Book 2: Chapter 9

The Throne Room was the most beautifully made place within the castle.

Vermudol sat down on the throne, and made a face that seemed like he was pondering over something.

「So, Demon King-sama. What’re you doing?」

Vermudol gave a nod at Raktor’s words.

「Ahh, I was thinking of exploring for a solution to solving problems in a way other than fist fighting.」

「Give me a break if you say to discuss things out.」

「I wouldn’t say something like that.」

While answering like that, Vermudol worked out his thoughts.

Things that required tools were naturally rejected. It would be fine to think about those the sake of what would happen after this, but it would be a bit difficult to test it out here and now.

In that case, something that was as simple as possible that didn’t need tools would be good.

「It has to be……Janken」

「Janken……you say?」

Vermudol stuck a hand out at Fainell’s question mark-laced words.

First, he made a tightly clenched fist.

「Rock.」

From that state, he erected two fingers.

「Scissors.」

And then, he opened all of his hand.

「Paper.」

While repeating those actions, Vermudol started his explanation.

「The thing called Janken is something where matches are decided through these three actions.」

That’s right, that was all there was to Janken.

Either rock, scissors, or paper would be presented together with saying “Janken, pon”.

Rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, and paper beats rock.

In cases where the same hand is put out, it is a 「Draw」, and the match is done once again.

There did not exist anything that could be called the strongest hand, and it was possible to do a fair match.

Since the rules were also simple, it was surely appropriate as the first introduced measure.

「Yosh, then Raktor and……Orel. Try it out.」

「Ou.」

「Geh!」

In contrast to Raktor who nodded, Orel noticeably backed away.

Seeing his state, Vermudol made a wry smile.

「Orel. This is a peaceful game. There won’t be any sort of problem.」

「It’d be nice if that were true……」

Looking reluctant, Orel faced Raktor.

Orel also had a large build, but when compared to Raktor, one couldn’t deny the impression that he was small.

「Yosh, well then, please start.」

At Vermudol’s signal, Raktor and Orel took postures so as to hide their fists.

「Janken……Pon!」

Together with the peaceful shout that could seemingly sound idiotic, Orel, who put out paper, suddenly flew about in the air.

Right below him, Raktor, who put out a fist……or rather rock, had taken an uppercut stance looking satisfied.

When he roughly chased after Orel, who had dropped down and was now lying on the ground, with his eyes, Vermudol breathed out a deep sigh.

「……It’s Orel’s win.」

「Wh, why!?」

「It’s because you had rock and Orel had paper……」

Thinking “so he really didn’t understand the rules”, Vermudol dropped his shoulders.

It was there that Altejio, unable to continue just watching that situation, came forward.

「Listen, Raktor. Think of it like this. Rock is something like magic. Paper is a shield that defends against that, and scissors is something like a sword that tears through the shield.」

「Rock is magic……huh.」

Seeing Raktor who was looking at his tightened fist and muttered as if he had somehow understood things, Vermudol felt relieved thinking that things would finally work out somehow.

Being one of the Four Cardinal Generals, Altejio’s composure was extremely valuable.

「Yosh, then next is Fainell and Sancreed.」

「Understood.」

「Yeah.」

Doing as they were told, Fainell and Sancreed stepped forward.

Since the both of them were people who could make calm decisions to a certain extent, even in the off chance that Fainell were to behave recklessly, then Sancreed should be fine, is the plan that he had in this pairing.

「Janken……Pon!」

It was like a brandishing of swords.

Fainell’s high-speed scissors that aimed for the neck, was intercepted by Sancreed’s scissors together with an unbelievable sound of *giin*.

「Aiko de……Sho!」 (TLN: Think of it as “one more……time”)

*Giin, giin* With a speed that normal eyes couldn’t keep up with, an offense and defense of scissors unfolded.

It was a severe scissors battle where neither would yield even a single step.

Fainell and Sancreed expressed smiles that showed that they acknowledged each other’s strength.

「Alright, wait. Stop.」

At Vermudol’s words, Fainel and Sancreed separated.

「What the heck was that. Rather, you guys did magical reinforcement, didn’t you.」

「As expected of you, Demon King-sama. So you could tell.」

Forget being able to tell, for unbelievable sounds like that to be resounding while being bare-handed, then anyone would notice.

「I believe that I told you guys to do Janken though.」

「Yes. It was a good match.」

「……Good for you.」

「Yes!」

In response to Fainell who expressed a smile that looked like she was happy from the bottom of her heart, Vermudol breathed a deep sigh.

That’s right, that’s how it was.

She was the sole female among the Four Cardinal Generals, but Fainell was also a muscle-brained Mazoku. She wasn’t all that different from Raktor.

「So, why were you like that as well, Sancreed. You understand the rules, right?」

「Yeah.」

「In that case, why did it turn into you guys crossing swords.」

In response to Vermudol glaring at him, Sancreed gave an answer with a nonchalant face.

「If she desired to make an initial charge from the front, then responding to that would be the correct disposition, wouldn’t it.」

「Ahー, is that so. Okay, I’ve got it. But you understand the rules, right……?」

「With no problem.」

Seeing Sancreed nod, Vermudol suddenly tasted fatigue while somehow cheering himself up.

At this rate, nothing would change.

「Then……Sancreed and Altejio. Please try doing it.」

At Vermudol’s words, Altejio and Sancreed faced each other.

「Janken……Pon!」

Altejio had scissors.

Sancreed had rock.

It was Sancreed’s win.

「Fumu, so I’ve lost.」

「It’s because you use a sword. I simply tried betting on the likelihood that you would put out scissors.」

「I see, that is certainly right.」

Seeing the two of them calmly give their impressions, Vermudol muttered “Finally……”.

「This is Janken’s correct form. Everyone, I would like you to spread that amongst your subordinates as a new means of settlement……And so that is the end of this meeting!」

At Vermudol’s words, the Four Cardinal Generals made a bow and left the Throne Room.

After seeing them off, Vermudol slid down the throne.

「……How did things turn out like this with just Janken……」

「While it may be presumptuous of me.」

While holding out a glass filled with water to Vermudol, Ichika whispered.

「If you carried out a demonstration using me and Nino, I believe that it would have been done much more promptly.」

「……Tell me that a lot earlier.」

In response to Vermudol who discontentedly drank the water, Ichika expressed a small smile and replied.

「It’s just that keeping quiet seemed more interesting.」

「……What a good maid you are.」

Ichika wasn’t perturbed in the slightest by Vermudol’s sarcasm.

「Receiving your praise is the utmost honor.」

Recovering the glass, Ichika gave her thanks.

Volume 2, Chapter 10