Chapter 14

Chapter 15

The Eastern Commander Fainell, the Southern Commander Raktor, the Northern Commander Altejio.

The three people that received titles that would make them the rulers of their respective regions from Vermudol had surrounded the potato nabe with Vermudol.

……Even if it was called potato nabe, it was just the usual potato soup put into a large hot pot that was carved out of stone.

The pot was handmade by Ichika, and even the desk was just pieces of crumbled stone walls piled on top of each other.

However, customs of dinner meetings such as this generally didn’t exist among the Mazoku to begin with.

When offered the dinner meeting as if it were just a suggestion, Fainell and Altejio didn’t know how they should respond and were bewildered.

Since only Raktor was a happy-go-lucky fellow, he filled up plenty on the potatoes.

「The salt soup is pretty good, Demon King-sama.」

「U~n. But as expected, I’m getting a bit tired of it. I did have the Goblins start on agriculture though.」

「Ahh……so that was your doing, Demon King-sama.」

When coming to the Demon King’s Castle from the Dark Continent’s Southern Area, there was the need to pass through Agur’s Goblin Community that Vermudol had directly suppressed. There, Raktor saw fields that were growing something, and the figures of Goblins restlessly moving around.

「Ichika had discovered some wild Nilgiri tea, you see. I ended up having them try out growing it since it has high fertility.」

「Ahh, it’s because that stuff grows anywhere. Even the Goblins should be able to grow it.」

Nilgiri tea.

That was a vegetable similar to the so-called daikon. The section where the roots are have a crisp texture and is juicy even when raw, and is also delicious when simmered and eaten while freshly cooked. Furthermore, there were several medical efficacies in the leaves, and is extensively eaten among the Humans. Nilgiri tea is that sort of all-purpose vegetable.

Having an ephemeral way of life is what the traditional Majin did, but there were also other areas where the gourmet food culture such as this that the previous Demon King Gramfia had brought about was deep-seated and had remained.

The Human slaves that had once existed have already died out, but the remains of the fields that they cultivated had grown wild.

Also, the recipes were of the things that remained as well, and it was from there that Fainell and Altejio had made meals.

They had……but the fact that they were fundamentally feral children didn’t change for the most part.

This was also the case for other industries.

There was a tendency to depend on a portion of hobbyists that immersed themselves in things like attire and blacksmithing for the production and supply of various things.

The Mazoku nature of becoming strong individually that ran within them was catastrophic.

To begin with, the notion of the thing called family was extraordinarily thin among Mazoku.

This was a hazardous trait as a species, and there were also spots that need to be settled.

Vermudol saw that this thorough individualism of the Mazoku is what invited defeat the last time.

Because of that, to first arrange the subordinate Demon King Army was also the first step of cultural living.

After rebuilding the organization, he would introduce communal living and culture, as well as the concept of politics.

He would reform the present situation that had degenerated even further from the time of Gramfia that only took things.

There was no mistake that that would definitely raise the strength of the Mazoku species as a whole.

「……I see.」

Hearing Vermudol’s explanation, Altejio nodded.

Certainly, even Altejio relied upon a portion of hobbyists for things such as his equipment.

Therefore, if that sort of cultural lifelihood were to be arranged and things such as blacksmithing were to spread about in the Dark Continent in general, it would be convenient even for Altejio, and he was even able to understand that it was connected to strengthening the Mazoku as a whole.

「However, the Metalio are allies to humanity. Even if we were to train Beastia in blacksmithing, it would take a considerable amount of time……」

Metalio.

Aka, the Ore-man race.

That was the name of the race that excelled in the mining and manufacturing of metal and possessed bodies that were small yet tough.

At the time of the previous war, they supplied a large amount of famous arms to humanity including the Hero.

Not just that, it was said that there was even the figure of a Metalio among the Hero’s comrades that marched into the Dark Continent.

「Ahh, yeah. I’ve taken that into consideration.」

When Vermudol snapped his fingers, Ichika, who had disappeared before anyone knew it, had come along to the throne room bringing along a single man.

His height was shorter than average. Although his build was horizontally wide, he had a physique where his body was covered in tenacious muscles that wouldn’t lose to even to Raktor’s muscles. He had an amply grown beard, and strong eyes that had no intention of losing.

In that man’s hands, he carried a single sword.

「……This man is……?」

Fainell’s question was reasonable.

When Vermudol stood up and stood next to the man, he answered with a cheerfulness as if he were introducing a friend.

「He is Tekkuhagen, a Norm. The Norm oppose the Metalio……No, they are a race I created for the sake of winning.」

Create a race.

Fainell and the others shuddered at those words.

Certainly, that was possible for the Demon King.

However, for Fainell and the others that were born after the sorting of Mazoku was established, they weren’t familiar with the idea of creating an entire race.

Now that he mentioned it, they understood that it was possible if it was the Demon King doing it, but being unable to arrive at that way of thinking to begin with, they had naturally removed it from the options.

Because of this, they were surprised, and once again realized it.

That this man called Vermudol was without a doubt the Demon King.

「Tekkuhagen, take care of the explanation.」

「Certainly.」

Tekkuhagen drew the sword and displayed it.

It was a one-handed sword──A type of sword that was called a Long Sword.

The sword blade was steel blue, and reflected light and gave a dull shine.

However, it was impressive how it would sometimes shine in red with just the right amount of light.

「This was made with metal where iron and blood metal were mixed together at a ratio of 8 to 2. It is named Blood Iron, but I believe that it would be adequately fit for use even as the raw material for Magic Swords.」

The one that reacted to those words was Altejio who also used a sword himself.

It would be best to understand by likening a Magic Sword as the sword version of a “Magic Wand”.

Magicians would use a wand as a catalyst to use magic, and Swordsmen would use swords for the sake of directly attacking.

This is the common sense of this world.

However, in the case of being able to use both magic and the sword, a sword or a wand, it was surprisingly difficult to make a decision on which one to choose.

First, with a normal sword, it would melt from being unable to endure the invocation of magic. On the other hand, if a wand is held, the physical attacks that were obtained through great pains can’t be used. There were rings that could be used as catalysts for magic, but when compared to wands, their might was low. Therefore, the best choice would be Magic Swords, but Magic Swords are difficult to produce, and technical strength higher than the standard is required.

Tekkuhagen said that that was created.

「Hmm. Isn’t that good. Is mine also made with this?」

「No, blood metal isn’t suitable for your strength, Demon King-sama. It will take a bit more time.」

「I leave it to you.」

Tekkuhagen exited the room, and Ichika was in waiting at Vermudol’s side.

Vermudol handed the Blood Iron sword that he held in his hand over to Ichika, turned to the three generals, and showed a smile.

「Well, I suppose the situation is just as you can see……Aah, Fainell.」

「Yes, Demon King-sama.」

Vermudol nodded at Fainell who had stood up and took a saluting posture.

「I command you, who is the Eastern General. I would like for you to make use of the fertile soil of the Dark Continent’s eastern area, and contribute to the food supply policies.」

「I have received your command, Demon King-sama.」

「For Southern General Raktor, I leave the command of the Norm and mine development, as well as the production of all sorts of arms that will accompany that to you.」

「Leave it to me.」

When the two confirmed that they consented, Vermudol turned to the remaining Altejio.

「Northern General Altejio. I leave the economic policies to you. I command you to perform minting of coinage in cooperation with Raktor, and to rebuild the foundation of Mazoku society.」

「……! I gratefully accept.」

Altejio understood the meaning and significance of Vermudol’s words.

The northern area of the Dark Continent wasn’t suited for production activities.

In addition, Altejio was the one among the three that could calmly make decisions about things, and he understood that it was because of this trait that was generally not much like how Mazoku are that he was appointed this position.

「However, Demon King-sama. What’ll we do about military affairs?」

「Although leadership will fundamentally be left to the respective generals, the strategic portion will be left to the Western General whose land was the site of where the previous Hero had invaded. And then, the Center will supervise the four areas and be the standpoint that dispatches instructions.」

Raktor knitted his brows at that reply.

There wasn’t anyone of that calibre that was able to do that in the west.

The fact that that was the consensus of opinion of the three Four Cardinal Generals and not just Raktor could be adequately understood from the expressions of the other two.

Maybe because he had taken those reactions into account, Vermudol showed an ill-natured smile on his face.

「I have prepared a capable person perfect for the job……It should be about time for him to be coming by though.」

As if to respond to Vermudol’s words, a transfer magic formation expanded next to him.

A cylinder of light rose from the magic circle that was rotating together with light, and once it settled down before long, a single man was standing at that spot.

「Did I keep you waiting?」

「No, I didn’t mind it.」

When Vermudol said that, he turned a smiling face to Raktor and the others.

「……Let me introduce him. He is the Western General, Sancreed.」

Chapter 15