home, which in hindsight...is quite luxurious, isn’t it?”

“It sure is. According to my lord, these things are from a different world, a different time, with different developments.”

“Though my people are quite advanced with magical technology too, that is nothing compared to this. The tools you provide make housework and cooking almost not worth doing.”

They weren’t wrong. In terms of living standards, our home was fit for a king. Or in our case, an emperor and his empresses.

Anyway. Back to the stadium. It really was an insane amount of people. This many probably would’ve been a lot even in my previous life. The sheer size of the thing would impress anybody, and it was already filled to capacity. Not to mention that it was only the first day, so I was sure it’d see way more traffic in the days to come.

On top of that, it wasn’t just one species but many. Until now, nobody had ever witnessed such a sight in this world. That explained why a few fights had already broken out... No helping that, though. Soldiers, do your best.

While I was relaxing with my family, there was a knock on the door to the VIP room. I gave permission to enter, and a butler peeked his head in. I knew him. A skilled steward who’d made all the arrangements when my family’d toured the imperial capital with the Spirit Emperor and the Demon King. One who also had a secret identity as the head of the covert intelligence organization Avend. His name was Kalcade, if I remembered right. Huh, so he’s the one assigned to us.

“Your Majesty, it’s almost time.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

“When I hear others address you as ‘Your Majesty,’ I cannot help but cackle.”

“Aha ha ha! Me too!”

“Sorry, Mr. Yuki, but me three.”

“Me as well. Apologies, Master Yuki...”

Well, just so you know, ladies, I think the same thing. All. The freaking. Time!

◇ ◇ ◇

“Haah...”

In the waiting room, Alveiro Velburn sighed deeply. A series of turbulent changes had marked his days. Ever since he’d stopped being just a normal assemblyman, all of his free time had disappeared, and now, he was busy running around, working from morning until night. This was what he’d wanted, and he believed it necessary... To be perfectly frank, though, life might have been easier held captive as a terror suspect. Still, all his busy days thus far had culminated in today. The time had come to show his loyalty to his country.

“Assemblyman Alveiro, are you nervous?”

The one who’d spoken to him was Helgar Landros, the vice commander of the First Imperial Order of Knights.

“I am. With so many people here, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t.”

“Ha ha. Fair enough. I haven’t seen this many people either since...the Great War.”

“Indeed...”

The war was still fresh in their minds. Every bit of change that had followed had led to this day. Surely there wasn’t a single person in the Reauxgard Empire who hadn’t endured hardships up to this point. The same went for Alveiro and Helgar. And because they were so deeply entwined with the country’s politics, their sentiments were all the stronger.

“We owe His Majesty Yuki a great deal,” Helgar started. “Our relationship with him will continue for many years to come. Because above all, this is what Lord Shendra wanted.”

“You are correct,” Alveiro replied. “In his own way, His Majesty Yuki acted for us. He fought for us. However...no matter what, the head of our nation must be a native.”

“Well, His Majesty isn’t all too keen on the position himself, so I doubt you’ll hear any argument from him.”

“Indeed. I suppose he sees it as fulfilling a duty. He was asked, he agreed, thus here he is performing to the best of his ability.”

“Lord Shendra must have seen through him and recognized his strong sense of duty. Although now that I think about it, I wonder what was going through his mind at the time...”

“As it so happens, I’ve had the same thought.”

The two laughed.

“No matter what, I must survive today.”

“Yes. I hope for your safe return.”

At long last, the moment arrived. A young man appeared in the middle of the stadium. Demon Emperor Yuki. There were likely more people who didn’t recognize him than people who did, but when all the staff who’d been hurrying to and fro moved aside and he stepped forth alone, everyone assumed that the event was finally going to commence, so the commotion gradually died down.

Then, when the moment was right and anticipation filled the air, he spoke confidently, not a trace of nervousness in his voice.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I am Yuki, the twenty-third emperor of Reauxgard! The one entrusted with this country!”

His voice, amplified by a magical device, echoed throughout the vast space. Murmurs came from the crowd not long after.

“So he’s the one...”

“I heard he was young...”

“The one rumored to be a demon lord...”

“That aura that doesn’t seem human... I see.”

Very few imperial citizens even knew what he looked like because there had been no grand ceremony for his ascension to the throne. And since humans weren’t particularly sensitive to power, all they saw of their new emperor was his youth... The other races clearly didn’t feel the same way, however. As Alveiro watched the audience from the waiting room, he could see them staring at the young man with equal parts awe and respect.

“As the one responsible for this country, I’m truly grateful to see this day come without any trouble in sight! More than anything, I’d like to thank Dwarf King Dodah and the countless craftsmen who completed this stadium despite having such little time! From the bottom of my heart, thank you!”

The spotlight turned toward the VIP seats, revealing a dwarf with his fist raised. The king of the dwarves, who had built this stadium. Their race was said to possess the most advanced technology in the world. A huge round of applause exploded in the stadium.

“I would also like to express my gratitude to the rulers of each nation! Without their cooperation, we never would have gotten here, and this tournament would have stayed an idea. My deepest thanks to everyone who helped make the Magical War Games a reality!”

Another round of applause erupted.

He had grit. He seemed to believe himself unfit for the role of emperor, but there was a certain dignity to him as he stood there, utterly unafraid in front of such a large audience. He possessed the nerve to be a ruler. And Alveiro’s mission was to surpass him, which was...easier said than done.

“Right, then! Before we officially kick things off, there’s one thing I want everyone here to witness!”

This is it, Alveiro thought to himself.

“On the one hand, the people of the Reauxgard Empire must be happy about the Magical War Games being held in their country. On the other, they must be wondering if their country’s politics still remain in the hands of foreigners! Are you thinking, ‘We lost the war, which is what it is, but how long must we resign ourselves to being losers?!’ Well, let me tell you that I’ve encountered thoughts like this plenty of times!”

As he spoke, the murmurs from the audience grew louder and louder. Alveiro stood up from the bench where he had been sitting.

“Right. Here I go.”

“I look forward to the moment when I bow to you.”

Helgar saw him off, and he stepped out into the stadium alone. Suddenly, all eyes were on him.

“If that’s really how you folks feel, then as the emperor of this country, I’ll show you my resolve! Stand up to me, Demon Emperor Yuki, if you genuinely believe in your convictions! Any takers?! Well, well! What do we have here?! Alveiro Velburn, is it?!”

He stood a short distance away from Yuki, facing him. Seeing that the Demon Emperor was grinning fearlessly, he fashioned a smile of his own to shore up his determination.

“Ladies and gents, I give you Alveiro Velburn! A member of the empire’s senate, but...that doesn’t matter! Because right now, he’s nothing more than a challenger! A man showing us his will and ability to prove himself worthy! So show me your conviction! Your resolve!”

While Demon Emperor Yuki continued speaking, elven magicians spread out across the audience, casting defensive spells. They would repeat the process when the tournament finally started, but in terms of their protective capacity, this magic was far, far stronger. The murmurs throughout the stadium grew louder yet, with everyone wondering what would happen, and the atmosphere became increasingly heated.

“Are you ready, Alveiro Velburn?”

“Say the word.”

At that moment, the intimidating aura emanating from Demon Emperor Yuki swelled so powerfully that it seemed to distort space itself. It exerted immense pressure on Alveiro’s entire body. Each cell. His very spirit.

Those who wanted to surpass a demon lord had to have guts. Those who survived in this chaotic world and led a country needed to be heroes. And this ritual was for that exact purpose—to test how far the new leader’s resolve would go.

I unleashed all of my aura that I’d been suppressing and mercilessly blasted Alveiro with it. The force was so intimidating that anyone nearby would pass out and just lay there motionless. The pressure was so intense that even monsters would’ve ran as fast as they could, leaving the vicinity with no signs of life.

And I could, in fact, see panic in the audience, despite the elves having cast a defensive barrier at maximum strength. But the staff seemed to be handling the situation well enough, partly in thanks to the soldiers frantically shouting, “You are not in danger! Please remain calm!”

There was only one rule for this ritual, and it was simple: Alveiro just had to reach me. Of course, seeing the spectators’ reactions, that obviously wasn’t as easy as it sounded. But if he was gonna lead this country, he had to endure this. I mean, all I was doing right now was intimidating him, and as the emperor, he’d face much more difficult challenges.

Naturally, this wasn’t an “on the spot” kinda deal. We’d trained together to help him build his endurance for today. He’d fainted so many times, completely drained from the drills. Still, he’d managed to reach me four times in practice.

I’d lost count of the number of times we’d had to stop training halfway through because his life would’ve been in danger if we’d kept going. So there was a good chance he’d fail, but if he did faint, I planned to splash water on him to wake him up and make him keep going until he absolutely couldn’t. If he kept getting up no matter how many times he fell and continued to face me, it would be fair to say that he was worthy of being called a hero.

However, if he got to the point that he couldn’t take another step without his life being in danger, then yeah, that would mean he’d failed. But! We’d been training up until now specifically to keep that from happening. All I could do was count on Alveiro to give it his all. Sure, this whole exercise would make the people even more afraid of me, but it would also make them more sympathetic to the new emperor. Wasn’t like I actually cared what they thought of me anyway.

Then, at that moment, Alveiro dropped to the ground with a thud. He’d gotten pretty damn close, the onslaught of my aura strengthening the closer he got. Drenched in sweat, he sat there on all fours.

Ah, shit. He’s gonna pass out. Just as the thought flashed through my head...

“This... This is nothing...compared to my resolve!”

Alveiro’s knees had buckled and he’d fallen to the ground, but he refused to let himself collapse. He clenched his hands into fists, his fingers digging into the soil on the field, and forced whatever strength he could muster back into his legs despite his body shaking. Then, he stood up again.

Since the start of this ordeal, he’d been on the verge of losing consciousness many times. The spectators’ voices, so noisy in the beginning, no longer registered in his ears. If he let his guard down now, he would likely faint. He had been told that was fine, though. No matter how many times he collapsed, what mattered was that he showed that he could get back up.

Almost no one could withstand the force that was Demon Emperor Yuki. Not even the most elite of soldiers. Monsters, too, fled immediately in his presence. Supposedly, only a few of the most powerful individuals could endure his intimidating aura, but only just barely.

While Alveiro possessed military experience and had served as a commander in the Great Corpse Dragon War, all he’d done was issue orders. He hadn’t actually fought. So for him, losing consciousness would be an entirely natural outcome. Moreover, no one could deny that trying to endure this trial at all was reckless.

Even so. Even. So. This life-or-death situation was nothing more than a sham. Far from the real thing, it didn’t even qualify as a true fight. After all, Demon Emperor Yuki would never actually try to take his life.

If he couldn’t endure this, what kind of emperor would that make him? How could he possibly have the nerve to lead this country? Fainting, then forced back into consciousness via water thrown over him, and repeat. A pathetic display for a ruler.

The only thing holding Alveiro up right now was his pride as a man. He stood there, determined not to show the audience a disgraceful sight. Dredging up every last iota of his willpower, which felt like it was about to shatter and fly away, he encouraged his motionless body to walk forward, one step at a time.

“I have decided...to live...for this country! So this...is...nothing!!!”

As he drew closer, the pressure increased. He no longer had any feeling in his body. Relying only on the heat surging in his chest, he moved forward. Another step. One more. Ever forward.

Before he knew it, a young man with black hair stood in front of him, laughing joyfully at him. He forced his arm, barely able to do his bidding, to move. Hand trembling violently, he placed it on the young man’s—the demon lord’s shoulder.

“I...win,” he panted.

“Yup. And I lose.”

At that moment, all the pressure Yuki had been exerting vanished. Simultaneously, Alveiro’s body suddenly relaxed, and he looked as if he were about to collapse. But before that could happen, Yuki grabbed him by the shoulders and propped him up.

“Good job. Almost done, so hang in there.”

“...Yes.”

It was all he could do to get that one word out. A proper, polite reply was out of the question in his state. With Yuki supporting him, he somehow managed to stay upright.

And then, the young man opened what seemed to be a rift in the air and pulled out a book. It was thick and beautifully decorated, with an old-fashioned binding. People from other countries likely wouldn’t understand its significance. But Reauxgard’s citizens would. Even if they didn’t know that their country had been founded on a labyrinth, the book had been passed down each time a new emperor took the throne. Alveiro accepted the gift with a firm hand when Yuki presented it to him.

“All right, Alveiro. Say the thing.”

He nodded sharply, then gathered his remaining strength and raised his voice.

“Ladies and gentlemen! I, the twenty-fourth emperor, Alveiro Velburn, hereby declare that the Magical War Games will now commence!”

When the audience finally understood what had just happened, they broke out into such thunderous applause and raucous cheers that the air and earth practically shook.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Yukiki! You were so, so, so cool! Good job!”

“Master so cool!”

“Yes...very imposing.”

“Thanks, girls. Hearing you say that makes all my hard work worth it.”

The girl gang had been watching the whole thing. The wraith sisters nodded in enthusiastic agreement with Iluna’s, Shii’s, and En’s excited remarks.

Yes, yes, nice work, me. I’d done my best to think everything through as much as possible, so in this moment, it felt like all my efforts had paid off.

Then, it was the adult gang’s turn to throw in their two DP.

“I know you have always been this way, but even on a stage as grand as this, you are unsurprisingly unafraid.”

“Isn’t that the truth! One thing you don’t lack is guts, Mr. Yuki.”

“If it were me, I’d be so scared that I wouldn’t be able to talk right...”

“As for me, I very much doubt I could even speak.”

“Ha ha! Honestly, I don’t care about all these spectators. They might as well be cardboard cutouts just there for display.”

It didn’t matter to me what the audience or any others thought of me. The only people whose opinions I cared about were my family. As long as I had them, that was all I needed. Plus, I’d gotten pretty used to putting on that type of arrogant performance while I’d been emperor.

“Forget all that, though. What we need to focus on is—drumroll, please...the Magic Festa! That’s gonna be one helluva show too, so definitely enjoy it.”

And so, the Magical War Games began.

I had officially passed the throne on. The head of the country was once more one of its own. While other nations would continue to intervene for the next few decades, the people of Reauxgard had now secured an opportunity to take national affairs back into their own hands.

By the way, regarding dungeon-related matters, which were obviously important to me, I’d only given Alveiro the same level of authority I’d granted to the Demon King. I felt kinda bad about that, but not bad enough to change my mind. He had control over spaces I’d created in the empire, similar to the meadow area back home.

While some folks knew that this country’d been built on a dungeon, few knew exactly what that meant. The long line of emperors had kept everything on that front supersecret, and Alveiro himself didn’t seem to know much about it either, so he could just develop the country like it was a normal one. Of course, I’d help if anything happened, but this was a necessary precaution for me. I had no intention of relaxing that policy, no matter how many decades or centuries passed. Sorry not sorry.

I had a good feeling this country would be fine, though. Because of Alveiro. Even when up against the other rulers, formidable and capable as they were, he’d probably be able to hold his own. That man had the intelligence, courage, and tenacity to do so. Sure, not everything would go smoothly from the start, but if problems arose, I knew he’d be able to deal with them.

And if the Reauxgard Empire grew and the population increased, that meant more DP for me. So for my sake, do your best to make this place flourish, bud!

◇ ◇ ◇

The Magical War Games were scheduled to last five days. The festival wasn’t filled with just competitive events, though. There were also performances by famous musicians from this world, brought in by the Reauxgard Empire, along with dances, story theater, and various other shows by groups of all races too. The staff had arranged for a fair few of those things to fill the time during breaks and while the field was being prepped for the Magic Festa. To keep things exciting and all. Apparently, coordinating the schedule had been a real pain in the ass for those involved. A job well done to everyone, I say!

As for the main events themselves, the winner had already been decided for one of them, the Magic Festa, which I hadn’t had much to do with at all. It’d ended with a one-on-one match between a demon and an elf, and the elf had won. Up until then, the odds had been in their favor, so no one was really surprised. They’d performed a magical act that’d received a higher score, but it’d been a super close match, with only a few points having separated them. The whole thing had been a real spectacle, rousing the audience.

Then there was the Battle Festa. Reauxgard’s Imperial Order had successfully advanced through the first and second rounds, making it to the final one, which was a battle between three teams. Whichever team got two wins would be the winner. If there was a tie because every team got one win and one loss, the winner would be determined by goal differential. At first, someone’d suggested a sudden death format with shorter match times until one team reached two wins, but that got rejected due to time constraints. It’d make the duration of the Games unpredictable, which was a problem because it’d lead to the players being too exhausted, making it impossible to have a proper match.

In addition to the Reauxgard Empire, the teams that’d advanced to the final round were the demons, led by the stupidly powerful Demon King, and, surprisingly, Alisia’s royal guard, led by Reyd. The fact that two human teams had made it demonstrated the strength of the race’s organizational capabilities, as well as how they managed to dominate other races in this world despite their lack of physical strength.

The sight of trained warriors clashing with each other, spells flying everywhere, and the field changing dramatically during the battles was incredibly impressive. The audience’s excitement was through the roof. At this point, it was safe to say that the Magical War Games were a success.

My family hadn’t come for all five days, but thanks to my special door, they’d come and gone whenever they’d wanted to watch something. Seeing them cheering and caught up in the excitement had made me incredibly happy. As for me, I’d been there all five days. Although I’d left my seat occasionally, since I’d done so much as one of the organizers of the Games, it was my duty to show up from beginning to end. I’d needed to at least do that much, even though I was no longer the emperor. That being said, I was enjoying myself tremendously, so it wasn’t like I was forcing myself to watch.

And then...

“Go! That’s it!”

“The side is open!”

“Charge!”

“What the hell?!”

“They’re coming! Over there!”

It was the last day, the final match of the final round. The cheers were a mix of dismay and delight. Fighting on the field were Reauxgard’s imperial knights and the demon world’s royal guard. Alisia’s royal guard had already been eliminated after losing two close matches. That meant whoever won this match would be the inaugural champion. At the moment, the empire was on the losing end.

There was only a little time left in the match, and the demon world’s royal guard currently had the ball. But a single goal could turn the tide. The atmosphere in the stadium was heating up, with the cheers being what you’d expect of a final match. Folks were so loud that they were practically screaming themselves hoarse.

Instead of the VIP room, I was on the sidelines near the bench as a staff member, shouting at the top of my lungs. Of course I was. I’d been acting as the knights’ coach, practicing the game with them. My knowledge of sports had only been amateur level in my previous life, but I still knew the basics, so at this stage, where the sport wasn’t fully developed yet, I could manage as a coach.

“Don’t break formation! Don’t just focus on what’s in front of you! Stay alert! If a gap opens up, they’ll rush in!”

The two teams kept going back and forth, but Reauxgard could never seem to hang on to the ball, no matter how many times they succeeded in stealing it. The demon world’s royal guard continued their fierce attack, trying to score another point to seal their victory, while our team barely held on, aiming for a comeback. The fact that we were able to defend without collapsing against an opponent superior in both physical and magical abilities proved our superiority in terms of teamwork. At this rate, though, we’d lose when time ran out.

I knew we had to steal the ball back and go on the offensive soon. In order for the entire team to move like a well-oiled machine, an external signal was necessary, and I had to be the one to give it to them since I was their coach, even if I wasn’t perfect. I shouted encouragement while waiting for the right timing, observing it all. The opponent’s formation, the intent of their movements, line of sight, the ball’s position, the passer’s position, the field changes through Terraforming, the flow of magic, our team’s formation, our team’s situational awareness, and the buildup of fatigue.

No one could make a mistake at this point in the game. That would directly lead to a loss. However, our opponents were the royal guard led and trained by the Demon King himself. There was a good chance their seemingly innocuous movements concealed traps, and if our focus on defense weakened while we were searching for an opening for a counterattack, they could score again. If that happened, it was game over for us.

I desperately pushed down my anxiety, concentrating as intensely as I would during a battle in the western area of the Demonic Forest, and continued my intense observation. Even though I wasn’t actually moving my body, I could feel it heating up. Sweat rolled down my skin like a waterfall.

And then, the moment came. Unable to break through our defense, the demon world guards passed the ball backward... Now! I gave my team the signal we’d agreed on beforehand. The first thing Reauxgard’s knights did was cast Shot. The one who took the hit was the other team’s passer, who’d received the ball one step behind the front line. With his balance out of whack, in the next second, my people hit him with a coordinated Gust attack. The ball flew out of his hands, launching straight up. Then, it rushed back down to the ground and rolled away.

“Get it!”

“Don’t let them have it!”

It turned into a jumble of players from both sides. But the imperial knights were one step ahead because they’d been moving in lockstep since I’d given the signal, believing that their teammates would definitely land their magic attacks. They succeeded in snatching the ball from the demon world’s royal guard.

“Counter!”

“This is bad!”

“Go!”

The offense and defense switched. Because they’d clustered together to secure the ball, both sides’ formations were completely broken. All my guys needed was one shot to break through the enemy line. If they did, they could go all the way.

The imperial knights acted quickly, rebuilding their formation while running. To stop them, their opponents retreated, trying to set up a defensive line using Terraforming and Earth Wall, but it was too late. The knights jumped, ran through, passed the ball, and added a three-dimensional maneuver with Gust. They were unstoppable and crossed the goal line.

We took the lead with that point. The audience went nuts.

“It’s not over yet! Don’t let your guard down until the very end!”

There was still a very small amount of time on the clock. Even after it ran out, though, the last play was allowed to continue until the offensive side was stopped. So the demon world’s royal guard went all out with their attacks. They utilized their high physical and magical abilities, pushing the line farther and farther.

A whistle blew, indicating that time had run out, but the match didn’t end. Reauxgard’s imperial knights, while being pushed back, mustered their last bit of strength and desperately continued to defend. A second later, one of them tackled a demon running along the sideline. A single tackle on a demon with a powerful build would only slightly slow them down, but my guys knew that. All they needed was a moment.

Just then, they unleashed a Gust with pinpoint accuracy, and the demon holding the ball stumbled, unable to pass, and went out of bounds. In other words, the ball was dead. And since the clock had already run out, the game was over. The imperial knights had clinched victory.

They roared in triumph, pumping their fists high into the air. Even I shouted in excitement. Overwhelmed with emotion, all of us on staff rushed out onto the field. They’d won the championship with their own hands, proving themselves to the people of this country.

Then, finally, they approached the demon world’s royal guard, everyone shaking each other’s hands, some exchanging manly hugs, others thumping their opponents on the back and praising each other’s efforts. Both sides had given it their all to create such an incredibly exciting game. I had a feeling it was a scene the spectators wouldn’t soon forget. Thunderous applause filled the stadium, the sound echoing for a good while after the game had ended.

With that, all the events on the schedule were complete. The closing ceremony was held amid great fanfare, and the first Magical War Games came to an end.

◇ ◇ ◇

A few days had passed since the Magical War Games had ended.

“So the punishment for the imperial family is pretty much set?”

“Yes. Those who committed more serious crimes will be given appropriate sentences. With this, I think we can say that most of the rot within the country has been purged.”

“Huh... Well, despite everything that went down, I’m just glad it’s all settled. And now that I’ve dumped the most annoying job on you, I can finally relax!”

“Might I suggest not confiding such things to the person in question?”

“What can I say except I’m an honest man.”

Alveiro smiled wryly at my nonchalant shrug.

The end of the Magical War Games meant daily life had returned to normal. Psych. It sure hadn’t. Things were still as hectic as ever, though despite my few remaining duties, I’d mostly been taking it easy. In contrast, Alveiro found himself tackling the kind of busyness fit for an emperor. Thanks to the show we’d put on during the opening ceremony, everyone knew that Alveiro Velburn was now the leader of the Reauxgard Empire. But that didn’t mean the transition was simple. I’d taken care of as much admin stuff as I could beforehand, but there was still a mountain of stuff to do, so that was the work he was currently extremely busy with.

The awful dark circles under his eyes were tangible proof. Keep it up, dude. You got this. I’d give him some Super Potions as a gift later.

“Your Majesty Yuki... Excuse me, Lord Yuki. You’re no longer the emperor. However, we will still abide by your words. I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for this country. If we can ever repay the favor, don’t hesitate to ask.”

The one who’d just spoken was Kalcade, the steward of the imperial palace. His real identity was head of the spy organization Avend, a man who protected Reauxgard from the shadows. Now that Alveiro was the emperor, that was who he’d be working for, but since only a very small number of people knew who he really was, I’d been told not to reveal his secret either. He’s like a superspy. Also, I just realized that it was pretty unusual to know several folks who were spies or secret agents. But I also knew Runougil, the Demon King’s right-hand man.

“The good news is that we’ll still have the opportunity to communicate with you through the formation of this new group, my lord. Though I won’t be serving you any longer, as a member of the organization, I’ll continue to follow your lead. We’ll be here if you need us.”

The next to speak was Helgar Landros, the vice commander of the First Imperial Order of Knights and also a member of Avend. My relationship with him wouldn’t change despite Alveiro being his new boss too.

“Thanks, guys. Good to know you have my back. The reverse applies too. If you encounter anything you can’t handle, feel free to call me. I’ll probably notice anything monster-related before you. As for incidents to do with people, those won’t be on my radar.”

We were gathered here today to host a ceremony for the official formation of a new knightly order: Knight Order Zero, a group that was only allowed to use force when protecting this country. The name was originally supposed to be a temporary one, but we’d ended up keeping it because no one else had offered any ideas, plus maintaining the form of a knightly order was convenient for them. I was the commander. The other members were the three people present here—the twenty-fourth Emperor, Alveiro; Kalcade, the head of Avend; and Helgar Landros, vice commander of the First Order. Right now, it was just us four, though we weren’t ruling out increasing our numbers in the future.

Only a handful of folks even knew that we’d formed this group. They included the Demon King and a few high-ranking officials of this country. It was like a secret society, which was honestly kinda exciting. We’d be given a small budget. I personally didn’t need it, but I also hadn’t objected since the other members could use it. While I doubted they were hurting for money, you probably couldn’t have enough in the world outside.

On second thought, though...maybe I should’ve been keeping some in reserve too. I could earn it easily enough if I had to, but it was probably a good idea to have some readily available for when I needed it. I’d be sending Iluna and the others to school in the future, not to mention the kids waiting to be born. Plus, despite being able to buy most things in the dungeon, there were times when I had to pay others. For example, the elderly demon woman, Zena, who’d dropped in to check on Lefi and Lew. Yeah, I should start carrying a little of each country’s currency.

During a lull in the conversation, Alveiro spoke again.

“All right, let’s begin the ceremony. Commander Yuki, if you would please.”

“Roger.”

At my nod, the three of them snapped to attention, their relaxed attitudes gone. They drew the swords—katanas—at their waists, and pointed them toward me.

“Though born on different days, at different times, and to different races, we are of one heart. Though the hour of our deaths may differ, we are of one will.” I paused, looking at each of them, then continued. “So we shall aid each other, help the weak, bring peace to the people, and together protect this country. Though we may differ in all ways, we swear here to protect one another as friends and live righteously.”

Then, I also drew a katana—not En—with the same design as theirs from my waist, and lightly clinked my blade against each of theirs.

“I, Emperor Alveiro Velburn, the twenty-fourth of my line and a member of this Knight Order Zero, hereby acknowledge its formation. Commander Yuki, I look forward to working with you.”

“Likewise.”

That was the ceremony that was held whenever a knightly order was established in this country, although ours had been pretty informal. Like the Oath of the Peach Garden, huh? Though the content was pretty different. It wasn’t a pledge to become sworn brothers or anything like that, not to mention that I was completely driven by ulterior motives, but our desire to protect the country was the same. Even the emperor was just a member. Therefore, Order Zero wouldn’t be taking on any outside jobs. We would only work together to protect the country when a threat appeared. A unique order, united only by that single purpose.

Now, instead of “emperor,” my title was “knight commander.” A lot less fancy and better for me personally. Which begged the question, why had I even bothered being emperor in the first place?

“I must say, these are fine swords. The curve and the single edge tell me the design is foreign, so they must be quite expensive, no? Where were they made?”

The super serious ceremony over, Alveiro made those comments while looking at his sword with great interest.

“The materials are high-quality too. I figured you guys deserved that much, since you formed this group for me.”

“Then...I take it you made these, Commander Yuki?”

“Ohhh, yeah, you didn’t know. I actually make my own weapons. That includes En too. By the way, that katana—I mean sword. While it has a sharp edge, it’s tricky to use, so it’s basically just for ceremonial use.”

Helgar and Kalcade seemed to understand what I meant as they inspected their swords and talked to each other.

“Hmm... It certainly looks difficult to handle. Helgar, have you ever used a single-edged sword?”

“I don’t think so. A dagger might be the closest I’ve come.”

“Once more, I’m reminded of your many talents, Lord Yuki.”

Alveiro murmured that with a rueful smile.

“Ha ha! Well, demon lords can do all sorts of things. Speaking of, my life span is long. Even after you all die of old age, I’ll still be here as the commander of Knight Order Zero.”

When they departed this mortal plane, I’d be responsible for any new recruits, so I’d made these swords with that in mind.

“I designed these swords to last. No matter how many years pass, I’ll know that anyone who shows me one is your descendant or someone you’ve entrusted with it. When that happens, I’ll do what I can to help, so don’t lose them.”

The three of them exchanged glances, then bowed deeply to me.

And so, I ceased to be the leader of the Reauxgard Empire.

Side Story 2: Alveiro Velburn

Alveiro Velburn, the man who’d succeeded the twenty-third emperor, Yuki. Since the Magical War Games had ended, a flood of tasks had poured in, and as the new ruler, he had been working without rest. Now that things had finally settled down to some extent, he had some free time, so he ventured into a place he had long wanted to visit: the room of the former emperor, Shendra.

It had also been used by Demon Emperor Yuki. Before his use, a cursory investigation had been conducted and the room ultimately left mostly as it had been during Shendra’s time. Supposedly, Yuki himself had rarely used the room, and staff only entered it occasionally for cleaning. Despite feeling somewhat apprehensive, Alveiro had received permission from Shendra when the two had met in the demon world. “You’re free to organize it however you like.” Those had been his words. So he stepped inside, reminding himself that he had permission and that it was necessary to check it out himself.

“...”

The room was filled with research equipment, books, specimens, and magical devices. It hardly looked like a space belonging to an emperor. A hundred out of a hundred people who saw it would call it a researcher’s room. Although haphazardly scattered, the objects were arranged in a certain order, reflecting Shendra’s personality, which made Alveiro smile wryly.

The former emperor valued practicality and logic above all else, so anything he judged to be trivial would be put off, sometimes left neglected indefinitely. It was a result of his ability to compartmentalize what was and wasn’t his job. He had likely adopted that way of life because time was limited and he couldn’t handle everything himself. That also explained why a closer inspection of the room, which had looked cluttered at first glance, revealed that the important items were organized and well maintained.

Alveiro had heard that Shendra had rarely allowed butlers or maids into his room, so it had likely been left as it was due to that habit. With deep emotion filling him, he walked around, picking up a few objects before eventually finding himself before a door leading to an adjacent room, separate from the main one. He opened it and stepped inside. This new room was unusually spacious for the castle’s structure. In fact, it shouldn’t have even existed in this location according to the blueprints.

The labyrinth zone, he thought to himself.

However, the numerous bookshelves and the books crammed into them made it feel cramped despite its size. Additionally, there was something that stood out. A throne.

“This is...”

He had heard of it. This was the room that had existed since the time of the first emperor, and the throne had also existed since then. The origin of this country.

Alveiro traced his fingers along the heavy stone armrest, and then he sat down. It felt...so...heavy. Just sitting here, a heavy weight seemed to press down on him. Great responsibility and great pressure.

“Haah... I’m not yet worthy of being emperor, eh?”

His current self had nowhere near the power demanded by that seat. Therefore, he had to strive to become worthy. To acquire the dignity befitting an emperor.

Chaos enveloped the world at the moment. And time marched ever forward, turning the present into the past, into history, and swallowing the empire along with it. The current was fierce. However, since he had been inevitably swept into it, as the captain of his country, it was his duty to guide the ship. The large vessel passing beside them navigated the waves easily, plowing ahead steadily. Its crew worked together perfectly to operate it. Then there was his ship. Although its performance wasn’t awful, the crew members’ hearts were scattered. Some looked to the right, others to the left, while a few were distracted by other ships. The way things were going, their ship would surely capsize.

We can’t be left behind by the times. I must unite the crew and navigate these turbulent waters. That is my mission as the new emperor.

“Good grief... What a horrible time to take on the role,” Alveiro said with a chuckle, steeling himself for what lay ahead.

Chapter 3: Children

A little over a month had passed since the Magical War Games. Everything in the Reauxgard Empire was now completely out of my hands. In other words, I was back to being just your run-of-the-mill demon lord with no work or obligations, free as a bird, living true to his desires. Until the Games, I’d been hella busy every day as both emperor and one of the organizers, but with all that over, I was back to having free time. Or so I thought.

I still had Lefi’s and Lew’s pregnancies to deal with, on top of enrolling Iluna and the other girls in school. Compared to my busy life in Reauxgard, these things were way more important, but also not a chore to handle. Though I had to admit, I actually did have more free time compared to my days as ruler and whatnot, which just made me realize all over again that these laid-back days were the most important thing to me. This is what I live for.

“You know, my lord, looking back, the Magical War Games were really fun, huh? We could see the world you and the other leaders want starting to take shape. Plus, the entire event was a blast. I wonder if we’ll have more things like that in the future.”

“Something as large-scale as the Games will probably only happen once every few years, but folks really enjoyed the competitive events, so I hope more amateur tournaments get held... I’m putting my faith in the monarchs—that they’ll build on this success and keep it going.”

Lew and I were chatting at home.

Both the Magic Festa and the Battle Festa had been well received, but the latter in particular, with its flash and spectacle, had satisfied even the most bloodthirsty folks. It’d been straight up profitable. While both events had reportedly generated a tremendous amount of revenue, the Battle Festa had earned so much that a contingent of people wanted to hold it regularly from now on. We’d also already recouped the costs of the Games, not just for Atvoini Dominurs, the massive stadium that could accommodate a hundred thousand spectators, but also for the hotels, parks, and other buildings built in the area. Heck, we’d even turned a profit. This is the kinda development I’m talking about. Fingers crossed we can set up a professional league and it becomes a huge success.

“That’s a great way to look at it. It would make me really happy to see people all over the world stop thinking in terms of race because they’re interacting more by doing things like playing sports together!”

“For sure.”

Lew’s dream was a difficult one to achieve, even by Earth standards. Then again, using those standards, I’d have to say we’d succeeded with the Games. But this world still had a long way to go before it moved past the point of the races thinking of each other as enemies to be killed.

“You didn’t have an urge to participate yourself, my lord?”

“I like playing sports, but I prefer watching from the sidelines. Besides, let’s be real. If I played...I’d definitely win.”

“True enough. Unless your opponent had someone like Lefi on their team, they wouldn’t stand a chance, right?”

“Yup.”

If I’d been a contestant in the Battle Festa, the matches would’ve ended pretty much right after they started. All I would’ve had to do was move from left to right and back again. No matter what kind of magic my opponents cast or how many people tackled me, I would’ve scored points just by running. That wouldn’t have been fun for either the spectators or the players.

“That’s why I’m perfectly happy with just doing Extreme☆Sports with Lefi. And when you can move around like you used to again, you can join us too!”

“Okay! Lefi and I will be a team, and you’ll be solo. We’ll give you a good fight, my lord!”

“Th-Then I’ll summon Nell and make it two against two! Yeah... Yeah, I think we can pull off a win.”

“Fine, in that case, we’ll add Leila and Iluna to our team! Will you really be able to give it your all against them too?”

Lew gave me a mischievous grin.

“Hey, that’s cheating!”

And why is the default for them to gang up on me? Jeez. Well, it was impossible right now since both Lefi and Lew were pregnant, but it was nice to joke around like this again. Being an emperor had been a good experience, but I’d had enough. I wouldn’t do it again even if they asked me to. Not like there were that many opportunities to become one anyway.

“That reminds me. I know I should’ve thought about this earlier, but whatever. What do I say if our kids ask me about my job?”

“Uh... Hmm. Hmmmm... Demon lord?”

“I mean, yeah, duh. But say they were trying to explain it to someone else. Wouldn’t people find it easier to understand ‘My dad is an emperor’ versus ‘My dad is a demon lord’?”

“Hmm. Quite a dilemma, my lord.”

Ain’t it? Because I could easily imagine someone responding with a “Huh?” if my kids told people, “My dad is a demon lord!” Wait. Stop the presses. I’d just realized that I had a bigger problem...

“Can I even say I’m working? I... Holy balls, I can’t. So in a broad sense, I’m a NEET? Shit, Lew, what do I do? I don’t have a good answer for when the kids ask about my job...”

When she saw me starting to panic, Lew smiled ruefully, looking amused.

“Calm down. It’s all right, my lord. We’re all able to live comfortably thanks to you. Yes, you’re at home, but you’re also protecting everyone with the power of the dungeon. So you’re not unemployed, my lord. You’re just a...a stay-at-home security guard!”

“Which might as well be a synonym for ‘unemployed.’”

In a way, the term was both perfect and depressing.

Then, right in the middle of our chat, Lew’s expression suddenly changed. Her face went from smiling to pained. She clutched her stomach with both hands.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ngh...”

“‘Ngh’?”

“The baby’s...coming...”

“...The baby’s what?!”

I froze like an idiot. Even though I’d known for a while that it was almost time, her words still shocked the hell outta me.

“Um, uh... Right, Leila! Leila, we need you!”

I rushed to call Leila.

And then, our house became a hive of activity. Leila could handle things to a certain degree since she’d learned a bunch of stuff about labor and delivery and practiced what to do. Lefi, who’d be in the same position as Lew soon enough, remained calm.

Thanks to them, I was able to regain my composure. I immediately left the dungeon and headed to the demon world to bring Zena, the midwife who’d been looking after us for a while now, back. She knew that Lew was due any day now, so she was waiting near the door I’d set up in the demon world. The one at Reauxgard’s embassy, which Fynar’d installed for me.

Even though I wasn’t the emperor anymore, given the circumstances under which it’d been built, more than half of it was still my property. Incidentally, two people working there belonged to the spy organization Avend. I wondered if having spies at the embassy might cause some problems, but they were specifically assigned to provide assistance to me during my occasional visits, meaning the Demon King had also been informed. Because of that, they’d temporarily lifted the restriction that normally prevented me from going to the demon world’s capital unless I went through the Demonic Forest, allowing me to go directly from my house instead. That allowed me to meet with Zena immediately, and I brought her back home with me.

Nell was also out working today, but she’d called home while I was away, so she rushed back at almost the same time as us. Then, she and Zena immediately began helping with the childbirth. They kicked me out. It is what it is. There was nothing a man like me could do in this situation except panic, and that wouldn’t help them. So now I was waiting at the inn with the girls.

“It’s okay, they’ll be fine... Everything will be just fine. I have a bunch of elixirs and other stuff on hand. Plus, Zena is super experienced... No problem. No problem at all.”

Watching me trying to reassure myself, Iluna and En patted my knees as they sat on either side of me.

“Yukiki, calm down. You don’t have to be so anxious. They’ll be all right. LewLew is strong!”

“Besides...the baby is hers and yours. They’ll be just as strong as both of you.”

And then, Shii, sitting across from me with her knees folded up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them, beamed at me.

“Master, Master, we do our best as big sisters!”

The wraith triplets, who’d been floating around, landed on my shoulders and head, each saying things like, “We’ll take good care of them!” and “We’ll show them how cool we are!” and “We can’t wait for the day we can all play together!”

The anxiety I felt from all the waiting was gradually fading away as I talked with them. I still felt restless, and there wasn’t much I could do about that, but I was a little calmer. Right, right, right. What good would it do for me to panic? Calm yourself, dude.

“You’re right. This kid is half me and half Lew, which means they’ll be a bundle of energy.”

“Exactly! Lots and lots of energy, along with ears, a tail, and maybe even wings!”

“If they have wings, we won’t even know what species to categorize them as,” I replied with a laugh.

Me and Lew... I wondered which of us our child would look more like. While talking with Iluna and the others, I simply waited. I was also conscious of the fact that I shouldn’t show them how flustered I felt, so I just sat there.

How long had I been doing that? Several hours had already passed. At one point, Lefi, who was also pregnant and needed to avoid overexerting herself, came over to rest, but after a light meal, she’d said, “This trifle will not tax me or my child!” and went back to helping Lew with childbirth. Though I’d thought about stopping her, I’d been able to genuinely feel her vitality, so I hadn’t. Maaan...the women in our family are really strong. Completely different from me, who could only panic.

After covering a sleeping Iluna with a blanket and placing a curled-up, resting Shii on a cushion, I played shogi with En to calm my nerves. But I was losing even more badly than usual. Clearly, I still wasn’t able to concentrate properly. The wraith sisters, who usually drifted around aimlessly when they were bored, stayed with us today, acting unusually docile. I’d also touched base with the pets, who were all gathered in the meadow area because the birth of our child was a major event for them too.

And then...the door opened with a click. Nell beckoned to me. I immediately raced over, and there, wrapped in cloth, was a small baby crying vigorously.

“It’s a girl,” Zena said, wiping the sweat from her brow with a towel.

Lew’s child. My child. Our child. She had wrinkled ears and a tiny tail. Based on her appearance, she was a Werewolf. Ha ha, guess she takes after Lew. But the color of her hair was black, like mine. So much emotion filled my heart that I was almost afraid it would explode. And her name was...

“Riu. Hello, Riu.”

We’d decided that if we had a girl, we’d name her Riu. I’d been hesitant because it sounded too close to “Rir,” but I hadn’t had any better ideas. Lew hadn’t objected either. In fact, she’d said, “If she resembles Lord Rir, then I’m all for it!”

“Lew.”

“Hmm?”

“Thank you.”

“Tee hee... Of course.”

Despite her exhaustion, Lew, the new mother, smiled lovingly at me. I stroked her hair, then gently touched our child. Warm, alive.

Thank you for being born. Thank you for becoming our child. Your old man is chock-full of flaws, but...from now on, let’s grow together, one step at a time, and live our lives together.

And so, the number of people in our household went up by one.

◇ ◇ ◇

After everyone had calmed down a bit, I first thanked Zena from the bottom of my heart, and then I hugged Lefi, Leila, and Nell, who’d been helping her, and of course, Lew too. We’d only been snacking up to this point, so since it was getting late, we made a small meal, ate, took baths, and went to sleep. Zena also stayed the night.

Then, the next day arrived.

“Gosh, Riu, you’re just so adorable!”

“Indeed. She certainly takes after both you and Yuki, Lew. Her eyes resemble his, but her mouth is exactly like yours!”

“You’re so right, Lefi! Then there’s the ears and tail, and her black hair! Goodness, she’s just too cute!”

“I couldn’t agree more, Nell. I’m looking forward to caring for this child.”

“Riu! It Big Sister Shii! Big Sister Shii!”

“Big...Sister En is here too. Remember that. Big Sister En.”

“Hey, no fair, girls! Riu, Big Sister Iluna’s here too!”

“Gah ha! Riu will have many names to remember. Best of luck, wee one.”

“Aha ha ha! Well, she has a large family. All right, I’ve decided! When she grows up, I’ll teach her swordsmanship so she’ll be able to protect herself!”

“Then I’ll teach her magic.”

“Hmm, then I... I... Argh! At this moment, I deeply resent my lack of skills!”

They spoke in hushed tones to avoid waking the sleeping baby. I chimed in just as quietly.

“All right, folks, I totally get how you feel, but I need you all to calm down.”

Everyone was completely smitten. I genuinely understood why they were acting like this. I mean, she was super-duper cute. But at this rate, they’d just stare at Riu and keep chatting for hours. The wraith triplets were still buzzing with energy, spinning around and around above the baby. Girls, you’re making me dizzy, so cut it out when she wakes up, yeah?

“Look at you, already so popular, Riu. And why wouldn’t you be? You’re just so adorable.”

Lew seemed to be thinking the same thing as me. Even after a night’s sleep, she still looked a bit tired as she lay next to our sleeping daughter. However, the joy on her face was real, and just seeing it warmed my heart and made me happy too.

“I can’t thank you enough, Zena. You were a lifesaver for them both.”

“Not at all. People’s happiness, and their expressions when a child is born... For this old woman, being able to witness that is what makes life worthwhile.”

She smiled gently. What an amazing woman.

“Please take care of us again when Lefi’s time comes.”

“Of course. You’re in good hands.”

And then, Riu, who’d been sleeping soundly until now, suddenly started wailing.

“Oh dear. Lew just fed her, which means the little dear must need her nappy changed. Let me show you how to do it.”

“Thank you.”

From there, Zena taught us step by step how to take care of a baby. Everyone was gung ho about getting it right, watching her intently. As for Riu, now that she was free from the source of her discomfort, she quieted down and went back to sleep.

Ugggh...so presh. This cuteness is seriously dangerous. Hear me and be amazed, for this child is my daughter!

“Oh yeah, I have to let Lew’s parents know. And... Snap, gotta show her to Rir and the others!”

We’d already told the pets that her birth had gone well, but we’d left them waiting in the meadow area. I had to let them know they were free to go back to their lives... But maybe I’d let Rir come inside. I’d introduce her to the others later.

Shouting that I’d be right back, I left the living room to dismiss the other pets, then came back with only Rir.

“Rir, this is Riu! Spoil the crap outta her, yeah?”

He stared at her for a second, then sniffed her. That was when she woke up again. She whapped at his nose with her little hand and laughed, squealing unintelligibly. Well, to be more accurate, it looked like she was laughing, but either way, she definitely liked him.

“Tee hee. It looks like she likes you too, Lord Rir. She’s definitely my child!”

“Grr! Damn you, Rir! You got her to like you so fast!”

Do I need any more proof she’s part of the Werewolf bloodline? I think not...

“Rgh...”

“Now, now. Don’t get angry, my lord. She’ll understand that you’re her papa soon enough.”

Grr... When she gets a little older, I’ll dote on her so much that she’ll say, “I love you, daddy!” Although I will have to be careful not to overdo it, or else she’ll end up saying, “Daddy, you’re annoying!” instead.

“Gah ha! Yes, your blood indeed runs deep in this one. Rir, you must take good care of her.”

Lefi chuckled cheerfully.

Expression serious, Rir growled his reply of, “I will be sure to protect her.”

I couldn’t wait to watch her grow up and become her own person.

◇ ◇ ◇

Life with Riu had begun. She was incredibly cute, and the entire dungeon now revolved around her. No surprise there. She was an energetic little thing, crying and sleeping like it was her job. That might’ve just been how babies operated, but as a parent, it helped a lot that the way she expressed herself made her easy to understand.

All that energy meant she cried in the middle of the night most nights. Thanks to the large number of adults, though, we basically looked after her in shifts, so the burden on each of us was pretty small. Riu’s biological mother was Lew, but all of the women were her mothers in a sense too. I hoped they felt the same way too.

The girls were doing their best to help out too. Ever since Lew and Lefi had gotten pregnant, they’d been doing what they could to pitch in, but now that they were officially big sisters, it was like they’d leveled up automatically. They took care of things without the adult gang even asking or realizing. Whenever I tried to do housework, they’d hit me with an “Oh, we already did that” or a “We finished everything!” or a “You can just relax.” So sometimes I had nothing to do. They really were great kids.

But there was another reason for that. Pretty soon, they’d be busy with a new chapter of their lives, which explained why they’d started taking the initiative with chores. They probably thought they should help us while they still could. And this new chapter was them enrolling in school, starting with their entrance ceremony.

“Yup, looks good.”

The girls were all wearing their school uniforms. Well, Shii’d just changed her body to match, and the wraith triplets had possessed their dolls. Neither of those things changed the fact that they all made for an adorable sight.

“Thank you, Yukiki! I feel kinda bad, though, since you’re all so busy taking care of Riu.”

“The timing stinks.”

“Yup...Shii’s right. We want to dote on Riu more.”

The wraith sisters nodded in agreement with the three of them.

“Ha ha. You can come home every day, so play with her when you do. Seriously, thanks, girls.”

The entrance ceremony was held twice a year in the ovine village, and today was one of those days. They’d be attending the Farencia Academy of Magic. Technically, it was the only school there. It’d been founded by an ovine woman who could be considered the clan’s matriarch.

Leila had been a student there, and her mentor, Madam Eldgalia, was a teacher. It was divided into several faculties and separated by age groups, with several school buildings and other facilities on-site. Everyone in the clan was scholarly in nature, and their sole purpose was the pursuit of knowledge, which explained why they didn’t bother separating the schools. Besides, they weren’t exactly running it as a business.

Because of those factors, it essentially operated as a serious research institution, or an institution equivalent to a university in my previous life. However, the Junior Faculty that Iluna and the other girls would be in served as a place to learn social skills in addition to studying. In short, they’d be getting a well-rounded, comprehensive education.

By the way, as a student there, Leila’d skipped the Junior Faculty completely and started out alongside adults because she’d been a prodigy. Hmm... Maybe that’s why she’s a little...unusual. Yeah, that actually made a lot of sense.

While the Academy had dormitories, the girls would be commuting from home thanks to the door I’d installed connecting us to the village. That way, we wouldn’t have to worry so much. Oh, as for En, her greatsword was already in her pouch because from now on, she’d be spending many more days away from me. I’d made a replacement weapon, but part of our deal when I’d convinced her to give school a shot was that I wouldn’t go anywhere dangerous without her. Didn’t change the fact that I’d be feeling lonely...

“All right, ladies, got everything? Good, let’s go.”

“Okaaay!” Iluna and Shii called out in unison.

“Okay...” En followed up as usual.

After the rest of the adult gang saw them off, we passed through the door. Suddenly, the scenery changed completely, and we arrived at the ovine village. Well, a garden-like area within it. Madam Eldgalia had been kind enough to offer a plot of empty land she owned, and I’d taken her up on it to install the door there. This time, unlike with other doors, I’d connected it directly to the dungeon. Of course, I’d been hesitant, but since Iluna and the others would be using it every day, I’d opted to prioritize convenience. If this village, with all its technology, people, and whatnot, ended up being dangerous, the rest of the world was definitely out of the question insofar as where to send the girls for school.

“Ooh, are we already here, Yukiki?”

“Yup, it’s land we borrowed from Leila’s mentor. Look around you. You recognize those buildings, right?”

“Hmm... It feels sort of...I dunno...like a letdown to get here so fast!”

I couldn’t help but smile wryly at Iluna’s honesty. She wasn’t wrong. Where was the fun, in showing up somewhere in a split second when the first trip had taken us several days by airship? For me, the distance separating Point A and Point B was where travel got its charm. Hell, I wouldn’t even go to local tourist spots within walking distance.

Just then, Madam Eldgalia popped into view. I guessed she’d been waiting nearby since I’d given her a heads-up as to when we’d show up.

“Oh, wonderful, you made it. Good morning.”

“Good morning, everyone!”

Next to her was Leila’s younger sister, Emyu.

“Morning, ladies. Thanks for coming to pick us up.”

“Heh. This child has been looking forward to it ever since she heard you all were coming here. My word, she’s been restless all morning.”

“M-Madam Sage! You don’t need to tell them that!”

“Fine, fine. Though I don’t think you need to be embarrassed.”

“Good morning, Madam Eldgalia, Emyu! We’re happy to be here too! We can learn together from now on!”

“Emyu, we have lotsa fun together!”

“Yes...I’m excited to play with you again.”

The wraith girls followed up with excited hand-waving, like they were saying, “Long time no see!” and “We meet again!” and “Emyu, hi!”

“Th-Thank you... I’m delighted as well. I hope we can be even better friends!”

She looked a little shy as she spoke. Yeah, I remember hearing that she’s not great at socializing. Maybe it was because she was smarter than most people, kinda like Leila.

Feeling charmed by their exchange, I bowed my head to Madam Eldgalia.

“Right, then. Please take care of my children.”

“With pleasure.”

“Girls, if you have any questions or there’s anything you don’t understand here, make sure you ask Madam Sage. Don’t forget to be on your best behavior too.”

“Okay! Madam Eldgalia, please take care of us!”

“Please!”

“Please...and thank you.”

The wraith triplets also joined in, and all the girls bowed their heads.

“I look forward to teaching you as much as I can during your time in our village.”

And so, the girl gang waved goodbye to me and headed toward the school, following Madam Eldgalia. The entrance ceremony was today, but it wasn’t anything formal like in my previous life. It was more of a casual get-together, something along the lines of, “All right, meet your new friends. Everyone, please introduce yourselves.” Also unlike the ones in my old life, the parents here didn’t attend.

So this is where I say goodbye, huh? Not gonna lie, I felt a tiny bit disappointed. While those thoughts ran through my mind, I watched the girls grow smaller and smaller in the distance, and I was inundated with a mix of emotions. Then, when I couldn’t see them anymore, I went back to the dungeon.

◇ ◇ ◇

The dungeon was a little quieter now that the girls weren’t at home during the day. The absence of their cheerful voices alone made things feel kinda lonely. When did I get so sentimental? Lately, the smallest things turned me into an emotional mess. Having said that, even with just the adults around, our home was still pretty noisy.

“Mr. Yuki! I’d like to host a forum here on why babies are so cute!”

Nell made that declaration out of the blue. She’d recently gone part-time with her hero duties, which let her spend more time at home.

“Sure, why not?”

“I, Nell, will serve as the chairperson of the ‘Babies Are Cute, Huzzah!’ Committee!”

“Understood, Chair of the ‘Babies Are Cute, Huzzah!’ Committee.”

“As my first order of business, I hereby appoint you as the vice chair of said committee. For my second order of business, I request that you offer your opinion.”

“Wait, I’m the vice chair?”

Lew, who was soothing a fussy Riu in her arms, smiled ruefully at our exchange.

“My lord, Nell’s in that mode again. Just roll with it, would you?”

“Oh, okay, so I wasn’t the only one thinking that. Whew. Good to know.”

Ladies and gents, I present to you the runaway train of our household, Ser Nell. Once she starts, she doesn’t stop. The second she flipped the switch and went full speed ahead, there was no stopping her from talking a mile a minute as she let her emotions run free. And who was the lucky one stuck dealing with her whenever she got like this? Why, me, of course. Well, I guess that’s part of my job description as her husband. Seriously, though, she was a hero, a wife, a bath maniac, a weapon fanatic, and a runaway train—was she trying to collect all the traits ever? But hey, she was cute, so it was okay.

“Hey, vice chair-cum-errand boy! I said, offer your opinion!”

“Respectfully, is there a reason you specifically added the ‘errand boy’ part? Ahem. Anyway. I believe logic has nothing to do with a baby’s cuteness. Babies are cute because they’re cute.”

“Superb! Sometimes, there are no reasons in this world! Only pure, unadulterated results!”

That was her wannabe profound response to my half-hearted opinion. I’m glad you’re having fun.

“Also, the fact that Riu is my and Lew’s kid is another reason why she in particular is so stupidly cute.”

“Yes, exactly! A child of my family! In other words, my child too! Wonderful... Cute, huzzah!”

“Hey, Lew, what should we do? She’s even more hyper than usual today.”

“Unfortunately, the rest of us can’t handle her when she’s like this. You’re our only hope, my lord. Good luck!”

“You’re just dumping it all on me ’cause you don’t wanna do it, aren’t you? As one of her fellow wives, shouldn’t you also share the burden of dealing with her?”

“No, because a wife’s job is to deal with her husband. And dealing with his wives is the husband’s job. So you’re howling up the wrong tree, my lord.”

“Well, well. Look who’s gotten good at comebacks.”

“All thanks to a certain someone’s training.”

Lew was surprisingly strong-willed now. Grr... I’d have to remember to tread carefully with her too.

Meanwhile, Nell completely ignored us and continued running wild.

“Lefi! Your child will be born soon! Can you believe it?! Because I can’t! Life is wonderful! Living is wonderful! Come, vice chair! Repeat after me!”

“Life is wonderful.”

“That’s right! Life is wonderful! I want to teach Riu all about this wonder!”

“Yeah, we’ve got a lot to teach her. Like the appeal of baths.”

Nell gasped when she heard that second part.

“Which reminds me! I’m going to raise her to be a freedom fighter who absolutely loves baths! We’ll search for the world’s secret hot springs together, only for her ultimate lesson to be that the best bath is the one we had at home all along! Thanks for giving me such a great idea, Mr. Yuki!”

“Nell, I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but I won’t be raising her like that,” Lew chimed in. “It’s fine if she likes baths, though.”

“Hmm, hmm, hmm. A difference in educational philosophy! All right, Lew! I propose we discuss this further, because I really want Riu to know how amazing baths are!”

“My lord...this is your fault. Now Nell is even more riled up. Do something.”

“Whaaat? How can you blame me? Okay, okay, okay. Hey. Hey, Nell. You can teach her all about baths, but what Riu does after that is up to her, okay?”

“Omigosh, you’re right! Certainly, teaching her all sorts of things is a family’s duty, but the choice is ultimately hers! Riu. Listen well. Baths are wonderful. Marvelous. Sublime!”

“My dearest Nell, do you truly believe we can’t hear your nefarious whispers? Kindly stop brainwashing the baby.”

The end justified the means when it came to baths, huh? I knew that, though.

“Riu, mama says to make sure you don’t end up like her.”

“Riu, dad thinks living your life how you want is a great thing, but not to this extreme.”

“Riu, let’s conquer every bath in existence!”

Wow. Pretty lofty goal.

As for Riu, she simply twitched her little ears and stared at us with her big, round eyes. What a cutie.

◇ ◇ ◇

In the meadow area.

“Awww, she’s so cute! Just like our newest addition!”

I picked up the fluffy, silky creature that was the size of a small dog.

“Riu is as cute as a button, but this one’s as cute as a teddy bear!”

“Grr.”

“Grrrr.”

“Hey, I have an idea! Let’s raise them as sisters alongside all the girls.”

I was chatting with Rir and his wife, who were snuggling together lovingly. Yup, you guessed it. They’d had a kid recently too. A female pup. Her fur and facial features were so similar to theirs that you could tell right away they were her parents. And of course, she was super cute too.

Perhaps because her parents accepted me, she wasn’t particularly wary of me, even though we’d only just met. She observed me with her big, curious eyes. She even nibbled on my arm playfully, which made my heart melt. She was officially Riu’s younger sister and would be the older one of Lefi’s and my baby.

“Gah ha! Our family has grown again!”

Lefi sounded happy as she gently stroked the little fenrir’s head. She’d come with me on this visit. I knew part of her joy had to do with how close she was with Rir’s wife.

“Grr?”

“Indeed. I wager a few more days before this little one, too, makes his or her entrance into the world.”

“Grr, grar.”

“Gah ha! Yes, we shall raise them all together. Should you need anything, anything at all, do not hesitate to call on us. I would be more than glad to lend Yuki to you whensoever the need strikes.”

“And I wouldn’t even complain, ’cause I’d be happy to help.”

“That is a given, for you have been relying on Rir overmuch. Thus, you must repay the favor at a time like this.”

“You know what? You’re absolutely right. Rir, don’t hesitate to ask for anything.”

“Grr.” Rir bowed his head, saying, “I appreciate it.”

“Oh yeah, what’s her name? According to Analysis, she doesn’t have one yet, which can’t be right. Right?”

“Grr, grar,” my pet said in response to my question.

“Huh? You want me to name her?”

“Grr.”

“Grrrr.”

The couple nodded.

Well, hell. They were asking me to do the honors. Or more specifically, Rir was, since he was technically under my command. His wife didn’t seem to have any objections either. I was happy to be asked, but...it was a huge responsibility.

I looked down at the baby fenrir in my arms. Beautiful silver fur, very similar to her parents. I thought about names for a while, then decided.

“Setsu. That’s your name.”

“Grr... Grr.”

Translation: “Setsu... A good name. Thank you.”

Rir bowed his head again, and I gave him an affectionate pat.

“Later, we shall introduce you to Riu and Lew, Setsu. I can already envision Lew’s face glowing with joy at the sight of you.”

“Ha ha! For sure. Iluna and the others’ll be super happy too. We’ll introduce them to their newest sister when they get back from school.”

“Grar.”

“Grr.”

“Setsu, this forest is a tough place to live in, so listen to what your parents say and learn everything you can about the environment we live in. But there’s nothing more wonderful than this world either. So have fun with our kids and rejoice in this life together!”

Setsu cocked her little head curiously at me, then licked my face. After that, Lefi and I chatted with Rir and his wife for a little longer, when suddenly, Lefi’s face contorted in pain.

“B-Blast it all...”

“Hey, what’s wrong?”

“The babe...is coming...”

“...The babe is what?!”

For just a moment, a feeling of déjà vu hit me.

◇ ◇ ◇

From there, just like with Riu’s birth, things suddenly got hectic. First, I rushed back home, carrying Lefi since she was in no state to move. After entrusting her to the rest of the adult gang, I headed to the demon world to bring Zena back.

With this being the second time, I was much calmer. Just kidding. I wasn’t calmer. Not even a little bit. It was pathetic how much I was panicking. After Zena joined the other women, I waited at the inn, just like last time. The only difference now was that I was holding Riu in my arms.

“Riu, you’re gonna have a little brother or sister soon. Well, I guess you already have Setsu...but now you’ll have a younger sibling actually related to you. Anyway, don’t worry about the semantics. Just get along with them, okay?”

“Da! Gah!”

She stretched out her little arms and legs as far as she could, trying to grab at my arms and face. I’d been a nervous wreck with her in the beginning, but I learned quickly, so now, I was used to taking care of her too, comforting her when she needed it. I felt like I had a pretty good handle on her. When she was happy, she twitched her ears and wagged her stubby tail back and forth. I could not get over how incredibly cute it was when she did that. Sometimes I wondered if she already recognized me as her dad.

While I cuddled Riu, Iluna and the other girls peeked at her from the side. They’d come back from school not too long ago and were waiting with me, just like last time.

“Hmm, hmm, hmm... I swear she gets cuter every time I see her, Yukiki!”

“Ya know... I don’t disagree.”

“Master, when Riu learn to talk?”

“Not for a while yet, so we can all look forward to the day we can have a real conversation with her.”

“Yup... I can’t wait to talk to the new baby too. I’ll tell them about all the interesting parts of my experiences.”

“Oh yeah, we’ll have lots of stories to share with them.”

I had a feeling this little chat was the girls’ way of distracting me. They’d probably picked up on my restlessness. It was a good idea, so I went along with it.

“By the way, how’s school going?”

“Great!”

Iluna kept going, like a dam bursting.

“I’m sooo thankful to Leila for teaching us so much already, but there’s so much more to learn in so many different fields, so I’m trying to figure out what I like right now!”

“I’m having kinda hard time! Not so good at studying, you know... If I doesn’t focus, I get confused.”

“The...pursuit of the unknown is fun. I finally understand how Leila feels.”

The wraith triplets followed up with their thoughts after En. “School is fun!” and “I’m learning a lot!” and “I love the ovine village!” Looks like they’re enjoying studying too. Well, except for Shii. Poor kiddo.

“Ahhh! No fair! I has it tough!”

“Ha ha! I get ya, Shii. I didn’t really like studying either. I only did it ’cause I had to, not ’cause I wanted to. But there has to be at least one subject you enjoy.”

“Hmm... Hmmmm... Oh, maybe magic class! Even I can understand!”

“Yeah? Then even if you don’t do well with the other stuff, you should try your best there.”

“Okay! I will!”

School would be a mind-numbing slog if everything was boring. But if she liked even one thing, I wanted to believe that it would eventually work out. Plus, I would’ve loved to take magic classes in my old life. That would’ve been hella fun.

“We have lots of new friends now too, Yukiki! Shii and the triplets are super popular with the ovine kids!”

“Oh yeah, almost forgot! Studying hard, but I made lots of friends!”

“They’re...always mobbing them, Master.”

“Yeaaah, I can picture that.”

Even though Leila was an extreme example, members of the ovine race all had more or less the same disposition, and I remembered Shii and the wraith sisters having been very popular during our previous trip.

“Man, that village really is a great place.”

“Right?! We have so much fun there!”

“Now I understand why Leila so cool!”

“Yup...I like it too.”

The desire for knowledge outweighed everything else there, including race. It didn’t matter that Iluna and En looked like “normal people” or that Shii and the wraith triplets, as unique races that you wouldn’t see anywhere else, didn’t. The unfortunate reality was that the number of places where they could simply be children, make friends, study, and just live their lives was very limited. That was why I wanted to maintain a friendly relationship with the ovine village well into the future.

And so, time passed. But the more it did, the more impatient and anxious I could feel myself getting. This birth was taking a lot longer than Riu’s. More than half a day had already passed. Had something gone wrong? Was labor not going well? My stock of elixirs meant it wouldn’t be life-threatening, but still, prolonged labor would no doubt put a huge strain on both Lefi and the baby. Maybe something unexpected had happened?

“Haah...” I exhaled deeply.

Calm down. It’s gonna be all right. This kid has the Supreme Dragon and a demon lord as parents. They’re bound to be healthy and strong. So they’ll both be all right. No problems at all. I tried desperately to reassure myself, trusting Lefi and the other adults, while I continued to wait...

“Everyone, the baby’s here!”

We heard the door open, and just like last time, Nell came through.

“They’re both okay, right?”

She smiled and nodded firmly.

“They are. It was touch and go for a bit there, but both mother and child are safe. Go see them, Mr. Yuki. I’ll look after Riu.”

She finished by patting my head.

Without me realizing it, my body had tensed up like crazy. I handed Riu over, took a deep breath to release that tension, then left the inn with the girl gang.

In the dungeon, everyone looked tired. No surprise, since Lefi’s labor had gone on much longer than Lew’s. But they were also smiling. I could hear the baby’s vigorous cries.

“It’s a boy,” Zena said.

I looked at him, all wrapped up, wailing his little heart out. Lefi’s and my child. Like me and Riu, he had black hair. Physically, he took after Lefi, just like Riu took after Lew, with tiny horns and a tiny tail. I didn’t see any wings on him, but maybe they were retractable like ours.

“Goddamn, woman. You took at least ten years of my life... Ha ha...”

“I suppose he takes after his father in that regard, eh?”

Lefi’s hair was damp with sweat, and her expression was weighed down by a fatigue I rarely saw. Yet her smile shone bright.

“Psh. More like his mama.”

“Oho, is that so? I do not have enough hands or feet to count all the times you have worried me with your reckless nature. But can you tell me when I have made you anxious before?”

“...No.”

“Then it is clear who he takes after.”

I smiled wryly, thoroughly defeated by Lefi and the sheer force of her existence. Her mischievous grin didn’t help either. You really are an amazing woman...

“Now, Yuki. Will you give this child a name?”

“Oh. Yeah. Right.” I laid a gentle hand on him. “Your name is...Sakuya.”

My son. For some reason, the emotions surging in me were a bit different from when Riu’d been born. The overwhelming joy that made me wanna cry was the same, but the affection I felt for him was similar to what I felt for Rir. I laughed in my head because it was just so funny and weird how emotions differed between a daughter and a son.

I stroked his head. Sup, Sakuya? Welcome to our family full of women. I’m surrounded by wives, and you’ll be surrounded by sisters, so we’ll both have our struggles. Still, let’s enjoy this world together.

◇ ◇ ◇

Things had settled down after Sakuya’s birth. Since his had taken so much longer than Riu’s, he’d come into this world late at night, close to dawn. The women had been pretty tired, and they’d fallen asleep right away after bathing and eating. It wasn’t until the next evening that everyone’d recovered enough to go about their normal routines again.

During that time, I’d taken care of the two babies. All I’d done during the birth was wait in the inn, so it was the least I could’ve done. Just part of being a dad. Fortunately, I didn’t get tired that easily while in the dungeon, meaning I didn’t need to sleep much. I was thankful once again for the strength and resilience of this demon lord body.

Iluna and the rest of the girl gang were actually supposed to be at school today, but since they were tired from waiting with me, and more importantly, they wanted to be with their new baby brother, I’d let them take the day off, citing family circumstances. We’d had Zena stay with us again this time too, all of us having thanked her profusely and done our best to be hospitable. Once she’d been sure Lefi and Sakuya were in good hands, she’d left. I’d be forever grateful to her. All the elderly people I knew in this world were just so damn cool. Maybe their long lives in this harsh world explained their strong convictions and how they’d established their own way of life. I hope I can be a cool old man someday too...

“Looking at them like this, Riu and Sakuya really are siblings, huh?!”

“Just like Riu, his eyes resemble Mr. Yuki’s, but his facial features are similar to Lefi’s! I can already tell he’ll grow up to be a beautiful man!”

“Gah ha! Pray do not call him that or ‘cute,’ for there is a chance he will pout in the future.”

“Tee hee, a future I can easily imagine. Considering this is an all-women household, Riu won’t mind such compliments at all, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Sakuya feels embarrassed.”

“Aha ha ha! That’s very possible, Leila! He’ll scrunch his face in displeasure, but he won’t actually say so for fear of hurting our feelings! And then Riu will say something like, ‘How did I get stuck with such an odd little brother?’”

“I think it’s so funny that we’re already predicting what kind of person Sakuya will grow up to be.”

“Sakuya, hiii! It’s your big sister, Iluna!”

“And other big sister, Shii!”

“Don’t...forget En.”

“Gosh, I hope he and Riu get along too.”

“It would be great for the siblings to enjoy life together.”

“That is where we come in. We must keep a close eye on them, raise them both so they do not become twisted like Yuki.”

“As parents, we bear tremendous responsibility, hm?”

Next to the women, the wraith sisters, still excited, circled above Sakuya’s head.

Well, my son. I have a premonition that your fate is to be the women’s plaything, but please do your best regardless. Your father is on your side!

Anyway. I had a new mystery on my hands as I stared at Sakuya, who was waving his hands and feet around like he didn’t know what to do with them while babbling the nonsense sounds babies did. As far as race went, Riu took after Lew, with Analysis telling me hers was Werewolf. As for Sakuya, though, it said “Draconian (??)” That extra bit in the parentheses, the one I, of course, couldn’t read. Even though I’d leveled up a shit ton. That was the new mystery.

But wait, there’s more! Another thing he had that Riu didn’t was that one of his title slots was already filled. It said, “One Who ???” Again, something I couldn’t read. Is it just me, or has this been happening a lot lately?

Apparently, my kid had some kind of secret. I mean, it obviously didn’t matter to me what he was. Even if something like “Dragon God” or “Demon God” had been written there instead, I wouldn’t’ve cared. Because I knew that in this world, gods, with the exception of Dominus, were just people who possessed great power.

And then Rir, who I’d brought back for a meet-and-greet with our newest addition, let out a quiet rumble while staring at said addition.

“Grr.”

Translation: “This child will become someone great.”

“Oh, really? What makes you say that?”

“Grrrr.”

Turned out, Rir could sense some kind of unique magical power coming from Sakuya. He said it was similar to my magic and Lefi’s, but mixed together, creating a kind of captivating, gravitational force.

“Hmm, I believe I understand what Rir is trying to say. The energy this child emits is indeed a bit unusual. The closest equivalent would be...the Spirit Emperor. That old man.”

Huh... Looks I wasn’t so far off the mark with my wild guesses. If his magical signature was trending in the Spirit Emperor’s direction, that meant...

“Well, it doesn’t really matter what he is, right, my lord? There are very few things or people in this house that are normal.”

“Ha ha, very true. I doubt another family exists in the whole wide world with so many strange items and such a diverse mix of races.”

“As an ovine woman who has learned quite a bit, I can say with almost complete confidence that you are correct, Nell.”

“Especially when the head of our family is no exception.”

“Oh, does my dear Lefi have something to say? Then say it to my face.”

“Fine. Yuki. You are...what is the word? Ah, yes. You are a weirdo.”

Gasp! How dare she! She actually said it to my face!

“Hey! You’re not pregnant anymore! That means I’m done going easy on you! I’ve been considerate and gentle with you until now, but that stops today! Prepare yourself!”

“Oho! Such nerve! Then let me tell you this! I am a true mother now that I have given birth to Sakuya! Therefore, whatever rubbish passes for your brand of ‘consideration’ matters not to me!”

“Fine, have it your way! Let’s settle things right here, right now! The power of a father versus the power of a mother!”

“Very well! It seems I must teach my naive husband a lesson! Gird your loins, Yuki!”

“Lefi, my lord, we’re not going to put a damper on your passion, but get any louder and the babies will cry, so take it to the inn, okay?”

“Yes, ma’am,” the two of us answered in unison.

“Goodness, Lew. Look at you, showing them who’s boss.”

“Mothers are strong, hm?”

Nell and Leila smiled innocently.

And so, our family grew by one more. Riu, Sakuya, and Setsu. Grow up together, big and strong!

Epilogue: Our Children

“Whew... They’re finally both asleep.”

I murmured that as I watched the two babies. Up until a moment ago, they’d been crying their little hearts out, but maybe all that crying had tired them out, because they’d fallen asleep in a flash, like their batteries had run out.

There was a kind of, I dunno, resonance between them. One crying would wake the other up, who would then start crying too. And just when you thought they’d finally stopped, one would start right back up again, waking the other, and then they were both back to crying. Those times were absolute chaos. Everyone in the adult gang would laugh over their adorable antics and do our best to soothe them.

Sometimes, I saw them staring at each other like they were having a silent conversation. I knew they weren’t, whether in their heads or out loud, but there were times when they seemed like they were super aware of each other. Maybe they already recognized themselves as siblings.

What was even more interesting was that the two of them were already starting to show their personalities. Riu was always full of energy, expressed her emotions with wild gestures, and laughed a lot. Sakuya, on the other hand, was a little quieter, somehow calmer than her, and gave the impression of observing everyone’s faces carefully. At the end of the day, though, they were still babies, so when they cried, they did it with their whole chests, waving the crap out of their arms, legs, and tails.

Riu’s little ears were so cute, especially when they twitched, and so were Sakuya’s squishy, cartilage-like little horns. Also, just like Nell’d said, his face was similar to Lefi’s, so he’d probably grow up to be quite the heartbreaker. Lucky little shit.

I guess I’ll have to teach them about that kinda stuff. I didn’t think I had enough life experience on that front to offer him any genuinely profound bits of advice. As one of his parents, though, I wanted to teach him the important things in life.

“Ha ha...”

I couldn’t help but let out a wry chuckle when I realized what direction my thoughts had headed in. Now I understood why parents wanted to say so many things to their children. Then, the kids rebelled against the nagging, grew up fighting with their parents, and when they became parents themselves, they’d end up saying pretty much the same stuff to their own children. A curious feeling welled up inside me while I was imagining that future.

“What is it, Yuki? You seem to be in a good mood.”

“Oh, hey, Lefi. You’re awake.”

“Indeed. I do not actually have a need to nap much. My body is strong, after all.”

Lately, the grown-ups had been taking turns napping during the day in case Riu and Sakuya woke up at night. Lefi had also been dozing at the inn until now.

“You have been taking care of them all this time, so you should rest as well.”

“Nah, I’m fine. Besides, as long as I’m in the dungeon, I’ve got power flowing into me, so I’m definitely having an easier time than everyone else. I’d be a pretty crappy husband if I didn’t do at least this much.”

“Is that so? Then...let us watch over them together!”

“Ha ha, sure.”

I was sitting cross-legged, so when I motioned her over, Lefi sat down in the cradle of my legs. I wrapped my arms around her from behind in a loose hug, and she leaned into me. The two of us watched over our children in silence.

“It is amazing, is it not?”

“Hmm?”

“These adorable wee pups will eventually grow up and become adults. Watching Iluna and the others grow has been rewarding, but this...feels different.”

“’Cause something so small can get so big?”

Lefi nodded.

“Well put. It is astounding how living beings can grow from such a small, weak state. And when they do, it is because their protectors watched over them always, yes? I... Once more, I feel the immense weight and responsibility of being a parent.”

“Same.”

We would raise these small, fragile lives. And just like Lefi’d said, it wouldn’t be easy.

“Nevertheless, children will think for themselves and grow in their own ways. This I realized from watching Iluna and the others.”

“I love listening to their stories nowadays.”

“I do as well.”

Since the girls had started going to school, they’d been cheerfully telling us about their days. Listening to them at dinnertime was one of our newest joys. Now that they were out in the “real” world, they’d encounter all kinds of things, both fun and difficult, but I hoped they’d continue to enjoy life to the fullest.

“Yuki.”

“Hmm?”

“In the beginning, it was only you and I. Then, you summoned Shii, and after her came Iluna. And now... Well, this place has grown quite crowded, eh?”

“Ohhh yeah. The first person I met after being born into this world was you.”

“As if I would forget. At first, I thought you a decidedly strange demon.”

“I thought, ‘Shit, I’m doomed.’ But then all it took was a single piece of chocolate to lure you in and get you to follow me all the way home. Never imagined you being such an easy mark.”

“I will have you know that the chocolate smelled very good. I could not resist the temptation. Even the Supreme Dragon is not immune to confections. It is simply a truth of this world.”

“That so? Well, life’s been pretty great so far, so maybe I should be grateful to your gullible—I mean, your generous nature.”

“I heard that. At any rate, there are only a handful of people in the world who can make sweets that satisfy the Supreme Dragon. You are one such person. Consider yourself fortunate.”

“No freaking way. In fact, I think it’s the height of misfortune for my dungeon to settle itself in your territory and then summon my ass there.”

“Oho? Misfortune, is it?”

“Yup. ’Cause now I can never live alone. Whether I like it or not, I’m stuck with you.”

“Ah, yes. Unfortunate indeed. The demon lord who should have stained the world with evil has instead ended up under his wife’s thumb.”

“See? You get it. All I can do now is be the humblest husband I can be, trying to keep my wives and kids happy. Sometimes I think to myself, ‘This isn’t how I imagined my life as a demon lord!’”

I shrugged dramatically, and Lefi laughed.

“That is understandable.”

“Wow... It really just hit me that I’ve been with you since basically my first moment in this world.”

“Heh. Finally feeling the gravity of it, are you?”

“...”

My own thoughts embarrassed me a bit in the moment, so I didn’t say anything. But of course, Lefi saw right through me. She looked up at me with a smile.

“Be at ease. For I shall remain with you until death parts us.”

Unable to find the right words, I just hugged her tightly.

“Yup... Bad luck. A terrible roll. Honestly. Which is exactly why you, Lefi, will have to take responsibility for making me, a demon lord, into someone who doesn’t fit that title at all.”

“I suppose I have no choice. In return, then, you shall have to take responsibility for turning the Supreme Dragon into a mother.”

“Deal.”

While we joked around, Riu, who was supposed to be asleep, suddenly woke up and started crying. Of course, that woke Sakuya up, and he started crying too. We looked at each other and laughed, then each of us picked up a baby to comfort them.

Special Story 1: Lefi’s Body

My body feels light, Lefi thought to herself.

“Hmm... Well, that is only natural, I suppose,” she muttered while touching her abdomen. Life had recently nestled there, but it was now miraculously back to normal, so it was no wonder her body felt incredibly light. Despite all the discomfort she had experienced, a sense of loneliness somehow overshadowed the feeling of relief.

She looked at her son, Sakuya. She still couldn’t believe that the babe had been inside her womb until recently. It was all so strange, so mysterious. Simply looking at him made her happy.

“You are too precious.”

He slept the sound sleep of the innocent, his face cherubic. Honestly, it surprised her how long he slept each day. She had thought babies were a lot of work, but perhaps because she had a husband who was even more troublesome—or rather, a husband who involved himself in all sorts of troublesome situations, even the fact that he cried a few times a day charmed her. She had yet to find this child-rearing business difficult at all.

A son who had inherited her traits and her beloved husband’s. Their child possessed small, adorable horns and a tail, and even though they weren’t visible now, she was almost certain that he also had wings. She could see a current of magic concentrated around his shoulder blades. They would sprout at some point, and when they did, she wanted to be the one to teach him how to fly.

“When the time comes...I would like to teach Riu as well, if possible.”

She looked at the babe sleeping next to Sakuya. His sister, Riu. That child also had Yuki’s blood, but she likely didn’t have wings. Unlike her son, there was no flow of magic visible on her back. However, intuition told her that a future would come in which Riu would be envious of Sakuya’s ability to fly. Lefi realized that those were the kinds of things parents needed to think about.

“Gah ha... Parents, eh?”

Technically, Riu wasn’t her child. Even so, the girl was precious in her own way. She might not have given birth to her, but Riu felt just as much like her own as Sakuya. The fact that she felt that way brought her great joy, as it meant that she considered Lew family from the bottom of her heart. She also knew that Lew felt the same way about Sakuya. She had seen how her fellow wife showered him with the same amount of love as she did her own daughter. Words could not describe her happiness. And surely the two of them would similarly cherish any children Nell and Leila bore someday.

Well, now that I am light on my feet again, I think I shall move around more.

Perhaps a more vigorous walk was in order. She had grown used to taking them daily since becoming pregnant. Actually... No. She hadn’t flown at all once her belly had grown too large. It had been too long since she had even spread her wings, so it would be good to move her body and fly through the sky, free as a bird.

“Lew, Leila. Would you two look after things for a bit?”

“Sure! Off on your usual walk?”

“Exercise does wonders for the body.”

“Yes, something like that. Now that all this weight is gone, I thought I would try flying around a bit.”

Lefi entrusted the children to them and left the living room.

◇ ◇ ◇

She didn’t go to the meadow area. Instead, she headed to the Demonic Forest. The meadow area was spacious enough as a garden or playground, but too small for unfettered flight. Clear as day, she recalled Yuki crashing into the boundary and suffering a nosebleed as a result.

My word, this heat.

“Ah, it is always so hot here...”

The sun dazzled. The meadow area was comfortable even during hot weather, but this area was always humid. There was no spring, winter, or autumn. Only summer.

The mountain where she’d lived before meeting Yuki wasn’t so bad because of its high altitude, but this area was sweltering, even in short sleeves. For a moment, she wanted to turn back, but she reconsidered, thinking it would be pathetic as a parent if she couldn’t endure something so trivial.

And so, she unfurled the wings on her back. She flapped them a few times to check their condition, then soared into the vast sky. The wind rushed past her.

When Lefi flew without holding back, she was even faster than Yuki. Anyone else who traveled at that speed wouldn’t even be able to open their eyes without creating a windbreak in front of them with wind magic. In Yuki’s previous life, she would have easily outpaced the latest fighter jets, as she gave herself free rein in the sky.

But Lefi sensed that something was off. Hmm. As expected, I have grown a mite weak.

She was, at her core, a homebody, and since meeting Yuki, she had spent her days holed up in the dungeon. However, as one of dragonkind, a species with one of the most powerful builds in the world, that wouldn’t be enough to dull her physically. Especially when it wasn’t out of the ordinary for her kind to spend a year or two, sometimes a decade or more, doing nothing. Just living a life of leisure. Dragons weren’t the strongest species for show, after all. Even if they idled about in the same spot for a hundred years, it would have no effect on their physical condition. Nevertheless, Lefi had now confirmed a definitive decline in her physical abilities, and it was unlike anything she had experienced before. The reason was obvious.

“It seems Sakuya absorbed a certain amount of my power. I had a feeling this would happen.”

She hovered in place for a moment and examined her body. She rarely checked her abilities, so she didn’t remember the exact values. By feel, however, she estimated a twenty percent loss, both magically and physically, compared to before her pregnancy.

That being said, those stats weren’t reflected in Sakuya himself. While his abilities were greater than Riu’s, he was still only a babe. Yet there was something there. Something she couldn’t quite put into words... The potential for growth. Perhaps that was where her power had gone.

Though the child resembled her in appearance, Lefi was convinced that his more fundamental aspects resembled her husband. In other words, she believed he had been born with the characteristics of a demon lord, possessing an extraordinary ability to adapt.

“Gah ha... Truly, the offspring of the Supreme Dragon and a demon lord, eh?”

Her son’s future would be a challenging one. Thus, she should train her weakened body so as to become a mother strong enough to help him through those challenges. She had to work hard to be powerful and dependable.

Ah, I cannot wait to see what tomorrow holds!

Lefi remained suspended in the air, gazing at the world. The sun and the blue sky. The forests and the mountains. The rivers and the sea. A world full of possibilities, stretching to the horizon. A world where she, her husband, and her family all existed, and where her children would live. She contemplated the sight before her for some time before returning to the dungeon.

Special Story 2: Mothers

In the meadow area, the adults of the dungeon, minus Yuki, were gathered in a room overlooking the inn’s garden. Rir’s wife, Setsu, Riu, and Sakuya were with them too. They were hosting another meeting of the Council of Wives. Iluna and the others were at school, and Yuki and Rir had been banished as usual while the meeting was in session.

“Before we begin today’s meeting, I would like to make a suggestion. We have been calling ourselves the ‘Council of Wives’ thus far, but as we have children now, I wondered if we should change the name to the ‘Council of Matrons’ instead. What say you? Or perhaps the ‘Council of Mothers’?”

“Hmm, you’re right. The ‘Wives’ part isn’t the only thing that’s true, is it? But ‘Council of Mothers’ would leave Leila and me out.”

“But you are. Our family is made up of one husband and four wives, and my lord said we’re all Riu and Sakuya’s mothers. So ‘Council of Mothers’ works for me. Although I guess ‘matrons’ would apply to all of us now that we’re mature, married women. Heh.”

“I’m fine with either.”

“When you soothe them, Leila, Riu and Sakuya fall asleep right away. Perhaps you are the most motherly among us.”

“Her talent really wows you in times like these, huh? She picks up on stuff so quickly...”

“I completely agree. She just knows how to swim with the tide. I need to learn from her.”

“Tee hee, I’m simply a bit quicker at learning.”

“Grr.” Watching Lefi and the other women chat, Rir’s wife smiled and said, “As always, you all get along so well.”

“Well, we are family, after all. What say you, madam? Do not hesitate to voice your opinions.”

“Grr, grar.”

Translation: “I vote for ‘Council of Matrons.’ That will allow us to discuss a broader swathe of topics.”

With that, the majority had elected to change the name from “Council of Wives” to “Council of Matrons.”

“Excellent. We shall now officially commence the meeting. Now, does anyone have aught they wish to address?”

“Wait, we thought you called this meeting because you wanted to discuss something.”

“No. I only did so because we have not had one in some time, but now that Lew and I have given birth to Riu and Sakuya, I thought it prudent to start them again.”

“True. We haven’t really had much time to relax since we got pregnant. Even now, we’re busy taking care of the babies.”

“Okay! Then I have a topic! Mr. Yuki seems like he’s at loose ends recently, so maybe we should spend more time with him.”

“Ah, I see. Since he is no longer the emperor, he is at home more often. However, with Iluna and the others at school, he has fewer opportunities to venture out into the Forest, so he has less to do compared to before.”

“He does take care of Riu, Sakuya, and Setsu, but so do we. Our lives revolve around the children out of necessity, so the time we spend with Master Yuki has decreased, relatively speaking.”

“Exactly. Which is why I think we should take the initiative to spend more time with Mr. Yuki. He might be bored or lonely.”

“Gosh, if he really is feeling lonely, that’d be kind of cute. He’d never show that side to us, though. Then again, my lord is also the type who isn’t shy about saying what he wants to do and then just doing it.”

“Gah ha! True enough, Lew. Though he has been willing to lean on us more as of late, there is no doubt he has a stubborn side. What is the term again? Ah yes, ‘sore loser.’ That is what he is.”

“So are you, Lefi.”

“Lew’s right. You two are peas in a pod.”

“B-Bah! Ahem. How has Rir been faring? Is he, too, at loose ends now, with fewer occasions to hunt with Yuki in the Forest?”

“Grr, grar.”

Rir’s wife had said, “He said that the new wolf joining has made life for him easier lately, since he’s been able to delegate work.”

“Ah yes, the one Yuki brought from somewhere. Quite a promising fellow, I hear. Good, good. It seems Rir finally has a reliable subordinate.”

“Aha ha ha! Even with the other pets, Rir somehow ends up doing everything. He and Mr. Yuki are complete opposites, whereas Mr. Yuki and the other pets have similar personalities.”

“I concur. Everyone except Rir is quite free-spirited. I’m sure Master Yuki’s biological information was included when they were summoned.”

“It makes you wonder how free-spirited Riu and Sakuya will be. I’m looking forward to it, but I’m dreading it too.”

“Gah ha! They will likely grow up to be mischievous rascals whom even we cannot stop. Well, they will experience many things and make many mistakes, but we have to be wary of dangers that could put their lives at risk. Setsu, you listen carefully to what your parents say. Understood? Although if you wind up like your father, you are sure to have a difficult road ahead... Therefore, you should follow your mother’s example!”

Lefi petted the little pup, who cocked her head inquisitively, like she didn’t quite understand. Then, Leila spoke.

“Well, I have a feeling Riu will be an obedient child no matter what. Sakuya, however, is another story, since he is your and Master Yuki’s child, Lefi.”

“The child of the two most free-spirited people in our family... I sense trouble on the horizon!”

“Let me make one thing clear, Nell. Lately, you have become even more free-spirited than I.”

“I think I agree with Lefi. My lord takes the top spot in that category, of course, but number two just might be you, Nell.”

“What?! No way! No, no, that’s not true! As a career woman, I’m a very sensible person, a kind part-time hero who values order!”

“That’s exactly what we mean, Nell.”

“That is precisely our point, Nell.”

“Hmm, children inheriting their parents’ personalities... To be honest, I’m a bit worried about what would happen if my child wound up with my level of curiosity. If they’re born more ovine than demon lord, I’ll simply have to throw in the towel.”

“Wow, really?” Nell asked.

“It’s impossible to correct our natures, you see. So I’ll simply have to accept them, relentless thirst for knowledge and all.”

“You ovine are truly something else... Speaking of, I would like to ask your mentor, Eldgalia, for her counsel on child-rearing.”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

“Ladies, ladies, we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. Despite everything we’ve said, our personalities are ours, and the kids have their own. We’re all different. No matter who they’re like or who they’re not, we’ll accept them and love them. Right, Lady Rir?”

“Grr.”

“To think the day would come when Lew, of all people, would bring us together.”

“Goodness, Lew, you’ve gotten so much more responsible since becoming a mother!”

“That’s amazing!”

“Lew... I’m so very happy.”

“Why are you all like this? Stop it. Can’t you see how embarrassed I am? Wait, Leila, you’re actually serious?”

Though they called it a meeting, it was just a casual conversation. But communicating like this allowed them to relax and recharge. Rir’s wife listened with a smile, thinking, They’re so lively. She occasionally glanced at the babies, including her own, to make sure all was right with them—arguably making her the most motherly of the group.

Special Story 3: A Day in the Life of the Girl Gang

Now that they were older, the girl gang—Iluna, Shii, En, Rei, Rui, and Roh—were attending school in the ovine village. They woke up in the morning, ate breakfast together, then got dressed and ready before leaving the dungeon, passing through the door to the ovine village. They went to class, and afterward, they either played with their new friends or went home to take care of Riu and Sakuya. Once home, they stuffed themselves with food, bathed, and went to sleep. A fun and fulfilling life.

Since Leila had taught them all kinds of things during their time in the dungeon, they didn’t dislike learning. There was Iluna, a perfectly ordinary child with a healthy curiosity. She was smart and understood the importance of knowledge, so she studied diligently. Shii disliked many subjects and found them difficult, but she wasn’t completely averse to learning. She enjoyed science experiments with Yuki and made an effort to learn about magic, which she understood the best.

En, reluctant to be away from Yuki for extended periods due to her pride in being his weapon, was also enjoying her school life and relishing her days of learning with Iluna and the others. She was single-minded in her pursuits. If one were feeling generous, she could be described as having the spirit of a craftsman. If one weren’t feeling generous, she simply had a stubborn streak. She became completely absorbed in things she liked, which aligned well with the attitude of the ovine people, known for their relentless pursuit of knowledge.

As for the wraith triplets, while mischievous, they did surprisingly well on their studies when they concentrated. Like Shii, their main interest was magic, and they only listened with half an ear to other subjects. But their comprehension abilities were on par with any normal child.

Now, the girls were just like every other student.

“The hardest thing about going to school is probably waking up in the morning...”

Iluna yawned as she passed through the door to the ovine village.

“Super hectic!”

“Yup... We can’t even take our time, or we’ll be late.”

“No, I mean it’s hard to get up because I’m so tired all the time, which makes me sleepy... Ugh, how do you all have so much energy? I wish I did too.”

Iluna sighed. Although Shii and En looked like children, they had more stamina than the average adult due to their special races. The wraith sisters, on the other hand, didn’t have physical bodies in the first place, so while they might hibernate, they didn’t actually sleep. Having lived a life of playing, eating, and sleeping well, Iluna was very healthy herself and had more stamina than others her age. In the end, though, she was still just a normal child. The others in the girl gang simply couldn’t understand her physical struggles.

“Iluna, want me cast healing magic?”

“Thanks, but it’s not that kind of pain.”

“Leila...said that getting sunlight and stretching is good for getting rid of sleepiness.”

“Hrrrm, I guess I’ll stretch... Girls, I know it’s a little late to ask, but are you okay in the sun?”

The wraith sisters tilted their heads, puzzled.

“Well, I was thinking that your race isn’t all that fond of sunlight. We’ve been playing together in the mornings without worrying about that kind of stuff until now.”

The triplets exchanged glances, and Rei was the first to respond, giving her a “The morning sun feels so nice, though!” Rui followed with “It’s easier to see when it’s bright,” and Roh finished, “I love sunbathing.”

“Because they all active!”

“I...understand your question, Iluna, but you should think of them like this: They’re wraiths, but they’re also not.”

“Hmm, I think you’re right. Then if they’re fine with it, so am I.”

Incidentally, wraiths were monsters that hated sunlight and appeared anytime between the hours of dusk and night. They especially preferred gloomy weather such as cloudy, rainy, or foggy conditions, and tended to lurk in the darkness. The triplets didn’t dislike those environments either, and one could say their mischievous personality reflected some typical wraith characteristics, but they also liked the daytime and had never been particularly bothered by the sun. In fact, they quite enjoyed sunbathing, and they even felt better in the brightness. Truly, the wraith sisters were incredibly unique.

While chatting about who-knows-what, the girl gang walked along their familiar route to school, and the school building soon came into view. Farencia Academy of Magic, a very famous and well-known school among those in the field. Though it didn’t accept everyone indiscriminately, there was a system in place to admit anyone who wished to learn. It was no exaggeration to say that it was the most advanced educational institution in the world, with famous graduates in every field of study. It was a place that could be called the ovine race’s driving force.

Iluna and the others had their lessons in the school building for the Junior Faculty. Compared to the others, it boasted many models and pieces of equipment designed to stimulate children’s curiosity, in addition to a well-equipped playground to help them develop their physical abilities. The students in this faculty were taught from a young age that learning was fun and that a healthy body was necessary for that.

However, despite receiving that sort of education during childhood, many members of the ovine clan became so engrossed in their research as they grew older that their daily routines fell apart, leading to lifestyles that were far from healthy. Being demons, they could push themselves past their limits. Staying up all night was a frequent occurrence.

Once upon a time, Leila had also lived a life where she didn’t care about her lifestyle and simply immersed herself in the pursuit of knowledge as she pleased. After she began living in the dungeon, however, she’d started leading a much healthier lifestyle. She still jotted down her observations in her journal after everyone else had gone to sleep, but unlike before, she rested enough to be able to function properly during the day, and she also made sure to get enough exercise. Because unlike before, taking care of others had become a newfound purpose for her, one of a few, and with Iluna and the other girls around, she had realized that she wouldn’t be setting a good example with her unbalanced way of life. That sort of awareness hadn’t come into play during her life in the village with her younger sister, Emyu, and her mentor, Eldgalia, simply because they shared the same attitude toward the pursuit of knowledge. Still, Leila often took care of Emyu since they were family.

“Ah, Emyu! Good morning!”

“Emyu! Morniiing!”

“Good...morning.”

The wraith girls also waved at her in greeting. They ran into Emyu just as they were entering the school building.

“Good morning, everyone! You’re all as energetic as ever today!”

“Super energetic!”

“Super...duper!”

After Shii and En, the wraith girls each gestured wildly in agreement.

“I’m a little sleepy, though. But it’s not like I stayed up late or anything.”

Emyu stared at Iluna sympathetically.

“I completely understand. Mornings are tough, aren’t they? Even though I slept a lot, I’m still tired.”

“Right?! But these girls are so full of energy that they just don’t get it.”

“It’s like this every day. During the boring classes, I can’t help but want to sleep. If I do, though, my teacher just gives me an evil grin and happily assigns me more work later, so I have to endure it...”

“I also dozes when boring!”

“Shii...you probably think it’s boring because you don’t understand it, but Emyu thinks it’s because it’s too easy for her.”

Shii smiled bashfully in response to En’s remark.

“You right, Emyu is smart!”

“Yup, you’re Leila’s little sister all right. You know so much, and you’re so smart. I really admire you.”

“Me...too.”

“Tee hee. Oh no, I mustn’t let all this praise go to my head. Also, Iluna, En, you’re both quick-witted, and the wraith girls are so exceptionally skilled in magic that they’re unmatched for their age. I’d just embarrass myself by bragging about knowing a little more than the average person.”

“What ’bout me?”

“You’re cute, Shii.”

“Yaay! Thank!”

Shii smiled happily. Emyu had already learned how to handle the slime girl.

And so, they entered the school building while chatting about who-knows-what.

◇ ◇ ◇

“We’re home!”

“We’re home!”

“We’re...home.”

The wraith girls gestured to say the same.

“Welcome back. I trust you worked hard today as well?”

“Welcome back, girls! Dinner will be ready in just a little bit!”

Lefi and Lew greeted them. A moment later, Yuki and Leila peeked their heads out from the kitchen and called out, “Welcome back, you guys” and “Welcome back!” respectively. The babies in Lefi’s and Lew’s arms both stared at them while a fluffy little wolf chased her own tail at their feet.

“Riu, Sakuya, Setsu, we’re home!”

“Da! Ooo!”

“Aoo.”

“So cute, so cute! I see you’re as energetic as ever, Riu. And Sakuya, you’re as quiet as ever. Waaah! Aha ha ha! Okay, okay, okay. I’ll play with you.”

Setsu stopped spinning around and bounced up on her stubby little legs, rubbing her head against Iluna’s leg. It was like she was saying, “Play with me!”

“Iluna, I jelly! Setsu loooves you.”

“Yes...she’s very attached to Iluna.”

“Just play with her and she’ll feel the same way about you.”

Setsu, Rir’s daughter, usually stayed with her parents, but she often spent time in the living room—the real throne room—with Yuki and the others. Rir wanted her to recognize each of them since the dungeon’s residents were technically their masters. Incidentally, since fenrirs grew faster than humans, she could already walk. She also knew who everyone was and loved playing with them all. She was particularly fond of Yuki, perhaps because her father’s scent was so strong on him, and Iluna, for whatever reason. Whenever she saw either of them, she often acted like this, wanting their attention. She also seemed to perceive Riu and Sakuya as siblings or members of her pack, so when she was brought into the living room, she tended to stay close to them.

The way the babies interacted with Setsu also reflected their different personalities. When Setsu rubbed her nose against her, Riu wiggled her hands and feet in delight, grabbing at Setsu’s head. On the other hand, Sakuya remained calm and let Setsu do as she pleased. Sometimes, he patted her. One thing they had in common, though, was that if they were crying, they would both immediately stop when Setsu came to them and start playing with her. The adults appreciated that little quirk for making their lives easier.

“Setsu, dinner will be ready soon! There, there. Good girl.”

Everyone petted and cuddled her a lot, doting on her. They played peekaboo with Riu and Sakuya, and greeted Nell when she came home from work. Then, finally, dinner was ready. They exchanged stories about their day, enjoying their time as a family, before taking a warm bath and going to sleep.

Afterword

Hello, this is Ryuyu! Thank you very much for buying volume 15!

All that buildup toward the Magical War Games, only for the festival itself to end rather quickly, huh? But that was actually my plan all along. I wrote it as a kind of goal within the larger narrative. That was the reason Yuki stepped down as the Demon Emperor. Since he inherited the throne at the end of volume 10, that means he was the emperor for six volumes. All in all, I think he did a great job!

Also, Lefi and Lew finally gave birth. As the author, I’m deeply moved. I started writing from when they first met, building their stories up little by little, and we’ve finally reached this point.

I was also touched watching the girls grow up. They went from being little girls to regular girls, and in this volume, they’ve finally started school. None of this happened because I wrote it that way, but simply as a result of the natural passage of time. Their relationships with one another and with the adults deepened, they learned about themselves, and before I knew it, that’s how things turned out.

Of course, I had a general idea of what I wanted to do, though to be honest, not much went exactly as planned. It might be difficult to understand, but characters really don’t act according to the author’s wishes. That’s what makes writing novels so enjoyable for me. If I’m not enjoying myself, I don’t think the readers will enjoy the story either, so I want to keep cherishing this feeling.

Finally, a word of thanks. In these challenging times, I’d like to extend my gratitude especially to my editor, to Daburyu, and to Note Tono for helping me create this story. To everyone else involved, and to the readers, thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

See you in the next volume! Bye-bye!