53 It is a difficult task at present.

The gates of Garne Castle, which no one outside the country has set foot in since the new king took office, are opening.

There are gatekeepers who do not show their bare skin, but they do not move at all.

The gates opened on their own when Rudfein held out his hand.

The gate is probably operated by magic, and is filled with a sense of fantasy.

We were summoned to the castle of King Garne, a place of great suspicion, and Ilias and Mikus were always on the alert beside us.

Lakra gazed at her surroundings curiously, while Wolfe looked more imposing than usual and seemed to be in high spirits.

Mr. Ludfein, who is leading the way, has an expression of confusion on his face.

He had never seen anything like this before, and he was probably wondering if what he was doing was right.

He's bringing people from other countries before the king, and he's allowing them to be armed.

The order given to you, Mr. Ludfeuin, is to invite us to the throne room.

All five of you, on any terms.

That alone was unusual, but the fact that the warriors Ilias and Mikus were on edge made it all the more unusual.

If it became an open battle, there would be an option to flee, but now that they were at the table for dialogue, they couldn't be cowed into running away.

We could play it safe and run away, but then we would be talking about our purpose for coming to Ghana in the first place.

But there's no one here, is there, Mr. Ludfen?

Yes, only ministers and generals such as myself, who are entitled to an audience with the king, are allowed to enter his castle. But for some reason, the castle is always clean, not even a speck of dust in the air.

The air is very clear, if you ask me.

There's not a speck of dirt in the air, not even in the corners of the passageways.

It's so clean that you could almost believe it was built yesterday.

I'm not going to make a mess of it,......, but two of my guards are,.......

"It's understandable that you're wary, and I've advised your Majesty to leave it for a later date, but not right now. ......

You can see firsthand what the Iliad and the Mix are capable of, but I'm a little concerned about this leeway.

It's not like they trust us, is it?　I don't know, I don't know.

It's true that when you decided to take this form, there were a lot of people who were against it. It was unheard of for a man to not have a personal attendant, let alone a bodyguard.

That's true, even in our position, if you say you don't need an escort, you'll be met with a lot of nagging accusations.

I think the Iliad is staring at me, but I'll let it go for now.

"But His Majesty has summoned his generals and spoken with them. But you called the generals in and talked to them, and they gave up the idea of having an escort. We, the ministers, had made suggestions about caretakers, but you didn't need them. How in the world does he maintain this castle? ...... I'm sure he's skilled in magic, but he's a man of many wonders.

"How can someone so mysterious be king?

The previous king suddenly recommended him, and of course there was opposition, but the previous king ordered us to appeal to him after seeing his performance for a year. ......

And so it has developed to the point where no one can complain.

Yes, everyone agreed that his skills were worthy of the king's recommendation.

With a drastic decrease in the number of criminals in his territory and an increase in the population's national interest, the current King of Garnets' progress has surpassed even the young and wise King Marith of the Tars.

I've seen with my own eyes the outstanding skills of Marito, and to be honest, there are times when I think it's not human work.

I'm not sure if it's even human to surpass him. .......

We're here. The throne room is just ahead. I was unable to obtain permission to enter with you, so I will leave you here.

You arrive in front of a huge, vertical door.

It's a typical entrance, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a save point nearby.

Mr. Rudfein bows and leaves the place.

I'm sure he has a lot on his mind, but he's very professional.

"......, how do I open this?

The door is over three meters high, with a vertical line down the center.

There are no handles on either side, so it must be a door that can be opened by pushing.

At any rate, I'll give it a try.

It's a huge stone door, so naturally it won't budge.

Seeing this, Ilias tries to push it, but it doesn't seem to work.

Do you want to break it?

"Stop!

"Stop!" Ilias tries to grab his sword, but is held back and ponders.

"Hirake Goma".

Open Sesame, famous in Japanese, but no response.

...... Let's go home.

Well, if it doesn't open, there's nothing I can do.

You have an excuse, so you flip it and leave.

"Oh, I moved it sideways and it opened.

Lakra had opened the door horizontally.

Apparently, the vertical line itself was a handle.

I shouldn't have any preconceived notions, right?

The throne room is a vertical room with a high ceiling, and the walls on either side are lined with lighting stones at equal intervals as indirect lighting.

The room is still dark, but it is bright enough to read books.

Ahead of me, there is a ledger to hide the king's figure on a few steps, and the silhouette of a huge throne can be faintly seen.

If he is already sitting on the throne, can he see us?

Now that we've come this far, we can't just turn back.

I made up my mind to go forward, and approached as close as I could reach with my normal voice.

As I approached, I could see someone sitting on a throne at the back of the book.

I can't see him clearly, but I feel that he is wearing a gorgeous costume.

"Farewell, Tarz, and welcome from another world, traveller.

A voice echoed from behind the ledger, a woman's voice.

King Garne was a queen, I hadn't heard of her.

I hadn't heard of her. "It's very interesting that you have the intelligence to see through the mistress's attempts. Let's have a good look at you.

The ledger is slowly rolling up, and of course there are no other people here.

I'm not surprised by that kind of action now, but now that my guard is up, I'm overreacting.

Then, from beneath the ledger, the figure of King Garne appeared.

"My mistress is King Garne and the 'Golden Demon King'.

The person in front of me was a subhuman wearing a costume that reminded me of the design of a traditional Japanese kimono.

His skin is translucent white, and his hair, ears, and the huge tail behind him shine with a dazzling gold color.

If Wolfe is a wolf, is the one in front of him a fox?

"Hmm?　What's wrong, everyone? The mistress, the demon king, has shown herself, and you should tremble with joy.

It was only a moment ago that I saw the golden demon king with his arms outstretched to greet me.

That scene was replaced by the sight of Ilias, who had drawn his sword and was about to swing it down.

Even from this distance, you can tell that Ilias was serious about slashing.

However, his sword was stopped just inches in front of the Golden Demon King.

"...... You're a bloodthirsty knight, but you're a pleasant killer.

The Golden Demon King never touched the sword, and it looked as if the Iliad had stopped it just short.

The Golden Demon King never touched his sword, and it looked as if Ilias had stopped him dead in his tracks. Ilias, perhaps alarmed by the amused smile on his face, quickly distanced himself and stepped back towards us.

"Ilias, weren't you seriously trying to cut me?

"No, I really did. I believe I put enough magic into it to not only cut it in two, but to wipe out every last piece of it.

I'm sure you're not the only one.

I'm not sure what to make of it.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

In other words, his charisma seems to have suddenly dropped.

"Calm down. I didn't call you here with the intention of taking you and eating you. That's why the sword--

Ilias slashes again at the Golden Demon King while he's talking, but the sword stops in mid-swing.

No!

"No!" "No, let's hear what he has to say.　What?

Ilias, you should stop trying to slash him because there's a lot of openings. Maybe it's not the Golden Demon Lord's will, but this building that's blocking you.

"What, is that so?

Ilias once again distanced himself, swinging his sword a few times to check the feel of it.

"Thank you for being so perceptive, my lord. I'm sure you're not the only one who's had it.

I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to get rid of him.

"I beg your pardon, but I must ask you to keep him quiet!

"Iliad, how are you?

Ilias, Ilias, Ilias, Ilias.

I thought Mixu might jump at me as well, but he never left my side.

It seems that he is more concerned with protecting us than eliminating the threat.

The only thing that hurts my skin is that it's leaking so much deadly energy.

But I understand, I couldn't sense any sign of detection magic.

"Mr. Ludfeuin told me you forced him to give up his generals' escort. I just figured it out from the way you were acting and your reaction.

"Well, you picked up on a lot of details. By the way, it's the same if you attack the castle, but don't do it because it won't look good on you.

Can I try it with you, Wolfe?

The Golden Demon King looks puzzled, but quickly smiles and nods.

The Golden Demon Lord looked puzzled, but quickly smiled and nodded, "Yes, just once is fine. I'm sure you'd like to try it out for yourself.

Wolfe's fist stops in front of the Golden Demon King.

I'm sure you'll be glad to know that I'm not the only one who wants to try it.

"Oh!

"Let's not interrupt, okay?

I don't know if it's my imagination, but he's getting a little teary-eyed.

The fact that he has this kind of protection suggests that the Golden Demon King himself is not that powerful.

If he was being hit with a blow that could kill him right in front of you, you would feel fear.

I'd like to start a dialogue with her as soon as possible.　Don't do it later, okay?

I don't want any trouble.

No, thank you. I'd like to concentrate on guarding my friend.

All right, then. Are we done?

Wait, I want to try something more. Next time I'll be more serious.

You've already done it twice!

I wonder what Mr. Ludfeuin would have looked like if he were here. .......

That said, I'm curious to see how great the warding is.

I've witnessed many fantastic scenes, but I've never experienced them.

I'm sorry, but can I try this too?　It's not often I get the chance to do something like this.

You too? ...... Well, I'm a forgiving mistress.

The Golden Demon King strode toward us.

I'm not sure if this is what they call a demon lord, as he is a bit smaller than Wolfe.

I'm not sure if this is a demon lord or not, but apart from being a subhuman, she looks like a beautiful woman.

I feel uncomfortable swinging a wooden sword at such a person with all my might.

"Here, don't hesitate to come.

It would be embarrassing to end up in vain by exerting yourself, so a light poke would be sufficient.

I picked up a wooden sword and lightly poked him on the head.

"Aah!

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did that hurt?

Uh, yeah, be gentle!　......?

...... Hmm?

Tilt your head back.

Then I poke her lightly around the waist.

"Oh, no, wait, wait, wait!

What the f*ck is wrong with you?

That's not my problem!

Apparently, the warding isn't working.

I've experienced this kind of phenomenon many times.

That's probably what's going on.

I'm not sure what to make of this.

...... Looks like it, a blind spot.

An awkward silence ensued.

The Golden Demon prides itself on its absolute defensive warding.

That's why he allows us to arm ourselves and doesn't have any guards.

I discovered his weakness as soon as I met him.

"All right, take my sword!　Aim for the throat!

"Wait, wait, wait!　I'm not a bad Demon Lord!

There is no such thing as a good or evil Demon Lord!　

Calm down, Ilias. It's true that the wards aren't working here. But the Golden Demon Lord is not completely devoid of magic power. You can't just resist like that.

"......!

......!

The Golden Demon King and the Iliad.

"Yes, yes, my mistress has some kind of magic power!

"No problem, I'll be your shield.

Don't let your guards cross that dangerous bridge!

Yes, Lord Ratzel, our first priority is the safety of your friend!

"I want to kill him!

We don't need that kind of killing.

Ilias' parents lost their lives in a battle with a demon.

He must have a high hatred for the Demon Lord who caused the demon to be born.

However, that would defeat the purpose of our mission, so we'll start appeasing Ilias again.

"Look, I'm here to talk. You can't explain to the people of Ghanai even if you defeat the Golden Demon King right now, can you?

That's .......

Yes, that's right, there is no one in Garn who knows who the mistress is!　Killing her will definitely lead to war with the Tarz!

"Nuguugu ......

"What kind of barbarians would want to kill such a weak concubine? Right?

Yes, they always do this.

Hey, who are you hugging? Don't hold hands.

I was joking. I'm sorry.

By the way, I've never heard of the Golden Horde. I thought there was a Scarlet Demon Lord.

I've never heard of a 'Gold Demon Lord' by the way, but I thought there was a 'Scarlet Demon Lord'." "What? Scarlet created the demon world that borders the Ghanaian territory, but he's not the kind of freak who would rule a human country.

You say that yourself?

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. 　

I've never heard of the Golden Horde, either. ......

You've never even heard of the Iliad?　What about Mixu?

No, I've never heard of it either.

I've never even heard of the Iliad, who knows a lot about history, or Mikus, who knows a lot about what's going on.

Is this a new kind of Demon Lord?

I don't even know if there's a new kind of Demon Lord.

What about Lakra?

I don't know if there are any new kinds of Demon Lords.

I remember Maja taught me about the Yellow Mad King.

It's a demon king who was destroyed by Yugra just as he created a demon world in some country.

The demon world has already been cleansed and there is no trace of it.

Don't you dare speak his name!

What?

The Golden Demon King suddenly became angry as if he had changed his mind.

I don't feel much killing power, but the hair on his body is standing on end.

You can see that he's quite furious.

"Yes, you d*mned yugra!　You've given the humans the wrong name!　If only my mistress had become more famous before she was destroyed, her name would have been engraved all over the land!

--Yellow and Gold ...... Oh, so that's what it means.

I'm sure you've heard of it, but I've never heard of it.

I guess he likes the glittering gold.

Sir Fowl, who uses yellow as his motif in the Order of the Tarzan, is more yellow than gold.

You can call him 'The Golden Demon King' for now, can't you?　I'm not sure what to call him, but I'm pretty sure that's what he looks like with his beautiful golden fur.

"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm!　You really know how to talk!　I like you, you can be my mistress's demon!

I can make you a demon!

I'm afraid I'll end up fulfilling Rahite's purpose first.

Besides, Ilias is staring at me with an intense glare, so could you please refrain from saying anything like that?

I'd like to talk about something serious now.

I'd like to talk about something serious. I'll stand over here.

The Golden Demon returns to his original position and sits back on his throne.

"But I'm so tired. Shall we do this tomorrow?

"Whose fault is it? Well, it's my guards that started it.

"Well, let's get on with it. The mistress called you here simply because she was curious and wanted to talk with you. You sent that message with the intention of talking to me, didn't you?

"Yes, I would appreciate it if you would discuss it with me. What I want to know is the identity and purpose of the supposedly resurrected Demon Lords.

"What, that's what was written in the book?

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

The fact that he is back and we have already confirmed that fact is needless to say.

I know from your character that Raheit is not your man. I'd like to know more about that if possible.

"Mmm-hmm. But the mistress is the Golden Demon. I don't think you'll be able to extract information from her that easily.

If you don't remember rehearsing, the Golden Demon King has a wily smile on his face.

I'm not sure what to make of it.

You can't have a meaningful conversation with him if you don't answer his questions. But you don't think you can sell me information about other Demon Lords and get it for nothing, do you?

I'm prepared to accept any kind of entertainment, so please explain quickly.

It's not that I don't like quick thinking. I'm sure you're not the only one.　Well, let's deepen it later. I'm sorry, but could you all please take five more steps back?

I did as I was told and stepped back.

Then a large table appears through the floor from where you were standing a moment ago.

On the table is a huge specimen, perhaps a three-dimensional map centered on Garne.

Outside the house, there are people smaller than a grain of rice.

The Golden Demon King also stands up from his throne and walks to the other side of the table.

He places his hand on the specimen.

To his surprise, the specimen in front of him began to move.

You can see that the various facilities are moving.

In fact, even the clouds in the sky appeared.

Miniscule people are moving around in the garnets, running the country.

The reality is incomparable, but it is like looking at the screen of a game where you can build a country or run a town.

I'll just tell you about the mistress first. Think of her as 'the gold of governance', a demon king who is skilled at governance. This is the world she has created for her rule.

"World?　Isn't it a specimen?

Mmm-hmm. My power allows me to create virtual worlds and see into their future.

Translucent holograms of the same scale emerge from the specimen, floating in the air on either side.

Each is moving in the same way.

"We can test multiple assumptions at the same time, check the results, and know the best outcome. Then we can run it in this world and it will govern just fine.

"How accurate is ......?

"It's never failed me before, isn't it? It's got a fast-forward function.

Yeah, it's great.

The power of the Golden Demon King, it is definitely an inhuman power, definitely worthy of being called the Demon King.

Sir, is this a big deal?

"Isn't political verification something that can be done at a desk?

The Iliad and Lakra don't seem to get it.

But Mix understands ......, and as royalty, he is aware of the magnitude of what is being done.

"My Lord, would you please explain to them the magnificence of their mistress?

"Well, ...... Iliad, Lakra, you have two men in front of you. A wealthy man and a poor man. Which one would you choose to marry?

"That's... I have to choose between the two of them?

It's all in the explanation. It's one of the two choices.

I remind you that I don't want jokes about you in this situation.

"Then you must be a wealthy man.

"Lakra marries a wealthy man. But the man is actually a bizarre murderer, and Lacla is killed without anyone knowing. Not good.

That's terrible!

Then I'll marry a poor man. A simple life is not so bad.

"The Iliad marries a poor man. But the man, who felt inferior to the upper class, grew meaner and meaner as he got older, and ended his life without a family he could call happy. That's not good enough.

"Hey!

The two men looked at me with resentment.

You're both losers!

"Wait a minute, let me ask you the same question again. Which one of you will I marry?

I wouldn't marry either of you if the result was the same!

"Yes, you can. Now you've made a choice and you know the consequences. You now know how each of them will play out. Now you know what the consequences of each choice will be, which means you can make a third choice, or improve on your choices. If you marry a wealthy man and kill him immediately, you will be left with a legacy. If you marry a poor man and let him rise in the world, or if you change your values, the result will be different.

That's .......

That's the power of the golden rule. The power of the Golden King is such that you can know the consequences of multiple choices, and knowing that, you can choose again and choose a new way. In the governance of a country, there is no one answer that is absolutely right. Knowing the outcome is the most important thing.

If you know the outcome, you can improve the quality of your choices by choosing the relatively better option and dealing with the problems that arise from that option in advance.

And the Golden Demon said that there has never been a difference between the results of a test in the virtual world and in reality.

"Well, thank you for the clarification. "Well, thank you for your clear explanation. Those who understand the greatness of mistresses are very dear to me.

"Given the time constraints of the real world, even if there is a limit to the amount of time that can be allocated for verification, selection, and reconsideration, it is still considered an unparalleled power for a ruler.

"Mm-hmm. You know your weaknesses very well, don't you?

"The fact that she was defeated by Yugra in the past means that she has limited time to see into the future, and she may not be able to foresee the actions of a powerful opponent, but still!

Can you please not divulge too many of my mistress's secrets?

I was told to explain, so I did, but you're a very demanding Demon Lord.

It is true that he has near-universal power as a ruler, but I don't understand why he is using that power to make Garne prosper.

If the Demon Lord creates the demon world, shouldn't he use his power to rule the demon world?

Well, if you want me to answer these questions - I guess you'll have to.

"Well, I'll explain. I would like to test you now to see if you are worthy of talking to my mistress. I'm going to use this virtual world for that.

"I think he's already shown his quality.

I want it to be a proper contest. I want to make it a proper contest, and even if it's only for him, I want to measure the qualities of the others, and I'm not happy about being cut down.

"Nunu: ......

It's not "nunu", Mr. Iliad.

I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's had it.

I'll explain the rules, and I'll leave you in charge of the management of the Ghanaians. Of course, it's a virtual world, Garne. You will go inside and rule in place of your mistress.

Hmm, you want me to show you my political skills?

But I'm new to all this except for the mix.

The only thing Lakra does is drink and drink and drink, just like Tanohki, though he seems too shy to do it.

The five of you will each be in charge of your own game and decide who wins. The only way to win is to meet the conditions I set. The conditions for defeat are ...... ten degrees, ten degrees of annihilation, and defeat.

That's quite a lot, thank you very much, if I do say so myself.

"There's nothing fair about leaving the running of a country to amateurs for once and for all, is there?　Once you're destroyed, you have to start over from the beginning. But be careful, you can only redo it ten times, and you cannot rewind that time.

You have to run Garne and meet the victory conditions.

If Garne is destroyed, you start over and if it is destroyed ten times, you lose.

Play non-save until the condition is fulfilled or it is destroyed.

It's very game-like.

Your position in the game depends on your results. If more than half of you win, she may declare herself your ally. If it's the other way around, I won't be your ally, and I don't intend to be your enemy, but it's a possibility.

"You leave so much to the outcome of the game, don't you?

That's the nature of mistresses. Oh, and if you lose more than you're worth, you can still be mine.

Thank you.

But the conditions of victory are a little tricky at this point.

I've had a reasonable conversation with the Golden Demon King and understand him.

He showed his power, offered a fair match, and even said he'd be willing to be an ally depending on the outcome.

But if you think about the other side of his character, ...... one answer will come to you.

The stage is ...... set, yes, six months ago, in Garne. It's a time when the mistresses have already made good progress, and as long as they don't do too much wrong, there will be no civil unrest. It's a good time to focus on achieving the conditions, and the victory conditions--

"Destroy the TARDIS, right?

The Golden Demon King looked puzzled at my comment.

But his face immediately twisted like a vixen lusting for pleasure.

A mad ruler who revels in pleasure, that is the true nature of this Demon Lord.

"Mmm-hmm. That's right, you will now destroy your own country.