Chapter 197 - Chapter 2: Demon Lord Subjugation Guidelines
Right now, we are in a corner of the Northeastern Forest. It is monster territory.
How did it come to this?
The story goes back to the end of February.
Having successfully finished the winter bear and wolf extermination, we were consulting with Flora about how many honeybees to keep for the spring.
Gathered in my room were Beatrix, Lyudmila, Bonnie, Flora, and Fiona.
Since we had gone to the trouble of being taught how to make mead, we were thinking of making a prototype and putting it up for sale. If we made it well, we might be able to supply it to the Bird's Head Tavern or the Yamano-Sachi Tavern.
That's when Will came in.
"Jeanne. I heard. You're participating in the Demon Lord subjugation! By all means, won't you take me with you?"
Um, what on earth are you saying...
"Is that so?" Beatrix asked.
"You don't have to feign ignorance, Beatrix is going too, right?"
Where did such a fabrication come from... While the two of us were tilting our heads, Mary came rushing in.
"Jeanne. Beatrix. You're participating in the Demon Lord subjugation? Are you going to be okay?"
No, no, so I'm saying, who on earth is saying that?
"It's posted in front of the town hall. Look, when you went to the mountain, you two defeated a dragon, didn't you? Dragon Killers are apparently required to participate."
"Whaaaaaat! I haven't heard anything about that!"
Beatrix and I shouted in loud voices.
Hurrying to the front of the town hall, voices rose, "The Dragon Killers are here!"
Owen-san was in the crowd.
"You're going to the Demon Lord subjugation? If there's anything you need, just say it, the Vigilante Corps will support you with all our might."
Besides that, the martial faction of the Vigilante Corps gathered in a swarm, each giving us words of encouragement.
A wall of people had formed, and I couldn't see the notice.
"We're going to Adolf-san's place."
At this rate, we wouldn't get anywhere. We couldn't even reach the front of the bulletin board.
Beatrix, who had given up on seeing the notice, pulled my hand.
As we entered the town hall, cheers went up.
"Long live the Dragon Killers!"
"Good luck! Don't worry about what comes after!"
They gathered at the counter in a swarm.
This is bad, if we're surrounded, we won't be able to move...
"This way!"
As we were clinging to the wall and inching away, Hanna-san called out to us.
The stairs going down... the basement meeting room!
Somehow, avoiding the people approaching us, we followed Hanna-san and tumbled into the meeting room.
"Oh! You've come, both of you. I was waiting!"
Um, why is Henry-sama here...
Looking around, Eleanor-sama was next to Henry-sama, and beside her were the Archbishop, the Headmistress, Jennifer-sensei, Harris-sama, and even Priest Williams, whom I hadn't seen in a while.
"Soon, the people from the Marcelo Company will arrive as well. And the Class of 175. Until then, drink some wine and wait."
Receiving Adolf-san's words, Hanna-san guided us to our seats and brought us wine.
"There's a rumor going around that we're going to defeat the Demon Lord, but is it true?"
Beatrix, who had drained half a cup of wine in one breath, snapped.
"I don't expect you lot to defeat him."
"Eh?"
The story seems different...
"I-I see. Then that's fine. But, some weird notice is out..."
"It's not weird. I just posted the Demon Lord Subjugation Guidelines."
"Demon Lord Subjugation Guidelines?"
Demon Lord Subjugation Guidelines.
It seems to be a compilation of customs passed down on this island since ancient times, put together jointly by each country.
Usually, there are high-spirited people who participate actively, but it seems having too many people is also a concern.
After roughly scattering the Demon Lord's army, multiple units are sent to the cave where the Demon Lord lives to attack and subjugate him, but even if they rush in pushing and shoving, it's all over with one big magic spell. That's why they've apparently decided on the order of entry, the number of people, and the participation qualifications, and it's said that those who must not participate and those who must participate are written there.
"So, is it mandatory for Dragon Killers to participate?"
"That's right. Also, those who have earned monster extermination rewards equivalent to two hundred gold coins, which is the amount for one dragon, are also equivalent, but if my memory is correct, you two were a little over a hundred gold coins. Unfortunately, you don't fall under that."
It wasn't unfortunate at all. In the first place, even though we were called Dragon Killers, we were just harassing Wilson-san, who was desperately controlling a Dragon Revenant with unusually high magic defense.
"But, you just said we wouldn't be participating in the Demon Lord's defeat."
"You won't defeat the Demon Lord, but you will participate in the diversion."
"Diversion?"
Aren't there too many words I don't understand?
The Demon Lord subjugation force is divided into three: the main force, the diversion, and the rear guard, and it seems not everyone challenges the Demon Lord. We would be participating in the diversion or the rear guard, which in short, seems to be the support units for the main force that challenges the Demon Lord.
I understood after receiving the explanation, but I could by no means accept it. The two of us can only handle something like a mouse.
I refused, saying it was impossible, but...
"It's okay. We're all going together."
"That's right. Let's participate in the Demon Lord subjugation force together with us!"
The Headmistress and Henry-sama said energetically.
According to Eleanor-sama, the main force is an elite group recommended by the kings of each country, a unit gathered with people like Roberts-sama and James-sama. Other people would be support units called diversion or rear guard.
"In short, you're uneasy with just us, so you're coming along? How kind."
When Beatrix said that, she was told it was different.
"The point is, we want to go too, but our age is too high to meet the participation qualifications. So, if we put in a lot of young ones, the average age of the unit will go down. Then we'll be able to go. Anyway, you two have to go. How about it, won't you go with us?"
It seems you can't participate if you're over forty. Henry-sama and the others are all in their sixties. Since we'll be eighteen this year, at least four or five of us would be needed.
Just as I was stunned by Henry-sama's words, the members of the Marcelo Company and the Class of 175 led by Will arrived, bringing Flora and Fiona.
"I heard we were called to the Demon Lord subjugation force?"
It seemed it was news to Marcelo-san as well.
"Can we commute via the Teleportation Circle?"
As expected of the demon Angelica. She's thorough.
"You'll have to transfer between several magic circles, but commuting is possible."
Looking back later, with this answer from Eleanor-sama to Angelica-san's question, everyone's participation was almost decided.
If we work hard, we might be able to observe the final battle of the main force challenging the Demon Lord.
It's said to be the first such attempt in history, but these are Henry-sama, Eleanor-sama, and the Headmistress.
"Let's make sure to see the fine figures of our son and daughter-in-law."
"It'll be a perfect souvenir for the afterlife."
"If you're going to do it, ask Beatrix to draw a portrait of you fighting and cheering. You can co-star in the drawing."
"Oh! That's good!"
"How about it, Beatrix?" they asked.
"It'll be expensive."
"That's fine. Anyway, Roberts' and Gladys' rewards will be returned to the national treasury. We'll have a big one drawn with that. No, we have to send one to Medioland too, so two drawings."
Adolf-san said one for the town hall too, so it became three.
The fee is apparently ten percent of Roberts-sama's and Gladys-sama's subjugation rewards, which is two hundred gold coins.
Beatrix suddenly became motivated.
"It's decided then," Paul-san laughed, and at that point, the Marcelo Company's participation was decided, and since the two of them were going, the Class of 175's participation was decided. "The diversion would be more interesting anyway," Henry-sama said, and it was somehow decided on the diversion.
The reward is one medal, so ten gold coins. Hundreds of people participate, but there are apparently allocations of investment funds for each country. However, if you defeat an A-rank or higher, you get one medal and an additional subjugation reward.
After that, there was a detailed explanation from Eleanor-sama, followed by the announcement of short-term intensive training using the Northeastern Forest.
"What do we do for training?"
Beatrix asked immediately.
"In short, it's monster extermination. Even though it's a diversion, you'll be facing fairly strong monsters, so you have to gain experience."
The expression "fairly strong" bothered me.
By Eleanor-sama's standards, C-rank classes that we've never fought before might appear.
"Do we get subjugation rewards?"
"Unfortunately, no. Instead, the possibility of returning alive when you participate in the Demon Lord subjugation force will increase. Now that the Demon Lord is here, it's a chance. Exterminating mice and boars is important, but while you're in your growth period, you should fight strong monsters and grow as mages."
This is bad. We'll really die.
Um, I wanted to make mead and sell it...
"About the previous talk, the survival rate for the combined participation of the diversion and rear guard is over ninety percent. You'll be fine if you work hard."
The Headmistress encouraged us, but...
"Um, what would it be for just the diversion?"
I asked fearfully.
"...Fifty percent."
Hiiiiiiiii! Half are dying!
"But that's because there are fewer people compared to the rear guard. We're participating with nearly twenty people, the same as the rear guard, and we have four priests who use high-level magic. Since Williams is here, we can make preemptive attacks, and transporting the injured to the rear is easy with Teleport. How many high-level mages do you think we have? With such a blessed lineup, it wouldn't be strange even if we challenged the Demon Lord."
I looked at Beatrix and she was nodding.
"Could it be you're planning to challenge the Demon Lord while pretending to be a diversion?"
The three heroes averted their eyes in unison.
Seeing that, Harris-sama was laughing loudly.
"If it comes to it, let's just escape with Teleport ourselves."
As long as Marcelo-san was there, it seemed we'd be okay.
Training was once a week, from March to April.
The training base would be the fortress of the Nakanohara Jaegers.
Subjugation rewards wouldn't be given, but an allowance would. When I asked the amount, it was one gold coin per person per training session.
We would get eight gold coins in two months.
"Can we have the furs and fangs and such?"
"I'm sorry, but we have to compensate for the training costs. Please forgive us for that."
Adolf-san clasped his hands.
They would apparently cover all necessary expenses during the training period.
When I asked what would happen to the usual monster extermination, they said the Jaegers would do the monster extermination we couldn't do during training instead, and what's more, they would even take care of the fields and livestock.
After consultation, the training period was from Tuesday to Thursday, and the mouse extermination and the foxes and boars around the town on Monday and Friday remained as they were.