Gucci: Devil Race. Draim’s butler. Prada: Devil Race. Works in Village Five. Gucci’s subordinate. Erme: Devil Race. Versa’s subordinate. Beton: Devil Race. Gucci’s former rival?
The conversation between the Demon King and Beton concluded.
When I asked what was being done about the assassins targeting Beton and her companions, he assured me that it was no longer a problem.
Wait, no problem at all?
"The information regarding those spies you provided was quite useful," he explained.
Ah, the spy list. That was the intel Crowden—the ramen addict—had handed over to the Ramen Queen. She had passed it to me, but since I had no idea how to handle such a sensitive document, I had offloaded it onto Beezel. It must have made its way from Beezel to the Demon King.
Incidentally, Beezel had initially refused to even touch the information. I had been left with no choice—well, I say I had no choice—but to ask Fracia to deliver it. Since she was my daughter and Beezel’s own granddaughter, he couldn't bring himself to turn her away.
Even a high-ranking official who could flatly refuse me was apparently powerless against a toddler's smile. Frau did end up scolding me later for being cruel to her father, but that’s a story for another time.
"That list contained a vast number of names we hadn't previously identified," the Demon King continued. "We had to conduct a frantic investigation."
Apparently, the Demon Kingdom’s usual policy was to let identified spies "swim." Since their primary goal was gathering information, the kingdom allowed them to report back to the Human Kingdoms to prevent those nations from growing too paranoid. It made sense; some information was better than none, as it provided a degree of predictability.
Therefore, there was usually no need to panic over a few extra spies. However, there was a specific reason Beezel had wanted to avoid the documents: the names of several individuals with considerable status within the Demon Kingdom were on that list.
Even if the goal was to "deepen understanding," they couldn't let just anything leak. Facts like the exact scale and deployment of the military, or the food production and stockpile levels of various cities, were strictly classified to prevent them from affecting the war.
As a result, they had to move quickly to arrest the compromised officials. Of course, they couldn't just take the list at face value; they had to investigate thoroughly and gather concrete evidence before making any arrests. The Demon Kingdom was remarkably professional about the rule of law. I was impressed.
The real headache, however, was what happened after those high-ranking officials were hauled away. Their absence created a power vacuum that couldn't be ignored. Replacements had to be found immediately, but high-level positions required both competence and political maneuvering, as noble factions and territorial disputes made the selection process a nightmare.
In the interim, the Royal Capital had to dispatch its own personnel to keep things running. Because they couldn't risk the temporary administrators failing, they had to send their most talented people. In short, the Royal Capital was suddenly drained of its top-tier talent, while noble infighting over the vacant seats only grew more intense.
Since the brunt of that administrative burden fell squarely on the Demon King, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the various ministers, Beezel had preferred to keep his eyes shut and pretend the information didn't exist. I couldn't help but wonder if that was really appropriate for a member of the Four Heavenly Kings.
"The information was centered around Village Five and Shashato City, but it included people operating across a wide area. There was a temporary strain on national administration, but we managed to pull through somehow."
So they made it work.
"Yes, we did. But that was only because of the cooperation we received from Tiselle, Gol, Sil, and Bron—not to mention the help from Asa and Earth."
Is that why he was being so indulgent with Tiselle’s "Takeover Plan"?
"Ah, and while we were rounding up those unidentified spies, we managed to squeeze out some new intel. That included information on the assassins dispatched from the Human Kingdoms. We secured them before we even bothered with evidence, so the threat is gone."
I see. That meant there was no longer any need to worry about Beton or her companions. That was a relief. Beton’s own defensive measures had ended up being a wasted effort, but as long as she wasn't bothered by it, all was well.
"By the way, Village Head... you wouldn't happen to be interested in the position of Demon King, would you?"
"Eh?"
Where did that come from? I told him flatly that I had no interest. It looked like an exhausting job, and I thought he was doing a great job himself. Despite my praise, the Demon King looked strangely lonely for some reason. I wondered why.
Regardless, between the spy purge and this recent commotion over Count Pugyal’s disappearance, the Demon King and his people were clearly overworked.
"I have some leftovers from our meal. Would you like some? Draim’s daikon dishes are excellent."
"I am grateful for the offer... but before that..."
"What is it?"
"Could you perhaps do something about that?"
He gestured toward Shashato City. Was someone else approaching?
Ah... it was Kuro's children and Zabuton's children.
Zabuton's children were riding on the wolves' backs as they galloped toward us. I could tell who they were even in the dark because Kuro's children had grown to their massive three-meter forms. As I wondered why they had enlarged, the reason became clear: they were carrying people in their mouths.
To carry a human-sized target, they apparently had no choice but to take on that size. I was impressed they hadn't just tied the targets up with silk and dragged them along the ground.
As for the people they were carrying, they all seemed to be unconscious. Apparently, the wolves and spiders had rounded up everyone who had been causing trouble or acting suspiciously in Shashato.
"Well done," I said, giving them a pat on the head. "Go ahead and let them go now. We’re handing them over to the Demon King."
The wolves complied immediately.
"They really do listen the moment you speak, don't they?"
I heard a familiar voice and turned to see Lu. She must have been following behind the wolves. However, she wasn't in her usual form; she had taken on her adult version. She was also wearing an outfit I’d never seen before.
How should I describe it? My first impression was "Magic Warrior." Her clothes were made of multiple layers of fabric adorned with magical sigils, and six shields were floating around her, held aloft by magic.
I wondered who on earth she was planning to fight.
"It’s for going out at night," she explained. "I have to be careful; I am a lady, after all."
I—I see.
Behind Lu stood Ann and the High Ogre maids, also dressed in matching, unfamiliar outfits. These, I recognized instantly. They wore white robes and scarlet hibakama, with a chihaya worn on top. In short, they were Shrine Maidens.
Of course, they weren't exactly like the ones I remembered from Japan. The chihaya was modified with glowing magical patterns, and despite being fabric, it looked as sturdy as armor. Most notably, they each had four katanas strapped to their waists. Once again, I found myself wondering who they were planning to fight.
"Zabuton-san prepared these for the next Spring Parade," Ann explained. "We thought we would give them an early debut tonight."
Behind them were Ria and the High Elf reinforcements. They were also in specialized gear: black jackets, trousers, boots, and hats designed to hide as much skin as possible. They had even painted their faces and the tips of their weapons black. They looked like a special forces unit. They had come to help with the search, but they looked ready to infiltrate a fortress.
Next was Frau. She was alone; it seemed the Civil Official Girls had stayed behind, likely because moving around at night was too dangerous for them. Frau was in full combat gear: thick clothing, a breastplate, greaves, and gauntlets, armed with both a sword and a spear.
"It’s just a precaution," she said.
Was the world outside the village really that dangerous at night? Perhaps I had been too casual in asking them to join me. I made a mental note to be more careful in the future.
I scanned the group, but someone was missing.
"Where are Tia and the others?"
"Ah, they were going to come," Lu said with a smirk. "But Yoko and the Civil Official Girls stopped them. They said their outfits would be too 'provocative.'"
Provocative? What did that mean?
"It isn't an issue now, but about five hundred years ago, the Angel Race and the Demon Kingdom were at each other's throats. Moving around in their full Battle Raiment would have been a bit much for the local residents' hearts."
Since there were many demons who had lived for over half a millennium, they had been considerate of those old traumas. Still, why had they wanted to wear their Battle Raiment in the first place?
"They said it’s tradition to wear the full set when they’re getting serious."
Well, if it’s tradition, I suppose it couldn't be helped. It just meant they were taking the search for Count Pugyal very seriously.
Finally, I noticed Gucci. He was currently tied up with rope.
"What happened to him? Gucci hasn't done anything wrong, has he?"
It was true that the reinforcements hadn't reached Prada, but that was just the result of a chaotic situation. If anyone was at fault, it was Erme.
"Gucci feels responsible for Erme being free to cause trouble in the first place," Lu explained. "And for the record, we didn't tie him up. He said he wanted to physically embody his self-reflection and did it himself."
I looked toward the horizon. It seemed it would still be a little while before sunrise.