Volume 8 Chapter 22 Controlling The Village
After listening to Toxy and Sandra's conversation, I told them our story. Then, Toxy said.
"I see, so we need to find the mastermind behind the villagers who are hiding something in this fog-shrouded region."
"That's right."
When I nodded, Sandra asked the Demon siblings.
"Do you guys know anything?"
"...I don't know." "I don't know either."
The 2 of them tilted their heads, showing no signs of anxiety or fear. They probably really didn't know. So, I changed my question.
"Then, if we're going to come up with a strategy like that, who do you think would know?"
"That would be the village head, or maybe the village head council."
Village head council. I repeated the words in my mind. An important-sounding term had come up.
"Tell me more about the village head council."
"The village head council is when the village heads from all over Bael-sama's territory gather and discuss things. Since Bael-sama is like that, the villagers have to think carefully about it."
"If they don't, the tax rate will just keep going up~. Isn't it 10% now?"
'It's 20%! From now on, the tax rate will be 20%!'
A voice like Bael's echoed from outside. In response, angry shouts rose up: "Don't mess with us, you crappy lord" "You burned all our hidden crops with your cannon fire, you crap!"
"Whose voice is that?"
"That's Bael-sama's messenger. This time, it's just a notification, but when it comes to tax collection, it's the same as being watched by Bael-sama himself."
I stood up and peeked through the gap in the door. A messenger with an eye-shaped face was floating in the air, swaying back and forth.
"I understand, I'll remember. Please continue."
"Well, since it was Bael-sama, we need to take care to avoid problems and work on the tax rate from our side."
"That's what the village head council is for――to decide how to deal with Bael-sama~."
I nodded in understanding. Indeed, it was almost impossible to live carefree with a lord as whimsical as that.
So, I think it's better to assume that the interference with the mist's sorcery has been decided by the village head's council. I ask.
"I want to know the contents of that village head's council. If possible, I'd like to join in. Is there a way to do that?"
The 2 of them replied like this.
"You become the village head."
"...Huh?"
"Let me explain, human. The village head is, in other words, the strongest demon in the village. It's not just about being strong, but also being trusted by everyone."
"It's not like the village head has to live a long time or anything. If a group of bandits takes over, they might make their leader the village head and send them to the council."
"Since you humans came and caused a big ruckus, it's possible that you could become the village head like that."
"Can it really be that easy to become the village head..."
Demon... There are so many things that don't add up... I'm getting a headache just thinking about the terrible public safety...
"No, that's not it. We can try to eavesdrop on the council from nearby, or something."
"The location of the council changes every time, and the village head can warp there directly, so that method might be a bit difficult..."
"There was a fool who tried to force their way into the village head's council, got caught in the middle of a warp sorcery, and got torn apart vertically. Just thinking about it is hilarious, though~."
The 2 of them are laughing and reminiscing. These guys...
Still, it's true that becoming the village head doesn't seem that hard, and it might be worth a try. It sounds easier than searching for other methods.
"If I were to become the village head, what specific things would I need to do?"
The 2 of them thought for a moment, and then replied like this.
"First, we'll make everyone submit and clarify the hierarchy. How about we make everyone our sl*ves for now?"
"Simple things like a house and food, maybe. If you don't have a house, it's cold, and if you don't have food, you'll be hungry."
When I went out of the house, the people around me were armed and surrounding me.
"Whoa, what's going on?! It seems like the fun conversation has ended!"
"I'm grateful to the masters, but I won't follow someone who suddenly tries to take advantage of me! That's just not cool, you know?"
The atmosphere is completely like a village uprising. The demon villagers are each holding weapons, shining their body runes, and looking like they're about to attack us.
"We've got our weapons ready!" "You caught us off guard last time, but not this time!――" "Object Weight Increase" "...Whoa!"
Everyone falls to the ground at once. I say "Listen up!" while clapping my hands.
"From now on, I'm your master, and you're all my sl*ves. Introduce yourselves 'You're our master, and we're your sl*ves'!"
"Are you kidding me?!" "Have you lost your minds?!" "What the...?!" "Wait, can anyone even move?" "Hey, is anyone still alive?" "Ah, hey Rennil, Rollo!" "Release us!"
The demon siblings behind me appear. The demons I defeated are expecting the siblings to counterattack.
The siblings smile brightly and say:
"We're Slave Number One and Two."
"We'll get preferential treatment since our numbers are low! From now on, we'll hunt with our master and get to eat the best meat!"
Silence falls. The snow starts falling quietly.
The angry shouts rise up.
"Me! Me! Me! I'll do my best! Please take care of me, Master!" "I'll do anything! Please take care of me too, Master!" "Can I even lick your feet?"
"Demon, shut up!"
I release the one who called me "Master" from their trance. The excitement quickly spreads, and eventually, the entire village becomes my sl*ves.
This is happening fast... I mean, I did hear from the siblings that "Everyone has become sl*ves before, and we've kept sl*ves too, so if we think it's tasty, we'll become sl*ves right away."
These guys are seriously into being sl*ves. If I think about it calmly, it's actually kind of convenient, but it's also super hellish.
As I'm thinking that, I clap my hands and say "Line up!" Everyone sort of lines up.
"Anyway, you guys are now our sl*ves, so we'll manage you properly. Got it? Respond."
'Yes!'
"Alright. First, those who still have injuries will go to that guy with purple hair, Toxy, and get treated."
"There are people who got hurt from the cannon fire over here~. I'll heal them like I did before~."
"Next, those who lost their homes will go to that guy, Clay, and he'll build simple houses for them."
"Count on me."
"After that, it's about food, which means hunting. Your weapons are pretty pathetic, so my friend with white hair, Ice, will lend you an ice spear."
"Nice to meet you... I guess."
"That's about it. Got it?"
As I explained this, the demons looked stunned. The demon siblings behind me also stared at me with amazed faces.
"...What?"
"――――Ah."
"Huh?"
Then, everyone bowed deeply, their heads almost touching the ground.
"You're... our Demon King...!" "Please take care of us. This is the first time we've been treated so kindly...!" "We'll be in your care for a long time, Demon King-sama!"
"...Uh...?"
I turned to my party members with a troubled face. They were also gazing at the demons, who were prostrating themselves, with awkward smiles.
...Maybe demons just can't handle kindness. If being kind means being seen as weak in this world, then I guess that's how it is...
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