The cave that leads to the hidden forest where the Kuro Wolf Tribe's village is located, is said to be the place where Master Shosho and merchant Ban found together.
　It is said that the messengers and investigators passed through this cave to get through the mountains.
　However, if you try to use detection or purification spells, demons will come out of the shadows of the cave inexhaustibly.
　Since the cave is not very armored, you can use cutting spells applied to warding magic to kill them all, but there is no end to the number of demons coming out one after another.
　The corpses of the demons often dissipate as magic, but that magic also becomes food for new demons, and if you continue like this, there is a possibility that the remaining demons will grow.
　As a countermeasure, if you regularly purify the demon's magic power with purification spells, it will not become food for the demon and will dissipate.
　However, purification spells consume more magic power than other spells, so you don't want to use it on anything but the biggest fish.
　The ranks of priests led by Maaya can attack the demons unilaterally, but each of them has limited strength and magic power.
　Maja is the only one who can do so, but the others will not be able to fight for more than an hour.
　And the clerics aren't very physically strong, except for Maaya.
　I think the best solution for now is to let the Leanos guard the area and let the clerics use their magic to sweep the area remotely.
　I wonder if Shosho-sama is making out with the Purple Demon King right now, I envy him.
　I'd rather shop with Shosho-sama and have delicious food and drink than fight like this. .......
　I'm not sure I like that guy.
　It's hard to resist him because of his position.
　I feel the same way about Hisho-sama, but he doesn't force me to do anything, so he's easy to be with.

I'm tired.

　I quickly entered one of the tents and sat down on the blanket that had been laid out.
　I've been mopping up demons for about three hours straight, and there's still no end in sight to the number of demons I've killed.
　At this rate, we'll easily surpass the total number of demons we've killed so far.

"Good work, Leatherneck has set up a camp nearby, you can rest there.

　Maja had been fighting for a similar amount of time, and though she was exhausted, she was still working hard, something I couldn't possibly imitate.
　After relaxing for a while, Lord Léanor came into the tent.

"Thank you for your service, we have water and food for you. You can restock if you need to.
"Thank you Lord Léanor, that's a lot of work. ...... I'd rather stay in the back and cover modestly.
"Don't complain, you're the best when it comes to simple demon processing speed.
"Don't say that, Maja. Don't say that, Lord Maja, it's a shame for us that a woman is leading the charge on such a harsh battlefield.

　Sir Léanor is one of the representatives of the knights who are said to have disliked Iliad-san, and according to the Shosho, he is a serious person who only respects the old custom of the Tarsis that women should be like women.
　I welcome this kind of treatment, so I feel rather good about it.

"So, Maaya, have you heard back from the Shosho?
"Yes, she told me to keep a close eye on the demon, and not to worry about destroying it or causing any damage. He also said that Lakra would have already discovered some of the rules.
I'm sure you're aware of that.

　I'm going to share some of the information I've learned from fighting demons with you guys, and I hope it makes things a little easier.
　I'm sure you've heard of it, but I've never heard of it.
　Especially in the latter case, the demons are multiplying so fast that you have no choice but to flee to the black wolf village if you go halfway.
　Secondly, there was no discipline in the attacks of the demons, perhaps because there were no intermediate or advanced demons.
　It was a crushing attack by sheer numbers, a situation that is rarely seen in the demon world of Medis.
　If it were only the lower level demons, some of them would run away as soon as their peers around them were killed instantly, but this time, I didn't see a single demon running away.
　This is a sign that it is being commanded by a superior being, but there is no one in command or control of it.
　What we can see is that someone is giving the same orders to all of these countless demons.
　And the most eerie thing is that these demons, who are supposed to see humans as food, have no intention to kill us.

It's like, "Drive out those who interfere with you," or "Don't reject those who enter, and don't let those who leave escape. It doesn't sound very deadly.
...... Well, I was close to that analysis, so what do you suggest?
You can't do anything about it because there are too many of them, and with the skill level of the knights, there will be few injuries as long as you are careful, but ...... that's only while the demons are quiet in the cave. If the orders are rewritten on the way, you may be forced to retreat at worst.

　The demons are now passive, will-less beasts that faithfully follow the orders given to them by their masters.
　It's hard to believe that the master won't take action until all of them are destroyed.
　The Kuro Wolves' villagers are able to sustain themselves in the forest, so I don't think their lives will be affected by a prolonged delay, but I'm still worried.
　If the entrance is blocked by a demon, it may be taken as some kind of ominous sign.
　It's the Shosho who thinks in times like these, so we should rely on him.

"We'll have to wait for the Shosho-sama and His Majesty Marito's instructions, and in the meantime, we can deal with the demon as long as it's not too much of a burden.
"Hmm, you and him, ......, that would certainly be a good idea.
"Lord Reynaud is buying the Shosho as well, isn't he?
"Of course. He's a man you approve of. "Of course, he's a man you approve of.

　I'm sure you'll be happy to know that I'm not the only one who's a bit of a jerk.

The boy has one more message for you, that he will be sending reinforcements this evening and that you should cooperate well.
Reinforcements?
Yes, it's me, Rakhra Sarf!
Whoa!　There it is!

　The one who came out of the shadows was Mr. Ecdysius, a man with a bad heart.
　I almost fought back as soon as I saw it. ...... Dangerous.

I'm not sure if there's anyone else.　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.
I'm sure you're not the only one, but you're not the only one.

　I agree with you on that, if a person can prepare so many lower level demons, he should be able to use intermediate and higher level demons as well.
　If they haven't shown up at all yet, we can't help but be wary.

"Hmm, you're ...... his bodyguard, right? If someone had shown up here, I would have been the first to hear from him.
It's easy to sneak into a knight's demon-conscious mind.
Why don't you just show up?

　He probably thinks it's cool to do that.
　Sir Léanor seems to be impressed, what's wrong with him?

You can't do anything about that many demons, though.　It's not like you're going to be able to get rid of them. ......
You have no choice but to defeat them as usual, do you? I'll show you my technique, then.



　He was casually abusive, but I'd appreciate it if he'd do his best instead.
　I'll let him do what he wants.
　So we went back to the cave entrance, the demons were nowhere to be seen.
　Only the aftermath of the battle remains.

They appear inside the cave when they interfere or move from the other side to here, right?
I think you're right.

　I'm sure you're right." Mr. Exdyke slackened his arm, and a great deal of chain fell to the ground in a jumble.
　I'm not sure if he carries that much weight on a regular basis.

In other words, if you don't touch it, it will reach from here to there without any problem.

　Then he manipulates the end of the chain like a snake and moves it deeper into the cave.
　The amount of the chain seems to be increasing as you move forward, and the chain continues to move forward without being fully extended.
　After a while, the chain stops moving, perhaps it has reached the other side.

"This length is a bit of a pain, but ...... it won't be a problem. ...... Ha!

　You can see a lot of magic power flowing into the chain with the shout.
　The chain began to tremble and tremble, and then it became thicker and bigger.
　In no time at all, the chain, which was as thick as a thin rope, had grown so large that it filled the entire interior of the cave.
　It might be able to bind a dragon.
　However, if you make it too big, you can hear the sound of creaking inside the cave.
　The demons are not coming out of the ......, which is not surprising since they are not responding to physical interference.

Maja, pour the purification spell into this chain.
"Oh, I see. The rest of you help me!

　Maaya and the other priests cast a cleansing spell on the chain, and the chain began to glow white.
　The glow spread throughout the cave, and the demons that had been affected by the light began to appear, but with every crevice of the cleansed chains filled, the demons died with a scream at the mere touch.
　And then, as the demons sprouted up one after the other, a very loud noise began to echo from the cave.

There are several ways to use purification spells, one of which is to use it directly on demons and spirits of the dead. The second is to cast a purification spell on your armor to give it the power of holy blessing. This can make the weapon have the specificity of purification magic, and has excellent magic efficiency, but in order for the weapon to be effective, it must be attacked with the weapon, so if there are too many of them, the physical burden is still high.
So that's why you did it.
It will take a certain amount of effort to strengthen the purification magic in a chain of this size, but it will complete the mechanism to attract and purify demons at the highest rate.

　It's just like what Shosho-sama said about the summer insects that fly into the fire.
　The demons react to the cleansing power of the chains and appear, touching the chains that fill the cave and purifying it.
　It's happening constantly and continuously.

"Well, if we leave it like this, the number of lower level demons will only decrease. Leave it to the clerics to reapply the purification spell from time to time. Rakhra Sarv and his knights are just getting started.
"What's the play?
If the demons are dying at such a rate, it is only natural that they would realize that some kind of effective measure has been used, that's what I mean.

　I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.
　The knights are all in a state of readiness, and it is the demons that are falling.
　They are a little bigger than the demons in the cave, and they seem to have a little more or less magical power.

The demons that were waiting outside the cave, from the looks of it, are all intermediate level demons. It's not much, but we'll intercept them!
I can still see them all over the night sky. ......
You'll be in your element in the open. Let's see what you can do, Rakhra Sarv!
Ugh, they're so rough. ......

　------------------------------------

　As I soak in the bathtub and look up at the ceiling, my brain is filled with a series of communications from the demons under my command.
　The lower level demons in the cave are disappearing at an alarming rate.
　The senior demon who went to check on the situation discovered a group of humans who were doing some kind of trickery around the cave and engaged them.
　As expected of Taze, a knightly nation ruled by a wise king, it's a far cry from Quama to have taken this much action in just one day.
　In comparison, the thoughtlessness of the senior demons is so disgusting that I can't even sigh.
　It's enough to sigh for him.
　I didn't mean to be so precious, but I guess I packed too many lower level demons in the cave.
　It would have been more efficient to have a higher-ranked demon guard the gates, and using the less expensive one first would have backfired.
　I ruminate over the list of things that stood out in the report.
　The Red Knight, Sir Léanor, one of the country's captains of knighthood.
　A pair of nuns, Maja and Lakra, who both have experience in destroying great demons.
　And then I remember his bodyguard, the mysterious Chainsman ...... named Eckd.
　It's very possible that the man was always around, but out of sight, out of mind.
　I used to think he was an excellent guard who didn't interfere with my time with him, but now I should have appreciated how good he was.
　In that case, wouldn't he know about this situation?
　I don't want to worry him too much, but if I send the message back, he won't come to see me.
　Our priority is the latter.

Should we just kill the messenger?　No, another messenger will show up anyway, won't he?

　We don't need to think of any groundbreaking methods, all we need to do is extend the time using the resources we have.
　The number of lower level demons has dwindled somewhat, but that's not a problem.

I'm still gathering numbers from Quama and Mejis.　They have some wits about them, but they don't really understand anything, do they?

　I'm sure you've been engaged in a well-meaning battle, but all you had to do was send me a message and I could have simply changed my orders to a lower level demon.
　It's just unpleasant to be dazzled by the desire to get ahead and bravely take on a challenge, only to be forced to struggle and beg for help.

"The fool who showed up, fight and scatter as best you can, the rest of you stand by.　I'll give other instructions to the lower level demons in the cave.

　Some of the more intelligent demons would flee if they knew they were about to die, but all of the more advanced demons had the power of entanglement piled on top of them.
　If you're not sure what to do, you can always try to find out.
　We will lose about a dozen or so of our senior demons, and while it may not seem like a blow, the Tarzan nation will become more cautious.
　There was a commotion over the book of Ao, and if there are people from the planet Yugra who can read it, they probably know about the fact that the Demon Lord is back.
　If the army of demons, mainly demons, was hiding, it would not be difficult to relate it to the resurrection of the Purple Demon King himself.
　--Oh, by the way, there are people from the planet Yugra in this country.
　I forgot that there are Yugra people in this country. I came here with an interest, but I found something more interesting.



"Should we look for this one, too?　No, that's good for now, right?

　I wanted to spend more time with him, I thought about looking for him with him, but I didn't want to offend him by looking for another man.
　He may be just as powerful as Yugra, but so far he hasn't shown himself in battle, and if he's only intelligent, he's not much of a threat.
　It's not that I'm underestimating them, it's just that there are already wise kings who are capable commanders, and I don't think they'll make that much of a difference.
　Tomorrow, they will try new countermeasures, and even if they can't stop the return of the messenger, if they can keep the demon's presence in the air, they may be able to keep the Kuro Wolves from getting permission to move to our village.
　If that's the case, we'll need a powerful demon, a mere senior demon is weak.

Why don't I do it?

　It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this.
　It's a good thing that you're not the only one.
　If you put the demon in that place to spend time with him, wouldn't it be wrong to spend time there yourself?
　Using the power of Entanglement to manipulate the powerful in this country would be effective, but I don't want to use that power between me and him.
　There is a part of me that thinks it would be fine if I didn't use it directly on him, but once I loosen the shackles, the rest will just fall apart.
　Because he relied on his power, he no longer sees the value in what he gained from it.
　As long as I value my time with him, I don't want to do anything that might cause me to lose it.

I'm not sure what else I can do.

　The power to control the demons given to the Demon Lord by Yugra is the reason why the Demon Lord is the Demon Lord.
　This is the reason why the Demon Lord is the Demon Lord. He can control all the creatures created in the world at will.
　The influence of this power is strong, but there is one drawback: only demons with high magical power can escape its spell.
　The ones who fall under this category are the ones who have their own names, the ones who are called unique.
　In the Mejis demon world, the unique beings are the great demons and some other deformed monsters.
　They live with a strong will and ego, but they are still loyal servants, and many of them follow the demon lord.
　However, after being destroyed by Yugra, he hid himself in Kuama, and the great demons sitting in the Mejis demon world have been released from our control, and they are working as their own camp, so it is unlikely that they will move easily.
　They are becoming more cunning and selfish like humans, and it will be difficult to use them without using the power of cajoling.
　If you ask them to come to you, they will probably be cowards who are reluctant to come to a place where there are more than two people who have destroyed great demons in the past.

I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with this.

　"Just because I'm doesn't mean my stuff can't defy me, though, can it?" "For the first time since Yugra destroyed and resurrected me, I'm giving orders to higher beings.

I'm going to call on you three times now.　I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it.


　------------------------------------

This feeling is ...... not possible!

　I'm not sure what to make of this.
　It's also a great way to make sure that you're getting the most out of your vacation.
　This is the first time in hundreds of years that I've felt the Creator's command, and it's no illusion.
　The Demon Lord was calling them.
　I had noticed that the demons that were not under my control were acting strangely, but it all made sense.
　Gugge Gugderestuf thought, I feel this order is very binding, but I am strong enough to resist it now.
　He is proud to say that his power, which he has accumulated over time by eating other demons and humans, is already greater than that of the Purple Demon Lord.
　The order given was "Gather under me and be my pawn." Is it really necessary to listen to such an order now?
　Some people may rush to the scene to rejoice at the return of the Demon King, but ...... Gugugdelezstuff is satisfied with his current position.
　He controls a large area of land, though not as large as Beguragud, and his army is steadily increasing in number.
　This is my kingdom, and now I'm supposed to be a pawn for the resurrected Demon Lord.

This is my kingdom, and now I'm supposed to be a pawn for the resurrected Demon Lord." "I'm not joking, there's no way I'm going to serve a foolish woman who has been betrayed by a hero.

　An hour later, the same command flowed into my mind again.
　Probably most of the great demons didn't respond, it was a natural choice.
　It was an abomination to order me, the king, to 'gather under me a second time and be my pawn'.

"Hmm, you seem to be in dire straits, you wretch.

　An hour later, the words "Third time, my people, gather round and be pawns" flashed through my mind.
　The tone of voice was unchanging, matter-of-fact.
　A little bit of grief would have distracted me, but my mood was revolted.

"Darn it!　You're using your d*mned power!　I'm not sure what to do.

　It's not just one order, it's three. Gugu Gugderestuf easily defies the Demon Lord's orders, but being ordered to do so is unpleasant and unbearable.
　It was an unbearable insult for one who had never been ordered to do anything in hundreds of years, but had only been ruled.
　I dug up my past memories and remembered the Purple Demon Lord, who only gave orders and did not do much fighting with humans.
　He relied on demons to protect him, and had little sense of his own strength.
　He had a charm that made everyone want to follow him, but what about his power? He was easily destroyed by a random person.
　It's not a bad idea to cut off the head of the demon king and make a name for yourself.
　Now that I've decided that, it's time to declare war and go for his head.
　I can see the purple Demon Lord's confusion in my mind's eye, wondering how the emotionless Demon Lord would be upset.
　And again, an hour later, the request did not come.

"What, you've given up already?

　But at the same time, Gugge Gugderestuf noticed something strange.
　He sensed that someone had entered Gugeggelestuf's domain.
　It couldn't be him. He must have sent a messenger.
　If so, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take the corpse of the messenger as a souvenir.
　Gugge Gugderestuf laughed.
　The intruder was advancing toward you, and you ordered your demons to keep them at bay until he reached the throne.
　A single demon appeared, probably one of the higher demons by the looks of it.
　The distinctive feature of this demon was that it wore a strange, expressionless mask covering its face, perhaps a gift given to it by the Purple Demon Lord.

I'm sure you're aware that this is my Gugeggelestuf's domain, what do you want?
"You know this is my Guggegoodelestuf's domain, what do you want?" "Guggegoodelestuf......ArjigaOyobida......Tretaking......
...... Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh, huh!　You don't mean to tell me that you came to take me in?　What does the Purple Demon King think of us?

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

It's a good thing I know that you're only as intelligent as a high level demon. I'll take your head back to the Purple Demon Lord.

　Gugeggelestaph thrusts out his left arm, and at the same time, the arm expands and heads towards the messenger demon faster than sound.
　At the end of his arm, the demon's claws, which are said to be harder than all ores, are pointed at him, ready to pierce his body.


　A moment of attack, less than a second, and the winner is decided.

　------------------------------------

　Reading a book in my bedroom, a book he found for me that he thought would suit me.
　I don't know if this can be a suitable hobby for me, but if he thinks it's suitable, it might not be a bad idea to dye it.
　Unlike the first history book I read, the more I read, the happier I become.
　The more I read, the happier I feel. I feel like I'm giving him what he wants, and it lifts my spirits.

"My king, the others have arrived.
"Would you mind not interrupting my reading?

　A voice from the shadows brought me back to reality, and I felt uncomfortable, as if my happiness had been shattered.
　The voice belonged to Duvraeori, the only great demon who had come to me at my first request.
　I'll let this one slide out of loyalty.

"I'm sorry, sir, you seemed to have finished reading, so I just went to .......
Entertainment should always be about the aftermath, you know?　Do you want to be satisfied with a beast that is only satisfied with immediate pleasure?
No. ...... Thank you for your kind words. The rest of us are already in the other room.

　I'd like to resume my reading, but let's get what we need to do first.
　I slowly got up and walked to the other room.
　There was no light in the room, only the moonlight illuminating the room.
　There were eleven great demons, including Duvraeus, kneeling to greet him.

The king's loyal Duvraeus, and all the other great demons that could possibly exist in the Medis demon world, are all here.
Impressive, isn't it?　It's a little dark in here. Could you turn on the light?
Certainly.

　Duvvleioli magically lights the candles in the room.
　Ten other large demons emerge, all with hideous scars on their bodies.
　Their eyes were gouged out, their faces torn, limbs cut off, claws crushed, and some so weak that even kneeling down was enough to kill them.
　Behind the great demons are an equal number of senior demons, all of them wearing my mask.
　All of the demons, all of them named beings who have flaunted their power with many senior demons, have now succumbed to the power and are trembling on their knees, sparing their lives.
　--What a disgrace.

It's really impressive that you were able to bring them here without anyone dying, and that you're willing to take a name for a beast that's gone wild.　It's just that you're a little unaware that you're living in my world, aren't you?

　It's not even possible for me to create a unique demon with an ego so developed that it has its own name.
　This is because it is not easy to give a creature an ego or will.
　That's why I can only create advanced demons with poor intelligence, and that's why I called the Uniques.
　They are good, but they are no match for the work of the Demon Lord.
　What was attached to the senior demons was the "Mask of Pawns," which was created based on the art of creating the demon world, the art of creating demons, and the art of controlling that was given to them by Yugra.
　It is an artifact to share their power and use them as stronger soldiers.
　It takes a lot of magic and time to make, so we don't have enough to give it to every senior demon, but with it, all demons under our control can be expected to improve their performance by two levels.
　If you equip it to a higher level demon, it will be one level higher than a greater demon.
　I am not a demon lord skilled in battle, but I am proud to say that if I am prepared, I will not be defeated by anyone other than heroes and other demon lords. 　
　If I were you, I'd be happy to weed out the 10 that didn't respond to my three summonses and use them as bait, but things are urgent and I have to compromise on this level.

"Then you'll be my pawns, won't you?　If all goes well and you make it out alive, I'll let you reign as King of the Box for a little while longer.