As for Vepar, she wanted to aim towards stabilizing the new territories the demons gained, Swordland and Vichy, after having managed to conclude the fighting for now. It will take time, but unless we build a foundation and foster manpower, we won’t be able to win in a war. And even if we were to win, we won’t be able to rule those new areas.
“In contrast to those utter fools, who don’t think of anything but battles and destruction, I have to also consider the future. Besides, I don’t want to go down in history as foolish demon queen.” (Vepar)
“But, at this rate our numbers will only keep decreasing, won’t they?”
“Isn’t there something like a reaaally amazing magic? Allowing us to destroy the enemy’s defense wall or such.”
Continuing after Pheres’ calm retort, Nyarl bubbles about something ridiculous.
While managing to hold back her consciousness separating from reality to some extent as she wonders, Just how far have my staff officers fallen, she once again scrutinizes the plan she had considered for the last few days.
“I have come up with a method, but…if it fails, I will definitely get killed by the other demons.” (Vepar)
Due to her turbulent words, Pheres and Nyarl stayed silent and looked at Vepar.
“… There was a guy good at transforming into a human, wasn’t there? I believe he returned from a human city a little while ago. Can I have you summon him?” (Vepar)
Vepar handed a hurriedly written document to the demon who arrived in her office shortly thereafter.
“Enter Rhone disguised as refugee and secretly deliver this letter. You can claim to be a merchant who brought it with him after being employed by the demons to do so.” (Vepar)
“I shall do as you order.”
Respectfully receiving the letter, the man says that he will depart at once and leaves the office.
“… All that’s left is to only pray that there aren’t just people like Hifumi among the human rulers.” (Vepar)
☺☻☺
Two months had passed since Hifumi started to train the knights while staying in the capital. It looked like the knight’s bodies had toughened up a bit. Only the most excelled among the knight order were chosen. As for Hifumi, he thought that the training is proceeding at an adequately reasonable pace.
Not wanting to live in the royal castle, Hifumi had purchased an old mansion located around 15 minutes away. He’s living there with Origa and several servants.
Early in the mornings he meditates to relax his body, then he heads to the castle while jogging. All of his morning is used for training. After that, in the afternoon, he enjoys a slow life of training with Origa or hunting monsters on a whim to sell their materials to the guild.
“It looks like you are still moving your body, but as person, who knows the you from before, I somehow feel like you are currently living the life of a retired soldier.” (Imeraria)
He was told by Imeraria whom he met inside the castle, but since it’s a fact that he has actually retired after passing on his peerage to Alyssa, Hifumi didn’t have the slightest interest or intention to increase the troublesome burdens such as work or socializing any further.
After being released from the hectic territory administration, Origa is fully satisfied with taking care of the housework for Hifumi as well as training and going hunting together with him. Even during the times when she occasionally ran into Imeraria while inside the castle, she always kept smiling.
The national border is enveloped in a war, but Hifumi bluntly declared, “Alyssa is no little child anymore, so I will leave it to her”, without trying to get involved any further.
Beginning with Imeraria, the people around Hifumi, such as Sabnak and the knights on surveillance duty, were full of worry wondering when Hifumi would rush out to battle against the demons.
“Master, here’s your regular report.” (Viine)
“Ah, Viine, huh? (Hifumi)
The one-eared rabbit woman ran up to Hifumi who was oiling his katana in the living room while being bathed by sunlight after lunch had come to an end. Visiting Hifumi every few days in his mansion in the capital, she brought back information from Fokalore, stayed for a few days and then returned to Fokalore again. That was her usual routine.
It seems she’s earnestly coming and going in a platform wagon while being accompanied by several soldiers. She stays at Hifumi’s mansion, but as for Fokalore, she make a round trip going even as far as not staying there overnight, according to the guards’ grumblings.
While putting his katana away and scanning through the documents he was handed, Hifumi tasted the black tea with an expression as if he was pondering about something.
The movements of the demons, the economic developments in Tohno Earldom and major events have been recorded in the report. Several sheets depicting each day during Viine’s absence were tied up into a bundle.
“A large number of soldier in a short time, eh?” (Hifumi)
“According to the information from the refugees flowing into Orsongrande, there’s no mistake that the country called Vichy has already fallen into the hands of the demons,” Caim had noted down. “Moreover, there had been a contact towards our side from the demons.”
In a note put into the envelope together with the official documents to be delivered to the rulers of Horant and Orsongrande Alyssa wrote, “I leave it to you to you whether to pass it on the royal castle.”
“Don’t push the decision on me.” (Hifumi)
Taking the official document out of its envelope, he heads to a window, holds it up against the light and looks at it.
It’s said that the sealed letter arrived through a merchant, who escaped from Vichy, together with the words “I was given that by the demons.” The merchant himself was suspicious, but as result of Alyssa, who couldn’t come up with a proper reason, trying to arrest him with just a vague reasoning, the soldiers were bewildered and thus started to act belatedly, resulting in the merchant in question managing to run away.
“Boy, oh boy…” (Hifumi)
It looks like it will still take quite some time for Alyssa to act like a proper feudal lord.
“Vepar also appears to be confused by the battlefield suddenly expanding.” (Hifumi)
He returns the sealed document and the report from Fokalore to Viine.
“Please deliver this to Imeraria together with Origa. While you are at it, you might as well go talk with Puuse.” (Hifumi)
“Yes. Thank you very much.” (Viine)
Being told by Hifumi, “She’s probably in the middle of preparing dinner”, Viine runs into the kitchen while holding the documents at her chest.
Viine’s appearance from behind as she runs while her one long ear jolts up and down is a lot more confident than before when she was still a slave. While continuing to make round trips between the capital and Fokalore, she has apparently gotten used to human cities.
At the same time, the cities in-between the capital and Fokalore as well as the soldiers acting as guards were gradually growing accustomed to beastmen and elves. That might be boosted by the fact that they are no different to humans in what they eat and how they feel slowly becoming well-known.
Nowadays Puuse often appears at official occasions together with Imeraria. At first, when Puuse’s inauguration as Imeraria’s advisor was announced, there were apparently a considerable number of people voicing their concerns on the square in front of the royal castle though.
“… At any rate, shinigami.” (Hifumi)
“You have called for me?”
“You did something to Vepar, didn’t you?” (Hifumi)
While not averting his eyes from the low table in front of him, Hifumi quietly called out to the shinigami who appeared behind him.
“Well, I wonder what you might be speaking of?”
Releasing an insincere, frivolous smile, the shinigami shrugged its shoulders, well-aware that it won’t be seen by Hifumi.
“Fair enough. …By the way, there’s some
thing I want to know.” (Hifumi)
“If it’s something the likes of me is capable of answering.”
It bows its head accompanied by a nimble movement of its right hand, just like the polite bow of a noble, in an exaggerated manner.
“Even though it’s the same dark magic, I suppose there are people who can allow living creatures to pass through it and others, like me, who can only manipulate things.” (Hifumi)
“Magic is largely influenced by knowledge and concrete visualisation. Even if it’s the same attribute, the effect will change depending on its user.”
“I see. Visualisation, huh?” (Hifumi)
“If you use dark magic, there will be a great difference in the outcome depending on whether one is capable of clearly imagining what form it should take,” the shinigami explained in addition. For living creatures being unable to pass through the hole opened by Hifumi is very likely owed to him having read literary works in the past that doubted whether it would be normal for that to be possible.
Meaning, Vepar’s imagination power might be quite high in regards to dark magic.
He looks at his left hand, covered by a leather glove. I have no intention to rely much on magic on the battlefield, but if this mana were to be gone, I would likely lose this hand. As a matter of fact it’s not there anymore, but it’s a big help that I can still use it as fake.
He smoothly removes the glove.
“Ooh, it looks like you have been condensing dark mana. Moreover, it’s in a wonderfully stable state. Rather than something like the pseudo-living objects created with dark magic, you have accomplished a materialization that’s by far more reliable.”
“You have my admiration,” the shinigami lines up empty words of praise.
While listening to that, Hifumi stood up quietly.
“A magical living object, huh? Are you any different?” (Hifumi)
“You might refer to me as dark mana…divine power. Originally I was a human, but after I stopped being a living creature tens of thousand years ago, you can regard me as power of darkness, if you try to directly define my existence.”
As there are people believing in a surrealistic being that brings about death, the shinigami has obtained the power allowing it to exist. By causing a huge number of deaths full of outrageous curses towards the world, the shinigami is capable of obtaining even stronger powers.
“Thank you for the thorough explanation. It allowed me to understand things.” (Hifumi)
As Hifumi thanks the shinigami while standing in front of it and staring at his left hand, the shinigami smiles broadly.
“That’s wonderful then. …Eh?”
“It appears that you weren’t capable of escaping your basic structure as former human, doesn’t it? The shape of your skull is the same as that of a normal human.” (Hifumi)
Hifumi’s dark left hand had seized the shinigami‘s face. Unable to dodge the attack due to its swiftness, Hifumi’s thumb and ring finger tightly held onto the shinigami‘s temples.
“W-What are you doing…?”
“Only disposal awaits a tool that served its duty. Besides, it would be a nuisance if someone were to use a joker like you, don’t you think?” (Hifumi)
“Disposal, you say. Something like that…”
“Is possible, right? After all magic depends on visualisation.” (Hifumi)
Hifumi’s pitch-black fingers completely penetrate into the shinigami‘s head. They are no filled with power. They are simply absorbing the shinigami‘s body through the places where they touch.
Due to the sensation of its own body diminishing, the shinigami started to panic with its calm expression falling apart for the first time.
“No way!”
“You said so yourself, didn’t you? You are dark mana in itself. If it’s mana, it can be absorbed just like a spell.” (Hifumi)
He declared and placed his trust in the imagination that supplemented his belief.
“P-Please stop… I granted you power and cooperated with you in other matters as well, didn’t I…?”
Ignoring the shinigami‘s words, Hifumi places his palm all over the shinigami‘s forehead, having already finished absorbing half of its head.
Its eyeballs have vanished as well, but despite that the shinigami opens its mouth,
“Don’t you understand where your own soul will go once I vanish? Let alone hell, it might roam the infinite darkness! If there’s a guide like me…”
“Shut up!” (Hifumi)
Pushing his hand down to around the area of the shinigami‘s waist in one go, Hifumi scrapes off its body in one breath.
“I don’t give a damn what happens to me after my death. I have no interest in anything besides how many I kill and in what way I will be killed while I’m still alive. Besides, I have gotten gradually fed up with being used by you.” (Hifumi)
The remaining hands and feet of the shinigami started to move, trying to launch an attack, but they were easily erased by relentless palm strikes delivered by Hifumi’s left hand.
Thoroughly, in order to not leave behind even the slightest fragments.
“… Hmm. Certainly, it feels like I was able to replenish my mana. I guess it was useful at the very end. That’s nice.” (Hifumi)
He returns to the sofa and rings a bell.
Then he requested a new tea from the maid that quickly arrived in the living room.
Chapter 171 – Blank Space
“Wow, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? It looks like you are busy, but is everything alright?” (Puuse)
“You too, Puuse-san, are you holding up well? Ah, this is a present from Zanga-sama.” (Viine)
Greeting Origa and Viine, who visited the royal castle, at the entrance, Puuse bowed towards Origa and then noisily chatted with Viine.
The one welcoming Origa is Imeraria.
“A report from the border and a letter from a person calling themselves the leader of the demons have been delivered.” (Origa)
“A letter from the demons? The territory of your husband does not lack excitement, does it?” (Imeraria)
“Yes. Fortunately it does not get boring.” (Origa)
Seeing the two young beauties exchanging words while smiling sweetly, the guards patrolling the castle looked warmly at them as if seeing a pleasant scene. As long as one doesn’t know about their rivalry revolving around Hifumi, they simply look like close noble associates on the surface.
“There is something Origa and I have to talk about. Puuse-san, I am sure you have plenty of things you want to tell Viine-san, so it is probably a good idea for you to slowly catch up with each other.” (Imeraria)
“Thank you very much, Your Majesty.” (Puuse)
Seeing off Puuse and Viine, who delightfully bowed their heads and then left, Imeraria orders a nearby knight to have sweets and tea brought to their room. She’s conducting herself very calmly and naturally.
“Thank you very much for taking even my husband’s servant into consideration.” (Origa)
“Do not mind it. That much is the duty of an employer.” (Imeraria)
Puuse’s official position is 『Advisor』, but she has been treated as guest and not as retainer. As elves are long-lived, it might turn into a problem in later years if she’s given a high position as retainer. Having said that, the prime ministers and his subordinates pondered and racked their brains over the whole matter, as it would be weird for a person with the position to consult the ruler to be a low-ranking noble or a government official, and decided to handle her as “Advisor who had been temporarily invited from the elven village.”
She was granted a living room and an office within the castle, and an exclusive maid was assigned to her. Recently Puuse, who had always lived providing for herself, was finally at the point of getting used to the suddenly changed lifestyle. Though she still hasn’t accustomed herself to giving orders to her maid.
“There are several magicians in the castle, so I have the ambition of wanting to train fighting against
magic users even if I can’t use magic myself. Recently I have been even helping out in the training of the knight order.” (Imeraria)
“I see. That is nice.” (Origa)
They changed location to Imeraria’s office. And then, once Imeraria had told the maids to leave the room, any smiles vanished from the two’s faces as they sat across each other.
“So, can I have you show me that letter?” (Imeraria)
“Here you go.” (Origa)
Seeing the letter that had been handed to her curtly, Imeraria considered it unexpected for the sealing wax having been left untouched.
“Hifumi-sama has not checked the contents?” (Origa)
“In the eyes of my husband, he has already retired, so he does not have any interest in it. Those were his words.” (Origa)
“I see” (Imeraria)
Even while nodding obediently, Imeraria didn’t have even the slightest intention to swallow that story. He probably confirmed the contents with some kind of method or used magic to do so, she assumes.
Imeraria carefully undid the seal with a knife and thoroughly scanned through the content.
It was signed by Queen Vepar and basically requested to hold armistice negotiations. It also mentioned that the queen herself is preparing to head towards Imeraria’s royal castle.
“…Hmm.” (Imeraria)
It’s dangerous to use only the contents of the letter to make a judgment, but just supporting the garrisoned forces, who were left in charge of the royal army’s soldiers at the border, costs money even if the whole battle finished with a skirmish with insignificant damage. Wanting to make something like that to end as soon as possible is the true wish of any statesman.
Being told to come to area where the demons are would resulted in me suspecting a trap, but if she says that she will visit, I think I will be able to arrange a meeting.
Imeraria was brooding over it, but suddenly feeling a gaze on her, she lifts her head. The one expressionlessly staring at her was Origa.
Summoned Slaughterer - Book 8 Page 16
