Maoyuu Maou Yuusha Vol 2 Chapter 7

Volume 2 Chapter 7, “This is the Luxurious Old City Inn The Demon King Hotsprings Villa”

 

——- The Demon King Hotsprings Villa Entrance

Flash of teleportation!

The Chief Maid: “Well then, we’ve arrived.”

The Demon King: “Can’t you make it a bit cleaner, at least sweep the place a bit? It’s a lot worse than usual.”

Elder Sister Maid: “Is this really an inn? Amazing. It almost looks like a castle.”

The Hero: (That’s… because it is a castle…)

Little Sister Maid: “Amazing! Wonderful! Is this a vase?” Shakes vase.

The Female Paladin: “W-w-wait. Hero. Didn’t you tell me this was going to be a small two-day vacation?!”

The Hero: “It is, isn’t it?”

The Female Paladin: “Isn’t this the D-D-Demon—”

The Chief Maid: “This is the luxurious old city inn The Demon King Hotsprings Villa.”

The Female Paladin: “Don’t lie to me! How does this look like an inn? What’s with these suits of armour?! That blood-stained tapestry?! What kind of inn is this?!”

The Mage: “…It’s art.”

The Chief Maid: “My, my, the hospitality of the ghosts is just a bit off.”

The Female Paladin: “Just a bit?! This place is obviously a G.o.dd.a.m.n deathtrap, isn’t it?! Ohh, Spirit above, pardon my swearing. I’ve said something unclean. It’s something I seldom do, so please forgive the transgression. Anyway…

“That isn’t it! In order to break out of this killing zone, we’ve got to be vigilant. I’ll take the forward vanguard position, the Hero will cover everyone from the middle, and the Mage will be the rear guard providing supporting fire.”

The Hero: “Relax.”

The Female Paladin: “What?!”

Little Sister Maid: “The Paladin is so fl.u.s.tered.”

The Hero: (small voice) “Just calm down for a bit. We’re in the company of the Demon King! It can’t possibly be as bad as you say.”

The Female Paladin: (small voice) “Oh that’s true… Sorry.”

The Mage: “What good friends…”

Elder Sister Maid: “Yeah, they really have a great relations.h.i.+p.”

The Demon King: “I have a better relations.h.i.+p with him!”

The Chief Maid: “Of course you do. Your relations.h.i.+p with the Hero is the closest among anybody. I’ll be the living testimony to that.”

The Demon King: “You’re always lying to me.”

Elder Sister Maid: “It’s a good thing to have a close relations.h.i.+p.”

Little Sister Maid: “Good thing?”

The Mage: “…We also have a relatively good relations.h.i.+p. You maids and I.”

Little Sister Maid: “Indeed, Sleeping Sister!”

The Female Paladin: “Enough! I have a better relations.h.i.+p!”

The Demon King: “If you’re talking about that, I’ve even spent a night with him before.”

The Hero: “Hey, everyone has a good relations.h.i.+p, alright?”

The Chief Maid: “It looks like you’ve got too many relations.h.i.+ps going on.”

Little Sister Maid: “You’re really popular with the girls!”

The Mage: “…You have too many girls.”

Little Sister Maid: “Lots and lots. ♪”

The Mage: “…You could say that.”

The Demon King: “…”

The Female Paladin: “…”

The Chief Maid: “On a different subject, Hero, you didn’t invite the Butler?”

The Hero: “No, he had a lot of things to do. To begin with, I didn’t know what would happen if we invited a guy like him to a hot springs.”

The Chief Maid: “And those three disciples?”

The Hero: “They’re all really busy. They’ve got a lot of planning to do.”

Little Sister Maid: “Hero, you don’t have any male friends?”

The Hero: “Wh-what are you saying?!”

Little Sister Maid: “Don’t you have friends you can go out with?”

The Hero: “Eh? Uhh… nope? Not really. Not really? Everyone went to do their own thing, whether they joined the army, or the government, or started travelling the world? Such weird kids doing such important things, these are things which aren’t easy no matter which part of the world you come from. Really. For a person my age, being a lone wolf is pretty cool, right? From time to time, I like to work in a group as well though? Right?”

The Chief Maid: “A man should do things on his own.”

The Mage: “…You loner.”

The Demon King: “H-Hero? Is that true? I didn’t get the feeling that all your previous acquaintances were female as well.”

The Hero: “Wh-what are you saying?”

The Female Paladin: “It’s probably because the Hero keeps a special lookout, no matter where he is, for damsels in distress whom he can rescue. He wants to build his own fan club. He can steadily increase the members.h.i.+p and even turn it into a business.”

Little Sister Maid: “Are you being bullied, Hero?”

Elder Sister Maid: “You look angry.”

The Chief Maid: “My, my.”

The Female Paladin: “The Hero probably lets girls with bigger b.o.o.bs do whatever they want with him, without caring about things like chast.i.ty.”

The Demon King: “Enough with the b.o.o.bs. It all grew on its own. My body isn’t a crime. I had no role in its growing at all.”

The Hero: “How did we get here…”

Little Sister Maid: “Hero, Hero.”

The Hero: “…”

Little Sister Maid: “Don’t worry, I’ll be your friend. ♪”

The Hero: “Eh? Ah… Yeah. Thanks.”

The Female Paladin: “Hero, don’t tell me…”

The Demon King: “I don’t believe what I’m witnessing. To think even a young girl of that age…”

The Hero: “No! That’s not! It’s a misunderstanding! It’s all a misunderstanding.”

Elder Sister Maid: “…”

Little Sister Maid: “Oh?”

The Chief Maid: “My, my.”

The Female Paladin: “Are you trying to create a colonist of girls to surround yourself with?”

The Demon King: “As the owner of the Hero, let me say something about the gender ratio of the friends you make!”

The Hero: “No, you’ve got it all wrong! This isn’t what you think!”

The Female Paladin: “It is not the way of the Paladin at all to make excuses.”

The Hero: “I’m not a Paladin.”

The Demon King: “Taking the easy way out, that’s the kind of Hero you are in the end.”

The Mage: “…Under siege.”

The Hero: “Help me, Mage.”

The Mage: “Try not to murder him.”

The Hero: “I don’t understand—”

The Female Paladin: “The Hero is wrong in this case.”

The Demon King: “This is a lack of resourcefulness. It’s bad not to have any sense of peace or security.”

The Hero: “Can’t you just drop the issue! You girls really know how to band together and attack me from all sides! I’ll show you. I only need one or two friends. I’ll show you!”

 

——- The Sisters’ Room in The Demon King

Little Sister Maid: “Amazing! The mattress is so soft!”

Bounce, bounce.

Elder Sister Maid: “Hey, sis, don’t do that.”

Little Sister Maid: “But it’s so soft and bouncy! It’s amazing!”

Elder Sister Maid: “Really?”

Little Sister Maid: “Yeah. ♪”

Elder Sister Maid: “I see…”

Little Sister Maid: “Come and try too!”

Sits on mattress hesitantly.

Elder Sister Maid: “Wow, it’s great!”

Little Sister Maid: “Isn’t it? What is it made out of? Cotton? Hay?”

Elder Sister Maid: “I’ve read about mattresses stuffed with bird feathers.”

Bounce, bounce.

Little Sister Maid: “Is that so! This is brilliant! I didn’t know you could make mattresses with birdie feathers! — Ahhh.”

Elder Sister Maid: “What’s up?”

Little Sister Maid: “There’s a door over there.”

Opens door.

Little Sister Maid: “Wow!”

Elder Sister Maid: “What is it?”

Little Sister Maid: “There’re lots of dresses hanging there. And linen. There’s even a bath!”

Elder Sister Maid: “A hot spring? This room is that big?”

Little Sister Maid: “Yeah, it’s as big as the manor.”

Elder Sister Maid: “Yeah. That Chief Maid… To think she would keep such a large bath a secret from us.”

Little Sister Maid: “Yeah!”

Elder Sister Maid: “But what a pretty bath.”

Little Sister Maid: “Yeah! Ah, Sis!”

Elder Sister Maid: “What?”

Little Sister Maid: “This soap, it has a rose carved into it.”

Elder Sister Maid: “Wow…”

Little Sister Maid: “It’s amazing!”

Elder Sister Maid: “It is! It is!”

Little Sister Maid: “Let’s take a bath!”

Elder Sister Maid: “Yeah, it looks big enough for the both of us.”

Little Sister Maid: “I’ll help you wash your back!”

Elder Sister Maid: “You don’t need to.”

Little Sister Maid: “And you hair. ♪”

Elder Sister Maid: “Fine, fine.” Smiles.

 

——– The Demon King Castle, Bottom Level, the Doors to the Palace of Death

The Mage: “…”

The Chief Maid: “How is it?”

The Mage: “…No reaction.”

The Chief Maid: “It’s gone?”

The Mage: “…Not sure, but…”

The Chief Maid: “Yes?”

The Mage: “The Hero was the one who destroyed the gate?”

The Chief Maid: “Yes.”

The Mage: “…”

The Chief Maid: “…”

The Mage: “…He also broke the Reincarnation Sublimation Barrier.”

The Chief Maid: “As I had expected…”

The Mage: “I’m afraid this will be no successor to the Demon King. It seems…”

The Chief Maid: “It seems?”

The Mage: “…the world will descend into anarchy.”

The Chief Maid: “And the Spirit of the Demon King?”

The Mage: “It has been released into the world.”

 

——- The Sisters’ Room in The Demon King

Knock knock.

The Demon King: “Hey, anyone in?”

Knock knock.

The Demon King: “It’s me.”

Opens door.

Elder Sister Maid: “Mistress.”

Little Sister Maid: “What’s up, Mistress?”

The Demon King: “What are you doing?”

Elder Sister Maid: “We’re preparing our clothes for a bath.”

Little Sister Maid: “Oh, oh, the soap is very cute.”

The Demon King: “That’s just perfect. Let’s take a bath.”

Elder Sister Maid: “Sorry?”

The Demon King: “The bath is a bit out of the way. I came to tell you.”

Elder Sister Maid: “Eh? …It’s somewhere else?”

The Demon King: “That’s right. You can go with just a change of clothes.”

Elder Sister Maid: “I see.”

Little Sister Maid: “Did you see my panties? I can’t find them!”

Elder Sister Maid: “I’ve got yours here.”

The Demon King: “Hehehehe.”

 

——- The Hotsprings in The Demon King

The Female Paladin: “Ahh, this is relaxing.”

The Chief Maid: “It’s a lot warmer and shallower than it looks.”

The Female Paladin: “I really love the luxury of hot water.”

The Mage: “…Luxurious.”

The Demon King: “Why are the two of you so petrified?”

Elder Sister Maid: “I hear people drown in baths, right?!”

Little Sister Maid: “This bath doesn’t even have a ceiling?!”

The Demon King: “That’s because this is a hot spring.”

Elder Sister Maid: “I see.”

Little Sister Maid: “The steam is all white and fluffy!”

The Chief Maid: “Hey, stop clowning around and relax.”

Maid Sisters: “Yes, ma’am!”

Steam rises.

Elder Sister Maid: “It’s warm…”

Little Sister Maid: “It’s so hot!”

The Chief Maid: “Whoa, you’ve turned completely red.”

Little Sister Maid: “But I feel fine—”

The Female Paladin: “Oh? But you’re completely flushed.”

The Mage: “…People who are born in cold areas like the South are not usually used to the temperature of hot water, so they have a low tolerance level.”

The Demon King: “I see, so it’s a regional thing.”

Elder Sister Maid: “My sister pushes herself so she can join everybody, I’m really sorry, do you think you could make it less hot?”

Little Sister Maid: “Uhh.”

The Mage: “…Cone of Cold.” Frost tingling.

Little Sister Maid: “Ah?!”

The Mage: “…It’s at a good temperature now.”

Steam rises.

The Demon King: “Ahh, it’s been a while since I was last this comfortable.”

The Mage: “…”

The Demon King: “What’s up, Mage?”

The Mage: “Nothing.”

The Demon King: “We may be the same Race, but we specialise in different things, so I guess there’s not much to talk about, huh.”

The Mage nods.

The Demon King: “I am the Demon King, I specialise in Economics and Finance.”

The Mage: “…The Mage. Folklore.”

The Demon King: “Really? Weren’t you one of the Hero’s companions?”

The Mage nods.

The Demon King: “What kind of person is he?”

The Mage: “Stupid.”

The Demon King: “Really. Hmm…”

The Mage: “…He only knows how to save lives. Only knows how to get into more trouble.”

TL Note: Okay this is impossible to translate. Basically, the j.a.panese word for ‘stupid’ is ‘baka’, while the word for ‘only’ is ‘bakari’. It’s a pun.

The Demon King: “Indeed.”

The Mage: “The Hero of the Demon World.”

The Demon King: “Eh?”

The Mage: “— The Hero of the Human World too.”

The Demon King: “The Hero is… A very important figure… Why is he not a King? Based on his battle ability, his dependability, kindness, and the fact that he’s a Hero, his name alone must surely be worth a crown.”

The Mage: “…”

The Demon King: “Though I met the Hero five years earlier than expected, I’d thought he would be a King by then.”

The Mage: “…That’s because you’re stupid.”

The Demon King: “Is that so.”

The Mage: “…”

The Demon King: “The Hero could have united the Human World under his kings.h.i.+p and invaded the world underground. That Hero, whom I now place all my trust and hopes in, undertaking an invasion of the Demon World… There are stories that read like this as well.”

The Mage: “No meaning.”

The Demon King: “No?”

The Mage: “…You definitely won’t be the target of such a trip.”

The Demon King: “That’s true. I would be fully occupied on the battlefront.”

The Mage: “…”

The Demon King: “…”

The Mage: “…”

The Demon King: “So, Mage, what do you see inside me?”

The Mage: “…Huge.”

The Demon King: “Huh?”

The Mage: “…”

The Demon King: “Uh, uhh, don’t look at that.”

The Chief Maid: “That’s not she was saying.”

The Mage: “…Those are beautiful b.r.e.a.s.t.s.”

The Demon King: “Uhh.”

The Chief Maid: “Rather than just combat ability, a voluminous saturation attack can also be conducted. The warmth of a mother’s breast is something that stays with a person since childhood. Compared to that, something like combat ability is just like trampling on small twigs.”

The Female Paladin: “Small twigs?”

The Mage: “…Mean.”

The Demon King: “You may say that, but I don’t have that much confidence in my b.r.e.a.s.t.s. They’re heavy and they never settle down, though I suppose they give a nice shape …”

The Female Paladin: “Hmph! They just distract you from what is really important.”

Little Sister Maid: “Why do I have no b.o.o.bies?”

Elder Sister Maid: “We’ll have them when we grow older. Turn over there so I can wash your hair.”

The Chief Maid: “No way. What a guy thinks is attractive is completely different from what a girl thinks about herself. Something soft that lets your finger sink deep into it is sweet poison to the boys.”

The Female Paladin: “— These tyrannical kingdoms have resulted in such warped values. Can we really just let such anarchy slip past?! Our Order of the Lake will wipe out this impurity!”

The Demon King: “Really? So my flab has value?”

The Mage: “…You’re like the Courtesan General.”

The Demon King: “Didn’t she die in Volume 3?”

The Mage: “…She was very popular, so I brought her back in Volume 5.”

The Female Paladin: “You don’t know what it’s like to be bullied for it. Just because I’m flat, I’ve had to give up on all my hopes and dreams!”

The Mage: “…It’s okay. There are some people who like that type as well.”

The Chief Maid: “My, my. Even though I helped to construct the best possible scenarios, the Hero still didn’t make the correct choices immediately.”

The Demon King: “H-H-Hey! Don’t a.s.sign values to people based on the size of their b.o.o.bs!”

The Female Paladin: “Ooooh, we finally have something in common! That’s right! The worth of a person is not based on the size of their b.r.e.a.s.t.s!”

The Mage: “…The true power in the world.”

Little Maid Sister: “This conversation is very difficult to understand.”

Elder Maid Sister: “That’s right. Here, sink your head into the water.”

Sinks into hot springs water.

Little Maid Sister: “Oooooo.” Bubbling.

Elder Maid Sister: “You may talk now.”

The Chief Maid: “Then, I suppose this will have to be decided at the next match.”

The Demon King and the Female Paladin: “Match?”

The Chief Maid: “Yes. I’ll go prepare the banquet.” Smiles.

 

—— A Forest on the Border

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

TL Explanation

Kitsune, Bear & Tanuki: Kitsune are j.a.panese foxes, while Tanuki are j.a.panese rac.o.o.n dogs. In j.a.panese folklore, all three animals are often depicted as intelligent, mischievous and cunning shape-s.h.i.+fters. The Bear is usually depicted as slower and more lumbering, though not stupid. On occasion, they often help the good people, albeit usually in a naughty way.

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Kitsune: “Hey, hey.”

The Hero: “I’m counting on you. Please be my friends!”

Kitsune laughs.

Tanuki: “Hehehe!”

The Hero: “Please be my friends!”

Tanuki snorts.

The Hero: “Please be my friends!!!”

Bear: “Haaaaaa!”

The Hero: “This time, I don’t mind anything! Be my friend—!”

Bear roars.

 

——- The Demon King Hotsprings Villa, in a Large Tatami-floored Room

The Demon King: “Yeahhh!”

The Female Paladin: “Ahh! Heh! Another gla.s.s!”

The Chief Maid: “Please, please.”

The Chief Maid pours wine.

The Demon King: “How about that, Female Paladin, why don’t you just take off your socks?”

The Female Paladin: “Shut up, I’m still going strong. Again! Again! I will show you the Secret Technique of the Holy Order of the Lake!”

The Mage: “Scissors.”

The Demon King and the Female Paladin: “Paper, stone!!!”

The Demon King: “What?!”

The Female Paladin: “I win!!!”

Little Maid Sister: “The Female Paladin looks really happy with herself.”

Elder Maid Sister: “That’s because she’s had a real losing streak.”

The Demon King: “I will have to re-plan my concept of Probability Theory.”

The Female Paladin: “What do you mean by probability theory? A loss is a loss! The words of one who loses are no better than mud. Hahahahaha!”

Little Maid Sister shudders.

Elder Maid Sister: “Umm, you’re s.h.i.+vering…”

The Demon King: “Heh… Taking my coat off here is just suicide. Chief Maid, give me another cup too!”

The Chief Maid: “Yes, Your Majesty, I understand.” Chief Maid pours wine.

The Female Paladin: “Hehe, you sure are stubborn.”

The Demon King: “Yeah. I’m the Demon King after all, I have a name and a reputation which I need to uphold.”

The Mage: “If you showed her some b.o.o.b, maybe the Female Paladin might get depressed and lose heart.”

The Demon King: “I’m not going to do a suicide attack!!!”

Little Maid Sister: “What are they talking about?”

Elder Maid Sister: “Uhh, uhh… I don’t know.”

The Demon King: “Ahh… No good. My feet are wavering.”

The Chief Maid: “It’s pure Banshee Rice Wine after all.”

The Female Paladin: “Hahahahaha! The Demon King can barely stand. Hahahahaha!”

The Mage: “…The same can be said for you.”

The Demon King: “Yeah! Oh, the Hero is quite late…”

The Female Paladin: “He’s probably ashamed of himself and couldn’t bear to show his face. He has no friends after all.”

The Demon King: “Wh=whoa. You even used that against him?!”

The Mage: “She’s cruel when she’s drunk.”

The Demon King: “Unknowingly…”

Elder Maid Sister: “These boiled vegetables are really great.”

Little Maid Sister: “Delicious! ♪ Wow, the meat is good too!”

The Chief Maid: “Shall I send reinforcements to get him here soon?”

The Female Paladin: “He’d better have a good explanation for being late to the banquet! He should apologise to everyone when he comes!”

The Mage: “…He’s here.”

Door opens.

The Hero: “Sorry for the wait! I’m here!”

East Fortress Base Commander: “…”

Aide-de-Camp: “…”

Elder Maid Sister: “Welcome home.”

Little Maid Sister: “Welcome back.”

The Chief Maid: “What’s wrong with the two of you, hurry up and go get some food and wine.”

The Female Paladin: “Hero, you’re late! Where have you been playing?!”

The Mage: “…Irresponsible.”

The Demon King: “Ah?! It’s the Hero! You’re late! Let’s drink. You’ve finally come to keep me company! Drink! Drink!”

The Hero: “Whoa, she’s had way too much.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Psst.”

The Hero: “What?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Come here, come here.”

The Hero: “What’s up?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Don’t tell me this place is…”

The Hero: “It’s the Demon King Castle?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “I came here because you said there was good wine to be had!”

The Hero: “There is, there is. A free banquet too. Isn’t that super worth it?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “I didn’t expect it would be this way, but why are you all gathered here?”

The Hero: “It looks like a family trip.”

The Chief Maid: “Dear guests, have a cup please.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Y-yes… Ohh, thank you. This is… Banshee Wine? What a top-cla.s.s product.”

The Chief Maid: “I am the humble servant of my Mistress. Please call me the Chief Maid.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Yes, respectfully… I say, Black Knight.”

The Hero: “Ahhh— yeah?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “It must be great to be by the Demon King’s side. To have such a beautiful Chief Maid working for you, that’s gotta be amazing.”

The Hero: “She’s not my maid, she’s the Demon King’s maid.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “I see, the Demon King’s… It seemed strange that she would be a mere attendant to such a place. So she’s the Demon King’s maid, then. I’ve fought wars in many places and seen many things, but a Demon King having such a beautiful woman as a maid, that really makes me feel the grandeur of the Demon World.”

The Hero: “Demon King? Demon King? Aren’t you going to say something?”

The Demon King: “What? Hero? I’m a bit tipsy. Whozzat?”

East Fortress Base Commander and Aide-de-Camp: “Eh?”

The Hero: “Didn’t I tell you? This is the East Fortress Base Commander. He’s the current President of the Self-Governing Council of the City of the Gate. This is his Aide-de-Camp. They’ve always been helping us out.”

The Demon King: “Ohhh! I get it now! Nice to meet you, Base Commander! I’ve heard a lot about the restoration of law and order and the revitalising of the economy in the city. You really are a highly capable administrator.”

East Fortress Base Commander and Aide-de-Camp: “Eh?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Hang on a minute?!”

The Hero: “Sorry, it’s so sudden. But this is the Demon King Castle, so I can’t help it that the Demon King is here.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Is this a surprise attack?! You’ve got to let me prepare my heart.”

The Hero: “You’re a mercenary! You should be prepared for such surprises.”

Aide-de-Camp: (Thankfully, I’m just an aide-de-camp…)

Elder Sister Maid: “Alright, make sure you don’t drop it, alright?”

Little Sister Maid: “Okay. ♪”

The Hero: “This is the Grandmaster of the Holy Order of the Lake, the Female Paladin. In her free time she also serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Tripart.i.te Union.”

The Female Paladin: “It is an honour to make your acquaintance, East Fortress Base Commander. But I currently serve as the Sword of the Hero, even though he is willing to let me sit here and rust.”

The Hero: “She’s drunk. I apologise, they’re all good people, but are weak to alcohol. Then, umm… This is the Mage. She may look really sleepy but she’s very powerful. I’m sure you’ve heard of ‘The Living Nightmare.’”

The Mage: “…Meh.”

Aide-de-Camp: “A-a-aren’t they…?!”

East Fortress Base Commander: “The members of the Hero’s Party?! Why are such Heroes lounging in the Demon King Castle, drinking wine with the Demon King?! What kind of family vacation is this?!”

The Demon King: “Hero. Explain it to them.”

The Chief Maid: “My, my.”

Aide-de-Camp: “H-Hero?”

The Hero: “Sorry. Sorry. I’m the Black Knight, but I’m also the Hero. No, actually, I’m the Hero first. But she was scouting for a person to fill the Black Knight position. I was thinking that instead of taking down the Demon King, maybe we could work together.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “…”

Aide-de-Camp: “…”

The Hero: “Like a Combo?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “What in the name of h.e.l.l do you mean by that?!”

 

——- The Demon King Hotsprings Villa, in a Large Tatami-floored Room

Little Maid Sister: “This bread is really tasty～♪”

The Female Paladin: “Would you like a drink, Base Commander?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “I apologise for my state of emotions earlier. Please Female Paladin, I would love a drink.”

The Female Paladin: “Just call me Paladin. I’m younger than you and in the first place, I’m sorry for showing you my drunk side off the bat. I’ve heard you have the experience of your years and the conduct of a true general, so I really wanted to meet you at least once.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Y-yes…”

The Female Paladin: “Here, have another cup. Please call me the Paladin.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Yes, Paladin.”

Both gulp their drinks.

The Female Paladin: “…Ahhh!”

East Fortress Base Commander: “You’re a good drinker!”

The Female Paladin: “That’s my line! You’re really good at this!”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Hahaha, that’s because I’m a mercenary. A strong sword hand, a stomach for violence, a reckless heart. After those three, the most important thing is a good liver for alcohol.”

The Female Paladin: “Ahahahaha! Let’s have another!”

East Fortress Base Commander: (small voice) “Hey, umm.”

The Chief Maid: (small voice) “Yes?”

East Fortress Base Commander: (small voice) “Like before, please.”

The Chief Maid: (small voice) “I’ll dilute it with water so it should be alright. The Female Paladin is laughing too hard to notice.”

East Fortress Base Commander: (small voice) “Yeah.”

The Chief Maid: (small voice) “But if you pa.s.sed her on to the Hero, I’m sure you could make your escape.”

The Female Paladin: “Base Commander! What do the streets of the City of the Gate look like?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “The City of the Gate?”

The Female Paladin: “That’s right. I’d like to know.” Smiles.

East Fortress Base Commander: “Let’s see. Lately, the number of people has increased greatly. At first it was mainly just travelling merchants but recently, the people who fled have started to come back in great numbers. There are even new emigrants, human merchants too.”

The Female Paladin: “Humans? Entering through the large hole in the gate? I always thought they weren’t distributing exit permits anywhere… Ahh, this is delicious! This kus.h.i.+yaki!”

East Fortress Base Commander: “You know what merchants are like. Whether or not they have a permit, as long as there’s a chance for business, they’ll definitely go.”

The Female Paladin: “Hehehehe, secret business transactions?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “…That may be so.”

The Female Paladin: “Hm?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “So that’s the Hero?”

The Female Paladin: “Is something wrong?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “No, no. It’s just that the Black Knight, even when he’s drinking, is someone I can tell is incredibly powerful, but to think that he’s actually the Hero!”

The Female Paladin: “Yeah. He’s the Hero. He’s unfairly strong. He can shoot laser beams anywhere at random and destroy towers with a swing of his sword.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “That seems like an urban legend to me.”

The Female Paladin: “…But he’s a great master.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “I see…”

The Female Paladin: “Hm?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Paladin.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “You have a very mesmerised gaze whenever you look at the Hero!”

The Female Paladin: “What? That’s not— That’s probably true.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “So, I guess you’re all Demons then.”

The Female Paladin: “Why would you say that?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “The Black Knight came into the City and made a proclamation to all the inhabitants. He said, ‘All those Humans who despise Demons, come! In their place, I will be beaten by you.’ ‘All those Demons who bear grudges against Humans, come! In their place, bear that grudge against me.’”

The Female Paladin: “…I see.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “What’s going on?”

The Female Paladin: “No, the world above is also very chaotic. The Demon-despising Central Continent is locked in conflict against the Tripart.i.te Union. Though we all want peace, we live in an age where we must all bear arms.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “That isn’t something which we can help. It’s because we live in such chaotic times. Those who do not bear arms are just stupid. Those who try not to inconvenience the enemies in front of them by being unprepared and unarmed aren’t kind, they are merely sick in the head.”

The Female Paladin: “—That’s true.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “But constantly raising our weapons isn’t right either, right? This is a very conflicting time. But if someone great and n.o.ble were to come, he could probably take the weapons from them and create peace throughout the world. But that’s like how a mother or a father would break up children’s fights by sending them to the naughty corner. Can we really call that peace?”

The Female Paladin: “…”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Well, I think there’s a better way to do this.”

The Female Paladin: “You think it’s possible?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “To co-exist with Demons?”

The Female Paladin: “Yeah… I want to believe it, but I really can’t.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “I think it’s possible.”

The Female Paladin: “Do you? Really?!”

East Fortress Base Commander: “I’m sure you know that there’s already a gaping hole where there was the gate. It’s currently still a trickle, but it’s already becoming impossible to stem the tide. We have to co-exist. We absolutely need to co-exist. If you looked at the City of the Gate, you would immediately understand. Yeah, we can definitely co-exist. Demons and Humans aren’t that different, after all.”

The Female Paladin: “Really… Well, that’s just the dream of the Hero and the Demon King.”

The Mage: “…The problem is the threshold of acceptable losses.”

East Fortress Base Commander: “Yeah.”

The Female Paladin: “Really?”

East Fortress Base Commander: “We’ll definitely eventually co-exist. I can guarantee that. The problem is, in order to achieve this, how much blood needs to be shed? We will co-exist eventually, but whether that takes five years, ten years, a hundred years… I don’t know. The amount of blood that will be lost could be many times more than what has already been spilt so far. There may even be a chance that the all the blood of all the Demons and Humans needs to be sacrificed. We can co-exist, but whether Demons or Humans can remain in existence is a different problem.”

The Female Paladin: “Is that so…”

East Fortress Base Commander: “It may be narrow, but that’s a mercenary’s point of view. Tomorrow may come but how much blood will be spilt today?”

The Mage: “For the sake of time…”

The Female Paladin: “Mage…”

The Mage: “Can you hear their pleas?”

 

——- The Demon King Hotsprings Villa, in a Large Tatami-floored Room, a Peaceful Place

Aide-de-Camp: “Delicious, what is this?”

Elder Sister Maid: “Is it a vegetable?”

Little Sister Maid: “It’s a carrot.”

Aide-de-Camp: “Since when do carrots taste so sweet?!”

Little Sister Maid: “It should be, I think it was boiled in honey.”

Aide-de-Camp: “This is my first time eating something like this.”

Elder Sister Maid: “Me too.”

Little Sister Maid: “Me three～♪”

Aide-de-Camp: “Yeah, everyone is really wonderful.”

Elder Sister Maid: “Really?”

Little Sister Maid: “You mean the Hero? Or the Demon King?”

Aide-de-Camp: “No, no, everybody is amazing.”

Elder Sister Maid: “I don’t really think so, though…”

Little Sister Maid: “Hey, hey. This is really delicious!”

Aide-de-Camp: “Which?”

Little Sister Maid: “This red stick-like thing.”

Aide-de-Camp: “Yeah, that’s a Giant Spider Crab. If you break it, it’s delicious in the middle.”

Elder Sister Maid: “Whoa… Give me some too.”

Little Sister Maid: “Hehe, let’s eat.”

Sound of crab cracking.

Aide-de-Camp: “Let’s eat our fill and just relax, alright?”

Elder Sister Maid: “Yes.”

Little Sister Maid: “Alright!”

 

——- The Demon King Hotsprings Villa, in a Large Tatami-floored Room

East Fortress Base Commander: “Wine! Wine! Wine is the tears of men～♪”

The Demon King: “Hmm, Hero.”

The Hero: “What?”

The Demon King: “Are you drinking?”

The Hero: “I’m drinking.”

The Demon King: “I’m drinking too.”

The Hero: “I know.”

The Demon King: “No, I know that you know.”

The Hero: “What kind of routine is this?”

The Demon King: “No, I just wanted to confirm that I know that you know that I know that you know that I know that you know.”

The Hero: “That is incredibly confusing.”

The Demon King: “Yeah, who comes up with such confusing things.”

The Hero: “You came up with it, didn’t you?!”

The Demon King: “Most economies based solely on consumer durables and capital goods have limitations to their growth.”

The Hero: “This just got a lot more complicated.”

The Demon King: “Hero.”

The Hero: “Y-yes?”

The Demon King: “Hero. Hero. Hero.”

The Hero: “Thrice in a row?”

The Demon King: “Surp.”

The Hero: “Surp?”

The Demon King: “Surprise attack!” Collapses.

The Hero: “?!”

The Demon King: “N-no way. I won’t let… you…”

The Hero: “…Umm.”

The Chief Maid: “My, my. She’s really into your lap pillow.”

The Demon King: “…”

The Hero: “Are you asleep, Demon King?”

The Demon King: “… Mmm… Mmm…”

The Chief Maid: “Is she asleep?”

The Hero: “Looks like it.”

The Chief Maid: “She’s very deep in… She’s asleep like a tanuki.”

The Demon King snores lightly.

The Hero: “?”

The Chief Maid: “Hero, would you mind taking the Demon King up to her room for me?”

The Hero: “Yeah, sure.”

The Chief Maid: “I’m counting on you, then.” Smiles.

 

——- The Demon King Hotsprings Villa, in a Large Guest Room

Door opens.

The Hero: “…Alright.”

The Demon King: “…Mmmm.”

The Hero: “Wow, this is… amazing. I don’t really understand, but the bed is attached to the ceiling.”

The Demon King: “…Mmm.”

The Hero: “Okay, okay… This bed is just about as big as a regular-sized room. What kind of mattress is this? Even though she looks this way, the Demon King is the Demon King after all. She’s got to be unbelievably rich.”

The Demon King: “Ehhh.”

The Hero: “Did I wake you?”

The Demon King: “…”

The Hero: “Are you feeling alright? Do you want to go to the toilet?”

The Demon King: “…Ugh.”

The Hero: “If you need to vomit, don’t vomit on me, alright?”

The Demon King: “Umm, that’s…” (Chief Maid, how am I supposed to create a good mood when he says something like that?!)

The Demon King: “Mmm, I’m alright… I’d just like to sit up for a while.”

The Hero: “Yeah, got it.”

The Demon King: “…”

The Hero: “You really drank quite a bit.”

The Demon King: “Yeah, it’s been a while. It was fun!”

The Hero: “That’s good.”

The Demon King: “Hero.”

The Hero: “What?”

The Demon King: “Do I have the right to act like your legal owner?”

The Hero: “Huh? I guess?”

The Demon King: “Really? Hehehe, in that case.”

The Hero: “Yeah.”

The Demon King: “Take off your shoes… please?”

The Hero: “Y-yeah…”

The Demon King: “Hurry up!”

The Hero: “Don’t rush me, it’ll get dirty.”

The Demon King: “Hmph.”

The Hero: “Is this enough?”

The Demon King: “How fun!” Rolls around.

The Hero: “Stop rolling around.”

The Demon King: “This bed is so big, I can even jump around in it.”

The Hero: “Yes, yes.”

The Demon King: “Didn’t you drink anything?”

The Hero: “I drank, but I didn’t drown myself like you did. To begin with, I know I’m not particularly good at controlling my liquor intake.”

The Demon King: “Really? How boring.”

The Hero: “Why?”

The Demon King: “It would be fun if you were drunk too.”

The Hero: “What?”

The Demon King: “We can talk about employment rates, efficiency, and even the relations.h.i.+p between revenue and cost. How interesting. Hehehehehe.”

The Hero: “I don’t understand.”

The Demon King: “Hahahahahaha.”

The Hero: “You really are drunk, aren’t you?”

The Demon King: “I was born to be drunk. If I don’t get drunk, then I’ll be wasting the efforts of the brewers, right? That’s why it’s the economically right thing to get drunk! Otherwise it’s just wastage!!!”

The Hero: “That’s not entirely wrong.”

The Demon King s.h.i.+vers.

The Hero: “?”

The Demon King s.h.i.+vers.

The Hero: “Come over here, won’t you?”

The Demon King: “Really?”

The Hero: “It’s fine.”

Shuffles over.

The Demon King: “Hero.”

The Hero: “That’s me.”

The Demon King: “How nice. You’re warm. You have a very good heart.”

The Hero: “You drunkard.”

The Demon King: “Ahh! I want to praise myself. How did I manage to pick such a great people to surround myself with. My people-judging abilities truly are a joy to behold.”

The Hero: “I suppose I don’t have such joy.”

The Demon King: “That’s not true.”

The Hero: “Really?”

The Demon King: “I mean, that time, you chose me…”

The Hero: “Y-yeah…”

The Demon King: “You’re really smart. Really? If you were really that smart, then why do I have to keep trying so hard? Why can’t you be as smart all the time as you were back then?”

The Hero: “Uhhh.”

The Demon King: “If you just did that, everything would be fine.”

The Hero: “Thank you.”

The Demon King: “No, I belong to you after all.”

The Hero: “Y-yeah…”

The Demon King: “….”

The Hero: “…How about you come closer?”

The Demon King: “You don’t want me to leave?”

The Hero: “Absolutely… not.”

The Demon King: “That’s my Hero.” Sinks into bed.

The Hero: “That looks fun.”

The Demon King: “It is.”

The Hero: “Somehow.”

The Demon King: “Shall we roll around?”

The Hero: “Eh?”

The Demon King: “We can roll around and talk for a while. We’ll have to go back eventually, right? I’m not sleepy or anything, so just for a bit?”

The Hero: “Umm.”

The Demon King: “Don’t worry about s.p.a.ce, it’s very big.”

The Hero: “Uhh.”

The Demon King: “No…?”

The Hero: “It’s very hard to refuse when you say it like that.”

The Demon King: “Hmm, I learnt that if I tilt my head slightly to the side and make an expression as if I’m going to cry, the persuasiveness increases exponentially.”

The Hero: “…You’re just exploiting me again.”

The Demon King: “I understand! Sorry! I apologise! I won’t do it again. Promise!”

The Hero: “Hmph, I’ve got to keep my guard up.”

The Demon King: “No you don’t, I’m just rolling around.”

The Hero: “I don’t have any complaints with you rolling around.”

The Demon King: “It’s fine. Why don’t we roll around together?”

The Hero: “It’s not that I hate rolling around or anything, but being here with you, it’s very difficult to feel completely relaxed especially in this situation.”

The Demon King: “What a difficult age you are at.”

The Hero: “I just want to live normally, why must it be so difficult?”

The Demon King: “Here, look, I made you some s.p.a.ce.”

The Hero: “Fine.”

Jumps onto the bed.

The Demon King: “Stretch out your legs.”

The Hero: “Why?”

The Demon King: “So I can take off your shoes.”

The Hero: “It’s fine! I’ll take it off myself!”

The Demon King: “Come on, I said I’d take it off. I don’t know if it’s the right feeling, but it’s got a certain forbidden feel to it, doesn’t it?”

The Hero: “I don’t want to feel something so weird.”

The Demon King: “But it’s interesting.”

The Hero: “It’s not interesting at all.”

Heavy footsteps.

The Hero: “Who’s that?”

The Demon King: “Just a pa.s.serby.”

Heavy footsteps.

The Hero: “…”

The Demon King: “…”

Heavy footsteps

The Hero: “…Why are you holding your breath?”

The Demon King: “…Why do you look so afraid of being caught with me?”

The Hero: “No, I’m not.”

The Demon King: “Well, I’m acting normal too.”

Heavy footsteps.

The Hero: “…”

The Demon King: “…It really is an oppressive feeling.”

Door opens slowly.

The Hero: “?!”

 

——- The Demon King Hotsprings Villa, in a Large Guest Room

The Female Paladin: “Ummm, number seven… Number eight. Ahh, I really drank too much.”

Gulps down another bottle of wine.

The Female Paladin: “Number nine… This is my room. Where’s my luggage…”

Door opens slowly.

The Hero: “?!”

The Demon King: “…!!!”

The Female Paladin: “What! What are the two of you doing!”

The Hero: “What do you mean?”

The Demon King: “We’re having a tea party.”

The Female Paladin: “You’re always so shameless, Demon King!” Launches herself.

The Demon King: “You hit me?!”

The Hero: “Hey, calm down.”

The Demon King: “But! Hey! She did something like that to me even though she’s the one trespa.s.sing into my room at this unG.o.dly hour!”

The Female Paladin: “Trespa.s.sing? Isn’t this room number nine? It’s my room.”

The Demon King: “What are you saying? Room number nine is mine!”

The Hero: “Really? I thought it was mine.”

The Demon King: “Don’t be foolish, let’s look into the closet. There, those are my bags. This is obviously my room.”

The Female Paladin: “Wait, that case over there is mine. That bag too. Why is my luggage in this room?”

The Demon King: “Then whose bathrobe is this?”

The Hero: “…Uhh, that’s mine.”

The Demon King: “…”

The Female Paladin: “So it’s a triple bedroom…”

The Hero: “Who allocated the rooms?!”

The Demon King: “It’s not like we have a shortage of rooms, what’s going on?”

The Female Paladin: “This atmosphere… It’s like lions locked in a cage engaged in a fight to the death.”

The Demon King: “…I’m the one getting invaded.”

The Female Paladin: “What did you say?!”

The Demon King: “Nothing.”

The Female Paladin: “But it’s too late to divide the room, I’m way too sleepy.”

The Hero: “That’s true. Then the two of you can sleep together. I can sleep alone anyway. See you tomorrow.” Gets off bed.

The Female Paladin and the Demon King: “Wait!!!”

 

——- The Demon King Hotsprings Villa, in a Large Guest Room

The Female Paladin: “—”

The Demon King: “—”

The Hero: “What is going on?”

The Demon King: “Hey, Hero, we need to talk about a lot of things.”

The Female Paladin: “You didn’t even apologise for coming late.”

The Hero: “Eh?”

The Demon King: “The three of us are sleeping together. We’ve got wine and the night is still young.”

The Female Paladin: “We’re counting on you, Hero.”

The Hero: “Wait, what?”

The Demon King: “I’ve got no problem with this, do you?”

The Female Paladin: “From the Church’s point of view, this is probably a problem, but the Spirit of Light, in His unlimited charity, will probably let this slide. So I’ll allow it this time.”

The Hero: “…”

The Demon King: “Why are you sighing?”

The Female Paladin: “It’s very weird that you’re sighing.”

The Hero: “It’s not that I hate sleeping with the two of you, it’s just that the atmosphere is really heavy!”

The Demon King: “Don’t worry about that.”

The Female Paladin: “We have a truce tonight.”

The Hero: “Eh?”

The Demon King: “The Maid Chief said that fighting every day is counter-productive and uninteresting. That’s why today, we’re not fighting.”

The Female Paladin: “Yeah, I won’t fight with the Demon King as well. Don’t worry. We won’t talk very much and just sleep.”

The Hero: “Really…?”

The Demon King: “Yes.”

The Demon King: “All the rooms around here have a small bathroom attached to them.
I’m going to take a bath and change to something more comfortable. You can too.”

The Female Paladin: “Really?”

The Demon King: “We’re at a truce, so believe me. Well, those words were for the Hero as well.”

Walks off.

The Female Paladin: “Don’t look so fl.u.s.tered, you’re my owner after all.”

The Hero: “It’s because the two of you fight so much!”

The Female Paladin: “It’s all because of you, though.”

The Hero: “I understand that, but—”

The Female Paladin: “How very Hero-like.”

The Hero: “Sigh…”

The Female Paladin: “Stop sighing… We’re here on holiday. That being said, there’s also some kind of Demon Conference going on too?”

The Hero: “Yeah, the Kurultai… Aren’t you sleepy?”

The Female Paladin: “Nope, I’m just really tipsy. I don’t want to move very much.”

The Hero: “Did you say something, Demon King?”

The Female Paladin: “You must be very tired. The Demon King didn’t say anything.”

The Hero: “I feel like I had some sort of important conversation recently…”

The Female Paladin: “I wouldn’t know anything about that.”

The Hero: “You seem very smug about that.”

The Female Paladin: “Even if you’re ignorant, I’ll still protect you.”

The Hero: “…”

The Female Paladin: “I just came, so I’m trying to learn as much as possible.”

The Hero: “Oh? You’ve been studying?”

The Female Paladin: “Of course I have. I tried to learn as much from the Base Commander as possible too… I’ve been studying so that I can decrease the number of unnecessary sacrifices we have to make.”

The Hero: “I see…”

The Female Paladin: “You know more about the Demon World than I do, right?”

The Hero: “I have some trivial knowledge, but I don’t know anything about its inst.i.tutions or groups. I haven’t been on the ground long enough to acquire a familiarity with it either.”

The Female Paladin: “That being said, I find the Demon World… Ugh… Ahh…”

The Hero: “What are you doing?”

The Female Paladin: “I’m trying to take off my armour.”

The Hero: “…”

The Female Paladin struggles.

The Hero: “Let me help you.”

The Female Paladin sighs.

The Hero: “—Well! I know that there are many different races and tribes, but apart from that, I’m not clear about the rest of it.”

The Female Paladin: “From what I can tell, the ones who are really unintelligent are the Demon Beasts. In our world, they would be called animals. The Demons are the intelligent ones and they live in the cities and on their frontier.”

The Hero: “The Kurultai is a gathering of all the heads of the Demon Races. It’s a Conference during which many important things get decided.”

The Female Paladin: “So, if they decide to, they could end the war with Humanity in that meeting?”

The Hero: “That would be great, but probably not.”

Door opens.

The Demon King: “Ahh.”

The Female Paladin: “That was quick?”

The Demon King: “I just went to take a quick shower to wash off the sweat.”

The Female Paladin: “Then I’ll take one too.”

The Hero: “Bye.”

The Demon King: “It’s still warm.”

Walks off.

The Hero: “We were talking about the Kurultai.”

The Female Paladin: “Really? I see.” Frowns.

The Hero: “Are you troubled?”

The Demon King: “I wouldn’t say that I’m troubled, but the situation isn’t good at all.”

The Hero: “Yeah. You told me this a long time ago, but Demonkind is really a confederation of tribes, right?”

The Demon King: “I don’t know.”

The Hero: “Hey, hey, are you or aren’t you sure?”

The Demon King: “They really come and go. To begin with, the definition of a tribe was originally a hazy concept. It wasn’t based on race or anything. It was really just a name people identified themselves by. For instance, if a group of youngsters got together and decided they were a tribe, then they would be a tribe. — Of course, if you wanted to create a tribe, then you would have to leave the tribe you were originally in. Demon society revolved around tribes, so leaving the tribe you were in was a very courageous thing to do. But if you had the courage, anyone could do it.”

The Hero: “And so the various races will be at this meeting?”

The Demon King: “They should.”

The Hero: “That sounds like a very big meeting.”

The Demon King: “Actually only the Demon King and the heads of eight races will take part.”

The Hero: “Really?”

The Demon King: “Yeah. I said this earlier, but there are a lot of different Demon Races. We don’t have an exact figure or anything, but of the intelligent Demons, 40% belong to a whole slew of different tribes. The remaining 60% belong to the eight largest Races. At this meeting, the Demon King represents the interests of those 40%. That’s the idea anyway.”

The Hero: “So that’s how it is.”

The Hero: “Then, who comes up with the Conference topic?”

The Demon King: “Basically, the Demon King. The other representatives are allowed to talk freely, but the Demon King goes first.”

The Hero: “That sounds like a Human conference.”

The Demon King: &