Just as Akira had said, we were able to reach the place where the demon was based more quickly than expected.

　It is not too far from the entrance of the desert, but the reason why it was not well known until now is because almost no one came to this desert in the first place, and if someone did, they were not noticed because of the camouflage.
　It was camouflaged so that you would not know unless you got closer.
　Moreover, the building itself, which is their base of operations, was camouflaged.

Hmmm, not to use wards to prevent them from recognizing you, but to blend in with their surroundings with creative colors. I see, that's quite a blind spot.
Normally, they put up wards to prevent people from finding out. It's usually a good idea to sense that there's something to hide by sensing it, but it's certainly a blind spot for them to have built a base of operations without putting up a wardrobe.
I was rather surprised to see you in person, too.

　The building seemed to appear out of nowhere as I walked through the desert.
　Because the sand was all around it, the walls were painted the same color as the sand, and at first glance it seemed to have completely assimilated into its surroundings.
　The fact that it looked like one of the many high hills in the desert was one of the reasons why it was hard to notice.

　Rather, I dared to do so.

...... If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have noticed it?
By the way, was this camouflage by Chloe and her friends?
No, I think that's us. As we said before, we're good at manual labor, but we're not good at the details. However, since there was only a demon in the room, the demon must have done it.
"The devil camouflages himself in his own hand. ...... It's not strange, but it seems a bit strange to me.

　While talking about this, Aren and the others looked around the place.

　It was a building, albeit a rather small one, standing alone amidst the sandy surroundings.
　It's only one story high and seems to have little depth.
　It would be totally out of place as a base.

　Of course, if this is just as it looks.

Hmm ...... is it safe to assume that only the entrance is exposed?
"That's the way it should be. As soon as you enter, there are stairs leading down.
"Ah ...... I was wondering what made you decide to dig into the hidden room: ......
"...... Have you been digging for a long time?
Yes, it's only recently that this place was completed. Well, it was finished, and then it was abandoned. It's a good thing it wasn't used as a base, but it's also a bit complicated.
It's just that no one would want to reuse it if it were a place with demons in it.
"Wasn't this area going to be a frontier area, too?
Really, I'm just saying. Technically, I heard that there is a border line somewhere in this desert, but I'm told that no one cares about the details.
But since the devil almost got to you, you need to keep an eye on him from now on, don't you?
"Well, what do you think of ......?

　The reason why this desert has been neglected until now is because there was no one to use it.

　But when it comes to watching for demons, one or two people won't do us any good.
　You need to establish a strong base and have enough troops to hold out even if the devil attacks.

　But who is to say that these soldiers will only be used to guard the demons?
　We can't say that they won't attack us across the desert under the guise of guarding the devil.
　We need to be prepared for that.

　And if the current Westfeldt family and the Ad Astera kingdom can afford to do such a thing--

...... Well, it's Leeds' job to think about that.

　It will definitely be tough, but it's not something that Allen thinks will happen.
　When Leeds comes back, he'll talk about it, and he'll make the right decision.

　Besides, what we should be thinking about now is not so much what's ahead, but what's right in front of us.

Well, we can't just stand here, so let's get going. We've done a full sweep of the area last time we were here and crushed all the demons we saw, but each of us must be on our guard, okay?
Well, it's not like there aren't new demons in the house.
The chances of that are rather high, aren't they?

　Although the number of demons living in the desert is small, they do exist.
　It's not just that the desert is comfortable for living in the desert, but also that buildings that are no longer popular are good places for demons to live.

Even if it's reused, I don't like the idea of demons using it.
"Better than being used by the ...... devil?
I mean, it's better, but it's not as good as it looks. I don't feel like I'm comparing them to each other.

　The place where the demon was based is where we are going to head.
　Even though there are no demons and Akira has already investigated, anything could happen.

　I'm sure that the conversation you are having is somewhat fluent or lacking in tension. ...... It's probably just about right.
　I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be able to get it right.

　Thinking about this, Allen squints at the building in front of him.
　Now, what in the world could be waiting for ...... or not?

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a clue and solve the problem easily, as you enter the former demon stronghold with the others.








　The inside of the base was more normal than I had expected, was the impression I had as I looked around.

　No, they are human beings after all.
　If they had an unconventional structure, it would just be harder to live in, and maybe normal is just natural.

　But it seems that Allen wasn't the only one who thought so.

...... more normal than you think?
Yeah. I was surprised the last time I was here, too, but it doesn't feel the same when I look at it again. It was a demon's stronghold, so I was expecting it to look something like this.
Well, since it's going to be a base, you don't want to make too many weird things. I think that's about it.
Speaking of surprising, you don't see any demons at all, do you?　Why not?
Sure, that's not surprising, either.

　At least after walking around for a while, I didn't encounter any demons, nor did I feel any signs of life.
　That in itself is a good thing without any trouble, but it doesn't feel like it's happening.



　Maybe it's because it's underground, where sunlight never reaches, or maybe it's because it's been worked on in some way, but this place is so comfortable that it's a far cry from the outside.
　Even if it was a demon, there was no reason not to live here if you found it.

　Then there are no demons here for one of two reasons.
　Either they were never found in the first place, or they were found but couldn't live here for some reason.

That said, it doesn't look like enough camouflage for a demon. It may fool the eye, but it can't fool the sense of smell.
...... On the contrary, the demon smells bad or something?
Oh, is that what traveling merchants use?　But it's a unique smell that I've smelled myself.　Surely you'll notice.
How about, "Oh, so this is perceived as another demon's territory?　In fact, there were demons used by demons, and they weren't gone very long ago.
I wonder what the territorial consciousness of demons is, though it's probable or not?　Well, to begin with, I'm not even sure how demons use demons,

　The boundary between demons and animals is not clearly defined, as a matter of fact.
　The powerful animals that pose a threat to humanity are called demons, so the habits of demons are basically the same as those of animals.

　So it's not strange to think that they are territorial and that they can be used.
　But because demons are dangerous, not much research has been done on them, and there is a lot that is not known.

　Why demons don't come in here is not clear.

Well, it's safest to assume that the demon did something: ...... Do you know anything about that area?
I'd tell you if I knew. But, well, I'm pretty sure the demons were up to something. That's probably why we're so weirdly comfortable here.
Well, even demons don't want to be in unpleasant places. It's not surprising that one of them is designed to keep the demons away from you.
"Little wonder that ...... is still in effect even though the devil is no more?
...... sure. At least there's no doubt that this place remains comfortable. I suppose it's possible if it's not due to the power of the devil, but if it's due to technology, but ...... is that even possible in the first place?

　Everyone gave a small nod in agreement with Akira's words.
　From what I've seen so far, it doesn't seem like we're doing anything special.
　I mean, normally, it's strange to be comfortable here.

If it's weird, though, there's something else.
"Huh?　Is there such a thing?
It's too beautiful.
"...... beautiful?
"Beautiful, huh?　It looks like there's a lot of dust and stuff in there, doesn't it?

　Chloe and Milene nodded their heads in disbelief, but Henriette seemed to understand.
　You'll be able to see that they're beautiful, or rather, I should say, there's not a scratch on them.

It's not beautiful, or maybe I should say, not a single blemish.
Yeah, yeah, I guess that would be more accurate. That's probably more accurate.
"Scratch ......?
All the demons here were smashed by Akira, weren't they?
"Oh, like I said earlier, ...... to ......?　--!

　Akira tilted his head, but his words finally made him realize.

　Yes, this is the base from which Akira attacked and the demon escaped.
　And yet there was no evidence of Akira's rampage.
　There were no corpses or traces of defeated demons, only dust.

　It was unnatural considering that Akira would not have bothered to clean up the place.

...... I see. You mean, there's a high probability that something is here?
I've been working with that expectation from the beginning, so I wouldn't say it's any different now.

　But instead of the vague things we've seen so far, there's something that seems clearly strange, and that seems to have tightened up.
　Akira lifted the corners of his mouth as if to say he was amused, and Chloe and Milene could see that the tension had increased.
　With a gulp, there was a small sound of someone swallowing spit.

　It could be nothing, but it's more likely to be something.
　With that realization, Aren and the others continue onward, more alert than ever, watching their surroundings.