Such people often behave in ways that could be taken as out of the ordinary.
　The same was true when they entered the room, and the same was true when they left the room.

'We're done!　I'm staying at the inn, so call me. Come on, you guys, let's go home!

'Ha, Miss Ellie!'

　The four men in the suit line up nicely.
　Mr. Black Suit, who was laying down the carpet, takes out a piece of paper the size of a business card from his pocket and places it on the tabletop.
　As it was, the five of them left.

'Haha, they're more interesting people than you'll ever see in a video.

　As I smile behind my mask, two different gazes are directed at me.

'Lord Remegeton do you prefer a woman like that?'

No, no I'm not talking about that.

　Carmilla's mouth is twisted into a smile. But I can tell. I'm not laughing because it's fun.

''That's not the point, the decision to hire or not hire is not to be made here.

　The demoness made a bitter face.

''That's right. I'll talk to Agares-san from my end.''

　She's just doing her job. There are certain procedures and conventions that are set in place.
　Unlike the others, there are no specific conditions for the people they are looking for, so it will be extremely difficult for her to do this as well.
　She witnessed an interview to gauge her feelings, and for some reason the other four heavenly kings seemed to understand the decisions of the general staff.
　It's understandable that they are confused.

　Since I was the one who did the wrong thing, I should be the one to explain the situation to my superiors.

I don't...no...no, I understand. I'm going to focus on the progress of the project. But as I said before, that's not...

I'll be careful. It wasn't a good idea for me to make the decision on my own, was it?

　........Only, if I had said that the pass/fail announcement would be made at a later date, I think that Ellie-san would have left on the spot. You can't even make a decision right here, I thought.

　There are some talents that can be lost by following common sense and procedures.
　It's just a hunch, but as a result, I was able to make Ellie's party my friends.

　I pick up a small piece of paper with the name of the inn written on it and tuck it away in my pocket.
　I nodded, and the demon turned his attention to the door.

'Next, please.'

　◇

　Finally, I'm going to mention only the people I wanted to fight with this guy.

　First up is Meadow from Lamia. Twenty-three years old, female.
　Lamia is a subhuman with the lower half of a snake. Meadow-san was white all over. The scales that covered her lower body, the human skin on her upper body, and her long hair that grew to her waist.

　What about his eyes, I don't know. It could be that they had long bangs, or not - because they were blindfolded with bandages.

'Looking at your resume, I see you've worked in three dungeons in the past, what do you do now?

Yeah, I got fired from all of them...

Why is that?

''Wha...wha...since you hired me, fewer adventurers have been posting videos...''

　The attack failed because her 'special skills' were too overwhelming. The adventurers rejected the video because they couldn't expose such a feckless figure. Then the world would lose the opportunity to learn about the dungeon and the number of visitors would drop off.

　It's a tough call. We should go all out, but it's up to the adventurers to decide whether to distribute the videos.
　People don't want to release a video that will make them less popular in a popular business.

　In her case in particular, it's not the ability to win or lose at the end of a fierce battle........
　It's the kind of power that can be decided at the beginning of an encounter.

''Do you think that would not be repeated in this Demon King's Castle?''

I don't know.

So why apply now?

Because I thought that here I could take down [the brave man].

　In a normal dungeon, her abilities would be too much to handle.
　But here, if it's in the impregnable Demon King's Castle. If it's a harmonious demonic realm that isn't bound to a specific demon, then it wouldn't be a problem for Lamia to defeat the [Brave Man].

　If the adventurers won't post a strategy video with you there, they won't be fired, right?
　That's what you thought.

'That's right.'

　Recruitment!　I wanted to scream at her, but I kept it to that.
　Her lips twitched and it eventually arced.

'Thank God...'

　Her sigh of relief was so wistful.
　It was very impressive.

　◇

'Are you good at this~?　Hmm, I'm good at singing~

No, it's not like that.

　She's a woman with a single horn with a spiral streak from the center of her forehead.
　She is not a demon. She says that she has unicorn blood mixed in with her ancestors.
　She says that she can go back and forth between the human state and the horse state like a werewolf, and in both cases, the horn remains.

　People with the blood of more than one race are not uncommon in the modern world.
　Shea. Twenty-four years old. Her lightly pigmented purpleish hair flows fluffily down to her shoulders, and her eyes of the same color are narrowed into the shape of a smile and are almost invisible.

　He often gestures with his hands to press his cheeks together, but each time he does so, he squeezes his wrists so that his forearms sway against his ample chest.
　That's fine, but every time she does that, it's like Mira-san gives a small tongue lashing... it's just my imagination, yeah.

'?　I'm the best at singing~. Other than that, I can only do things like crushing and breaking trees, smashing rocks, and making friends with sub-beasts since I'm a [trainer], and that's about all I can do~

That's what I wanted to hear. It's a wonderful ability.

'Really~. I'm so happy~

The [trainer] was advertised in the first layer, why are you here?

　It was then that Shea's eyes opened.

'Singing after a win is the best feeling I've ever had.

　The three of them, except for the demoness, almost floated on their hips.
　I was hit by her fighting spirit and reflexively took up a fighting stance.
　If you think she's a gentle person, she's a pompous warrior.

''I was drawn to the simple and lovely phrase~''

　Shea, who smiles again, doesn't have the supremacy she had a moment ago.

　A person who has the guts to defeat a brave man. I guess it means that these words stuck strongly in my mind.

　Yeah, I thought it was a failure, but there are people who took it in firmly with Ellie-san and the others, Meadow-san, and Shea-san, so it's probably a good thing.　

　[Brave people] are exceptional. In a fair one-on-one match, if you're not a demon or a [Demon King] holder, you won't be an opponent. Or the same 【Brave Man】.
　It is the demon who defeats them with the location of the floor in charge, traps, and teamwork.

　There are few people who can have the feeling that they can beat or defeat a 【Brave Man】 on their own. That's not a bad thing at all.
　But my layer doesn't have people anyway. That said, can I suddenly have dozens of subordinates and control them well?
　It's not like advising a floor that's already completed. It's extremely difficult to build a system from scratch and plan for everyone to take advantage of it. And even if it isn't, there are plenty of challenges.

　There is also the matter of the helpers. This time, we decided to keep our numbers small and elite.
　I was waiting for someone who would take the short phrase seriously and come up to this point.

　◇

　The last one is a twenty-seven-year-old man. Mr. Lars of Minotaur.



....

　Mr. Lars looked down and made no answer.

'Twelve years, what?'

..........

　He clenches his fists in his lap. There is no answer.

''This Demon King's Castle is said to be impregnable. How do you think it can be used for defense?''

..................

　His body trembles in small increments. As if to endure the shame.

　--Isn't he good at talking to people?

''Your [Position (Job)] was [Black Mage], wasn't it?

　He shivered when I asked, and after a few dozen seconds he nodded his head.

I don't care how long it takes you to answer. I'll get you a piece of paper and a pen if your voice is too difficult.

...much... bigger... than...

'I see. Your magical organs are well trained, what kind of training are you doing?

　We spent a long time talking to each other after that.

　When he was fifteen, he was kicked out of the dungeon he was working in at the time.

　Unlike adventurers, demons are pushed to the forefront not by [position (job)], but by race.　　
　He was a 【Black Mage】, but he was hired because he was a Minotaur who looked strong. His own wishes were not reflected, and what he was asked to do was to fight a meat fight. If that didn't work out, he was fired.

　The reemployment did not work out.
　But [Position (Job)] can't be changed.

　He continued to train himself for when he would work in the dungeon again one day.

　It was a coincidence that he came up with that.
　He trained himself, casting black magic on himself.

　Oddly enough, it's the same thing I was taught by my mentor.
　In Lars-san's case, he got there on his own.

''Excellent.''

　Lars looked up in surprise at the praise that escaped him.
　Then he crumpled into a crumpled expression and let out a sob.

　I had a mentor. And a best friend who believed in me. He didn't like me, but he said I was his friend.
　But Lars-san was denied and outcast, and for twelve years he continued to train himself, alone.

　And today, he chose the Demon King's Castle for me.
　There is no such luck.

　And so, my companions were decided.