CH 42

Ten days before the harvest festival.

The list of street vendors is posted in the city square, and the residents of Warren gathered around.

Ellis’s group naturally also joined in to review the bulletin.

Their shop’s name is simply ‘Jewelry Box’, and their five-colored cakes is listed and described next to their entry and placement.

The only worrisome thing was the neighboring store. It’s name is the ‘Manly Dynasty’ selling pork daruma rice.

Ellis knew who would be operating that store immediately.

On the other side of their store were some volunteers from the Adventurer Guild who would be selling fruit juice.

While preparing for the festival and wandering around the bustling town with everyone else, a rare person called out to Ellis.

“Ellis-ojousama, may I have a consultation?”

She had beautiful blonde hair that extended down her back, eyes that seemed to be able to look right through you, and luscious red lips.

The top button of her white blouse was undone, allowing her black bra and part of her cleavage to peek out.

A garter belt was fastened overtop of a tight miniskirt along with black leather stockings and red pin heels.

It was Margherita, the head maid at Master’s Hideaway.

“Neesan is looking well. Why are you still wearing that outside of the shop?”

“I already had it on. Besides, the pin heels are popular.”

Is that so.

Apparently, the Head Maid of Corruption was also starting to play around as the Secretary General Manager of Arousal and Advertising as well.

“Then let’s have some fun talking while enjoying a cup of tea.”

The girls followed Margherita into a nearby cafe and listened to her worries.

The consultation was about the new girl Hanna and Mohawk Ken.

It seems that every time the Mohawks come in after trading in their gems, Ken always requests to see Hanna. When he does, Margherita noticed that Hanna always brightens up for a moment before turning back to her usual business-like smile.

“So it seems that Hanna has started to return Ken’s feelings after being visited so often.”

However, the other day, Ken had revealed some important information to Hanna.

The consumption of jewels by Ken and his friends has been too intense, so demons from the Magus army are being sent to investigate.

The leaders who had been supervising Ken’s group so far will be replaced and return to the Demon Lord.

Then, as before, Ken will be unable to freely travel to Warren.

“Hmm.”

“According to Hanna, Ken wants to escape from that life. Well, he was originally an ordinary farmer after all.”

“Is it the same for Ken’s colleagues?”

“It sounds like it.”

Ellis took a minute to think.

“Is it time for the tide to change?”

“Perhaps, Ojousama.”

Without the jewels, having the Magus army nearby is unnecessary. If anything, the possibility exists that they make a move on Warren and disrupt the harvest festival.

Mohawk sized fires need to be extinguished.

Ellis made her decision and turned back to Margherita.

“Next time Ken comes, can you tell him to stop by?”

“Have you thought of something good?”

“I’ll think it’s fun.”

In this way, the five girls finished their tea and parted from Margherita.

Then the next day.

Ken and Hanna came over while the girls were enjoying some 5 colored steam cakes and inspecting the prototype drawstring bag that Flint had sent over.

Hanna had taken the day off from Master’s Hideaway apparently.

Because they could not allow Ken to enter the mansion, which was now in an area where men are not allowed, Ellis decided to meet with him in the grassy area where they had first met.

Ken told the girls that his group’s hideout was currently south of Warren. There are about ten people there who are from the same village as Ken. They gather up information and resources to the leading demons in wait.

The Demon Lord’s subordinates seem to be able to get in touch with the Magus army headquarters somehow. The new demons are being dispatched from headquarters, and they want to see the claw gauntlets that Ken’s group keep bringing.

The replacement demons are scheduled to arrive from the Magus army tomorrow. From that point on, Ken will no longer be able to use the jewels as he sees fit.

If something goes wrong, he may even receive orders to attack the city.

Ken and his colleagues would prefer to live in peace, but their village has already been destroyed by the Magus army. They have nowhere to go back to.

Ellis listened to everything that Ken told her carefully, and when he was done, she laughed.

“Guess we have no choice but to kill you.”

“…Huh?”

Ignoring Ken’s puzzled reaction, Reeve nodded her head along with Ellis’s suggestion.

“Yes, that would be the easiest way.”

“We can deliberately let some of the Demon Lord’s subordinates get away.”

“Why don’t we have the Hero’s subordinates take care of it?”

“They can make a declaration while they attack nya.”

Ellis turned back to Ken who clearly had no idea what anyone was talking about, and then she repeated the plan to them one more time. This time Ken and Hanna both understood her meaning.

“Think about what you want to do after your death.”

On that day, Ken returned to his hideout just like normal. He first went around to his friends and told all of them about Ellis’s plan, and once everyone was brought up to speed, he left to make a report to his leader.

“It sounds like some good fighters are out looking for us.”

The leader couldn’t hide his amusement.

“Interesting. I will let the head know at headquarters immediately.”

The leader ordered ordered most of his troops to stay inside the hideout tomorrow. Other than defending, he instructed a few men to patrol the surroundings.

If they find any suspicious people lurking about, they are to pull back and lead them to the hideout.

“Defend and then counterattack.”

This is the correct strategy.

That is why Ellis knew exactly what they would do.

Ellis, meanwhile, went to report the plan to the Thieve’s guild and the Adventurer’s guild. This was to deal with any leftovers that they may miss by chance. Besides that, she also wanted a little advice from her elders.

Ellis received the approval of her plan from Baltis and Theseus along with some subsequent advice, returned to the mansion to go over the plan one more time with everyone else.

With this being their first fight in an open field for the first time, a sense of tension had spread among everyone.

And just like that, night came along.

“Ojou-sama, please stay behind me tomorrow.”

“Alright. Then tonight, I will bully you from the front.”

“Ellis, let’s make the Demon Lord’s armies cry out in defeat tomorrow.”

“Then I will make the pig woman in front of me cry as well.”

“Let’s rampage a lot tomorrow nya.”

“I hope the plan works out alright.”

“Everything will go perfectly Claire.”

It was a rather intense night where the only other sounds in the mansion other than those reverberating in the darkness was the gentle sleeping breath of Pi-tan.

So a pleasant morning came with everyone feeling their best.

“Now, let’s do our best today!”

The five girls went over the plan once again while eating breakfast. They decided to change up their equipment a bit from the usual.

Frau is equipped with the morning star, kite shield, and silver half-plate armor that she had used from before.

Katie was wearing some new ‘bear knuckles’ and ‘bear boots’ that were similar to her usual weapons with no nails attached. The only ability Ellis copied on to these were the Stupor effect.

Reeve had her Flying Swallow/Purification bastard sword hanging at her waist just in case there were undead.

Ellis and Claire had the same weapons as usual, however, everyone was wearing a black cloak and black bandanna over their equipment.

“Come on! The Hero’s Hand heads out!”

Riding Magical horses for a few minutes south, Ellis’s group found the Magus army just as planned.

Ellis chased the demon’s subordinates which started to escape as soon as they noticed her.

Soon, Ellis was drawn towards a very conspicuous cliff.

I guess the prepared ambush is in wait over there.

“Claire, get it done.”

“Right! {Paralyze Shower}!”

This magic is similar to Claire’s other spell {Lightning Shower}. The big difference is that this one put more emphasis on the disabling effect than the damage.

Claire’s magic shot the back of the cliff, reaping the consciousness of the Mohawks lying in wait.

Mohawks were waiting with weapons when the girls emerged past the cliff.

Ellis jumped off her Magical horse here and gave the men a smug smile.

She waved them over, provoking them to come at them.

Ken stupidly ignored his leader’s orders and charged at his assailants.

“Damn it! Attack!”

With Ken’s actions as a trigger, the rest of the Mohawks all charged at Ellis.

But Katie brilliantly slipped through the gaps of their formation. Before any of them could react, Ken and all the other Mohawks were mowed down by a flurry of Katie’s blows.

“Who are you…”

From some tents behind Ken’s defenses, an ossan wearing proper armor appeared.

The party of five slowly approached him.

“We are a brigade underneath Leader Gray, and we have come to stop you.”

A fit of laughter began to echo from behind the ossan as soon as Reeve had given their rehearsed greeting.

“Funny! What a funny bunch of humans!”

What appeared from the tent was a typical-looking demon from Eiji’s world. It had a human shaped body with goat legs and the head of a goat as well.

“Aah. Sangel-dono!”

The demon walked out as if the ossan calling his name had summoned him, and it stepped in front of Reeve.

The demon’s inorganic eyes that had vertical slits looked down on her, but Reeve did not flinch and started right back at it.

“She looks delicious. Let’s eat her alive.”

Then Sangel suddenly activated {Ice Fog}. It is an ice magic with the same effect as an Ice ring.

Reeve’s entire body was covered in frost and dyed white.

“Chilled Little Girl is now ready to be served.”

Sangel then slowly extended his finger towards Reeve’s face.

“First off, I’ll have an eyeball.”

“That’d be a problem.”

Reeve, who should have been frozen solid, opened her mouth.

With a smile floating on her face, she quickly drew out her bastard sword and cut off the arm that Sangel had extended towards her.

Reeve can reduce magic damage by 15 thanks to Resistance and Magic Guard.

On the other hand, the basic damage of {Ice Fog} is only ten. Because it does not cause Reeve any damage, the additional freezing effect never came about.

The spell only resulted in a thin film of frost covering Reeve’s skin.

The goat’s face lost all expression as it did its best to understand what had just happened. Unfortunately, Reeve was not willing to offer that courtesy.

“Don’t worry. I’d never eat something as ugly as you.”

The bastard sword cut through the goat’s neck as if it were butter.

“That’s for sure.”

Muttering that under her breath, Reeve then shoved her sword into the demon’s heart before the whole carcass eventually gave way and crumpled down on the ground.

While Reeve was taking care of the trash, Frau had already slipped past the fight and approached the defenseless man from behind, surprising him when she began whispering in his ear.

“We will head to the east, join with our comrades, and challenge the Demon Lord’s main forces. If you can, run away…”

The man was taken aback.

“What do you mean?”

“Do I need to explain it to the end? I am a subordinate of Peach-sama, and I am a friend. The next time we meet, treat me like we are enemies, but I will see you again.”

The old man nodded dumbly before running away as fast as he could. He pushed another man off his horse, and jumped on himself–riding away as fast as possible.

Thus the battle ended.

Phew.

All the Mohawks including Ken gathered behind the girls and watched as the man rode off into the distance.

Ellis turned to them and gestured towards the tent that the demon had come out from.

“Oi, quit dawdling and grab any jewels or gold inside. That’s all the money you all will have to live on from now on.”

At Ellis’s words, every Mohawk swarmed the tent, tearing it down while pilfering every last jewel and weapon they could find.

Once it was completely looted, Claire burned the last dredges of the tent. Erasing any evidence about what really had happened.

“Let’s go home then.”

Ellis led the Mohawks forward to Warren’s Adventurer’s guild.

When they arrived, the guild members who were waiting there immediately got to work shaving off the mens’ mohawks until every single one of them was bald.

They then collected all the Hyaaha  armor and spiked boots, and distributed out leather trousers and shirts which would be beginner armor for adventurers.

“I’ll talk to you later Theseus.”

When Ellis lowered her head in thanks, the guild master responded with a simple thumbs up.

“No problem. I’ll put these guys through the ringer and get them all trained up.”

Ken and his friends are now junior members of the Adventurer guild, and they will be spending their time performing odd jobs around the guild hall. Recently, the Adventurer guild had become so starved for basic workers that they were making the veterans sweep the floor, so this whole affair worked out well for them.

“Then should we head home?”

“Hmm. It’s just about time for lunch, so how about we treat ourselves to lunch in town today?”

“Yeah, eating out sometimes is good as well.”

“Let’s go get Pi-tan too!”

“I want fish nya!”

The busy morning inevitably gave way to a relaxed afternoon.

As for the Magus army ossan who had escaped on a horse, he did not stop riding until he was back in the Demon Kingdom territory. He stopped by the fortress nearest their border, and he made his report over a communicator to the Magus army communications department.

“I am from the Warren area advance team. Unfortunately, the entire group was slain other than me.”

“Please elaborate.”

“We were attacked by an entire squadron of enemies and overwhelmed. In the battle, Sangel also fell.”

“Are you sure!? Zangel is a powerful demon!”

“There is no doubt; his opponent was very skilled. After the battle, they intend to head east, meet up with the hero, and then march on the Demon Lord’s castle.”

“You were able to get quite a bit of information.”

“Well.”

The communication department issued their orders after commending the old man.

“The claw gauntlets delivered from that region were all fake and inferior products. Since we will concentrate the exploration in the east, you can return to the castle immediately.”

It was a long ride back to the Demon Lord’s castle, and on the way, the old man had time to think.

Let’s give that woman a reward for her information once the Demon Lord has killed the Brave party. She said she was a subordinate of Peach for sure. She smelled really sweet.

Yes, you will be saved, and it will be all thanks to me.

Like this, the old man let his imagination run wild.

And all the while, he still has not realized that everything is going as Ellis predicted.

As soon as he returned to the castle, the old man was allowed an audience with the Demon Lord.

“Lucky.”

The old man knelt down before his lord, and he repeated everything that he had told the correspondence department about what he had learned to the gold plated Demon Lord.

“Hmm. So the Hero is coming from the east.”

“Yes.”

The old man had the utmost confidence in his information, and he proudly raised his head.

The Demon Lord nodded once and raised his hand.

“Good job.”

In the next moment, the old man was bleeding on the floor with a hole in his chest. A fire started on what remained of his back and scorched away the remains.

The Demon Lord spoke aloud without any change in his expression.

“There is no forgiveness for those who fail on the battlefield.”

“Of course, milord.”

“Move the western armies to the east and kill the Hero and this brigade of his.”

“As you command.”

“Good. Now I shall retire to my quarters.”

After giving out his orders to the servants around him, the Demon Lord retired to his harem.

1. The actual title for this chapter would be cleaning the lees. It is referring to the process of cleaning lee plants before processing them into sake. I changed it to an English saying that has a similar meaning.