My professional ambition was average at best. I was just one of those perfectly ordinary internal affairs officials who wanted to put in a decent day's work and receive a fair amount of recognition.
That was me.
My name? Don't worry about it. Our acquaintance will be brief, after all. Just remember that I was one of Randan’s subordinates.
Now, regarding my current situation: I received a special assignment from Randan. It was a project that even involved the Demon King himself. If I handled it well, I could expect a promotion. The work didn't even seem that difficult—it felt like I’d hit the jackpot. I accepted the task gladly.
However, there was one detail that nagged at me.
I distinctly remembered Randan drawing lots when he chose the person for this assignment. He’d been muttering "I'm sorry" the entire time.
Was he apologizing for this specific job? But why? It was just a project to attract residents for a new village. It would be one thing if I had to build a village from the ground up, but my role was simply to assist the people who already wanted to establish one. I figured I might have to do some preliminary research, but I didn't think it would be much trouble.
I figured out the truth almost immediately.
Even though we were still in the site-selection phase, a staggering number of petitions to move to the village had already arrived. A truly massive volume of paperwork.
I see. So this was why everyone had avoided the job.
As I skimmed through the documents, I noticed several high-ranking names mixed in. One was a currently active Lord. Why would he want to move to a village? I read further—apparently, he was willing to retire from his lordship if it meant he could relocate there.
I see, I see.
I went to report this and consult with Randan. He simply clutched his head in his hands.
"Please do your best," he told me.
So, I returned to my desk to face the mountain of petitions... and then someone added more to the pile. My spirit began to break.
It was no use. I decided it was impossible for one person to handle and asked Randan for reinforcements. If I overextended myself and failed, the whole project would collapse.
Two assistants were dispatched immediately. Randan was certainly efficient. However, I wondered if they would actually be useful.
Standing before my desk were two former members of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Or rather, they were "in attendance."
"Ah... h-hello there," I stammered.
The two former Four Heavenly Kings were celebrities known even to children in the Demon Kingdom. To me, they were figures far above the level of my own mentors. Why were they here? Actually, I’d seen both their names recently. They had submitted petitions of their own, hadn't they?
Were they here because of my report to Randan? Was this a formal complaint? I’d only found their names; it wasn’t as if I could just ignore them in my report...
"Never mind that. Show us the petitions," they demanded.
"R-right this way."
As expected of the legendary elite, they tore through that mountain of paperwork, scrutinizing and sorting the petitions one by one. I was grateful, truly, but they hadn't actually discussed any of the screening criteria with me.
"Don't worry about it," they said.
Fine. I wouldn't worry about it. It was pointless anyway; my workplace had been completely taken over. I went back to report the situation to Randan.
He was out. Had he run away? Hahaha, surely not...
I’m counting on you, sir! Please come back!
After a series of events, I finally headed to the site where the village was to be established. About twenty escorts and ten investigators accompanied us. The two former Four Heavenly Kings came along as well. It made the work environment incredibly tense, but I made sure to keep a smile on my face. Never forget to smile.
"Wait a moment, you two," I called out. "Please don't decide the locations for the main street and the Village Head's Mansion on your own. I was told we weren't supposed to touch those areas."
More importantly, was this really the place? I’d left the navigation to them because they knew the area, but this was a site prepared by a Demon King from two or three generations ago for a Hidden Fort, wasn't it? The project had been abandoned, but it was still a strategically vital location. I’d even heard rumors that troops were stationed here during top-secret operations.
"Don't worry about it," they repeated.
Fine. I wouldn't worry about it.
"Umm... we need to find a water source. Is there—?"
"There’s a river over there. And several wells that are still intact."
So the two of them had been involved with this place before. That explained a lot. However, we still had to conduct trial digging. I asked the investigators to get started.
I’d expected digging the holes to be an ordeal, but they used Earth Magic to excavate the ground. It was impressive to watch.
"...Ah, you're out of Magic Power already? Next person, please."
We reached the target depth by the fifth investigator. It seemed we’d hit water. Now we just had to determine if it was drinkable. We threw small fish called Mitfish into the water drawn from the well. If the Mitfish survived for three days, the water was safe. If they died within that time, it was non-potable. It was a time-consuming but simple and widely used method.
"Since we planned for four trial wells... can we do one more today?"
"Impossible."
"Understood. Let's set up camp."
I asked the escorts to find a suitable spot for the night.
We spent about ten days camping at the site while we conducted our survey. We also timed how long it took for carriages to travel between the site, Shashato City, and the nearby villages. Apparently, accessibility was the most critical factor, so I made sure to be thorough.
We were attacked by monsters several times during our stay. We repelled them all, but I was terrified. I was never meant for combat.
"Are the injured escorts okay?" I asked.
They were truly elite; their coordination during the attacks was magnificent. On top of that, the two former Four Heavenly Kings were incredible. Hadn't they been in charge of internal affairs?
Ah, right. I won't worry about it.
Still, with monsters this powerful appearing, was it really safe to build a village here? Even if the village itself could be defended, wouldn't the road be too dangerous?
"Is it really okay?"
"Don't worry about it."
Just how much did these two actually know about this project? No, I wasn't going to worry about it.
Then, Count Chrome joined us. He was a current member of the Four Heavenly Kings, holding the same rank as Randan. He was a master of teleportation magic, and he informed me that he would be providing transportation for me and the Investigation Team.
This was unheard-of treatment—a level of privilege that should have been impossible. By this point, I’d fully grasped the situation. I understood the sheer importance of this job. And the danger. I needed to brace myself.
Or perhaps my resolve still wasn't strong enough.
Because then, Lu appeared. The Vampire Princess, Lu herself. The real deal. She was breathtaking. I was genuinely moved to meet her.
Wait—she was the wife of the man building the village? She was married? And her husband was... the Village Head?
Furthermore, the woman standing beside her was a Genocide Angel. An escort? If someone was being guarded by a Genocide Angel, then... I see.
"Umm, in that case, the other young lady is...?"
"Count Chrome's Daughter."
I’d heard the name, but... wait. "You’re one of the wives as well?"
Just who—no, what—was this person called the Village Head?
I refused to think about it any deeper. My survival instincts were screaming at me to stop. I decided I would simply answer any questions honestly and without reservation.
Good grief, where did those two former Four Heavenly Kings disappear to at a time like this? They would be far better at explaining things than I was. They’d vanished the moment the others arrived.
No, I was the official in charge. I would do the explaining.
"The types of monsters in the area? Yes, there are many ferocious species nearby. It’s quite intimidating, isn't it? Is that... okay?"
I was met with complete indifference.
I suppose you’d have to be that composed to build a village in a place like this. One of the Genocide Angels casually strolled off and slaughtered several massive monsters as if it were nothing. Those were the same beasts my twenty escorts had nearly died trying to drive away. We’d had so many injuries...
Everything here was on a completely different scale.
"Wait... the Village Head is also the Shop Manager of Big Roof Shashato?"
I could only laugh.
I'm sorry. I’ve officially had my fill.