kscans

Chapter 58 - The Demon Lord's Apology and Her Retainers

Ten minutes after the commotion, the Hero, Ivan, and the Demon Lord, Lunaria, were kneeling formally on the floor in the dining hall.

Both were bound with ropes and couldn't move. Ivan was still considered somewhat of a danger, so Ren kept him as the target of her Dragon Curse.

"I've reflected on my actions, so could you untie me?"

"I'm sorry."

Both Ivan and Lunaria looked apologetically at Hayato.

"I don't think an apology is enough. What were you two thinking, defeating Master like that? Well, in Lunaria-sama's case, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was Master's fault."

"That was unavoidable. I'm pretty sure I'd win in court."

"I-I-I'm sorry! I never thought the target would switch to the Demon Lord-san!"

"It's not your fault, Ren-chan. The biggest problem is the Hero who tried to rampage here, so don't worry."

"Ugh. Well, you're right... but... sorry about that."

Ivan bowed his head while still tied up. As far as Hayato could see, he seemed genuinely remorseful, so he was thinking it might be time to release him.

The dining hall had been slightly damaged in the commotion. Hayato was driven by the urge to fix it immediately.

"Alright, just to confirm, you both swear you'll never rampage in the base again, right?"

When Hayato asked, both of them nodded.

"Okay, then, dismissed..."

"Please wait, Master."

"Um, what is it?"

"Just how much of a pushover are you? After what they've done, you have to make them offer some form of apology."

"I agree. A verbal apology means nothing. An apology on the level of lending Hayato your strength for free if he's ever in trouble should be necessary."

Ash agreed with Esha's words. Hayato thought they didn't need to go that far, but the situation where the Hero and the Demon Lord would lend him their power was helpful.

And so, Ivan and Lunaria wrote pledges stating that they would not fight inside the base and that they would lend Hayato their strength if he asked for help.

(A "Hero's Pledge" and a "Demon Lord's Pledge," huh? The setting is that they used magical signatures, so the terms are apparently absolute. I've received something pretty incredible.)

Two of the strongest people in the game would help him for free. It was no mistake to say he had obtained a powerful card. Plus, if they wouldn't fight in the base, it would probably be possible to have them participate in Clan Wars.

Hayato put the pledges into his Item Bag while thinking such thoughts.

A week had passed since the incident with the Hero and the Demon Lord.

It was about time to start preparing for the Clan War, but a slight problem had arisen.

The Demon Lord had been coming to apologize every single day since then. What's more, she brought expensive items as apologies. Their origin was unknown, but it seemed obvious that she was stealing them from somewhere.

They weren't spoils of battle like ores, gems, or monster hides. They were clearly processed pieces of equipment. And they had good stats. It would be fair to say they were all items you'd expect to find in a treasure chest in a final dungeon.

"Lunaria-san, where did you get these?"

"My house."

"That's the Demon Lord's Castle, right? It's actually more trouble than it's worth to be given such expensive things."

"They're apology gifts, so please accept them. It's okay, there are still plenty more in the treasury. It's fine if a few go missing."

"The Demon Lord's Castle is your house, I guess, but are you really allowed to take things from the treasury without permission?"

At Hayato's words, Lunaria averted her gaze for some reason. So, it probably wasn't okay.

According to information from Esha, people who admired Lunaria also lived in the Demon Lord's Castle. The castle and its surroundings were dangerous places where demon-type monsters roamed, but the Demon Lord and her retainers who lived there could go about their lives without being attacked by monsters.

(She did say she'd get scolded if Arondight was broken, so she must have retainers or something... Is she bringing these things without them knowing? If I carelessly sell these items, it could lead to huge trouble. I'd better store them carefully.)

Hayato carefully put the items he received from Lunaria into storage, then decided to return to his room to continue his Clan War preparations.

The next day, a large number of people appeared around the base, surrounding it.

Hayato and Esha watched them from a window inside the base.

"Um, what's going on? That's Lunaria-san tied up with a rope, isn't it?"

"She must have been caught stealing from the treasury and is being scolded. I imagine they've come today to get the items back."

He wondered what kind of Demon Lord gets scolded by her retainers, but it also seemed like a natural outcome. The dejected-looking Lunaria made him question if she really was the Demon Lord at all.

With no other choice, Hayato put all the items Lunaria had brought so far into his Item Bag and went outside. A woman in a black Gothic Lolita dress who had been standing next to Lunaria approached him.

"You must be Hayato-san, correct?"

"Uh, yes."

"I would be grateful if you thought of me as one of the Ten Black Rose Saints who serve Lunaria-sama. We are terribly sorry for the trouble our Lunaria-sama has caused. Yesterday, we caught her red-handed in the treasury, and after getting some information out of her, we have come to offer our apologies and thanks."

(Ten Black Rose Saints... I think Ney mentioned them. So they serve the Demon Lord. And she was caught red-handed?)

"There seem to be way too many people for that, though."

"I heard the Hero makes appearances here, so I came with our more combat-oriented members. I apologize for the disturbance. That aside, I actually have a favor to ask..."

"You want the items from the treasury back, I take it?"

"...Your quick understanding is a great help. We will give you something else in return, so it would be a great help if you could return them."

"Wait. Those are the apology gifts I gave to Hayato-san. Don't do something so embarrassing as asking for them back."

Lunaria, still tied up, said to the Gothic Lolita woman with a stern expression.

"Lunaria-sama, taking treasures from the treasury without permission is also an embarrassing act. It is true that everything in the Demon Lord's Castle belongs to you, Lunaria-sama, but taking them without permission is not allowed."

Lunaria drooped dejectedly at those words.

(So she really did take them without permission.)

Hayato traded the items to the Gothic Lolita woman in front of him. They certainly had good stats, but Hayato couldn't use them, and the other members hadn't shown any particular interest. Besides, it would be troublesome if he were resented for stubbornly refusing to return them.

The Gothic Lolita woman blinked several times, surprised that Hayato had returned the items so readily.

"Um, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, of course. In the first place, there's no need for such expensive items as an apology. If you're apologizing, materials like ores or hides would be better."

That was something only Hayato, who had maxed out his production skills, could say. After all, as long as he had the materials, Hayato could create items with similar effects.

Just when Hayato thought the conversation was over, an incident occurred.

"Why are there so many people here?"

The Hero, Ivan, had arrived. Like Lunaria, Ivan had also been bringing apology gifts to Hayato. Ivan and Lunaria had run into each other at the base before, but since they had agreed not to fight inside, there had been no problems.

But this time, the circumstances were a little different.

"Lunaria! I don't know why you're tied up, but fight me!"

"Hold on. You wrote in the pledge that you wouldn't fight here. If you're going to fight, do it somewhere else."

"This is outside the base, so I'm not breaking the terms of the pledge."

(Can he really get away with that?)

Hayato sighed, realizing he'd gotten dragged into more trouble.