Demon Lord, Retry! Volume 2

by Kurone Kanzaki

  In the end, the Demon Lord left the shop with fifteen gold medallions — a small fortune — and a brimming smile. Later, the music box was won at auction by a certain madame. At the astonishing price of forty-two gold medallions, the winner was Madame Buttersauce (sister of Butterscotch). Having made a huge profit on this sale, McBonald expanded his shop and climbed farther up the societal ladder. He and the Demon Lord had now solidified their win-win relationship. Buttersauce, too, with her newly acquired music box, satisfied her ego to a great extent, garnering envious looks from the other nobles. For nobles, having something that no one had was a great status symbol... something that could be a much more effective weapon than any means of brute force.

  ——Fashion Police, the popular boutique in the city of Yahooo.

  When this man walked through the door, Bingo the shopkeeper couldn’t help but jump. It was the crazy-rich customer from the other day.

  “Master Kunai, welcome back! Everyone!”

  “Welcome back, Master Kunai!”

  “M-Mmhm...”

  Greeted with a grand welcome from the entire work staff, the Demon Lord looked to and fro, a little taken aback, but soon regained his composure and laid out two outfits onto the table. Unlike last time, he had a particular order in mind. One of the outfits was a silk tuxedo that he had crafted for himself before, and the other was a Novice item he had just crafted today: the Bunny Suit. Each of them had a Defense of 5, making them pieces of garbage in the game.

  “Shopkeep. I need about twenty of each outfit. Can you make that happen?”

  “A moment, please...”

  Holding each outfit in his hands, Bingo examined them to their last detail, assessing them as a professional. The structure of each outfit was not very complicated... Relatively simple, in fact, compared to the ball gowns he provided for nobles. While the Bunny Suit was quite revealing, he had some experience tailoring something similar for brothels. The striking details completely foreign to him (like the fish-net stockings) captivated Bingo.

  “Yes, that won’t be a problem. For sizes, sir...”

  “I do need someone from your shop to come take measurements. The bottom line is that I need this done as fast as possible. As soon as they are done, I need them delivered to the village of Rabbi.”

  “Pardon me, sir. A project of this volume would take considerable time to...”

  “The expedition will be worth your while, I assure you.”

  With that, the Demon Lord yanked some coins out of his pocket, and laid them out onto the table. Five gold medallions. Shimmering light filled the shop, taking the breath away from everyone in it.

  “Th-Th-This... is...”

  Squeezing out unintelligible sounds, Bingo looked up at the Demon Lord. He looked to be on the verge of tears.

  “This is my deposit. Finish the job quickly, and I’ll throw in two more. Can you do it? Tell me you can do it.”

  “I can do it! On my life, sir, these will be delivered as fast as possible, without a second wasted!”

  “Wonderful... Then, please. Don’t let me keep you.”

  “Everyone! This! Is! War! ...Sprint, ladies! Sprint!”

  The boutique erupted into chaos, each employee madly running around. Some went out to buy materials, some prepped the workstations, and some prepared snacks for the unavoidable all-nighter. What they all had in common were the glittering gold medallions in their eyes. A pile of money could make someone go mad, or at least make them run wild. Watching this unfold, the Demon Lord leisurely lit a cigarette. His expression was that of sublime satisfaction... and hubris.

  Who else but the ruler of evil would drive everyone he met insane like this?

  POKER FACE

  (Alright. The food problem’s dealt with, too...)

  Afterwards, the Demon Lord went to one of the biggest markets in the city of Yahooo, presented five gold medallions to them, and set up an arrangement for a consistent supply of food. He had paid for them to deliver bread, milk, vegetables, meat, eggs, and other groceries to the village of Rabbi on a set schedule. As soon as his order left his mouth, everyone in the market went into a sprint. Their work ethic was admirable, even by the Demon Lord’s standards.

  (It looks like big companies in this world know how to train their employees, too.)

  The Demon Lord thought, but of course, this wasn’t why they were so eager to take on the job. Someone had just walked into their store and threw the modern-day equivalent of $100,000 at them. Naturally they would start running around like mad.

  (These are some back-to-back expenses, but they’re small investments compared to what those facilities can get me.)

  Once all gears were turning, those facilities would continue to rake in money forever. Even after these expenses, the Demon Lord was left with three gold medallions. He figured that was more than enough to get the facilities rolling.

  (They’re pretty much all set.)

  After posting a letter to Madame Butterscotch, the Demon Lord returned to the village of Rabbi with one of the female employees from the boutique in tow. She was aghast after experiencing Quick Travel, but seemed to accept the Demon Lord’s explanation that it was ‘just a magic spell from across the sea,’ although she was still shaking. She seemed to fear more what could happen if she dug too deep.

  “Don’t worry about a thing. Just focus on your task. Part of that payment was to compensate for your discretion on this matter. Understood?”

  “Y-Yes, sir...!”

  “Right. While you’re here, why don’t you take a dip in the hot springs? Two birds with one stone.”

  “H-Hots Prings...?”

  When the Demon Lord showed the employee to the hot springs resort, her jaw dropped to the floor, and her expression changed to something indescribable. He wondered how a Japanese inn appeared to the people of this world.

  Yu, have you finished the tour?

  Yes, sir. Although it took longer than expected... Oh, Luna. That’s the electric bath.

  “Ahhhh! It stings!”

  How could this be? The Demon Lord could have sworn that he heard Luna’s scream, when there was no logical way for him to. Individual Communications were one-on-one, and didn’t pick up on what other people say around either participant. Still, the hilarious scream rang clear in his ears.

  Saunas can be dangerous if people don’t stay hydrated. Yu, don’t forget to include that...

  Good point, sir... Oh, little Bunny, Kyon, was it? That’s a Tsuboyu, so it’s deep.

  “Ahhhh! It’s scary! ...Hoppity.”

  How could this be...? Even now, the voice with the strange catchphrase could be heard in his head. If even the Demon Lord’s subconscious produced that, it indicated some serious commitment on the Bunny’s behalf.

  And, Mister Secretary. I’m sure you must be exhausted after working tirelessly these past few days. Allow me to wash your back, sir.

  N-No need for that... I have thoughts to attend to.

  ...About the village, sir?

  Partially, yes. I am considering summoning another advisor.

  The timing was perfect, as all of his talkative travel companions were indulging in the hot springs. He planned to take this opportunity to make up his mind, and execute the summoning of his next advisor. With each advisor he would summon, the strength of his party would skyrocket. Delegating work to competent advisors would free up time in his day, too.

  (But it’s got to be a dude, this time...)

  His next choice would have been Ren, but it didn’t seem like the right time, all things considered. The Demon Lord entered the resort and entered the men’s half of the hot springs.

  ——Hot Springs Resort, Men’s Quarters.

  “Fweesh... This is the stuff...”

  Sitting in an outdoor bath up to his shoulders, the Demon Lord cracked his neck. As he moved his shoulders, he could feel his muscles loosen. He must have been wound up tighter than he thought over the past few days. As he scooped some of the water in his hands an
d splashed his face, a particular sense of relief washed over him — a moment where he could wholeheartedly appreciate life. At the edge of the outdoor bath, he could hear the bamboo scaredeer repeatedly fill up with water, and make its signature ponk! He could even see the moon above him, lighting up the night sky.

  (Heh. An outdoor hot spring in a fantasy world...)

  If he had never created the Hot Springs Resort in-game, he never would have experienced such a thing. The Demon Lord couldn’t help but feel grateful for his past self. At the time, he had received comments like ‘Hot springs in this murder fest!? LOL’ but even those had become a fond memory.

  (Now, let me remember his backstory again.)

  He already had an advisor picked for his summoning this time around, and he was sure of his choice. Still, he didn’t have much alone time to begin with, lately. He needed time to make some plans for the future. Reorganizing the village, training the employees, servicing the nobles and other customers while serving as a bodyguard... There was only one advisor other than Ren who could handle all of these at once.

  (I have to remember that there’s a chance I’ll have to leave the village for a while...)

  While he felt like a stern command from him would keep Yu in check, he still wanted someone to keep an eye on her. Another reason to discount Ren was that her and Yu were like oil and water. If he were to leave them alone at any point, they could very well end up killing each other.

  (It’s getting a little suffocating having only chicks around, too...)

  What he wanted was a trustworthy babysitter. Sitting in the bath, the Demon Lord recalled the male advisors he had created.

  Masaru Kato, 16. One of the younglings. A dual-wielding swordsman, with a legendary sword in each hand. While his skills were rough around the edges, he had room to grow. His character was simple: he was a total meathead. His swords always came out before his words. With utter disregard for rank or status, he acted prideful with everyone, leading him to more than countless painful experiences, all of which he disregarded. Every spare minute of his time was spent working out and training. He wanted no money and no women, only to become stronger. A sword-fighting obsessive who lived to fight to the death with worthy opponents.

  His relationship with Kunai was nothing more than a boss and his subordinate. From the eyes of the creator, though, Kato was like the troublemaking kid in the neighborhood. He had a strange fondness for this boy, perhaps because of how stupid he was.

  Yuya Kondo, 16. Another one of the younglings, like Kato. He had never missed a shot with his bow, and possessed powerful eyes. With eyes that practically allowed him to see into the future, even maxed-out players could seldom dodge his arrows. In this world, the death of his targets would be guaranteed the moment the arrow was fired. He was a stereotypical shut-in, coward, and self-doubter. In fact, even in the Sleepless Castle, he never left his room. His very soul had been infected by anime, light novels, manga, and video games... He had no interest in the real world, so out of the Demon Lord’s eight advisors, he was the one most leaning towards harmless. Since he wouldn’t run amok if left alone, that’s exactly what happened during many of the countless raids on the Sleepless Castle.

  He was a pretty lucky character, considering some female characters even declared ‘I would never attack little Yuya! He’s so cute!’ Kunai to him must have been... no more than someone intimidating. As he was extremely shy, he rarely spoke to or even had contact with anyone but the other three younger advisors. He had a sassy side, though, that he only showed Kato, who was his former classmate.

  Isami Tahara, 31. One of the older advisors. A firearms specialist, beloved by everything in the world that happened to shoot something. He was stalked and harassed by 47 pairs of guns. On the battlefield, his skill set was annoying all-around. A ridiculous character whose guns each moved as if of their own volition, spraying all enemies with a storm of bullets.

  He was also the only advisor with ‘certified genius’ written into his backstory. He could quickly learn anything and excel at it beyond what most others could do. On the other hand, his everyday demeanor was a smirk-wearing jokester; the epitome of laziness and disinterest. Weirdly good at egging people on, too. An unaffected and poker-faced character his enemies found difficult to get a read on.

  Tahara had a much younger sister called Manami. According to his backstory, he started doing the dirty work of the Ministry in order to put food on the table for her. He was seriously overprotective of her to the point of making it disturbing. To him, there were two types of women in this world: Manami, and not-Manami. No doctor had been able to cure him of this condition. While he was more on the “good” side, overall, he had no mercy for his enemies.

  Takefumi Nomura, 41. Another member of the older advisors. The Empire’s proud, undefeated, and unmatched champion of mixed martial arts. While he had earned enough fame to make him a once-in-a-generation world-class star, he fell in love with a woman from an occupied nation, rather than one of God’s People, and married her despite being warned against it. No persuasion from the higher-ups could sway him. Finally, a few of them who had lost face in the matter decided to go crazy. As a result, Nomura was shunned out of the fighting world after false accusations came out regarding drug use, rigging matches, and blackmail.

  He wandered from one occupied nation to another until a group of locals with a grudge against the Empire assaulted and murdered his wife. Having lost everything, he went missing. A few years later, he was found beating opponents to death in underground fighting rings as a hero-turned-heel. This is where Kunai had scouted him to join the Ministry. His strength was nowhere near that of his prime, and his former glory was already lost. He had only felt disgust for the cruel Game, too. He seemed to almost consider his placement in the Ministry a punishment for his failures in life. After losing his wife, he seldom spoke, much less held a conversation with anyone. According to his backstory, if he could regain the strength of his prime, he would be the strongest among all of the advisors. Sadly, the key to unlock that strength was already lost.

  (Tahara. It’s a no brainer...)

  Reminiscing on his male advisors, the Demon Lord couldn’t help but feel nostalgic realizing how weird all of their backstories were. In Nomura’s case, especially, it was just cruel. At the time, he had written it up from a lighthearted inclination to create a male character older than him with a dark past. Now that there was the prospect of him coming to life, things weren’t so lighthearted anymore.

  (I don’t think I could look him in the eyes...)

  Stepping out of the bath, the Demon Lord chilled his body. As he was contemplating whether to go into the sauna after a break or to get into the jacuzzi and be massaged by the jets, he heard a voice there was no reason he should be hearing.

  “Found you...”

  “Kiddo!? What the hell are you doing here!?”

  It was Tron, who was supposed to be in the women’s baths. The Demon Lord hurriedly wrapped his towel around his waist. What if someone were to walk in? This wasn’t funny.

  “I’ll wash your long hair. Thanks for the crackers.”

  “This is the men’s side, Kiddo!”

  “Not Kiddo. I’m Tron.”

  (This kid’s buck-ass naked! Not okay, even if she’s a kid!)

  If Yu were to catch them like this, she would surely hit him with a glare cold enough to freeze a woolly mammoth in place. As for Luna, he could already imagine her running all around the place, screaming ‘I caught you red-handed now, Demon Pervert Lord!’ all triumphant.

  “Get out, already! Put on a towel, too!”

  “Zero can see me like this.”

  “I’m not Zero!”

  Afterward, the Demon Lord managed to chase out the intruder, and left the hot springs after thoroughly instructing Tron to never address him as Zero in public.

  (I have to summon Tahara, already... I can’t stand being the only dude around here anymore!)

  As soon as he made it out of the
hot springs resort, he pulled up the admin screen. 1000SP was a small price to pay to get him out of these wacky happenstances.

  “Admin Feature... Summon Advisor.”

  Even though this was his second time, he couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous when summoning an advisor... And a little excited, too. After all, the ultimate dream-come-true for a creator would be to meet the characters he had created face-to-face.

  Isami Tahara

  “Tahara. Come hither to my presence...!”

  With those words, two pillars of light, one black and one white, appeared before the Demon Lord. They came together... to form a man. While he looked like he had just woken up, he was both tall and well-built.

  “Huh...? Oh it’s you, Mister Secretary. Woah, where the hell am I!?”

  (Yep. That’s Tahara...)

  The Demon Lord was moved in an indescribable way at watching a character of his own creation move and talk of his own volition. However, he didn’t have the luxury of letting his guard down in front of Tahara. Just like with Yu, who knew what Tahara would do if he found out that the person who summoned him wasn’t actually Hakuto Kunai.

  “I’m glad you came. Follow me. Let’s go somewhere we can talk.”

  “A-Alright...”

  Looking to and fro, Tahara scratched his head. Who could have blamed him? A hot springs resort in the middle of a near-abandoned village. It was pretty confusing.

  “Is this the new arena...? Money’s still not an issue, huh?”

  “I’ll explain that too, in detail.”

  The Demon Lord headed to the common area of the resort and sat down on one of the couches there. It came complete with ashtrays, and the two could talk in comfort. The speakers placed in the area played an upbeat Koto performance, making it a rather relaxing atmosphere.