Maou – Chapter 71-72: Before the storm

The Holy Capital they jumped to had many rumors going around, and it was in a state where people would get shocked or confused.

At times it would be the rumor of the Demon Lord descending, a God that can heal any disease, the eldest of the Holy Maidens -White- receiving an Angel Halo; but the most hot topic would be, of course, the Silver Dragonewt.

White is usually in the Holy Castle, so it is rare for the common populace to see her, but the battle between Zero and the High Demon Oluit was seen by several thousands of people, making the spread of the rumor and the heat it carried be abnormal.

“That Dragonewt protected the Holy Castle.”

“According to rumors, the Demon Lord has become the guardian of Luna-sama.”

“There’s apparently work in the Rabi Village.”

“I would like to dye my hair silver too…”

“I heard White-sama has become an angel!”

“I heard Queen-sama and the Silver Dragonewt have a mutual love.”

“The Dragonewt must have appeared here to protect Queen-sama.”

“When will the marriage be?”

Because there’s no things like the newspaper or TV, for good or for bad, what comes out of people’s mouths are the source of information, and it spreads with no filter.

There’s correct information, but there’s also completely wrong information, however, in this world where there’s no social networks, it is most difficult to make sure whether they are true or not.

Within all that, a new rumor was being spread.

The Demon Lord wearing a jet-black coat was walking with Luna who was holding his hand happily. The people that have seen those two would in time gather, and the chaos would spread.

Maou saw all this and placed his hand on his forehead as if to endure a headache, and then sweeps it back along with his hair.

“When the Demon Lord and the Holy Maiden are lined up friendlily, it turns out this way, huh. Why can’t you go invisible? Is there no power like that for the Holy Maidens?” (Maou)

“In what world can humans go invisible? Understand that you people are the ones that are abnormal.” (Luna)

It truly is a parallel here.

From Maou’s perspective, the humans of this world that can use magic are the abnormal ones, and are unbelievable existences. However, for the people in this world, Maou and his subordinates are existences that can nonchalantly perform astounding magic.

“Hey, what store are we going to next?” (Luna)

“There’s an establishment that makes good food. I was thinking about inviting the owner there.” (Maou)

“Now that you mention it, there’s no actual restaurant in the village… Then, I will also talk to the owner of Artemis.” (Luna)

“Hoh, that would be nice. Well done.” (Maou)

As if saying he is seeing her in a new light, Maou places a hand on Luna’s head, and pats it gently in celebration. By the way, this was a natural reaction of his. For this man, Luna is still a child, and he doesn’t see her as a woman.

However, that’s just for now.

No matter the era, no matter the world, women grow fast and become adults faster than men. Thinking like this, there’s no doubt Luna will one day dismay this man that is laughing right now.

“H-Hmph! You are late in your compliments. I am a great Holy Maiden after all!” (Luna)

“Umu, you are great.” (Maou)

Maou praises her honestly. Maou is a straight man that likes people that can fill up the things he can’t do and are able to think up things that he wouldn’t be able to.

In that sense, you could say he is a good ruler, and at the same time, somewhat childish.

“For Artemis, instead of them having a store, it would be best to have them use the dining space of the Hot Spring Inn. No…how about having the store that sells the best that month be the one taking the dining space for the next month? Yeah, that’s nice.” (Maou)

“A competition, then. Isn’t that fine? That’s exactly the teaching of Seraph-sama. There’s no growth without competition after all.” (Luna)

“Growth, huh…” (Maou)

Maou unconsciously directs his gaze at the chest of Luna.

That place was a barren wasteland. Not only is there nothing to compete with, it had turned into a cliff where no one could climb. At this rate, it is gonna be hard to expect any growth.

“W-W-W-W-Where are you looking?! No matter how cute I am, don’t look at me with lewd eyes!” (Luna)

“Hahaha!” (Maou)

“What’s funny?!” (Luna)

Maou made a dry laugh while he heads to Glug Glug.

The place was noisy with adventurers as always and was filled with liveliness. It may also have to do with the skills of the owner Yay, but there must also be an attachment to this store that has taken care of them.

When Maou opens the door of the place, the people all direct their gazes at the entrance.

“Hey there, welco—wait, H-Holy Maiden-sama?! And Black-danna too!” (Yay)

“It has been a while, Landlady.” (Maou)

“L-Landlady, you say… What’s with that way of calling me.” (Yay)

“I think Black-danna is more questionable though.” (Maou)

In the eyes of Maou, the physique and good character of Yay was like that of a sumo stable landlady. And in reality, she has a similar spirit about her.

“A-And so, are you having a meal today? Or maybe…” (Yay)

Yay looked at Luna, and asks Maou.

Even Yay would be nervous with a Holy Maiden in her establishment. In the modern world terms, it would be like having the top of the police superintendents suddenly coming to your place. Even when you have done nothing wrong, it is natural to not be able to calm down.

“Don’t worry. Today I came to recruit Landlady.” (Maou)

“R-Recruit…?” (Yay)

In the time the two were progressing the conversation, Luna was glancing at the scenery of the store. Her eyes were unexpectedly sharp, and she looked like she was confirming the state of the store.

The talk of Maou and Yay finished quickly without any need of discussion. Setting a stall in the general sector doesn’t take tax. On top of that, there’s many people doing manual labor gathered, meaning there’s going to be a lot of customers. There’s no way a person in the business would let a chance like this escape.

For now, her pupil will be heading to the Rabi Village for the second store, and Yay will come every so often to check the state; is how things have been wrapped up as.

“This is the money for the preparation. I am expecting a lot from the taste of this store.” (Maou)

“Eh?! W-Wait, Danna! Isn’t this a big gold coin?!” (Yay)

“You are going through the trouble of sending your favorite pupil there. At least that much should be prepared.” (Maou)

Maou places 2 big gold coins.

It seems like he likes the taste of this store. For the owner Yay, even 1 copper is important money.

Even this store that is prospering sees big gold coins rarely.

“We are not looking for a profit from that sector. We look for quality. I will explain to my subordinate about Landlady, so I would like you to come as if you have taken a ride.” (Maou)

“I-I see…” (Yay)

After Maou and the Holy Maiden left like a storm, the radiance of the big gold coins illuminate the face of Yay.

In this store there’s many customers who put the bill in their tabs, and she was relieved that she was able to get money. Because there’s many customers in the Holy Capital, the ingredients are also expensive.

With as much as 2 big gold coins, she will have a lot of freedom.

“That Danna…might actually be the ‘Demon Lord’.” (Yay)

Yay mutters.

In her head, the words ‘Demon Lord’ and the existence that is only born in turbulent times, ‘Hero’. Those words always have a tragic ending, but in front of that man, it felt as if the tragedy would be the one crushed to the ground.

The two who left the store went to Artemis, the Adventurer Guild, and many others one after the other.

For these things, the Holy Maiden Luna made things quick. The former decided to make a stall in order to not put Luna in a bad mood, and the guild promised that they would make a big scale call for this public project.

(Now then, let’s return to the village already.) (Maou)

They obviously can’t disappear in front of people, so Maou entered a back alley, but he notices that Luna is acting weird.

The usually noisy Luna had been strangely silent since the time she entered Glug Glug.

“What’s the matter? Was that store not to your liking?” (Maou)

“No… It was just a bit nostalgic.” (Luna)

He couldn’t see the expression of Luna since she was looking down, but her voice was by no means a bright one.

“Hoh. So you have gone to that store before.” (Maou)

“I haven’t. I have simply seen it from the outside a long time ago.” (Luna)

“Now that you say that, you were looking at the inside of the store silently. Was a commoner store that unusual?” (Maou)

“…No. In the past…I wasn’t let inside stores.” (Luna)

Those words made Maou make an expression as if he remembered something. What Aku said before at the restaurant.

“I see. If I remember correctly, you said that you were found at an orphanage for having talent.” (Maou)

“Well, yeah.” (Luna)

Hearing that short answer, Maou takes out a tobacco from his pocket and lights it.

If she was in an orphanage, it must mean that she was separated from her parents since young, or was abandoned. It might even be the kind where she doesn’t even know who her parents are.

Even this man wouldn’t be able to make fun of those kind of parts.

(So she remembered the past, huh…) (Maou)

Maou imagines that scene vaguely.

The reason why she wasn’t allowed in was obviously because she doesn’t have money. Or maybe she had an attire that didn’t even allow her to enter stores.

Want it or not, Maou ended up remembering the terrible attire Aku had at first.

“So you grasped what you have now with effort, huh. Isn’t that praiseworthy? At the very least, it is not something to be ashamed of.” (Maou)

“I already know that without you telling me…” (Luna)

“Then puff your chest out. You achieved something a regular person can’t. I also at times would make unsightly struggles, and have lived while showing shameful sides.” (Maou)

“You? I can’t even imagine it though… Didn’t you act all haughty since birth?” (Luna)

“Haha! Sorry for not meeting your expectations, but I am not a special person.” (Maou)

“T-Then…kya!!” (Luna)

Maou pulled the waist of Luna towards him without giving her a say, and enters a stance for Mass Teleport. Luna wrapped her arms around the waist of Maou without saying anything, but her pink colored eyes looked like she wanted to say something.

“S-Someday tell me…about your past.” (Luna)

“Right. When you become an adult woman, I will consider it.” (Maou)

The two disappeared from the back alley, and they arrive at the Rabi Village in an instant.

The surroundings were already dark, and the curtains of the night were about to fall.

Maou immediately sends a [Whisper] and tells Tahara about the results of today.

<<A fast worker as always. That helps me out a lot though.>> (Tahara)

<<Also, I have something I want to talk to you about. How about having that talk while soaking in the hot spring?>> (Maou)

<<Hot Spring…? With C-Chief-dono?! With only the two of us?!>> (Tahara)

<<What are you getting all surprised for? Well, I know that you like bathhouses, but that place has a lot of people, you see.>> (Maou)

Tahara is the type that likes bathhouses, and the very person who gave him that setting was this man. In the past when Tahara didn’t have money, he would go to the bathhouse with his little sister, and there was a time when he would have a freezing time waiting for his little sister to finish.

With those ‘anecdotes’, Tahara ended up loving bathhouses, so even when he has a luxurious hot spring at his very front, he doesn’t enter it at all.

<<Well then, I will wait for you at the hot spring.>> (Maou)

<<S-Seriously?!>> (Tahara)

• Chapter 72: Before the storm – 2

A little before Maou and Luna returned, Tahara was glaring at the map in the hot spring inn’s office room.

When he thought of something he would write it down, and at times he would line up several details in blank paper, and he would end up filling them all up. The scale had already surpassed that of the Rabi Village, and it was in the plans where they have already swallowed the surrounding villages.

If ‘Chief-dono’ were to see these documents, his eyes would go wide.

Of course, for Tahara, advancing a plan of this scale was taking into account the will of Chief-dono, and he thought it was still lukewarm.

“A path of a thousand miles also begins with the first step.” (Tahara)

In the inside of this genius’s head, the final headquarters will be the Nightless Castle, but making a large scale capital which will be supporting the castle is the ideal.

If they were to grasp the world with violence and fear, they would have the same end as the Grand Empire, and will at some point in time create a crack somewhere, and at times create a powerful reverse flow.

When Tahara was about to write something again in the paper, the door was opened without any knocking.

“…Ara, only Tahara here?” (Yuu)

“If it is Chief-dono, he hasn’t returned yet.” (Tahara)

Seeing Tahara writing something without even raising his head, Yuu made a face as if she were looking at a weird creature.

“You have changed. Even though in the past you didn’t show any motivation.” (Yuu)

“Hm…? Well, that’s true.” (Tahara)

“You look like you are having quite a lot of fun. Even though you are doing work.” (Yuu)

Hearing the word ‘work’, Tahara raised his head for the first time.

His expression was that of shock, and it was a truly stupefied face. After a while, he placed the red pencil, that was on his ear, in between his nose and upper lip, and made an expression as if thinking something.

“Work, huh… No, sorry. Looks like I wasn’t thinking of this as ‘work’. This is surprising.” (Tahara)

“Huh? Have you gone crazy?” (Yuu)

Yuu makes a straight strike.

But Tahara lights up a tobacco as if he wasn’t fazed by this, and puffs out smoke as if it was delicious.

“Well, how to say it… Everyone seems to be having fun, right? Before coming here, ‘work’ would mean having people die. It was total darkness, and the only thing that remained was a helpless void.” (Tahara)

“Void, huh…” (Yuu)

“But what we are doing here is different. At the very least we are leaving something, and creating something. We wouldn’t have been able to obtain this in our previous world.” (Tahara)

“There’s no assurance that it will stay like that in the future, you know? There will definitely be people opposing us, and Chief won’t show mercy to them. They will be met with a merciless hammer.” (Yuu)

“That’s true. There’s no way a peaceful world where everyone can hold their hands all friendly can exist. What I am trying to say is that: we may be making a thousand people cry, but we make a hundred thousand people smile. It is a whole lot ‘better’ than before.” (Tahara)

Tahara said this while dropping ash in the ashtray, but Yuu was making an expression as if she didn’t understand. Tahara was feeling a lot more worth in the work he is doing now rather than the bloodstained work of before, but Yuu doesn’t care at all for the lives of others.

That’s why the answer she arrived at was a tasteless one.

“Ara, so in the end, it is an ‘issue of numbers’?” (Yuu)

“Kah! Does your head not have things like the emotions of others or empathy?” (Tahara)

“Things like that are unnecessary for the experimentation of the body. Of course, if Chief wishes for it, I would happily experiment it though.” (Yuu)

“Experiment empathy? Things like that cannot be measured with test tubes or litmus paper.” (Tahara)

The two of them place the Chief at the absolute top, but their insides were a complete parallel. Tahara, if necessary, would kill a hundred thousand people, but Yuu would kill a hundred thousand without even being necessary.

That’s the difference between the two.

“And so, have you finished what I asked for?” (Tahara)

“Yeah, I assure the effects.” (Yuu)

The small bottle that Yuu took out from her pocket had transparent liquid in it. It is  ‘make-up water’ using the carbonic acid spring. In this hot country, the damage in the skin of the men and women is strong.

With this, people that don’t enter the hot spring can still care for their skin.

“Our specialty product being only carrots would be a bit, you know. I thought about a variety of things like make-up water, spa eggs, and many others, but in the end, we will need the Nightless Castle.” (Tahara)

“Right. When our castle returns, we can crush everything to death.” (Yuu)

“Don’t say stupid things. Where’s the need to use the Nightless Castle for violence? I am talking about the manufacturing facilities. Food production plants, factory lines; by putting these parts into full motion, we can become the center of this country.” (Tahara)

“The food is one thing, but what’s the point of factories?” (Yuu)

“For what, you ask… To make ‘electric appliances’.” (Tahara)

“Electric appliances?!” (Yuu)

Yuu was at a loss for words at that. Those words were too out of place in this fantasy world. But in this situation where electricity is not being supplied, they are still able to manage the Hot Spring Inn without any problems, the lights at the ceiling still work, and the automatic door at the entrance was still moving.

Thinking about all that, electrical appliances are not that much of a wild idea.

“If it doesn’t work without electricity, there’s the <<Area Establishment>>.” (Tahara)

“Area Establishment…” (Yuu)

It is true that ‘Chief’ does have a Right that’s called Area Establishment. Putting it plainly, he felt like having the same venue would be boring, so this was to change the locations.

Having many different stages is obviously necessary no matter the game, so it isn’t strange or anything, but if you do that in real life, it shows power that surpasses imagination. It would be on the level of ‘heaven and earth creation’, and it isn’t something a mortal should be able to do.

“In the venues there would be ‘energy generators’, right? Quarries, mines, food warehouses, factories, medical treatment facilities, among others. There’s also pools, mountains, and there was even a laughable sea of trees once.” (Tahara)

“You…” (Yuu)

The words Tahara was spouting continuously from his mouth made Yuu fall into thought. Whether purposely or not, this man was thinking about bringing inexhaustible electricity to this fantasy world, and the creation of completely new things.

“Hey, is that Chief’s…” (Yuu)

“There’s no way Chief hasn’t thought of things even I can think of.” (Tahara)

Tahara lets out a sigh while extinguishing the tobacco.

Of course, there’s no way ‘Chief-dono’ is thinking of such things, and when he learns about the plans of Tahara, he will most likely plop on the floor.

The two ended up silent, and a dry knock on the door echoed. The one who showed up was Aku who had brought drinks.

“I have brought coffee for the two.” (Aku)

“Ara, Aku-chan, sorry for having you bring it here.” (Yuu)

“Sorry for the trouble, Jou-chan.” (Tahara)

The attitude of Yuu and Tahara towards Aku is polite.

No, it would be better to call it cautious.

That Chief-dono is putting that much of an eye on her, so she must be quite the big deal. Thus, the two have put her in the incredibly rare category of ‘Chief’s guest’.

“And so, Jou-chan, did Chief-dono say anything to you?” (Tahara)

“U-Uhm…there were a lot of things I didn’t understand…” (Aku)

“Hooh, like what for example?” (Tahara)

“Let’s see…he said something about making a puru…” (Aku)

“Heeh.” (Tahara)

Tahara formed a grin, and Yuu was taking a sip of her cup while only her eyes grew sharper. Even when Aku bowed and left, a strange silence continued in the room.

The one who broke the silence was Yuu.

“Looks like he indeed has thought of it a long time ago.” (Yuu)

“Obviously. This is what it means to not even be able to step on their shadow.” (Tahara)

Tahara raised both hands and made a give up pose.

After that, the conversation of the two continued, but due to the [Whisper] that came their way, their conversation suddenly marked an end. The expression of Tahara changed into an amusing one, and Yuu who saw this turned hers into a dubious one.

“Sorry, I will be going to the hot spring for a bit.” (Tahara)

“Wait.” (Yuu)

Tahara stood up while scratching his head, but Yuu grabs his hand. The fabric of his sturdy fingerless kevlar glove was making a strange sound at that grip of hers.

“What does that mean? You are not telling me you are going to take a bath with Chief, right?” (Yuu)

“Ouch! It seriously hurts! Let go, you idiot!” (Tahara)

“Answer. —Do you want to say goodbye to this arm forever?” (Yuu)

“What choice do I have! I was invited!” (Tahara)

“Why you…!! Impossible!” (Yuu)

Finally the nails of Yuu tore into the kevlar of Tahara, and wounds that looked like they were caused by a cat were being made.

It was unbelievable grip strength and tenacity.

“O-Okay, I get it! I will tell him to enter with you next time! Seriously!” (Tahara)

“Really…?” (Yuu)

“Really really!” (Tahara)

“If you lie, I will pour thick sulfuric acid in your mouth. I will stab your eyes with needles, one at a time. I will also cut your fingers one by one with a scissor.” (Yuu)

“Each and every word you say is scary!!! Return to your horror genre world!” (Tahara)

Tahara forcefully shakes off the hand of Yuu, and leaves the office room as if running away.

If ‘Chief-dono’ were to hear this exchange, his legs would lose strength and his deep black hair would instantly turn white.

“Hot spring with Chief…Fufu!” (Yuu)

Yuu was making a strangely beautiful expression as she giggles.

Who knows what will happen when that time comes. — It truly is a ‘only God knows’.

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