MSR-V3-4

“Another one of your evil schemes, Senpai?” Beatrice asked.

“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m doing it all to serve our country.”

“No, you’re not. You just like watching people writhe in agony in the palm of your hand.”

“W-What kind of person do you think I am!?”

“You’re not a person. You’re a devil.”

“You little... W-Well, all right, Beatrice. I’ll explain it to you.”

After barely holding back a few choice words by digging her palm into her face, Kongming explained her current scheme... She called it “Starving Tigers,” a strategy of pitting two powerful forces against each other like starving tigers fighting over a piece of meat. The grand objective was to take both tigers out at once when they were worn out from fighting each other. If she succeeded, she could reap massive rewards for little cost. Even if she didn’t get as far as taking them out, Kongming would consider her scheme a success if she could only create some kind of wedge between the currently allied Tzardom of Light and Holylight. Kongming was deploying other tactics as well, though...

“While we’re at it, we’re going to drive a bigger wedge between the Tzardom and the paladin,” Kongming declared, elegantly waving her fold-out fan. Destabilizing her enemies and recruiting forces that could knock them off balance was her forte and preferred strategy. Secretly, she had been gently whispering into the paladin’s ear the entirety of the bishop’s party’s behavior. She had been hoping for the paladin to become tired of it and join her side one day, but just sowing the seeds of distrust had been widely effective — the paladin had stopped appearing on the battlefield.

(It was important to spill all of the Tzardom’s shameful behavior, after all...)

Kongming’s eyes squinted further, making her appear as devious as ever.

Beatrice turned her nose at the familiar sight, standing up from the bed.

“You’re really a piece of crap, Senpai. Do you remember when I tripped in the middle of that dance party? ...Because you put olive oil on the soles of my shoes?”

“W-What are you talking about...? You must be tired, Beatrice.”

“Don’t try and deny it! Who else would do such a thing!?”

“Beatrice, you suffered a terrible injury to the head that day. Ever since, you began telling me stories of the past that never happened at all,” Kongming said, with a sorrowful look in her eyes.

She was trying to brush everything under the rug this way.

“Senpai? Ever heard the saying ‘liar, liar, Kongming’s pants on fire’?”

“Stop making up colloquialisms! And don’t stand while I’m here... Sit down.”

“Does it bother you that much that I’m taller than you now? Does it? Does it?”

Beatrice looked down on Kongming, as if to rub it in. While there wasn’t much of a difference in their height, it must have been a dire difference for these two. Seeing Beatrice looking down at her with smug victory on her face, Kongming’s shoulders began to quiver.

“Don’t look down on me, you idiot! I’ll put you in your place!”

“And the truth comes out! Somebody! Come imprison this evil chancellor!”

“You’re going to be the one locked up...! You want to eat your meals on the toilet again!?”

“I hate this country! I’m running away, just you see!”

“You’re not getting away... Not you...!”

The couple rolled around on the bed, entangled, and continued their bickering. No one knew how Kongming’s schemes were going to play out.

## Bastille Dungeon: Level 5~7

After leaving the Monster Party, the Demon Lord’s group went further down into the dungeon at remarkable speed. This was a dungeon for Rookies, after all, so B-rank adventurers like Yukikaze and Mikan could traverse it with their eyes closed. While the monsters from the first to the third level were pretty much the same, as soon as they reached level 5, a monster called the Raging Chicken took the Demon Lord by surprise. The meter-tall bird had attacked them out of nowhere. Mikan easily decapitated the thing, but a giant chicken charging humans was a shocking sight for the Demon Lord. For him, it was more terrifying that an enlarged version of a familiar animal attacked him than it would have to be attacked by something like a lion or bear.

“Pluck the feathers, chop the meat.”

Gleefully, Mikan sang her song off-key as she took apart her kill. In the

way she swiftly plucked the white feathers and sliced off the meat, the Demon Lord could see how experienced she was.

“How much does that thing go for?”

“...The meat is a commoners’ delicacy. Feathers have a lot of uses, too.

The whole thing will sell for two silver coins.”

“A pretty good kill then.”

That meant a profit of one silver coin per member in a tandem party, or five bronze medallions in a four-person party. While that didn’t seem enough to risk one’s life on, that could quickly change when more of the monsters showed up.

Meanwhile, during their conversation, Mikan continued taking apart the monster with expertise.

“I’m impressed, Mikan. That’s good work.”

“Heh. If His Majesty the Porter was taking it apart, we could hunt a lot more without wasting time... Just talking to myself, though.”

Mikan’s glare and sarcasm didn’t seem to affect the Demon Lord. He wasn’t really carrying their spoils anyway. He had just been tossing them in Yukikaze’s wagon.

“Okay! All done!”

“...Thank you. Whitening.”

With Yukikaze’s cleansing spell cast on her hands, Mikan looked refreshed. They seemed to make a good team after all. Watching them, the Demon Lord couldn’t help but smile. Just as it was back in the game arenas, watching a well-coordinated team could be a lot of fun.

Then, a gurgly voice seeped into the air, as if to spoil the moment.

“What’s up, Mikan?” The voice called.

The Demon Lord turned around to find a chubby man with a pimplescarred face. Immediately, he sent a Communication to Yukikaze.

*Yukikaze, who is that guy?*

*...I can hear Mister Fox’s voice in my head. Is this what marriage is like?*

*What are you talking about? Who is that guy?*

*...That’s Endjoy, a D-rank. He’s after Mikan’s cherry.*

*To each his own.*

The Demon Lord almost wanted to wish him luck for going after this bucking bronco. Still, Endjoy’s attitude seemed too familiar to her.

“What’s with the cold shoulder? Why didn’t you let me know you were

down here?”

“Huh? Why the hell would I do that?”

“It’s you and me, babe. Come on.”

“Ew!”

While Endjoy was acting ridiculous, Mikan’s attitude was harsh enough to match it. Then Endjoy turned to the Demon Lord with an exaggerated gesture of ‘oh, I didn’t see you there,’ and a smug, condescending grin to boot. The Demon Lord nearly clocked the guy in the face, but managed to control his temper.

“Mikan, don’t tell me you’re into geezers now... Ogghhh!”

Endjoy’s comment was stopped short by the Demon Lord lightly flicking a pebble into his stomach. While he could absolutely control his temper, he didn’t shy away from teaching the disrespectful youth a lesson.

“What, a stomach ache? You must have eaten too much ice cream.”

The Demon Lord’s comment didn’t seem to reach Endjoy, as he was struggling to breathe while holding his gut. When he dropped to one knee from the agonizing pain... A loud fart echoed out of his rear. After a moment of silence, the Demon Lord spat out in laughter, which he covered with a large clearing of his throat before steadying his expression. With a solemn tone, the Demon Lord said:

“Letting it rip in the middle of a dungeon... And you fancy yourself an adventurer? I must say, you should take this more seriously.”

“W-What the hell...”

“What? Is that a special skill of yours to allure monsters to the stench?” “I’ll... kill you...!”

When Endjoy tried to stand, enraged, a second blast was released.

“I don’t get it... You disappoint me,” concluded the Demon Lord, as if he had any prospect for Endjoy. Unable to withstand this barrage of insults, Mikan finally burst into laughter. Of course, the Demon Lord could already barely even remember the guy’s name. If he were to ask again, he would only remember him as ‘fart guy.’

“Draw your weapon! I’ll kill you!”

“Really...?”

The Demon Lord threw another pebble, which scraped past Endjoy’s rear. With friction igniting the gas... a handy flame erupted on Endjoy’s pants, bright enough to illuminate the dungeon nicely.

“Hot! Hot! Water! I need water!”

“A fire act, now? Why don’t you risk your life doing something more useful?”

“...Endjoy the show.”

Yukikaze’s comment caused the Demon Lord to start laughing, too. Laughing along the way, the party headed down to level 6, leaving Endjoy behind to frantically run around trying to put out the fire.

“I’ll kill you... I’ll kill youuuuu! Agh, hot!”

When the party had reached level 7, the Demon Lord stopped in his tracks. He had received a Communication from Tahara.

“I’m going to meditate for a moment. Have fun, you two.”

“...Okay. I’ll protect you, Mister Fox.”

“Meditate? You think you’re so cool, don’t you?”

Even as she showed her disdain, Mikan turned to a Raging Chicken with her longsword drawn. At the end of the day, she seemed to be enjoying this nostalgic dungeon after all.

*What is it, Tahara? An emergency?*

*Nah, just an incident report. We took care of this idiot that came to the village, yesterday... According to Yu, he was working for that noble, Dona Dona. Just like you planned, Mister Secretary.*

*It took long enough...*

The Demon Lord managed to play it cool. In fact, this was the first time he had even heard the name Dona Dona. All he could think about was the unforgettable tune.

*Looks like he was after the music box, like you planned. You’ve always been good at dangling good bait. This is why you went and advertised your absence by crossing the border, right?*

*Ha. That was never my intention.*

*Heh, yeah right! Well, now we can openly call him out for it. What do you want, his mines?*

*We’ll add this to the docket of our meeting when I return...*

*Alrighty. Man, really... I don’t want to find out what it’s like to have you as an enemy.*

The Demon Lord faltered and stumbled against a wall, leaning on it with his arms. It felt like all the energy was sucked out of him.

(What the hell is he talking about!? What about the music box!?)

Of course, the Demon Lord had only sold the music box for money, but it seemed that Tahara and Yu had mistaken that for some kind of scheme... an intricate, ensnaring one at that.

(It feels like I’m the one in the trap!)

The Demon Lord, of course, couldn’t say that out loud, but decided to ask something he had been wondering about.

*Anything unusual about Luna...?*

After the debacle with White, he wanted to make sure that no part of that event had gotten out. He couldn’t even imagine how much of a mess Luna would cause if she found out that (albeit by accident) he had shared a bath with her sister.

(And she seemed to be troubled...)

He recalled the night of a particular conversation they had. Luna had always had a fighting spirit and a reckless side, but it seemed like that temperament was getting more extreme. The Demon Lord could have been blamed for part of that, egging her on in competing against her sisters.

*...Dang.*

Tahara remained silent for a while, speechless, for some reason. While the Demon Lord was terrified that the incident in the hot springs had gotten out, he hadn’t expected this response:

*There’s just been a report from Xenobia, or something. You didn’t plant this too, did you?*

*...I don’t know what you’re insinuating.*

*Fine. I’ll give you the report anyway.*

Upon hearing the content of the report, the Demon Lord let out a sigh of relief. While he didn’t really understand what was going on, he considered it a hundred times better than him bathing with the most prominent Holy Maiden coming to light.

*Apparently, Luna’s servant’s being transported up there, but it’s just out of the blue. Don’t know how true it is.*

*I see.*

*Mister Secretary. Is this something I can pass on to Luna?*

The Demon Lord considered this for a moment, when Luna’s saddened face flashed before his eyes.

*—Do you have any friends?*

Remembering Luna’s uncharacteristically quiet attitude, the Demon Lord decided to give a safe answer.

*We don’t want to give her any unconfirmed intel, but let her know whether or not the servant is all right. Knowing Luna, she’ll act up for a while, but go easy on her.*

*For real...? We’re going to play their game, huh?*

(What...?)

*The Demon Lord sensed foreboding subtext in Tahara’s response, but couldn’t figure out what it was. So, he rushed to add:*

*Of course, investigate the intel first.*

The Demon Lord just thought that, if this servant was Luna’s friend, she’d want to know. Tahara, on the other hand, already knew that the New Kingdom of Xenobia was starting some sort of mind game. While Tahara hadn’t spent as much time in this world, he expected to be able to pin down what Xenobia was after once he learned the relationships and histories of the neighboring countries.

*Hmm. It’ll cost us a bit, but it’s not a bad deal long term.*

Tahara was confident that the Secretary would not be satisfied by controlling a mere nation. It was only a matter of time, he expected, until the Demon Lord would make some big, flashy moves in order to swallow up Holylight and its surrounding countries.

(Planting seeds again... Just like with the music box.)

More excuses to start war would only serve them better. Throughout history, it was common practice for any group to use a moral grandstand as justification for conflict.

Oblivious to Tahara’s intentions, the Demon Lord was wondering about something else.

(The friend’s being transported as a slave, right...? I guess that’ll cost a pretty penny.)

The Demon Lord was actually relieved that Tahara didn’t suggest taking the friend back by force.

*The cost won’t be an issue. The benefits we’ll reap down the line will be well worth it...*

He couldn’t stop thinking that, once her friend returned safely, that pesky old Luna would settle down a bit. Considering that, no amount of money was too much of an investment. The Demon Lord had built up enough of a foundation to afford that luxury, even if they were to rip him off.

*Right. Then I’ll start looking into that on my end. Might take a little bit, is that cool with you?*

*That’s fine.*

While they appeared to be having a coherent conversation, the price and goal that each of them had in mind could not have been more different.

After concluding his Communication with Tahara, the Demon Lord sighed in relief... just as Yu sent him a Communication.

*Did you get the report, Mister Secretary?*

*I did. Good work. '**I’ll contact you with further instructions.***

*Yes, sir. And, there is something I want to give you, sir, when you return. '**I’ve been growing some beautiful flowers.***

*Really!?*

He couldn’t help but overreact, surprised by his mad-scientist advisor taking part in such a homely hobby. Of course, Akira Ono didn’t recall writing any kind of backstory for that. He couldn’t help but smile at learning of Yu’s feminine pastime.

*I didn’t know you had an interest in such things. How wonderful! T-Thank you, sir! I will grow them as best as I can to your liking.*

*Mm. I’ll look forward to seeing them.*

*Thank you, sir. I’ll be awaiting your return.*

After his conversation with Yu, the Demon Lord lit his cigarette, relieved. Yu, who loved dissections and taking things apart above all else, was undergoing a positive change. He couldn’t help but feel excited about that. Yu herself was ecstatic after this Communication, probably that she was going to make numerous inhumane bastards wish they were never born... The Demon Lord would never find out about that, though.

(Tahara’s trying to peacefully solve things financially, and now Yu’s growing flowers...?)

His smile grew wider, considering his advisors’ changes in a peaceful direction. At this rate, it looked like he would have the quiet days he longed for before too long.

“Alright. Why don’t we stop here for the day and head to dinner!”

“...Dinner with Mister Fox... How wonderful.”

“Who made you the boss? You’re just the porter who doesn’t carry anything,” Mikan complained as she tossed her kill into the wagon. In fact, Mikan and Yukikaze had been the only ones hunting today. The only thing the Demon Lord had done was roast Endjoy, both literally and figuratively.

“Come, now. I’m buying.”

“For real!? I’ll get the most expensive stuff on the menu and make you regret it!”

“Watch yourself, or your butt might catch on fire too.”

“...Mikan would like it. Hot melted candle wax.”

“I’ll set you two on fire! Turn you to ash!”

And so, the party survived their first day in the dungeon.

## The White Light

After leaving the dungeon, the party went directly to the Guild, where they received payment and paid taxes on it. Just like a day labor site, they weren’t going to let anyone evade these taxes. In fact, the party was taken to the guild under heavy supervision by the guards.

(The full reward...)

The Demon Lord had kept an eye on payout in comparison to the prices Yukikaze had told him, and everything was bought out full price. They backed up their decision by pointing out the minimal damaging and precise processing of the carcasses. Naturally, most rookies would have a much different outcome. By the time they caught the Raging Chickens, each of them was tattered and heavily damaged. Combined with their inexperience in taking the monsters apart, it wasn’t uncommon to see Rookie game bought out for 30% less than this.

“Your processing skill, along with the condition of the game, directly affects your reward.”

“...Yes. Mikan is great at taking things apart.”

“Come on, it’s time to pay out. We didn’t really talk about it, so an even split.”

Mikan handed Yukikaze and the Demon Lord a third of the reward each. The Demon Lord shook the small leather bag, enjoying the clinking sound of bronze and silver coins within it. That being said, he didn’t go dungeoncrawling for money.

“I don’t really need my cut.”

“Take it!” Mikan insisted. Her raising her voice caused the people around them to turn and look before walking again, losing interest.

“Sure, you’re a failure of a porter, but your work down there doesn’t affect your cut up here. Remember that every single time you go into a dungeon.”

“I see...”

The Demon Lord picked up a lot from that comment. He did have an incredible imagination — enough to create a whole new world on his own, after all. The Demon Lord theorized that there must have been an incident like that before, and was confident that a porter shortage followed because of it. As long as they were entering the dungeon, portering too was a dangerous occupation. Who would volunteer to risk their life working on commission? Especially when a party member could lower their pay for claiming that they underworked. The adventurers were the ones to suffer without porters, which would eventually lead to the collapse of this nation’s taxation system.

“I’m sure the government began cracking down on that kind of thing.”

“Huh? Well... Yeah, they did.”

Mikan raised a brow at the Demon Lord’s comment that skipped over a few steps in logic. This was how he always was. At times, he could go off on a chain of imagination from a single word. Until proven otherwise, the conclusion he reached was solidified as fact. ...This was the thought process of a dictator. Unchanged by others, he never doubted his choices. This man, albeit vaguely, understood this could be a shortcoming. As a result, he began gathering people around him and listened to various voices. The fact that Hakuto Kunai, the final boss of Akira Ono’s creation, kept a group of advisors he had scouted around him was an indication of his ideals in real life.

“Hey! The heroes are back!” Someone called out, causing a commotion.

The kids led the charge outside and the adults followed.

“Hero!? There’s a really a hero here?”

“Huh? No duh. You really don’t know anything, do you?”

“...The Tzardom of Light has two paladins.”

As he secretly contemplated how cool of a ring ‘paladin’ had, he ran towards the center of the commotion.

“My hero!”

“Over here!”

“He’s so white... He glows in the light!”

A large crowd had gathered at the entrance of the city, resembling a

celebrity appearance on Earth. All of them were waving and smiling, trying to garner this figure’s attention.

“The white horse really does suit him.”

“...White.”

“Hmph. A hero atop a white steed. A stereotypical... huh?”

Seeing the figure, the Demon Lord’s eyes widened. It was a man atop the beautiful steed, but a rather fat one with a protruding gut. On his face rested a gleaming pair of silver glasses. He had a large white box on his back, with two rods protruding from it. All the Demon Lord could see was a brave soul on his journey home from the comic market.