Chapter 67
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: Conquest of Mir, and Vivian
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"Quite the spectacle you made."
Watching the goblins dispose of the soldiers slain by the hero Sage, he remarked.
The city's main force—the knight order and the guards—as well as the mayor and various other humans had all perished by Sage's hand.
It was a clean strike befitting the title of hero.
The knights who had put up futile resistance felt almost pitiable.
"Yulia, where is the hero?"
"She's resting in the guest room with Vivian."
"After all that hard work, she deserves some rest."
In this siege of Mir—no, this massacre—Sage had earned the greatest merit.
Thanks to her breaking through the enemy main force and the gates, they hadn't needed a drawn-out siege and had taken the city with ease.
He glanced out the window.
The sounds of remaining resistance fighters clashing could still be heard.
But their futile struggle would soon die out.
All the soldiers capable of resistance were dead, and so were all the competent ones who could lead them.
He had repeatedly ordered them not to touch ordinary citizens who didn't resist.
Orcs, goblins, spiders—they might lack great intelligence, but they also lacked the guts to defy his commands.
They would obey well enough.
Of course.
If they slaughtered every ordinary human too, who would run the city for them?
Even if there was a risk of rebellion, they needed humans to work for the Demon King's army.
Contemplating ways to rule Mir going forward, he arrived at the conference room where the city's key command had once held meetings.
-Mayor Lucas.
Sitting in the seat bearing the nameplate of the now-deceased mayor...
[Mir has been captured.]
[Will you subjugate Mir to the dungeon?]
[If subjugated, a portal connecting to the dungeon will be created, making it the Demon King's capital.]
[Only 1 castle can be subjugated to the dungeon.]
[Changeable]
A barrage of system messages appeared.
It was the system for establishing the Demon King's capital.
Connected to the existing dungeon, no less.
A system he'd never encountered before.
Funny, really.
With all these varied systems available, to think he'd stubbornly clung to a single dungeon out of sheer grit.
He could understand why whoever sent him here—god of this place or whatever—was so pissed.
They'd prepared so much, only for him to fail by fixating on the wrong thing, and that must have irked them.
'Noob gamer, that's me.'
He felt it time and again.
This damned game that tossed him into this world was actually pretty well-structured.
The new system wasn't half bad.
Capital, they called it.
'Feels more like an outpost.'
Hide the real main base—the dungeon—and use this as the public capital to draw enemy attacks.
No reason not to.
During his tour of Mir after the conquest, what struck him was...
'A meticulously planned city and fortress.'
Built in an optimal structure to repel external foes.
Clearly, a lot of effort had gone into its construction.
'Subjugate it.'
The moment his thought ended, the portal appeared.
Yulia watched silently, as if she'd expected it.
Unlike Lorangleble Village, no subjugation message popped up for Mir.
Probably because resistance forces still lingered nearby.
"Any word from those handling the resistance trying to set up bases around the city?"
"I hear Kina and Rebecca wiped out the enemies at the western outpost and are heading to provide support."
"Should be wrapped up soon."
As they exchanged thoughts...
Creeeak.
"Brought 'em. Kek!"
A group of goblins and orcs dragged in a cluster of humans by the scruff of their necks.
"S-Spare me!"
"You filthy monsters! Don't you know who I am?!"
"Gaaah!"
These were Mir's former rulers.
For a city, perhaps politicians?
The bourgeoisie, not nobles.
He looked down at them calmly.
"Are you the former rulers of this city?"
"D-Demon King..."
Those who met his gaze trembled.
"No need to be so scared. I didn't call you here to kill you."
"Wh-What do you mean? Y-You've already trashed our city!"
"Trashed? Our forces haven't burned or destroyed a single facility by force. We only killed the soldiers, knights, and adventurers who posed a threat. We didn't touch citizens unable to resist. Check for yourself if you're curious."
All fell silent.
"Th-Then why kill the mayor?"
A young politician. Hostility burned in his eyes.
Others shot him glances, as if questioning why he'd bring that up.
Different reactions to one question.
The mayor, huh.
Makes sense for a city—various parties and factions.
This loudmouth was probably from the mayor's party.
"He too was a threat, so we cut him down. Had he surrendered peacefully, this tragedy wouldn't have happened."
He sighed regretfully.
But none bought it.
No matter.
He hadn't summoned them to persuade them.
"I called you here today to vote."
"V-Vote?"
"The mayor's seat is vacant now. Someone has to fill it."
Thud. Thud.
They'd surely grasped his meaning instantly.
"Th-This humble one believes Your Majesty should take that seat!"
A middle-aged man who'd been snarling at the goblins earlier now bowed low.
"Villat Gong!"
"What are you saying?"
"N-No one is more suited to lead this city. Your Majesty, Demon King."
Ignoring the chatter around him, he kept his head down and shouted.
"One vote in favor already. Any opposed?"
"I oppose! No matter your power, this goes against our city's ways!"
"One vote against. What's your name?"
"I'm Simon, of one mind with Mayor Lucas."
"Simon... A regrettable choice."
He gestured to the goblins.
The goblin who saw it stabbed Simon straight through the chest.
"Guhk!"
Simon collapsed, spewing blood.
"Oh dear. I only meant to have him thrown out of the city... Sorry about that. My subordinates are a bit too enthusiastic."
Too much enthusiasm was a problem.
Handling lives so carelessly.
They'd just lost talent.
The goblins dragged Simon's corpse away.
A streak of bright red blood marked where he'd stood.
"Any more opposition?"
All clamped their mouths shut.
No one else voiced dissent.
"Unanimous, then."
He extended a hand to Villat, still bowed and trembling.
"Looking forward to working with you, Villat Gong."
"...?"
Gazing up at him, he added one more line.
"You'll be this city's acting mayor."
The deputy to fill the vacant mayor's seat.
He would become his loyal dog.
"Drink. A gift for a loyal vassal."
It was the same drug he'd given Alcom before.
The one that granted desires.
One sip, and addiction set in inescapably.
"Th-Thank you! Your Majesty!"
He liked quick learners.
The news that Mir had fallen to the Demon King's army spread swiftly to the capital of Aslan Kingdom.
"What in the world..."
The troops sent to establish a defensive line had been annihilated by monsters before they could even fight back.
"Is this even possible?"
The king murmured in despair.
The expeditionary force's annihilation was a month ago.
Now Mir had fallen already.
No telling what the Demon King's army had that let them conquer so fast.
Mir was a border city, but its rich silver mines meant tall walls and well-trained soldiers to guard them.
In a land where lords constantly vied to expand their territories, maintaining city status wasn't easy.
Yet it fell in less than a week.
No word of a siege even starting, so it must have crumbled the moment they attacked.
"We must borrow the Empire's strength!"
Calls to bring in foreign powers grew louder.
Insanity.
The only nearby options were the Empire, the Alliance, and their long-time rivals, the Roman Kingdom.
Where were they supposed to get troops from?
All as dangerous as the Demon King's army.
What then, after those powers crushed the demons?
He sighed at his vassals' empty cries.
"I'll issue a kingdom-wide mobilization. Nobles, conscript your family troops and knights."
"Your Majesty! Mobilization?!"
"You can't! Taking troops from nobles—no noble will stand for it!"
Fools.
External enemies were fine, but sacrificing their own wasn't?
Some were probably on the Empire's payroll.
Others lining up with Roman Kingdom or the Alliance.
How could these be Aslan's nobles...?
To think such men upheld the kingdom.
Lamentable and pathetic.
"No other way. Foreign troops are a last resort."
All wore dissatisfied expressions but couldn't retort.
The nobles held great power, but the king's authority in Aslan was considerable.
"I assume you all understand."
Aslan began gathering forces to brace for the Demon King's army's advance.
"Alcom, my loyal village chief."
"Your Majesty, you called?"
Alcom, now in a body from his twenties, bowed before the Demon King.
The elderly man from his sixties was gone; this was Alcom in his prime, healthy at twenty.
His reverence for the Demon King surpassed that of a zealot for their god.
If the Demon King ordered him to die, he'd do it without hesitation.
Believing there'd be purpose behind it.
"You've gotten so young. Hard to picture your old self now."
"All thanks to Your Majesty's grace."
"Do you know why I brought you from Lorangleble?"
"I'm afraid not."
When the Demon King declared mobilization, he and the villagers followed.
Lorangleble had value only with the dungeon.
Without access, that value vanished.
Maybe to use him in Mir?
But His Majesty had mostly kept the existing staff and subjugated them.
Truly merciful.
Even embracing those who opposed him, with such magnanimity.
"Take this."
The Demon King offered a scroll of parchment.
"What is...?"
"Deliver it to Aslan Kingdom's capital."
"May I ask the contents?"
"Surrender to me. Do so, and there'll be no damage, no casualties."
His body shuddered at the words.
To demand surrender from a kingdom that had lost a city, its knight commander, and a hero.
This was a suicide mission.
"Ha, haha, hahaha."
The village chief trembled, lips curling up.
He was laughing.
Not from fear.
Ecstasy.
Pure joy enveloped him.
His Majesty planned everything.
He wouldn't order death lightly.
This was a pilgrimage.
A path to true salvation.
Dying on this mission would earn him rewards beyond this youthful body.
"I'll deliver it without fail!"
Thud!
Alcom slammed his head down, shouting.
Blood trickled from where it hit the stone floor.
I headed to the guest room where Sage was resting with Vivian.
There lay Sage, sleeping soundly on a web of spider silk.
"You've arrived, Your Majesty."
Vivian, in human form, bowed to me.
"How's Sage doing?"
"Much more stable. Her holy sword as well..."
Vivian pointed to the holy sword ensnared in the web.
"It's gradually stabilizing."
The gem embedded in the holy sword's center was tainted red.
Once those eyes turned from gem to living gaze, the sword would fully detach from the hero.
And then...
Sage would throw herself into my arms.
"Imbued with human blood, has it changed?"
I reached out a finger toward the holy sword.
Crackle!
"Still putting up quite the resistance."
It showed particularly strong rejection toward me.
Just like Sage still finding me repulsive.
"Soon, this sword will be fully subjugated to Your Majesty."
"Vivian, with your abilities, I believe you can manage it."
Vivian, having laid Sage on the web, slithered up and approached me.
"Y-Your Majesty..."
"What is it?"
"How long will you only dote on Sage?"
Vivian skipped lightly across the web, parting her lips and sticking out her tongue.
"This girl wants Your Majesty's love too. You haven't permitted your body to me yet."
Her soft hand stroked my chest.
Her fingertips circling my chest was adorably teasing.
He'd never coupled with Vivian.
Only kissed her to use as a medium to corrupt Sage.
"Do you want my love that badly?"
"Yes, I'm burning up? You only bestow grace on Amy, am I nothing to you? Will you just leave me as Sage's nanny?"
She took my hand and guided it to her lower body.
"See? My untouched virgin pussy is drooling like this. Just from meeting Your Majesty's eyes."
I glanced at Sage, sleeping soundly behind her.
"Won't wake the kid?"
"Don't worry."
She placed a finger on the web and flicked it lightly.
Slither.
The web softened into a cocoon, enveloping Sage.
"She won't feel a thing now, Your Majesty."
Going this far...
"Can't deny a reward like this."