Chapter 7

Chapter 08

Several weeks after the meeting between Majin Orel and Demon King Vermudol──

A certain rumor was spread out with a speed that could be called abnormal in the Dark Continent.

A new Demon King, Vermudol has appeared.

And then, it seemed that Demon King Vermudol intended to divide the Dark Continent into four parts, the east, west, south, and north, with the exception of the center which would be under his direct control, and would leave their rule to the ones that were loyal to him.

Furthermore, there was already a Majin called Orel who sensed the Demon King’s revival that hastened to join, and it seems that as a reward for this, the Demon King placed him as his subordinate.

When the rumor is summarized, it pretty much went like this.

Incidentally, the helpers in the spreading of the rumor, or rather, the ones that scattered the seeds of the rumors at the beginning were the Goblins.

The fact that Goblins didn’t even possess the intelligence to make lies was famous, but the fact that they didn’t possess the smarts to differentiate lies from facts was also famous.

It was bullshit level authenticity that one would hesitate to even treat it as gossip, so to speak.

However, even if it were something at that level, the entry of a new Demon King and the name of an existing Majin, with information whose odds and ends could be seen and couldn’t be ignored, many Mazoku gradually ended up believing in the rumor.

If the ones that were a bit smart were to consolidate and refine that, then the gossip that was talked about just now would be completed……That’s what it meant.

And when that happens, what would happen.

The intruder that came to the Demon King’s Castle at lunch time came bringing that result.

「So it was you guys’ doing dammittttt!」

Raising a voice that wasn’t clear if it was an exclamation or a lamentation, Orel jumped into the Demon King’s Castle.

He didn’t forget to a subsequent dropkick when coming in, but he was repelled by Vermudol’s put up Attack Guard Magic.

Having bounced from the force of being repelled and rolling on the floor, Orel immediately stood up and shouted.

「So it was you guys’ doing dammittttt!」

「I heard that earlier.」

「So it was you guys’ doing dammittttt!」

While ignoring Orel’s exclamation, Vermudol poured the potato soup that he had grown accustomed to into his throat.

「If it’s about the rumor, that’s pretty much the case though. Is there something wrong?」

「Like hell there isn’t anything wrong!」

Vermudol frowned from Orel stomping his foot on the floor.

「Don’t be so riotous. Since this place is crumbling, what are you going to do if the floor collapses.」

「Who gives a damned about the floor! I, I’ve been goin’ through terrible things you know!」

It was something at a time immediately after the rumor was spread with a definite form.

While exploring the Lulugal Forest that was in the eastern part of the Dark Continent, Orel was suddenly got in a fight with a Majin he didn’t know.

They had long golden hair and long slit blue eyes. Their white skin was smooth, and they possessed a body line that was clearly that of a female.

She wore clothes that had white as the basic theme, which was rare for a Majin, and on top of that, she carried a pendant with a yellow Magic Stone fit into it.

「Are you Orel?」

「So what if I am.」

At the woman who made a confirmation like that, Orel replied with a fearless smile.

Having picked fights here and there, Orel was confident that a number of them bore grudges against him.

Though, he had never picked a fight with a woman Majin. However, there was the pattern of the lover of a Majin that he beat up coming to get revenge.

Because of that, he thought that it was that sort of thing this time, and was confident that he could turn the tables on her.

He had no intention of making the challenge himself, but if it came to it, he practiced gender equality.

That was the arrangement in Orel’s mind.

「If you’ve got a complaint or something, try displaying it with force.」

At this time, Orel didn’t know about the rumor.

That’s why, to the woman, Orel’s words sounded like this.

I’ve been promised with a high status from Demon King-sama. If you want that, then beat me and take it……that’s how it sounded.

Naturally, the woman, who was a Rank “AA” Majin, answered like this.

「Very well. I am the Majin Fainell. The meaning of my other name, Thunder Blade, I shall carve it into you.」

Fainell the Thunder Blade.

That was the name of the Majin who had unfolded several fierce battles with the Hero party.

Of course, unless Orel picked a fight with her, he would have never have met her.

Orel couldn’t even recall a reason to have someone pick a fight with him by name.

And while talking about it, this was also definitely an opponent that would leave him half killed if he were to fight her.

「Take this……Thunder Rain!」

「W, wait wait……Dowah!?」

A rain of thunder rained incessantly in the Lulugal Forest.

Seeing Orel desperately evade that, Fainell smiled looking like she was having fun.

A sparking thunder resided in that arm, and it formed the shape of a blade.

「So you could evade that just now……However, I am the one worthy of being Demon King-sama’s right-hand man!」

「What are you talking about!」

For Orel who was desperately evading, he was completely unable to understand what Fainell was saying.

Maybe because Fainell took that as Orel feigning ignorance, her face became stern.

「Do not screw around with me! The story that you buttered up to Demon King-sama and desired the position of shogun has reached and resounded in the east!」

「I didn’t butter up to him nor did I desire that! What kind of story is thatttt!」

While shedding a cold sweat to the blade of thunder that passed through to a place that was just a hair’s breadth away from him, Orel shouted.

After desperately trying to escape from Fainell, what was there was a robe-figured Majin holding a twisted red staff.

From those eyes that were clearly looking at him, Orel asked a question while hoping that it wasn’t what he was thinking.

「Hey, this is just a guess, but could it be that you’re」

「You are Orel, are you not?」

At the same time as he heard that, Orel commenced his escape with an energetic dash.

He did so while telling himself that the heat and sound of a Volcanion (large explosive flame) that was approaching him from the back was surely just his imagination.

「At first they were solo, and these past few days were especially horrible. They attack me every thirty minutes.」

「That sounds pretty terrible.」

「Demon King-sama, can I punch you in the face?」

Orel was sprouting bloodlust that was relatively serious, but staring at Vermudol who was drinking hot water without minding him at all……He sat down right in front of him.

「If it’s about tea, I won’t put any out. We don’t have tea leaves after all.」

「I don’t need any. More importantly, what’s the meaning of all this.」

「There’s nothing to it. Most of it is just as the rumor says.」

The thing that Vermudol was trying to do was simple.

Dividing the Dark Continent into the east, west, south, north, and center, he would place rulers in the east, west, south, and north.

It was a story simply for only that.

「It’s because it’s something normally done even in the Human countries. It’s not like Mazoku can’t do it either, right?」

That’s right, it wasn’t something unusual.

Placing managers in the regions and ruling at the center is something normal.

In fact, Vermudol’s method of loosely splitting it up into the east, west, south, and north was disorderly and too simplified.

「Even the names have been decided. Easter Commander, Western Commander, Southern Commander, Northern Commander……I guess the central one could be the General Commander.」

「That’s not the problem, Demon King-sama.」

Ichika, who was in waiting at Vermudol’s side, shifted her eyebrows at Orel who was leaning his body forward over the stone desk.

Although her eyes were on him, Orel didn’t stop his questioning of Vermudol.

It was because there was something that he needed to say no matter what.

「Mazoku are collections of clumps of pride, ya know? If you split it up into the east, west, south, and north, can you imagine just what will happen?」

The rulers of the east, west, south, and north would be decided.

To the Mazoku, looking at that, it had a meaning equivalent to deciding the strongest for each region.

Obeying someone weaker than themselves, that is something that the pride of the Mazoku wouldn’t allow.

That muscle-brained nature is the main cause for losing to the Hero, but since that is something common for the Mazoku in general, there was no changing it at this point.

In other words, if one were to speak of what kind of situation would break out──

「Well, it would probably be a huge brawl. Since the dungeon holders have their places entirely known, wouldn’t they be ones attacked first?」

The dungeons, whose real objective was to protect themselves from the Hero and counter attack, would be invaded by fellow Mazoku.

It would surely be a nightmarish spectacle, but Orel ended up imagining it very clearly.

「……Casualties will appear, you know.」

「I don’t mind. Making them crush each other is the objective.」

That was an immediate reply.

Orel fixed his eyes on Vermudol who replied without any hesitation.

「At any rate, we’ll just lose to the Hero as things are now. Don’t you think that a reformation is needed in this area?」

「A simultaneous transition to a new era as well……That it is.」

Orel thought about the meaning of Vermudol and Ichika’s words.

And then, about who was the one that created Mazoku in the first place.

「There is no need to worry, Orel.」

While expressing a smile, Vermudol talked to Orel, who moved back as if he was repelled away.

「I’m quite fond of you after all.」

If the Majin ended up not being enough, it would be fine if he just created more.

For Vermudol who was the Demon King, that was possible.

「So, Orel. What kind of post do you want?」

Vermudol looked as if he hadn’t changed from the first time he had met him.

However, for the current Orel, he saw that as something more terrifying than anything else.

This day──

The Majin Orel, swore his allegiance to Demon King Vermudol.

Chapter 08