"...Mr. Norfolk, was it?

Yeah, just call me Silmeria. You're not much older than me.

''Then, Silmeria. From what you've told me I can assume that if you join forces with me, you'll get paid for it.

That's why we're here. That's why we're here. Well, this time it just smells like Zenith.

What do you think, Jessica?

Yeah, well I don't think we have enough material to make a decision yet.

　I urge Jessica, who is sitting next to me, to give me her opinion.
　Currently, I have no idea what Silmeria's purpose is. And even if you think about it, it's useless to think about it as long as you don't understand.

''For now, I think it's best to listen to what you have to say.

Okay. All right then, Drake.

....

　I turn my attention to Drake, who is standing behind me.
　With that alone, Drake seems to have gotten my intentions across, he bows and walks out the door.
　Of course, it's not that I told him to leave the room. In fact, I'm in trouble as best I can, like Drake is going to go somewhere or something.
　It's really an adventurer that I almost killed, but now he's the person I rely on the most. The reason for this is that the other members of the team are completely useless in terms of brains. However, I can't speak for other people's brains either, so I don't blame them.

'....?　What's going on?

Oh just give me a minute. I'll be right back.

It's been a while, Master Noah.

Yes.

　Drake walks back into the parlor through the door that he left.
　Of course, there is no change in its appearance. The only difference is that he is holding a plate with sweets on it in his hand. Looking at it this way, it's not hard to see that he looks like a waiter at a fine dining restaurant with a well-defined face.
　However, though he looks completely unchanged like that.
　Silmeria may not have noticed it, but the big change is there.
　Drake, who hadn't said a single word until just now, is now speaking.

'Well then, Drake, sit next to me and listen to what I have to say. Leave Angus alone.

We understand, Mr. Noah.

....

　Drake nodded and went straight to sit next to me, on the other side of Jessica, next to me. And Angus nodded silently, too.
　There's only one reason why I asked him to leave. It was just that I had him use the 《Change of Person (Metamorphic Human)》 outside. As expected, I didn't expect to be able to cross over with this female figure in a state where I couldn't speak anything.
　And Drake, who read my intentions with just a glance and also brought sweets for camouflage, must be a quick thinker after all.
　There will be a lot of things I can't judge on Jessica alone, and I'll have Drake sit with me.

''First, let me introduce myself. My name is Drake Desize, I'm in charge of internal affairs from Master Noah.

"...Drake Desize?　That's a name I've heard a lot.

Oh, you know my name?

The only S-ranked adventurer on the continent, the Fist King, Drake's Death Size, is a name that even children know. There are only twenty-eight S-ranked adventurers on the continent, and even children know the name Drake's Death Size. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. Really?

'I've only taken down a dragon once in the past by myself. It's not that big of a deal.

Haha. That's the Demon King of today. His subordinates must be pretty thick.

Yeah.

　With a grin, I try to smile at Silmeria's words.
　I've been called the 'Demon King of this generation' a lot, but I won't deny it for now. For starters, being treated as the Demon King was a given. I'm not indecisive enough to change my policy now.
　Well, if I'm going to tell you the truth, "I'm not the Demon King! I want to scream, "So, you've been waiting for me to say something, and now what?

And you didn't say a word, and now what?

'I just thought it would be beneficial to Master Noah. It is true that the demons under our king's control do not need food as you say. And since consumption doesn't occur, there is no supply there either. Of course, they do need enough food for Noah-sama and the few humans to eat, but the reality is that they have enough to cover that as well. I'm interested in you, as if you were thinking of doing business in this city under such conditions.

I'll think about it. This town is a treasure trove of information for us.

Is that alright? Princess Jessica?

'Yes, yes. I think it would be best if we could talk to you first.

I understand. But be prepared. What you tell me will determine whether or not you make it back in one piece.

Ha.....

　Silmeria gives a thin smile.
　Drake, you're talking quite a lot of stuff. I'm not trying to kill you.
　Well, let's leave the rest to Jessica and Drake. But I have to listen to what they have to say, so that I can respond properly when asked for my opinion.

That's the first step. In the long run, there are a lot of 'foodless workers' out there. Even if you simply put them to work on the farm, the profits are enormous. Since they're demons, they're also strong and easy to cultivate.

Yes. That's what we've been thinking about.

　No, I wasn't thinking about it.
　Jessica, I was thinking about that. Am I the only one who normally thinks that they wouldn't make something that they wouldn't eat?

''The area from this city to the forest to the west is Grandizia's territory. As soon as we finished maintaining the city, we were planning to send the demons to work in your fields to farm. It's still in the planning stages, but... fortunately, we've made friends with the elves, so we think we can farm there as well.

Yeah. There are elves in the West Woods?

'Ah!　I don't want to be messed with!　Now that the elves are citizens of Grandizia!

''........Princess Jessica is giving you this information because she thinks you are a worthy opponent to join forces with. Don't think you'll get out of this mansion alive if you're planning an unnecessary imitation.

You're scary. It's not that I'm afraid, we buy people. You can't just send out information about an Elf hiding place. I'd rather gain your trust. I swear, I won't talk about it.

I believe you.

　There doesn't seem to be any lies in Silmeria's words.
　Although, the two adventurers who had already come with Drake have already made that fact known to me. But I guess that means they didn't dare to mention it and used it as one of their cards.
　Jessica, you're so smart, after all. I was just scratching and talking about the situation before Jessica came and all that.
　However, the fact that you're a bit flustered, I wonder if you're still very young for your age.

I'm sure it's not the only thing that's going to happen. I don't think it's something that can be accomplished so easily either.

'It will take us quite a while to at least cultivate the land, then sow the seeds, and then harvest. And, in turn, our title will get in the way of selling our crops.

''Yes........I don't think that any poor person would buy vegetables from the territory of the 'Demon King of Nowadays'.

I know. I can't afford it, even if it's cheap.

　At Jessica and Drake's words, Silmeria nodded.
　Yeah. I don't need to do anything but watch and wait.

I'm sure you have a solid sales channel, but if you say you have a solid sales channel, that's different.

We can't go across that dangerous bridge either. I'll buy it at half price.

Sixty percent, we'll think about it.

　Drake and Silmeria giggle at each other, giggling.
　I wonder. It's super scary.
　Drake is my subordinate, and Silmeria doesn't seem to have any fighting ability. It's such a conversation between two people, but for some reason it's scary.
　It's like being outside of my understanding.

''And it's not a sure-fire way to do it, and it will take time. Of course, we're not in a hurry either, but we can't keep waiting for developments to happen so leisurely.

Yeah. So you're on board with my story.

'That's what I mean. If there's an easier, quicker way to make money...

It is.

　Here's the main thing - the words seemed to be certain.
　Silmeria straightened her residence and leaned forward towards the drake.

The horn of a unicorn, the outer skin of an armor beetle, the stone body of a mithril golem, the claws of a night wolf, the fangs of a saber lizard...................any other dragon will do. Claws, fangs, scales, it doesn't matter.

-Oh!

They're all overpriced gems. You know that.

It's...

...?

　Silmeria said, a few items.
　It's a part of a demon's body. However, it is a substitute that cannot be obtained.
　The moment a demon is killed, it dissipates as magic element. There is no way a part of that body can remain.
　However, this is not the case.
　Come to think of it, there were a few scales that I peeled off from the puppies in my room a while back. I wondered why they didn't disappear.

"Parts of a demon's body disappear the moment you kill it. But no ordinary material can compete with that kind of hardness. That's why there are many masterpieces that are traded behind the scenes with such a method of 'stealing materials while keeping the monster alive, and keeping the monster alive'.

It's a...

You can't keep a demon, though. At best, I can only let it go without killing it after I get the materials. The moment the monster is killed by another adventurer, it will turn into an element of magic. That's a risk, but........but the material itself is still very high quality. A normal armor is no match for it.

　Kooky, said Silmeria with a bad smile.
　Thumping, she played her fingers on the table.
　It was as if there was an invisible arithmetic board there.

I'll buy that material for a very high price.

....

　It is.
　Probably something that can only be taken in my country - this country that is centered on demons.
　And the true purpose of Silmeria's journey here - the true purpose of Silmeria's journey.