Book 2: Chapter 40

「……What do you all think?」

The Grand Library that was underneath the Demon King Castle was chilly and dim.

What was there was the figures of three Majin.

One was the first subordinate that was under direct control of the Demon King……The Maid Knight Ichika.

One was also a subordinate that was under direct control of the Demon King, the Maid Knight Nino.

The final one was the head of the Grand Library, Rokuna.

Looking at Rokuna who was spinning the cookie in her hand with her fingertips, Ichika answered with her usual lack of expression.

「There is nothing to it. He is the sole master that I will serve.」

「Nn, Nino loves him.」

Nino also made a short answer.

What was the reason that these three people who looked like they didn’t get along at all in terms of personality had gathered for.

It wasn’t like there was some important talk where they had no choice but to show up.

Vermudol had not caught wind of this either, but tea parties were often held by the three female Majin that served in the Demon King Castle.

And speaking of the viewpoint of female Majin that worked in the Demon King Castle, the Central General Gordy was also one, but since Gordy was a Majin that loved her job, the probability of her participating was low.

For Nino, since she didn’t have much willingness to do her daily tasks and was in a situation where her talents as a maid were called into question, she said that participating in tea parties was a part of her regular operations.

For Rokuna, she was either immersed in the research that Vermudol had entrusted to her recently, or just being lazy.

As for Ichika, she was too perfect, and although she had even inserted time for tea like this into her schedule, she was even doing follow-ups for Nino and the other Majins that served in the castle.

The topic at the tea parties would differ at times but……this time, it was about what the girls thought of the Demon King Vermudol, the one who was their master.

For Rokuna, she was hoping for some interesting answers, but they were so in line with her expectations that she nodded like she didn’t care.

「……But.」

Nino muttered a single word.

「Demon King-sama, has changed a bit.」

Hearing those words, Ichika and Rokuna reacted with a twitch.

His personality hadn’t changed. He was still the gentle and kind Vermudol that they knew.

However, he had certainly changed.

「Even the strategy this time, it was Ver-cchi’s suggestion.」

Thinking of the strategy that was currently in the middle of progress in the Jiol Forest Kingdom, Rokuna bit the cookie.

Vermudol took along the Eastern General Fainell and headed to the Jiol Forest Kingdom for negotiations.

The objective was to enter friendly relations, and after considering all of the political measure done up until now with the thought of how they would not get involved with mankind, it was a strategy that had a completely different perspective.

He said that based on the existence of the Alva and the movements of the mankind territory’s Demi-Human rejection, this change in policies was inevitable.

In order to make it so that mankind wouldn’t turn their eyes towards the Dark Continent, it was necessary to make it so that an atmosphere where something like a Demon King revival dispute wouldn’t happen, or in other words, make it so that the world’s state of affairs are stable, and maintain a situation where the people’s anxiety and dissatisfaction wouldn’t surge up.

That is why the Demon King had personally gone to mankind’s territory, and tried to investigate their situation and deal with their problems. However, in the end, even that didn’t bear fruit due to the large-scale deterioration of the state of affairs on mankind’s side.

Furthermore, what dealt an additional blow to the already unfortunate situation was the Metalios that drifted ashore on the Dark Continent……And the betrayal of the sincerity that they had shown them.

And so, the strategy used this time was suggested and carried out.

「The friendship with the Jiol Forest Kingdom strategy has three stages but……」

Saying that, Rokuna made a rough review of the strategy.

The first stage was amicable negotiations. If friendship could be formed with this, then it wouldn’t be a problem at all.

However, the possibility of that was exceedingly low.

The moment a Mazoku suddenly appeared and said that they were seeking to form a friendship, an 「upright member of mankind」 would suspect the possibility of a trap.

And then, just like what the drifted ashore Metalio……what Borkio’s group had done, they would tell the other countries of the Demon King’s revival under the justice and sense of duty of all of mankind.

For example, they would make up some kind of reason for something or other at that place and buy some time, and during that time, they would communicate with other countries……they had taken that into sufficient consideration.

That is why the negotiations this time took the form of being a sudden visit. It was because there was a need to not let the other party make any preparations.

The negotiation time will be one day, is what Vermudol determined

It was because if the time was delayed any longer than that, the situation would proportionately get worse by how long it was delayed..

「……That, is what Nino didn’t get. Why would it get worse?」

「……It’s the precedent with Borkio, and the movements of the God of Life, isn’t it.」

Hearing Ichika’s frank explanation, Rokuna nodded.

Giving them time would mean giving them time to transmit information.

If the Jiol Forest Kingdom’s side were to stir up the entire society’s sense of justice, then a punitive force would definitely turn up in the middle of their negotiations.

And then, the God of Life.

Just how would the God of Life, who seemed to have devoted herself to mankind to the point that she would send in the Hero, move against Vermudol.

They were unable to read how she would move.

Taking these into consideration, they were unable to take their time on things.

What was prepared for the sake of that, was the second stage of pressing them to capitulate.

And then, resolving the situation with force was the third stage.

「Well, that being said. It doesn’t really feel like the second stage will work at all.」

Rokuna thought that there was an extraordinarily high probability that things would transition to the third stage. And then, she didn’t think that Vermudol didn’t notice that possibility.

The fact that things would transition past the second stage meant that it would be equivalent to him doing an act of conquest as the Demon King.

「……Certainly, if it was the Ver-cchi from before, it’s a strategy he would have hesitated on.」

That’s right, Vermudol had changed.

His strange softness towards mankind had completely vanished.

「……It should have been, a good thing though.」

But, Rokuna simply couldn’t be happy about it.

When she thought of it as a process needed to make the Demon King Vermudol more Demon King-like, she honestly couldn’t give her blessings for it like the other Mazoku had.

「It isn’t “should have”, it is a joyous matter.」

「……I’m sure that’s how it is for you, Ichika.」

Rokuna breathed a smile, and Ichika lacked expression.

Acting as if she were unrelated to that, Nino half-emptied the plate the cookies were on.

This was simply, the usual……tea-party scene.