Maoyuu Maou Yuusha Vol 3 Chapter 3

Volume 3 Chapter 3, “Look, you’ve got some on your mouth, Hero.”

 

 

——– Deep in the Demon King Castle, the Demon King’s Bedroom

The Demon King: “It’s okay, it’s okay. You don’t have to treat me like some kind of sick person.”

The Chief Maid: “Don’t say that, Your Majesty.”

The Hero: “That’s right. You are a sick person.”

The Demon King: “This is an injury, not a disease.”

The Chief Maid: “Yes, well, even so.”

The Female Paladin: “Behave like an adult and just accept the treatment.”

The Hero: “That’s right, you’d better behave.”

The Female Paladin: “You too, Hero!”

The Hero: “Ow! Owww!!!”

The Chief Maid: “Well, well.”

The Female Paladin: “You’re the Hero so stop acting like you’re about to die. You’re about to lose to the Demon King, even.”

The Demon King: “Haha, you see, I’m not that bad.”

The Hero: “Heh. If you just leave it alone it’ll heal on its own.”

The Female Paladin: “Without treatment, it could get bad…”

The Hero: “Well, I did just take the brunt of a Demon King-cla.s.s Destruction Spell. That cla.s.s of magic, combined with the other damage I have taken, did take quite a toll on my recovery ability.”

The Female Paladin: “Now that I think about it, the Hero’s recovery ability is quite inhuman.”

The Demon King: “Is… that so?”

The Hero: “That’s because I’m really healthy.”

The Female Paladin: “He’s the kind who has never even caught a flu before.”

The Hero: “—!”

The Female Paladin: “But he always gets himself into situations that make everybody worried for his life.”

The Demon King: “Hehe, the Hero is all wrapped up in bandages too.”

The Hero: “Why are you so pleased about that?”

The Chief Maid: “Hehe, it’s like a matching outfit. Very cute.”

The Demon King: “What? No! No! I was just being empathetic to the Hero’s plight and feeling happy that we could find ourselves in similar situations, hence having a shared experience.”

The Chief Maid: “It’s the same thing.”

The Female Paladin: “Aren’t you forgetting that you people were saved by my Healing Magic?”

The Demon King: “Thank you, Female Paladin.”

The Hero: “Yeah, thanks.”

The Female Paladin: “To treat you people, I’m going to have to move to the Demon King Castle for the time being.”

The Hero: “Eh?”

The Female Paladin: “There’s nothing for it, I don’t know when I’ll be done.”

The Chief Maid: “I see, Demon King, please stop being as reckless like before. You were really saved by the skin of your teeth the last time, when you almost died.”

The Demon King: “I’m sorry…”

The Hero: “From now on, leave the reckless things to me!”

The Chief Maid: “You too, Hero.”

The Female Paladin: “Yeah!”

The Demon King: “That guy… was strong, right?”

The Hero: “Yeah. He was okay.”

The Female Paladin: (The Hero… found himself a match? Look at the state he’s in now. This guy’s got to be fairly strong, otherwise the Hero wouldn’t have had so much trouble.)

The Demon King: “This is a problem.”

The Hero: “What?”

The Demon King: “I’m all wrapped up, I won’t get to touch your fluffy hair.”

The Hero: “Well yeah, it can’t be helped.”

The Female Paladin: “I can, though?”

The Demon King: “What?!”

The Chief Maid: “I can do it too.” Fluffs hair.

The Demon King: “Not you too! Why are you doing this!” Struggles.

The Hero: “Wait! Sorry but that’s a really nice smell.”

The Demon King: “Let me go, let me go!”

The Chief Maid: “Hahahaha, if I do this more often, then the Demon King will recover faster.”

The Female Paladin: “This is also an aspect of the recovery process.”

 

———- A Settlement to the South of the Holy Empire

Wind blows…

Settler: “What’s happened?”

Thin Serf: “Don’t know.”

Small Peasant: “We’ve told the Village Deacon to come over.”

Young Farmer: “If he comes over, then we’ll have bread to eat twice a day.”

Settler: “I heard that too.”

Thin Serf: “Yeah, I really want to have some bread to eat.”

Small Peasant: “Me too. Why is it that even though I grow wheat, I haven’t had any bread to eat…”

Young Farmer: “My two sisters… died from starvation.”

Settler: “…”

Thin Serf: “…Even though we’ve had a b.u.mper crop of wheat this spring, the price hasn’t gone down at all.”

Small Peasant: “Well, we’ve been eating that thing, though.”

Young Farmer: “…That thing?”

Settler: “Yeah…”

Thin Serf: “The Demon Apple*.”

Small Peasant smiles.

Young Farmer: “But that’s…!”

Settler: “…We’ve got no choice.”

Thin Serf: “No matter how heretical the crop is, if we don’t have anything to eat, we’ll die. In our village, no, throughout this entire country, there probably isn’t anybody who hasn’t eaten it before.”

Small Peasant: “Yeah.”

Young Farmer: “Is that alright?”

Settler: “What?”

Young Farmer: “I mean, it’s heretical, right? Won’t you develop demonic characteristics? Won’t your hands turn into the cloves of goats, won’t you go crazy and die?”

Thin Serf: “Have you seen anyone like that around here?”

Small Peasant: “I haven’t…”

Settler: “Potatoes are delicious.”

Thin Serf: “Yeah, especially when you boil them in a soup or when you roast them with b.u.t.ter.”

Small Peasant: “If you slice them thinly and fry them, they became very sweet.”

Young Farmer: “That’s…”

Settler: “Well, in the end we have no choice.”

Thin Serf: “We really can’t follow their instructions.”

Small Peasant: “That’s right, they’ve taken away our wealth and our work and our food, we really have nothing left.”

Wind blows…

Settler: “Ah.”

Bishop: “…How quiet.”

Thin Serf: “Your Reverence…”

Small Peasant: “Nice to meet you.”

Bishop: “How splendid, Spirit blesses the faithful followers of the Spirit of Light.”

 

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Explanation

The Demon Apple: In the 17th Century, when the potato was first introduced to Russia, the Russian Orthodox Church originally declared it the Demon Apple and the Fruit of Misfortune in order to discourage its cultivation. However, it became evident that the tough and resilient potato was best suited for the harsh climate of Russia. By the 18th Century, it was commonly known as the Apple of the Earth (see French pomme de la terre) and became widely cultivated. Even so, up to the 19th Century, Tsars often attempted to ban the cultivation of potatoes, leading to a spate of insurrections.

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Young Farmer: “The Bishop! The Bishop gave us his blessings!”

Settler: “That he would even bless such insignificant villagers like ourselves!”

Thin Serf: “Thank you! Thank you!”

Bishop: “The reason why you Children of the Light are gathered here today is to combat the coming evil. This village has many fields and will now produce rations for our soldiers. Furthermore, we will receive divine instructions on the combat with evil. I will reside in this Village for the next half year and I will do my best to serve the Children of the Light.”

Settler: “Eh? …Combat?”

Thin Serf: “We can’t do something like that?”

Small Peasant: “But the Bishop himself…”

Bishop: “Rest easy! Children of the Light!”

Bishop: “The Spirit of the Light has given you his blessings. In his infinite charity, he has shown us the way. He has provided you with the holy weapons to take down the Demon Race.”

Thin Serf: “Weapons?”

Clank clank.

Bishop: “These metal poles are enough. These metal poles are weapons provided by the Spirit of the Light to blast away the Demon Race, these are muskets. As long as we have these poles, even untrained peasants like yourselves can be as strong as the heroes of old. — Watch!”

Elite Soldiers: “Fire!” Lights muskets.

Bang! Bang!

Small Peasant: “What was that?!”

Young Farmer: “It went through the armour!”

Bishop: “This weapon can penetrate a suit of armour from fifty paces away. With this weapon, no matter the claws or teeth of the enemy, no matter how many swords or spears he has, you can take him down from a distance! Once you train to use these weapons, you will be the finest soldiers throughout the land!”

Bishop: “Listen, Children of the Light! Blessed followers. The Primarch* himself begs for your help today.”

Thin Serf: “The Primarch?!”

Small Peasant: “He’s asking for our help?”

Murmuring.

Bishop: “As I am sure you are all aware, far to the South, in the coldest part of the world, a prison is being built! By the Grace of the Spirit, we have managed to confine the Demonic elements to their prison in the South. I am sure you know. This is where we have trapped the heretics who oppose the word of the church, in this land of ice and death. In our charity, we have agreed to let them keep their lives.”

 

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Explanation

Primarch: The highest religious figure in the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the Holy Church of Light. In our world, the Catholic Church follows the progression of Priest – Bishop – Cardinal – Pope while the Orthodox Church follows the progression of Priest – Metropolitian – Patriach – Ecunemical Patriach. The Church of Light goes by Priest – Bishop – Primarch with the Primarch being the supreme head of the Church.

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Settler: “The Church has said this lots of times already…”

Young Farmer: “We’re really being beaten back by these Demons.”

Bishop: “However, despite this, these heretics have performed the ultimate betrayal by stealing a treasure of the Children of Light!”

Small Peasant: “Eh?”

Bishop: “What they have taken are the remains of the Spirit of Light. In other words, they are relics! These relics represent the hope of all the Children of Light, they are a symbol of His resurrection, and by taking these relics and hiding them from us, they are insulting not just the Church but the Spirit himself!”

Settler: “?! The Spirit?!”

Bishop: “These are the words of the Primarch himself! We cannot overlook this blasphemous transgression. Even if we have to sacrifice our own lives, we will reclaim the Holy Remains! This is a sacred duty we all have! Children of Light! Rise and take up your muskets! Let us show them the strength of our faith!”

 

——— The Kingdom of Metal, a Developing Settlement

Patrolling Soldier: “Alright, here we are.”

Refugee Family Father: “So this is it!”

Refugee Family Mother: “It’s cold…” Shivers.

Refugee Family Daughter: “It’s so big! And the road goes all the way to that hill over there!”

Patrolling Soldier: “I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do about the cold. You are in the South, after all. If you work hard then maybe you’ll sweat it out! Alright, let’s go check out the fields. I’m sure there’s got to be someone around.”

Refugee Family Father: “Alright!”

Walking through the snow.

Refugee Family Father: “Alright, horse, I know you’re a bit old but we’re almost there. Just a bit more.”

Walking through the snow.

Female Settler Militia: “Hey! h.e.l.lo there, Sergeant!”

Patrolling Soldier: “Hey! How’s it going?”

Settler Militia: “Alright. We’ve managed to clear all the weeds on the hill over there.”

Female Settler Militia: “So now the place is ready for the potato fields.”

Patrolling Soldier: “I see! I’ve brought a new family over.”

Refugee Family Father: “We come from the Kingdom of the Kingfisher, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Refugee Family Daughter: “h.e.l.lo!”

Settler Militia: “Kingfisher! That’s a long way away!”

Female Settler Militia: “Hey, are you alright? You’re looking a bit blue.”

Refugee Family Mother: “It’s very cold…”

Patrolling Soldier: “Right, I’m not feeling too good so this is as far as I’ll take you.”

Refugee Family Father: “If it’s possible, would my wife be able to rest first? The two of us can start to work. Please.”

Refugee Family Mother: “Hey…”

Settler Militia: “Alright, well let’s go to the mustering grounds first.”

Refugee Family Father: “Hey! What are you saying! Take a look. Hey, is it possible… that you’re pregnant?”

Patrolling Soldier: “Eh?”

Refugee Family Father: “What?!”

Refugee Family Mother: “Yeah… I don’t know for sure but based on last month, I’ve been having this suspicion…”

Refugee Family Daughter: “For real?!”

Female Settler Militia: “Take a look! She can barely stand in this cold! Let alone go to the mustering grounds!”

Settler Militia: “Really?”

Female Settler Militia: “It’s all because you’re completely hopeless at finding a wife.”

Patrolling Soldier: “Wh-what should we do?!”

Settler Militia: “This is terrible!”

Refugee Family Daughter: “Only a guy would say that.”

Settler Militia: “You haven’t given birth before either!”

Female Settler Militia: “Even without having given birth, a girl should know these sorts of things! Alright, let’s get you on these blankets first.”

Refugee Family Mother: “Umm… I wouldn’t want to use your blankets like that.”

Female Settler Militia: “Don’t worry, these are military supplies. We’ll just borrow them for a bit. They’re made of lamb’s wool so they’re very warm.”

Refugee Family Father: “Thank you…”

Female Settler Militia: “Alright, we’ll carry you over to the Village Chief. Your family can use the house next to mine. You can start by gathering kindling and Peat*.”

Settler Militia: “Okay! I’ll run ahead and give him some warning.”

Female Settler Militia: “Good! Prepare some warm clothes and some food! Get the Village Chief’s wife to help.”

Patrolling Soldier: “I’ll leave it to you then.”

Female Settler Militia: “Of course! Well then, let’s go. It’s small and nothing spectacular, but it’s a house. It’s just been built so they all look the same and it’s easy to get lost, but after a while you learn to differentiate. My family also lives in one of those houses.”

Refugee Family Father: “Are you sure? You’ve been so nice to us.”

Female Settler Militia: “What are you saying? Everyone here, whether you’re from a foreign land or from one of the Southern Kingdoms, is working hard to make sure we have enough to eat. We’re all comrades planting potatoes together!”

 

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Explanation

Peat: Peat is a substance created from the fermentation of dead plants over a long period of time until they become a solid, rock-like substance. As it contains many impurities and high water content, it does not burn easily. However, when peat is pressed and dried, it becomes a fantastic source of fuel.

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————– The Demon World, Replacement Conference Venue

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Okay.”

The Cyclops: “…We’re all here.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “My Khans, thank you for your hard work. Well then, Her Majesty the Demon King has temporarily given us her authority, and so that this Kurultai does not stagnate and that we do not omit any important details, we must carry on. Black Knight.”

The Hero: “With regards to this issue, apart from representing the Demon King’s authority over the many Tribes, as much as possible, I would like to seek and respect the counsel and advice of the Khans as we seek to hit the nail on the head. After all, I am still an outsider.”

The Queen of Fairies: “Don’t say such a thing.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “We apologise for causing you any trouble, you are the will of the Demon King.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Yeah.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Anyone who has anything to say in opposition to that is a disgrace.”

The Baron of Steel: “What shall we discuss today?”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “Hmmm.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Firstly, I believe that domestic issues of each of the tribes should be settled internally, as they have always been. The purpose of this Kurultai is to address matters which affect the Demon King. In other words, problems which concern the entire Demon Race and the Subterranean World, matters between Tribes, and vital opinions. Or rather, issues which a single Tribe alone will be unable to settle.”

The Queen of Fairies: “Agreed.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “I have no objection.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Sounds good.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “So basically, we settle our own problems.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “The most pressing issue is the Tribe of the Pale.”

The Cyclops: “…Yeah.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Indeed, the Tribe of the Pale has left the Kurultai and begun their independent movements. Reports have shown that they have returned to their own lands to regroup and reinforce at an alarming speed.”

The Queen of Fairies: “If the Tribe of the Pale has indeed made enemies out of the entire Demon Race and started on their path to brutality and carnage, then we the Tribe of the Fairies will not stand aside and let it happen.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “We Banshees will also fight to the end, though I suppose it will be impossible to avoid enormous casualties.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “The Tribe of the Fang too!”

The Hero: “No, wait for a while.”

The Cyclops: “…Why? …Black Knight?”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “What is your view?”

The Hero: “I have fought with their new King. His skills are the real deal. The Tribe of the Pale is really strong, stronger than we think.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Hmm… It seems that they’ve increased their abilities since the last chaotic period.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “If the Black Knight says so, it must be so.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Well then, let us focus this session on resolving the issue with the Tribe of the Pale.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Yes.”

The Baron of Steel: “There are many other issues, but this is the most pressing one.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Let’s solve the issue ahead of us.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Good.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Firstly, the Tribe of the Pale has a new King. Secondly, this new King and the army which he now leads attempted to a.s.sa.s.sinate the Demon King and have then fled from the Kurultai. Thirdly, this new King and his army are currently heading back to their own territory. Fourthly, they number a few tens of thousands. Fifthly, the New King of the Pale bears the Sigil of the Successor to the Demon Throne and his battle ability is out of this world.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “That sounds about right.”

The Baron of Steel: “What an extremely difficult situation.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “In other words, the problem is…”

The Queen of Fairies: “This is the will of the entire Tribe of the Pale.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Huh? You’re saying that the whole tribe are traitors?”

The Queen of Fairies: “Not necessarily. Especially since the position of the New King of the Pale was decided officially at the Kurultai, even though it was a very rushed decision. Have we considered that the New King may be doing all this without any official authorisation?”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Yeah.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “In fact, the entire nation of the Tribe of the Pale may be unaware that it was actually the New King who has betrayed the Demon King.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “In that case, how about we attack their cities before the armies of the Tribe of the Pale get there. If we do that, then whether the cat is white or black, it doesn’t matter. If it’s white, then we’ve reduced the number of enemy forces. If it’s black, we’ve managed to disrupt the enemy’s supply lines and prevent his units from joining up.”

The Baron of Steel: “That’s all very nice to say, but the Tribe of the Pale moves at a startling rate. Even if we left today to pursue them, we wouldn’t make it.”

The Cyclops: “…White… Black…”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “I believe that much is clear.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “So what should we do?”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Since we’re on the matter of their movement speed…. We do not want to pursue the armies of the Pale. In other words, if we do manage to fight them, we will be in their lands, where their reinforcements can arrive easily. In fact, if we recklessly attack them, we will leave our own cities exposed. Rather, we cannot even ensure the safety of our own lands.”

The Queen of Fairies: “You have a point.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “So what you’re saying is that using our forces to surround their cities will have the reverse effect?”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “What, so we can’t do that after all?”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “The combined strength of all our armies exceeds 50,000 strong. If we simply gather all our forces, the Tribe of the Pale will taste despair. The one who betrayed the Demon King is the New King, and he himself has even backstabbed the entire Demon World. In other words, this is an independent act from a single individual and so he may not have very much support. I do not believe that the Tribe of the Pale are all battle-crazed, blood-seeking maniacs.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “How very troublesome…”

The Baron of Steel: “To begin with, the Tribe of the Pale has always had a very strict disciplinarian military junta in place. We must consider that possibility also.”

The Cyclops: “Hmm…”

The East Fortress Base Commander: (On the other hand, in the worst case scenario, if the New King goes so far as to take his entire Tribe, apart from the military hostage, some terrible things could happen. He’s the kind of guy who could do things that I never even imagined possible, like poisoning, a.s.sa.s.sination, and who knows what else. He could indeed be planning something truly heinous. This guy has got to be an unspeakable shock to the Demon World…)

The Fire Dragon Lord: “First, let us agree that we cannot avoid letting the armies of the Pale return to their lands. This is something which is beyond us.”

The Queen of Fairies: “Yes.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Indeed.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “However, on top of that, we cannot let the Army of the Pale out of our sight. Having seen what terrible things they are capable of here, the Army of the Pale could be like a snake, moving through the Demon World and causing immense sacrifices in their wake.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Indeed.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “The lands outside of those belonging to the Pale need to be heavily surveillanced so that we can have as early a warning as possible as to the movements of the Army of the Pale.”

The Queen of Fairies: “Let us Fairies a.s.sume this responsibility. We may be weak and small but we are invisible under the cover of darkness and noiseless as we move.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “If the Fairies see anything, then the Tribe of the Fiends will relay the intelligence. The Fiends are everywhere throughout the Demon World after all. Since ancient times, we have always been the ones running the postage service and the pony express.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Is everybody agreeable?”

The East Fortress Base Commander nods.

The Chieftain of the Tattooed nods.

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Then we will leave this matter to the Fairies and the Fiends. If there is anything we can help with, do not hesitate to request it.”

The Queen of Fairies: “Understood.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “Leave it to us.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Alright, let’s say we do discover the Army of the Pale.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Then we must strike fast and swiftly.”

The Baron of Steel: “How?”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “The Tribe of the Fang shall be the vanguard.”

The Cyclops: “…Hmm.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Because of this incident, we have suffered an extreme humiliation. We must be the first to throw our lives into the fray.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Is that alright, Witch-Queen?”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “…Hmm, I understand. Alright, I will leave the vanguard to you. However, the ones who have had the longest contact with the Pale are us Banshees. That’s why we will form the second formation. Should our lands become invaded though, then I cannot guarantee that we will not be the vanguard. To us, the protection of our country and our people is of utmost importance. I hope you will forgive me on this.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Of course I understand the desire to protect your own people. I will abide.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Well then, the Banshees and the Fang, I trust your skills, however I must reiterate that we do not yet know the true nature of the Tribe of the Demons of the Pale. Please exercise due caution.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Got it.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Leave it to us.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Well then, we the Dragons will take a support role. For the four Demon Tribes who have been mobilised, we will provide food and all necessary supplies.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Thank you!”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “I understand.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “I have two points I wish to bring up.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “What is it, Khan of the Gate?”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “The first is about the refugees. No matter how despicable the Tribe of the Pale has acted, the fact is that they are merely small fries carrying out the will of the government and there are, in fact, exceptions. The number is not very large but there are many living in the cities all over the place. I would like to ensure their protection.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Why do you care about such small details? It’s just a few people. I don’t even think they have any effect on us.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “It’s true that they do not greatly affect the war. However, we should address this issue for the sake of the situation after the war. In fact, who can guarantee that we will not gang up on the Tribe of the Pale and exterminate them?”

The Cyclops: “…Hmm.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “That’s what this war is starting to seem like. Can we promise that we won’t try to exterminate the Tribe of the Pale, ma.s.sacre their women and children, and leave none standing? That would be extremely unlawful. However, how can we a.s.sure that the Tribe of the Pale will not hate us after this? From now on, they will tell stories to their descendants of ‘How the innocent and the defenceless Tribe of the Pale was beset on all sides by the heinous plots of the other Tribes,’ forming their national narrative to their children and grandchildren.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “But that’s not true.”

The Hero: (…This guy has really read the situation completely.)

The East Fortress Base Commander: “That’s why we have to communicate the idea that that is not true, otherwise the situation could get bad very quickly. The Tribe of the Pale are but one race, and if we all unite against them, how can they win? We all the more need to settle the after-effects of the war. Sending all the troublesome elements to the City of the Gate is fine too. Here we’ve got all kinds of Demons, and even Humans, mixing around with each other. The damage they will incur will be small.”

The Baron of Steel nods.

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Right, and your other point?”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “This one is a bit more important. It’s about relief aid.”

The Queen of Fairies: “Hmm.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “This is related to what I was saying earlier, but just what are we going to begin? Is this going to be a debate between comrades, or a full-blown war, or a series of small skirmishes?”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Well, to begin with, the Tribe of the Pale unceremoniously betrayed and attacked us. We wish to have them take responsibility for their actions and clarify the blame.”

The Baron of Steel: “That’s right, we cannot allow these questions to remain unanswered.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “But what does that have to do with the lives of the people? The Tribe of the Pale must accept the blame. That is the right thing to do, and they must also answer and address the concerns of our citizens.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “Indeed.”

The Cyclops: “They must… tell the people… loudly.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Hmm.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “I also believe that that is important. This is about prosecuting the New King of the Pale, who caused chaos in the Kurultai, who committed patricide, who proceeded to commandeer the Army of the Pale to attack the other Tribes.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Patricide?! For real?!”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “No, I can’t say for sure but that’s what they’re saying.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “…I see.”

The Queen of Fairies: “It has not been confirmed, though.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “So he must answer for all of these?”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “That is an interesting idea.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “We should try to understand the fatigue and sadness in the hearts of our people who, despite earnestly tilling and cultivating their fields, have been forced to witness the savage destruction of their temples and lands due to the ravages of conflict. If their hearts get tired, then their hands stop and their feet stop. Once their body stops, what we are facing is famine. War is a very difficult thing but to the people, the most difficult thing is not knowing what to do. Because they do not know what their country or their soldiers are doing, they do not know what their next course of action should be. This feeling of powerlessness can really lower morale and make them feel like they have worthless presences which can steadily cause the decay of large parts of the society. Our cities, our people, our business, they will all decay. And all of these come from the decay of the morale in their hearts.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “…”

The Hero: “…”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “Hence I believe that we should clearly lay out how the situation has come to be, what has happened, how bad the situation currently is, what our methods of dealing with the conflict are, and what we hope to gain from this war to the people. Well, this is a war, so of course we can’t possibly be telling them everything, and we don’t actually even need to tell them the entire truth…”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Hmm, in other words, this is what you want to achieve? All of the people will now be firmly tied to the fate of the battle whether or not they partic.i.p.ate in it directly; it’s a state of Total War* and everybody is a soldier. As generals, we should try to boost the morale of our soldiers.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “Yes, yes. That’s what I mean.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “However, hmm…”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Alright then, we should decide just what sort of conclusion we are hoping to achieve in this battle against the Demons of the Pale.”

The Queen of Fairies: “…Conclusion.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “That’s right. We will fight the Tribe of the Pale where they exit from their lands. But if we do only that, then the war will never end. I’m not saying that we should attack their cities and subjugate their lands, but how else can we end this war?”

 

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Explanation

Total War: This refers to the mobilisation of the industrial and military output of the entire country in times of war. In order to back up the war machine, even if not all the citizens go to the battlefield, they all still have important roles to play in ensuring the supply chain is maintained, the lack of which will lead to defeat. This concept was first promoted in the early 20th century during the First World War. The Base Commander and the Silver Tiger Lord’s dialogue on this matter also shows that they are aware of this condition.

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The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Indeed.” (—Could the Demon King really have been considering our lives and futures all this while…)

The East Fortress Base Commander: “…This is very difficult. I have just joined the Council so I’m not completely cognizant of the relationships that each of the races has with the Tribe of the Pale yet.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “Well, in more chaotic times, we the Tribe of the Banshees have been at war with the Tribe of the Pale for a very long time. You could say that there is a deep-seated hatred and resentment against the Tribe of the Pale. However, these were issues related to sovereignty and ownership of the land, and at the time, it was very common for wars to start for this reason.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “We also were at a never-ending war with the Fiends.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “At the time, all the Tribes, big or small, were fighting in the chaos. The neutral Tribes and the mercenary Tribes were also at loggerheads in trying to mediate or prevent the mediation of the conflict.”

The Hero: “I see…”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Hmm.”

The Cyclops: “Tell… the people…”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “That’s right. First, let’s tell them, ‘The New King of the Pale has betrayed the Demon King and attacked the Kurultai.’ That’s a simple truth they should know about. To those citizens who are afraid of attacks by the Pale, we can tell them that the Army of the Pale has retreated to their own territory and they are in minimal danger at the time being. At the same time, we can also increase the size of our garrisons and provide more opportunities for recruitment.”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “That seems like an appropriate response.”

The Witch-Queen of Banshees: “As for how the war should be concluded, I believe we should gather feedback from the various Tribes and see what the public sentiment is like.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Then for now, this is how we will deal with the Pale.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “Yeah.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Shall we return to our territories?”

The Baron of Steel: “Hmm… If I may have a word, Khan of the Gate. This is about trade.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “Understood.”

The Cyclops: “…Actually, what if we spread some rumours about the loud one?”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Is that alright, Black Knight?”

The Hero: “Ohh, it just gets better and better. Fire Dragon Lord, I’ll leave this one to you.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “What are you saying! Hahahaha!”

The Chieftain of the Tattooed: “That being said, how is Her Majesty the Demon King?”

The Hero: “She still can’t get up from her bed but she seems to be doing much better.”

The East Fortress Base Commander: “That’s good.”

The Hero: “I’ll be sure to inform her of today’s proceedings.”

The Silver Tiger Lord: “Thank you, Black Knight.”

The Fire Dragon Lord: “Right then, that’s the end of today’s Conference. If nothing exceptional happens, the next Conference will take place in 40 days. Please continue to track and report on the movements of the Pale.”

Together: “Long live the Demon King!”

 

——– Deep in the Demon King Castle, the Demon King’s Bedroom

The Female Paladin: “Hey, open your mouth.”

The Demon King: “…”

The Female Paladin: “What does that face mean?”

The Demon King: “This scene is something should be going on between the Hero and I…”

The Female Paladin: “The Hero is busy at the Conference.”

The Demon King: “That’s why I said…”

The Female Paladin: “Ahhhh.”

The Demon King: “Mm.”

The Female Paladin: “…Ahhh.”

The Demon King: “Uhh…”

The Female Paladin: “Here you go.”

The Demon King: “…How humiliating.”

The Female Paladin: “We’re friends, it’s weird that you care about this.”

The Demon King: “Really? Is that so?”

The Female Paladin: “Yes.”

The Demon King: “Well… When you speak to me or the Sisters, you use words which are a bit nicer.”

The Female Paladin: “…Really?”

The Demon King: “Yeah.”

The Female Paladin: “Well I suppose that’s what happens when you lead armies. You get used to speaking to men all the time, I suppose you use different words speaking to women.”

The Demon King: “I see.”

The Female Paladin: “…I guess it’s off-putting that I’m not womanly enough.”

The Demon King: “That’s not true, I find you very womanly.”

The Female Paladin: “…”

The Demon King: “?”

The Female Paladin: “Even though you’re the Demon King, I am not convinced.”

The Demon King: “Hmm. That’s not true. I… Well, it’s true that the size is big, but when it comes to maternal instinct, to loveliness and attention to detail… When it comes to being s.e.xy, I still need a lot of guidance. When it comes to being a woman, I’m still vastly inferior to you.”

The Female Paladin: “I wouldn’t say that.”

The Demon King: “To begin with, what exactly does it mean to be womanly?”

The Female Paladin: “Yeah.”

The Demon King: “I’ve tried being like those ones in fairy tales, helping him pick his ear*, even sleeping in the same bed, but I don’t think it’s had a great effect on the Hero. …To begin with, it feels like the world keeps trying to crash in between us every time there’s an opening, we’re never going to become a couple.”

 

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Kai’s Translator Notes:

Earpicking: 

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The Female Paladin: “I may be slightly biased about this but I think there’s something we should consider.”

The Demon King: “Really?”

The Female Paladin: “…I don’t know why though.”

The Demon King: “Oh come on.”

The Female Paladin: “Maybe it’s the Hero who has been avoiding us.”

The Demon King: “…”

The Female Paladin: “…”

The Demon King: “Let’s stop this conversation.”

The Female Paladin: “Yeah.”

The Demon King: “Ahh! It’s really going to be nostalgic having the Little Sister Maid’s cooking again.”

The Female Paladin: “Of course. Even though the cooking in this castle is really good too.”

The Demon King: “That’s right, the Little Maid Sister’s cooking has a certain special taste that the food here doesn’t.”

The Female Paladin: “Yeah, I know what you’re saying.”

The Demon King: “I want pie.”

The Female Paladin: “Ahahahahaha. I know how you feel. But, this is what we’ve got right now. Ahhhhh.”

The Demon King: “…”

The Female Paladin: “Hehehe.”

The Demon King: “This is really humiliating.”

The Female Paladin: “When you get healthier you can take revenge.”

The Demon King: “Of course. Only the Hero is allowed to do this.”

The Female Paladin: “Eh?”

The Demon King: “I know just what you’re trying to do!”

 

———- The Holy Empire, the Merchant’s Quarter

Wheat Wholesaler: “Wheat! Wheat! Barley too, just in! Freshly harvested! It’ll taste great as bread or even oatmeal! One bag for just five new silvers!”

Obese Citizen: “What about the old silvers?”

Wheat Wholesaler: “We don’t accept them. You can’t use that money in the Holy Empire. The only people who use that currency are the barbarians of the South.”

Travelling Merchant: “But there’re still lots of old silver and gold coins in the city…”

Wheat Wholesaler: “Just go to the munic.i.p.al office and you’ll be able to exchange your old currency for the new currency.”

Obese Citizen: “But three and a half old gold coins are only worth one new gold coin…”

Travelling Merchant: “It’s a really bad timing.”

Wheat Wholesaler: “Alright, freshly ground wheat! How about some wheat?”

Obese Citizen: “…Only the really rich can afford to eat such wheat.”

Travelling Merchant: “Dammit.”

Walks further.

Innkeeper: “That being said, have you heard the rumour?”

Obese Citizen: “Rumour?”

Travelling Merchant: “The rumour about the Village of the Children of Light?”

Innkeeper: “Yeah, that one.”

Obese Citizen: “What is it?”

Innkeeper: “Apparently, beginning in the Holy Empire, there have been new villages appearing all over the Continent. Most of them are near the forests, or in the mountains, or in those old, extinct villages that used to be ancient battlegrounds. Those villages have great wheat harvest and n.o.body worries about going hungry.”

Obese Citizen: “What’s that all about!”

Travelling Merchant: “It seems like this isn’t made up. The Church has been gathering farmers and settlers to train for some kind of special duty.”

Innkeeper: “This is the latest news but it seems that the whole point of this is the Holy Relic.”

Obese Citizen: “Holy Relic…?”

Innkeeper: “You’ll be shocked when I say this but apparently, it’s the remains of the Spirit Himself!”

Obese Citizen: “What?!”

Travelling Merchant: “What?! Is that for real?”

Innkeeper: “Well, it’s a rumour so I can’t say for sure.”

Obese Citizen: “I always thought the Spirit was like the wind or a ray of light.”

Travelling Merchant: “Yeah.”

Innkeeper: “It seems the Church is saying that the Demons have stolen the Holy Relic. In order to seize back the Holy Relic, they’re going to need a lot of elite soldiers. That’s the whole point of the Villages of the Children of Light.”

Obese Citizen: “Hmm… Well, they don’t go hungry.”

Travelling Merchant: “I’ve heard about this in other cities too.”

Innkeeper: “It’s the blessings of the Spirit. They say in those villages, they get bread twice a day, and for lunch*, they get stew. The bread they eat in the evenings is white and fluffy.”

Obese Citizen: “White bread?!”

Travelling Merchant: “That sounds really extravagant.”

Innkeeper: “Yeah.”

Travelling Merchant: “How wonderful.”

Innkeeper: “It seems that the Church is really serious about this.”

Travelling Merchant: “Serious…?”

Innkeeper: “Yeah, it’s just between us, but it seems that the reason for the hike in the price of wheat is because the Church has been buying up all the wheat and sending them to the Villages of the Children of Light.”

Obese Citizen: “!”

Travelling Merchant: “Really? I suppose that’s possible.”

Innkeeper: “Right?”

Obese Citizen: “But if they do that, we’re really going to have a war.”

Travelling Merchant: “I guess so. But it’s for the Spirit, so there’s nothing for it.”

Innkeeper: “Yeah, Spirit be with us.”

Obese Citizen: “Spirit be with us! At least with some paltry black bread, so we can live.”

 

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Explanation

Lunch: People in the Middle Ages generally ate three meals a day, but out of these, the most important was lunch. Breakfast and dinner were all light meals while lunch provided energy to do the day’s work.

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Travelling Merchant: “But I guess I would really like to take a look at one of these villages.”

Obese Citizen: “Rather than just look, I’d like to live there. Wouldn’t you? To retrieve the remains of the Spirit for a righteous war, and you even get food to eat. Rather than starving here, I want to go to that village.”

Clergyman: “That’s not impossible.”

Travelling Merchant: “Eh?”

Clergyman: “I apologise, I could not help but overhear your conversation… The number of Villages of the Children of Light are increasing as war with the pusillanimous Demon Race draws nearer. You should try coming for confessions every night. We will be choosing some excellent people to establish a new Village of the Children of Light soon. The place will be packed with people trying to achieve this special blessing.”

Innkeeper: “For real, Your Holiness!”

Obese Citizen: “Really?!”

Clergyman: “I am not a bishop yet but this is not a lie. Even tonight, a new squad is a.s.sembling their luggage and mobilising.”

Obese Citizen: “I want to go too!”

Travelling Merchant: “Me too!”

Clergyman: “Then, you must surely come to the Church. His Holiness is waiting for your righteous contribution.”

 

——– The City of the Gate, a Cheap Motel

Disciple Engineer: “Well, this is great.”

Disciple Bard: “Mm. Yeah…”

Disciple Engineer: “Is this sheep*? I’ve never eaten it before.”

Disciple Bard: “Yeah, the Surface World keeps them as livestock.”

Disciple Engineer: “The Surface World? To be expected of the City of the Gate. There’re lots of interesting food. I discover new things every day. Even the architecture is completely new and interesting.”

Disciple Bard: “Yeah…”

Disciple Engineer: “What’s up?”

Disciple Bard: “Eh? — No, nothing.”

Disciple Engineer: “This is great… Yum, yum.”

Disciple Bard: “…”

Disciple Engineer: “Alright, here we go!”

Disciple Bard: “Hey, we’re eating, put the maps away.”

Disciple Engineer: “Sorry, sorry. But I’ve got a whole bunch of new ideas and techniques that I’ve picked up. I feel like I should write a memo so I don’t forget them.”

Disciple Bard: “You stupid engineer.”

Disciple Engineer: “It can’t be helped, I want that bridge up as soon as possible.”

Disciple Bard: “Bridge?”

Disciple Engineer: “Yeah.”

Disciple Bard: “You’ve really changed.”

Disciple Engineer: “Is that so? I was about to say that about you as well.”

 

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Explanation

Sheep: For about 10,000 years, sheep have been reared by humans as livestock. Their meat is more nutritious than that of mountain goats and they are capable of surviving in harsher climates than pigs, hence making them one of the most versatile livestock. Moreover, sheep’s wool can be used to make clothes as their hide can be used to produce leather and vellum. Truly a livestock for which no part is wasted. Even today, many people live the nomadic life, herding their sheep from pasture to pasture.

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Disciple Bard: “Eh?”

Disciple Engineer: “You’re the one who sings like you’re possessed and you actually go on for hours writing new plays.”

Disciple Bard: “Well, I guess.”

Disciple Engineer: “That’s something that comes from inside you, right?”

Disciple Bard: “Eh?”

Disciple Engineer: “In other words, that’s the way you express what’s inside your heart to somebody else, even without using words. Building that route, for me, is like water just waiting to gush out, it feels like it’s about to overflow and when it crashes down, I want to stand up and shout, ‘Build it faster! Finish it faster!’ But, you know? Once we finish that bridge, people will be able to satisfy their stomachs and their heart’s desires without having to risk their lives to transport their goods. The faster we do this, the better their lives will be.”

Disciple Bard: “…Yeah.”

Disciple Engineer: “?”

Disciple Bard: “It’s like a song. It’s a harmony which uses a voice to express the voiceless emotion you’ve created. Inside your heart, you can already hear the fiddle*, the lyre*, the cornetto* echoing bravely. It makes you want to hurry up and produce that melody.”

 

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Explanation

Fiddle: This was originally a woodwind instrument similar to the piccolo and was often used to play folk-songs. Over time, the definition was extended to the violin.

Lyre: The lyre is an ancient Greek stringed instrument much like a harp. It is often featured in Greek frescoes and drawings, and has the shape of an omega (Ω). Over time, this has evolved into many different instruments such as harps and lutes.

Cornetto: The cornetto or the zink is a bra.s.s instrument shaped like an animal’s horn. In ancient times, a real horn was probably used. It was extensively used in 15th – 16th century European music.

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Disciple Engineer: “Hmm. So I suppose you understand. In any case, because of this, I can’t take my mind off it even when we’re eating.”

Disciple Bard: “Hey, Engineer.”

Disciple Engineer: “What? …Nomnomnom.”

Disciple Bard: “Have you heard about the Holy Relic?”

Disciple Engineer: “Huh? What’s that?”

Disciple Bard: “I’m not really sure. But it seems like there some kind of rumour that’s been going on here.”

Disciple Engineer: “Mmm.”

Disciple Bard: “I was really drawn by that rumour. Sometimes when the wind of curiosity blows too strong, I feel that I must go out and do something, like my soul itself is being propelled towards it. I start dancing and when I stop, I cannot hear the sounds of my surroundings or the environment. All I hear are the echoes of that siren call in my head…”

Disciple Engineer: “…”

Disciple Bard: “I want to go on a tr