Chapter 30: A Season Spent in Hell (2)

I still imagine a harsh and cruel place whenever I picture the demon world, but I know this imagery is wrong because of all the things Lapis had told me. Like how even the demon world has a lot of luxurious, civilized cities as well.

Would Lapis lead me to a savage area of all places? I really want to take a proper break this time. I decided to clean my dungeon’s front yard before going on a genuine vacation.

What did I mean by this?

“O-O Greater Being, what has brought Your Greatness to exert your presence in a humble place like this?”

An old man with white hair uttered as he kowtowed on the ground. Nearly a hundred people were kowtowing behind the old man as well. They were slash-and-burn farmers. They were people who farmed and lived on mountainsides which were normally filled with beasts and monsters, so they were stronger and braver than the average person.

The reason why they were kneeling before me was simple. There were roughly 30 golems currently surrounding them. This was the force I had procured after spending the rest of my funds.

With my Acting skill activated, I spoke.

“Humble? Did you just call this place humble?”

“Y-Yes.”

“Raise your head, human.”

The old man raised his head incredibly slowly. Like the ridges between rice paddles, his tanned face was filled with wrinkles. It was a face that directly portrayed his sincere and rough life. I felt somewhat sorry, but I continued to use an aggressive tone in order to accomplish my goal. First impressions are important. I can’t let myself look like a pushover right now.

“This is my territory! The sin of calling my land humble is heavy.”

The old man’s face was dyed with astonishment and perplexity. This was only natural. He was most likely bewildered since a man had appeared with a group of monsters and had suddenly claimed ‘this was his land’.

This was a type of traffic control.

Starting from this slash-and-burn village, there are several other small villages around my dungeon as well. Adventurer parties would reside in these villages for a couple of days to relieve their exhaustion before coming to invade my dungeon. These villagers would make some pocket change from these adventurers by receiving a minor lodging fee from them, so they were an indirect threat to me. I’ve been deliberating about how I should deal with them for a while now, but I decided to intimidate them once before going on my trip to the demon continent.

“O-O Greater Being.”

“Furthermore, you have also been residing within my territory without permission, so your sins are unfathomable!”

“We apologize. We apologize! But we did not know.”

The old man pressed his head against the ground without me ordering him to.

“All countries avoid this place as it is crowded with monsters. Even the vampire-like tax collectors of the Empire do not come this far. Please forgive us for fleeing to this mountainside in order to escape from the high taxes and extortion…….”

“Huh, your claim to be the only victims is quite distasteful. You all know that my base is within this vicinity and that adventurers march to it. Despite this, you people would provide these adventurers with accommodations, would you not?”

The village chief hastily raised his head.

“Ah. B-But that.”

“Speak only the truth!”

“O Greater Being……the difficulty in living on a mountainside is immense. If it were not for the outsiders who would occasionally visit and pay a lodging fee, we would struggle to survive through even a single season. W-We could not help it since it was for the sake of our survival. Please be merciful!”

I snorted.

“If your lives are difficult, then does that justify having my life threatened instead? How dare you. It seems you have not fully grasped the situation you are in.”

I raised my right hand. Once I did, the golems that were surrounding the villagers took a step forward. The ground shook as 30 golems all took a step at the same time. The villagers panicked. A couple of them even screamed.

“Uuuhhhg, spare us!”

“Please forgive us!”

Dear me. It hurts me to see this. Well, as humans, there was no reason for them to have been hostile towards adventurers when they were offering to go subjugate a Demon Lord. It isn’t a faulty way of thinking since Demon Lords are considered as last bosses for humans.

“Please, O Greater Being! We apologize! We will never do it again…….”

“Even if I slaughtered you all here, my anger would not be relieved!”

I could clearly see sweat flow down the village chief’s neck.

I deliberately spoke in a rage-filled voice.

“⎯⎯⎯I will give you one last chance.”

“Oooh!”

The village chief raised his arms.

“Thank you, thank you very much!”

“Keep in mind that I am not an unconditionally lenient man. As you all have committed an irredeemable crime, you must first repent.”

“Of course. That is only natural! Tell us what we should do.”

I took out a blue orb. Once I tossed it lightly, the village chief caught it clumsily.

“What is this……?”

“Adventurer parties will continue to visit your village. Do as you always have and provide these parties with lodging and food. However, tap on that orb four times as soon as they arrive.”

I grinned.

“If you do, then my faithful subordinates will infiltrate your village at night. Assassinate the adventurers with them. If you do this, then you will not lose any profits. Additionally, as you will have not betrayed me, you will not have to apologize to me with your lives.”

That’s right. The adventurers that will invade from now on will have higher levels. If I can establish a cooperative system like this with the villages around my dungeon before they arrive, then I will have more ways to deal with these parties. The village chief was moved to tears as he praised my magnanimity.

Nonetheless, I knew that if there is no additional profit, then people would break these kinds of contracts with ease. If they judge that the adventurer party is strong enough to subjugate me, then they would undoubtedly take their side.

“This is a contract with me. If you break this contract, then I will kill you all.”

I needed something extra. A certain type of profit that would prevent then from betraying me.

“If you abide by this contract, then I will grant you safety in return.”

“S-Safety?”

“I heard that this village is constantly exposed to the danger of monsters.”

“Yes. Just a week ago, a strong, young man was bitten by a goblin and lost his life.”

“If you keep your side of the deal, then I promise that your village will no longer be assaulted by monsters.”

“I-Is that true!?”

Color returned to the old man’s face. He most likely thought a second ago that he would be killed by my golems, but he was suddenly offered protection from monsters instead.

I scowled.

“I am the king of all monsters. Are you doubting my words?”

“No! Absolutely not! I-It was just such a grand proposition.”

“Know that I am impartial.”

I took in a deep breath before shouting.

“My name is Dantalian! As I am the Rank 71st Demon Lord, I am also the master of all diseases and monsters! Although I am magnanimous to my subjects, I am cruel to my enemies. If you all become my loyal subjects, then I will provide you with profit and safety accordingly!”

I wonder if my acting worked.

“Now monsters won’t attack us!”

“We’re safe!”

“Hurrah for His Majesty Dantalian!”

The slash-and-burn villagers cheered in unison. However, this didn’t mean I was finished.

For an entire week, I went around to all of the villages near my dungeon. 12 small villages submitted to me. 30 golems was a force that was far too powerful for a small village to handle, but, above all else, the offer to be freed from the threat of monsters was incredibly captivating to them.

I was looking forward to these villages becoming an early warning system for invaders from now on. Although I have to also visit all of the monster settlements around my dungeon and tell them, ‘Don’t attack these people from now on!’ because of this deal, it was only natural for good results to require a lot of effort.

A couple of the monster settlements tried to fight back. Different from the monsters I had hired through the system, wild monsters were fundamentally fierce by nature. This didn’t matter to me, though. I crushed and swept away the monsters that resisted with my golems. It might be because they’re situated near the Rank 71st Demon Lord’s dungeon as none of them had a high level. At most, there were only low-quality groups of goblins.

A sigh came out on its own. This is why Dantalian’s dungeon only appears during the prologue in <Dungeon Attack>.

“Finally, I’m done with all my work!”

After I finished receiving the pledges from all of the monster settlements, I stretched. The feeling of satisfaction after accomplishing a big task bloomed in my chest. Now I can rest!

Except, I had one more question left.

‘Strangely, the goblins couldn’t even lift a single finger.’

No matter how low level the goblin tribes were, I expected them to at least put up a reasonable fight, but they couldn’t even lift a finger against me the instant the fights started. They just got annihilated by my golem unit.

Well, I can’t really complain about a good thing.

I simply perceived it as my golem unit having become that much stronger. Currently, the average level of the golems under my wing was 5. Each time they went up a level, a random stat would increase by 1. My lowest-tier golems, which started with the base stats of 7/5/5 (stamina/attack/defense), had leveled up and their stats were roughly around 7/7/7 now.

Referentially, the stats of Riff, the adventurer party leader of Jalsen Village, were 6/5/2. As one of the stronger F-rank adventurers, Riff’s stats were nothing special. My golems have become strong enough to easily handle E-rank adventurers now. Additionally, the average level of my fairies was 3, so even they could wipe out an average party of E-rank adventurers unscathed.

‘Even if an E-rank adventurer party were to appear while I’m away, Laura should be able to handle them with ease.’

My worries quickly dispersed. There’s no way that a dungeon that usually only receives F-rank adventurers would suddenly be visited by D or C-rank adventurers.

I left the entire management of the dungeon to Laura before going on my vacation to the demon world. At this point, I had yet to learn what sort of impact this incident would have.

* * *

Lapis gulped.

As someone who was always calm and collected, even she felt nervous. There was a gray-haired, old gentleman sitting in a wooden chair before her. His entire body was concealed by a black mantle, but his pale face made it apparent that he had a lean and scrawny figure. It almost felt like something morbid was exuding from him. Nonetheless, his calm tone barely managed to include him in the realm of refined people.

This very individual was the top of the Keuncuska Firm.

Ivar Lodbrok.

Even among vampires, he was one of the rare Vampire Lords. A monster among monsters who has lived for more than 2,000 years.

“Lapis Lazuli. You most likely are aware as to why you are facing me right now.”

“Yes, Chief.”

Lapis lowered her upper body in a moderate way.

“I believe that it is related to Demon Lord Dantalian.”

“It seems you are not entirely lacking.”

The way Lapis had bowed at a perfect angle must have satisfied him as the corners of Ivar’s mouth went up slightly. There wasn’t anything comfortable or merciful about that expression. If anything, it gave off a dreary impression. Only the corners of his mouth moved, nothing else about his face had even twitched.

“Previously, Torukel had personally gone to see him; however, the door was shut on his face. Under the pretext that he would only trade with you, Lazuli. As expected of the people of the night.”

“…….”

Ivar was taunting her by indirectly asking if she had charmed the Demon Lord with her night techniques. A flat out ridicule towards Lapis, a half-succubus. However, there was no change in Lapis’ features as she kept her head bowed. This kind of ridicule was like a daily occurrence for her.

Succubi, the whores of the demon world.

Among them, a crossbreed mixed with dirty human blood.

“Oh? It seems you know how to manage your emotions.”

“I am a Keuncuska employee.”

Ivar then laughed.

“Of course you are. It is only natural for a Keuncuska merchant to be like that. Pursue profit no matter the cost and even receive the other party’s trust. In that regard, you pass. How could I not offer praise when a mere rank 4 demon employee had received the trust of a Demon Lord using their own prowess?”

The sound of something being dropped to the floor echoed throughout the room.

“You may raise your head.”

Lapis slowly lifted her face. A bulky pouch had been dropped next to Ivar’s foot. It was a money pouch that was used by the Keuncuska Firm. Considering its size, it was clear that more than a hundred gold was in it.

“It is your reward. Take it.”

Ivar was currently sitting in a chair. The money pouch was placed below his groin. Him telling her that it was her reward and placing it there was, in other words, his way of telling her to ‘crawl’ to him in order to receive the reward.

Even to a street whore, there was nothing more discourteous than this.

An utter disgrace.

“Yes.”

Regardless, Lapis answered placidly.

She then got on all four and crawled to the Vampire Lord like some animal. The black Keuncuska uniform stuck to her body and highlighted her bottom. Ivar watched with leisure as she crawled to him.

Eventually, she had brought her head between Ivar’s legs. She courteously grabbed the money pouch with both hands before lowering her already lowered head even further.

“Thank you very much.”

It was then, at the moment she was about to pull away. Ivar spoke.

“Strip.”

A cold voice entered her ears.

***

TL note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I finished this chapter a couple of days ago, but editing took a bit because I had to take care of some university-related matters and my editor was busy. My finals are approaching, but I don’t have too many assignments at the moment, so I should be able to maintain a steady pace.

In any case, the WN really is just an entirely new territory. It’s a different story with the same premise, so it doesn’t feel that repetitive when translating.

Nothing else to really say, so I’ll see you guys in the next release.