Chapter 115 – Demon Days

After the battle the other day the slums, which is the beastmen part of Swordland, mostly regained their stability.
Without any particular problems occurring even when a considerable number of humans influxed, it increased the exchange between the races, albeit slowly. Since people can’t survive if they don’t eat, bartering and business transactions develop into agreements.
Those like the carpenters, who interacted with the beastmen from the start, and also the humans, who were vigilant towards the beastmen in the beginning, got naturally used to them.

“Reni!” (Helen)

One day Helen rushed like a storm towards the location of Reni who was dozing off after lunch.

“Uhyaa!” (Reni)

Jumping up to her feet due to the loud voice, Reni falls over backwards, alongside the chair, having been overenthusiastic.
Sitting down on the floor after making one revolution, she wiped off the dust on her loose hair with a *pon pon*.

“Oouuch… What’s wrong that you are in such a hurry?” (Reni)

“T-The elves came!” (Helen)

“Elves?” (Reni)

Helen drops her fist on the head of Reni who’s still half-asleep.

“Ouch!” (Reni)

“Did you snap out of it? A group of elves has arrived at the entrance to the city.” (Helen)

“If that’s the case, how about we have them stay at the recently completed building for the time being?” (Reni)

Once Reni replied while rubbing her head and eyes, Helen shook her head.

“It’s not the slums’ entrance but the city’s! It looks like they have been confronted by the humans at the city’s entrance! Gengu-san is gathering everyone to prepare for battle, but he wants us to decide what we will do, Reni.” (Helen)

“What we will do, you say…” (Reni)

“As I said!” (Helen)

Reni is astonished because Helen grasps her shoulders and shakes them, but Helen, whose body is trembling, doesn’t have any composure.

“Shall we drive away the humans and receive the elves, do we ignore them for the sake of safety or shall we join up with the humans and drive away the elves?” (Helen)

“Yee~a… There’s that as well, but it will become problematic if the humans and elf-san’s get along well and become our enemies, right?” (Reni)

“Ah…” (Helen)

Helen, who for some reason considered it to be natural for humans and elves to be antagonistic towards each other, dropped her rabbit ears and had her face flush bright red due to Reni pointing it out.

“For the time being, let’s have a look. Hifumi-san also said to judge after hearing and seeing what kind of person the other party is.” (Reni)

“Won’t we get attacked by both sides if we turn up there just like that?” (Helen)

“I see… ah!” (Reni)

Helen hides her anxiety after seeing Reni smiling broadly who has been struck with some kind of idea.

“What are you planning?” (Helen)

“Let’s try imitating what Hifumi-san did.” (Reni)

(That definitely won’t be anything decent, will it?) (Helen)

While Helen is hesitating whether she should stop her, Reni rushed out of the house.

☻

“Hello~” (Reni)

The elves and the group of the 3 beastmen around Malfas have assembled on the wastelands’ side. And the human soldiers have lined up at the city’s entrance with their swords prepared.
Since it’s not like they want to wage a war at all, they simply continue the stand-off without setting up an encampment and without either side sending a messenger in a partially strained atmosphere. Suddenly the voice of Reni, who appeared, resounded.
Reni, who came out of the hole that connects the slums with the outside and which hadn’t been blocked in the end, took along several beastmen like Helen and Gengu and casually walked over in a trot while carrying a large basket in both hands.
The human soldiers put themselves on guard and show nervousness due to the appearance of the beastmen, but ignoring that, Reni approaches the elven group defencelessly.

“Oh my! Isn’t that a lovely sheepgirl-san?” (Zanga)

Zanga, who was at the head of the elves, calmed down the elves who were showing signs of tension when she saw that figure coming closer and welcomed her with a friendly smile.

“Hello, sheepgirl-san. Oh, something smells nice.” (Zanga)

“It’s refreshments. How about tasting it?” (Reni)

Muffin-sized baked sweets were carelessly put all over into the basket held by Reni. Especially the children of the elves are getting fidgety with the faintly appetising aroma drifting around.
Even Reni, who is holding the basket, has a bit drool leaking from her mouth.

“Well, then let’s enjoy it without holding back.” (Zanga)

Once Zanga picked up the backed sweets which was placed topmost, she bit a mouthful off it without hesitation. Chewing it in her mouth while being moved to tears, a refreshing sweetness spreads out.

“That’s indeed delicious. It’s been several decades since I last ate such delicious and tasty sweets, I think. Hey! Although you brought it to us at great pains, it’s no good if you make such a face, sheep-san. Do you want to eat together with us?” (Zanga)

“Yes. Thank you.” (Reni)

“Ah, I will take some as well!” (Helen)

Once Helen, who stretched out her hand unable to control herself, grasped the biggest sweets, Reni put down the basket and started to eat as well.

“Is it alright for me to join as well?” (Zanga)

“Yea. Everyone, please eat as there are plenty!” (Reni)

Even the elves, who observed the situation while being cautious, stretch out their hands into the basket one after the other after being relieved seeing Zanga’s state.
Though sugar was rare and couldn’t be obtained in Swordland, the healthy ones among the beastmen were able to gather fruits in the wastelands. The female beastmen group, which heard about a simple sweets recipe from Hifumi, created a paste similar to jam, which doesn’t use sugar, and learned to use fruits instead of sugar by mixing the paste into batter made out of flour.
The elves were able to eat fruits in the elven forest as well, but they haven’t been able to often encounter such elaborately baked sweets.
Smiles spread among the elves who ate the baked sweets.

“It’s delicious.” (Malfas)

“Yea. It’s tasty.” (Riedel)

Malfas, Riedel and also the beastgirl called Olra are stuffing their cheeks with baked sweets and are smiling.
Being treated with tea the other beastmen brought as well, a tea party began in the wastelands in the blink of an eye.

“Hey, delicious sweets will make everyone smile and it becomes possible to get along with each other. Just like Hifumi-san did.” (Reni)

“Well, that’s true I guess.” (Helen)

Due to Reni bragging proudly with a smile, Helen thought thanks to that Hifumi Swordland was divided to a degree that it’s impossible to mend though, but she hesitates to mention that in the current atmosphere.

“Oh, sheep-san knows Hifumi-san as well?” (Zanga)

“Is he an acquaintance of you, too, elf-obaachan? We were taught various things by Hifumi-san and created a city for beastmen and humans.” (Reni)

“Reni-san brings together the beastmen, who were oppressed like me, and is presently acting as representative of the city. Helen-san over there also assists in mediating between humans and us beastmen as assistant representative.” (Gengu)

Helen stops him by saying “stop, that’s embarrassing”, however Reni explained the current situation while smiling bashfully.

“The humans, who are gathered in front of the gate, look like they hate beastmen although it’s regretful… But, there are plenty of human-san’s in our city who are good friends with beastmen.” (Reni)

“I see, I see.” (Zanga)

“Although you are young, you have it difficult”, Zanga nodded several times over, but once she finished to eat baked sweets, she called over Malfas’ group.

“The city you were looking for was the one here. How nice, eh? If it’s sheep-san’s city, you will definitely be able to live there safely. By chance your father might be there as well.” (Zanga)

Zanga roughly stroke Malfas’ head with her bony fingers.

“Huh? The elves won’t come in?” (Reni)

“Oh, does the city of sheep-san accept elves as well?” (Zanga)

“Of course!” (Reni)

Reni hit her chest with a thump.

“We want to create a city where any kind of person can live happily. Although our fellow beastmen in the wastelands are still continuing to be hostile towards us, our city is something great where everyone’s cooperating. In the beginning we received various help from Hifumi-san, but… even so, we want to live by relying on our own strength from now on.” (Reni)

“I see. It might be fun to help with that too.” (Zanga)

“Puuse-onee-chan, let’s go together! Puuse-onee-chan’s magic is amazing. She heals wounds in the blink of an eye!” (Riedel)

Riedel has remains of the sweets smeared around her mouth as she is eating one baked sweets after the other, but pulling Puuse’s hand, she talks about Puuse’s magic in excitement.

“Wounds are gone in the blink of an eye!? That’s amazing!” (Gengu)

“Kya.” (Puuse)

Once Gengu pushed forth his face in agitation due to the remark about magic he had never seen before, Puuse unintentionally leaked a small scream.

“I-I’m sorry.” (Gengu)

“You have a scary face.” (Helen)

“How cruel! I was born with this face.” (Gengu)

Puuse encouraged Gengu, who dropped his shoulder being heartbroken after having been told that flatly by Helen, while smiling wryly.

“Everyone, let’s get along, okay? Moreover, the city Hifumi-san helped out with. I’m slightly curious.” (Zanga)

Upon Zanga’s decision, all of the elves decided to live in the slums.
Just when they suddenly started a tea party, the elves headed to the slums. The humans, who were watching them from the city’s entrance, couldn’t do anything but see them off without understanding what had happened.

☻

“You did it quite flashily.” (Vepar)

Vepar, who was finally able to calm down the castle, ordered her own subordinates to clean up the area around the castle gate and turned up at the hall.
A mountain of debris and corpses being scattered around. Seeing her two subordinates trembling, she made a brief comment with a sigh mixed in.

“It wasn’t me who made the ceiling fall. How rude.” (Hifumi)

“Everything else was you though, right? If you compare the matter of having killed the king with the issues of the ceiling having collapsed, the latter is in the range of being trifle.” (Vepar)

“It’s great. With this you can become the ruler. The ruler of the demon race.” (Hifumi)

Hifumi drew back the katana which was aimed at Njal.
Pheres rushes over as Njal, whose thread of tension was cut, collapses weakly.

“Might be… so. However, there are plenty others who strongly desire to climb in rank. I might not reach it, you know?” (Vepar)

Due to Vepar saying it jokingly with a bitter smile mixed in, Hifumi licked his lips while sheathing his katana into its scabbard.

“That’s good news. In other words, that means you will become king if I kill even more.” (Hifumi)

“… Haa. Why do you want me to ascend the throne to such an extent?” (Vepar)

“You are similar to a fellow I like.” (Hifumi)

Vepar raised her eyebrows due to Hifumi’s words.

“I’m jealous. Someone resembling me won’t be a good woman.” (Vepar)

“That’s true. That person is the princes of a human country… now she is the queen, huh? Just like you, that person has frantically done her very best to protect the people in her surroundings. That’s something I’m unable to do.” (Hifumi)

“Therefore”, Hifumi hit the pommel of the katana with his finger.

“Fight. Show me how you can rise even further from here on by destroying each other’s important things, by risking your lives to fight with each other and by scheming in a clumsy way. By doing that you guys’ world will become something very nice.” (Hifumi)

“… You are crazy.” (Vepar)

“Can you endure waiting to understand why until results appear? If everyone thinks like me, this world will definitely become something absolutely boring.” (Hifumi)

“Well then”, Hifumi closed in on Vepar and stood in front of her.

“Were you able to resolve yourself?” (Hifumi)

“… Got it. I will do so until you leave the territory of the demons. It’s something someone has to do sooner or later anyway. Might as well be me who knows the the circumstances. That will decrease the sacrifices.” (Vepar)

“That’s right. It’s good like this. Having said that, let’s have the people work a bit more for the sake of chasing me out.” (Hifumi)

☻

The notification that the king had been killed by a human was intentionally conveyed only to the influential demons right away.
The people, who were in the castle, and those, who had returned home, hurried in panic to the entrance of the city leading their close subordinates.

“The scoundrel, who killed the king, is running around all over the city, but he will likely escape outside the city sooner or later.”

That’s the contents of the information.
The king has no children. If they get the achievement of having gotten rid of the sinner, the possibility of them becoming king isn’t zero even if their pedigree isn’t regarded highly amongst the demons.
Especially considering the people who are forming factions in the current occasion, rather than mourning over the king’s death, they saw it as nothing but their biggest chance.
However, although they intended to be calm, they weren’t. That’s because there’s a human at the level of being able to defeat the king or are they able to win against that human as they are? They didn’t turn their thinking in that direction.
And there is a point they should consider in doubt.

“Why was such important information delivered at dawn like this?”

A king’s death. Moreover if he was killed. Far from announcing it officially, it should be obvious to gloss it over with a different cause of death or to conceal it in any way from the beginning to the end. A certain demon proposed to a noble who is his lord.
However, that opinion has been easily shelved.

“This time’s message was from Vepar. There’s probably no mistake as it has her signature, too. That person is after all just a woman. She is likely confused by the sudden turn of events.”

“But, will she do something like expressly sending a signed letter if she’s confused…?”

“Cut it out! Using the time for something like worrying in hesitation, do you intend to let the king’s seat get away? Anyway, for now we will concentrate on arresting the criminal or killing them.”

The people with the same objective leave through the open gate one after the other.

“Search for the criminal. He shouldn’t have been able to escape very far yet…”

During the time each group meets up and decides their destination, the opened, large front gate suddenly closed with a loud sound.
Even the sound of *don* signalling the affixing of the bolt can be heard.

“Wait! Why have you closed the gate!?”

“The enemy went outside! What are you thinking to close it this late in the game!?”

The people, who were literally shut out, roar towards the gate one after the other.

“If it’s the enemy, he’s here.” (Hifumi)

On top of the gate, where the guards are usually patrolling, a single human is standing.

“Thanks for going to work early in the morning. I seem to be the human you are looking for.” (Hifumi)

Jumping down nimbly, Hifumi opened the mouth of the katana’s sheath.

“And, goodbye.” (Hifumi)

The sunlight, which started to make its appearance, is reflected by the smoothly drawn katana.

“Now then, it’s the end of your journey. Let’s compete with each other to our hearts’ content.” (Hifumi)