How to Extract Information
Defeating Decarabia and subjugating his Demon King Castle after he had lost both the Five Stars and his army proved no difficult task. Though Decarabia was powerful, he stood no chance against Nahen, who had already taken to the battlefield, and Seere von Devata, who had joined him. Even as a Demon King, he could not face countless legions after losing all his subordinates. That might have been different if he were among the highest-ranked Demon Kings.
“Kuhak…!”
Decarabia coughed up blood and slid across the floor of the audience chamber. Watching him, the Demon King Seere von Devata rested her sword lightly on her shoulder and smiled.
“Not as strong as I thought.”
“…Your Majesty has simply grown far too powerful.”
The one who answered was Rin. Even to her eyes, Seere’s fighting style had become difficult to counter—unpredictable and erratic. While her swordsmanship was excellent, most of the advantage came from ancient magic. The incantations were so short and concise that opponents could neither interrupt them nor react in time. The reason such useful ancient magic had vanished was simple: all related books, records, and knowledge had disappeared. One day, every record of magic had vanished, and everyone who had known ancient magic died. It had been lost in an instant. Even now, the incident remained a mystery throughout the Demon Realm, yet no one knew who was responsible.
‘Just where did Nahen learn ancient magic?’
Decarabia lay sprawled disgracefully on the floor and barely managed to raise one hand. With trembling fingers, he pointed at Seere.
“Seir… That vile bastard really did create a monster…!”
The bright smile on Seere’s face instantly froze. Rin sighed heavily at the sight.
“Your Majesty, Nahen instructed us to keep Decarabia alive. You ignored him last time as well. If you do so again…”
“I know, Captain Rin.”
Seere sheathed her sword. Then she grinned.
“As long as I don’t kill him, it’s fine, right?”
“…Yes. That is exactly what I meant.”
“Good.”
Seere walked forward, grabbed Decarabia by the collar, and lifted him with one hand. The sight of a child who had not yet reached 160 centimeters hoisting a nearly two-meter-tall Demon King was nothing short of astonishing.
“Kuh, what are you doing…?”
“Time to take a few hits from that monster.”
“What?……Kuhak!”
Seere began beating Decarabia with nothing but her fists. The problem was that the strength of a twelve-year-old child far exceeded imagination. Every time her fist connected, Decarabia’s body crumpled and bones shattered. Watching the scene, Rin urgently called out.
“Your Majesty, he will die at this rate!”
“…Hm?”
Seere, who had been pummeling Decarabia in a frenzy, snapped back to her senses upon seeing him go limp. If she killed Decarabia here, Nahen would think she had disobeyed him again and acted on her own. He would scold her, and perhaps even come to dislike her. The thought made Seere quickly release Decarabia’s collar. But he was already hanging limply, showing no signs of movement. Believing him dead, Seere shook her head vigorously.
“I-I didn’t touch him.”
“Pardon?”
“Let’s say Captain Rin did it!”
“What!?”
When Rin cried out in disbelief, Seere clung to her with both arms, acting spoiled like a child.
“If Teacher finds out about this, he’ll hate me!”
“Even if you try to use cuteness as a weapon…”
“Captain, pleeease~!”
Rin let out a troubled groan. Seeing her reaction, Seere rubbed her face against Rin and pleaded.
“I’m begging you like this, Captain!”
“……Haa.”
How could there be such an adorable Demon King in this world? Unable to resist Seere’s aegyo, Rin nodded. Seere smiled brightly and greeted her.
“Thank you, Captain!”
“What are you thanking me for?”
“!!!”
“!!!”
Both Seere and Rin turned their heads in shock at the same time. Nahen was walking toward them, not a single drop of blood on him.
“T-Teacher.”
“…Nahen, you have arrived.”
Rin greeted him while Seere began acting nonchalant. When Nahen gave her a suspicious look, Seere beamed and ran toward him.
“Teacher~!”
“Stop right there.”
“Eek.”
When Seere halted, Nahen crossed his arms and tilted his head. Seere tilted her body in the same direction.
“Seere, come here.”
“…There’s nothing here!”
“Then where did Decarabia go?”
“……He wasn’t here.”
Seere nodded while telling an obvious lie. Nahen glanced at her, then looked past her at the fallen Decarabia she had failed to hide.
“Then what is that?”
“……Pardon?”
“The one lying over there.”
Seere turned her head with a creak. At the end of Nahen’s gaze lay the crown of Decarabia’s head. She squeezed her eyes shut and thought, ‘If only I were just a little taller…!’
Seere looked at Nahen with a mournful expression. He was watching her with slightly furrowed brows. Seeing the angry Nahen, Seere made a pitiful face and threw herself into Rin’s arms.
“Hwaaang, Teacher is mad!!”
“That is because you told a lie that would obviously be discovered…”
“Seere.”
Nahen called her name. At his slightly cold tone, she looked at him with tense eyes. He sighed and spoke.
“You must not lie to Teacher. If you did something wrong, you should admit it honestly.”
“…Yeees.”
“And it seems Decarabia is not dead.”
“Pardon?”
Nahen walked over and lifted Decarabia’s head. Hearing the faint but definite sound of breathing, he said, “He will live if treated.”
Rin tilted her head at the idea of healing another floor’s Demon King.
“But Nahen, why keep Decarabia alive? He is not the type to bow his head to others like Dantalion.”
Decarabia was similar in temperament to Andromalius. He caused fewer incidents, but his personal strength was slightly weaker than Andromalius’s. That was why his forces had been far larger than Dantalion’s. He possessed considerable martial prowess and some skill in handling people. However, he was not the kind of person who would discard his pride for mere profit like Dantalion. At Rin’s concern, Nahen answered simply.
“I have no intention of keeping him alive.”
“Pardon?”
“I am only keeping him alive for a short while. There is information I need.”
Seere tilted her head.
“Information?”
“Yes. Have you heard of Nebula Stones?”
“They are a specialty of the 68th Floor, right?”
“Only the Demon King of the 68th Floor and his close aides know the location of the Nebula Stone mines. Since we have captured Crowley among the Five Stars, we will cross-reference their testimonies to find the mine’s location.”
“Aha.”
Seere finally understood why Nahen had spared Decarabia. Still, she wondered if it would not have been better to keep the other two Five Star generals alive instead.
“Then what about Cruach and Dahak? Could you not have captured them instead of killing them?”
“……”
It had been Nahen’s mistake. At the time, he had not yet gauged the full extent of his own strength and failed to control it, resulting in the deaths of both Cruach and Dahak. But revealing that would damage Seere’s trust in him, so Nahen offered a flimsy excuse.
“…Their resistance was too fierce. There was no choice.”
“Ah, that must have been troublesome.”
After telling Seere not to lie, Nahen had lied himself. He inwardly scolded his own hypocrisy. ‘I am the very definition of double standards…’
Maintaining trust was as important as maintaining favorability. If Seere’s trust in him dropped and she cast him aside, Nahen would never be able to return. Even if it was unavoidable, he felt a twinge of guilt.
“Demon Kings are immune to brainwashing. How do you plan to get the information?”
“Brainwashing? Why would I need that?”
“Pardon?”
To Seere’s question, Nahen answered simply.
“If you beat them enough, the correct answer will come out eventually.”
# The underground prison of the 68th Floor.
It was a dungeon Decarabia had used to hold prisoners of war and criminals. He had never imagined he would one day be imprisoned here himself.
“Decarabia.”
“……”
“Answer me. Where is the Nebula Stone mine?”
And he had never imagined he would be beaten by someone in this cold underground prison. Decarabia looked at the crude man demanding classified information while beating him. It was Nahen. Normally, Nahen preferred strategic methods, so resorting to such brute force was highly unusual.
“If I answer something like that…!”
Decarabia could not finish his sentence. Another fist flew and snapped his jaw sideways. Nahen raised his fist again.
“I will ask once more.”
The problem was that every punch from Nahen hurt so much that Decarabia wondered if dying would be better. Honestly, it would not have been strange if his jawbone had shattered, yet no matter what trick Nahen was using, Decarabia’s bones remained unbroken and he suffered no visible wounds. Only pain was transmitted. It was obviously magic, but Decarabia had not noticed. Because it was ancient magic that no longer existed in the modern era.
“Where is it?”
The sound of flesh being struck echoed through the underground prison. Seere and Kain, standing in the corridor, exchanged bewildered glances.
“Your Majesty, is this really all right?”
“It is Teacher doing it, so…”
Even Seere felt somewhat unsettled. She had never seen Nahen act so violently before. It was different from when he rampaged in battle. Back then he had seemed like a magnificent hero; now he simply looked like a thug. There were many other methods of torture, so she could not understand why he insisted on beating the information out himself.
‘Still…’
Since it was Teacher doing it, Seere accepted it and thought she should do the same in the future. Just then, someone descended into the prison. When Seere and Kain turned around, the newcomer greeted them cheerfully.
“Seere, and the butler. It has been a while.”
“…Lady Sitri?”
It was Sitri, the Demon King whose blonde hair shone beautifully today as well. She smiled and explained why she had come.
“Nahen called for me. Where is he?”
“Teacher called for Lady Sitri?”
“Yes. He said he needed me.”
“W-Why would Teacher need Lady Sitri?”
“He said he needed my ability. Did you not hear?”
Upon hearing the word “ability,” Seere finally understood why Nahen was beating Decarabia. Ordinary brainwashing did not work on Demon Kings, but the power of another Demon King was different. If they weakened his mental strength through beating, Sitri could then use her ability to dig in. With both injury and violence combined, Decarabia’s mental strength had already deteriorated significantly. Now they would surely obtain the desired answer. If Decarabia still resisted or lied during the process, they could cross-reference with Crowley, who had already been brainwashed.
Sitri called out to Nahen, who was beating Decarabia inside the cell.
“Nahen.”
“Ah, you have arrived.”
“…Why did you turn the child into mush?”
“I need to weaken his mental strength.”
“Are you confusing mental strength with his life?”
When Sitri joked and laughed, Nahen chuckled in disbelief. Seeing Nahen’s empty smile, Seere sharply narrowed her eyes and glared at Sitri.
‘That girl, again…’
Sitri naturally noticed the gaze. While outwardly pretending to look fine, Seere’s eyes contained an enormous amount of emotion. Sitri glanced at Seere, then turned to Nahen.
“You, get out quickly.”
“Why are you suddenly acting like this?”
“This is enough. There is no problem using my ability. Go out so I can concentrate.”
“Does it really require that much concentration?”
“It does!”
“Understood…”
Nahen scratched his head and left the prison. Once Nahen moved away, Seere’s gaze withdrew. Sitri finally sighed in relief.
‘I heard she single-handedly destroyed Dantalion’s Demon King Castle and handled Decarabia as well…’
Sitri decided it would be better to accommodate Seere until she regained her full power. She had no desire for unnecessary trouble to come her way.
“Well then…”
She held no particular malice toward Decarabia, but she had to fulfill the request of a reliable ally. No, it went beyond reliable…
‘An ally I absolutely cannot afford to lose.’
She had waited five years, but once Nahen began moving in earnest, he had conquered two floors in an instant. That alone showed the extent of his resourcefulness and Seere’s ability. To regain her sealed power, she would clearly need their help. For that reason, she could fulfill any request and accommodate the feelings of a child much younger than herself.
“Decarabia.”
“Kuk, you… Sitri?”
“I want to know where the Nebula Stone mine is.”
Sitri’s eyes sparkled. Decarabia’s eyes, meeting her gaze, grew hazy. Sitri smiled sweetly and winked at him coquettishly.
“You can tell me, right?”
“Uh…”
“You will tell me, won’t you~?”
“Th-Then… I will tell you…”
Watching from outside the cell, Nahen nodded in satisfaction. That was Sitri’s unique ability—the power to make any man who met her eyes fall in love with her for life. It was stronger than the brainwashing of succubi or incubi, which only temporarily seduced the target. It did not work on Demon Kings of equal or higher rank, but in a situation where the target’s mind was already disturbed, it was more than sufficient.
“The Nebula Stone mine is…”
“Yes.”
“Fifty kilometers west of here…”
“Oh my, really?”
Sitri laughed and pushed Decarabia away. Then she giggled.
“Thank you for telling me. You idiot~.”
“Uh…”
Decarabia still could not come to his senses. Sitri left the cell and spoke.
“You heard, right?”
“Yes. Thank you for your help.”
“It was nothing.”
Fifty kilometers west. That distance meant it was quite a remote location.
“Planning to trade in Nebula Stones?”
“…Yes. I cannot keep selling only weapons and slaves forever.”
Moreover, the number of humans invading the 72nd Floor had recently decreased significantly. It had increased for a while due to the war, but had suddenly dropped again. Even though the war had not yet ended. One of the reasons Nahen had dispatched Dane and Eri to the human realm was to properly understand and respond to such changes. Of course, there was another reason Nahen wanted the Nebula Stone mine. When he had conquered the 68th Floor in Evil Queen Maker, there was an item he absolutely had to obtain. It was equipment similar to the Bloodflow Sword, but unlike that weapon, it was not a sword.
Sitri had no idea about that and spoke to Nahen.
“Nahen, since I helped you find the mine’s location, could I also get a little…”
“I was planning to give you some even if you did not ask.”
“R-Really!?”
“But now that you are openly demanding it, I feel a little reluctant to give any.”
“There is no such thing!!”
Watching Sitri shout about how petty he was, Nahen smiled suspiciously.
“Then instead of giving you Nebula Stones, how about you grant me one request?”
“A request? What is it?”
“Will you grant it?”
At Nahen’s question, Sitri gave him an incredulous look. Asking if she would grant it before even stating the condition was the very definition of a thug.
‘He keeps calling me a thug, yet…’
But the other party was Nahen. Moreover, the goods were Nebula Stones, gems that were quite rare even throughout the Demon Realm. Thinking that Nahen would not make an unreasonable demand out of conscience, Sitri nodded.
“Tell me.”
“Let us say Your Majesty conquered the 68th Floor.”
“…Huh?”
Sitri tilted her head. Nahen’s proposed condition was actually beneficial to her. Seere, who had also heard Nahen’s words, tilted her head in confusion. Sitri naturally agreed.
“Fine! Then I can take the Demon King Castle of the 68th Floor, right?”
“Ah, that is not it. I am only asking you to make it appear as though Lady Sitri conquered it on the surface.”
“……What?”
Nahen narrowed his eyes and pointed out Sitri’s greed.
“You have not sent a single soldier, yet you want to swallow the Demon King Castle whole? Do you truly have no conscience?”
“N-No, you are the one who said to make it look like I conquered it!!”
“That is why I am saying to do so only on the surface.”
“Then am I not at a huge loss? If it becomes known that I keep conquering floors, the upper floors will become wary, and it might become difficult for me to regain my power!”
Nahen made an impressed expression, as if he had not expected Sitri to think that far. That was exactly why he wanted it to appear as though Sitri had conquered it—to keep the 72nd Floor’s forces hidden as much as possible. Since news of the 68th Floor’s conquest had not yet reached the upper floors, announcing that Sitri had conquered it would further conceal the 72nd Floor’s strength. Even if the conquest of the 69th Floor became somewhat known, Nahen judged that the higher-ranked Demon Kings who knew the ruler there was Dantalion would not pay much attention.
Sitri narrowed her eyes, feeling an indescribable emotion.
“What is with that expression?”
“In exchange, I will give you half of the Nebula Stone production.”
“…Huh?”
“Did you not hear me? I will give you half of the Nebula Stone production.”
“R-Really?”
“If you distribute them through the merchant group we are currently trading with, I believe you will make quite a profit.”
Nahen extended his hand. It was a gesture asking if she would accept the proposal. Sitri hesitated for a moment, then thought of the large amount of Nebula Stones that would fill her warehouse and reached for his hand.
“Well then, the deal is settled, is it not?”
But someone grabbed both Sitri’s and Nahen’s hands in the middle. It was Seere. She smiled brightly and looked at each of them in turn. When she looked at Nahen, she smiled, but the moment her eyes met Sitri’s, her gaze turned infinitely cold. It was a look that seemed to ask how dare she try to hold hands. Sitri broke into a cold sweat and withdrew her hand.
“R-Right. Make sure to give me the Nebula Stones properly!”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
“I am leaving!”
Sitri quickly departed as if fleeing. Nahen tilted his head at the sight, then looked at Seere, who was still holding his hand.
“Seere?”
“Yes?”
“Could you let go of my hand?”
“Ah!”
Seere hurriedly released his hand, then stared blankly at her right hand that had been holding Nahen’s for a long while. Then she glanced at Nahen and asked.
“Teacher.”
“Hm?”
“It is time to keep the promise you made last time.”
“Ah, you mean that. Do not worry. We will stop by the Nebula Stone mine and go right away.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I promise.”
When Seere smiled brightly, Nahen also smiled with a comfortable heart. Though she looked much more grown up on the outside, she was still a child at heart.
“I will go to the Nebula Stone mine, so rest for a while.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Kain.”
Before leaving, Nahen gave Kain an order, pointing at Decarabia in the cell.
“Dispose of him. He is no longer worth keeping alive.”
“Understood.”
#
Following Nahen’s instruction to rest, Seere entered her bedroom and immediately sat down. Then she slowly opened her right hand, which she had been tightly clenching since earlier.
“It has been a while…”
She had held Teacher’s hand. They used to hold hands often, but recently Teacher never held her hand…
Seere knew that Nahen was not doing this because he disliked her. He was simply being considerate of her as she matured. But honestly, she wished Nahen would keep holding her hand. Seere looked at her right hand as if it were the most precious thing in the world and twisted her hair with her left hand.
“Teacher…”
When they went out to play, if they went out to play ‘just the two of them’…
“…I have to hold his hand a lot.”
Seere’s thoughts were still those of a child.