I've met all kinds of demons.
　Orc demons, bugs, lions, lion demons, the hiding place of the underground dragon, and snake demons.
　Among them, the most heterogeneous are the serpent demons.

They disguised themselves as humans and blended into human society.
　In her case, it's not just that doing so is useful for the revival of the demon king, but she also enjoys and cherishes human culture and entertainment.
　That's why we were able to form a cooperative relationship.
　Until now, they were helped by the information brought by her. The Lion Demon Tribe and others would not have been able to defeat her without her help.

''That cooperation was cracked.''

This time, the information wasn't handed to her by her.
　Even she didn't know the movements of all the other demon races, and it was possible that she simply didn't know the movements of the underground dragon.
　However, by the time Noish appeared as soon as the battle was over, the line had become extremely thin. If he didn't know beforehand, there was no way he could send an errand at this time.
　Thus, I wondered if it would be a good idea to ride the serpent demon to her roots, but there are some things that I wouldn't know unless I met and talked to her.

I'm confident I can get away with it no matter what the situation is, and it's only because I've prepared insurance that I've followed her like this.
　I was also concerned about Neusch, for one thing.
　He is now piloting the snake demon as a guide.

''Noish, you don't have to blindfold us?

The place they're going to be taken to is the headquarters of the snake demon tribe, Meena.
　They wouldn't want you to know where they are.
　Normally, I would take enough precautions to block their view and not let them remember the way.

''I don't mind. I don't mind," he said, "but you're a good friend of Lady Meena's. Besides, if it was you, there would be no point in doing that.
You're on to me.

I laugh bitterly.
　Noish is right. Even if your five senses are blocked, it's no problem to explore your surroundings with the wind, it's not a problem in the morning.

''........Is Nevan gone today?
'She's too busy. We don't always do things together.

One of the four great dukes is the daughter of the Romalung. She is the masterpiece of a family that strives for the extremes of humanity and is our senior figure in the school.

Well, that's........

That's where Neusch cuts off his words.
　Neusch does her a favor. That's why I'm curious to know if the next words are 'disappointing' or 'good'.
　However, he just keeps his mouth shut.
　But still.........

The snake is fast.
Yes, I'm surprised.
But it's a lot slower than flying.

It's a physical speed, so there's a margin of error, but it's about three hundred kilometers per hour.
　That's about the speed of the bullet train.
　At that speed, we were advancing through more and more uncharted territory.
　This country has not yet opened up all of its forests, and the aristocrats are diligently cultivating them in order to expand their territory.

We entered a large forest of trees not shown on the map, and came to an unnaturally open area.
　It took us roughly two hours to get here.
　As we dismounted from the snake demon, the snake demon disappeared deep into the ground.
　We were allowed to use a taxi, but a demon of this class could annihilate at least a small town if it wanted to.

''This is Meena-sama's mansion as a demon race.

It's a big and splendid mansion.
　To be able to build a mansion as large as this one, one would have to be a senior nobleman, or at least an earl.
　In terms of financial strength, even a lower class nobleman who is doing well in business can manage it, but if a lower class nobleman were to build something like this, it would be frowned upon as impolite.
　But it wasn't the size or the splendor that bothered me.

''Well I'm surprised, isn't it the Nebbian architectural style that just started to become popular?

An architectural genius of this country has designed the residence of the Count of Chocornet. It was so wonderful that he was inundated with commissions.
　In no time, the design concept was named the Nebbian Architectural Style and became one of the mainstream architectural styles in this country.
　It's hard to believe that a demon tribe would build such a mansion in such an uncivilized place.

''Lug is very knowledgeable. You're right, it's built in the Nebbian architectural style. A nobleman who was fascinated by Lady Meena paid tribute to it. The mansion was taken apart, transported and assembled in pieces.
'To put it simply, you have to be a top-notch carpenter to do that. You can't bring the average person here.
Lady Meena is very popular.
I see.

The snake demon Meena has a powerful charm ability.
　So she must have brainwashed the people she needed and brought them here.
　Just to make a mansion that I like.
　I don't dislike her personality itself, but I am reminded that the other party is still the demon race.
''Come on. I'll show you around, Roug, Dia and Tart. To my master's mansion.

The door opens to one.
　And we stepped into the snake's nest.

◇

Inside the mansion, a number of snake-humans in servant uniforms were at work.
　They are busy cleaning up, and when we approach, they bow their heads to see us off.
　Not only is the mansion itself, but its interior is refined and aristocratic. The artwork and other items are also wonderfully arranged.

And they are perfectly maintained.
　The kind of things that are called artworks require extremely specialized knowledge when caring for them, but it's just extraordinary that demons do it perfectly.
　In addition to such servants, there are also many snake-humans who stand upright and immobile, equipped with armor and swords like knights.
　That also gives you a sense of discomfort.

If you look at the way they stand, walk, and the qi they wear, you can guess the knight's competence to some extent.
　And the dozens of snake-human knights, all of them looked like top-notch knights.
　They were at such a high level that they could finally reach it after many years of childhood.
　But that shouldn't be possible.
　The skills a knight possesses were created by humans. It is impossible for a demon to know that.

If a human teaches it, even if it is taught by a human, it hasn't even been a year since the seal of the demon race was broken. It's not realistic for them to learn it in such a short period of time.

...Wait, that goes for the servants as well. Even from my point of view, there's no way to complain about etiquette, top-notch housekeeping skills, and the care of artworks that require specialized knowledge. There is no way you can learn that in just one night.
　Most importantly, aren't these guys too human?
　I've thought that far and I've come up with a theory.
　I will have to ask Meena about this.

◇

You are invited to your room. The room is more elaborate in decoration and the artworks are of a higher quality.
　The shelves are lined with alcoholic beverages, all of which are of very high quality, domestic and international. The shelves are lined with the finest domestic and international liquors, not just the best in name and price, but genuine and beautiful liquors that are well worth the price.
　Sadly, as far as this room is concerned, Meena and I have the same taste.
　The owner of this room was in the middle of the room.

'Welcome to my mansion. Master Rouge and his lovely lovers. We have been looking forward to having you here for a long time. Please, sit down.

She has brown skin and black hair. Her bewitching body is covered with erotic clothing.

And her purple eyes are an immensely beautiful woman who reminds me of a snake.

''Yeah, I was looking forward to it when I was invited too.......but suddenly, I was shown something disgusting. Let me say it again. I'm human, and I like humans.
Oh dear, I knew they'd notice. The ingredients for the thing.

Meaningfully, Meena laughs, and Tart and Dia, who have no idea what she's talking about, nod their heads.

'You two have seen the snake people working in this mansion. The material for that is human. It seems that in some way or another, the humans are turned into snake demons, and when they do so, their memories and experiences are taken over. That's why the snake-humans in this mansion do their housework perfectly, and the knights have become powerful beings with the power of demons and the skills of humans. .........Earlier, I said that Neusch received this mansion from a certain count, but that's not correct, the entire human in the mansion was dedicated to Meena.
Yeah, and what about those snakemen?
You're human by nature.

They both looked blue. And I disliked Meena.
　Every human being would feel repulsed by that.

'Don't look at me like that. 'I'm not forcing you to do anything. It's a good thing that you're not going to have to worry about it, because it's a good thing that you want to stay with me forever and ever. It's no loss to them either. They are much stronger than humans and have been freed from old age.
Wouldn't you say that stealing a mind with the Charms is unreasonable?
''It's my charm, including the charm, so I can't help it if you complain. But if you don't like it, then I'll tell you about my ability to repay you for offending me. I can eat living things and lay eggs. If I eat a person, I'm a snake person. If I eat a dog, I'm a snake dog; if I eat a cat, I'm a snake cat. I have the ability and memory of being born again, and become stronger and more powerful. Isn't that a wonderful ability?
That's a powerful ability.

It's horrifying and terrific.
　Meena goes on and on, enchanting people, playing with them, eating them when she gets bored, and making them into her own army.
　He declares himself to be not so strong as a demon race, but if you think of him as a leader of an army, he's quite capable.

''You chose your words despite your disgust. He's very kind. I want to eat you.'

The snake's eyes catch me, and Tart and Dia step forward to protect me.

'Don't worry, sweet lovers, you can rest easy. And when I say eat, I mean s*xually.
You can't do it either!
Rogue isn't interested in an old lady like you!

A little bit, Meena's face pulled up.
　She didn't like the fact that she was Dia's aunt.

'Anyway, let's all sit down. We're here to talk about the future. Meena went out of her way to invite us to a place like this to talk about something that can only be done here, right?
Yes, you're right. Smart kids are easy after all. I'll buy you a drink. What can I have for you?
The Red of Cortogne.

It's called the red jewel, and although it's produced only a few times, it's a superb sake.
　The other day the orc demon tribe attacked the field and turned it into a street, so it will never be made again.
　I chose this sake because of my preference, but at the same time, I also put some irony in it.

''Oh my goodness, my favorite. Do you know it? I've heard that girls who like my taste in things are also good with my body.
I didn't know that.

Meena pours out the blood-red wine for all of them.
　So far, Meena hasn't shown any completely hostile behavior.
　However, there's no way I can be distracted.
　It's possible that I could find myself eaten by Meena and become one of the snake people.
　Just because I've insured myself doesn't mean I'm perfect.
　Shall we proceed with caution?

I've met all kinds of demons.
　Orc demons, bugs, lions, lion demons, the hiding place of the underground dragon, and snake demons.
　Among them, the most heterogeneous are the serpent demons.

They disguised themselves as humans and blended into human society.
　In her case, it's not just that doing so is useful for the revival of the demon king, but she also enjoys and cherishes human culture and entertainment.
　That's why we were able to form a cooperative relationship.
　Until now, they were helped by the information brought by her. The Lion Demon Tribe and others would not have been able to defeat her without her help.

''That cooperation was cracked.''

This time, the information wasn't handed to her by her.
　Even she didn't know the movements of all the other demon races, and it was possible that she simply didn't know the movements of the underground dragon.
　However, by the time Noish appeared as soon as the battle was over, the line had become extremely thin. If he didn't know beforehand, there was no way he could send an errand at this time.
　Thus, I wondered if it would be a good idea to ride the serpent demon to her roots, but there are some things that I wouldn't know unless I met and talked to her.

I'm confident I can get away with it no matter what the situation is, and it's only because I've prepared insurance that I've followed her like this.
　I was also concerned about Neusch, for one thing.
　He is now piloting the snake demon as a guide.

''Noish, you don't have to blindfold us?

The place they're going to be taken to is the headquarters of the snake demon tribe, Meena.
　They wouldn't want you to know where they are.
　Normally, I would take enough precautions to block their view and not let them remember the way.

''I don't mind. I don't mind," he said, "but you're a good friend of Lady Meena's. Besides, if it was you, there would be no point in doing that.
You're on to me.

I laugh bitterly.
　Noish is right. Even if your five senses are blocked, it's no problem to explore your surroundings with the wind, it's not a problem in the morning.

''........Is Nevan gone today?
'She's too busy. We don't always do things together.

One of the four great dukes is the daughter of the Romalung. She is the masterpiece of a family that strives for the extremes of humanity and is our senior figure in the school.

Well, that's........

That's where Neusch cuts off his words.
　Neusch does her a favor. That's why I'm curious to know if the next words are 'disappointing' or 'good'.
　However, he just keeps his mouth shut.
　But still.........

The snake is fast.
Yes, I'm surprised.
But it's a lot slower than flying.

It's a physical speed, so there's a margin of error, but it's about three hundred kilometers per hour.
　That's about the speed of the bullet train.
　At that speed, we were advancing through more and more uncharted territory.
　This country has not yet opened up all of its forests, and the aristocrats are diligently cultivating them in order to expand their territory.

We entered a large forest of trees not shown on the map, and came to an unnaturally open area.
　It took us roughly two hours to get here.
　As we dismounted from the snake demon, the snake demon disappeared deep into the ground.
　We were allowed to use a taxi, but a demon of this class could annihilate at least a small town if it wanted to.

''This is Meena-sama's mansion as a demon race.

It's a big and splendid mansion.
　To be able to build a mansion as large as this one, one would have to be a senior nobleman, or at least an earl.
　In terms of financial strength, even a lower class nobleman who is doing well in business can manage it, but if a lower class nobleman were to build something like this, it would be frowned upon as impolite.
　But it wasn't the size or the splendor that bothered me.

''Well I'm surprised, isn't it the Nebbian architectural style that just started to become popular?

An architectural genius of this country has designed the residence of the Count of Chocornet. It was so wonderful that he was inundated with commissions.
　In no time, the design concept was named the Nebbian Architectural Style and became one of the mainstream architectural styles in this country.
　It's hard to believe that a demon tribe would build such a mansion in such an uncivilized place.

''Lug is very knowledgeable. You're right, it's built in the Nebbian architectural style. A nobleman who was fascinated by Lady Meena paid tribute to it. The mansion was taken apart, transported and assembled in pieces.
'To put it simply, you have to be a top-notch carpenter to do that. You can't bring the average person here.
Lady Meena is very popular.
I see.

The snake demon Meena has a powerful charm ability.
　So she must have brainwashed the people she needed and brought them here.
　Just to make a mansion that I like.
　I don't dislike her personality itself, but I am reminded that the other party is still the demon race.
''Come on. I'll show you around, Roug, Dia and Tart. To my master's mansion.

The door opens to one.
　And we stepped into the snake's nest.

◇

Inside the mansion, a number of snake-humans in servant uniforms were at work.
　They are busy cleaning up, and when we approach, they bow their heads to see us off.
　Not only is the mansion itself, but its interior is refined and aristocratic. The artwork and other items are also wonderfully arranged.

And they are perfectly maintained.
　The kind of things that are called artworks require extremely specialized knowledge when caring for them, but it's just extraordinary that demons do it perfectly.
　In addition to such servants, there are also many snake-humans who stand upright and immobile, equipped with armor and swords like knights.
　That also gives you a sense of discomfort.

If you look at the way they stand, walk, and the qi they wear, you can guess the knight's competence to some extent.
　And the dozens of snake-human knights, all of them looked like top-notch knights.
　They were at such a high level that they could finally reach it after many years of childhood.
　But that shouldn't be possible.
　The skills a knight possesses were created by humans. It is impossible for a demon to know that.

If a human teaches it, even if it is taught by a human, it hasn't even been a year since the seal of the demon race was broken. It's not realistic for them to learn it in such a short period of time.

...Wait, that goes for the servants as well. Even from my point of view, there's no way to complain about etiquette, top-notch housekeeping skills, and the care of artworks that require specialized knowledge. There is no way you can learn that in just one night.
　Most importantly, aren't these guys too human?
　I've thought that far and I've come up with a theory.
　I will have to ask Meena about this.

◇

You are invited to your room. The room is more elaborate in decoration and the artworks are of a higher quality.
　The shelves are lined with alcoholic beverages, all of which are of very high quality, domestic and international. The shelves are lined with the finest domestic and international liquors, not just the best in name and price, but genuine and beautiful liquors that are well worth the price.
　Sadly, as far as this room is concerned, Meena and I have the same taste.
　The owner of this room was in the middle of the room.

'Welcome to my mansion. Master Rouge and his lovely lovers. We have been looking forward to having you here for a long time. Please, sit down.

She has brown skin and black hair. Her bewitching body is covered with erotic clothing.

And her purple eyes are an immensely beautiful woman who reminds me of a snake.

''Yeah, I was looking forward to it when I was invited too.......but suddenly, I was shown something disgusting. Let me say it again. I'm human, and I like humans.
Oh dear, I knew they'd notice. The ingredients for the thing.

Meaningfully, Meena laughs, and Tart and Dia, who have no idea what she's talking about, nod their heads.

'You two have seen the snake people working in this mansion. The material for that is human. It seems that in some way or another, the humans are turned into snake demons, and when they do so, their memories and experiences are taken over. That's why the snake-humans in this mansion do their housework perfectly, and the knights have become powerful beings with the power of demons and the skills of humans. .........Earlier, I said that Neusch received this mansion from a certain count, but that's not correct, the entire human in the mansion was dedicated to Meena.
Yeah, and what about those snakemen?
You're human by nature.

They both looked blue. And I disliked Meena.
　Every human being would feel repulsed by that.

'Don't look at me like that. 'I'm not forcing you to do anything. It's a good thing that you're not going to have to worry about it, because it's a good thing that you want to stay with me forever and ever. It's no loss to them either. They are much stronger than humans and have been freed from old age.
Wouldn't you say that stealing a mind with the Charms is unreasonable?
''It's my charm, including the charm, so I can't help it if you complain. But if you don't like it, then I'll tell you about my ability to repay you for offending me. I can eat living things and lay eggs. If I eat a person, I'm a snake person. If I eat a dog, I'm a snake dog; if I eat a cat, I'm a snake cat. I have the ability and memory of being born again, and become stronger and more powerful. Isn't that a wonderful ability?
That's a powerful ability.

It's horrifying and terrific.
　Meena goes on and on, enchanting people, playing with them, eating them when she gets bored, and making them into her own army.
　He declares himself to be not so strong as a demon race, but if you think of him as a leader of an army, he's quite capable.

''You chose your words despite your disgust. He's very kind. I want to eat you.'

The snake's eyes catch me, and Tart and Dia step forward to protect me.

'Don't worry, sweet lovers, you can rest easy. And when I say eat, I mean s*xually.
You can't do it either!
Rogue isn't interested in an old lady like you!

A little bit, Meena's face pulled up.
　She didn't like the fact that she was Dia's aunt.

'Anyway, let's all sit down. We're here to talk about the future. Meena went out of her way to invite us to a place like this to talk about something that can only be done here, right?
Yes, you're right. Smart kids are easy after all. I'll buy you a drink. What can I have for you?
The Red of Cortogne.

It's called the red jewel, and although it's produced only a few times, it's a superb sake.
　The other day the orc demon tribe attacked the field and turned it into a street, so it will never be made again.
　I chose this sake because of my preference, but at the same time, I also put some irony in it.

''Oh my goodness, my favorite. Do you know it? I've heard that girls who like my taste in things are also good with my body.
I didn't know that.

Meena pours out the blood-red wine for all of them.
　So far, Meena hasn't shown any completely hostile behavior.
　However, there's no way I can be distracted.
　It's possible that I could find myself eaten by Meena and become one of the snake people.
　Just because I've insured myself doesn't mean I'm perfect.
　Shall we proceed with caution?