It had been a while since Beezel's last visit, so we sat down to talk.
"Are the Centaurs doing all right?" I asked.
"Yes, they are. They have been settling in without any issues."
"That's good to hear. Actually, I have a favor to ask of you."
"What would that be?"
"If you come across anyone on this list, I’d like you to reach out to them."
I handed Beezel a sheet of paper. It contained the names of over a hundred people—the husbands, relatives, and acquaintances of the Centaurs now living in Village Three.
"The fires of war in those regions are finally dying down," Beezel noted as he scanned the list. "I'll see what I can find when the timing is right."
"I’d appreciate that."
"Not at all. We are the ones who should be thanking you for taking them in."
While we were on the subject, I asked him to look for potential migrants to live in Village One.
"Regarding the migrants... are there none to be found in the cities? For example—and I apologize for the phrasing—what about orphans?"
"They exist, of course, but recruitment in that area is difficult."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. In the Demon King's Territory, all orphans are raised in orphanages, and they find work immediately upon graduation. This system has been in place for decades, even centuries. Being an orphan rarely carries a social stigma here."
"I see. My apologies, I shouldn't have assumed."
"No, it is simply that the Demon King's Territory is managed well. There are certainly places in other countries where the situation is quite dire."
"Is it impossible to bring people in from those places?"
"Since they are sovereign nations, it is difficult. Even if our intentions are purely charitable, any move we make could be framed as kidnapping, which could spark a war."
"I see your point."
"Furthermore, even if it were possible, recruiting from such places would result in you taking in almost exclusively women."
"...Why is that?"
"Men are prized as a labor force. There are always people and organizations willing to 'invest' in raising them for their future utility. But as for women..."
"Don't the shops where women work raise them with an eye toward the future?"
"The larger, more established establishments might, but smaller shops simply don't have the luxury. They aren't interested in spending resources to raise a future business rival."
"..."
I had ended up hearing a rather grim story. However, there was a limit to what I could do. I couldn't claim I would save every unfortunate soul in the world, nor did I have the grand ambition to try. All I could do was help the people in trouble right in front of me, within the scope of my own ability.
My family was the top priority. Next were the residents of the village. Then, my acquaintances outside the village. Even if I learned about the plight of women in other countries, there was nothing I could do.
And yet... I wanted to do something, but I had no means. Was there really no way? They were foreign countries, after all. Normally, it would be impossible.
It was impossible, but...
"Changing the subject... have you ever considered creating an organization to gather intelligence in other countries?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"An organization to collect information. People who live locally and report back when they obtain important news."
"Ah, I see. Unfortunately, we are the Demon Race. While some of us look no different from the Human Race, those who know what to look for can spot us immediately. Operating a network like that is quite a challenge."
"But not everyone in your territory is of the Demon Race, right? I heard that Shashato City and the villages east of Howlin Village are predominantly human."
"The representatives of those places are humans, yes, but that doesn't mean every resident is. Though it is true that the human population is high there."
However, the humans living in our territory were mostly part of the Integrationist Faction. Furthermore, humans working within the Demon King's Territory generally preferred to avoid dangerous work.
"I see. In that case, using the local people in those other countries would be best, wouldn't it?"
"Locals wouldn't just cooperate with us so easily... Oh."
Beezel paused as he made the connection. Yes—employing the local people. How they were utilized after being hired was a separate issue. For my part, I just wanted a pretext to provide funding.
"It's a small amount... but I'll make a donation. Please do what you can with it."
"I understand. I am grateful for your cooperation."
This was the extent of what I could do. I didn't have an infinite surplus, but I couldn't just ignore what I'd heard. I would provide some of the village funds and...
"Hakuren."
"What is it?" she asked, looking up.
"I harvested some of your scales yesterday, didn't I? Is it okay if I sell those?"
"It’s rare for the Village Head to ask for something like that! Go right ahead."
And so, I offered ten of Hakuren's scales.
"I'm sorry it's a physical donation rather than currency."
"Eh? Ah, no, um... what?"
Even if I were called a hypocrite, this was the best I could manage. Beezel headed home, clutching Hakuren's scales as if they were the most precious treasures in the world.
Several years later — The Demon King's Castle
"How is the status?"
"Information on changes across the various regions is coming in almost as fast as a live broadcast. It's incredible."
"I see. It’s all going according to Count Chrome's plan. As expected of him."
"Indeed. To be honest, at first I thought that trying to gather intelligence using foreign locals would be a waste of time, but..."
"Hahaha, I felt the same way. Who would have guessed that building orphanages in various countries and having them report back would be this effective?"
"The information comes in the form of daily journals and status reports, so no one suspects a thing."
"Exactly. But where did Count Chrome get the funding to build that many orphanages?"
"The rumor is that a certain wealthy individual provided the capital."
"I've heard that one too... but no name ever comes up."
"Well, it doesn't really matter who it is, does it? The payments are being made on time, after all."
"True enough. All right, let’s compile the data and report it to the relevant departments. Make sure the Hero's location data is accurate."
"You got it."
The Demon King's Army Intelligence Division was now fully operational.
"Gratz. What do you think?"
"I'm amazed. Since we have data on market prices across every region, the enemy's movements are plain to see. I don't feel like I could lose a defensive war now."
"Right? I didn't expect this much information to be gathered either."
"Wait, was this activity not initiated with that specific expectation?"
"Hahaha. The charitable work is the primary goal. Launching an attack based on this information would cause a lot of problems, so please refrain from doing so."
"I wouldn't dream of it. Attacking is far too much trouble."
"I thought you'd say that. If there's any specific information you're curious about or want us to track, let me know."
"Oh, in that case, I have one right away... I'd like information on this specific Chess player. His playstyle feels similar to mine; it would be a headache if he ended up as an enemy commander."
"I see. Shall we try to recruit him to our side?"
"That would be ideal, but don't force it. As long as he doesn't become an enemy, that's enough."
"Understood."
"Excuse me... you two," the Demon King interrupted. "Could you stop ignoring me and having such high-level conversations? My sense of self-worth is..."
"What do you want us to do?"
"I want to redo this entire conversation with me included. Preferably somewhere my daughter might overhear."
"..."
The Demon King's Army was quite peaceful.
"Lately, I haven't seen any brats begging on the streets, have I?"
"Hm? There are still kids around. Look, there's one."
"No, I don't mean those kids."
"Ah. You mean the ones who used to sleep in the alleys? If it's them, a big building went up on the edge of town recently. That's where they are."
"Hm? The one the carpenters were working so hard on a while back?"
"Yeah, that one. They say it's an orphanage."
"Heh. Our Lord sure found the heart to cough up a lot of gold."
"Hahaha. Word is it wasn't the Lord, but some massive guild from another city that put up the money."
"Hmm? A guild? Is there even any profit in doing that?"
"Who knows. The way those big guilds think is beyond commoners like us."
"True enough. Well, it's nice not having to look at those filthy brats anymore."
"Hahaha. Even though you used to give them scraps of food every other day. If you're so worried, why don't you go visit? They were asking for volunteers."
"I-I'm not worried about them! It's just... well, you know..."
"I'll go with you. I'm a bit curious myself."
"Well, I'm not curious, but if you're going to insist, I guess I have no choice."
"Sure, sure."
The orphanages in various regions were being received quite favorably.