Prologue: Back Home

I’d gone to hang out with the dwarves in their homeland, and there, I’d met a god. An honest-to-goodness god. A living thing with enough power to be called one, at least. The god had been inside the God Spear in my possession. Lúin, the God of Demons. A playful, cheerful god who hadn’t quite seemed like a god considering his love of jokes. And maybe that was exactly why his words had resonated so powerfully with me.

“Live life to the utmost. Rejoice in life. For that is the duty of the living.”

Those words he’d spoken in that surreal, dreamlike world. Even now, they remained within me. I knew I’d never be able to forget them. That was how fiercely they’d been carved into my heart.

Lúin. Just like you said...I’m gonna live in this world.

◇ ◇ ◇

After we got back from the dwarven capital, we handed out all the souvenirs we’d bought. Everyone back home oohed and aahed in excitement for a bit. Then, once things calmed down, I talked to Lefi and Leila. While sipping the coffee Leila had poured, I told them everything that’d happened on our journey from the moment we’d gotten on the airship.

“So it seems like that god, Lúin, lent me his power. And that’s how I underwent this latest racial evolution.”

I made my wings appear. Just as soon as I showed them the third set I’d acquired, Lefi’s arm shot out to stroke the newest pair.

“Um, Mrs. Lefi? You know I’m trying to tell you guys something serious here, right?”

“Indeed, and I am listening quite seriously. So never mind me. Pray continue.”

Her slack lips contrasted with the sharp glint in her eyes as she spoke. But, well, I’d half expected this exact reaction. Dang wing freak.

“Then...I shall do the same.”

“Huh? M-Miss Leila, not you too.”

Leila reached out and started touching my wings too.

“I see... Quite a pleasant texture you have here, Master Yuki. I believe I understand now why Lefi is so obsessed with them.”

Unlike Lefi, though, Leila’s touch was a bit reserved and gentle. It actually made me feel kinda restless.

“Gah ha! Birds of a feather you and I are now, Leila! Come now, Yuki. Do not mind us and continue your tale.”

Right at that moment, Nell and Lew came back from taking their baths. They smirked when they saw us and commented.

“Oh, don’t let us interrupt,” Nell said.

“We’ll make ourselves scarce!” Lew chimed.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw them scurry away. Smiling ruefully, I kept talking as Lefi and Leila continued stroking my wings.

“Anyway, thanks to that, I’m not a demon lord anymore but something closer to Lefi—a Supreme Ruler. Though in terms of power, you still outclass me, Lefi.”

“Hmm... Yes, the sense of presence emanating from you now is in a far, far different league than that of any member of mankind. Even most monsters in the Demonic Forest would flee from you. With the exception of the ones living in the deepest part of the western area. They will remain unperturbed as ever.”

“Yeah, pretty much. Speaking of all this crackling power leaking from me, I wanna do something about it sooner rather than later. So, Lefi, would you be a pal and teach me a good way to suppress my aura? Since you’re always doing just that? The way I am now, I can’t really take a stroll outside like a normal person.”

“Then we shall start your training tomorrow. I must say, though, you certainly had an eventful time. Starting with meeting Madam Siserius, then the imbecile human’s attack, after which you encountered one of the Eight Pillars themselves, before finally ending on a literal monstrous note with that herd. What is that word? Ah, yes, ‘troublemaker.’ That is what you are, eh?”

“Indeed. No matter where you go, you inevitably find yourself caught up in some sort of trouble, Master Yuki.”

“I-I’ll be more careful from now on.”

“I will hold you to that. Still, regardless of your intentions, what will happen, will happen. For that is the sort of man you are.”

“A very good point. After all, it would normally be impossible to meet an actual god. Incidentally, may I ask what he was like?”

“Cheerful. Having said that, though they’re known as gods, it’s just because they’re a race possessing that much power. They weren’t actually all that different from us. He was...inside here. But he’s not here anymore.”

I took the God Spear Lúin out from Inventory and showed it to the two of them.

“Ah, the spear you accepted when you and I went to the Dragon Hamlet.”

“Yup. A piece of his soul remaining inside this gave me the knowledge and power I would need as the gods’ protégé of sorts.”

“‘The gods’ protégé,’ you say...”

I knew Leila’s mind was whirring at a mile a minute, and I could see the depths of her knowledge reflected in her eyes as I nodded at her.

“Yeah. The seed of this world seems to be a dungeon. It was basically Dominus, the First God. And the demon lord equivalent, the caretakers of said dungeon, were the goddess Gaia and the other gods. Well, maybe just Gaia. Which is why you can say I’m the others’ protégé. At least that’s what Lúin told me— Whoa!”

My heart jumped into my throat when Leila suddenly shoved her face close to mine and gripped my hand with both of hers. Her eyes glittered feverishly. Since Miss Leila was the sexiest woman in my household, my pulse definitely sped up a lot anytime she did something like this.

“If you don’t mind, Master Yuki, I would very much like to know more of what you learned about the gods.”

“S-Sure. I’ll tell you everything he told me. Later, though, ’cause it’ll probably take a while.”

“Heh heh heh. Thank you very much! How incredible, to have this chance to learn in depth about not only the labyrinth but the gods as well... Heh heh heh heh heh!”

Her expression spellbound, Leila let out a bewild— Uhhh, bewitching laugh. Ya know, I like that look on your face too.

Since she had obviously flown off into her own little world at this point despite still holding my hand, I turned my attention to Lefi and kept talking to just her.

“How are things here? Anything happen?”

“Not especia— Actually, yes. I bid you to visit Rir as soon as you are able.”

“I mean, I was gonna anyway, but...wanna give me a hint?”

“Well, it would seem your racial evolution had an effect on him as well. However, surprisingly, the same cannot be said of the other pets. In any case, you can see for yourself. You will not be disappointed.”

Lefi said all that with a smug smile.

Damn, now I’m super curious. I couldn’t believe my evolution had affected him too.

“Now then. It is high time we bathe too. I shall wash your back for you, Yuki.”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah, sounds good. Thanks.”

“Leila. You will also accompany us. We shall wash his body together.”

“Ah! Yes, of course.”

Despite the blush staining her cheeks, Leila smiled with easy acceptance.

“Huh? Uh, are you sure, Leila?”

“I am, but only if you don’t mind, Master Yuki.”

“Oh? Do not say you are nervous, Yuki. Eh? Ehhh?”

“Put a sock in it...”

That was the only thing I could think of in response to Lefi’s taunting grin.

Chapter 1: Yuki’s Wives

This is bad.

“I’ll be rinsing you off now, Master Yuki.”

Leila’s soft voice in my ear practically made me melt. Her sweet, feminine scent. Her slender, smooth fingers trailing across my back and arms eagerly, devotedly.

As for the woman herself, her cheeks were flushed and her expression...well, it almost sent me over the edge. Though her body was wrapped in a towel, her wet skin meant the fabric clung to her curves, outlining them and intensifying her sex appeal. Leila had the largest chest out of everyone in the dungeon, but the way her tiny waist flared into her round butt combined with her supple thighs created the perfect hourglass figure men loved. Honestly, she was ridiculously sexy. Thighs are the freaking best.

Lefi, Nell, and Lew didn’t have any excess fat either, and while there was no denying their incredible figures, frankly speaking, when it came to the parts that screamed “I am woman,” Leila was the one who brought the goods. So having such an unbelievably gorgeous woman wash every nook and cranny of my body meant the only thought in my head was, Holy shit, this is bad.

Lefi wasn’t here, by the way. Right before we’d entered the bath, she’d suddenly said, “Oh, I just remembered something I must do! You two go in first.” I’d known it was a bald-faced lie, but still, she’d gone off somewhere. Damn you, woman... While I appreciated her consideration in giving me and Leila some alone time, I was annoyed enough to get my revenge later by playing with her tail until she begged for mercy with tears in her eyes.

“Jeez... We’re not even in the water yet, and I’m already dizzy from the heat.”

“Tee hee. I concur. Mmm... I love how broad and strong your back is.”

I flinched at her fingers gliding down my spine.

“Eep?! H-Hey, that tickles.”

“Master Yuki, you have a truly marvelous physique, you know. Toned without being overly muscular, and masculine to boot. It makes me wonder... As with Lefi, is it possible that all the excess energy in your body is converted into magical power? Considering the supply of magic you both possess, it wouldn’t be unusual for you two to have that level of magical conversion efficiency...”

“Uhhh, Miss Leila? What exactly are we talking about here?”

“People with high stores of mana often have well-proportioned bodies, but this could be because all excess nutrients are converted into magical energy, making their metabolisms incomparably better than others. Even Lefi, despite eating as much as she does and not exercising that much, hasn’t changed a bit physically...”

“Oh, okay, so this is just you being you. Got it.”

At some point, Miss Leila’s expression had taken on the cast of a researcher. She had the surprising tendency to monologue at length when she got like this. Maybe she gave her rapidly flowing thoughts shape by putting them into words like this.

“Oh my! How rude of me. Please forgive me. I have such an awful habit of falling deep into thought at the drop of a hat.”

“No worries. I like that part of you too, Miss Leila.”

“Tee hee, is that so? If you say that, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop the next time it happens, you know.”

“Hey, live your life however you want. We’ll be there to stop you if things go haywire.”

’Cause we already know what your personality is like.

A few minutes later, our bodies washed clean, she and I sank into the bathtub. Right next to each other, our shoulders touching.

“Ahhh... Every time I get in here, I can’t help but think that this waterfall hot spring really is the best. I have nothing but endless gratitude for Nell’s insane hero luck.”

“Oh, so she’s the reason for this bath? Well, today I learned, hm?”

While talking, Leila reached out to me. Specifically, my abs.

“Wah! H-Hey, what the heck? Give a guy a heads-up, jeez.”

“Our talk of Nell reminded me how she’s always raving about your abdominal muscles. And her assessment is very much on the mark. These are absolutely phenomenal.”

She rubbed my abs all over in the hot water, her alluring smile conveying her clear enjoyment of my reaction.

“S-Stop that. Eeeep!”

“But aren’t you the one who said I can live my life however I wish? Ipso facto, I’ll indulge myself in touching your body however I please, Master Yuki.”

“Ma’am, perhaps a less indecent phrasing would behoove you? Also, let me remind you that in our house, those who touch are destined to be touched. Do you accept your fate?”

“Of course. After all, I won’t belong to any man other than you.”

Leila answered me matter-of-factly.

Holy smokes, woman. Are you trying to kill me?

“Ahem... Oh yeah? Then I guess I won’t hold back!”

I extended my hand toward her horns. I brushed her hair away and wound my fingers around them, stroking them.

“Ngh...”

A sultry moan escaped her lips. Those thick, ovine horns were both hard and soft. Even stranger was the fact that they felt totally different from Lefi’s. They had their own unique appeal.

“Master Yuki, you truly are attracted to organs humans lack, hm?”

“Hey, you ladies are always fondling my wings and abs, so this is just tit for tat.”

“Well, then you should know that I have abs as well.”

Leila giggled and allowed her head to relax into my hands with a blissful expression. Her eyes closed as she let me do whatever I wanted. Her beautiful, silky white hair grazed my arms. I knew that everyone in my family cared about how they looked, and she was no exception.

I touched her like that for a while before she murmured something.

“None of this feels real to me.”

“Hmm?”

“Being with you in this way. You touching me in this way. And yet, that alone is enough...enough to make my heart full.”

She snuggled closer and rested her head on my shoulder. Her expression was peaceful. There wasn’t a trace of tension in her.

“The touch of skin on skin. The sensation of another’s heartbeat. Although I know that the elements composing you and I are almost identical, the differences that make us who we are bring me such peace of mind. And I have analyzed myself and come to understand that you are the only one who can make me feel this way.”

I stroked her head gently while listening to her soliloquy. The thoughts of someone who normally didn’t like to talk about herself much. Innermost thoughts she might’ve never let me hear otherwise.

“Perhaps the essence of who I am has undergone an irrevocable transformation. Into something that can never be reverted to the original. Into a puzzle-like shape that can never be completed alone. If that’s the case...”

Leila stopped talking. I felt the warmth of her body from where my skin was pressed against hers as we sat there in silence. The hot water sloshed gently in the tub. The sounds of two people breathing. Hearts beating.

“Master Yuki.”

“Yeah?”

Then, she whispered into my ear. Softly, sweetly, slowly. The words muddled my brain.

I adore you.

◇ ◇ ◇

This happened when Yuki and the others were still in the dwarven homeland. Lefi noticed that something was off about Leila while they were drinking coffee together on a break after finishing the household chores. The living room was quiet since the little-girl army of Iluna, Shii, and the wraith triplets had gone out to the meadow area to play, and the pair was making small talk when Lefi’s tone grew a bit serious.

“Leila, are you perhaps unwell?”

“Hmm? No, not at all. Why do you ask?”

Leila looked puzzled by the question. In response, Lefi scooted closer to her and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“Hmm... You do not have a fever. However, if you are not feeling as you normally do, you must tell me right away. It would not do for you to overexert yourself and fall ill.”

“Do I...seem unwell to you at the moment?”

“Indeed. After all the time we have spent together, I would like to think I know you well by now. Seeing your face and exchanging conversation with you in this manner is enough to tell me when you are not yourself.”

Notably, the little girls hadn’t picked up on anything different in Leila’s behavior. There had been almost no outward change, and it was only Lefi, very observant and attentive to others, who had noticed. But Leila wasn’t feeling unwell or anything of the sort. She thought she’d been her normal self. However, when Lefi broached the subject, she realized, “Ahhh, that may be the case,” and amended her assessment after analyzing herself.

Even among the ovine race, Leila was an exceptionally bright and talented woman. When she turned that intelligence onto a subject, she understood it immediately. And right now, she understood that she felt lonely.

After stewing in thought for a moment, she replied to Lefi.

“Physically, I’m fine. But mentally, it’s as you say. I’m not feeling my usual self. It seems I’m experiencing...the emotion known as ‘loneliness.’”

“Because those four are not here? Or because Yuki is not here?”

“Heh. You know me better than I know myself, Lefi. I do believe the latter is the answer.”

She couldn’t sidestep the question. The analysis of her emotional state told her conclusively that she felt lonely because Yuki was absent. It was a startling new truth. Despite her general disinterest in others, despite her sole focus on the search for knowledge as her way of life, despite knowing he would return in a few days, she was nevertheless experiencing that emotion. The change in her was so drastic that she couldn’t help being perplexed by it.

For whatever reason, her answer made Lefi smile in delight.

“Lefi?”

“Leila, you have been worried that your emotions may be lacking, yes? That you have a much colder heart than others?”

“My... You certainly do keep a close eye on us all, hm?”

Leila’s awkward attempt at a smile failed, and her lips twisted ruefully.

“Gah ha! Well, I am the Supreme Dragon, the world’s most powerful creature. So it stands to reason that my perception is equally strong. And I have the answer you seek.”

“Do tell...”

Lefi continued with a gentle smile.

“Very well. Mayhap most of your heart is under the sway of your thirst for knowledge. But that is not everything you have to offer. And neither are your emotions lacking. Your emotions run deep, and you are possessed of a warm heart. I believe this firmly.”

Heat suddenly bloomed in Leila’s chest. Lefi’s words reached every part of her, and tears threatened to spill from her eyes.

“Just now, you said that I know you better than you know yourself. But that is because it is not for one to know oneself. Do you remember how bewildered I was when I first became aware of my feelings for Yuki?”

She did. Lefi, too, had been confused by her own emotions. She had been worried about how to move forward.

Then...does this mean I’ve arrived at the same crossroads? Leila opened her mouth, but she couldn’t think of the right words to say, so she closed it again. She tried again, but once more, nothing came to mind, so she closed her mouth a second time.

Lefi waited with a patient smile the whole time.

“Lefi.”

“Yes?”

“I...think I want to take the next step too.”

“Excellent. Whatever you require of me, you need only ask.”

Lefi nodded, genuinely happy.

◇ ◇ ◇

“...”

“...”

Her pale skin flushed, Leila looked down shyly. I was pretty sure the hot water wasn’t the only reason for her redness.

“Leila?”

“Y-Yes?”

“How about a break?”

“That would be...nice.”

We got out of the bath, but instead of going back to the real throne room, we headed to the inn, where we sat side by side on the engawa. The cool night breeze felt good on my skin. I’d designed this area in the classical Japanese style. Despite not having any real emotional attachment to Japanese-style houses, it still made me feel at ease for reasons I couldn’t explain. Maybe because I was still a former Japanese person at heart, even though I’d gotten used to my life in this other world.

Feeling a little nervous, I reached out tentatively and took Leila’s hand. She flinched in surprise before twining her fingers into mine. Our palms pressed together. Then, she brought her other hand forward and cupped mine between both of hers, raising my hand tenderly to her face. She rubbed her cheek against it like a cat.

The dynamic, beautiful Leila, usually so cool and carefree, was showing me this deeply affectionate side of her. Her action charmed me so much that I could feel my heart bursting with emotion.

“So, uh... Dammit. I can never seem to find the right words at times like this, ya know? Ugh, why am I like this?”

“Tee hee. I...understand what you mean. Because I do believe I’m thinking the same thing as you.”

Leila laughed softly, then lay down, putting her head in my lap.

“It seems...I was able to find my answer. And my goodness, how simple it turned out to be once I understood and accepted it. I feel like an absolute idiot for brooding so much over it.”

Her answer? Is she talking about what she said when we were in her hometown?

“Well, we are people. As long as we’re alive, right up until the day we die, we’ll be at the mercy of our emotions.”

“Irksome how uncontrollable they are, hm?”

“Ain’t that the truth.”

At that moment, I remembered Lúin’s words.

“‘Live life to the utmost. Rejoice in life. For that is the duty of the living.’”

“May I ask who said that?”

“The cheerful god I’m thinking I’ll worship from here on out. This is what living must be, huh?”

To feel emotions. Laughter, tears, anger, joy. To live life to the fullest and rejoice in it. I’m alive. And I’m living to the fullest, rejoicing in this life.

“Leila.”

“Yes?”

“Live with me, till death do us part.”

“I will. Together, until my last breath.”

Her head still on my lap, Leila stared up at me. Tears like jewels spilled from her eyes. When I wiped them away with my fingers, she reached up with both of her arms and wound them around my neck. I let her pull me down toward her, our faces growing closer and closer, until...

...our lips touched.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Heh heh.”

“If you have something to say, Lew, say it.”

With a huff, Leila turned away from her coworker, who grinned pointedly without saying a word.

“I have nooo idea what you’re talking about. Can’t a girl just be happy? I’m just feeling sooo happy for some reason.”

“I see... Well, I’m glad to hear you’re in a good mood.”

“You’re telling me! I don’t remember the last time I felt so sunny! Maybe yesterday, when I folded the laundry so neatly and could feel how much I improved!”

“Quite recent, then, hm? And over such a trivial thing.”

“Tut, tut, tut! You underestimate me, Leila! Recent, yes, and trivial to you, but let me tell you, I was seriously happy about it!”

“Forgive me, then. As your friend—no, as your family, I couldn’t be more delighted for you that you’ve gotten so good at doing the chores.”

Looking a bit embarrassed, Leila struggled to say the right words. Lew threw her arms around the ovine girl, unable to contain herself.

“Grr! Why are you so darn cute, Leila?! I may not be as bad as Nell, but when you act like this, even I can’t help wanting to squeeze you to bits!”

“E-Enough, Lew. It’s too hot to be doing this.”

“Too bad, because my emotions are surging up! No one can stop me now!”

“Oh, please, do not act like Master Yuki right now.”

“Say what you will, but my lord’s had an influence on all of us in one way or another!”

After making her playful quips, Lew’s expression suddenly changed. Emotion suffused her face as she continued.

“But...the truth is, I’m happy. And I’m happy for you, Leila.”

Warmth welled in Leila’s chest at the sight of Lew wiping her tears away with a smile. She’d been experiencing the sensation quite often lately. When had she become so sentimental? Without thought, she clasped both of Lew’s hands in hers.

“Lew. I am utterly lacking in charm. Until I came here, my one and only goal was the search for knowledge. I was a hopeless woman who didn’t know how to think of others. Even so, the fact that I can spend my days together with all of you makes me so very happy...”

Their eyes brimming with unshed tears, the ovine girl and the werewolf girl stared at each other.

“So, to make a long story short, I’m looking forward to the rest of our lives together, Lew.”

“Me too!”

With their conversation winding down, each having said what she wanted to, Leila’s gaze suddenly landed on Lew’s tail and ears, both wiggling with happiness.

“Speaking of, seeing as we’re family, your ears and tail also belong to me, don’t they?”

“Eek! Wh-Where did that come from?!”

Startled, Lew tried to squirm away when Leila started stroking her tail without warning.

“Isn’t the family motto that everyone’s body parts belong to everyone else? Ergo, I, too, shall touch these whenever I want henceforth.”

“Eeeep! H-Hey, hold it right there! Ngh! I-I never expected you of all people to pull this, Leila! You’ve gotten stronger, huh?!”

“Tee hee hee. How could I not have when I’ve been living here for just as long as you?”

And so, their play fight continued for a while longer.

◇ ◇ ◇

Lefi wouldn’t stop smirking, and that annoyed me as much as the fact that she kept peering into my face to see my reaction. I ignored her and kept walking.

“Whatever is the matter, Yuki? Your dearly beloved wife wishes only to see your face, so why do you insist on running away? Come, show me your lovely eyes.”

“I can’t precisely because you’re my dearly beloved wife. I’m so nervous, I can’t look you right in the face. You understand since you’re my wife, right?”

“Oh, is that all? Bah, why must you worry about something so trivial after so long? For you know I love everything about you. I gladly embrace all your faults, as well as the fact that you are a very shy man.”

“Stuff it, will you?! You think I don’t know why you’re smiling like that?! The time for tact is over. You’re pissing me off, you ding-dong!”

“My word. To think a husband would say such terrible things to his wife. Mayhap this, too, is a weakness of love. Because no matter the abusive words you hurl at me, I simply cannot find it in myself to hate you... Is this difference in standing what inevitably leads to domestic violence?”

“What the hell are you babbling about?!”

It only took a few seconds for me to snap at Lefi as she deliberately pretended to cry. Violence against you would be one of the most pointless things in the world. Hell, if I even tried, she’d just counterattack. And in the end, I’d be the one who got their ass beat.

“Sigh. Clearly, you do not understand. Even if I do not suffer physically, it does not mean that my heart does not bear the scars of your violence. Do not forget that.”

“Except you have the spirit of a gorilla.”

“Hmph. Though I do not know what this ‘gorilla’ you speak of is, your intent is plain.”

“Ooowwwww! W-Wait! ‘Gorilla’ means ‘delicate’ and ‘pretty like a flower’! Mrs. Lefi, I truly believe there isn’t a bloom as lovely and dainty as you!”

“Is that right? Now tell me the true meaning of ‘gorilla.’”

“A gorilla is a super jacked, macho animal.”

“I commend you for your honesty. In consideration of that, I shall only break this arm as your penance.”

“Gaaah! V-Very well! We will not succumb to unjust violence, but will fight against our oppressors with conviction!”

“Whom are you calling an oppressor?! Whom?!”

Just as Lefi got me in an armlock, we arrived at our destination. It was a different cave, roughly two kilometers from the original one where the first door was located, the one that led to the meadow area. Rir’s bed. This was where he’d made his home in the Demonic Forest since he didn’t normally stay with us.

To be honest, it was only my second time visiting him here. Whenever I needed him, he would show up in a snap from wherever he was. But I’d learned that this place was where he usually waited on standby.

He took good care of it too. The vegetation in front of the cave had been trampled down to create a path, and the branches of the trees overhead had been trimmed to let the sunlight shine through. It felt very neat and tidy.

And there, sitting on his behind waiting for us, was Rir—and one more individual.

“Haah... Owww... Hey, Rir. And Rir’s wife. Good morning.”

“Good morning, you two.”

“Grr,” they both replied in greeting.

Name: ???

Race: Fenrir

Level: 185

At a glance, it was impossible to tell either of their sexes if you didn’t know them. But for whatever reason, I had this vague feeling that the beautiful wolf with the lovely fur next to Rir was a female. She was roughly half the size of him in his normal form, and her race was fenrir.

Let me repeat that. She was a fenrir. While Rir’s fur was fluffy, hers looked silky. I found it fascinating how obviously different the textures were.

I couldn’t read her name, but that wasn’t because Analysis wasn’t working properly. Her name was probably something that couldn’t be expressed in any of mankind’s languages, closer to a cry or howl. Meaning it wasn’t like I couldn’t read it because it was blocked.

So, yeah, the truth was, Rir had a wife. A fenrir one at that. I’d found out a while ago, when we’d gotten caught up in the incident caused by the human supremacists in Arsil, the royal capital of the human country of Alisia.

It’d happened on the way there. I’d casually asked him, “You have a mate, bud?” And Rir had paused before nodding with his usual “Grr.” After that, a whole lotta stuff had gone down, but despite me having been super busy, I’d managed to meet her once. That made this our second encounter.

Based on what I’d heard, his fenrir wife was from outside the Demonic Forest. Since fenrirs were a powerful race, she’d been living in an environment similar to this one. But she’d ended up defeated in the simple struggle for survival. She’d begun to wander, seeking new lands, which was when she’d met Rir. She’d wound up here in the Demonic Forest because she’d been drawn in by its rich concentrations of mana.

Defeated in the struggle for survival, huh? I could see that. After all, though my boy Rir now had the air of a king fit to be the boss of my dungeon, when he’d first started out, he’d been right there with me, running away from dangerous monsters like a little bitch. Actually, we still did that to this day, considering this damn forest. ’Cause even a fenrir could be beaten. And since all I had going for me was my tough body, I needed to work harder too.

By the time she’d drifted here, her body had lacked the necessary mana to survive as a fenrir, weakening her considerably. But Rir couldn’t bear to see her in that state, so he’d taken care of her, and eventually, the two had become mates. A storybook romance for the ages if there was ever one. I never would’ve imagined a pet to be part of a love story without his owner’s knowledge, but... I guess you’re the main character, huh?

There was one thing I was super curious about, though: when exactly she’d arrived in the Demonic Forest. My Maps function was set up to automatically display any strong hostile presence that appeared, so with her stats, I should’ve noticed. Actually, maybe not, since there were times I just let Rir and the pet army do their own thing when it came to monsters that they decided they could take down on their own. Then there were the monsters that wanted to be his subordinates. That’d happened a few times before too, and his wife must’ve been one of them. So by the time she’d fully recovered, she was already “with” Rir, meaning the dungeon must’ve seen her as part of my inner circle instead of an enemy.

Apart from the pets, I had almost no involvement with the monsters under his command. Plus, I’d already told him to handle things however he wanted if they weren’t targets for extermination, so he didn’t have much in particular to report to me most of the time. In light of all that, he’d been thinking of talking to me when the time was right.

“Wife of Rir, it is nice to see you again. Your fur is as lovely and silky as ever.”

“Grr.”

“Gah ha! Thank you. That is because we enjoy bathing every day. You should come and do the same.”

“Grr?”

“Of course. You are always welcome. It is only natural for a woman to take care of her appearance. I believe that will make Rir happy as well.”

“Grr.”

“Do not fret. Though we have not known each other for long, you are Rir’s wife. You do not need to be so diffident.”

Yeah, so, Lefi and Rir’s wife got straight to chatting. Without me knowing, the women of my household and Rir had steadily deepened their friendship and formed a new network of wives. I didn’t know much about it since they excluded me. But I understood that Rir’s wife wanted to get to know mine better and vice versa. Even though it was still the early days of their friendship, they seemed pretty close to me.

Oh, you might be wondering how natural it was for us to communicate with Rir’s wife. Well, lemme tell ya, it was actually freaking amazing. Unlike Rir, she wasn’t my subordinate, so her words weren’t transmitted into my head directly as images. That said, for some reason I couldn’t explain, I understood what she wanted to say like it was the most normal thing in the world. Because she communicated clearly using her tone and body language. Though admittedly, part of it also had to do with the fact that I’d gotten decent at wolf communication by virtue of having been with Rir for so long.

His wife really was such a refined creature that her being a fenrir made complete sense. The first time we’d met, her fenrir aura had been so noble that I’d actually found myself feeling nervous without even realizing it. That was also when I’d come to understand why therianthropes regarded fenrirs as sacred. Her vibe was in stark contrast to that of my own pet fenrir, who’d completely adopted the mindset of an underling.

“Rir, I’m sorry.”

“G-Grr?”

Sounding flustered, Rir seemed to be asking me, “B-But why are you apologizing?” That only made me feel sorrier for him. Why was he so different from her? What made him so worldly, wise, and worried at the same time? Was it me? Was I to blame?

Today, I’d come to the Demonic Forest to check in on him—to see how he’d changed while we were gone. Lefi’d come with me because she’d wanted to see his wife. Since he was like both a neighbor and family to me, I’d told him I’d stop by now and then just to hang out and talk.

Huh... Totally irrelevant, but I’d just realized that our neighbors were all basically not people. The dragons native to the forest here as well as the other wolves. Might’ve been a bit late to have this epiphany, but man, we really did live in a crazy environment.

“Oookay, so let’s see... Your fur looks way better than it did before. I think. They told me you changed, but...”

I talked to my pet as I stood next to our wives as they chatted with each other. It’d been a while—okay, not that long, maybe a few weeks—since I’d last seen Rir, and his fur was shinier than ever. I knew I wasn’t wrong about that considering we spent practically every day together.

His fluff had always been the best in the world, but it’d leveled up, becoming even fluffier. My boy was fluffy. That emphasis on the second syllable was intentional. I felt like I needed to add the word “fluffy” to the end of every sentence, that was how fluffy he was now. On second thought, though, maybe not. If someone talked to me like that, I’d wanna punch them out of sheer annoyance.

“Grr.”

His reply’d been, “Well...the truth is much more dramatic.”

“Oh, reeeally? What exactly happened?”

“Grr.”

That rumble’d said, “I think it would be faster if I showed you.”

Suddenly, light enveloped his body as if seeping out of space and gathering around him. And then, his transformation finished.

“Whoooa...”

A transparent helm and armor covered his body. Is “horse armor” the right term? Technically, it’d be “wolf armor” since Rir was the one wearing it, but it was essentially designed in that way—not as a stand-alone piece, but with the assumption that someone would be riding on his back.

Something like steam or fighting spirit was emitting from him. Must be magic. That meant the armor was made up of magic so dense it was visible. The area around his eyes was especially dense. Maybe his vision had been enhanced? If I looked at them at night, his eyes would probably look like fireballs.

Also, there was a familiar pattern running across the entirety of his armor. Judging from the shape of the armor, my bet was that my racial evolution had something to do with it. The pattern strongly resembled the God Spear’s when it was in its third form. Very stylish and very cool.

The next thing I did was check out Rir’s stats.

“They’re waaay up.”

His stats had increased about as much as mine had when I’d become the Supreme Ruler. Damn, he’s strong. If we were talking danger level, he was just on the cusp of Catastrophe, the one right above Disaster. Although there was a ridiculously huge wall between the two.

I noticed two unfamiliar things in his stats. One was his new class, Supreme Wolf, and the other was a new special ability, Deification. Supreme Wolf, huh? That change was definitely in response to me having become the Supreme Ruler. But there was a difference between us. While his growth rate should’ve been roughly the same as mine, my description clearly stated that “In reality, no one should have been able to attain this level,” while Rir’s said “Yet this is not his final form.”

Like Lefi had said before, fenrirs probably possessed the same potential as dragons. Unlike mine, Rir’s race remained the same, but considering that Lefi hadn’t evolved despite being close to level 1,000, I didn’t think he would either, even after one or two hundred years. That said, on the topic of racial evolution, I suspected it was strange for a demon lord to go through it so frequently. In order to exceed the limits of strength within a person’s capacity, it would take multiple racial evolutions.

And then there was the new special ability, Deification. Rir definitely had a godly presence right now. He’d always been a dignified, handsome wolf, but with his shinier, fluffier body and new armor, he was overwhelming. This version of him had an intimidating aura and a sacredness that made me fully understand why werewolves worshipped him and other beastfolk felt daunted by him.

“So you can turn yourself into a wild god, huh? Damn, Rir, look how much cooler you got.”

“Grr...”

“Ha ha! Don’t worry, that power won’t hurt us. I know the changes must’ve been a shock to you, but just think of them as you gaining new powers.”

This power had come from Lúin. I couldn’t imagine that a god like him would leave behind something with any major drawbacks. And even if he had, he would’ve told me about it. I think I’ll make an altar and worship him there soon. Also, I couldn’t transform without the God Spear, but that wasn’t the case for Rir.

“Grr?”

“Yup. Truth is, I evolved, and that’s why you changed. I’ll show you right now. Lefi, you watch too.”

“Carry on.”

I took the God Spear out of Inventory and chanted.

“Extol life, mine spear.”

In the next moment, just like before, the spear started transforming, and my body with it. The same armor as Rir’s generated on my right arm, covering it up to my shoulder. After seeing Rir, I realized that a pseudo-fighting spirit was wrapped around me too.

“Oho... I see, I see. You two are the spitting image of one another.”

“Grr...”

Lefi nodded in agreement with Rir’s wife, who’d said, “This is...astounding.”

“Indeed it is. From the start, that spear has possessed the ability to kill me, but now, that power has been fully harnessed. Combined with his racial evolution, it is likely on the Catastrophe level. And together with Rir...I cannot imagine how much further you can go.”

“Grr.”

Rir’s wife had backed Lefi up by rumbling, “Most living things would flee upon merely sensing their presence. If I didn’t know better, I would have avoided them too.”

“As a matter of fact, all the creatures that inhabit this forest have already disappeared from the surrounding area... Yuki, I trust you have time after this for me to teach you how to conceal your aura?”

“Hell yeah I do. Please and thank you.”

’Cause if I don’t learn how, I won’t be able to go anywhere like this.

“Grr?”

“Okay, so, on my trip, I met Lúin, the god inside this spear. He isn’t inside it anymore, but as you can see, he gave me his power. Thanks to that, I evolved, and your class leveled up too.”

“Grr.”

In response to my words, Rir’d said, “A god, you say? Well, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, considering it’s you we’re talking about” with a smile that was both a little awed and a little wry.

“Gah ha! Right you are, Rir, right you are. On every occasion he ventures into the outside world, he will, without fail, cause trouble. Henceforth, when you accompany him, both of you must pay careful attention to the other, eh?”

“L-Look, just to be clear, I wasn’t the one who started shit most of the time, okay? I just got dragged into things.”

“However, that is not true this time, is it? For you are the cause.”

I meeeean, you’re not wrong... I cleared my throat in an attempt to deflect and continued.

“Anyway. Did the other pets change like you?”

“Grr.”

Translation: “No, I was the only one.”

In other words, instead of distributing the power I’d gained, the dungeon had only poured it into Rir? Since he was the cornerstone of my defense, I decided that’d been the right decision. “Quality over quantity” was one of the truths of this world. Here, it was better to have one overwhelmingly powerful individual than a ton of middling ones. The dungeon knew that too.

“Huh, okay... Oh yeah, that reminds me. Guess what, Rir. Turns out I’m basically the gods’ protégé. And since you were born from the dungeon, that puts you in the same position as the gods.”

In that particular sense, Rir and I were the same. Because the dungeon had brought both of us into this world.

“The gods’ protégé, hm? So you have added another title to your collection.”

“Grr...”

Rir’s wife had said, “How should I say this... You’re something else, Master Yuki” with a rueful smile.

“Grar.”

Rir’d replied to her with, “He’s always like this. You may as well get used to it now.”

“Gah ha! So long as you remain here, wife of Rir, you will realize this whether you wish to or not. For you have settled in a troublesome place.”

“Grr?”

“Well, I suppose you are right.”

“Grr.”

“Ha. I see you are a cheeky one as well. Good grief. This is the problem with those of us who live long lives... In any case, Rir tends to be a clumsy worrywart, so I suggest you maintain that attitude as you support him.”

“Grr.”

Rir’s wife nodded, smiling cheerfully at Lefi, who blushed just a bit from embarrassment while she spoke. As for me and Rir, we couldn’t think of anything to say. Just stood there smiling awkwardly at each other. The women in my household were strong...and it looked like the same was gonna be true for Rir’s.

◇ ◇ ◇

After checking out the changes in Rir, we moved to the meadow area.

“Heed me well, you two! I shall now teach you how to suppress your aura.”

“Aye, aye, Cap’n.”

“Grr.”

As Lefi cleared her throat pompously and puffed out her chest, I clapped using my hands, and Rir did the same using his tail. Lefi’s seminar on one’s aura had begun. Rir had decided to join me because the technique was a necessary one for him as well considering how much stronger he’d gotten.

By the way, I’d browsed the DP Catalog in hopes of spending some of my Dungeon Points on Ability Scrolls that would help with this sort of thing, but I hadn’t found any. That meant learning how to do this was part of magical control in and of itself.

“The first thing you should know is that my magical energy is always being transformed. That being said, this has become a normal part of my life, meaning I am not particularly conscious of it. Even when I am asleep, it does not slip out of control. It is simply a matter of becoming accustomed to it. You lot can accomplish the same. Once you have reached this stage, you need not worry about anything, and your ability to manipulate magic will have improved as well.”

“How long did it take you to get used to it?”

“Hmm... I do not recall. Because until I met you, I had time to spare. To be frank, it came to me naturally, without my awareness. That is the way of things for those with long lives.”

“Aaand now I’m not sure I even can learn how to do it.”

I mean, isn’t she basically saying it’ll take centuries?

“Gah ha! I will not deny that this will prove difficult. It is entirely dependent on your efforts. Well, you have been out and about quite a bit as of late, so why not practice as you relax at home in the interim?”

“Aw, was someone feeling wonewy wifout me?”

“Indeed. I would like to spend more time with you.”

“Oh, uh, g-gotcha. Then, um...let’s make it happen.”

Damn. She’s gotten a lot more honest. I dunno how to feel about that... But anyway. Not like I have anything urgent going on right now, so I’ll do as she says and chill here for a while.

“Now, the next point is this: Strictly speaking, it is not ‘suppressing’ one’s aura but ‘diverting’ it.”

“Oh yeah? Ya know, I kinda actually had a feeling that was it.”

I’d wondered if that was the case when En had told me about how the other little girls played hide-and-seek, and as it turned out, I’d been right.

And so, Lefi began to explain. This was a technique where someone transformed their magical energy into something close to the mana in the air, blending it into their surroundings by making it less noticeable. Faaascinating. Lefi could perform the amazing feat of lending her magic to others, and I theorized that this technique fell into the same category. Also, what astounded me even more was the fact that despite the sloppy, nonadjustable nature of her magic, she was capable of fine-tuning it like that. Truly an enigma.

“Why do you look at me so?”

“Just in awe of my wife’s high-class technique.”

“I see. Do you actually mean that?”

“You got me. Just thinking how super-duper cute my wife is.”

“Again with that rubbish. Your words make a mockery of us both, Yuki. Tell me the truth in your heart. I insist.”

“I love you, Mrs. Lefi! I love you so much that I can’t think straight anymore. I got it real bad for you.”

“...”

“Oh, woe is me! My wife is so precious, I’m in danger! I’m the happiest man alive!”

“Y-You are in an especially aggressive mood today... Hmph. Fine. Do as you will.”

Cheeks flushed, she averted her gaze in a snit. Awww yeaaah, victory is mine. I knew what I needed to do from now on.

“Ahem. Let us return to the topic at hand. The reality is that I myself am unable to eliminate all traces of my presence. Because this is not the same as your Stealth technique. You all have already adapted to my aura, but you are very aware that when I step into the outside world, others immediately recognize that I am no mere mortal, yes?”

“Yup, now that you mention it.”

It was hard for us to tell the difference, but even in her current state, monsters still ran away from her like normal, and any humanoid with a remotely sharp intuition would be able to tell at a glance that my wife was no ordinary person. That said, her aura was probably less noticeable than mine was now since I was leaking everywhere. Well, in her case, she could make her aura even less noticeable if she wanted to, to the point where monsters wouldn’t be wary. But I got the feeling that doing so wasn’t natural for her and that she had to consciously control it.

“Moreover, do you remember when we discussed bloodlust before? Living things possess organs that sense magical energy, and this energy can be changed by one’s intent. Things such as bloodlust and fighting spirit overflow due to one’s magic.”

“Ahhh, yeah, that’s right.”

“This is similar to that. Incidentally, it also means that other emotions, such as compassion and love, are expressed in the same manner. I suspect...that is one of the reasons people are drawn to you as they are.”

“Say what?”

Lefi grinned at how dumbfounded I sounded and kept talking.

“Your magical energy is comforting. I think it is because your feelings for us are exuded alongside your magic. For I, too, feel very much at peace when with you.”

“H-Hey, is this payback for earlier?”

“Well, that is for me to know and you to find out, eh?”

“...”

Whoa... She really is more honest than usual. And that somehow made her even cuter to me. Did she want to be pampered? Like, she wasn’t messing with me and actually wanted to spend time together for a while? I’d heard about how pregnancy could cause emotional changes, and it was my job as her husband to ease her anxieties.

By the way, Rir had been silent this whole time. He just watched over us warmly. Dude, you can totally say something.

“In any case, I shall demonstrate. Observe.”

As soon as Lefi said that, a change occurred right before our very eyes. It was as if her presence had thinned and she’d blended into her surroundings.

“Wooow... That’s awesome.”

I’d seen this happen a few times while hunting with her, but having front-row seats to it like this was really something.

“Now then, Yuki, Rir, it is your turn. I shall teach you the trick to it bit by bit.”

Thus began our days of training in the art of magical control. Whether eating, making something, working out, or playing with the little girls, I was always manipulating my powers, and if I let my guard down, Lefi would smack my head without mercy. Maybe it was because I spent all day every day doing it that I’d started to get a sense of what I needed to do. I was becoming more sensitive to my own magic and was able to make changes here and there to its nature.

Then, as I was gradually adapting to it, to the point that Lefi had even said, “You are indeed improving,” I had an idea. I was a lot stronger now, and so was Rir, my partner in crime. If I could improve my skills even more from here on out, I’d probably be able to disguise my presence to the point where I could be seen but not seen, just like Lefi, and by combining that with Stealth, I might even be able to become invisible. That being the case, I decided it was high time I tried it out. In the depths of the western area of the Demonic Forest, a place I’d never properly entered before.

“I think I’ll do a test run soon.”

◇ ◇ ◇

This happened on a certain day. As evening approached, I mulled things over for a bit before speaking.

“Okay, I’ve made up my mind. We’re having hot pot tonight!”

“Hot pooot? Hot, hot, hot pot! With lots of meat! Hot! Pot!”

“Hot, hot, hot pot!”

“What...kind?”

“Ooh, I want sukiyaki! Sukiyakiii! Because it has tons of meat!”

“Me wants chigenabe! Chigenabe! Spicy, yummy chigenabe!”

“I...want motsunabe. Yummy, chewy organs.”

“Hmm. I’m feeling sukiyaki and chigenabe myself, but motsunabe maybe not so much. En, are you okay with those if I have offal as an option too?”

“Yup...very okay.”

She nodded after mentioning her very grown-up taste in hot pot. Whew, glad to hear it. I liked organ meat too, but it was definitely something people either loved or hated.

By the way, whenever we had hot pot, we usually made two. With so many of us, one disappeared in a flash, so we did two different kinds. At this point, although the rest of us still helped out, none of us held a candle to Leila, who’d long since taken over all the meal making. She cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day for everyone, which made her the hardest worker in my family by a long shot.

The whole world should pay its respects to people who make food. Good luck to everyone living alone.

“What about you ladies?” I asked the adult gang once the little-girl gang had given me their opinions.

“Meatballs. I would very much like meatballs. So long as that is an option, I am satisfied.”

“Mmm, I think I’m in the mood for miso-stewed veggies, like daikon or carrots. Napa cabbage would work as well. Of course, I’ll eat meat too.”

“My turn, my lord! I’d like enoki mushrooms and agedofu. As long as they’re in there, I’ll be happy as a clam!”

Peeps, that’s not hot pot, it’s hot pot ingredients... Having said that, I knew this was their way of prioritizing the little girls’ choices.

“Hmm, it should be simple enough to prepare all of those.”

I turned to Leila when I heard her murmur that.

“Leila, you know it’s totally okay for you to put what you wanna eat first, right? Since you’re always nice enough to go along with what we want.”

“Oh? Well, that puts me in a bit of a bind, hm? Also, I believe I could say the same to you, Master Yuki. Birds of a feather and all.”

“Hey, I’m the one who decided we’d have hot pot tonight, so I don’t count since I just exercised my authority. No more arguments from you, Mrs. Leila. Tell us what you want to eat!”

Leila answered with an awkward chuckle.

“Hmm... To be perfectly honest, I truly am happy to see you all enjoy my cooking, so...I’m fine with anything.”

“Argh! Leila! You! I absolutely adore that side of you!”

“Nell’s right, Leila! How can you be so cute?! You’re too good for all of us!”

“Gah ha! Indeed, you are a fine woman. We shall never hand you over to others!”

“G-Goodness, would you all please stop teasing me?”

Leila blushed with embarrassment as the others showered her with compliments. Too freaking cute. Seeing their closeness made me smile, then I spoke to move things along.

“All right, folks, let’s have sukiyaki and chigenabe today! Adult gang, you’ll help with the prep work. Little-girl gang, you’ll take your baths while we get things ready.”

“Sir, yes, Sir! Bath time, bath time! Baaath! Tiiime!”

“Much excited tonight. Bath and hot pot!”

“Cleanse...your body in the hot water, warm your body and mind, and enjoy your meal in a good mood. That is the way of hot pot.”

“Ohhh reeeally?”

“Reeeally?”

“Well...I just felt like saying that.”

“You’re so funny, En! But you’re right! Hot pot tastes even better when you feel good!”

“Riddle time! How bath and hot pot same?”

“They’re...both hot.”

“Correct! One point for EnEn!”

“What happens if you get lots of points?”

“Um, ummm... Something!”

The little girls took their changes of clothes with them and left the living room, their conversation continuing the whole time. Meanwhile, the adult gang moved to the kitchen.

“Let’s do this, ladies. Who’s cutting the vegetables?”

“Lew and I will!”

“Darn right!”

“Roger that. Now, for the meat...how ’bout we start with the meatballs Lefi wants? Poultry is best for hot pot. What do you think?”

“Excellent! I wish to eat that. Therefore, I shall take responsibility and make them myself!”

“I’ll help you.”

“Okey dokey. Then I’ll handle the broth and all the meat besides poultry.”

“Gosh, I love hot pot! Mostly because it’s a lovely dish to eat with everyone.”

“You’re so right, Nell. It’s hard to find places in the outside world where you can eat from the same pot. I also think it’s nice to eat together like that with everyone.”

“Anyone who doesn’t know about hot pot is for sure missing out! When the weather gets cold, hot pot is the way to go! It’s nutritious, and you can put whatever you want in it! Hot pot is amazing...”

“In that case, Yuki, which do you like more, barbecue or hot pot?”

“That’s a tough question, but...I’d say it’s sixty-forty in favor of barbecue! Why?! ’Cause I like summer more than winter!”

“Yet you barbecue even in winter.”

“Tee hee. Ingredients change from season to season, and that variety makes cooking here such a pleasure.”

“I’d like to get good enough at cooking to be able to say that too, Leila...”

“Then let’s you and I do our best, Lew!”

“Fear not, for whatever you make, I shall heartily consume.”

“Yeah, ’cause you’re an eater, not a maker.”

Chatting away, we each went about our tasks. Man, I really, really love moments like this.

◇ ◇ ◇

“...”

“...”

From next to me came the sound of pages turning. I, too, flipped to the next page in the book I was reading. Sitting next to me, our shoulders pressed together, was Leila. Neither of us said anything. We were focused solely on the book each of us held. Whenever the two of us were alone, this was usually how we spent our time. And that was more than fine with me.

When it was just me and Lefi, we argued over the dumbest things. Me and Lew, we were basically our very own comedy duo. Me and Nell, I hunted in the forest as we rode Rir. And me and Leila, we whiled away the hours together peacefully. Because that was what was most comfortable for the two of us.

Oh yeah, as for the book I was reading, it was a collection of this world’s fairy tales. Several myths were presented in story form. Nell had bought it as a souvenir and given it to me when she’d gotten back from her latest round of work, saying, “Mr. Yuki, I found something you’re going to love! The girls can read it too.”

The stories were easy to read and, honestly, just plain interesting. Like realizing that picture books were surprisingly entertaining while reading them as adults. It was that sort of feeling.

As for Leila, she was reading something way more advanced: a technical book I couldn’t make heads or tails of. Nell had bought that one too, but apparently, Leila had been asking her to get books for a while now, and pretty regularly at that. Not to say I didn’t when I went out. I did. It just so happened that Nell knew more about the latest developments in sorcery than I did, so she knew what Leila wanted. Not to mention that in our household, Nell was the only person who read as much as Leila did.

Since they shared the same hobby, I often saw them discussing various authors and topics. While there was a bookshelf here, almost all the books on it belonged to Leila and Nell, and they were the ones who mainly used it.

But wait, Iluna reads them too. En did occasionally, and Shii didn’t at all. If any of us got close to Shii with a book, she would step back with a smile and run away. Shii, kiddo, I need you to try a little harder with your studies, okay?Okay?! Although I totally understand that it’s boring.

Long story short, the intelligent trio in my family read a ton of books. Technically, En was smart too, but she didn’t seem all that interested in schoolwork. No, that was a misleading statement. She studied with the other girls as a student at the Leila Cram School, didn’t reject learning like Shii, and enjoyed it whenever we did experiments and stuff. But she was a lot more enthusiastic about activities that actively worked her brain like shogi and chess. Probably because she was a sword. Since fighting was her raison d’être, her interests lay in tactics, strategy, and the like.

“Books, huh...”

“Hmm? Is something the matter?”

“Nah... Just thinking about building a library in the castle too. Except we don’t have enough books to warrant that.”

“A library, hm? It would be lovely to have one, but books are a tad expensive, aren’t they?”

“That too.”

Bookbinding technology was surprisingly advanced in this world. However, it might as well have been in the dark ages compared to modern-day Earth, which made books correspondingly expensive. Then there was the fact that I didn’t have real-world money. If I wanted to make some, it would be easy enough to do. Heck, I could even pay using DP. That being said, it would cost a lot—like a lot a lot—to fill an entire library with books. And a library that didn’t have a lot of books felt sad and lifeless.

“Nevertheless, being able to read whatever one wishes to sounds...wonderful.”

“Oh yeah?”

Mrs. Leila said that with a happy smile. Well, if that’s how the thought of a library makes you feel, then I guess I’ll just have to put my thinking cap on and make it happen.

“I just thought of something. There’s probably a library in Reauxgard’s imperial castle. Since I am the emperor, filching a few books shouldn’t be a problem, right?!”

The land of Shen, former emperor Shendra. Meaning there had to be a study with all kinds of tomes, or maybe even a room with forbidden texts whose existence couldn’t be revealed to the general public. I could take some of those books, make a “banned book” bookshelf here, and tell the little girls, “You’re not allowed to read these until you’re all grown-up.” And then, when they were adults, they’d do just that and shout, “This is...the book of legend!” I wanted them to say something like that. Let a man have his dreams, okay? If I don’t abuse my power as emperor for stuff like this, when would I ever?!

“But, Master Yuki, those books belong to the country, yes? Just because you’re the emperor now doesn’t mean you can mix your personal property with government property. You mustn’t make such unreasonable demands, you know.”

“Hmm... I guess you have a point.”

All I could do was nod meekly in response to the super logical way she’d chided me. Then, she plopped her hand on my thigh and smiled.

“Tee hee. Don’t worry. Should there be anything I wish to read, I’ll ask you to take me directly to the empire.”

“Okay. Sounds like a plan.”

After that, we both went back to reading in silence.

“Oh yeah, Leila. Read this for me, will ya?”

“Are you certain?”

“Yeah. Your beautiful voice is perfect for fairy tales, and I wanna hear you read it out loud.”

“Very well. Then I shall begin.”

So she started reading out loud to me from the collection of children’s stories. Her melodic voice settled soothingly in my head, relaxing me. I could feel the warmth of her seeping into me as we sat next to each other. Those two things combined to create an incredibly comforting environment where I felt truly at ease. No wonder, then, that my eyelids started closing ever so slowly, bit by bit...

Leila only realized what had happened when the weight of his body thumped softly on hers as she read aloud. Yuki had fallen asleep at some point, his breathing soft. She chuckled quietly at the sight of his peaceful, innocent sleeping face, then gently shifted him so that his head lay on her lap.

“Sweet dreams, my husband.”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Heh heh heh.”

Grinning like a loon, Lew swished her tail excitedly. The way she moved her tail always made it easy to tell what she was feeling. Frankly, she couldn’t have made it more obvious. I knew right away whenever she was in a good mood, and also whenever she screwed up.

Lew herself found the knowledge that she was an open book a bit embarrassing. “Grr! This darn tail!” We all heard her say stuff like that while wearing a conflicted expression often enough. But your tail is truly a work of art, so there’s no need to change. Please stay the way you are.

“Well, well. Aren’t you feeling chipper today, Lew?”

“I sure am! Because today I get to have you all to myself on our Monopolize My Lord Date, my lord! To commemorate this day, I think I’ll call it ‘The Exclusive Day with My Lord’ from now on.”

“Hmm. Has a certain ring to it, methinks. And as your husband, I’m content to let you have me all to yourself. Now then, Lew. Tell me what you want me to do. Go on, don’t be shy.”

“I won’t hold back, then! Um. Ummm... Hmm...”

“Hmm?”

“Well, I just realized that you always do so much for me every day, so when I try to think of something I want you to do, nothing really comes to mind no matter how hard I rack my brain.”

Lew tilted her head curiously as she stared at me. Seriously? No way.

“Anything is fine. For example, if you want me to stroke your tail. Or stroke your ears. Or both at the same time.”

“My lord, that’s what you want, not what I want.”

“Please let me touch your tail and ears.”

“Ooh, someone’s being honest,” she said with a wry smile. “No helping it, I guess. As your very capable wife, I’m more than content to accept your request! Although...at this point, it’s sort of meaningless for you to ask permission since you usually touch me anyway.”

“Huh. You’re right. Your ears and tail already belong to me, don’t they? And it’s not like I need permission for what’s mine, right? What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is mine! Bwa ha ha ha! For I am the demon lord that is the very embodiment of greed! Now then, wife of mine. Resign yourself to offering me what I seek!”

“Yes, yes. Here you go, your wife’s ears and tail.”

Lew plopped herself on my lap as I sat there cross-legged, her back resting against my chest. It put her ears right at mouth level.

“Hmm, hmm! Magnificent! First, I shall start with this tail! Luxuriant, velvety, and amazing to touch. Its beauty tells me how well you take care of it. I wanna use it as a pillow. Next, these ears! Firm but silky, and also amazing to touch. Aaand...they taste good too!”

When I playfully nibbled one of her ears, her body jerked.

“Eeeek! S-Stop right there, my lord! None of that! I-It’s too much for me.”

“Bear with it, wife of mine! For these appendages are mine!”

“Uuugh... No thanks to you, that strange logic of yours has become the norm in our household. Nell is especially fond of saying the same thing when she touches my tail and ears. Come to think of it, she does it to Lefi and Leila too.”

Yup, I’ve seen that too.

“That’s ’cause she’s the most demon lord-like out of everyone in this dungeon. After yours truly, of course. Probably on account of her freewheeling personality. Although I’m not sure how I feel about a hero being suited for demon lord status.”

In our dungeon, Nell was actually the most free-spirited. Of course, she was a very responsible person and a very dependable wife, but she could also be super loyal to her own desires. She said stuff like “I don’t have much time to spend with everyone, so I need to immerse myself with lots of physical contact while I’m at home!” Well, she did like being coddled. Maybe she really was a bit lonely since she didn’t have much time with us.

“Tee hee. For better or worse, you’ve had quite an influence on Nell, my lord. In that case, I’ll learn from her example and try to be a little more selfish too! More specifically, I want you to hug me really tight from behind!”

Lew raised her arms to make it easier for me to do exactly that.

“As you wish. Consider my acquiescence your reward for your earnest sacrifice of your ears and tail, wife of mine.”

Laughing, I hugged her from behind. Her soft, warm body. My beloved wife’s scent.

“Ahhh, you’re so warm.”

“Am I really? Hmm... I guess it’s because I have a lot more body hair than everyone else? But I’m actually sensitive to the cold, my lord. My fingers freeze so fast.”

“Yeah? Huh. You’re right. They are cold... Right, then. As your husband, I shall do my utmost to warm them up.”

I took Lew’s hands in mine. When I pressed our palms together and twined my fingers with hers, she squeezed back.

“Tee hee hee. Thaaanks! Haah... Today really is a great day. An incredible, wonderful day.”

“If you so desire, I can ensure that tomorrow, the day after, and all the days to come are also wonderful, wife of mine.”

Lew rested the back of her head against my shoulder and looked up at me. Then, staring into each other’s eyes, we grinned at each other.

◇ ◇ ◇

On a random day.

“Ooh, that’s the technique you’re studying to suppress your aura, right, Mr. Yuki?”

“Yup. Except the minute I lose focus, all my hard work goes down the drain. Despite having mostly figured out the trick to it, it’s definitely not easy. Lefi apparently does this twenty-four seven, but I’m still nowhere near her level.”

I responded to Nell, who’d just gotten back from finishing another mission for her country. She’d been getting less work than before, which meant she came home pretty often, all things considered. As long as shit didn’t hit the proverbial fan, she usually dropped by once a week. She had mentioned that the government was slowly reducing her responsibilities as the hero, and honestly? I couldn’t have been happier about it.

“Well, no doubt your task is a difficult one. What I personally find baffling is that Lefi has such exquisite magical control over such a complex technique when her use of magic is normally so...haphazard.”

“Yeaaah, literally the same thought.”

We chuckled at the same time, then Nell smirked like she’d suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, yes, I’ve been meaning to discuss this with you for some time now, Mr. Yuki. You’ve finally gotten your hands on Leila, haven’t you? Gosh, just look at you work your special brand of magic! It’s quite an accomplishment to win over such a guarded young lady!”

“I’ve ‘finally gotten my hands on’ her? Phrasing, woman, jeez.”

Making me sound like some kind of villain.

“And besides, Leila’s the one who made the first move, not me. I didn’t do squat except accept her decision. So if anyone deserves kudos, it’s her.”

She was the one who’d steeled her resolve. Compared to that, what I’d done wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Nell giggled in response.

“I can see that. Even so... Tee hee, I’m delighted. I believe Lefi and Lew likely feel the same way. We think of Leila as family, you know? So it makes us happy to have that become reality.”

She beamed at me. Her gentle expression told me she was happy from the bottom of her heart. Embarrassed, I looked away.

“Anyway... I assume you’re here for a reason. Wanna tell me what it is?”

“Ah, right, I almost forgot. Mr. Yuki, you’re free today, aren’t you?”

“Hmm? Yeah, I am.”

“Then it’s poison time! Or, in other words, time for you to learn how to be a food taster!” she said excitedly.

“Uh... What?”

“We didn’t have time to practice when we visited the dwarves and therianthropes because you were so busy, so let’s start now. Here are all the poisons I gathered from the Demonic Forest with Rir’s assistance. Take out a few Super Potions, please.”

Nell started taking out medicinal herbs one after another from the pouch imbued with spatial magic I’d given her a while back. I had been wondering what she and Rir had been up to in the Forest lately...aaand now I knew. During the few moments I remained robbed of speech, she skillfully ground up the herbs using some sort of mortar.

“Uhhh, Mrs. Nell? I do remember asking you for your help on that front, but this is way too sudden, and I’m not mentally ready...”

“Your mindset is too naive, Mr. Yuki! Do you think someone who uses poison cares about what’s convenient for their victim?! So gird your loins for your first flagon!”

Saying it like she was inviting me for a drink didn’t make things better. That was when Iluna and Shii wandered over, drawn by what we were up to.

“Whatcha doing? Playing pretend apothecary?”

“Wooow. It look so real.”

“Ack! No touching, girls! These are poisonous plants.”

Just as they both reached out in curiosity, they hurriedly pulled their hands back at Nell’s warning.

“Huh?! Poison?!”

“It poisooon?”

“Yup. If you eat it, you might vomit everywhere or collapse from the pain, maybe even turn purple. At the very least, you definitely won’t be able to eat dinner tonight.”

Nell pitched her voice low while cautioning them to really drive the point home and scare them.

“Nooo! Too scary!”

“I go from blue to purple?!”

“That’s right. And you wouldn’t want that to happen, would you? So I’m sorry, but go play outside until dinnertime today, okay? Also, make sure to tell En, Rei, Rui, and Roh for me.”

“Okaaay!”

Once the two of them had left, Nell glanced curiously at me.

“Hmm? What is it, Mr. Yuki?”

“Nothing much. Just thinking how motherly you’re becoming.”

“Gosh, I really wish you’d stop saying things like that out of the blue.”

Blushing a little, she smacked me on the shoulder. Cute.

With a laugh, I kept talking.

“I guess I have no choice but to do this since the little ones might come back for another try if we leave all this stuff out. I gotta warn you, though, I don’t think I’ll be able to memorize all of them right away.”

“Don’t worry. Your senses are sharp, Mr. Yuki, so I think just a single sniff and taste are all your body will need to remember what’s what. After all, those two senses are the ones that tend to stick in a person’s mind.”

True. If I remembered right, weren’t smell and taste closely connected?

“First, let me start with basic information about poisons. The ones used by mankind are often divided into two types: those that act on the body, and those that act on magical energy. The ones on this side fall in the former category, and the ones over here, the latter.”

Nell separated the bunches of herbs into two sections as she gave her explanation. I could tell that the flowers and roots were different in shape, but to me they just looked like weeds. Though I did detect a hint of an unpleasant smell.

“I get the physical-type poisons, but what about the magical ones?”

“Those are commonly used against folks with high levels of magic, because even if they’re forced to ingest a poison that would cause tremendous physical damage, their magical energy often works to repel the effect. Magical-type poisons work by disrupting that magic.”

“Whoa... I had no idea magic could even counter physical poisons.”

“It’s common knowledge for those who make a living from fighting, but people with a lot of magic heal significantly faster from physical injuries than those with less. You already know that people with greater stores of magic live longer, Mr. Yuki, and I think this is related to that.”

Iiinteresting... The power known as magic. Thanks to it, living things in this world were so much stronger than those in my old one. No surprise that the logic applied to poison as well.

“But I doubt poison that affects magic would be all that effective on someone with a lot of magical energy.”

“That’s generally true, especially against someone like you. It would be safe to assume that a poison concocted through normal methods wouldn’t work. But if you compound something that tricks an abnormal flow of magical energy into thinking it’s normal, it can have an effect, even if only temporarily. Here’s an example. Smell it first, and then take a sip. Just one, though.”

Nell placed a glass of water mixed with the powder she’d just made from the poisonous herb in front of me. Real talk, this probably needed a disclaimer saying that this was being done under the supervision of an expert. Good boys and girls, don’t try this at home. Feeling a little scared, I fanned my hand over the glass to waft the aroma up so I could sniff it better. It had a faint, very faint sweetness. Then, I made up my mind and took a sip.

“How is it?”

“It smells...sweet. But it tastes kinda bitter, like a medicinal herb.”

She looked impressed.

“I knew you could do it. It’s known among mankind as a tasteless and odorless poison. I personally can’t tell, but I’m not surprised you can, with senses as sharp as yours.”

And yet, even knowing what the poison is like, you still insisted on making me try it.

“Right, but I’m not sensing any changes. Is it the type that only shows its effects after some time passes?”

“Why don’t we find out?”

Looking somewhat amused, Nell placed her hands on my shoulders, and... Huh? Something felt strange. My sense of touch seemed to be working normally, but something was definitely off.

“What do you say now?”

“Feels wrong. Different somehow from the way it usually feels when you touch me... Oh. It’s already gone.”

Her hands were still on my shoulders, but the weird feeling had disappeared.

“Just to be on the safe side, drink a Super Potion. Half should be enough. So. What you just experienced was a disruption to the flow of your magic. By the way, when I was forced to taste this poison during training, I couldn’t use my magic for half an hour, which made it difficult to move my body. It taught me that magic and the human body are deeply connected after all.”

“A-And you were okay? ’Cause even if you are the hero, you’re still human.”

“Heh. I was fine. This poison isn’t the type that leaves any aftereffects. Besides, we only conduct that sort of training with proper medical care on hand. It would be stupid if training left someone with serious side effects.”

“G-Gotcha... Hey, Nell? I don’t really wanna butt into your official duties, but...could you please stop that kind of training in the future? I understand you’re basically a soldier and that training is necessary, but still, your husband’s worried.”

She pondered my words for a bit before replying.

“All right, I understand. I’ll do that. Well, I’m not training all that much now anyway since I’m slowly cutting back on my responsibilities as the hero. However, as you said, I’ll try not to do anything dangerous.”

“I’d appreciate it, though I’m sorry for restricting what you do... Oh, hey, I have an idea. You wanna take one of the pets with you? Byaku, maybe? She’s quick on the uptake, and I think she can blend into human society.”

Byaku the bakeneko, one of my family’s pets and the only female among them. I didn’t know if her sex was the reason, but she was good at mediating between the pets. While more laid-back than Rir the worrywart, she was also attentive and considerate, so she acted as the leader of the other two. You could say she possessed a sort of worldly wisdom. She didn’t look intimidating, which made me think she’d probably do well even when dealing with humans. Of course, as a combat asset, she had incredible powers well suited to the Demonic Forest, so if Byaku went along with Nell to the outside world, I knew she’d be a huge help.

“Byaku, hm? I’m grateful for the offer, but I’d feel terrible if I took only her with me. Not to mention that I think she would have a tough time.”

“Fair enough. Too bad. Still, you know you can rely on me whenever and for whatever. Don’t hesitate to tell me if anything happens.”

“I will, thank you. Tee hee. You truly are so sweet to us, Mr. Yuki.”

“You guys spoil me too, so I gotta give as good as I get, ya know?”

“Theeen...allow me to indulge myself now!”

Nell promptly planted herself on my lap as I sat on a chair.

“Hey, uh...aren’t you giving a lecture on poisons?”

“Oh, but I am. Like this.”

“Ummm... In that case, I’m not sure I’ll be able to concentrate...”

“Whaaat? Well, that won’t do at all, now will it? I suppose I’ll just have to whisper the words directly into your ear so that I can be sure the knowledge enters your head.”

Nell’s lesson on poisons continued like that for a while, with her smiling bewitchingly the whole time.

◇ ◇ ◇

“All right, Lefi! Bring it!”

“...”

“Come on, don’t be shy!”

“What in the world are you even doing?”

Mrs. Lefi asked me that with a confused expression. She was sitting on the floor, and next to her were several piles of neatly folded laundry. By this point in time, she’d gotten pretty good at doing chores on her own too.

“What the heck do you mean? You know I’ve been taking turns spending time with Leila, Lew, and Nell, so I figured you were up next.”

“Well, it is not as if I have anything particular in mind...”

“Oh. Okay. Then...I’ll just have you spoil me this time!”

“Gah! Good grief, must you always be so...you?”

I flopped down on the floor next to her and rolled my head around on her lap as she sat there seiza-style. Her thighs were super soft. Her scent enveloped me. Then, my wife spoke again, sounding exasperated.

“You truly are an incorrigible rake, do you know that? However, since you are here, would you like me to clean your ears for you?”

“Ooh! Yes, please.”

Lefi stood up, grabbed a kit from the drawer of a nearby table, and laid a tissue down next to us. She then sat back down in seiza style and patted her lap, encouraging me to lay my head down on it again. Once I did just that, she started picking my ears.

The sensation of her scraping the inside of my ear was both ticklish and comforting.

“Mmm... Maaan, you’ve gotten really good at stuff like this.”

“On occasion, I do this to Iluna as well. It would not matter to me were I to poke through your eardrum, but I cannot hurt that child, even by accident.”

“For the record, your husband would greatly appreciate it if you would be a tad more careful with his ears.”

“Hmm... Perhaps some tenderness is in order, then.”

“Dwah?”

And then. Just when I thought Lefi had pulled out the earpick—shlk. She licked my ear.

“Eeeek?!”

“Now, now. I am still in the midst of my cleaning, so it is dangerous for you to move.”

She smirked at me and forcefully shoved my head back down when I reflexively arched up. No matter how hard I tried, I was no match for her in terms of strength, meaning I had no choice but to obey. And once this little jerk got going, there was no stopping her.

She traced the whorls of my ear with her tongue, then nibbled playfully on my lobe before sucking it into her mouth and flicking it with her tongue. Her movements were very, very thorough and very, very slow. Her hot breath tickled my ear. Shlk. Shlk. Her saliva dampened my skin.

Electricity raced down my spine, the sensation tingling. My body was on the verge of exploding into the air. And my brain? About to melt.

“Hngh! Ah! Ngh!”

“Oho, such an addictive texture. The next time I feel peckish, I think I shall make a meal out of your ears.”

“Th-That’s not gonna fill you up!”

“Yet it does create the impression of fullness, similar to chewing gum.”

What the hell are you even talking about?!

“Hmm, hmm, hmm... It seems the information Nell provided about your ears being your weak spot was correct. Henceforth, I shall make it my mission to focus my attack on them.”

So it’s her fault! Damn you, Nell, you sneaky little...

“Come. It is time for me to tend to the opposite ear. Face the other way, Yuki.”

“Uhhh... I think I’m good. You did a great job cleaning this one.”

“Pishposh. Do you not know that ear cleaning is meaningless if not performed on both ears? Now hurry and turn.”

Lefi smiled seductively while holding me down firmly with one hand to stop me from escaping.

Balls... Th-This is bad. At this rate, she’d toy with me however she wanted and, in the end, leave me a limp, powerless demon lord.

Okay... Okay, okay. A counterattack. I need to counterattack. ’Cause a demon lord never gave up and never surrendered! I stretched my hands out at the same time I rolled over to face her stomach and wrapped them around her tail.

“Nwaaah?!”

“Oh, heeey. Something wrong? I thought you were gonna work on my other ear.”

I’d turned the tables on her. And then, I started fondling her tail. I trailed my fingers up and down, enjoying the velvety feel of it. With my left hand, I rubbed the tip, and with my right, I gently stroked the part where her tail met her butt inside her dress. She flinched and twitched in reaction to my every touch.

This time, I smirked up from my wife’s lap and found her glaring down at me, her cheeks flushed.

“P-Pervert.”

“I object! How can you say such a thing when we’re husband and wife? Surely you know that this level of physical intimacy is perfectly normal for a married couple.”

“You are...correct. In which case, as part of this physical intimacy, I believe I shall continue picking your ears!”

With that, Lefi leaned down and started licking again. After paying meticulous attention to my ear with her tongue, she dragged it down to my cheek. Strange, garbled moans slipped from my mouth.

“Heee... M-Mrs. Lefi, that’s not my ear.”

“Oh? Then how about this?”

This time, she lapped at the nape of my neck, gnawing impishly at it. When her tongue slicked across the underside of my chin, my body jerked again, almost bouncing off the floor.

“Nh... Then I g-guess, ahhh, I’ll just have to return the favor and groom your tail, huh?”

“Groom my tail? What nonsense— Ahhhn!”

The two of us tortured each other for a while, her “cleaning” my ears and me “grooming” her tail... The bad thing about us was that when we become absorbed in something, we lost sight of everything else around us.

“Ummm. You two are free to canoodle as you see fit, but...just don’t forget that Iluna and the others will be back soon, okay?”

Nell’s fed up voice might as well have been a bucket of cold water. We snapped back to our senses real fast. There was me, my brain and body heated to a boiling point, and there was Lefi, staring down at me with a dazed expression.

“...”

“...”

We gazed into each other’s eyes for a bit before silently standing up and going our separate ways to each do our own thing. As for Nell, she watched us with amused affection.

◇ ◇ ◇

Facing the little girls, Iluna spoke.

“Ladies! Operation Secret Base Sleepover is about to begin!”

“Aye!”

“Aye...”

When Shii and En clapped, Rei, Rui, and Roh followed suit with their transparent bodies even though they couldn’t make any sounds. The young girls were currently in a secret base built in a corner of the castle courtyard, a favorite playground of theirs. It was aptly called the Little Girls’ Secret Base.

Built out of cardboard, cloth, duct tape, wood, and nails, the structure was fairly authentic as far as secret hideouts went. There were two rooms inside: a large one with plenty of space, and a smaller one used as storage. The floor was made of cardboard with a picnic blanket placed on top, making it completely protected from the cold. Several windows meant excellent ventilation. The only downside, if it could even be called that, was that it could get a little hot when everyone was getting rowdy inside. However, a fan that rotated using magical power mitigated that problem.

Incidentally, the cardboard wasn’t an item used to store things but one listed only as “cardboard box” in the DP Catalog. Since it was a product of Yuki’s old world, it was actually quite expensive, as was the duct tape. But when he’d heard the little girls say, “We wanna make a secret base!” his response had been, “You got it! Let me bust out the good stuff. This is what we need for a secret base!” So he’d bought a huge amount of materials for them.

Later, he was the only one who’d incurred Lefi’s wrath.

The more spacious room of the two was actually two stories tall. The first hosted simple furniture, such as a table, chairs, and shelves, while the second sported blankets and other bedding for everyone so that they could spend the night whenever they wanted. Several lanterns powered by magic provided light, even at night. There was also a full range of cooking utensils, all small and designed for the little girls to use. Yuki had attached a kitchen to the outside of the secret base as well, even installing running water, making it possible to cook there.

There had been a bit of a debate among the adults about whether to allow the girls to use fire. However, Lefi had said, “Magic exists for a reason, not to mention ample vials of your elixir are also over there, so it should be fine. Though we may have to scold them if they mishandle the flames, the wee ones possess sound judgment.” So they’d received permission.

The second floor of the secret base would have been dangerous if not hardened, so Yuki had helped out a little on that front. Other than that, though, the little girls had built it by themselves. It was a little cramped, even for them with their small bodies, but that coziness actually made it more exciting for them. While the structure certainly wouldn’t exist without magic, they never would have come up with the idea if not for the influence of a certain someone with high specs and an intellect to match. Thanks to him, they had adopted the motto of “Give it everything you got when it comes to play!” And so, the ultimate secret base, the Little Girls’ Secret Base, was born.

“First, I’ll explain the flow of the operation and any points to note!”

Iluna spoke to everyone from in front of a small whiteboard installed on the first floor. The whiteboard saw a lot of action in strategy meetings like today’s. Most recently, it had been used for Operation Great Hide-and-Seek, Operation Great Field Trip, and Operation Great Treasure Hunt. Everyone liked it because it created a more mature atmosphere.

As usual, Iluna was the one acting as the coordinator. With her passive personality, En generally went with the flow. As for the four born in the dungeon—Shii, Rei, Rui, and Roh—they tended to talk about all sorts of things, often derailing a conversation, so everyone here understood that without the reliable Iluna in charge, none of their meetings would move forward.

“There you have it, girls. Any questions?!”

“Yes... What are we doing about food?”

“Yukiki said curry is the best at times like this, so that’s what we’ll eat! But Mrs. Leila warned me that we need to be suuuper careful using the fire!”

“Fire suuuper hot and powerful means veeery scary, huh? Too hot and we in trouble!”

“Yup... Fire is strong. We can’t let it get too hot. Everyone, be careful.”

The adults had drilled the dangers of fire into the little girls countless times by now, so they cautioned each other while nodding in agreement.

“Okay, next question!”

“Me! Can do card tournament?!”

“Genius! Of course we can! And I wanna play all kinds of other games too. That’s why I came ready to stay up all night!”

“Ohhh, that why you nap lots today, Iluna. Smart!”

“I...agree. Excellent job managing your energy.”

“I don’t have as much stamina as everyone else, so I came up with this strategy so I can have as much fun as possible!”

It wasn’t that Iluna lacked stamina, per se. In fact, she had a lot more of it compared to other children her age. However, her frame of reference was the other little girls in the dungeon. Shii and the wraith triples were classified as monsters since they were born in the dungeon, and En was a magic blade. Their stamina just couldn’t be compared to a normal child’s because theirs was probably equal to, if not greater than, that of the average adult. Therefore, Iluna had reached this objective conclusion based on her own observations.

“I’m...getting excited. Let’s hurry and make the curry. Then, we’ll eat it, take a bath, brush our teeth, and play a ton.”

“Yaaay! We stay up late and have fun! ReiRei, RuiRui, RohRoh, we play together for looong time tonight! Exciting!”

The wraith sisters danced happily in the air at Shii’s words. Because they lacked corporeal bodies, they were exceptionally untiring. That was why they usually stayed up so late and had a lot of free time.

“Okay, let’s do it! EnEn, you’re in charge of chopping! Shii, please wash the veggies! ReiRei, RuiRui, and RohRoh, you can make the rice! And don’t worry about your food, because Yukiki prepped the magical ingredients for you girls too!”

And so, Operation Secret Base Sleepover commenced. The little girls worked together, and despite a bit of difficulty, they finished cooking. After eating the curry, their conversation went something like this.

“It turned out so good, huh?!”

“Yup... We did great.”

“Taste even better than usual!”

Then, they took a bath in the inn’s waterfall hot spring, and after brushing their teeth, the night’s grandest adventure was upon them. Instead of heading to the real throne room, they returned to the secret base, squealing and chattering and playing until they were satisfied. And when they finally grew tired, they fell into a deep sleep.

Yuki wanted them to live their lives freely and joyfully. Little did he know that they were already enjoying their days to the fullest, making the most of life.

◇ ◇ ◇

Lefi was taking a walk by herself in the meadow area. Engaging in strenuous exercise wasn’t good, but she’d heard that even pregnant women needed to stay moderately active, so every day, she walked for a fixed amount of time. While it remained a mystery how much the other races’ general knowledge even applied to her body, she nevertheless wanted to do whatever she could.

“Every time I see this view, I am reminded of how hard Yuki has worked to create all this.”

At first, the meadow area had consisted only of an enormous castle, with grassland as far as the eye could see. Now, though, it was home to quite a few different structures. Evidently, he continued to make all sorts of things out of a desire to make the little ones happy, but... Well, what mattered was that he did his best for his children.

However, in that man’s case, she could easily envision a future where he refused to scold his children because he thought them too adorable. Were that to happen, the wives would have to step in and compensate. She smiled to herself at the image and placed a hand on her stomach.

It is strange even to me. That another life should reside within. The child of the man I love.

One thing she knew for certain was that this child, her first, would likely also be her last. She was a dragon who had obtained a humanoid body through magic. Even though she could no longer return to her dragon form, her current body was most certainly nothing like her original one, so there was much even she herself didn’t understand about it.

Moreover, her husband was a demon lord. A living being that couldn’t be described as a part of mankind. Frankly, she still found it almost unbelievable that they had conceived at all. The common belief in this world held that it was difficult for different species to have children together, and with their biology being so different, the fact that she was pregnant was nothing short of a miracle that defied the greatest odds. And that was precisely why Lefi was truly happy about the life dwelling inside her.

As she engaged in this bout of walking, she heard a voice call out from behind.

“Oh, Lefi, hi! Rare to see you moving about like this.”

“Hello, Nell. You are returned, eh?”

“Yup! A short time ago, in fact. I haven’t done my routine for the day yet, so I thought I might as well come out here to the meadow area and get it done.”

Since Nell’s job required physical activity, even when she was back in the dungeon, she never shirked her daily training. To keep herself in shape, she started with running, then moved on to various strength training exercises, followed by swordsmanship practice. She did all of this every day. Her slender build belied the fact that she had the most toned figure out of all the women here.

As it so happened, she possessed just enough muscle strength to wield En, who was an ultra-heavyweight weapon.

Although it was necessary for her to train her body due to her job, what if she put on too much muscle and thereby lost her femininity? Would Mr. Yuki dislike her? She worried about that sort of thing sometimes.

“Yuki, too, will be pleased by your return. I am sure he will make a fuss as he always does.”

“Tee hee hee. I hope so! I have to admit, I couldn’t be happier to be able to come home more often lately,” Nell replied, her expression both bashful and joyful thanks to Lefi’s words.

“You should know by now that the House of Yuki is incomplete without you. We feel a smidge lonely when you are not here. Now then, sentiment aside, how fares your work?”

“Mm, the same as usual for the most part, though I haven’t had much to do recently since powerful monsters like the ones living in this forest hardly ever appear.”

Nell’s job no longer involved maintaining peace and the like. Now, it mainly consisted of defeating monsters. She hunted the ones the military couldn’t handle. But where the monsters in the Demonic Forest were fundamentally strong, creatures of that caliber were rare in the world outside, so she spent a great deal of her time just waiting on standby.

Although she welcomed the opportunity to be able to delegate her work to others, which furthered her goal of quitting her role as the hero, Nell also couldn’t deny that she was growing increasingly bored. Yet thanks to this situation, she was now able to go home roughly three times a week, whereas before, she would only be able to return once a week whenever she departed to her country on assignment. This meant she had more time to spend with her dungeon family.

“Gah ha! I see. But I think you are amazing. None of us work. We merely live off the blessings that Yuki favors us with. It is a tremendous thing to earn your own living.”

“I rely on Mr. Yuki quite a bit too, since he supports me in essentially every other way, so I can’t really judge others... I used to think money was so important, but now I don’t need it at all. I don’t know what to do with it, so it just keeps piling up.”

“An extravagant worry to have, eh? Yet one I can understand. However, money is a necessity to live in the world outside, is it not?”

“It certainly is. You can’t do anything without it, and luxuries are out of the question. Even daily meals are a struggle for most, but Mr. Yuki can buy as much as he wants of whatever he wants because of that thing called...DP, was it? Despite him granting me authority too, I still don’t really understand it.”

“It is the same for me. Though he explained it to me, I could do naught but nod while trying to puzzle out what exactly he was saying.”

The adult gang had been given simple authority to operate the dungeon. However, apart from Leila, who asked about everything in great detail, they honestly couldn’t make heads or tails of the system. That being the case, whenever they needed something, they would usually ask Yuki to prepare it for them rather than doing it themselves.

“‘Mr. Yuki is a demon lord precisely because he understands how this works.’ I always have thoughts like that, you know? I suppose it makes sense seeing as it’s all knowledge from his previous life...”

“Indeed. I know that different worlds have different rules, but his old world certainly had some useful things, eh?”

“Yup!”

And then, for whatever reason, Nell smirked at Lefi.

“Why do you look at me so?”

“Oh, juuust thinking about how you hardly ever move around, so the fact that you’re out walking alone like this must be because you’re doing it for the baby. Gosh, Lefi, you’re just so darn cute.”

“S-Such cheek! Hmph! I-I shall have you know that I simply felt the need to shake off a bit of malaise. Now shoo! Leave me be!”

“Aha ha ha ha! I’m going, I’m going. I’ll see you later!”

Laughing, Nell took off running.

“Good grief...”

With an exasperated sigh and a rueful curve to her lips, Lefi continued her walk.

A normal scene from their daily lives.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Master Yuki, may I have a moment of your time?”

“Hmm? Yeah, of course. What’s up?”

I shut the book I was reading.

“Well, um... I’m not sure how to say this. It isn’t anything significant, but...”

Looking a little embarrassed, Leila hemmed and hawed as she sat down next to me. And then, like she wasn’t used to it, she snuggled into me, after which she scooted down to rest her head on my lap, using it as a pillow.

Uhhh, what’s happening right now?

She fidgeted restlessly for a bit before sitting up a bit to grab my hand. Such long, slender, beautiful fingers. When I squeezed back lightly, she jolted in reaction, then shifted again, trying to get comfortable, and timidly squeezed my hand back. Her expression was shy, and her cheeks scarlet.

“Wound a little tight, huh, Mrs. Leila?”

“N-No, um... Well, you allowed me to become one of your wives. Isn’t that right, Master Yuki?”

“Hmm. I-Indeed, my dear... More like you were gracious enough to agree.”

When she said that in such an embarrassed tone, it was no wonder I started feeling self-conscious too. Because my relationship with Leila had finally gone to...the next level too. She was now my fourth wife.

Not to toot my own horn, but, like...I had four wives. Good job, me. A super harem of my own. Mwa ha ha ha. Damn, that just means embarrassing moments galore from now on.

“Right, and...since I’m not accustomed to such intimacy, I decided I would be more proactive in matters like this. However, my lack of experience means I’m uncertain whether I can excel at playing the coquette.”

“Ha ha! Okay, now I get it.”

No wonder she’d been behaving so suspiciously. She just didn’t know how to go about letting others spoil her. Even though she’d been acting totally normal when we were reading our books together a while ago.

When I couldn’t help but chuckle, Leila pouted to show her dissatisfaction. She’d been a lot more expressive lately, and this sort of face was especially common now. Since she was always so calm and collected, I thought it was incredibly cute to see her looking shy like this. Gap moe is the best.

“Goodness. I have been positively racking my brain over this, you know.”

“Sorry, sorry. I was just thinking that it’s definitely like you to worry about something like this.”

It was super on point for her to brood over this kind of “problem.”

“Unlike the others, I’m not a charming woman. So I find myself a bit anxious about whether I’m doing well enough in that regard.”

I smiled as she poured her heart out to me.

“You say you aren’t cute, but I’ve never once thought that about you. I can’t even count how many times I’ve thought you were ridiculously cute.”

“Master Yuki, you always try to woo us with such sentiments.”

She leaned on me again, our fingers still entwined. Apparently, cuddling like this was calming for her.

“I’m an open book, ya know, so I say what I think without hesitation.”

“Well, I suppose it’s true that you’re someone who can’t lie, hm?”

“I know what you just said basically means the same thing as what I said, but why is it that you make me sound kinda pathetic with your phrasing?”

“Tee hee. Fear not, because I’ve never thought of you as such.”

“Reeeaaally? I dunno about that.”

“I swear on my honor. Although there have been occasions when I thought you odd.”

“Your honesty sure makes me happy. Heck, I can feel our bond deepening as we speak.”

“I couldn’t agree more. On that note, henceforth, I’ve decided to live a life true to my heart, like all the other residents of this labyrinth. I suggest you prepare yourself, Master Yuki!”

“Excellent news indeed. But I beg you, please be gentle with me.”

We joked around with each other and laughed at the same time.

“Oh yeah, Leila, I’ve been meaning to ask... Does the ovine race have any customs for ceremonies?”

“You specifically mean a wedding ceremony, yes? Like the one you had with Lew?”

“Yup, you got it.”

Leila shook her head.

“We don’t have anything of the sort. With so many females, we often have children with men of other races, so the idea of ‘blood ties’ is likely a tad weak for us. Hence, I theorize that such intimate family rituals didn’t develop among our people.”

I see... Very few boys were born among the ovine. That inevitably meant they needed to keep mixing blood from other races, so naturally, the concept of “blood ties” would no longer be considered important. When I’d gone to her village, the whole place had an atmosphere of a giant household, with less emphasis on individual members. Though in their case, knowledge was way more important than societal aspects like that.

“Frankly, I think formal affairs are actually rare. Just like with Nell’s family, if the two people are happy with their choice, all that’s left is for the relatives to meet each other.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Thanks to your efforts, Master Yuki, our family is wealthy. Extremely so. But holding a ceremony like that costs a great deal of money. Lew only managed hers because she’s the daughter of a prominent family.”

True. She was the daughter of a clan chief despite being, well, Lew.

“Hmm... You know, you may be onto something. In my old life, people only thought of you as a married couple if you had a wedding ceremony, so maybe that’s why my common sense is kinda off here. It doesn’t really apply.”

In reality, you filed a marriage registration with the city hall, but socially, you were seen as a married couple after the wedding ceremony. Buuut I’d never been married in my previous life, and I hadn’t known anybody who was either, so your guess was as good as mine on the details.

“So it was different in your world, Master Yuki?”

“Yeah. Regardless of family background, people almost always held a wedding ceremony if they wanted to get married. In fact, I’ve almost never heard of someone not having one... Probably because people were a lot more well-off in my old world compared to this one.”

“Your stories of your previous life never fail to intrigue me, no matter how many I hear.”

“I get it. Each world has its own set of rules, after all.”

But now I knew too. That there was nothing like that in Leila’s society. Hmm...

“Do you want to have a ceremony, Master Yuki?”

“Gooood question... More like, instead of a wedding, I wanna see you in a wedding dress. I bet good money you’d look amazing in one ’cause of your pale, translucent skin and beautiful white hair.”

Leila’s skin was especially fair, which made it nice and easy for me to tell right away whenever she was blushing from embarrassment.

“Goodness... Never a moment of hesitation with you when it comes to spouting such sweet nothings.”

“Darn skippy. I’ve been wanting to for a long time. And now I can, with our relationship being what it is. You don’t like it?”

“You are so...unfair.”

Hey, you’re my wife now. Even if I say all this stuff straight to your face now, it doesn’t count as sexual harassment, so I can say whatever I want. Especially to make up for everything I’ve been holding back until now.

“Hmph. You’ve become increasingly bold with your words after solidifying your relationships with Lefi, Nell, and Lew, Master Yuki. Or perhaps ‘shameless’ is the better descriptor?”

“Truuue that.”

When I laughed, she looked even more embarrassed and continued speaking, trying to cover it up.

“Ahem. In any case, I understand your wish, Master Yuki. Um...when we have a child...might we hold a blessing ceremony in my village? And at that time...I shall wear the wedding dress you want.”

“Awesome. Sounds good to me. Makes me a happy man too.”

Hmm... Should I get the other three to wear wedding dresses too? Holy smokes, I was really looking forward to it.

Leila’s expression changed as if she’d thought of an idea for payback, going from embarrassed to seductive. Lips quirked, she peered into my face. My heart started beating hard and fast.

“Now that we’re on the same page, so to speak... Please shower me with lots of love from now on, hm?”

“Uhhh, right, yeah... Of course. B-But damn, woman, look at you. Pushing me around like it’s nothing now.”

“Tee hee. You see, I’m not the passive sort, especially not after you’ve whispered so many words of love to me. As your wife, I must return the favor.”

While she spoke, she stroked her fingers under my chin, and the ticklish sensation made me shudder. Then, she tugged my arm and pressed it tightly against her voluptuous chest. This. Was. Bad. When Leila went on the attack, she brought out more offensive power than anyone else in the adult gang. Because out of all my wives, she had the best figure and most feminine curves.

“Oh dear. Whatever is the matter, Master Yuki? Your heart is positively racing.”

She smiled bewitchingly at me, placing her hand over my heart.

“N-Naaah. You’re just imagining things. ’Sides, with all these wives at my disposal, I’m a winner! A pro at handling women!”

“Hmm. I think it’s a bit strange for you to say that about yourself. Not to mention, anyone so easily embarrassed by something as innocent as a touch is, in fact, not good at handling women.”

Damn, calm down, homie. Can’t give her the upper hand here. I just need to find a way to recover... Yeah, that’s it, comeback time. Which means...it’s time to play my trump card, huh?

To be honest, I was super-duper reluctant to pull my arm away from Leila’s chest, but I did it anyway and faced her head-on.

“Mrs. Leila.”

“Yes, Master Yuki?”

“I have something I’d like to give you. Would you kindly give me your left hand?”

Her expression changed at my words, like she’d just realized what I was up to. With joy welling on her face as if she couldn’t contain her innermost feelings, she held her left hand out to me. I opened Inventory and took it out, then placed it on her slender, velvety ring finger. A ring. Like the other three, it was a simple silver one sporting the same design, with the only difference being the gem embedded in the center of the cross, which was a different color for each of them. I’d made this one in secret too.

“I’ve been trying to find the right time to give it to you...”

She held up her hand, looking at the ring from different angles, her eyes intent and passionate.

“Leila.”

“Yes?”

“Let me say it again. Stay with me for the rest of our lives. Please.”

She wiped away the tears spilling from her eyes with her fingers. Then, her smile blooming like a flower under a clear sky, she gave me her answer.

“Of course!”

◇ ◇ ◇

Night. Yuki’s wives—Lefi, Nell, Lew, and Leila—glanced at each other in one of the inn rooms.

“Now then, let us begin another session of the Council of Wives, the number of which I have lost count!”

After Lefi’s announcement, there was the usual round of scattered applause. Everyone had grown used to the tatami mats, so they sat on cushions on the floor, with tea and light snacks already prepared.

“First, the matter of Leila. She has, at long last, become Yuki’s wife. Considering how many there are of us now, I suppose that means he is surprisingly lecherous, eh?”

“Aha ha ha! Four wives is definitely unusual, even for foreign kings. Among the important people I know, the most is three.”

“Nell’s right. Therianthropes tend to have more than one wife because the men often die in wars, but even then, four is a lot.”

“Well, aside from you, Lefi, the three of us approached Master Yuki of our own accord, hm?”

“Yup! Lefi was the first woman Mr. Yuki fell in love with, after all. Gosh, I’m so jealous!”

“Even now, you two still mess around together every day, you lovey-dovey lovebirds!”

Lefi looked a little embarrassed by Nell’s and Lew’s knowing grins.

“N-Never mind me! At this moment, we are focusing on Leila! Leila! Now that you, too, are a wife, do not hesitate to ask us for help if you are in trouble or have anything you wish to discuss. That being said, we have always helped each other, so in that regard, not much has changed.”

“Tee hee. I appreciate how kind you’ve all been to me all this time. However, now that I’ve formally joined the ranks of the wives and become a part of the family, I would like to say that I hope we’ll continue supporting each other for a good, long while.”

When Leila straightened her posture on the tatami mat and bowed deeply to them, the other three squirmed restlessly.

“I cannot help but feel nervous when you act so respectfully, Leila.”

“Hmm? Why is that?”

“Though I was the one who said you should rely on us without hesitation, it is actually we who rely on you every day. Therefore, when you humble yourself thusly, I feel as if I must work that much harder to live up to your esteem.”

“But! Since I’m a wife too, just like you, Leila, it goes without saying that I’ll do my best!”

“We all think you’re the most reliable adult in our family, Leila. With that said...I’m just so thrilled that you’re officially part of our family now!”

“Tee hee. I feel the same.”

Satisfied with how that conversation went, they moved on to the next item on their agenda.

“As for recent topics... Let us discuss Yuki’s racial evolution. He has finally become an existence with the title of ‘Supreme,’ the same as me.”

“Isn’t it incredible?! I was with him when it happened, and even I was amazed to see the power overflowing from Mr. Yuki.”

“One of mankind who’s evolved twice... I wonder how many such individuals there have been in the world who can make this claim.”

“That’s a good question, Leila. Even one evolution is a big deal for us humanoids. But even with ‘Supreme’ in his title, you’re still stronger than my lord, right, Lefi?”

“Indeed. I suppose the difference in race is a significant factor. Although he was fairly strong among mankind from the start, he was still weak compared to dragonkind.”

“Master Yuki, who stands head and shoulders above other people, and Lefi, who stands head and shoulders above other dragons... In that light, it’s easy to make sense of the tremendous gap between you two, hm?”

“Knowing him, I am certain he and I will be on equal footing someday. Though perhaps Rir will accomplish that first, eh?”

Just then, Leila chuckled as if remembering something.

“Rir was so shocked too. When it happened, he visited us in the dungeon with quite the bewildered expression.”

“Aha ha ha! I can picture that so easily. Gosh, he’s become so dashing too. Oh, speaking of him, he has a wife! You have no idea how surprised I was to learn we have two fenrirs now.”

“Isn’t she so lovely?! With all that luxurious, elegant fur, the word ‘beautiful’ really fits her! While Lord Rir’s fur is fluffy, his wife’s is silky smooth! Seeing the difference made me realize that ‘Oh, fenrirs are unique too!’ Fascinating stuff, dontcha think?!”

When the topic turned to fenrirs, Lew suddenly grew excited and turned into a chatterbox. Seeing her, the other three merely chuckled in fond amusement because she never changed.

“Their personalities are completely different as well. Rir is quite a refined individual, but no thanks to that imbecile Yuki, he gives off the impression of a worrisome wolf dancing to the tune of his fickle master’s whims. Nevertheless, he is very resolute when dealing with monsters, so I am of the opinion that his wife fell in love with him because of his determination despite the hardships he faces.”

“Mr. Yuki is definitely at fault for Rir’s anxious personality. Even a legendary wolf is no match for him, unfortunately.”

“Tee hee. The same can be said for us, don’t you think? I, for one, would love to build a friendship with Rir’s wife too.”

“Indeed, for she is one of the few ‘neighbors’ whom we can establish relations with. I hope our friendship with her lasts for many years to come.”

“I wanna invite Mrs. Rir to our next Council session! We don’t even have to have an agenda! We can just chat! Girl talk!”

“What a great idea, Lew! Girl talk, hm? I’ve always wanted to do something like that.”

“Yeah! Girl talk is the number two thing to do after becoming a wife!”

“And what, pray tell, is number one?”

“Playing newlyweds.”

“Don’t you lot do that quite often with Yuki already?”

“Tee hee hee. I can’t help wanting to do it again and again!”

“Agreeeed!”

“You two are the same as always, I see.”

Lefi sounded exasperated. Meanwhile, Leila burst out laughing.

And so, as usual, the Council of Wives went off on various tangents, with their chatter growing more and more lively. Three women make a market, but four of them who become good friends? Well, the conversation never ends.

◇ ◇ ◇

There wasn’t much to do after everyone had finished eating. Just chill.

“Ahhh, what a great bath! The other two are still in there, though.”

Iluna’s voice rang out as she came out of the bath. Nell and Lew, ready to enjoy it themselves, replied to her and left the room.

“Shii and En are taking a long bath again, huh?”

The three little girls in our household often took baths together but came out separately. Shii loved bath time the most out of the little-girl gang. Nell and Shii were the ones who took the longest baths, usually staying in the water for an hour or so. En enjoyed them too, though she didn’t spend nearly as much time on them as the other two.

“Yup! Shii’s all droopy like always, and EnEn said she wants to try some kind of magic in the bath. I think I’d come out looking like a tomato if I stayed in the bath that long! Or just melt from the heat!”

“Ha ha, yeaaah, I’d probably overheat too. Iluna, you know your hair’ll get damaged if you don’t dry it properly.”

“Mmm, then you do it, Yukiki.”

“As you wish, my lady.”

She smiled happily when I said that and brought a hair dryer from the bathroom into the real throne room. She handed it to me, then sat down in front of me. I turned it on and started drying her beautiful blonde hair, ruffling it as I waved the dryer.

“Huh. You really are growing like a weed, Iluna.”

“Nooo. Where’s this coming from, Yukiki?” she asked, sounding like she was in a good mood.

“Weeell, I just thought that your head is positioned higher than it used to be.”

Looking at her again like this, I could clearly see that she’d gotten taller. She was still a child, but her body had definitely grown since when we’d first met. With her tiny frame, she was the epitome of a little girl, but I could feel her growing into a young lady little by little. Despite acting spoiled like she was doing right now, she hadn’t been nearly as clingy lately. That in itself proved her mental growth too.

“Tee hee! ’Cause I’m gonna be a big sister now that you’re gonna have kids, Yukiki! So I can’t act like a spoiled baby all the time!”

“Just sometimes, like now, right?”

“Yup, yup!”

I laughed at her response.

“When the wives and I have kids, we’ll be counting on you as everyone’s big sister, Iluna.”

“Okay! I have sooo many picture books I wanna read to them, and sooo many games I wanna play. Shii and En are really excited too! And so are ReiRei, RuiRui, and RohRoh. They say they’ll teach the kids looots of fun and happy things.”

With a big smile, she started talking about all the things she wanted to do and show them. Hide-and-seek, tag, playing house, exploring, and more. Reading and writing, drawing, and even the teensy bit more difficult subjects. Barbecues, cherry blossom viewing, and moon viewing parties. Plus the seasonal games and tasty foods.

“So I hope they’ll all be born healthy!”

“Yeah... Me too.”

I couldn’t say anything more, so I patted her on the head.

“All right, kiddo, you’re all set.”

“Thanks, Yukiki!”

Then, she trotted off to put the hair dryer away.

Alone now, I went and sat on my throne, which was nearby.

I should be the one saying thanks. After all, she was the one who’d more or less made me a parent, pathetic as I was, by essentially being my first kid. Thanks to her, even if it was only a little bit, I’d become more confident in myself. I’d been able to take a step forward with Lefi and the others.

“...”

All of a sudden, Lefi called out to me.

“What is the matter, Yuki?”

“Nah, it’s nothing. Just reaffirming what I have.”

“Hmm...”

She climbed on top of me and sat on my lap, then rested her back against my chest.

“Yuki.”

“Yeah?”

“What you have, we do too.”

I hadn’t even said anything. And yet, she’d known exactly what was on my mind.

“Thanks.”

This place really is where I belong.

Side Story: Baseball Plate

In the dungeon.

“Ooh! Would ya look at that!”

I was casually looking through the DP Catalog when I discovered it. Since it was something related to my past life, it was stupid expensive, but the moment I saw it, I wanted it. In that case, a demon lord shouldn’t hesitate! However! I’d keep how much DP I spent a secret from my wives! Why? Because it was just a toy with no practical use at all!

◇ ◇ ◇

“Lefi! I challenge you to a match!”

“Hmm, all right. Today, I shall add another page to your history as a loser.”

“Lemme tell ya something good, Lefisios. Chirping like that is a sign of weakness. The strong. Stay. Silent.”

“Oho, is that so? Then we must decide who is more worthy of being the strong, you or I!”

Lefi, lazing around as usual, got up and came over to me. Maaan, that part of you is super cute.

“You’re on! We’ll decide the winner with this!”

With a bang, I showed Lefi...my baseball board game. It was something every man has probably played at least once.

“Oh? What is that strange board?”

“This is a game called ‘Baseball Plate.’ Remember how we played baseball before? This is a board game version of that.”

“Hmm. I do remember, but in that case, why do we not simply play it outside?”

“’Cause people will die.”

Mainly me. Sports with her inevitably turned into some weird superhuman version, so if I didn’t wanna die, I stuck to badminton, table tennis, or anything with a light ball. Volleyball just barely made the cutoff. As for soccer, if an ordinary person got hit in the face by a ball Lefi kicked, their head would fly off. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to stay conscious either. By the way, getting hit by a baseball she threw was an instant KO. Yes sirree.

“Ahem. I don’t feel like going outside today, so we’ll play with this. You’re the batter. That means you sit over there. I’m the pitcher, on this side. The rules are, I’ll throw the ball from here, and you have to hit it back, just like in baseball. And on this display... Ah, this might be hard to understand, so hold on a sec. I’ll rewrite it.”

Since Lefi couldn’t read the Japanese written on the baseball board, I took out a pen and overwrote it in this world’s language. The residents of my dungeon had already memorized the characters on shogi pieces and such, but they knew them as “symbols” and not “letters.” Because, you know, they didn’t actually understand Japanese.

“Hmm... That is what you call ‘romaji,’ yes? Your language in your previous life truly did have many different characters.”

“It’s like how the characters in the dragon language are different from the ones in the human language. In my previous life, romaji use was widespread, which is why pretty much everyone in every country could read it.”

“Fascinating. If I recall, you said Japanese has three types of writing systems, yes? Then are they also used in different cultures?”

“Nah, only in Japan.”

“I see... A bit confusing, no?”

Well, Japan wasn’t the only place that used kanji, but there was no need to explain that to her in detail. Mostly ’cause doing so would’ve been a pain in the neck.

After teaching her the rules and chatting like we always did, we faced each other across the baseball board.

“Oookay, here we go! Feast your eyes on my pitching! Take this, a fireball straight!”

“Nuuu!”

The ball launched straight without any twists or turns, and Lefi hit it back with a satisfying krak. But it rolled across the board, out of bounds. One out.

“Grr. Out, eh? I was certain I hit it back properly.”

“Well, that part of the game is half luck. So we’ll take turns like this, okay? All right, here comes the next one.”

And so, we went through the first inning without incident. But it ended without either team scoring, meaning I didn’t get any hits in either.

“Hmm, I believe I understand it now. This is a game of who can hit the most balls at the target, yes?”

“Guess you figured it out, huh?”

“I do not like that suspicious smile of yours.”

“On to the next! Tallyho!”

Instead of answering, I just urged her on with a grin. The first inning was over, so it was now the top of the second. Once again, I was the pitcher, and Lefi was the batter.

The real game starts here. Out of the kindness of my heart, I didn’t do anything in the first inning to let her get used to the game, but...Lefi obviously didn’t understand how things worked. Heh heh heh! From here on out, it was time for her to experience the true nastiness of the baseball board game...!

“Okay, it’s the top of the second inning. Here I go! A curveball!”

“Whaaat?!”

The ball curved just before the batter. A swing and a miss. Anyone who’d played a baseball board game would know that you changed the curve of the ball by manipulating a magnet.

“Wh-What was that just now?”

“That, my dear, is what we call a curveball! Depending on how the pitcher grips the ball, the trajectory can change in countless ways. Yes, ma’am, I’m the man with a golden right arm that can change the ball into all the colors of the rainbow.”

“No, you are not! And what is this ‘grip’ business?! H-How dare you not explain such details at the start!”

“Gasp. Whatever do you mean? I said out loud that I was throwing a curveball, demonstrated it like this, and kindly taught you the tricks. Ugh, I hate when you make baseless accusations like that.”

“Geh. Fine, yes, you did declare the move. However!”

By the way, I didn’t think there was anything baseless about her accusation. Definitely a legitimate protest.

“H-Hmph. Very well. I understand your strategy! And I shall hit the ball next time!”

“That’s the spirit! You’re worthy of being my rival yet! Now do your best to beat this curveball—except it’s actually a disappearing magic ball that makes you think it’s a curveball!”

“Whaaat?!”

With a klang, the front part of home plate opened downward, and the ball disappeared into it. She swings and she misses. Again.

“Th-That is not a curveball!”

“Mwa ha ha. Didn’t I tell you about the rainbow transformation? Behold, a disappearing magic ball! The ball vanishes into thin air, dazzling the batter, and the sound of the bat swinging in vain echoes...”

“Thin air?! Rubbish! It disappeared physically! Literally!”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about! Time for my third pitch! To shock and awe!”

“Dwaaah?!”

I incorporated a feint into my pitching motion, and Lefi fell for it, swinging her bat fruitlessly only for the ball to whiz by afterward. Moving the mechanism on the pitcher’s side moved the hand of the pitcher doll at the same time, so you could turn even a straight ball into a serious feint. Super annoying for the batter. But hella fun for the pitcher. There you have it, folks! This is a real baseball board!

“C-Curse you! That is what they call a balk in real baseball, is it not?!”

“But this isn’t reality. It’s a board game, so there’s no balk rule. Too bad for youuu. Let’s keep going!”

I continued toying with Lefi, and her turn at bat ended with three strikeouts. She couldn’t even graze the ball.

“...”

“Uh-oh, ladies and gents, it looks like Mrs. Lefi’s rage gauge has gone up by one. My bad, Lefi. I just love all of your emotions, you know? That’s why I can’t help wanting to see ’em.”

“I do not need that kind of twisted love, you imbecile!”

By the way, when her rage gauge hit ten, it signaled the birth of Super Kaiju Lefi. And from there, a serious battle between the demon lord and said giant monster broke out. Although it usually ended with the demon lord’s defeat, said demon lord still wanted to see her get frustrated and pissed!

“Heh heh heh. We’re at the bottom of the second inning. It’s your turn to pitch, ya know. But I know this game inside and out, so I wonder if any curveballs you throw, figuratively and literally, will work on me.”

Even if she knew the trick, it wouldn’t make a difference. I was just bluffing to make Lefi panic. And that panic...would choke her!

“I see... If that is your plan, then I have an idea as well. If you are seven colors, then I am a hundred! You shall regret angering me! Take this, my hundred-color ball!”

“Ha! A hundred colors— What?!”

It was at that moment. The ball she pitched suddenly stopped. The bat, which I’d definitely swung at the right time, missed, and the ball started moving again. A strike. That freeze was totally not a function of this baseball board. In other words, Lefi must’ve done something using magic.

“Hey! That’s a foul!”

“Foul, you say? Whatever could you be talking about? If that is considered a foul in this game, then curveballs and disappearing magic balls are fouls too! Hmm? Hmm?!”

“Grr! Well, I’m a generous man! I’ll let your pitch, which was almost a foul, go unpunished!”

“My, my, how very gracious of you. I will have you know that I am more generous than you, but I shall not deny your claim. Consider it a mercy I bestow on your pitiful self. However! The battle begins now!”

And with that, Lefi fired off her next pitch. Bracing myself for what was coming, I used my super demon lord vision to keep a close eye on the ball. But it didn’t move. Still a little suspicious, I waited for the right moment and swung my bat. Except just before it made contact, the ball bounced and dodged it. Naturally, a swing and a miss. I’d struck out.

“Hold up, hold up, hooold up. Isn’t that completely unfair?!”

“What are you talking about? If a disappearing magic ball exists, then surely a bouncing magic ball must too, yes?”

“If you say that, then you’re saying anything goes, right? Right?!”

“Ohhh? After all the things you did to me, who did not know anything, you now think it unfair when I do something? Where is the logic in that?”

Face twitching with tension, I raised my voice in agitation. Lefi just smirked broadly, like she was saying, “I’m right, and you know it.”

“Lefi! Looks like there’s something I need to teach you, so listen up! In baseball, it’s not about the number of breaking balls, it’s all about how you use ’em! In other words, it’s about your brain! Let me give you a taste of the depths of baseball, you little idiot!”

“Bah! There you go again! Every time you open your mouth, it is ‘breaking balls’ this and ‘brains’ that! Well, you are wrong! For it is all about power, and only with overwhelming power can you subdue your opponent! I shall crush your shallow wisdom like a baby’s hand!”

After that, to no one’s surprise, our battle heated up and went on forever. We kept screaming and yelling at each other, and despite the touch-and-go situation, neither of us was sure who won. Eventually, we called a truce when an outside force announced, “Dinner’s ready!” That was how the fighting came to an end.

Just another scene from our daily life.

Chapter 2: The Western Area of the Demonic Forest

“Rir, you have perfected the technique. Well done. You should be able to blend into the grass and trees. As for you, Yuki...passable, but a bit unstable. Do not drop your guard or you risk being detected right away.”

“Rrrgh. Even though we practiced pretty much the same amount...”

“G-Grr.”

“Give up. Rir spends every day in the forest and is intimately familiar with the wilderness. In that sense, it is only natural that he is more suited to it than us.”

Well, that’s true. Plus, I couldn’t even lie to myself about my skill on that front. I just wasn’t great at it.

On the other hand, Rir was so good at manipulating his aura that it was hard to believe he was a wolf. I would’ve bet he was the only wolf in this big, wide world that could play shogi. No shit, Sherlock. Our dungeon is the only place where shogi’s even played.

Anyway. When it came to stuff like this, the difference between us was like night and day.

“However, if you remain focused, you will not be noticed so easily. I urge you to take the utmost care in the Forest. Countless monsters are of equal or superior rank to you.”

“Yeah, I’ll be super careful. And now, we’re off.”

“We’ll...be back.”

“Grr.”

“We shall await your safe return. Do not overdo it.”

With Lefi seeing us off, Rir, En, and I headed out. Our destination was the depths of the Demonic Forest’s western area, where we’d never been before.

◇ ◇ ◇

The sun beat down on us. This forest was always hot—it was basically summer here all year round. We’d all gotten used to this climate by now, but what came next was unknown territory even to us. Literally and figuratively.

We were currently just a little ways into the western area of the Demonic Forest. I’d fought monsters around here, near the border of the other sections, a few times before. From here on out, though, it was truly a land of inhuman creatures. This was the heart of the Demonic Forest, so to speak.

My goal today was to go as far as we could. I was extremely grateful for the dungeon return device since it meant I didn’t have to worry about how I’d get back if shit hit the fan.

“Let’s go, En, Rir.”

“Okay...!”

“Grr.”

While En sounded psyched, I was getting an unusually nervous vibe from Rir. Probably because he spent his days in the Forest and thus understood the dangers of the western area better than us. Even so, we took our first steps in.

After only half an hour, I noticed the difference. The mana in the air was insanely thick. Lefi always made fun of me for not being very good at sensing that sort of thing, and of course, I didn’t really disagree. Regardless, I could tell that the concentration of mana here was different. It was so thick that I actually found it kinda hard to breathe.

This is the kind of environment powerful monsters prefer, huh? It was easy to see why the various races of mankind would establish their nations far away from places like this. The main reason was definitely the monsters, but also, this just wasn’t an environment where people could live comfortably.

So far, we hadn’t encountered any monsters. Okay, fine, more like we were avoiding them. I’d sent out my Evil Eyes in all directions, constantly checking a four-kilometer radius and changing our route as necessary. This area was home to plenty of monsters on the same level as the reanimated Dark King Corpse Dragon. Even the ones weaker than that gave off auras just as strong. And it went without saying that there were stronger monsters out here, meaning fighting was basically out of the question. The best way to deal with them was to run and hide.

Long story short, this forest was still as batshit crazy as ever. You might be wondering what could have happened to cause this. Well, when powerful monsters clustered together in a small area—technically, the western area alone was the size of a small country, so it wasn’t that small, but you get the idea—for hundreds of years, their very existence led to the region becoming poisonous.

Uh-oh.

“Rir. Two and a half kilometers to the northeast. A four-legged monster crushed one of the Evil Eyes. It looks pretty pissed. Maybe it’s hungry? Not that it matters, ’cause I don’t wanna get into a fight, so we’re hightailing it.”

“Grr.”

That was Rir speak for “Roger that.”

I had no desire to engage in unnecessary combat, so this was how I avoided most monsters. But things didn’t always work out the way you wanted them to.

“Grr...”

“Yeah, I know. We’re kinda screwed, but I don’t think it knows where we are yet...”

“Are...we gonna do this?”

“Yup. We’re in a good position to strike first.”

The monster hot on our tails was one we’d avoided once before. Maybe it thought we were just small fry or something to be eliminated. It’d probably noticed our tracks and was using those to draw steadily, inevitably closer.

If we were still the people we’d been before, it would’ve already caught up to us, forcing us to fight. But since we’d learned how to suppress—well, technically disguise—our presence, we were still able to keep our distance. That being said, we’d probably end up making contact sooner or later at this rate. Thankfully, though, we could now position ourselves strategically here.

One specific combat technique I’d learned in the Demonic Forest to gain the upper hand in battle would come particularly in handy in this situation: traps. Since this region wasn’t part of my dungeon’s domain, I couldn’t set dungeon traps, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t set a trap using elemental magic.

I didn’t get many chances to do this sort of thing outside the Forest, but since this place was full of creatures that were as strong as if not stronger than me, I needed to make up for the difference in strength somehow. To do that, I basically lured enemies into a trap area and then ambushed them once they fell into it. I wasn’t sure how well this tactic would work in the western area, but this was a good opportunity to find out.

Rir and I heightened our senses, blending ourselves into the space as much as possible. En did the same. She’d joined our training partway through, but she’d mastered it easily, likely because she wasn’t an ordinary living thing, what with her real body being a sword. The best way to describe it was that she perceived things like magical energy and auras more objectively than we could and was able to use them as tools, so to speak, which was why she’d been able to pick up how to manipulate them faster than us. Isn’t my kiddo amazing?

Back to the issue at hand. I set up a trap area on the spot and we lay in wait. It didn’t take long for the monster to appear where we were.

The damn thing was bipedal. It looked like a T. rex, with very solid jaws that could crush even a boulder in one bite. It lumbered in, mowing down trees, sniffing around, and searching eagerly for us. It seemed to know that something was hiding here.

We waited, clamping down on our growing tension, and then...the moment arrived. The T. rex stepped into the trap area. The ground exploded as soon as it did.

Stone and gravel flew up into the air like bullets, scattering everywhere. Simultaneously, dozens of barbed harpoons attached to chains whooshed out, impaling the monster and pinning it to the ground. A roar of agony shook the area.

We immediately commenced our charge toward the prehistoric asshole. Rir reached it first. With his body Deified and clad in transparent armor, he activated his Super Speed ability and bit into one of the thing’s legs. He was very obviously much faster than before. At this point, he was practically teleporting. And given that he’d been able to crush such a meaty leg with one bite, his jaw strength had improved tremendously too. My ever-dependable partner.

With one of its legs caught in Rir’s jaws, the T. rex lost its balance. That was when I lunged toward it, ready to attack with En in my grip. I slashed at its neck. Rock hard. Or maybe “iron hard” was a better descriptor for its skin. Luckily for us, En could cut through even iron. I encountered a moment of resistance, but her blade didn’t bounce off and instead sliced clean through its neck.

Victory was ours. Except this was the Demonic Forest. We couldn’t let our guard down here. There was a very high chance that the stench of blood would attract more monsters, so I quickly converted the corpse into DP, and we skedaddled.

Once we were far enough away, I used Evil Eye to check on the situation. Just as I’d expected, monsters had already started swarming there and attacking each other.

“Yikes. That’s scary as hell. But we did it, Rir. As long as we’re careful, I think we can manage to hold our own here now.”

This experiment had shown me that if we could make the first move, it was possible to kill even monsters of this level. Only if we could make the first move, though. We’d been able to kill the dinosaur thing so easily because it’d done us a favor by falling into my trap, but who knew what would’ve happened if we’d been forced to fight it head-on.

Well, I had considered using the Divine Spear, but it was good to know that I could fight here with En. Besides, she was my main weapon. Unless something crazy out of the norm happened, like a Calamity-level monster showing up, I planned to leave the Divine Spear in Inventory.

Although...maybe I should try it out at least once. In secret, when En’s not around. Yeah, good idea.

“Grr, rawr.”

“Yeah, I know. Just gotta be super-duper careful like always.”

“Yup... We have to be like Uncle Sturdy Snake. Reeeally quiet.”

“Oh yeah, he’s a stealth pro for sure. We should definitely learn from him.”

I couldn’t help but wonder if I could get as good as him if I put in more effort.

After that, we spent a few more hours moving through the western area, using all our abilities and remaining vigilant. And then, we discovered something deep in the forest. Something that didn’t look natural.

◇ ◇ ◇

As I continued watching the video feeds sent by my Evil Eyes while we moved forward, I noticed something strange appear on the screen.

“Hmm?”

“Grr?”

“Well...one of the Evil Eyes is showing something. I can’t really tell what it is from just the video, though, so I wanna go check it out.”

“Grr.”

I went ahead after Rir said he understood.

Wary of any monsters lurking around, I took a slight detour, crossed a river, and finally arrived.

“This is it.”

A boulder. Of course, not just any normal boulder. It was shaped like a pyramid, which told me that it couldn’t have been created through the power of nature alone.

Hmm, actually... When I got closer, I realized that more than half of it was buried, and judging from the exposed part, it was probably originally rectangular. Most likely a collapsed pillar or something.

Exposure to the elements over however many years had made whatever pattern or lettering was carved into the surface so faint that it was difficult to make out. Still, I could see it. No doubt about it, this object was man-made.

“Wow... No way could monsters have made something like this. There must have been a civilization here a long time ago. Or wait, maybe dragons used to live around here?”

I had dragons indigenous to the Demonic Forest as my neighbors. They’d apparently been inhabiting it for a long time, and their home was dozens of kilometers away, which wasn’t too far in the grand scheme of things, so that was a possibility. Except that the letters carved into the boulder weren’t dragon-sized. Then there was a society of people living in this forest too? Seriously?

That was when I realized my assumption had been off from the start. I’d legitimately thought it wouldn’t be weird for there to have been a civilization here a long time ago, but it was plain as day that this wasn’t a forest where people could live. I knew this from my own experience.

Had the ancient peoples, if they existed, possessed more power than me, making them strong enough to hold their own against the monsters here? Or had the monsters not been as strong when that civilization had existed? But I’d heard that the Demonic Forest had been like this, unchanged, since forever ago—further back than even dragonkind could trace its history. How old did that make the civilization that might’ve existed here, then?

“This is getting very interesting. All right, En and Rir, change of plans. I know I said the goal for today was to explore the western area, but now, we’re gonna try to find more traces of this civilization.”

“And...so, the adventure begins. I’m so excited.”

“Grr!”

◇ ◇ ◇

We started exploring the area around where we found the pillar, but...

“Nothing, huh?”

“Nothing...”

“Grr.”

I’d suspected as much when I’d first spotted the weathered pillar-like thing, but the civilization must have been really ancient, so unfortunately, we didn’t find anything else. I’d even launched more Evil Eyes to inspect a wider area in detail. Zilch.

With no choice but to stop for now, we decided to take a short break.

“Grr?”

“I’m...fine. You have to be patient on adventures since they’re tough. This much difficulty is totally normal.”

Out of concern for her, Rir had asked En, “Are you feeling tired?” She still seemed motivated, so her answer had been full of determined energy.

“...”

While I listened to their exchange, I stared at Maps.

“The pillar was here, at this location. We know the Demonic Forest isn’t structured in concentric circles since the mana density differs from north to south and east to west, but still... Because the western area is its heart, I think there has to be some kind of center.”

In that case, what we were looking for was probably near the center of the map of the western area.

“Around...here, I guess. Okay. Rir, En, let’s go this way next.”

I narrowed down the location and we resumed our search. Even then, though, the Forest was so vast that the area we were in probably couldn’t be explored in a day.

The monsters were the problem. We were wasting time putting in the effort to avoid them. I understood that the effort was necessary because our tactic was much better than fighting, but...

Ooh, what’s this? At the foot of the mountain, hidden by the lush canopy of trees. It was hard to see, but...there was definitely something there. Bingo?

It looked like ruins. Despite being weathered and pretty much just a part of the rocky mountain landscape, enough remained to give the impression that it’d once had some sort of shape. A shape that made you think it might’ve been made by people’s hands.

In the center of the site was something like a cave, which probably led deeper into the ruins. I really wanted to go inside. There was just one obstacle.

“That’s a golem, isn’t it?”

“Grr.”

Race: Ancient Golem

Level: ???

Golems were inanimate monsters. Lots of different types existed, but the one standing in front of the cave was a bipedal human type with several arms, each of which held either a sword or spear. The moss and flora growing on its body half blended it in with the trees. Still, it hadn’t lost its distinct form at all, and even now, it exuded a definite aura. That was what made me realize that this place, practically nothing but rugged rock, probably wasn’t just a cave. And that didn’t even account for the fact that the gap in strength between it and me was so huge that this was the only information Analysis showed me.

To put it another way, golems were constructs crafted by someone, but the fact that they were man-made and still so far superior to us just went to show the incredible abilities of whoever made them. It might actually be the perfect guardian to protect an ancient ruin...

Just as that thought flashed through my mind, its head moved with a grinding creak, turning toward me. The single jewel embedded in the center of its face, probably representing an eye, glinted brightly. Uh-oh.

“R-Rir! We’re gettin’ the hell outta Dodge!”

“G-Grr!”

Obeying the intense sense of danger zapping through our bodies, we activated our dungeon return devices. But just before we disappeared, the golem began its attack. Its glowing eye emitted something that looked like a ray of light. Almost reflexively, I used elemental magic to create both a water wall and an earth wall in front of us. Except the whole exercise was almost pointless, considering the hole it blew through both.

“Whoa! Haah, haah... Th-That was scary as hell!”

Next thing I knew, we were back home.

“Hmm? Welcome ba— Are you three all right?”

Lefi called out to us when she noticed we were back.

“Y-Yeah, I think so... It was pretty dicey for a second there, though.”

“G-Grr...”

My heart was still pounding. That was too close. It’d been a while since the last time I’d felt death standing right in front of me.

I hadn’t let my guard down at all today, operating on maximum alert, and this had still happened. Though I guess you could say that thanks to that, we’d managed to survive. That was just the kind of place the Demonic Forest was.

But. The experience definitely hadn’t been in vain. I’d learned something.

“I have to see what’s in that cave. The only problem is that thing. I don’t think it’s possible to sneak past it either...”

“Grr...”

“Yup... We kept our distance and hid our auras, but that golem still looked right at us.”

Now that we were back in the dungeon, En joined the conversation in her human form. We’d prepped as much as we could have before setting out into the Forest, and yet the golem had spotted us like it was nothing and attacked. From so far off too. We hadn’t been anywhere near it. It had to have been a little over a kilometer away. That meant it’d be practically impossible to get past it, so if we wanted to explore any further, we’d have to defeat it...

“Do...you think we can take it down?”

“Grr...”

“Perhaps, if we tried our hardest,” Rir’d replied. His assessment of the golem came as no surprise. The damn thing really was too powerful. What a ridiculously busted gatekeeper we had to face down.

After taking a breather, we’d decided to call it a day. Rir’d returned to the forest, and En and I had gone to the bath to wash away our fatigue before reporting to Lefi about the day’s events.

“Hmm... I see you fled, but what matters is your safe return.”

“Yeah. Something spotted us, and its search range, attack range, and power were all absolutely freaking nuts. I legit thought I was gonna meet my maker. Haven’t felt like that in a hot minute.”

“It...shot a beam. A beam. Super cool.”

“For sure. I might’ve evaporated if it’d hit me.”

“Oh? What did you encounter?”

“It was a golem. We discovered what looked like ruins deep in the western area. You know anything, Lefi?”

“Ruins?”

“Yeah, ruins. Everything was so weathered that it was hard to tell what was what.”

Seriously. The whole thing could’ve been mistaken for a natural place.

Lefi tapped her jaw with a finger and started thinking.

“I did not know that such a thing existed here. All I know is that the Demonic Forest has been what it is since long before we were born. I believe I have mentioned this before, but I have heard that it is ‘the land where the gods died.’”

Oh yeah, we did talk about that a long time ago.

“You know, when you take this into consideration, there is something that is a bit puzzling. Why has the name of such an ordinary forest, which has nothing to do with we of dragonkind, been passed down since ancient times?”

“Huh, good point. ’Cause from your people’s perspective, the monsters here are just ‘a few small fry that just so happen to be a little stronger than others.’”

Dragonkind, undoubtedly the strongest race in this world. And my wife was the strongest among them. Nice.

“Gah ha! Well, a young pup might struggle a bit, but the creatures here are nothing to ancient dragons. Although again, I wonder why this place is so well-known among my people. I myself came here because I knew of it.”

Inch. Res. Ting. It might’ve just been a coincidence, but she’d brought up a good point. What exactly did the dragons know about it?

“All right, this is getting hella fun! We’re just getting started, huh? I’ve decided. I’m gonna explore the western area for a while.”

“Yup... We’ll have lots of adventures.”

“Good luck. The only thing I ask is that you return safely.”

◇ ◇ ◇

After that, we spent several days collecting info on the Asura Golem. First, we had to determine the extent of its attack range. It was surprisingly easy to figure out—since there were no monsters past a certain range, the thing probably just killed whatever got close. The monsters had probably learned from this behavior and stopped going beyond that range. Which meant that even the monsters in the western area were avoiding it.

We also learned that the area above the golem was dangerous. Presumably because the sky was open space, it had a wider field of view and longer range than it did when it was scanning the ground. The silver lining was that it was ultimately just a golem. In other words, since it wasn’t a normal life-form, it wouldn’t do anything beyond what it was set up to do. If we took even one step outside its attack range, it wouldn’t pursue us any further. In fact, it hardly moved from its fixed position. In exchange, though, its attack power was insane.

One time, I used the DP Catalog to summon a bunch of Evil Eyes and a dozen small, quadrupedal canine creatures called “Hounds,” which were small combat golems I’d never used before. I had them charge from multiple directions all at once...and every last one got destroyed by beams. Some of those beams almost reached us, and I broke out in a cold sweat as a stray nearly hit me. The commotion from all my flash-bang dramatics attracted monsters, and we bolted in a panic. The whole thing was just freaking terrifying.

Also, my DP was slowly decreasing, and I felt like crying. There was no point being stingy if I didn’t get results, I thought, so I poured a buttload of it into the Hounds and actually succeeded in learning their offensive capabilities. However, I hadn’t expected that not a single one would come back alive. Crap, I may not be able to use any more DP this month...

Oh yeah, forgot to mention that because the adults in my family could use some of the dungeon-related functions, DP was currently on an allowance system, making the amount available to me limited. Of course, my allowance was way bigger than the rest of the adult gang’s, and I could use as much as I needed to when the situation called for it, buuut...I’d wasted a lot of it before and gotten yelled at, hence we had this system in place at all.

A demon lord on an allowance system. How very undignified. DP I already spent, I won’t let your sacrifice be in vain.

I learned another thing from the attack I’d launched using the Evil Eyes and Hounds. My golem army hadn’t been destroyed in order of whichever had been the closest. First, the Ancient Golem had started with what it could see. If its line of sight had been cut off by trees or grass, it’d postponed its attack even if the target was nearby. That made it highly likely that it spotted enemies with its eye.

“Okay, I’ve decided. I’m going with the tunnel strategy.”

“Grr?”

“You’re...digging a hole?”

“Yeah. I’ll dig a shaft that goes right up to its feet, make a pitfall, then plant as many bombs and traps as I can and drop it in.”

Normally, an operation like this would take a lot of time with only one person, one animal, and one sword, but I had the power of the dungeon. After a few days of exploration, I’d already incorporated this area into my dungeon’s territory, so I could make changes to my heart’s content. Mwa ha ha ha! At long last, my conquest has advanced into the western area!

Also, uh...I had to explain to my wives later that none of this was a waste of DP. Not a waste at all. Lately, it felt like the women had grown even closer. Actually, more like they’d banded together to conspire against me, which made me feel even more uncomfortable about defying them when it came to stuff like my DP allowance.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Let’s get this show on the road. Time to build a tunnel!”

Having already chosen the dig site, I began construction. While checking the location of the Asura Golem on the map, I removed the dirt to make a hole, then used the Harden function to fortify the inner walls to prevent them from collapsing. The thought of being unable to Harden the section I didn’t plan on making into a pitfall was scary.

These types of terraforming functions consumed a lot of DP, and for a tunnel that was a kilometer and a half long, that meant I was spending out the ass. But I’d already explained the situation to my wives and gotten their okay. Heh heh heh, not gonna catch me slipping.

I felt like an ant. My kingdom for an underground empire! I wasn’t actually gonna found a nation, obviously, but I was building with that vibe in mind.

Ants, huh? I just remembered I’d been chased through the Demonic Forest by an army of ants a long time ago. The memory was still traumatic to me. A ton of ants had crawled out, covering the ground in swarms as they chased after me and Rir. It was the first time I’d truly understood how dangerous this forest was.

By the way, my number one trauma was the treasure chest full of maggots in the phantom ship dungeon that I’d conquered with Nell, and it wasn’t even close. That had seriously been the worst. One after another, they’d crawled over my open fingers... Ugh, I was getting goose bumps just thinking about it. You know what? I’m sealing this memory away for the rest of my life.

“Hmm...? What’s wrong?”

“Just reliving a bad memory... En, you’re so good at dealing with all kinds of bugs and not freaking out...”

“Huh...? That’s because you can one-shot bugs. You have to be careful of the poisonous ones, but they’re basically weaklings. There’s no need to be scared of them.”

Oh, okay... My child was such a badass that I looked like a big ol’ wuss in comparison. Then, Rir rumbled in an attempt to comfort me.

“Grr.”

“You’re... You’re right! The bugs in the Demonic Forest are huge, strong, gross, and...did I mention gross?! So it’s normal to be scared!”

“Don’t...worry. I’ll protect you, Master. No matter how scary they are, I’m with you.”

“Thanks, En. I know it’s pathetic of me, but I’m counting on you to deal with the bugs if or when the time comes.”

I hadn’t stopped working on the tunnel while chatting with them, but then I came across something that seemed hollow. The light I had wasn’t much help in the deep darkness, so I couldn’t see very well. Hmm? What is this?

I peered inside and saw something black and fluffy. It was huge, like a lot of the monsters in the Demonic Forest, and its hide was thick. I’d say the claws on its limbs were its most distinctive feature, thick and shovellike so it was easy to dig up earth.

It was a mole. The creature slowly turned its head in my direction and...our eyes met. Hello, how do you do?

“Dwaaah?!”

I quickly swung my sword and struck it.

“Squeeeeek?!”

Apparently, our encounter was unexpected even for the Great Mole King, because it didn’t react in time to defend against my blow, and I managed to get a good, albeit shallow, hit in. I couldn’t swing En properly since we were inside a tunnel. In a fit of anger, the monster tried to lash out at me with the sharp claws on its front legs, but Rir jumped in before it could and sank his teeth into its neck.

“Grr!!!”

My homie had shrunk his body to fit into the hole, but the power in his jaws remained the same as ever. His fangs pierced the thick hide, then the flesh underneath, causing fresh blood to spurt out. The Great Mole King flinched.

“Just ’cause I can’t swing in here doesn’t mean I can’t stab!”

Not missing the opening Rir had made, I thrust En into its head. The current me could hold my super heavy beloved weapon in one hand and deliver a powerful thrust. Her blade pierced the monster’s brain since it couldn’t block me. The Great Mole King twitched and convulsed, then the light left its eyes and it stopped moving.

“Phew... You okay, Rir?”

“Grr.”

“No problem at all,” he’d replied, then he removed his fangs from the thing’s neck.

Ya know, I had considered the possibility of there being monsters in the earth, but I’d never thought I would’ve actually run into one. I mean, the Asura Golem probably hadn’t noticed the sounds of combat, right? I dug pretty deep, so I think we should be fine...

I quickly checked the video from one of my Evil Eyes, which had been keeping watch from a distance. Good, no issues. The golem was in its usual spot, unmoving. It either hadn’t heard us or couldn’t detect sound altogether. Or maybe it had heard but lacked the ability to deal with whatever happened underground.

This was the biggest pain in the ass with golems. They only had a set range of things they could be programmed to do, they didn’t do anything they weren’t programmed to do, and there was no room for growth whatsoever. Although the DP Catalog listed combat golems, I rarely used them, and the ones I did use were reconnaissance golems. Couldn’t exactly call that menacing, right? Bwa ha ha! No matter how crazy its offensive abilities are, the wise always win!

“We are the true winners!”

“Grr...”

“Master...don’t drop your guard.”

“I-I know, I know. I’m good. We’re good. I’m being careful.”

After that, I finished digging up to the planned point without any problems, scraped away as much of the soil above as I could, and set up all the traps I had prepared with DP.

First, I made a long, wide hole and attached a huge number of explosives to the ceiling. I also set a bomb designed to blow metal shrapnel on the wall next to it, and the place where the golem would fall had a poisonous pond of concentrated sulfuric acid with spikes. A harpoon with a chain would fly out when touched, and there was also a trap at the bottom of the pond that would pierce the target and lock it in place. If this didn’t work...I’d run away and ask Lefi for help like a good boy.

After setting everything up, I went back the way I’d come, made sure there were no monsters around, and waited at the recon point.

“Let’s do it.”

“Grr.”

“Okay...!”

We all looked at each other and nodded, and then I activated the trap. Right away, a heavy bang sounded, and sand and dust flew high into the air. The trees shook, and the shock waves reached us too.

The explosion was so massive that it would’ve vaporized any normal creature. But this was a monster from the Demonic Forest—no, not a monster. A golem. Man-made. Anyway, it was a resident of the Demonic Forest. And there was a chance it wouldn’t even get a scratch considering how solid it looked. Which was why I’d decided to just bury it like this.

It was the same as when I’d buried that creepy parasite deep in the earth before. I was going to cover it with soil from above and use Harden on the whole shebang. The difference was that the golem was inorganic, so it wouldn’t stop moving from suffocation. Didn’t matter, though, since our goal was to get inside that cave. To be blunt, there was no need to scrap it.

As soon as I heard the explosion, I set up a new trap over the hole and activated it immediately. This one was designed to produce a huge amount of soil and sand and pour it in. There was a chance that the golem would notice the part of the trap above the ground because I’d tried to set up a trap at its feet once, but it’d discovered and destroyed it in an instant, making it impossible to set one up in advance.

The aerial avalanche flowed into the hole with incredible force— Oh shit! My Danger Detection skill warned me in time, so just as I dodged, a beam shot through the ground in front of me.

For a moment, I panicked, wondering if the golem had a way to spot an enemy even if it couldn’t see them. But judging from the random beams it fired afterward, it seemed like it was just shooting them off haphazardly. That made things very clear to me. While it had the ability to sense danger, its only way of identifying its surroundings was with its eye.

I quickly used Harden on the ground, but it didn’t seem to take all the way through since I could feel the hardened ground thudding and bouncing around. Welp. This isn’t good. My Hardening had never been broken before... But never say never when faced with an opponent on this thing’s level, I guess.

“Tch... I can’t see what’s ahead yet, but whatever. Rir, we’re going in!”

“Grr!”

Deciding that we wouldn’t be able to defeat the golem, we ran across the increasingly cracked ground, heading toward the cave. Even if it was dangerous inside, if we just wanted to escape, we’d be able to manage since we had our dungeon return devices. It was about a kilometer and a half away, but with our physical prowess, it might as well have been an inch, because we closed the gap almost instantly.

Dashing as fast as we could, we passed the Asura Golem nervously and jumped into the cave. Then, so that it wouldn’t be able to see us if it crept out, I swung En and fired my Magic Edge, slicing through part of the ceiling. It rumbled as it collapsed, and the falling rubble blocked the entrance, cutting off the sunlight.

“I think we...did it?”

I could hear the golem rampaging outside, but it didn’t seem like it was programmed to attack in this direction. None of the beams it was firing wildly were pointed here. The only problem remaining was any dangers inside the cave... Thankfully for us, though, I couldn’t sense anything hostile. Danger Detection didn’t react at all.

But it was dark. I couldn’t see very well because of the sudden transition from bright to dark. I created a ball of light using elemental magic, and it was En who noticed first.

“Master!”

“Huh? Whoa?!”

A row of Asura Golems was lined up against the wall inside. Any way you looked at them, they were the same type as the one rampaging outside. It would be impossible to take on this many.

Certain death awaited. I immediately went to activate our dungeon return devices, but then I stopped.

“These things...aren’t moving.”

“I...can’t feel any magic either.”

Unlike the one operating outside, these might as well have been statues. Or were they just powered down? They were completely and utterly still. There was no light in each of the gems functioning as their eyes, and they weren’t looking at us either.

Rir cautiously approached one of the Asura Golems, sniffed, then made a “Grr” sound in his throat and shook his head. Apparently, these things weren’t switched on at the moment. But what if we stepped on a trap or something and they all suddenly started moving? The terrifying thought made me pucker up. A typical situation for ruins, though, like in the Oklahoma Jones and Crypt Raider series. Gotta be careful not to touch anything strange.

“We’re doing this, guys. Let’s go.”

Nervous as all hell, I squeezed down harder on En’s hilt and walked down the single corridor that ran through the center of this cavern. The interior was really spacious, with a high ceiling. Maybe the space had deliberately been designed like this to fit the Asura Golems.

Unlike the exterior, which had decayed and practically become one with its natural surroundings, much of the interior still remained. It was undoubtedly old and faded, but the intricate decorations were still there. If Leila were with us, she probably would’ve gotten super excited and charged right in. Large pillars lined the end of the corridor, giving the room an overall majestic look. Wait a minute.

The decorations on the pillars.

“...”

Guided by a hunch, I walked forward and eventually reached the room. The throne room. A familiar layout and a familiar throne. Yup, the design was eerily similar to the throne room in my home.

“Is this...a dungeon?”

“It...looks like our house.”

“Sure does, huh?”

But it wasn’t identical. The biggest difference was the throne. While placed in the same position as mine, the design itself was so different that it made me wonder if it had been built by a different craftsman. Maybe this was proof of each dungeon’s individuality?

However, there was something I couldn’t sense here. If this really is a dungeon, it should be filled with the dungeon’s magic. I searched the surroundings a bit, but I couldn’t find the dungeon core.

That led to only one possibility. This place was most likely the former site of a dungeon. Should I call it a dead dungeon, then?

◇ ◇ ◇

For the time being, we didn’t seem to be in any danger, so we explored the area. That said, it didn’t look like there was anything particularly special here. My dungeon was used as a proper living space for people, so it had a kitchen, a washroom, a toilet, and a bath, but there was none of that here. Just a huge throne room. There weren’t even any hallways connecting to anything. I suspected that if any practical rooms had existed, they’d been in the ruins-like area outside.

As far as actual stuff went, the presence of shelves suggested that maybe something had once been here, but thanks to the passage of so much time, only dust and dregs remained. No books or anything along those lines.

The first thing that caught your eye was, unsurprisingly, the throne, which still retained its shape. I didn’t know why, but...looking at it made me feel incredibly sad. Great warriors’ dreams, huh? The line from a famous haiku flashed through my mind.

Judging from the state of the Asura Golem army, this dungeon must’ve had a considerable fighting force. It was plenty to allow whoever’d lived here to do so, even with their base deep in the western area of the Demonic Forest. And yet, they’d died out somehow, leaving behind only ruins.

Nothing remains forever. Everything changes. Although I had an incredibly long life left, one day, my dungeon would also perish, turning into something like this. Feeling a little sentimental, I stroked one of the throne’s armrests. That was when Rir called out to me with a “Grr.”

“What’s up— Whoa. This is...”

He was looking at a stela. It had been installed in a way that made it one with the wall, and I hadn’t noticed because of the darkness. If Rir hadn’t found it, I might have missed it completely.

I could see writing carved into it, but it was hard to make out because of the darkness and dust. Except I’d seen it before. The stone monument in the dwarves’ capital and the dragon annal in the Dragon Hamlet. Dollars to DP that it was made of the same material.

“Then was this place around in...the Age of the Gods?”

“We...saw something similar before, didn’t we?”

En, staring at the stela, seemed to have thought the same thing, and she told me as much telepathically. Of course, I didn’t know for sure if the material was the exact same. Just that the possibility existed. But still...

I wiped the dust off the surface with my hand. This stone was peculiar because unlike the surrounding ones, it hadn’t decayed at all. And I could read what it said. Is this someone’s dying words?

“I will die. No matter how long a life may be, death is inevitable for the living. However, my magic, my essence will eventually become the sky, the earth, and the forest, and new life will grow. So my being will live on. I am happy.”

Those were the only words.

“My magic, my essence will eventually become the sky, the earth, and the forest, and new life will grow”... In other words, the Demonic Forest had formed when the master of this dungeon, who’d possessed immense magical power, died? I remembered what Lefi had said before. That the Demonic Forest was the place where the gods had died. She’d speculated that it must’ve been a monster that had lived long enough to be called a god, but judging from the size of this throne, I had to believe she was mistaken.

“Wait a minute. A connection to dragonkind...”

Apparently, there was a connection between this forest and the dragons. This was obvious based on two things: the dragons that had lived here for ages, and all the things Lefi had told me.

Then there was Lúin, the Divine Spear, and everything he’d shown me about the gods. Several of them had existed, and one had definitely been a dragon. A dragon that could be called the ancestor of all dragons.

I didn’t have any evidence, and this was all just speculation on my part, but maybe the master of this dungeon had been that dragon. That would’ve explained this forest’s mysterious connection to the dragons. And if the originator of dragonkind, the strongest race in the world, had died, it wasn’t strange at all to think that such high concentrations of magical essence had spread and formed a forest like this.

The only rub was that the throne here was the size of a humanoid. But wait. My wife and Madam Siserius, the elderly dragon we’d met on the way to the dwarven homeland, were able to use the Art of Human Transformation. So it was highly likely that the ancestral dragon could do the same. Maybe they’d matched themself to the other gods, who’d all been human-sized. Though the height of the ceiling in this room was exactly the right size for a dragon...

I didn’t know anything about the Asura Golems here, but I wondered if the ancestral dragon had liked robots. Okay, yeah, that was a really stupid thought to have, but I honestly felt like we might’ve been friends if we’d lived in the same time period. I knew I was letting my imagination run wild. There was no proof, and the truth was so far in the distant past that even the long-lived species couldn’t trace it. All I could do as someone from a future generation was theorize. Even so...

I looked at the empty throne.

“You died fulfilled, huh?”

Whoever had been the master of this dungeon, their long, very long life had ended on a...satisfied note. For some reason, that made me feel incredibly happy.

◇ ◇ ◇

“We’re hooome.”

“We’re...home.”

As soon as En, back in her human form, and I spoke, a voice replied.

“Welcome back, everyone! Mm, I don’t see any injuries on you today, my lord!”

“Welcome back. Did your venture finally bear fruit, Master Yuki?”

“Sure freaking did.”

“We...saw inside the ruins. I had fun.”

To no one’s surprise, Leila pounced on En’s reply right away.

“Well, well! Did you now? What in the world did you—”

“Stop right there, Leila. I know you’re dying of curiosity, but they just got back. They probably wanna take a bath, so interrogate them later. The mysteries aren’t going away.”

“Ah! That’s very true, Lew. My apologies. Master Yuki, would you like to take a bath?”

Smiling a little at the exchange between the two, a reversal of their usual positions, I replied.

“Yup. Where’s Lefi?”

“She went to the meadow area since Iluna and the others wouldn’t stop badgering her. I think they’ll be back soon, though, my lord, since dinnertime isn’t far off.”

Recently, the adult gang had stopped babying the little-girl gang as much. Until now, the kiddos hadn’t seemed to mind, but the topic had come up at a Council of Wives a while back. Since then, Lew, Leila, and Nell had been doing their best to treat them a little more like grown-ups.

After that, En and I got changed and left the living room. En, who was tottering next to me, looked up at me, puzzled.

“What’s up, kiddo?”

“It’s...nothing. You just seem happy, Master.”

“Ha ha. Yeah, that’s ’cause I am.”

Lots of good things had happened today. It’d been a good day. And I’d do my best to make tomorrow a good one too.

I patted En’s head.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Okay, Rir, En. We’re commencing Operation Welcome Back to the Surface.”

“Grr.”

“All...right.”

“We enact this plan now to bring the Asura Golem buried in the underworld to bathe once more in the light above. There is nothing meaningful about this plan at the moment. No meaning at all... I just feel like doing it, so we’re gonna do it.”

“G-Grr.”

“At least you’re honest,” Rir’d said, smiling ruefully.

“I’m...not surprised, since you like that place, Master.”

“Grr.”

“Well, my dear, ’twould be one thing had it been destroyed in battle. However, waiting for it to decay ever so slowly in the ground beneath our feet seems a touch sad.”

In the end, the Asura Golem hadn’t turned into DP, so it should’ve still been alive. I mean, c’mon, even I wasn’t heartless enough to let the rest of its life pass in the dirt. Not after it’d spent however many long, looong years guarding the dungeon. I know, I know. I’m being a hypocrite.

What I was doing was ultimately meaningless. Golems had no souls, no wills of their own. They simply performed the actions they were programmed to. Still, that was fine with me. As long as I’m content, that’s what matters.

So we ventured again into the depths of the western area. With a door now installed there, it was easy to reach it. I had to be super prudent about how I handled the region, though, so I’d made sure to hide the door there extra carefully. I’d also set up a door to a remote area in the northern area, and a short walk from there, another door that led to the eastern area.

There were several doors in the eastern area that could be used to return to my home, but only Rir and I knew about them. He was ridiculously smart, so he was good at using the doors I’d installed, and since he had the second most authority over the dungeon after me, he could set up doors too. The Demonic Forest was full of everywhere-doors now.

I had a good idea of what connected to what thus far, but if I didn’t start making notes soon, I was afraid I’d forget. Even if I could remember all the locations and routes right now, I wasn’t confident that would be true in a decade. Considering I was one of those long-lived species, I’d probably live for a century or two at least, so of course I’d be using those doors. That was exactly why I needed to jot everything down while I could.

Relying on Maps, I led the way forward. We didn’t run into anything in particular, and eventually, in the distance, I saw a familiar sight. The ruins.

“Sure is quiet, huh?”

“Grr.”

“Yup... It hasn’t noticed us yet.”

The golem had been firing beams at us before, but it didn’t seem to be on a rampage anymore. Okay, this is good. While keeping a careful eye on my surroundings, I released the Hardening I’d applied to the ground, then set up an explosive trap—the kind I’d used to blow away the soil on the surface. After I finished all that, I made sure that Rir and En were ready before detonating the explosive without any hesitation.

Kaboom. The ground exploded, and dust and dirt flew high in the air, followed by—a barrage of beams! As if it’d noticed us, the golem began shooting rays of light up into the sky, and a few moments later, its arms appeared on the ground. It planted its hands down on the surface, and its body began to emerge.

“Okay, time to run for our lives!”

“Grr!”

“Okay...!”

Once we’d seen what we’d needed to see, we immediately activated our dungeon return devices and fled the scene of our not-crime. When we landed home a second later, joy bubbled up inside me, and I burst out laughing. En and Rir did the same, even though they weren’t the type to bust a gut like that.

◇ ◇ ◇

“And that’s why I think it was the ancestral dragon who made the Demonic Forest what it is. I don’t have any proof, though.”

“I see... Frankly, quite an unbelievable tale.”

Lefi murmured thoughtfully in response.

“Well, even if that isn’t the case, they lived as long as they could’ve and then died. Only their last words remained in the dungeon.”

“Hmm... So that is why you seemed so happy.”

She’d said pretty much the same thing En had a while ago, and I smiled ruefully at how easy I was to read.

“Did I really look that happy?”

“Indeed, and it made me wonder what put you in such a sunny mood. I believe this is the happiest I have seen you as of late.”

I thought for a bit about what to say before actually saying it.

“Lefi. I think the fact that we’ll die someday is knowledge to treasure.”

She stared at me intently, probably realizing that for once in my life, I was being serious.

“You and me, we’re gonna live for a very long time. Meaning we’ll be the last ones here. Everyone else is gonna go before us.”

“This is true... As species with different life spans, it is inevitable.”

“Yeah. But for me, it’s a problem I don’t wanna think about. My wives dying before me. Living longer than my children. That future is a sure thing, and unless something extraordinary happens, it’ll come for me eventually.”

Yes, someday. These weren’t the Divine Spear Lúin’s or that dungeon master’s exact words, but it was an inevitable truth that living things would die. No one, not even those who were called gods, could escape that.

“But the master of that dungeon... They never lamented their life, even at the very end. They were able to live on.”

“...”

I smiled and looked at Lefi.

“And that’s what made me happy. I’m sure he or she lived a long life and died with a smile, thinking that it was an enjoyable existence even though so many others had probably died before them. It felt like they showed me that it’s possible to enjoy life to the fullest despite that. So...”

I stopped talking there, and her gaze remained unwavering on me. Then, she spoke.

“Yuki. I shall be with you forever. So do not fret.”

“Love to hear it, but one of us has to die first, right?”

“Then I will be the one to live longer. I will do whatever it takes to outlive you, watch you die, and laugh in front of your grave, shouting, ‘Ha! I lived longer! Who is the victor now?!’”

Her fearless yet compassionate smile made my heart warm a little, and I laughed with her.

“Well, I guess that’s that. Let’s have a contest to see who can live the longest. Of course, that means I’ll win and be the one to laugh in front of your grave after outlasting you.”

“Very well. Challenge accepted. I am looking forward to it.”

That affectionate smile I loved so much curled her lips. I don’t even know how much she’s saved me.

Chapter 3: The Reauxgard Empire

In my humble abode.

“Nuooo! Grr... You sure put me in my place, Lefi!”

“Heh heh heh. Gone are the days when you are on top and I am on the bottom! In order to triumph over you, I have strategized excessively with Leila and studied on my own! Henceforth, I shall, what is the saying? Oh, yes. Leave you in the dust!”

Lefi grinned at me like the cat who ate the canary from across the shogi board.

Shiiit... The more time passed, the less I could underestimate her. I’d known that for a while now, but I’d never imagined the day would come when I’d get my ass handed to me so thoroughly.

“K-Kudos, Lefi, kudos. But don’t you think you might be jumping the gun a bit? The battle isn’t over yet! Starting now, I’ll be using my demon lord power to turn the tide in my favor!”

“Oho, this should be interesting indeed! Show me what you are capable of, Demon Lord! And in turn, I shall use my power as the Supreme Dragon to make you understand that your boast is merely a fantasy!”

After that, our match went into the endgame, and...the odds were heavily in her favor, much to my chagrin. I was definitely heading for defeat.

“Hoo... My dearest Lefi, allow me to profess my love for the bungling buffoon you used to be when it came to games such as these. What say you, then, to returning to that state? For me?”

“My dearest husband, I regret to inform you that said woman died a tragic death. The one who sits before you now is the epitome of a good wife and a wise mother! Are you not glad, Yuki, to have such an outstanding wife?”

“Who calls themself a good wife and a wise mother? Seriously.”

“Am I wrong, though?”

“You...aren’t.”

Lefi smiled smugly in response. The person sitting across from her was a loser of a demon lord with no comeback. Maybe the board absorbed that feeling from me because we kept playing, and the game ended with me losing.

“Rrrgh...”

“There, there, my poor, pathetic husband. It was your destiny to be overthrown by your inferiors. Your frustration has left you speechless, eh? Shall your beloved wife comfort you? Hmm? Hmmmm?”

“Argh, you’re pissing me off! One more time! One! More! Time! Let’s go! Get the board ready!”

“If that is what you wish, my husband, then as your wife, I suppose I have no choice but to comply. To relieve your discontent, I would gladly offer you my lap as a pillow during our next match. What do you think?”

“Thanks, but no thanks!”

Lefi smirked unrepentantly. She’d learned wife moves like this recently and had been landing critical hits against me with her words and actions a lot more often. I mean, sure, it made me happy— No, it doesn’t actually! Not even a little bit. Her moves didn’t affect me at all either. Nooope! Damn her!

When had I lost my touch against her? Was this the howling of a sore loser? Man... That might’ve honestly been the best way to describe my current, sorry, wretched existence.

However... That’s right. However!

I was a demon lord. No, I was the Supreme Ruler. Just like my wife, the Supreme Dragon, I reigned at the top of the hierarchy of power! There was no way in hell I’d throw in the towel over something as insignificant as this!

With renewed resolve, I faced her.

“Come, Lefi! ’Tis time to match our wits once more! Accept that I am your challenger! And I seek only one thing! That is—”

“To rest your head in my lap?”

“No, damn it!”

Joking around, we started a second game. Unfortunately, though, we would never finish it. Because that was when the emergency Comm Orb linked to the Reauxgard Empire started flashing.

◇ ◇ ◇

With En in hand, I immediately headed to the empire. It was a pain in the neck, but it was part of my territory. Even if in name only, a monarch was a monarch. I still hadn’t gotten used to it, and I didn’t really feel like the head of a country, but the responsibility was ultimately mine.

“What’s wrong?”

As I strode through the connecting door, I spoke to the person waiting for me on the other side, who seemed like they were pretty high up on the ladder.

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

The human soldier saluted and immediately took me inside the castle, eventually leading me to somewhere that looked like a conference room. Waiting for me inside was a stranger. A fierce-looking young man. Noticing my confused expression, he bowed deeply and began to speak.

“I’m pleased to meet you. My name is Bilra, and I’m the lord of the Ascaradd region of the Reauxgard Empire.”

“Hey, I’m Yuki. No need for formalities—just get straight to the point. What happened?”

I almost laughed at the arrogance in my voice, but I’d been told that as a ruler, I should never be humble, so I tried my best to keep a straight face. Even an emperor in name needed to maintain his dignity. Talking like this, I felt like I was in a skit, which only made me wanna laugh harder. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to it.

“As you wish. There exists a ruin in my territory that we’ve been excavating since the previous emperor’s rule. Unfortunately, we agitated the nest connected to it. Insects are now overrunning my lands. Won’t you please help us?”

Ruins, huh? The timing of this incident felt like the hand of fate at play.

A demon man, probably a government official, standing next to Bilra spoke next.

“Currently, both imperial soldiers and those of other nations stationed there are managing the situation. However, there are so many of the creatures that our front line is steadily being pressed back. At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before they advance on the rest of the empire. Although we have already contacted the various rulers, lamentably, they are not in a position to send reinforcements right away.”

So this was a real emergency. I opened Maps immediately and checked the state of Reauxgard. I scanned it from end to end, and...there it was. Here, eh? One area was covered in red blips, indicating hostiles, and even now, as I watched, the numbers were increasing and spreading steadily.

Damn it. If this were the Demonic Forest, I’d have been notified instantly about anything unusual. Too bad for me, I hadn’t set up any alerts here. Exterminating monsters was my job. So was this my fault?

“Okay, I’ll take care of it. This shouldn’t take long, so just be patient.”

I went back home to summon Rir and the others.

◇ ◇ ◇

Since I needed more hands on deck, I thought about it for a bit before, in an unusual move for me, deciding to leave the protection of the Demonic Forest to Rir. In his place, I took my four other pets—Orochi the giant snake, Yata the giant crow, Byaku the bakeneko, and Seimi the water sprite—with me to the site of the current incident. During my previous survey of the Reauxgard Empire, I’d set up a number of my special doors, so I headed for the one that was closest to my destination, the region of Ascaradd. I was glad I’d had the foresight to install a few large doors in addition to the normal-sized ones.

“Okay, guys, looks like our enemies this time are, hrk...bugs. You know I hate those things, so I’m counting on all of you to do the job for me.”

My words fired Orochi and Yata up. They were excited that it was finally their turn to get in on the action. Behind them, Byaku mewled as if trying to say, “Don’t go overboard and hurt yourselves.” As for Seimi’s vibe, it went a little something like, “So excited to be in the outside world again!” Totally unrelated to the situation at hand. Sorry, peeps. Must get a bit boring since I don’t take you out of the Demonic Forest much.

Of everyone in my pet army, Rir was by far the strongest, and he and I understood best how the other operated. On top of that, he grew right along with me, and thanks to my latest racial evolution, the gap between our abilities and the big four’s was even bigger now.

I’d heard from Rir that they were kinda worried about being weak, especially Orochi, whose fighting style was super direct, and Yata, who just had a super serious personality. So my plan was to have them join me for a while on expeditions like this one. Byaku, of course, wasn’t opposed to becoming stronger, but the bakeneko placed more value in growing in a support role and tended to make decisions after observing others. As for Seimi, I didn’t really understand the water sprite. It was less that it lacked emotions and more just that it wasn’t very conscious of them. Plus, it was a little bit different from the rest of us as far as how it lived its life. Super laid-back. It did exactly what it was told, though, so no problems on that front.

And that was how these four operated. Orochi and Yata spearheaded tactics since they were the most vocal with their opinions, Byaku made the final adjustments, and Seimi was left to its own devices—well, pretty much observer status.

“Hmm... If we’re facing bugs today, I’ll protect you, just like I said before, Master.”

“Sweet. Thanks, En. Really. I mean it. When this is over, I’ll play with you guys for a while. We’ll even explore more of the outside world. Rir can look after the dungeon.”

“Hss.”

“Kaw.”

Orochi and Yata protested, like they felt bad for Lord Rir.

“I get it, but the gap between you four and us two has gotten even bigger, and I can’t just act like it’s someone else’s problem. This is a good opportunity for me to practice teamwork with you guys when Rir isn’t around. Let’s get it done.”

Between the two of us, Rir was probably the stronger one. If we fought for real, I felt like I’d lose. At best, it’d be a draw if I used the power of the dungeon. Wait a minute. He can use the power of the dungeon now too, so I guess I’d lose after all.

We chatted like that while hurrying to our destination, but at that moment, we heard the sounds of combat from far away. Using my three pairs of wings, I flew up high with Yata to check what lay ahead. The scene unfolded before us.

“Whoooa... Gross.”

Insects swarmed the ground, gnawing away at everything in their path. They resembled ants, but their bodies were thicker and their faces way more menacing. Their jaws looked especially dangerous, like a crocodile’s, as if they could bite through anything.

For some strange reason, though, they gave off an artificial vibe. Their many legs each sported some kind of interlocking structures that weren’t gears per se but that definitely reminded me of them. Some of them were even flying, and the unnatural shape of their wings only added to my suspicion of them being man-made.

Race: Insect Living Golem

Level: 82

Pretty strong, huh? Each one was just barely strong enough to survive in the Demonic Forest. The problem, however, was their sheer numbers. Even though quality was more important than quantity in this world, enough quantity with middling quality still posed a threat. It would be particularly difficult for any of the humanoid species to deal with them.

“Golems. Then they are artificial. That guy said they came across a nest while digging in the ruins, so I wonder if they’re some kind of defense mechanism like the Asura Golems? I’ve never heard of a living golem, though.”

At the moment, they were focused on devouring the mountain and forest, but there was a fortified city up ahead with huge ramparts. Soldiers were deployed there, and it was only a matter of time before the insects reached that city.

It all made sense now. The people here had wanted to solve the problem on their own, but after realizing that they were fighting a losing battle, they’d called me up. As we approached the city, my ears picked up a shout in the distance.

“U-Urgent! A group of monsters has appeared from the rear! W-We estimate them at Disaster level or higher!”

“What?! Hold on, could it be His Majesty and his entourage?! I know His Lordship contacted him!”

“I-I don’t know! Ah, but I see a man, a demon, flying in the sky!”

“Remain alert! However, if it really is His Majesty, we can’t be discourteous! It will be difficult, but don’t let your guard down until we can confirm one way or the other!”

Oof. Sorry, folks. I felt bad for making them raise the alarm like this.

“You guys go ahead. Let’s see... If you see any soldiers in danger, help them first. Byaku, Seimi, your top priority is to heal the wounded.”

Even if they were mistaken for enemies, I knew they wouldn’t lose, so I gave my pets the go-ahead. They answered me enthusiastically before racing off to do my bidding.

Alone now, I sped forward too, but I also made sure to take it a little slower than I’d been going. I didn’t want them to think I was charging, y’know? I landed in front of the tent where a group of tense soldiers stood. That signaled to me that it was more than likely occupied by their commander.

“I was summoned to help, and here I am. My name’s Yuki. Who’s in charge here?”

When I asked that, one of the humans stepped forward, his face a little stiff.

“I am. Forgive me for asking, but you are His Imperial Majesty, yes?”

“Sure am. Although, since this is our first meeting, I don’t have a way to prove it.”

But the commander shook his head with a wry smile.

“No, that isn’t necessary. Your strength is obvious from the way you command such incredible monsters. Your Majesty Yuki, we’re very grateful for your assistance.”

The commander bowed, and the soldiers surrounding him did the same.

“Your Majesty Yuki.” Holy shit, what do I do? I’m about to bust a gut laughing. If I did, it definitely wouldn’t be my fault. But doing that in front of the soldiers when they looked so damn serious would probably have made me come across as a creepy emperor, so I tried really hard not to move my facial muscles when I spoke.

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it. This sort of thing comes with the job. Okay, you guys stand back. We’ll take care of the rest.”

“A-Are you certain?”

“Yeah. Actually, I’m planning on an area attack, so if you don’t stand back, you’ll get caught up in it. You don’t wanna die from friendly fire, right?”

The man thought for a moment, his face the epitome of a leader. Then, he quickly nodded.

“Understood, my lord. Listen up, men! All soldiers outside the city walls are ordered to withdraw at once! Don’t dawdle!”

They all moved in brisk unison, and one by one, the troops retreated inside the city walls.

Dang, I don’t think I’ll ever have the dignity of a CO. It’s not something I want anyway, so no biggie. More importantly, it’s bug-squashing time. The thought alone gave me a bad feeling, but... Ugggh, this is part of the job. I had no choice but to do it.

◇ ◇ ◇

Once all the soldiers had retreated, my pet army started getting serious, and the sounds of battle grew even louder. I immediately rushed out of the fortified city to meet up with them, heightening the mana within my body. My water dragons were the best in my offensive arsenal for a fight against large groups, but...there was no river nearby. When I had a body of water to work with, I could just make a bunch of big ones and wipe out all the enemies. Without one, though, it was pretty inefficient.

That being the case, I decided to use Leviathan, one of my spirit magics. It was also more efficient when I was near a body of water, but since I was able to borrow the power of a variety of spirits, it was better than the water dragons. Besides, at my current level, I’d be able to deploy around three of them, and they’d be even more powerful than the ones I’d generated before.

“Time to let loose!”

I used my magic to speak to the spirits floating around me. They’d been chased from their homes in the mountain and forest by the insects’ advance and had fled this way. Now, they gathered around me in huge numbers. Lots and lots of them.

If there’d been anyone nearby who could see spirits, they would’ve seen a beautiful flurry of light. The spirits in the air were more cooperative than usual because they were eager to get their homes back. Thanks to that, three Leviathans appeared. Before, it’d felt like I had my hands full just summoning one, but now I didn’t feel nearly as burdened, even with three at once.

“Go! Exterminate the insects! Especially the ones with tons of long legs! And the ones that rustle when they slither!”

The insect golems didn’t actually have that many legs, and they didn’t actually move around like that either. Still, my Leviathan troops obeyed my order and began to trample them. Their basic attack method was either to run amok or fire a beam resembling the Dragon Roar, the latter of which had low-power, high-power, and full-power versions. Beams consumed magical energy, so before, if they used a high-power or full-power beam, their bodies would start to disintegrate within a few seconds. But now that I had mana to spare, I could resupply them as soon as they fired.

Mwa ha ha! Sure is nice to have this Supreme Ruler body. Even I could tell that I had a surprising surplus of mana. Which meant I might be able to develop even more powerful spirit magic. I already knew that it was more effective to transfer my mana to the spirits and have them cast magic, so whenever I had some free time on my hands again, I’d use it to think of new ways to attack.

While the Leviathans were busy demonstrating their firepower, the other pets were deployed around them, fighting the insects with ease. I knew the most efficient way to fight with this grouping since I’d summoned Leviathans countless times in the Demonic Forest. My monster-and-spirit army was crushing the golems one after another, sending them scattering to the four winds. They tried to target us and commence a counterattack, but they failed.

“Bwa ha ha ha! Time for you to go extinct, you disgusting creepy-crawlies!”

It feels so good to watch you all die! Just as glee washed over me at the sight of the insect golems being torn to pieces like trash in a compactor, something strange started to happen to their movements. First, the ones toward the rear started to croak loudly at the sky. After that, as if in resonance, the other insects started to chirp as well. Their cries chained together. Soon, the unpleasant chorus became loud enough to make the very air vibrate.

“Sh-Shut the hell up! What is wrong with these things?!”

The change came quickly, starting with the insect golems’ bodies. Only around half of them were supposed to have wings, but suddenly, with a snap, the others’ backs contorted, and wings burst out. Their transformation complete, the formerly wingless ones started to fly one after another. Then, for some reason, they started gathering in one place. Geh?! Their final form was a swarm of insect golems that seemed to have transformed into one giant creature. It writhed like a snake in the air and headed straight for me. Yeah. Me. They probably knew who our commander was.

“L-Leviathans! Shoot through the center with everything you’ve got!”

Following my orders, the three Leviathans opened their mouths and fired their Dragon Roar-like beams. The air shook. Their bodies immediately began to disintegrate, but I prevented that from happening by infusing them with a fresh supply of mana.

The full-power beams instantly shattered the front of the insect golems, blowing them away, decimating them. But without a moment’s hesitation, others surged forward from behind, repairing the holes by filling them in. Blast them away, they repair, blast, repair. Rinse and repeat. Their numbers and the speed at which they filled in the holes outstripped our offensive power, meaning they were gradually closing in on us. Ugh, that’s so nasty.

“S-Stop! Don’t come any closer!”

My pets also used their own tactics to whittle down the insect golem swarm, but it wasn’t stopping. I continued to replenish the Leviathans with my magical energy while swinging En to fire off rounds of Magic Edge. That was how we managed to hold our own against the enemy. By all of us attacking at full power, our offensive capabilities and their repair capabilities became equal.

“You’ve got guts, you damn bugs! At the end of the day, though, a little spray with some insecticide will kill you, and it’s past time you learned that— Whaaat?! Eeeeewww!”

The bug golems suddenly started spewing something like acid, which coalesced into a beam of sorts. It was a disgusting color, kinda sticky, and had a horrible smell. Super-duper gross. The liquid fell to the ground and melted the earth with a sizzle. Shit. If we get hit by that, we’re done for. Thanks to the beam, they started to push back again.

“Ahhh, goddammit! Why do you creepy sons of bitches always do things that will traumatize people?! Give me a break! Seriously! For fuck’s sake!”

First ants, then bees, maggots, and cockroaches. And now these insect golems. Why were these MFs so disgusting? Maybe I just had a particularly visceral hatred for them... On second thought, nah. Anyone would scream if they were attacked by an insect this size, let alone a swarm of them.

I’m normal. Totally normal. What’s wrong is this world. Yeah, this world is wrong.

The distance between us was gradually shrinking. My mana reserves were gradually approaching dangerously low levels, and I was starting to break out into a cold sweat since the going was tougher than I’d expected. But then, the distance between us started increasing steadily. Their onslaught weakened. Before I knew it, the swarm had collapsed, and all that remained were an equal number of corpses lying on the deformed ground.

“Haah, haah... I-Is it over?”

I looked around, but couldn’t sense any hostile blips nearby. Somehow, we’d managed to kill off the enemy troops, which must’ve numbered over ten thousand. I doubted we’d even fought for ten minutes, but it’d felt like much longer. I really, really, really hoped that was the last time I’d have to face off against bugs. I let out a sigh of relief.

“They have a queen. If we do not destroy her, she will create just as many once more.”

In that moment came a voice I knew well.

“Huh? S-Spirit Emperor!”

“It has been too long, Demon Lord.”

I saw a familiar floating robe. It was the Spirit Emperor, Ygg Drasil.

◇ ◇ ◇

A faint, sparkling light was visible from the depths of the floating robe. A walking stick floated by itself in the place where a person’s hand would be. And then there was the dignified voice speaking directly into my head. Or at least, that was how it felt whenever he talked to me. No doubt about it, it was the Spirit Emperor.

“I see you have become quite adept at handling spirits. In such a short time too. How impressive.”

“Oh, yeah, Iluna taught me, and then I practiced on my own. The techniques you taught me also helped a lot. Wait, that’s not what we should be talking about. Never thought I’d see you here, of all places.”

It’d been a while since we’d last seen each other. Then again, considering his sense of time, it probably didn’t feel like very long to him. After all, according to Lefi, he was an old man who’d been alive even longer than her, and possibly longer than the other races too.

“Hello...grandpa.”

En greeted him too.

“Hello indeed. Your quality of magic is as fine as ever, sword child.”

“Okay, I’ll be the first to admit that I have a ton of things I wanna talk to you about, but we have to save it for later. You said something about a queen?”

“I did, yes. These insects have a queen, and she gives birth to more of their kind. The ones you destroyed were golems, yet they were devouring rocks and trees, were they not?”

“Ohhh, I get it now. Damn things were eating the materials they needed to create themselves. Then let’s see where this queen is... Over there?”

“Yes, most likely.”

The bugs had eaten everything around them, leaving behind almost no foliage, so her location was easy to pinpoint—the ruins of some kind of temple, probably about four to five kilometers from here. Has to be. And yup, sure enough, I could see a steady trickle of bugs crawling out. How the hell were there still so many left after we’d crushed so many of them? It definitely didn’t look like there would be an end to them unless we killed the boss, stat.

“All right, peeps, we have our target. Let’s roll.”

I called out to my pets, then turned to the Spirit Emperor.

“Sooo...”

“Let us work together. That is why I came here.”

“Phew, glad to hear it. We’re basically invincible with you on our side.”

I wasn’t joking even a little bit when I said that. He was as powerful as Lefi. But...I hadn’t even noticed his aura until now. Maybe he’d been holding back because we were in the middle of a battle. Yeah, that must’ve been it.

Hmm... I better fill out my map of the empire as soon as possible. Otherwise, shit might hit the fan again like now.

And so, with the help of the Spirit Emperor, we advanced, slaughtering the surviving insects. All they had was strength in numbers. Beyond that, they were just a bunch of nothings we could mow through without breaking a sweat.

The Spirit Emperor fought too, of course. Every time he raised his staff, he crushed any bugs unfortunate enough to be in our path. Though I was not a fan of the gross squelching sounds.

“Oho, I wondered why you seemed stronger. Now I know that your evolution is the cause.”

“Yeah, happened not too long ago. You might find this hard to believe, but I met a god.”

When I said that, the part of the robe where a face would be turned toward me.

“Ahhh... So you met one of the First, eh?”

I knew it. I freaking knew it. The Spirit Emperor definitely knew something.

“‘The First,’ huh... Can I assume you mean those born from Dominus and Gaia?”

“You do know, then. Whom did you meet?”

“The one named Lúin. He was inside this spear.”

I took the God Spear out of Inventory and showed it to him. Despite having no face, I could swear his expression was nostalgic, like he was peering into the distant past.

“Such wonderful memories this brings back. Glad am I to see that it has retained its shape.”

“Spirit Emperor, you can tell me if I’m wrong, but...have you been alive since the Age of the Gods?”

The light in the depths of his robe flashed, as if he were chuckling.

“Heh. Back then, I was little more than a barely conscious flicker. Ah, we have arrived.”

When we entered the temple, the first thing I noticed was the decorations, which were still in remarkably pristine condition. There were also remains of wooden scaffolding, probably built by the humans for the excavation work, and tools of some kind. Those remains were all the bugs had left behind after eating through them. But the ruins themselves were untouched and, although weathered, beautifully preserved.

Putting all that together made me think that the bugs were this site’s defense mechanism. They were programmed to protect this place. The humans had apparently been excavating for a long time, so what had they discovered that suddenly activated the defense protocol?

More insects were inside than out, but that didn’t really pose much of a problem for us, so we kept going, heading for a spot deep inside that I could sense a strong hostile reaction coming from. Then, eventually, we stumbled into it.

Okay, so, there was this famous movie series called Extraterrestrial in my old life that probably everyone knew about. In it were monsters called Zenomorphs, which I was sure anyone would recognize right away. They were super-freaky-looking creatures that inspired feelings of disgust and unease. And more than anything, their bodies made it obvious how strong they were. Among the Zenomorphs, there was a class of them called “Queens.” They were absolutely massive and insanely strong, and they’d scared the crap out of me the first time I’d seen one in a movie.

Long story short, what I was trying to say was that whatever was in front of us, baring its teeth and snarling, reminded me of one of those Queens.

Race: Insect Living Golem Queen

Level: 6??

“Welp. Not exactly weak, huh?”

It was several times larger than the insects we’d killed along the way. And while it was pretty similar to the others in terms of appearance, this one was spiky, sharp, and tough. The biggest difference was...I guess in people terms, its abdomen? Probably because this one produced the other bugs, its belly was abnormally large and thick. That part alone was as big as a four-ton truck.

This thing’s rank was higher than my current one. It was probably on par with the monsters inhabiting the western area of the Demonic Forest. While not impossible to defeat, it was definitely an enemy I’d need all my strength to take down. I still had some mana to spare since I’d drunk a Super Mana Potion in advance, but...

“Yes, a fine opportunity. All you need do is watch.”

“Sooo you’re gonna handle it?”

“Indeed. As the one who bequeathed to you my power, I shall show you the true potential of spirits.”

The Spirit Emperor stepped forward, moving so fast that he made a whooshing sound. Despite being a golem, judging by the signs of caution in her many inorganic eyes, the Insect Queen seemed to sense the threat he posed and shook her wings to intimidate him.

“The strength of spirits lies in their being completely invisible to almost everyone. Only those with an exceptional ability to see magic, like your wife and the ovine child, can notice their presence. Like this.”

In the next instant, without any warning, a deep boom rang out, and all of the Insect Queen’s wings exploded. It didn’t seem to have any vocal organs, but it still made noises like screams as it thrashed wildly before it started charging toward us. Too little, too late, though. Without any rhyme or reason, its head fell off, thudding as it hit the ground.

I didn’t know whether it was because the thing was an insect or a golem, but the Insect Queen was still moving. However, one by one, parts of its body started falling off, like it’d been slashed. A few seconds later, the only thing left was its dismembered remains. The Insect Queen was dead.

“Uhhh...what the hell did you just do?”

“It was the wind spirits using air blades. No, if I am being precise, it is a spatial rupture. By creating gaps in space-time and severing the continuity of space, it allows them to cut their target. Once you become used to it, you, too, should be able to use it.”

“I-I see...”

The Spirit Emperor spoke very calmly, and all I could do was smile wryly in response. What else was I supposed to do in the company of a being that was the same Calamity-level threat as Lefi? I really shouldn’t be surprised anymore by how, shall we say, different their standards are from the rest of us.

◇ ◇ ◇

I looked around and saw no other hostile blips on Maps. The only things remaining were baby bugs scattered here and there. Aside from those, I figured cleanup of the ruins would be finished in a jiff.

“Phew... You’re an actual lifesaver. Thanks a bunch, Spirit Emperor. ’Cause of you, we managed to save the ruins. If it’d just been us, we would’ve ended up fighting the queen to the death, and any slipups on our part might’ve caused serious damage here.”

“Heh. Indeed. Though you and yours excel in what you do, your subordinates in particular are somewhat...overlarge.”

His tone cheerful, the Spirit Emperor glanced at my pet army. They looked kinda nervous on account of someone as powerful as him standing right in front of them. Seimi was the only one chilling like usual. Oh, right. I’d just realized this was their first time actually talking to him in person, despite already knowing of him. Still, I got why they were like that. I mean, he was him. And since they were monsters, they were a lot more sensitive to power differentials than me.

“Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you guys. Appreciate everything you did too. We can handle the rest, and I know it’s cramped in here, so feel free to wait outside for us.”

My pet peeps acknowledged my order with their respective cries and exited the ruins.

Now that the space had opened up, I got right to inspecting my surroundings in detail. This place...is nothing like the site in the western area of the Demonic Forest. Both the shape and the construction were totally different. There was no throne here either, so at the very least, I doubted it had anything to do with a dungeon.

“Spirit Emperor, do you know anything about these ruins? Like what they used to be?”

“No. Even I am not all-knowing. However, I have seen something of this ruin’s ilk before. I do believe the people of this country made it. Judging by the scale of this particular site, I think it is likely a king—no, an emperor perhaps? In any case, one with such power made it.”

Fascinating... So, some long-ago emperor of Reauxgard built this place, huh? Now that I knew that, it made a lot more sense that the weathering here wasn’t nearly as bad as it was in the ruins in the Demonic Forest. These ruins were much younger than those ones.

“One thing niggles at me, though. These Living Golems. They utilize technology from the Age of the Gods. It begs the question of how...”

“Ooh, I think I know the answer to that one. Might have something to do with a dungeon function. I can’t do it, but whichever emperor created this place must’ve known what they were doing.”

“Hmm? Are you perchance saying this country has something to do with a labyrinth?”

“Yup. Its emperors have inherited the dungeon core for generations. Meaning they were all demon lords. I’m the latest successor. But since I absorbed the core, any future emperors won’t be demon lords by birth anymore.”

That realization raised another question: How long would I end up being the emperor of Reauxgard? I’d promised Shen that I’d take on the role, and I planned to do what I could, but the same ruler for an indefinite span of time was definitely not healthy for a nation. That said, I had no intention of giving up the empire since it was already part of my territory. Hmm, what to do, what to do... I’ll ask the Demon King for his advice sooner rather than later.

“All right, time for me to ask you why you’re here in the first place.”

“Of course. I heard a change had come upon a vast human nation in the south. Intrigued, I set out to observe, and imagine my surprise when I sensed a familiar presence everywhere in this land—yours. ‘Well, well,’ I thought to myself. Thus, I have been traveling here and there for a spell. At present, this country belongs to you, does it not?”

“Yeah, pretty much. I’m technically the current emperor. Let’s just say a lot happened—like, a lot—and leave it at that.”

“No, no, do tell. Time is the one thing I have to spare. And should you have a moment as well, I would be glad to listen. Come, let us sit, and you can regale me with your tales.”

Then, with a sudden burst of light, he illuminated the dark interior of the ruins and also created a table and chair out of nowhere. Damn, the way he uses magic is so slick. I sat down on one of the chairs, and he sat down on the one across from me. Having said that, I wasn’t sure if “sit” was the right verb to use for a being like him that didn’t have a corporeal form.

And so, I told the Spirit Emperor everything that’d gone down since we’d last met. I started with the Reauxgard Empire. All the events that had led to it being the country it was now. How that impacted the world of mankind. Next, I told him about what’d happened in the dwarven domain. Our journey there, who we’d met, and what I’d learned. And finally, about the ruins I’d discovered not too long ago in the Demonic Forest. My investigation into it.

“I see... So you have learned about the duty entrusted to the master of a labyrinth, as well as the gods’ story.”

“Yeah. Lúin, the God Spear, told me. He was a fascinating person. A real delight to be around. I’m such a huge fan now that if anyone ever asks me what my faith is, I’ll tell them ‘the Religion of Lúin’ and that our doctrine is ‘Live life to the utmost.’”

“Live life to the utmost. Rejoice in life. For that is the duty of the living.” Even now, his words remain etched in my heart. Very on point for a god like him to extol the business of living. Whenever people had asked me about my faith back in my old life, my smart-ass response had always been, “If I did believe in anything, it’d be the Flying Spaghetti Monster.” But now, I’d been fully converted as a devout follower of Lúin. And I absolutely planned on living the rest of my life as such.

“Heh. That is an apt description for my lord. A merry man who loved to jest and glorified the idea of living.”

“Yeah, he definitely liked his jokes.”

I mean, he’d messed with me right off the bat when we’d met. I would’ve bet he did that to everyone. And this elderly man had actually known him.

“Hot damn, you really have been alive that long, huh?”

“Yes. That said, I was born near the end of the Age of the Gods. That is why I do not know everything. I would say I know as much as you do about the circumstances that led to their conflict. However, I know this: They simply fought for what they believed in. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“Gotcha...”

“Well, even after having lived so many years, your wife, Lefisios, is stronger than me. The dragon race is powerful from birth. And yet, this is the first time in my long life I have been surpassed.”

“Ya know, Lefi said that if she fought you now, in her humanized body, she’d almost definitely lose.”

“Oh, did she now? But I would not stand a chance were she to confront me in her dragon form.”

“Actually, about that. She can’t go back to it at the moment. Probably because of...well, her pregnancy. She thinks that’s the reason.”

The Spirit Emperor stared at me in surprise.

“She is with child?! The Lefisios? I offer you both my congratulations. When will the babe be born?”

“We don’t know the exact date since she’s originally a dragon in human form. But probably a year and a half from now.”

“I see... I see! Such glad tidings indeed. Allow me to visit you again when the day draws nearer.”

“Of course. I’d love that. Lefi would too. Despite her sass, I know she’d secretly be over the moon.”

My wife was a classic tsundere, and I could easily imagine her reaction to the Spirit Emperor dropping by after the birth of our kid.

“Truly such joyous news. Now, the matter of a gift. But what to give you... Perhaps my power? No, that may be somewhat uncouth. A talisman or some such that will protect the child, then...”

I chuckled ruefully at the sight of him fretting like a grandpa over his grandchild.

“I appreciate you giving this some thought, but don’t worry. We’ve still got a ways to go.”

“Bah, you do not understand, young one. A year and a half will pass in the blink of an eye. Birth is the greatest and most auspicious event for the living, and a Spirit Emperor who cannot offer an appropriate gift is unworthy of the title. I must prepare.”

Huh. Well, when he put it like that... Especially because a year and a half was incredibly short to him.

“Again, I’m really, really grateful that you’re even thinking about it this far in advance, but you’ve already done a lot for us, and I’m more than happy with just the sentiment. In any case, you seriously don’t have to go above and beyond. So, anyway. What I’m dying to know is why Lefi is so damn powerful in the first place.”

As the recipient of his gift, anything I said would sound strange, so I tried to change the subject by asking that question instead.

“I believe it is a type of atavism. Lefisios is very similar to the original dragon, Lord Lucinellius.”

Lucinellius...

“Is that...one of the Eight Pillars? The God of Dragons?”

“Yes. Though my lord differed from Lefisios in both gender and temperament, his power was similarly great, and their physical forms were much the same. Yet while the other gods existed to help the world flourish, Lord Lucinellius had a different mission—to protect the world.”

A. And. Ha. Is that why dragons are stronger than all the other races by leaps and bounds?

“Your supposition, the one you mentioned earlier, is correct. It was he who made that forest his abode. He was also the one who created the Dragon Hamlet, but he later took a liking to the forest and chose it as his final home. By the by, the golems you spoke of, the Asura Golems, were more than likely created by the dwarven god, Lord Dweorg.”

“Oh snap. For real?”

Dweorg, the God of Iron. I’d heard the name in the dwarves’ homeland.

The Spirit Emperor nodded in response.

“While I do not know the details, judging by their dispositions, I suspect Lord Lucinellius uttered something along the lines of, ‘I’d like this place to boggle the mind,’ so Lord Dweorg agreed and made one. Though if the number is as great as you say, Lord Lucinellius must have liked the first one enough to pester him into making more. And Lord Dweorg would have acquiesced with a sigh of exasperation.”

Despite saying he didn’t know the details, the Spirit Emperor looked amused, almost like he was remembering the scene. Ugh, I’m so jelly. I wish I could’ve been there too.

I could easily picture the same scene in my mind. Maybe the God of Dragons had had a pure and innocent personality like a child’s. I had zero basis for that theory, but it was the vibe I got from the words he’d left behind in the ruins in the Demonic Forest. And the dwarven god might’ve grumbled, but in reality, he’d been super enthusiastic about the project. Because those golems were exquisitely crafted. No shortcuts or shoddy work for the God of Iron.

“They...were good friends, huh?”

“Yes. Good gods as well. Truly worthy of worship and love.”

After that, the Spirit Emperor and I talked about all kinds of things. He told me what he’d seen and heard in the world, and I told him about what I knew.

Iluna had told me a while back that the people of her village had called him their teacher, and that was spot on. He knew so much, and he spoke so well, his words making it easy to absorb everything he said. More than anything, his stories were captivating.

In my previous life, I’d been your basic idiot who didn’t study all that hard. If he’d been my teacher, though, I might’ve liked studying more. That was proof of how great a storyteller he was.

Just as our conversation was getting more and more exciting, my pet bakeneko stalked back inside.

“What’s up, Byaku?”

“Meeeow.”

Translation: “The soldiers seem anxious, so why not report back to them for now?”

Ohhh shiiit. I was working... Our conversation was so good that I’d completely forgotten why we were here.

“Sorry, Spirit Emperor! I’m really sorry, but I need to go back and fill them in. Wait, you said you wanted to see what the city was like, right? Wanna go to the imperial capital with me? Nobody will attack you that way, and honestly, I just wanna keep talking to you.”

“I am grateful for your consideration and gladly accept your offer. Were I to wander the streets alone, I would likely frighten the people, eh?”

◇ ◇ ◇

So the Spirit Emperor, my pets, and I left the ruins and headed back to the fortified city. There, we found the soldiers arguing about whether or not they should mobilize to rescue me because I’d been inside the dig site for so long that they’d gotten worried. Byaku, thoughtful girl that she was, had called me when she’d seen this. Oops. I done goofed.

“All right, folks, we’ve taken care of the problem in the ruins. We got rid of every last one of the bugs, so you can resume the excavation work. Would you mind cleaning up the mess, though? Sorry, and thanks.”

“Y-Yes, of course. Thank you very much! We couldn’t be more grateful for your help, Your Majesty. And, um...m-may I ask who your guest is?”

The city’s highest-ranking commanding officer, the first person I’d met upon arriving here, asked me that question, his expression strained like his stomach hurt as he stared at the Spirit Emperor.

“My friend, the Spirit Emperor, Ygg Drasil. Make sure you treat him well, okay? I’m gonna be reeeal honest with you and tell you right now that he’s dozens, maybe hundreds of times more powerful than me.”

“I am Ygg Drasil, and your country intrigues me. I would very much appreciate the opportunity to observe your way of life.”

“I-I see, your friend... M-May I inform the capital of this?”

“Oh, yeah, that’d be great, thanks.”

I wasn’t surprised to see all the soldiers staring wide-eyed at the Spirit Emperor. He was a rarity not just for humans but for all mankind, apparently. The demons and therianthropes, who were especially sensitive to strength, looked tense. It was like they knew he was unbelievably powerful despite him more than likely constantly suppressing his aura, same as Lefi.

“Hmm, hmm... This city alone is so diverse, with soldiers of all races. Mayhap I can expect the same throughout the country?”

“Yeah. Political instability is still a problem, so the soldiers on the winning side are stationed everywhere. I heard their numbers will eventually be reduced, but that won’t be anytime soon.”

“It is indeed a monumental task to create a nation of many. I have witnessed my fair share of the children of man founding countries under such aspirations, yet every last one of them crumbled due to the varying dispositions of the races. Differences in customs and life spans make it all the more difficult.”

“Yeah, I can imagine. And I don’t disagree either.”

In this world, it wasn’t just life spans but differences in customs that were probably huge. It was the same in my old life. For example, what people could and couldn’t eat for religious reasons. Regional differences, tacit knowledge, and taboos too. Trivial differences, but important to the folks involved. The extent to which people are aware of these differences could easily become a source of conflict. With races mixed together, each species would have to make decisions based on their own customs, and I didn’t need to explain how difficult that was.

“However, this scene is...nice. So many races standing side by side, living together. It is a good way of being, reminiscent of the Age of the Gods. I hope your attempt succeeds.”

“Thanks. I’ll try my best.”

◇ ◇ ◇

We left the fortified city and headed for the door that had brought us here. As soon as my pets reached it, they went back to the Demonic Forest since the fighting was over. I’d left a message with the super responsible Byaku to let my family know that I might not be back home tonight, so even if I did manage to get back late, it would be fine.

“Aaand we’re here! Welcome to Galia, the capital of the Reauxgard Empire!”

“Such a convenient magic you can use as a demon lord. Is there a limit to how many of these doors you can place?”

The Spirit Emperor scrutinized the door we’d just walked through while questioning me.

“No limits, but I can only install a door in my territory. Just like I sent my peeps home earlier, I can send you back to the Demonic Forest now. Conversely, anyone can enter my territory if they feel like it through the doors, which is why I’ve made it so that no one can use them except me.”

He nodded in response.

“That is wise. If one is in a position of authority, they must clearly draw the line between ‘outsiders’ and ‘family.’ Should that line become unclear, one risks exposing themself to danger. Thus do I think it vital to take such measures in order to protect one’s family. Having said that, as it is impossible for any living thing in this world to deceive Lefisios’s eyes, once they step into your domain, there will be no going back for them.”

Ain’t that the truth. She was the first to detect any sort of anomaly heading our way, even in my own dungeon’s territory.

“Pretty much. But I’d rather not rely on her for stuff like that if I can help it. ’Cause, well, I wanna protect her to the best of my ability, even though I’m weaker than her.”

“That is the way of it, eh? Happy am I to know that your love for her is true.”

For some reason, the Spirit Emperor’s voice sounded really warm and amused, and that made me feel kinda embarrassed. Scratching my cheek, I changed the subject to deflect.

“A-Anyway! Here, this is the imperial palace. Are you good with us starting the grand tour here?”

“Yes, thank you.”

While we chatted, I showed him around the interior of the building. Butlers, maids, and other staff were already stationed everywhere to make our arrival smooth, and that was thanks to the commander of the fortress having contacted the capital in advance. It worked out even better because I asked one of them to take over guide duties not long after. Because despite me saying I’d give him the grand tour, I didn’t actually know anything about this place!

When I thought about it, the only parts of the castle I knew were the throne room, the previous emperor’s research lab, and a conference room or two. The one who led the way was a mature-looking man, a steward based on his appearance. He’d arranged things ahead of time, which meant I could enjoy the palace tour too.

His professionalism was absolutely top-notch. Objectively speaking, the Spirit Emperor and I made a fearsome duo. But the man’s expression didn’t change one bit. If he was feeling nervous, he sure as heck didn’t show it. From start to finish, he guided us everywhere with a smile on his face. He deserved all the praise and then some. I felt like I’d learned what it means to be a real pro. Plus, everything he’d told us about the castle was super interesting.

Ya know, since I am the emperor of this country, I think I’ll promote him. Or give him a raise. Maybe both.

Because it was safe here, En was back in her human form. She was also listening to his lectures with a thoughtful expression. When she’d anthropomorphized on the spot, even he hadn’t been able to stop his eyes from widening. But I wouldn’t hold that against him. Honestly, who wouldn’t have been shocked at the sight? Then, they’d had the following conversation.

“My lady, may I ask your name?”

“It’s...Zaien.”

“Miss Zaien. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

Bet your ass he’d racked up even more points with how normally he’d treated her.

“It is my first time seeing structures built by man up close. How very fascinating this all is.”

Maybe because he always traveled to so many different places, the Spirit Emperor really liked this kind of stuff. All tour, he’d been examining the furnishings, walls, pillars, and even architectural style. For some reason, it made me happy to learn about the things that piqued his interest. Never mind that I had nothing to do with this castle’s construction.

“Yeah, it’s fun looking at it like this.”

“Hmm? But are you not the master of this palace?”

“Yeah, but I’m basically just window dressing, so I admittedly don’t know much about this country. Sure, it is part of my territory, and that makes me responsible for anything that happens, and of course, I’ll protect it if something happens. That’s about it, though. If someone asks me whether I’m governing it, my only answer would be, ‘Ummm, about that.’”

And that was why I’d stopped showing up unexpectedly to wander around on my own. Despite my desire to check things out because there was a lot to check out, I’d felt bad about interrupting the staff while they were at work. In short, this castle didn’t feel like my home. I mean, who would just walk boldly into someone else’s house to satisfy their curiosity? Weirdos, that was who.

“Heh heh. I see. You reign, but you do not rule, eh? I think that makes you a fine sovereign.”

“No. I just didn’t wanna ’cause it’d be a pain in the ass.”

It really wasn’t as big a deal as he was making it out to be.

Come to think of it, maybe it’s time to bring the kiddos out here on a trip. Because I still hadn’t brought my family to the empire. Not even once. Part of the reason was simple—it was still dangerous. The fam and me, the emperor, going on an adventure in the castle while the situation was politically unstable would’ve meant a lot of side-eye.

My job was to attract animosity, so while I didn’t care what people said about me, I didn’t want my family, especially the little-girl gang, to feel bad. There’s nothing worse than another person’s malice. However, even though the human supremacists’ ideology hadn’t yet been eradicated, things were gradually settling down. Race relations were improving by the day.

The little girls weren’t the only ones curious about Reauxgard. The adult gang wanted to know more about it too, so I was thinking now might be a good time to sightsee around the castle town at least. Pluuus, the Spirit Emperor was here too. I didn’t know what his future plans were, but once I asked him, I’d pop home and bring the rest of the family here the next day. We could all eat lunch or something.

While these thoughts were running through my head, a soldier came running up to the kind steward acting as our tour guide and whispered something in his ear. His expression quizzical, he listened, nodded, then turned to me.

“If I may, Your Majesty, I have some news to share.”

“Sure, what’s up?”

“We’ve just received word that Lord Fynar will be arriving in the capital in an hour’s time.”

◇ ◇ ◇

“Demon King!”

“Hello, Yuki. I hear you accomplished a rather difficult task for us. Much obliged.”

The pretty boy, otherwise known as Fynar the Demon King, smiled his usual enigmatic smile.

Sheesh, I’m running into people I know left and right today.

“No thanks necessary. Part of the job, y’know? Anyway, what are you doing here? Hard at work too?”

“Yes, actually. I received a message that the excavation work at the ruins would soon finish, and I’d already planned to visit and see how it was going, so I pushed up my schedule a tad.”

“And by ‘ruins,’ you mean...”

“Correct, the place for which you answered the emergency call for aid. According to Shen, it holds some interesting records that I believe may prove useful for our collective futures, so I decided to continue the excavation he’d started. I must admit, on my way here via airship, I received a report that the defense mechanism at the site had activated, placing the walled city in danger. I’m sure you can imagine how worried I was at the time, hm?”

Shen was the name the former emperor, Shendra Gandr Reauxgard, was going by now. Officially, he’d been executed, thus the name change.

The puzzle pieces are falling into place... Based on what Fynar’d just told me, despite this reunion of ours being coincidental, it was kinda inevitable too.

“Now, let me take a good look at you, En. Still as adorable as ever. Do you remember me?”

“Yup... Hello.”

After greeting En, the Demon King turned to the Spirit Emperor and bowed to him.

“And a pleasure to meet you. My name is Fynar Regnerius Saturnia. You must be the famous Spirit Emperor, yes? I’ve heard ever so much about you.”

“It is not my place to say whether I am famous or not, but yes, I am the one of whom you speak. My name is Ygg Drasil. Are you the present Lord of the Demon World?”

“I am indeed. Although the position is far beyond what I deserve, I’d like to think I’m doing my best to serve my people as a ruler. But I never expected to meet the great traveling sage who has appeared throughout various points of history here, of all places. Are you and Yuki friends, then?”

“Yes, you could say that. I have a few ties to his family. Thus did I visit the Demonic Forest and come to know him as well. However, today’s meeting was pure chance. I was drawn by stories of a fascinating country in the south, which is why I happened to be in the vicinity.”

“Ah, I see, I see... Gracious, Yuki, you do have a tremendous network, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

Before I knew it, I’d become acquainted with more than half of the rulers of the great nations that existed on this continent, not to mention other incredibly powerful people. I’d just gone with the flow and wound up here.

“Hmm? What an interesting expression you have, Yuki. Care to explain?”

“Naaah, just thinking that even you know how to humble yourself when the occasion calls for it.”

“Oh dear, those words now have me wondering what precisely your impression of me is.”

“Easy. I think you’re a shady, scheming, blond demon.”

“Why, thank you for your honesty. You don’t know how happy it makes me to be able to feel the bonds of our friendship.”

The Demon King’s smile never faltered as he quipped casually back at me.

Yeah, that’s just how we roll.

“Here is my next question for you, then. You’ve grown stronger, haven’t you?”

“Sure have. Stuff happened, I evolved racially, and now I’m the Supreme Ruler.”

“Hmm... Racial evolution is rare for mankind, though I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised because it’s you. The longer I know you, the less I know what to call you, Yuki.”

You and me both, man.

My current race was Supreme Ruler. Publicly, though, I was known as the Demon Emperor. Folks who knew also still called me “demon lord” since I was the master of a dungeon. Then there was the Dragon King title. Although it wasn’t technically an honorary position, that was how it felt for all intents and purposes.

Not to toot my own horn, but I had so many titles that I didn’t even know what to call myself anymore. While “demon lord” was still my personal preference, I’d been considering going with “Demon Emperor” whenever I was in Reauxgard. Though maybe “Supreme Emperor” was more correct now? Hmm. Hmmmm. I’m not sure it fits me. Then again, “Demon Emperor” is pretty extra too, so there’s that.

“Okay, so I’ve been thinking that for now, I’ll stick to ‘Demon Emperor’ in an official capacity like I’ve been so far. While ‘Supreme Ruler’ is my race, ‘demon lord’ and ‘emperor’ both describe my jobs, so I figured those two would be better to call myself in public.”

“Now that you’re the Supreme Ruler, I don’t mind making it known far and wide that you should henceforth be called the Supreme Emperor.”

“Dude, stop messing with me. I already think that’s so not me, and I’d rather not deal with even more insane titles.”

“Are you sure? In my opinion, it suits you rather well. Granted, you lack the je ne sais quoi expected of a king or emperor, but how should I put this...I don’t find it especially strange for you to hold that rank. In fact, in an odd way, I would say it makes complete sense.”

“Maaan, is that a diss or a compliment?”

“Heh heh. I understand what you mean to say. This man possesses a certain something that has nothing to do with power. It is very difficult to describe indeed.”

“Oh, then you’re of the same mind, my lord?”

Their words made me twitchy. Restless.

A sudden thought occurred to me. It was kind of a late realization, but even normal people could see the Spirit Emperor despite him being, well, a spirit. Or maybe it was just the floating robe and staff that folks recognized. But wait, I could see him the first time I met him, even when I didn’t have the power of spirit magic. Then was he visible to anyone regardless of their ability because of the insane concentration of his power? Yeah, that sounded like the right explanation. I mean, he was a Calamity-level being. I knew I’d said it a bunch already, but it bore repeating. Ca. La. Mi. Ty. A very convincing word, that one.

“Anyway, Demon King. You’re here on official business, right? Should you be taking it so easy, then?”

“Yuki, Yuki, Yuki. Of course I would prioritize the Spirit Emperor himself over some musty old ruins! This may very well be my only chance to meet him. Work? Ha ha. Who gives a fig about work at a time like this?”

“Wanna know what I figured out just recently? You’re a pretty irresponsible guy, just going around and doing whatever you want, whenever you want.”

“Please, I prefer the term ‘free spirit.’ The soul is, after all, unfettered and undying. And if one is to enjoy one’s long life, a mindset like mine is very much necessary.”

The Demon King shrugged, his smile as unreadable as ever.

Well, the Spirit Emperor was an ultra-rare character. No denying that. So I could totally understand why the Demon King would wanna move hanging out with him to the top of his agenda. In fact, the old man might even be super-ultra-rare.

But also, the fact that Fynar was here too... Ooh, this is actually perfect. A golden opportunity if there ever was one!

“Hey, Demon King. Can I assume this means you have time on your hands today?”

“Hmm? I suppose, since I intend to postpone my original plans. So if you wouldn’t mind, my lord, may I accompany you and Yuki?”

“I do not mind at all. New encounters and conversations are one of the things the elderly enjoy.”

The Spirit Emperor agreed.

“Roger dodger, folks. Then is it cool if I bring my family here too?”

“Really?! Yes, of course, Yuki! Please do!”

“Oho, things are going to get even more lively, eh? I cannot wait.”

◇ ◇ ◇

“All right, kiddos, say hello to my friend Fynar. You can call him ‘Uncle Fynar.’”

“Hellooo, Uncle Fynar!”

Iluna and Shii greeted him excitedly in unison, and the wraith triplets did the same by waving at him.

“Hello, hello. Such cute little ladies you all are. And so many different races... Though that’s nothing out of the ordinary for you, eh, Yuki?”

There was very little trace of his blackheartedness in the Demon King’s smile as he responded to the little-girl gang. The fact that it was mostly genuine was very unusual for him. I’d been mostly joking with the “Uncle Fynar” bit, but he actually looked really happy about it. Maybe because he only received respect and reverence as a king, so he appreciated being treated like a normal person by my girls?

“Do you remember the Spirit Emperor? Say hi to him too.”

“Professor Spirit! It’s been so long!”

“It spirit grandpa! You floating today too!”

“Yup...he floated a lot today. And he was very strong.”

“Full glad am I to see you young ones with so much energy. Very good, very good.”

Once the little-girl gang finished greeting my two friends, it was the adult gang’s turn to do the same.

“Goodness. To be frank, I didn’t expect to meet either of you here, much less both.”

“I-I’m actually kinda nervous b-because I can’t talk like a sophisticated lady...”

“But, Lew, aren’t you a sort of princess yourself, considering your father’s position?”

“Urk. That’s a cheap shot, Nell...”

Lew was apparently daunted by the Demon King. It went without saying that Leila was her usual self, and Nell was used to dealing with powerful people since her role as the hero had her doing it on the regular. So Lew, a relatively normal girl compared to them, was having trouble conducting herself in a situation like this. I get it, him being a king and all.

As for the man in question, he beamed cheerfully back at her.

“Please, there’s no need for formalities. Since Yuki told the children to refer to me as ‘Uncle Fynar,’ I’d appreciate it if you’d do the same. Just think of me as your friendly neighborhood uncle instead of a ruler or what have you.”

“Yeah, what he said. This wily king is so wily that paying him any real respect is a waste of time.”

“No, no, Master Yuki, that won’t do. After all, he’s done so much for you. Of course we must treat him with courtesy.”

“Leila’s right, Mr. Yuki! It isn’t so much about his occupation but the fact that he’s a good friend of yours. That means that as your wives, we have to show His Majesty the proper respect.”

“Th-That’s right! This is a super important task for us as your wives!”

“Okay, okay. I’ve learned my lesson.”

That was all I could say in response to their fierce protests, although it seemed to me like Lew was just going with the flow. By the way, I really adored that side of her.

Meanwhile, Lefi and the Spirit Emperor talked to each other from next to us.

“Hmph. I see you are still alive and well, old man.”

“Heh heh. It is not yet time for me to die. In fact, I have every intention of living a few more millennia. More importantly, I have heard the news, Lefisios. Many, many congratulations are in order, eh?”

“I take it Yuki told you. Indeed, I have grown as a person. I am the most alive I have ever felt. Feel free to be envious, you doddering fool.”

“Hmm... Yes, I see indeed the truth in your words. And what a wonderful way to live it is. When your babe comes into this world, will you not allow me to cradle them as well?”

“I suppose, for the sake of our very old friendship, such as it is.”

“Professor Spirit, I’m gonna be a big sister! Isn’t that amazing?!”

“Very much so. Do your utmost to love your younger sibling and be a good elder sister to them.”

“I will! I’ll work super-duper hard to be the bestest big sister in the whole wide world!”

“Shii too, Shii too!”

“Me...too.”

The wraith sisters followed suit, showing that they shared the same sentiment with their determined expressions and excited bouncing.

“Aha ha ha. Yuki, aren’t you a lucky duck to have such wonderful children?”

The Demon King smiled, charmed by them, and the Spirit Emperor nodded in agreement.

“Yes, yes. I could not agree more. Now, young man, what of your spouse?”

“Alas, I don’t have one. My position makes it difficult to choose a partner, and moreover, in the demon world, bloodlines aren’t all that important. What the people seek from their king is power, first and foremost.”

“Speaking of the demon world, how are things looking over there? What with Gozim gone and all, the opposition must’ve lost a lot of its strength, right?”

The leader of Fynar’s antis had died during the war a while back. A man who’d stuck to his beliefs and fought at the risk of his own life. To the bitter end.

“Things are much calmer now. We even successfully converted his remaining supporters. Thanks to our victory in the war, they’ve acknowledged my strength. As long as one clears that pesky little hurdle, demons will fall in line quickly enough.”

“Gotcha. That’s good, then. Means I don’t have to worry about leaving this country in your hands.”

“I see your disinterest in politics and authority remains ever the same, hm?”

“Damn straight. My lore deep cut is that I was just an ordinary person who suddenly became a demon lord. If I tried to be a real king or whatever, I’d end up with ulcers from the stress in no time.”

“Heh heh. I very much doubt your stomach is as weak as you think.”

Then, Lefi tugged on the hem of my shirt to get my attention.

“Yuki. While it is a fine thing to enjoy oneself in conversation, I do not believe you summoned us here just to stand around and flap our jaws, yes? As you say, ‘get a move on.’”

“Oh yeah! I almost forgot. I was thinking this is as good a time as any to go sightseeing in the imperial capital.”

“Sightseeing?! Yaaay!”

“Ooooh! Master, this your country, right? So excite!”

“I...wonder if they have tasty food.”

That was when I called out to the pro steward, who’d been waiting patiently nearby.

“There you have it. Would you mind being our guide for the rest of the city too?”

“You wish to...tour the capital, yes?”

“Yup. Sorry this is all so sudden. You can just show us around the area near the palace if you’re busy. Oh, and we don’t need a huge contingent of bodyguards either. I wanna keep this low-key.”

For a brief, very brief, so-fast-I-almost-missed-it moment, his face twitched in surprise at my sudden and unreasonable request. But through sheer willpower, he controlled his facial muscles, keeping his genial smile in place. Then, he bowed.

“I’ll make the preparations right away, Your Majesty.”

Goddamn, he was the real deal. Mad respect, man. I decided then and there to keep him in the palace as my exclusive retainer.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Hmm. A lot of it’s been rebuilt, huh?”

I blurted that out as I walked through the imperial capital.

I remembered this area. It was the place where I’d killed the Dark King Corpse Dragon during the war. A huge crater had formed after the dragon had escaped from the lab, making the surrounding area collapse. There’d been mountains of rubble here, leaving it in an awful state.

But now, the streets were beautifully restored. There were no traces of the war to be found, and the place hummed with energy. The huge hole that’d basically been ground zero had also been completely sealed. I’d heard that all the nations had cooperated in the reconstruction process, and that the dwarves, who were particularly good at building stuff, had taken the lead. The results were seriously impressive.

“There was no choice but to clear away the dregs of the war as quickly as possible. If left behind, they would have served as a constant reminder to the humans of their defeat.”

“Indeed... Had I not been told of the war, I would not know one had even occurred. It is a wonderful sight, this mingling of so many races.”

Turned out this part of the city was a marketplace. Not only were there a ton of humans here, but also folks of other races walking around free as they pleased. As far as I could tell, everyone was interacting normally with each other.

The imperial capital had become a central hub for airships, which had been deployed on a large scale as many countries adopted the technology. That explained the massive influx of tourists. Because of that, the empire’s economy was also booming, and it was actually more prosperous than it’d been before the war, which in turn meant other aspects of life were moving along smoothly too. That was why relations between the various races were improving little by little.

It might seem materialistic, but money was absolutely necessary for people to live. Having plenty of it meant an easier life, and an easier life meant less stress on your mind and heart. And that meant you were less likely to fight. Sure, money wasn’t everything in this world, but it was still important since how much or how little you had affected your quality of life.

Making the imperial capital a central hub for airship routes seriously worked to our advantage, huh? Jeez, the other monarchs really have an eye for this kind of thing. I think I’ll just relax and leave this country in their obviously capable hands.

By the way, I could see guards, both human and demon, scattered about here and there, but honestly, that kinda felt unavoidable. It would’ve been unreasonable to ask them to reduce security to zero. Especially when the ruler of the country and his family were being accompanied by the king of another land and the mysterious Spirit Emperor, who gave off super powerful vibes.

“Come now, Rei, Rui, Roh. Contain yourselves. We do not want you flying off to goodness knows where.”

Lefi called out to the slightly restless wraith triplets, making them stay close and stopping them from flitting away wherever they wanted. Right now, they were possessing the dolls they used for going out, but the sight of them would probably terrify normal people. This wasn’t Leila’s village, after all, so while I felt bad about curtailing their freedom, I couldn’t have them wandering around.

Just like them, Shii had given in to her curiosity earlier and was about to wander off, but Leila held her hand tightly to stop her from going off on her own. So yeah, the dungeon summons were as true to their little hearts’ desires as ever. I wonder where they get it from. Couldn’t be me.

“Mmm...that looks delicious.”

“Alert, alert! EnEn’s sensor reacted! Yukiki, those meat and vegetable things look amazing! Let’s buy some!”

“Oh, hey, it looks like a doner kebab. Great idea, I think I’ll get some for everyone. Demon King, you want some too? Spirit Emperor...you don’t eat things, right?”

“Please and thank you. I must say, it’s my first experience with an outing like this, and I’m enjoying myself tremendously.”

“Do not worry about me. Enjoy your food.”

“Roger that. Rei, Rui, Roh, gimme a minute, okay? Sir, I’d like nine of those.”

“Y-You got it!”

The old man at the food stall seemed a little nervous by our group of unfamiliar faces. He was used to serving customers, though, so his movements were smooth as he prepared enough for all of us. We didn’t have to wait long.

Piping hot, oozing with meat juices, and smelling absolutely divine, it was a dish with plenty of meat sandwiched between vegetables like lettuce and tomatoes, all wrapped in dough. This was definitely gonna get messy. Gotta make sure I have plenty of napkins or something to use later.

“All right, folks. Bon appétit!”

“Bon appétit!” my family said in unison.

“Oh, is it a custom for you and yours to say that before a meal?”

“Pretty much.”

Then, we all started eating the doner kebabs.

“So...sooo yummy.”

“Very yummy! You really have a good eye for food, EnEn!”

“Super eyes! Very cool!”

“Yup... These eyes never miss anything tasty. Here comes the En, the Gourmet Hunter”

“Wooow!” Iluna and Shii exclaimed.

“Aha ha ha! No surprise there since Mr. Yuki takes En with him wherever he goes, giving her plenty of opportunities to try all sorts of foods. I think she has the most refined palate out of all of us.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Anything I cook at home, she can precisely identify what seasonings I used.”

“Oh yeah? That’s amazing.”

With all the attention on her, En puffed out her chest in pride.

“Yup... Because I want to be a master chef someday. One who can make lots of food so that I can help Leila.”

Incidentally, since she was an expert on slashing, En was currently the best at making sashimi.

“Tut, tut! I’m not gonna get left out! I’ll get good at cooking lots of food too! That way, I can help everyone out!”

“Um, um, ummm... I think I stick to eating! Better at it than cooking!”

“What a coincidence, Shii, ’cause that’s my specialty too!”

“But, Lew, you don’t suck at cooking anymore. In fact, I’d say you’re pretty decent at it now, so I don’t think you need to call yourself an eating specialist anymore.”

“Do you really think so, my lord?! Tee hee hee... Then maybe I should try harder to become an even better cook!”

“LewLew, nooo! You betraying meee!”

“Heh. Shii, a woman’s goal in life is to grow as a person!”

“That’s right, Shii! So let’s work hard to get better at cooking together!”

“Yup... When we get home, we’ll start training right away.”

“Hmm, hmm, hmm... Okay. You two super motivated, meaning no choice but to join in!”

Shii did an “Oh, well, it is what it is” gesture with her hands as she conceded. I really, really wanted to make a comment, but I held back since Shii, who very much lived life in the moment, seemed motivated, and that was good enough for me.

“Gah ha! Work hard, little ones. Even I, much poorer at such domestic skills than the lot of you, have learned to cook a smidge. Therefore, you all should be just fine once you become accustomed to the task.”

“We will, Lefifi!”

“We will!”

“To...make something delicious by yourself and eat it. This is the secret of food.”

The Spirit Emperor chuckled in amusement at our conversation—a normal one by our family’s standards—while the Demon King looked dazzled.

“Yuki, having a family is a wonderful thing, isn’t it? I don’t have a spouse, and my parents are long gone, so...I find myself feeling a touch envious of you.”

“Yeah, I get that, Demon King. But I think this is what everyone needs to really live. A reason to look to the future and walk forward, step by step.”

People weren’t meant to be alone. No, scratch that. Intelligent creatures couldn’t survive alone. Living things always needed others. And for me, the power to live was here, now.

The Spirit Emperor spoke next.

“I see you as the sort who thinks his choices through first. Mind you, these are just the ramblings of an old man, but you will be surprised to know that there are many things in this world you cannot see unless you take the leap. That is the way of things.”

“My lord... Yes, yes. I believe you may be right... Peace, hm?”

“What did you see, Fynar?”

“Well, as someone in a position of authority, I’ve always struggled with what I should aim for. But now I feel as if I can see it more clearly than ever before. Don’t you agree, Yuki?”

“Yup.”

“Might I be so bold as to visit you and yours in your dungeon next time?”

I smiled in response.

“Yeah, of course. Since we’re on the subject, invite the other rulers to come with you. My demon lord-style hospitality will save you from all the fatigue of everyday life.”

“Aha ha ha! An excellent idea. I’m very much looking forward to it. And I’ll make the suggestion to the others the next time we’re all together in this country.”

“Cool, hit me up when that happens. Oh, I should mention that our food is so delicious that I’m confident it’s in a league of its own. We also have the kind of hot spring that would be a fantastical secret in the real world. All your stress will melt away. You’ll see!”

“Oh, such fun! I truly can’t wait!”

“Heh. A labyrinth where monarchs from all over the world gather. A sight that would never come to pass if not for you.”

“Of course, you can drop by anytime too, Spirit Emperor. You’re always welcome at our humble abode.”

“Thank you. I shall visit when I have the chance.”

And so, we walked through the streets of the imperial capital, chatting about this, that, and everything.

◇ ◇ ◇

Having finished his job and returned to the castle, the man—Kalcade—exhaled deeply. He was the middle-aged steward who had spent the whole day acting as a tour guide for Yuki and his entourage. In truth, though, he wasn’t actually a steward. His real profession was espionage.

He originally belonged to a spy organization directly under the supervision of the former emperor, Shendra. As such, he had learned the proper etiquette of a steward, so his official position had been part of the castle’s staff since before the war. However, with the Reauxgard Empire’s defeat, a change in the emperor meant a change in his role as well.

The existence of Kalcade’s secret organization had yet to be made public. Even Fynar, who was the de facto leader of the country, didn’t know about it. Now, its main purpose was to protect the empire from the shadows. Its new objective was to act to stop any violence by other races and interfere subtly should Reauxgard be at a disadvantage. Yet so far, they hadn’t actually needed to act. Because the leaders of the other nations hadn’t exploited the empire. Instead, they were putting serious consideration into the future of this country.

As the loser of the war, Reauxgard had been forced to concede many of their vested interests and accept a number of unfavorable positions. However, it was also true that the other monarchs were doing their best to further this country’s development. That meant that up until this point, there had been no need for any covert activity, so the members of his organization had simply spent their days in their respective official professions.

In fact, they spent their days secretly helping other races alongside the very few human powers who knew about them. It was a collaboration that involved the elimination of fools infected by the idea of human supremacy. Those thoughts weren’t the result of reason, but born only of a rebellious will. “Because I don’t like this.” “Because it makes me angry.” The ideology spread for silly reasons such as those.

Believing that the spread of such idiotic tribalism would inevitably bring disaster to this country, he had been working behind the scenes with the dozen or so remaining comrades to gradually uproot that ideology. If only the problem had simply been a dislike of the other races. They had been at war. It was only natural for hatred to fester against their former enemies, and it was impossible to ask people to accept them in such a short time. After all, too many people had lost their families and friends.

Unfortunately for the citizens of Reauxgard, their country had lost the war and was now ruled by the victors. The times had changed. The current of coexistence with other races was a difficult one to fight against, and any action opposing it would inevitably put the empire at a disadvantage.

Kalcade and his comrades had been trained by former emperor Shendra, who had made this decision with his forward thinking, so they currently operated in secret against their fellow humans. And today, the new emperor of this country, Demon Emperor Yuki, had appeared in the imperial capital despite having remained mostly absent since the war’s end. Kalcade had performed his duties as a steward to assess the man’s personality, and the only thing he felt after a long day of doing so was...tired.

“Good grief... How vast the world truly is.”

One thing he understood clearly now was that no human could ever even hope to match the new monarch. No, not just humans. None of the races of mankind.

In addition to the Demon Emperor, there had been a being of light whose race was unclear and who exuded a stronger aura, as well as the girl who was his spouse. Those two were in a class of their own, making it impossible to even gauge the extent of their power. It was an exercise in futility to even think about competing with such forces.

However, by spending the day together, Kalcade had been able to see that they weren’t just powerful monstrosities. How did they conduct themselves? What were their personalities like? What was important to them? What were their desires? He had been able to learn all of those things. And so...

“Master Kalcade, how did it go?”

A maid who knew the situation and belonged to the same spy organization questioned him.

“Well, I realized that I need to perfect myself as a steward.”

He replied with a wry smile, which only made her look at him curiously.

“Oh? Is that so?”

“I feel I still have ample room for improvement. Even if the job itself is temporary, work is still work. If I’m to continue serving His Majesty, I need to become even more perfect.”

The maid chuckled.

“Aha, I see. I take it you approve of the new emperor, Captain?”

“All I can say is that I can’t help but be deeply impressed by Lord Shendra’s keen intuition. I came close to dying a miserable death, and that’s exactly why I must dedicate the rest of my life to this country. Otherwise, I won’t be able to face him. Not when he fought so hard for our people. I hope I can continue to count on you as well.”

“I’m honored, sir. I trust your judgment.”

The maid bowed her head.

It wasn’t easy for people of different races to come together as one. The Reauxgard Empire still faced a mountain of problems, and many of them would take years, perhaps even decades to solve. But even then, they all moved forward slowly and steadily, at their own pace.

◇ ◇ ◇

On an airship. After touring the imperial capital with Yuki and the others, Demon King Fynar had found himself running short on time, so he’d parted ways with them and boarded an airship to get started on the official duty that had brought him here: an investigation into the ruins. Originally, it wasn’t something that fell under the heading of his duties, but based on what Shen—none other than the previous emperor of Reauxgard, Shendra—had told him, he’d decided to take on the task. Thus, he’d come to the empire after taking care of his most urgent duties in the demon world.

According to Shen, the ruins in question had apparently been used as a repository of records, and there was a high probability that extremely valuable information, or information that couldn’t be made public, was lying dormant in them. They might have contained data that it was in the nation’s best interest to keep secret. Moreover, they had a unique and heavy defense mechanism installed. Although Yuki was technically the current emperor of Reauxgard, Fynar, who actually handled most of the administrative work, had decided that he himself needed to be the one to judge how the information should be handled.

With all that said, he didn’t regret having postponed his official duties to enjoy sightseeing in the imperial capital with Demon Lord Yuki—no, Demon Emperor Yuki, and Spirit Emperor Ygg Drasil. He had seized the moment when it presented itself to deepen his friendship with them.

“Heh. What a wonderful experience that was.”

Looking out the window of the airship, Fynar chuckled to himself.

The Demon King was a monarch. He ruled over the vast territory of the demon world and was the leader of a diverse group of demons. Furthermore, it was no exaggeration to state that he was currently the most influential head of state on the continent, and no king in the history of the demon world had possessed as much influence over other countries as him. He was the first king to use his knowledge to govern, something practically unheard of for demons who prized power above all else. And through his efforts, he had not only furthered the development of the realm known as the demon world, but he had also ensured that even more people around the world understood the strength and resilience of the demon race.

No matter how much demons worshipped power, they had to acknowledge his skills. So despite him being the weakest king in demonic history, the people of the demon world realized that he was still their ruler. Indeed, Fynar had demonstrated such overwhelming ability that it had changed the demons’ values. That was simply how outstanding he was.

As a result, he rarely had the freedom to go where he pleased, when he pleased. He had no family and therefore didn’t have to carve out time to spend with them, so he didn’t think it was something to fuss over. He himself didn’t feel particularly restricted. He spent his days on official business and always had bodyguards with him in case something happened.

After all, that was the life of a ruler. Power came at a price, whether that power was physical or political. As the ruler of the demon world, Fynar had come to accept that he didn’t have much freedom in his daily life, although he didn’t find it a particularly difficult position to be in.

Even so, today, the few hours when he didn’t have to worry about it at all had been truly enjoyable. He had simply been Fynar, Yuki’s friend. Yuki’s family also didn’t give him any special treatment; they just saw him as a friend of their husband, their brother, or their master, so there was no strange reverence in their behavior. The experience had been incredibly refreshing, and so much more comfortable than he had imagined.

The man named Yuki was a good friend. Fynar’s friends fell into several categories, but among them, Yuki was “someone he could spend time with as an equal.” At this moment in time, the two were also equal in power, with Yuki now having the same tremendous influence as Fynar.

However, Yuki himself dismissed such things as “a pain in the ass.” It was very much like the young man to not have the kind of tact generally expected of a leader. He was always direct. He didn’t beat around the bush when something was a nuisance, but he also kept his word when he said he would do something. He often explained away his personality with a flippant “’Cause I’m a demon lord!” always saying that all demon lords were the same. Yet Fynar privately thought that was just his personality.

In the wake of seeing Yuki and his family, Fynar had suddenly fancied how nice it would be if he also had a spouse and a family that he was close with—people to do fun things with.

“Ha ha! When I return to the demon world, I believe I’ll give marriage some serious thought.”

As it so happened, he had received offers aplenty, he’d simply been so busy that he hadn’t had the leisure to entertain any of them. But maybe it was finally time for that to change. He’d been alive for more than two hundred years now. Though demons had long life spans, Fynar nevertheless had to concede that he was at an age where he should have already found a companion. Yes, it was definitely a good time to begin the search in earnest for one.

He had experienced something else profound today: meeting the Spirit Emperor Ygg Drasil. That new connection could very well prove to be a great asset to him. The Spirit Emperor was said to be a great sage, a being who had been watching over the world since an age long past and who had lent his strength to its stability.

Even among demons, who lived longer than other races, sightings of the Spirit Emperor were only reported once every few generations. It made Fynar wonder if any of his Demon King predecessors had ever actually met and conversed with him. Either way, he had certainly never dreamed that he would be able to build such a positive relationship in such a place.

Was it, then, just his imagination that once-in-a-lifetime events like this occurred every time he just so happened to be with the man named Yuki? No, he was certain that was reality. And he was also certain that Yuki must have been born under a particularly lucky star. How else could he have become the emperor of a human nation while being a demon lord?

As Fynar was looking out the window of the airship and smiling happily to himself, one of his subordinates accompanying him on the field visit came to make a report.

“My lord, we’ll be arriving at the fortress city of Führmund in approximately half an hour.”

“Understood.”

Right, then. Time to get to work.

Fynar switched gears immediately, eager to see to his task upon reaching his destination.

What he didn’t know was that he would come under attack there the very next day.

◇ ◇ ◇

Playing the tourist in the imperial capital had been fun. Since my ask had been so sudden, it was no surprise that we hadn’t gotten to see much and had had to call it a day at sunset. But for a spur-of-the-moment thing, we’d all definitely enjoyed ourselves.

The Demon King had left halfway through, tight on time considering there hadn’t been room in his schedule for that sort of thing in the first place. The Spirit Emperor had left the capital too, on foot, after getting his fill of the sights and sounds. Speaking of, his interest hadn’t been in just the buildings and architecture. He’d also been drawn to how people lived their lives, the work they did, and more, peppering our de facto steward-turned-guide with all kinds of questions.

I think that field of study is called...cultural anthropology? I wasn’t an expert on it either, but I was pretty sure I was right about it being an academic area exploring the lifestyles and habits of people. From what I knew, a basic, easy-to-understand concept was beauty standards. For example, I remembered learning in school in my previous life that a woman who was considered beautiful in the Heian period was completely different from a woman who was considered beautiful in the modern period, meaning that the definition of beauty changed depending on the culture of the era. And even in the modern era, the definition of beauty in Japan was different from the definition in other countries, with the same trend reflected in cooking, architecture, fashion, and so on.

Upon seeing everything he’d wanted to see, the Spirit Emperor had said he’d wander the outskirts of the Reauxgard Empire for a while, then go somewhere else. I had a hunch we’d meet again sooner rather than later. The day had gotten off to a very eventful start with the bug extermination in the ruins, but I could still say it’d been a fulfilling one.

As I mentally recounted what all had happened today, I looked at the sleeping faces of the little-girl gang, already traipsing about in dreamland. I was feeling pretty tired myself and thinking it was about time I went to sleep too, when Lefi, who was also still awake, spoke to me.

“Yuki, I just remembered that our match remains unfinished.”

“Hmm? Ah, yeah, you’re right.”

We’d stopped in the middle of our shogi game, when I’d received the distress call.

“All righty, let’s do this. Today was a blast, and I wanna end it on a good note with victory!”

“Except a new day has already begun. Therefore, it is I who shall sleep like a babe after I triumph over you! While you grit your teeth in frustration... On second thought, no. It would worry me unduly to add, what is the word? Oh, yes, stress upon you.”

“Hey, can you not kill the vibe by getting all serious so suddenly? Oookay, let’s see the state of the board... Wait, whose turn was it again?”

“It was... I do not know. Shall we start from the beginning, then?”

“Good idea.”

So we did just that, starting the match all over again.

“Oh yeah, question. How are you feeling?”

“I am hale and hearty. I have heard that pregnancy can wreak havoc on a body, but as of now, I have not experienced any troubles myself. Even so, I am reminded every day that I carry another life within me. So do not worry, for your child steadily grows stronger.”

“That’s...good to know.”

Feeling a little awkward, I scratched my cheek. She must’ve seen right through me because...

“How careless of you, Yuki! Take this!”

“Dwah?! Ngh! I let my guard slip for one second, but you didn’t miss the chance to strike at me. I’m forced to acknowledge your skill as my rival!”

“The world of competition is not for the weak or naive. If you cannot focus, then I shall devour you!”

“As if! Think of this as me giving you a nice little handicap! Now I’ll show you the difference between us!”

“The mewling yips of a hound who knows he will lose! Nevertheless, I admire your courage. Go on, then, and show me!”

Just as we really got into our usual brand of bickering, a Comm Orb flashed. The one for the Reauxgard Empire. Specifically, the unit reserved for emergencies. And suddenly, I’m getting hit hard with déjà vu...

“Sorry, Lefi, but it looks like we’re gonna have to put our match on hold. Again. We’ll leave the board just like this.”

“I understand. These infernal humans... I wager they realized the truth about you, which is that you have ample time on your hands, eh?”

“Wow, don’t hold back, now. Never mind that I do do stuff every day, y’know.”

“Gah ha! I jest, I jest. Well, give it your all. And take care. Considering the late hour and it being the second time they have summoned you in as many days, it is bound to be trouble of some sort.”

“Yeaaah, unfortunately. I’ll be back before you know it. En. En, sorry to wake you up. Duty calls again. I know you’re sleepy, but...”

I grabbed the sword that was her true form, which was standing upright next to me, and her human form appeared there, sleepily rubbing her eyes.

“It’s...okay. I’m your blade, Master. I got a little bit of sleep, so I’m fine. Since my body is different from everyone else’s, I don’t need a lot of sleep to recover.”

Normally, a sword wouldn’t need to rest. But En wasn’t a normal sword. She had a sense of self, which meant she had mental activity, and that tired her out and made her need rest just like all of us. And so, she also slept—albeit much, much more lightly than us.

“But...I want to wash my face.”

“Of course. Do your thing. Seriously, kiddo, thank you always.”

She toddled off to the bathroom to wash her face. When she came back, with my greatsword in hand, we left the dungeon.

◇ ◇ ◇

“Y-Your Majesty! P-Please follow me at once!”

When I got back to Reauxgard, I wasn’t surprised to find a member of staff waiting for me. He walked quickly ahead, and I followed behind. They’re really panicking, huh? It was worse than the people’s reaction to the bugs overrunning the ruins. Did that mean something even more terrible had happened?

“Rir, wait here. Look after the other four for me.”

“Grr.”

He nodded in response.

This time around, I’d brought all five members of my pet army with me. I wanted to wrap things up here as quickly as possible since I was honestly kinda annoyed to have gotten back-to-back summons, to say nothing of the fact that this one had come so late at night. Though I would’ve been lying if I said that the insects being stronger than I’d expected hadn’t also played a part in me bringing them. Thanks to the Spirit Emperor, we hadn’t needed to go head-to-head against their queen, but if we’d been forced to fight her, chances were good it would’ve been a battle to the death. It was better to be safe than sorry, especially if this new incident meant similarly powerful creatures coming out of the woodwork.

The man led me to the same room in the palace I’d been taken to earlier yesterday. There, I found a human, a demon, and an elf, their expressions grave. I didn’t know who they were since I didn’t remember their faces, but I could tell at a glance that all three were high-ranking officials in this country.

“What happened?”

“Y-Your Majesty! We-We’ve been waiting for you. Please accept our apologies for the constant requests for aid, and this one so late at night.”

“It’s fine, just get to the point. From the looks on your faces, I’m guessing it must be serious.”

They glanced at each other, then the demon man of the trio took the lead.

“His Majesty the Demon King was ambushed.”

I flinched at those words.

“An ambush here in the empire means it was human supremacists, yeah?”

“We still don’t know all the particulars, but all of the attackers are human, so that’s likely the case.”

Goddammit, them again? They pull this shit over and over again. When are they gonna learn their lesson? At this point, I was seriously contemplating just eradicating every last one of them.

“Wait a sec. Yeah, the guy is shady, but no way is he dumb. He should’ve been wary of the possibility from the get-go. Then how was he still ambushed?”

“Well, about that... The assailants on this occasion attacked wearing only the clothes on their backs and what they had on hand. One thing we’ve learned is that most of them are civilians with no formal training, and we think that’s why it took so long for our forces to respond. Our people couldn’t very well use force on them, so they took advantage of that and barricaded themselves in the state guesthouse in the fortress city of Führmund. Reports indicate they number between one thousand and two thousand strong.”

The fortress city he’d referred to must’ve been the one near the ruins where the bugs had swarmed. I think I’m starting to get the picture here... A mob had formed, made up mostly of ordinary people, which was why they couldn’t do anything about it. They would’ve acted swiftly if their opponents had been other soldiers or criminals, but that wasn’t the way to go with civilians. They’d probably been incited to act by others. However, using force to take control, which could’ve led to a lot of people being killed... No matter the truth behind that, if we’d gone that route, we would’ve been the ones made out to be the bad guys in this ridiculous play. It would’ve given the human supremacists ammunition to spread all kinds of lies, inevitably increasing human animosity toward other races.

“Additionally, we learned about rumors spreading among the humans saying that other races were responsible for the insect attack. The way these rumors spread was so rapid that there must have been someone behind the scenes who instigated them, and it seems that this caused a fair few people to explode with discontent.”

I see. So that’s how it connects.

“What’s our military doing in the meantime?”

“We thought it would be ill-advised for nonhumans to interfere, so we had our allied forces defend the entrance to the guesthouse and deployed riot control units composed mainly of humans everywhere else. Unfortunately, along the way, some of the troops defected and joined the other side, resulting in injuries and confusion, which is why we halted our attempts to take control of the situation. For now, we’re merely surrounding the area.”

After the high-ranking demon man gave me that general outline, the high-ranking human man followed up. His bitter expression clearly revealed what he was thinking inside.

“Based on the fact that Lord Fynar’s itinerary was leaked, we’ve determined there’s a traitor in our midst, specifically among key personnel. And almost certainly a human. A fool who probably believes themself innocent because they think they’re doing this out of a love for their country... Regardless, I am sincerely sorry for the trouble we humans are responsible for, Your Majesty.”

He bowed his head deeply.

Hmm... If that many people were gathered in the walled city at one time, our information network had to have picked up the chatter. Despite that, it hadn’t reached the Demon King, leading to the current situation. In other words, someone at the top was quashing the info.

The high-ranking elf, a woman, spoke next, adding on to his words.

“Your Majesty, I won’t deny that the humans are at fault here. However, many of them are currently working with us on a number of projects. This has led to them changing their mindsets and ostracizing those with ideas that undermine our spirit of cooperation. Therefore, I think this is most likely their final struggle.”

“Gotcha. Now raise your head, man. You can clean up the mess yourself later.”

Should I consider this the last stand of a dying faction in the postwar period? Based on everything Nell had told me, the Kingdom of Alisia was also a fairly large human nation. Seventy percent of the human supremacists there had already been rejected, leaving them with very low morale. They probably wouldn’t disappear completely, but they wouldn’t be coming out in public anymore either.

And even in the Reauxgard Empire, itself having been turned into a battlefield where many humans had died and resentment toward other races still lingered, I’d heard that the relationships between the different races were steadily improving. In fact, just a little while ago, during my stroll through the imperial capital, I could feel that the country was slowly but surely moving forward. If we could just get rid of the idiots who had staged this current incident...then it would be fair to say that the postwar cleanup would be over, at least for the near future.

“I understand the situation, so let’s make our move—”

“Please wait. This was a failure on our part, so we would like to ask for your cooperation in resolving the matter. Come in.”

The door to the room opened, and a middle-aged man entered.

“Whoa! It’s you! I knew it. I knew there was more to you than meets the eye.”

“You realized? I am the head of Avend, a spy organization established by the former emperor, Shendra. Please forgive me for hiding my affiliation while working in your service, Your Majesty.”

It was the steward—the pro, the real deal.

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Not like you actually did anything bad. Besides, you’d be nuts to go around shouting to everyone and their mothers, ‘Look at me! I’m a spy!’”

From the moment I met him, it’d been obvious that he could fight. I’d made it a habit of mine to use Analysis on any strangers I came into contact with. But I hadn’t sensed any malice from him, plus he was good at his job, so I’d never been particularly concerned about him.

“You guys said you wanted my cooperation, right? Well, I am the enemy of the former emperor. And now I’m gonna take on humans. Still wanna cooperate?”

“Although the members of our organizations aren’t soldiers, we’re very close to it. The first thing we must protect is our country. And the times have already changed. So, in order to protect our country, we have no choice but to throw ourselves into that current. There are some, like the insurgents on this occasion, who cannot accept the changing of the guard. However, if that makes them our country’s enemies...then we must kill them, even if they’re our parents or siblings.”

His words were realistic, yet they also held conviction.

“Moreover, frankly speaking, we’ve been trying to eliminate those infected by foolish ideas such as human supremacy. As such, we have already killed many of our compatriots. The fault lies with us for being unable to prevent this from happening in the first place. So, as you said, please allow us to clean up our own mess.”

“Heard. Then let’s put an end to this stupid racket.”

“Yes, my lord!”

They all bowed their heads in response.

◇ ◇ ◇

In the state guesthouse in the walled city of Führmund, located near the ruins where Yuki had exterminated the insects.

“Ngh!”

“You’ve underestimated us, humans. I know you have strong people. Perhaps you should have called upon them, because your level of strength in this moment isn’t nearly enough to defeat even a broken person like me.”

It was Runougil, the Demon King’s right-hand man. Due to the aftereffects of the war, he was no longer able to use any magical powers, but in indoor environments where close-quarters combat was the norm, he was still the strongest of Fynar’s guards. Once he’d eliminated the assassins who had infiltrated the building, he knocked and entered the room.

“Your Majesty, we’ve finished our cleanup of the inside.”

“Yes, yes, thank you. I must admit, though, I’m surprised by their numbers. It seems I’ve become quite popular with these young humans as well. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been so earnest with my work.”

Sitting in a chair, Fynar sipped his tea, looking like a man enjoying his leisure time. He murmured almost to himself with his usual enigmatic smile. He was looking out the window. There were people, people, and more people surrounding the entire state guesthouse, all of them human. Insults and angry shouts rang out, accompanied by noisy chanting that echoed throughout the ruins.

At first, it had only been a few dozen people. After making some basic preparations for the investigation into the ruins set to begin tomorrow, Fynar and his people had been about to go to sleep when some humans had gathered outside the guesthouse and started arguing with the guards. They hadn’t been armed at the time, and since they were merely being a nuisance, his people didn’t consider them dangerous and simply chased them away. Before long, however, more and more humans had begun to gather from the surrounding areas, and the size of the mob had grown. Before they’d realized it, it had reached this state.

In addition to guarding the guest house, a platoon had accompanied the Demon King as his personal bodyguards, and they had been able to quickly block the entrance and prevent an intrusion. But then the humans had flooded in, forming a wall of angry protestors, so he and his people had been forced to barricade themselves inside under the unexpected siege. At the same time, assassins had infiltrated the building. Runougil and his comrades had eliminated them.

Fynar had concluded that this whole thing had been orchestrated by a group antagonistic toward other races. Although he consulted regularly with the monarchs of other countries, the fact that the Demon King was essentially in charge of the empire was an indisputable fact. His death would cause immeasurable chaos and lead to a breakdown in relations between the races.

That all being the case, when it came to escaping from this place, his guards had judged that it would have been possible right away should he have wanted to. Apart from the assassins who had slipped inside, the rest of the mob outside were clearly just ordinary folks, judging from the way they carried themselves. Breaking through that wall would have been an easy enough feat.

However, the Demon King himself had stopped them, saying, “It wouldn’t be wise to cause casualties among the humans here, so enough with the heavy-handed measures.” Since the assassination attempt had failed, the enemy had likely shifted to hoping for tragedy to strike. Specifically, they wanted something that would cause many humans to be killed or injured, as they could blame it on the other races.

Fynar had drawn this conclusion after analyzing their movements. At that point, he had used the magical device in his possession to communicate remotely with his personnel to request reinforcements from the imperial capital. While contacting them, he had asked them to summon Yuki. In the meantime, Fynar’s strategy called for stalling until his friend arrived.

“Heh. You never change, do you, Your Majesty?”

“Well, that’s because I trust you all. It’s just a mob, and not a strong one at that. I’m satisfied as long as you can buy us some time. Oh, but do be careful not to let anyone die, hm?”

His ever so casual tone made his subordinates smile wryly because clearly, their lord was the same as ever, which allowed them to relax and focus on their work.

As for Fynar himself, truthfully, he felt that he’d let his guard down. His decision to come here had been made after seeing that things were calm in the empire. Nevertheless, it had been quite a sudden decision with no real, solid plan in place. On top of that, he had enjoyed spending time with Demon Emperor Yuki, his family, and the Spirit Emperor, so he really couldn’t deny that he’d become a tad careless. This was his own mistake. He had known that the situation here remained in flux and still wound up entangled in this mess.

Yet the man known as Demon King Fynar was the sort who didn’t give up even if he took a tumble. If I can manage this well, we might be able to put an end to this problem for the foreseeable future. Just then, while he planned his next move with his usual enigmatic smile, even the not-so-powerful Fynar sensed an immense cluster of power approaching from a distance. His guards grew nervous, but he knew who was coming, so his smile never wavered.

“Calm yourselves. Our allies are on their way. Isn’t that right, Runougil?”

“I do believe I’m familiar with this aura, my lord.”

Fynar inclined his head and continued.

“Evidently, he who is of mankind but possesses strength far beyond man’s limits has arrived.”

◇ ◇ ◇

Courtesy of the same door I’d used not long ago, I was back in the vicinity of the fortified city near the ruins, riding on Rir, who was going so fast that it didn’t even take us half an hour to get close enough to hear the mayhem. The closer we got to the city, the louder it grew. It was insanely loud despite the late hour and the distance still remaining between us and the city.

“I... I can hardly believe we’re already here, Your Majesty. Your power is truly incredible.”

The steward riding on the back of Orochi, my giant serpent, sounded impressed.

Four people had come with us: the steward, two maids, and a cook. On the surface, they seemed totally unfit for fighting, but in reality, they were a group of spies who’d been protecting the country from the shadows. When I checked their stats, I could see that each of them was the cream of the crop as far as humans were concerned, and it was obvious that they’d seen their fair share of combat. They’re so cool.

“Thanks, but just so you know, that door is my lifeline, so I don’t let anyone use it except in emergencies. I’d appreciate it if you kept quiet about its location.”

“Understood. We’ll ensure that everything we see and hear today stays among ourselves.”

And then, the source of the commotion finally reached our ears—a cacophony of countless voices. What’s the technical term for this loud ringing sound again? “Protest chanting” or something? It was something I’d seen on the news, where a group of people had raised their voices in unison and chanted.

To be honest, I hated this kind of thing with a passion. People were free to believe whatever they wanted. As long as their beliefs are reasonable, of course. Wouldn’t wanna generalize. But I had thoughts about forcing your beliefs on others, shouting “I’m right!” If it happened to me, I’d be extremely annoyed.

Nothing pissed me off more than people forcing their beliefs on others. And it was always the people who were a little off in the head who pulled that crap. They tended to have thoughts that were, broadly speaking, unacceptable.

Unfortunately, the loudest usually succeeded in getting others to accept them because that was just the way the world worked. What can you do, amirite? That was a universal truth not only in this world but across all words. Apparently, intelligent life-forms developed roughly the same thought processes no matter where they lived.

“Oookay, let’s see what our next move is.”

Our goal was to rescue the Demon King. The most important condition was to let the rioters go without hurting them. In that case, I’d try to be a proper emperor, one sympathetic to his subjects. Actually, that was probably exactly what Fynar wanted me to do. I knew I’d mellowed out a bit, showing sympathy to my enemies and favoring reasoning with them over choosing violence. There was a chance I’d go down in history as a good-hearted emperor who did right by his people.

“Your Majesty, we intend to capture the mastermind behind this turmoil. We believe they are somewhere inside the walled city.”

“Wait, you guys already have an idea who it is?”

“Yes, we have a list of potential suspects likely to instigate this sort of event. Since our lack of information sharing has caused this to happen, I must apo—”

“Hey, I told you, enough with the apologies already. You do what you need to do, and I’ll do what I need to do. Sound good?”

After a moment of silence, the steward nodded.

“Yes. You’re absolutely correct. Good luck, Your Majesty.”

“Right back atcha.”

And then, we arrived at Führmund. Maybe because barely a day had passed since my last visit, the guards at the gate looked flustered at first before remembering me and my pets. They let us all through without any issues. My pets and I and the steward and his team went our separate ways there, with my little entourage headed toward the center of the commotion we’d heard—a large lavishly decorated building.

I could feel the enthusiasm of whoever’d designed the building. Surrounding it was a massive mob of humans. It amazed me how many of them had gathered here in the middle of the night. Just like they’d told me in my initial briefing, they wore only the clothes on their backs and didn’t have much in the way of weapons. Their stats also told me that most of them were ordinary civilians.

Too bad for them that at my current level, I was able to immediately spot the few operatives among them. How, you might ask? Well, it had to do with the vibes of their auras, which were just a little different from your average Joe’s. Even though everyone said I was terrible at picking up on that kind of stuff, I was able to notice it right away now. Had to’ve been a perk of my racial evolution. And I couldn’t’ve been more grateful that the current me was capable enough to see through any threat.

The military was nearby, but like they’d told me back at the palace, they weren’t taking any action to suppress the revolt. Instead, they’d been enduring being pelted with stones and shouts of “Traitors!” and “Rats, go scurry back to your demon masters or whoever!” What a bunch of clowns... Why are so many of these people like this?

Patriotism, nationalism, whatever you wanted to call it, it wasn’t a crime. I thought it was legitimately batshit that a crime committed in the name of your country was, in fact, not a crime. The word itself held an immeasurable appeal to righteous dickheads who refused to give up on the idea that they were right.

I’d always been the first to admit that I was a self-centered, irredeemable jackass, but even I didn’t think I was that shameless. The only reason they could act bold as brass like this was because they felt like they had a ton of people on their side. But all they were doing was acting like monkeys. Grown-ass adults yelling and screaming and hurting others, believing in their own righteousness. Damn monkeys didn’t seem to understand that they were only succeeding in exposing their own ugliness to the rest of the world.

“Rir.”

“Grr.”

I spoke to him from his back, and he nodded. Then, he roared.

“Grrraaaaarrr!!!”

A fenrir’s real howl, designed to intimidate. It drowned out and devoured all the noise, reverberating high into the sky. Even Rir, usually a docile, adorable pet, could howl like that when he got serious. No one was brave enough to ignore it either, and the instant resulting hush almost made me question whether I’d imagined all that noise a second ago.

Before the humans’ emotions could change from agitation to fear, I spoke from atop my beloved wolf steed.

“Sup, folks? I’m Yuki, the emperor of this country. If you have something to say, say it to my face.”

Most of the mob froze in shock at my words, unable to process them.

“D-Did he just say ‘emperor’?”

“A man like that?”

“I’d heard the new emperor was young, but...”

“No, those wings mean he isn’t human, so who knows how old he actually is.”

People began to murmur. Amid the low buzz of confusion, I saw a few of them recover from their shock and exchange pointed glances with each other. Probably the agent provocateurs the butler and his people kept their eyes on.

“This is a nation of humans! We don’t want the other races here!”

“That’s right, we don’t need the likes of you!”

“Get out of here, you demon bastard!”

The shills’ shouts must’ve given the normal people with their messed-up mindsets the courage to join in, because they started making a racket too. The loud, aggressive chanting from before filled the air again. For Chrissake, shut up already. This was what people meant when they said it wasn’t scary to cross during a red light if everyone did it together.

I sighed.

“Fine, have it your way. Let’s kill each other.”

I didn’t shout. Instead, I activated my Ruler’s Might ability. Instantly, one after another, the hundred or so people in front of me dropped to the ground. Those who weren’t affected because they were a little far away now had their faces contorted in fear and their knees buckling.

Silence fell again.

Nice. I didn’t knock a single person out. Even after activating the ability, I’d been able to control it easily with my magic. Thanks to the training I’d done to hide my aura, I could really feel how good I’d gotten at handling magical energy.

“You wanna drive me, your ruler, outta here, so that must mean you wanna kill me. That’s fine, I’ll take you on. If there’s anyone who wants to bring me down, step forward. Don’t be shy.”

Rir stalked through the crowd with me still on his back. It was amazing how even humans could understand the difference in our strength after just this little itty-bitty demonstration. I also found it funny how quickly the throng parted like the sea, opening up a path down the middle. Ooh, a crossbow.

Even as they shook with fear, I spied someone lying in wait among the crowd. I had to wonder what organization these operatives belonged to. Unlike most of the ordinary folks here, who just had a vague hatred of other races, I suspected that theirs was a genuinely hostile organization. The steward had also mentioned something about a mastermind. Well, I’d leave the rest to the Demon King since it wasn’t really my job to figure that out.

I grabbed a bolt that suddenly whooshed in front of my face and snapped it in half. Then, I deliberately surveyed my surroundings with a glare.

“So. This is your answer.”

I pulled En from her sheath and ramped up my magic to full blast. The result was insane.

“Wh-Whaaat?!”

“G-Gaaah!”

“R-Run away!”

That put a quick end to their bravado, because the humans screamed and scattered like a swarm of spiders. I snorted, then finished my journey to the state guesthouse, where the soldiers of various races on guard saluted me, their expressions relieved. Just as I waved casually back in greeting, the door opened, and a familiar face appeared from inside.

“Fancy meeting you again so soon, Yuki. Truly, thank you ever so much for the daring rescue. I see you read my mind as well.”

The Demon King was dressed super casually, at least for him. Considering how late it was, I guessed that he’d been about to go to sleep when the ruckus had started.

“Yeah, well, I know how much you love making me play the role of the ‘Demon Lord of Terror.’ Plus, in a situation like that, that was the only thing I could do to get them to leave alive. I’m gonna be generous and ignore the thing with the bugs in the ruins. This incident, though, not so much, so you better be real frickin’ grateful to me. Crap like this falls outside the scope of my job, okay? Sheesh.”

My job was to eliminate powerful monsters or act as a deterrent. Maintaining peace was the job of the police and the military.

“I’m sorry, you’re right. Do forgive me. I also can’t deny that I was careless. Lesson learned, and rest assured, I intend to crush them here and now.”

The Demon King’s smile only made his words scarier.

“Okay, I’m taking your word for it. After all the trouble you put me through, I want you to put your nose to the grindstone and make this postwar era a peaceful one. I’m tired of this.”

“Heh. Right again you are. If we don’t put an end to this soon, we may face another problem, with the other races building sentiments against the humans. If that happens, another war is imminent.”

“Ugh... The fact that that future is possible is exactly what makes it so not funny. Seriously, what is wrong with people? Shouldn’t everyone want a future where they can all laugh and sing ‘Kumbaya’ together?”

“‘Different strokes for different folks’ is what I believe you would say, hm? Every citizen has their own circumstances, and every politician does as well. This is also true of each ruler and all the races. Even the word ‘peace’ means something different to everyone. After all, it takes time to realize ideals, Yuki.”

“I get that. I do, but... Whatever. It is what it is. Anyway, are you still working here?”

“I am indeed. With the situation as it is, I haven’t made any progress at all on my official duties. What an utter waste of time, especially when I already have precious little to spare.”

That coming from the guy who went on a tour of the imperial capital with me. Okay, buddy, whatever you say.

“Sooo, you’re absolutely positive you wanna go back to investigating the ruins when things are like this?”

“Well, you taught the enemy a painful lesson, yes? It’ll be fine for a while. Actually, I’d say it’s safer now. Since the pain is still fresh in their minds, you see.”

Then, the Demon King shrugged.

“Roger that. Oh, by the way, a human spy organization helped us this time, so be a pal and share info with them later, and leverage it for our collective future. Please and thank you.”

“Is that right? Fascinating... Understood. I’ll do just that.”

I nodded in acknowledgment before continuing.

“All right, I’m heading home. And please, for the love of Satan, be careful, will ya?”

“Yes, yes. I will. Truly, Yuki, you have my sincerest thanks. Until we next meet.”

I waved lazily at him, then left the walled city with my pet army.

◇ ◇ ◇

After Yuki left, the soldiers set about handling the aftermath of the mayhem. Some time later, a human approached the Demon King. The steward, Kalcade.

“Hello again. It was lovely meeting you this afternoon. You must be the young man Yuki mentioned.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. I belong to Avend, an organization established by the former emperor, my lord Shendra. I wish to convey my humblest apologies for the inconvenience we have caused you and him due to our blunder.”

The Demon King responded to the man’s deep bow with a shrug, his tone nonchalant.

“It’s fine. Just because we rule over your country doesn’t mean we expect you to reveal all of your secrets. Moreover, forcing you to do so would only breed more sentiments of rebellion. All that to say, what’s important isn’t the past but the future.”

“Thank you. I’ll tell you everything we know. Starting with this man. We believe he was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes this time. We identified him as a potential problem, but a lack of concrete evidence meant we couldn’t act. However, he and the operatives working for him were preparing to flee in the midst of the commotion. That allowed us to recognize him as the villain, so we apprehended him.”

“Nh...”

Kalcade practically hurled the unconscious man in front of Fynar.

“How very interesting... You’ve been a great help, much obliged. And I’m sure you understand your fellow humans much more than I do, so...I do believe we can make this work. Ergo, it’s my turn to be honest. I’m thinking of making a serious attempt to crush the human supremacists. But my plan must be executed by human hands or else it won’t work. I trust I can count on your cooperation?”

“Of course. Whatever you need, consider it done.”

And so, the Demon King incorporated the information gathered by Kalcade and his people into his stratagem, making it that much more precise.

Epilogue: The Circle of Life

No one else was present. It was quiet, still, and secluded, with few things inside. The silence was so heavy that it was almost as if time had stopped.

Sitting alone on the throne in this place, he looked at his old, wrinkled hands. To match his friends, long gone now, he had often spent his time in a human form, but even that mock body had grown so old. He could no longer move it how he wanted to.

Pain was a dull ache all over, any sort of movement was tiresome, and the flow of the tremendous magical energy within his body had stagnated. Compared to his prime, this body of his had deteriorated considerably. Even casting a spell required an inordinate amount of time.

Furthermore, his physical form could no longer withstand the excess amount of mana. Each time he tried to activate any kind of magic, pain raced along his nerves. For all these reasons and more, it had become too much for him to return to his original body, thus he had remained like this for the past century or so.

A body on the brink of death. And yet, he laughed joyfully from the bottom of his heart.

“Heh... Heh...”

He had grown old. He had been able to grow this old. It was an honor worthy of a medal. His length of life was unattainable for anyone else. He had witnessed the world develop and progress from its most primordial state to this point. And this world, Dominus, would continue to evolve and expand over time.

As he lay dying, he remembered his friend’s words. He had always said that those who lived must survive so long as life was theirs to possess. It had been his favorite phrase.

“Lúin... I survived.”

With a smile, he rose from the throne, dragging his body that refused to do his bidding. He walked slowly down the long, wide corridor, and eventually, his eyes settled on the endless blue sky and warm sunlight. A gentle breeze caressed his cheeks, rustling the grass in the plain before him. It was a scene that warmed his heart no matter how many times he witnessed it. A world full of life.

Death came for all living beings equally. Even one like him who was called a god couldn’t foresee what came after that. But what was there to fear? The life he had built was carved into this world, circulating, connected. Death was not the end but merely a link to life yet unknown.

“It was a good life!”

He threw his head back and laughed.

◇ ◇ ◇

The meadow area.

“Hmmmm...”

I folded my arms and racked my brain. This was where the grave for the old Yuki was. I’d made it at the very edge of the meadow area. To give it a more hidden look, I’d grown some trees around it and created a small forest, concealing it just enough when viewed from the castle. And beyond this section was a flower bed, blooming beautifully, and the grave itself. Thankfully, the flora I’d planted using the dungeon’s powers stayed green without any watering. They weren’t artificial at all, just nourished by the magical energy filling the dungeon, so they would continue to live as long as the dungeon existed.

As for the reason I was standing here brooding, it was because I wanted to add something new to this place. A temple for the gods I knew—Lúin, Kerykeion, Dweorg, and Lucinellius. After thinking about where to do it, I’d decided that it’d be interesting if the temple was in a slightly concealed location, so I’d chosen this place.

I didn’t know how to put it, but adding things to minor spots like this was hella fun. Mwa ha ha! My demon lord castle is sprinkled with bits of my playful imagination everywhere. It was still a long way away from being finished, but I’d worked on a fair few parts. I’d also purposely added more blind spots so that the kiddos could build their secret bases more easily.

That said, their real secret base was in the castle’s courtyard. And lemme tell ya, it was really something. All I’d done was help out a bit with the construction, but they’d made it their own. Not only that, it was actually livable. Plus, they were planning to expand. The other day, they’d asked for a stack of cardboard boxes, which I’d been more than happy to give to them, and when I’d peeked in on them a while later, I’d seen that they’d started on another room. Apparently, their eventual goal was to make small rooms for everyone. I couldn’t be more proud of my high-spec little-girl army.

I know, I’ll build a treehouse next. We’ll need massive trees... I think two should do it. A house in each, and then connect them with a bridge. Oh yeah, that’ll be tons of fun. I’m sure the kids’ll be ecstatic too. One of the good things about being a demon lord was that when I wanted to construct something like this, I had the power to make it a reality right away.

Oops, I was going totally off track. Back to the topic at hand, which was the layout of my proposed temple. There were ten original gods in total, including Dominus, who was this world itself, and Gaia, the goddess in charge of it. I wanted to build something that represented all of them.

I’d decided to start off with the gods I knew. Even then, though, it was tricky... Hmm, what to do, what to do.

The best place to start was probably the shape. I’d make the floor circular and out of stone. Wouldn’t it look cool to put a globe-like thing in the center representing Dominus, then position objects representing each of the gods around it? Ooh, that sounds good. Let’s roll with that.

Next on the list was what I’d use to represent each of them. Kerykeion was apparently the God of Law, so scales would be perfect. Since Dweorg was the God of Iron, a hammer would be best for him. One for blacksmithing. As for Lucinellius...he was a dragon, and according to the Spirit Emperor, he was purehearted and free-spirited, so wings would be a good motif for him. Wings to fly forever in the sky.

I couldn’t think of anything for Lúin. If I remembered right, the description for the God Spear called him the God of Demons, but I associated him with life and the business of living. How would I express that in a tangible shape? Maybe a heart? Though I’d seen his form, he’d been all bone. Hmmmm... Okay, yeah, a heart it is. With his words carved dead center. No offense to the other gods, but now that I was a devotee of the Religion of Lúin, I wanted to make his object a little more extravagant.

Now that I had a general idea in mind, I began construction using the power of the dungeon.

“Woo-hoo! It’s done!”

A temple sat quietly within a cluster of trees. The first thing that caught the eye was the sphere in the center, roughly double the size of a regular globe. I’d carved in all the topography I knew, but not everything. I planned on finishing it as soon as I got my hands on a world map. And surrounding it were nine pedestals.

I’d only carved up the ones for the four Pillars I personally knew. Still, looking at it, I could feel the dignity and grandeur, and I was proud of the result. I’d thought about working on a pedestal for Gaia too, but all I knew of her was her name, so I elected to do it next time, after getting to know her better.

I’d managed to make what I’d imagined, and I couldn’t have been happier! While I couldn’t call it complete until I knew all the gods, I was satisfied with my work so far. Heh heh heh. Pretty good for a rookie. I’d make sure to leave behind records of the seasoned players’ great achievements. I inspected the temple from every angle, nodded in appreciation of my efforts, then headed back to the real throne room.

After Yuki left, silence settled over the temple. The surrounding trees and flowers swayed in the gentle breeze, almost as if they were smiling. Life eventually died and gave birth to new life.

Special Story: A Day in the Life of a Fenrir’s Wife

Rir’s wife, another fenrir, had come to the Demonic Forest. Her name was “———.” It was in the language of the ancient demons, one difficult for the people of man to pronounce, which was why her husband’s master’s family called her “Rir’s wife” or “Mrs. Rir.” Strangely enough, she didn’t mind that, so she let them address her as they wished.

“Grr.”

“I’ll be heading out, then,” he’d said.

“Grar.”

After seeing her husband off, she relaxed alone in their home. He had a lot of work to do, starting with taking care of the monsters under his command, eliminating hostile monsters, and helping the people he regarded as his masters with their various tasks. He was busy every day, and often didn’t return to their lair until late in the evening.

Rir was hardworking, responsible, and caring—the type of husband that was exceedingly hard to find. However, while he remained busy with his duties, she was, frankly, extremely bored. There was absolutely nothing for her to do as a mate.

Wolf-type monsters like themselves often formed packs and communicated with their companions on a daily basis. But fenrirs were extremely rare, so they didn’t form packs at all, their own families notwithstanding. There were wolf-type monsters in this forest, with her husband as their leader, so in that sense, a pack with him as its center existed. Regardless, they were completely different races, meaning she couldn’t very well interfere with their business just because her husband was the head of the pack.

That being the case, one might think she could hunt their daily meals in her husband’s stead, but most of the monsters inhabiting this area were under her husband’s command. Moreover, she was unable to distinguish between them and those who weren’t, so if she made a mistake, there was a good chance she would end up embroiled in a vicious fight to the death with an ally. And while she could go on small trips by herself, the forest was quite dangerous, so it wasn’t a good idea to walk about alone. As a result, she relied completely on him for her daily meals. Although they sometimes went hunting together, she hadn’t gone solo in a while.

Truth be told, as a monster of the labyrinth, her husband was of an unusual and special origin. Because of that, as long as the labyrinth’s magic existed, he didn’t need to eat, and even if he did need something, the mysterious power of the labyrinth seemed to give him whatever he wanted, however he wanted it. All of that to say, she had no role whatsoever for him as a mate. If they had a child in the future, she might become busy rearing them, but that was still a long way off.

Currently, there was really nothing for her to do. The days were peaceful and calm, which was what she had hoped for, yet she found it a tad suffocating to just laze around all day long. She herself thought that this was a luxurious problem to have. Even so...

Perhaps I can visit the labyrinth. The thought suddenly occurred to her. That cheerful family, always laughing. The family her husband served and wanted to protect. Since her mate was a monster from the labyrinth, she had no doubt that she would be acquainted with its residents for a long time to come. Therefore, as a newcomer, she should use her free time to gradually deepen her friendship with them. That’s it. Let’s do that.

Having come up with a plausible reason to escape her current state of boredom, she stood up from where she’d been lying, left her home, and walked into the forest. Her destination was nearby. Where was it again? Oh, yes, there. Right there.

The place she headed toward was a door large enough for a fenrir to pass through. Apparently, the door had been enchanted with a special spell and led directly to the labyrinth’s home base. Her husband’s master had installed it there previously. She wasn’t aware of it, but the door was specially shaped so that even a fenrir could open it by simply pushing it with their head. So she did just that and stepped through.

In an instant, the scenery surrounding her changed completely. Grasslands as far as the eye could see. Unlike in the hot forest, a refreshing breeze blew here, making it very pleasant. Then there was the enormous, majestic castle where her husband’s master and his family lived.

She had come here once before, when her husband’s masters had gone to the dwarven homeland, so this was her second time seeing the castle. And this time too, the sight awed her. In reality, though, the castle grounds were too large for the number of people living there, so they were hardly used anymore except as a playground for the children, her husband had told her with a laugh.

Whenever Rir talked about the demon lord, he always looked happy and laughed a lot. So very happy indeed. She loved that expression of his.

After admiring the scenery for a while, she resumed walking. Then, from nearby came a lively young voice. She headed in that direction, drawn in.

“Hmm? Ohhh? Rir... Nope! It’s Mrs. Rir! Hello!”

“Oh, you right! Silky, silky fur, so must be wife lady! Hellooo!”

“Hello... I love your coat.”

The children who lived here all greeted her. At the same time, the three transparent wraith girls raised their hands in unison as if in greeting. She had always thought that wraiths were beings born from the grudges of the dead, but that seemed to have been nothing more than an assumption based on her own narrow-minded perspective.

“Grr. Grar?”

“Yup! See, the weather is sooo nice today, so we were just rolling around in the grass!”

“Rolling fun! But weather here always nice.”

“If...Master wants to, he can make it rain or snow.”

No matter their race, children were adorable, and she couldn’t help but smile at the little girls who used their whole bodies to express their emotions. Still, it amazed her to know that they weren’t afraid of anything. She was charmed by how sweetly they’d greeted her, and even more astounded by how they were able to interact normally with someone of a different race, one others would call a monster.

However, she didn’t think this was because they were children who didn’t understand reason. They understood her strength, but they also understood that she felt no hostility toward them. As a result, they weren’t wary of her at all.

That was especially true of the golden-haired vampire girl, Iluna. She seemed particularly sensitive to such things. On their first meeting, the child had scrutinized her, then, with a smile blooming on her face, greeted her cheerfully. In other words, she had carefully observed Mrs. Rir’s power and personality before deciding to befriend her.

No doubt about it, the girl had a keen intuition when it came to analyzing others. Having grown used to spending time with her husband, a fenrir, allowed the girl to be comfortable in her presence as well. But as she looked at them, she realized there was more to it than that.

Many will know their names when they grow up. Although not much time had passed since their meeting, she knew they would be friends for a long time to come. She looked forward to watching them grow up.

“Grr.”

“Tee hee! Isn’t it great here?! Oh, Mrs. Rir, do you have something to tell us?”

“Gra... Grr.”

“Really? Okay! Yukiki went into the forest. As for the others...Lefifi is in the living room! Want us to take you to her?”

After thinking for a moment, she growled a reply of “I’d appreciate it that. Why don’t you three ride on me?” and lowered her body to the ground.

“Wow! Thank you, Mrs. Rir! Mmm, Rir’s fur is really nice, but yours is really nice too!”

“Wowie zowie! Rir so lucky to have wife like you.”

“Thank...you, Mrs. Rir.”

Following the girls with corporeal bodies, the triplets without them also laughed happily as they floated onto her back.

“Grr.”

Translation: “No, no. You’re being kind enough to show me around, so this much is nothing.”

So she walked through the grassland with them. Along the way, they explained to her what the things in the castle were and when they’d been made. A short time later, they passed through the door she’d been through once before, and in the next moment, the scenery changed again as she was transported to a place that seemed lived in. Then, the girls hopped down on their own and shouted cheerfully.

“Lefifi! We have a guest!”

“Tea time, tea time!”

“Fenrirs...don’t drink tea.”

“Oh, really? I see! Then...guest! We has guest!”

“A guest? Oh, hello, wife of Rir! Thank you, little ones. I shall speak to her now, so you may return to your play.”

“Okey dokey! See you later, Mrs. Rir!”

“Bye-bye!”

“See...you.”

As the children left, she also thanked them with a rumble, then sat down with a soft whump.

“Now then, wife of Rir, what brings you here today? A mere leisurely visit?”

Sitting in front of her was a girl with immense power housed in a small body. Dragonkind was the strongest race in the world, and here was its most powerful member, Lefisios. She had heard that powerful creatures could use magic to take on a human form, something called the Art of Human Transformation. That was how this girl had obtained her current body. However, it seemed she was unable to return to her original dragon form due to her pregnancy, meaning she would remain in her current state for quite some time.

And the girl’s husband was her husband’s master, Yuki. An individual both of mankind and a demon lord. The pair’s powers were so different that they would normally be unable to develop even friendship, yet they had gone beyond friendship, spending their days together and fostering a love that led to the conception of a child. How in the world had they even met? She hadn’t heard their story, so she would’ve liked to find out later.

“Grr.”

“Gah ha! I see, I see. Well, when a husband is at work, a wife finds herself surprisingly idle. In our home, the children do not require much attention at all, and the other three wives are more reliable than me, so the household runs smoothly even if I do nothing.”

“Grr?”

“Indeed, I am very much still lacking. But I have a family that fills in the gaps. Lest I sound condescending, I hope you can build the same sort of family with Rir in the future.”

There were many things in this world that one couldn’t understand unless they saw and felt them for themself. Nevertheless, who could believe that this girl, said to be unrivaled, was so domestic and considerate of others?

“Grar...”

The dragon girl replied to her, looking a little embarrassed.

“Well, having said that, if Yuki were to hear me utter such things, he would likely guffaw and quip, ‘Those are some words coming from someone who just loafs around all day.’ Oh, I know! What say you to a bath while you are here? I only just realized I have not yet had a chance to show ours to you.”

◇ ◇ ◇

And so, alongside the Supreme Dragon Lefisios, she left their living space, which seemed to be their home.

“Graaarrr...”

They had shifted to a full bath, one with a tasteful atmosphere and steam billowing everywhere. She had followed the girl’s example and washed her body with magic before lowering herself into the hot water. Upon doing so, she couldn’t help the pleasure-filled rumble from escaping her mouth.

How utterly sublime. It was a comfortable place. The word “paradise” was the perfect fit. The healing effect of the water was at work on her, and she felt as if power, both magical and physical, were surging up from deep within her body, revitalizing every fiber of her being.

She’d been worried that her fur would soil the bath, but it seemed that some kind of purification magic was at work, and she could see the dirt floating on the surface of the bath disappearing with a whoosh. So she started to wonder, maybe she could just enter from now on without worrying too much. She decided she’d have her husband bring her here regularly henceforth, as it felt so good that all thoughts of restraint had disappeared in an instant.

“How is it? Wonderful, yes? I am often amazed by that imbecile’s talents, and this is no exception. Although Nell was the one who generated this particular section.”

“Grr?”

“Well, I do not understand it myself, but something called a ‘loot roll’ that operates on chance is the cause. You pay a set price and receive a random reward. By the by, that lout himself has terrible luck, meaning he only ever produces garbage with the function. Thus have I decided not to permit him to use it again.”

“Grar?”

“Indeed. If we leave him alone for even a second, he is wont to do idiotic things, so we have to keep an eye on him.”

“Grr.”

“Gah ha ha! How to answer your question diplomatically... Well, from our point of view, Rir is a reliable sort, but from yours, is there something about him that makes you think, ‘Bah! Men!’”

“Gr...ar.”

When Rir’s wife answered with a sigh, the dragon girl burst out laughing in amusement. As the pair continued to chat, Rir’s wife slowly sank deeper into the water. A short time later, she sensed someone coming from behind.

“Oh? Rir, is that... No, it isn’t. I’m guessing you’re Mrs. Rir?”

“Judging from the size of her body and the color of her eyes, I’d say so! Tee hee hee, it was hard to tell ’cause of all the wet fur, but my eyes wouldn’t mistake her for Lord Fenrir!”

“We identified her straightaway as well, though.”

The other wives of her husband’s master had arrived. Nell, a human girl; Lew, a beast girl; and Leila, a demon girl. His relationship with the demon girl had been different until just recently, when they’d started a romantic one and she’d finally become one of his wives.

Her husband’s master didn’t look like it at first glance, but he was evidently surprisingly randy. She supposed it was only natural for a powerful male to surround himself with many females. After all, that was the way things worked in nature. What mattered was that the women themselves accepted the situation.

“What do you think, Mrs. Rir? This bath is great, isn’t it?”

“Grr.”

“Then I want you to come and bathe with us even more! You’re Lord Fenrir’s wife, so I’d love to get to know you better too!”

“While your enthusiasm is appreciated, be sure to curtail any discourtesy, Lew. She is not the same as Rir.”

“I-I know that much!”

“Tee hee. Goodness, Lew, you absolutely adore His Lordship, hm?”

“Grr.”

“Look! Mrs. Rir agrees with me! So I’m safe!”

“You two ladies get a move on and wash up. I’m raring to get in the bath too since I’m feeling a bit chilly.”

And so, they enjoyed their time together.

Back in their home.

“Grr.”

Her husband rumbled that he had returned, and she welcomed him back before staring intently at him.

“Grr?”

When he looked at her quizzically, she answered with one word.

“Grr.”

“G-Grr?”

“Males never change, hm?” she’d said. Her response confused her husband, and his befuddled expression was so adorable that she laughed.

Afterword

Hello, this is Ryuyu! Thank you very much for buying volume 13!

Finishing a manuscript is always a battle, and this time was no exception. Agonizing over plotlines, words that just won’t come to mind, encroaching deadlines, and the merciless passing of time... But I once again prevailed over them all! Whew. Formidable opponents, every last one of them, but not enough to defeat me.

Everyone, I’m so sorry for being such a slow writer (sweats profusely).

All right, so, not to pat myself on the back, but there’s a sentence I wrote that I really like. “Live life to the utmost. Rejoice in life. For that is the duty of the living.” Actually, I’d say more than the author, those words belong to Lúin. When I thought about what kind of god he was, those were the words he himself had said. And when I heard them, my first thought was “Ahhh, I like that.”

As we go through each day, we’re faced with many paths and choices. But no matter how you live, if you can keep in mind to “live life to the utmost,” I feel like it’ll be a wonderful life. At the very least, this author does whatever he wants, and that’s how he lives!

Writing is a ton of fun, folks. Come on over and join me! I’d like to spend the rest of my life surrounded by books and continuing to write them for my readers.

Finally, I’d like to end with acknowledgments. To my editor, to Daburyu, and to Note Tono for helping me create this story. To everyone else involved, and to the readers who read this story: thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

Until we meet again. Adieu!