Chapter 2

「……So, Ichika. Just how much do you know?」

Potato and salt soup was placed on top of a quickly constructed desk of piled up crumbled stone walls.

While seated on a stone that was placed on his side of the desk, Vermudol asked a question to Ichika.

Simple knowledge of this world was already planted in him by the hand of the Demon God.

However, he had absolutely no idea about what the current situation was.

「Let’s see……First, Demon King-sama, please hide the fact that you were originally a Human from a different world from other people.」

When she placed a spoon that looked like it was created out from stone in front of Vermudol’s hand, Ichika stood at his side.

「……What do you mean by that?」

「It means that I was specially created by That Personage.」

Ichika explained to Vermudol that she herself was an existence that was different from the general Mazoku and monsters.

Mazoku and monsters were species that were created by the Demon King who was their top.

In this Dark Continent, there existed things that Gramfia, the previous Demon King, had created in various places.

If examples were to be given, there was the demi-humans that had green skin, had a height that was about half that of a Human’s, had low intelligence, and possessed a highly brutal nature, the Goblins.

Possessing traits of beasts, and having vaguely similar forms and dexterity to people and Beastmen, they boast voracious appetites and eat repulsive things, the Beastia.

With indefinite forms, they possess a bottomless toughness and regenerative ability, the Amoeba.

In addition to these which were famous and could be found anywhere, there were also Mazoku that possessed high abilities called Majin that existed.

Even Ichika who was a Maid Knight, came under the Majin. However, she was an existence that the Demon God created for Vermudol’s sake, is what Ichika explained.

「Even you, Demon King-sama, if I were to speak broadly, you are the summit of the Majin. The fact that Demon King-sama was actually a recycled scrapped soul……Or rather, a reincarnator from another world, is something that should not be made known.」

「……You, you actually don’t have anything like loyalty to me, do you.」

After he lightly glared at Ichika who abruptly averted her gaze, Vermudol breathed his nth sigh today.

Let’s try to sort the current situation.

First, the current location was the naturally ruined Demon King Castle.

The liveability of it was the worst, and there was nothing but unusable facilities.

The garden that must have been beautiful in the past had become a wasteland, and Ichika’s tilled field was in a corner of it.

Next, financial affairs.

According to Ichika, after the Demon King perished, the Majin went into a rivalry of local warlords, and without anyone who offered up goods to the perished king……namely to the Demon King, they instead got rid of anyone that even dared name themselves the Demon King.

Therefore, all of his current fortune was only the contents of Ichika’s purse.

Finally, the Demon King Army.

The subordinates of Vermudol that would be his shield and sword to fight against the Hero, was only Ichika.

「……This is the worst. What are you telling me to do.」

「Demon King-sama, it will go cold.」

Ichika brought the stone bowl before Vermudol’s eyes.

Comparing that Ichika and the stone bowl with his eyes, Vermudol accepted the bowl.

「……Is this also handmade?」

「It seemed that any and all sorts of silverware were taken away after all.」

While breathing a sigh, Vermudol brought the soup to his mouth.

Although it was watery, the proper taste of salt spread out inside of Vermudol’s mouth.

「Come to think of it, putting the potatoes aside, where did the salt come from?」

Even if these potatoes came from Ichika’s field, the salt needed to be prepared from somewhere.

Ichika shook her head sideways to Vermudol who asked where she bought it from.

「I prepared it from the sea.」

「……I appreciate your hard work.」

He got a headache from the hard facts that he couldn’t do anything about, but unless he did away with the current situation, he would perish in a flash by the Hero who would hear about the birth of a new Demon King.

Attacked by such anxiety, Vermudol looked up at Ichika.

「In any case, I need to make my might bigger. What should I do?」

「If you are fine with a quick method, there is one way.」

「Let me hear it.」

When Ichika nodded, she placed a hand on the sword on her waist.

「To begin with, let us put one of the villages nearby under your control. Once you do, that will become the starting point of the reconstruction.」

「Is that……alright?」

In short, invade. She was saying something equivalent to that.

When Vermudol turned doubtful eyes towards her, Ichika displayed a face that said she was upset.

「Demon King-sama, do you believe yourself to be the Hero or something?」

That’s right, Vermudol was the Demon King.

If he were an existence on the side of humanity, it probably would have been fine if he did business with the potatoes that Ichika produced.

But, the job of a Demon King wasn’t that of a potato merchant.

Starting from there certainly would be new, but with that sort of start, there was no doubt that he would be made light of by the other Majin.

That was something intolerable for Ichika.

It was fine if he made detours.

However, the beginning needed to be a method worthy of a Demon King.

「There is nothing to worry about. With Demon King-sama’s authority, let us first put the colony of the Goblins that exist in the castle town under your control.」

「……Can we do it?」

Ichika nodded at those words.

First of all, obtaining at least one colony was important.

From there, it was fine no matter what detours he would make.

So as to convey that the Demon Kings of the past were the same, Vermudol would also discover his own method of domination.

As his first subordinates for that sake, the low intelligence Goblins were just right for the job.

「Yes, just as Demon King-sama wishes.」

When Ichika responded with such, she expressed a dark smile and made an elegant bow.

Chapter 03