Chapter 86

CHAPTER 1 Hiiragi Attacks 1 After settling our differences with the Kisaragi Corporation’s second-rate imitation, aka, the Hiiragi Agency of Order, the Torace Kingdom was renamed, becoming the Hiiragi-Torace territory. From our point of view, we basically had Torace nabbed out from under us by a newcomer, but we’ve managed to secretly link the capital of Torace to our Hideout City with a subterranean tunnel, and we’re currently mining large amounts of water crystals every day. Because it’s possible they’ll find out we’re illegally mining the water crystals, we’ve decided not to worry about saturating the market and are selling the crystals as quickly as we mine them. Our competition seemed perplexed by the sudden glut in water crystals, but for now, it looks like they’ve decided to just watch how the market shakes out before resuming their own mining operations. Torace has always been a wealthy country with plenty of money, so they have the resources to be able to sit back and let their laborers rest while keeping an eye on water crystal prices. Which fits perfectly with our plans to make money from the gems while we still have access to them. Basically, there aren’t any major issues at the moment, and we’re making good progress on our local invasion preparations… I sit in Viper’s office, lit softly by the afternoon sun, and listen to the sounds of her pen scratching across the surface of her paperwork and the gentle snoring coming from Rose, curled up at her feet. As we hang out, Grimm softly says, “How peaceful…” Viper’s pen pauses at Grimm’s remark. “Yes, indeed. It’s a lovely calm. None of our Combat Agents need to be exposed to danger and…” Viper smiles over at sleepy-eyed Grimm. “Tsk tsk… Still trying to play the good girl, hmm? Have you forgotten that you’re supposed to be part of the leadership of an evil corporation…? The whole reason they keep Combat Agents around is to fight! A peaceful period is nothing to celebrate.” “Oh! Y-you’re right, of course. I shouldn’t be glad for peace. Um… The Bashin tribe reported that they encountered a new monster in the woods. I’ll go and investigate. Depending on what I find, could be some fresh conflict, so…” “How can you be so confidently wrong?! You’re supposed to be management! You need to be making use of your underlings! Take a page from the Grace Kingdom’s old chief of staff. That rotten pig kept sending Rose and me into the heart of the most intense fighting. You need to learn to start abusing your underlings a bit more and make them do things they don’t want to do!” In a rare role reversal, Grimm’s the one making sense as Viper basks in the tranquil atmosphere of her office. “Things they don’t want to do…” Trying to think of things her subordinates might not want to do, Viper looks over in my direction. “Mr. Six, you seem to have time on your hands. Could you please help me organize my paperwork?” “I may look like I’m not doing much, but I’m actually super busy. And Vi, while I admire your desire to become a proper evil leader, you shouldn’t be offloading your work onto others.” “Y-yes, you’re completely right! M-my apologies.” “Hold on there! You can’t just give up like that! Look at him more carefully. He’s clearly slacking off! Commander, tell the class what you’re actually doing!” Grimm’s screeching interrupts Viper as she tries to resume working. I show off the magnifying glass in my hand and point to the blue water crystal sitting on a plate. “Water crystals slowly melt into water when you warm them up. I’m watching a crystal melt because it looks pretty cool.” “See! He’s not busy at all! If you’re that bored, head off to Grunade already!” There’s a country called Grunade. In the deepest parts of what used to be the Demon Lord’s realm, there’s a mountain range called the Midgard Mountains, and Grunade considers it holy terrain. The country rests at the foot of the Midgard Mountains and is also a big center of dragon worship, since its people still believe that ancient dragons watch over them. And… “…Grunade’s all up in a stir because a mysterious monster stole their sorcery stone, right? It’d be pretty rude to visit them while they’re dealing with that, don’t you think?” They’re in quite a mess because the sorcery stone that’s their national treasure was stolen. “…Hey, Commander, it’s time to face reality, yes? I’m sure by now even you’ve realized who actually stole the sorcery stone,” Grimm says with an exasperated sigh. But if I admit this, it’ll turn a minor problem into a major diplomatic incident. Even though we’re planning to eventually invade Grunade, now isn’t the right time to go around making new enemies since we just finished settling a cease-fire with our imitators. After all, we’re busy mining water crystals from right under their noses. Once they figure out what we’ve been doing, we can kiss this armistice goodbye. “Now, let’s not be hasty, Grimm. You all seem eager to pass judgment on Tiger Man, but so far it’s just circumstantial evidence!” “Do you really think there’s another feline monster who walks on two legs and goes around purring and meowing?” She’s got me there, but the moment I accept that she’s right, I lose. “I know of other feline monsters that could steal a national treasure. The group we fought the other day had a giant cat as a pet, remember?” “I said walks on two legs! Don’t try covering your ears to deny it! Look at me!” I resist Grimm’s efforts at persuasion by plugging my ears, even as she grabs me by the shoulders and shakes me back and forth. “Mmph. Grimm, what are you shouting about…? It’s midday, shouldn’t you be asleep…?” Rose, who’s been napping at Viper’s feet, sits up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. “Why am I, the nocturnal one, actually working while you’re taking a nap?! …Speaking of which, Rose, you’ve gotten a lot more dog-like lately,” Grimm says with a note of exasperation, prompting Rose to leap to her feet. “You may be my friend, Grimm, but comparing me to a mutt is going too far! And if that’s what you’re calling me, then I’ll just say it! Lately you’ve been acting like an old lady, napping all day in the shade!” “My my, you’ve got a mouth on you, don’t you, young lady? Fine. I’ll inflict you with a curse as big as the one I put on the entire country of Torace!” “C-calm down, please, both of you…” The pair instantly enters combat mode, and Viper, caught between the two of them, shoots me a pleading gaze. I avoid looking in their direction and continue lighting the crystal with my magnifying glass. “It’s so peaceful…” “It’s not peaceful at all! Help me defuse this, Mr. Six!” The Kisaragi Corporation’s Local Branch is currently enjoying a blissful lull in the action. 2 To avoid the unfolding chaos in Viper’s room, I decide to kill time by wandering around Hideout City when I come upon a surprising sight. “Miss Snow, thank you so much! You were a great help!” “Think nothing of it. Call me if you ever need help. I’ll come as soon as I can.” A hardhat-clad Snow dismounts an excavator at a construction site as the demons around her offer thanks. …Why is a local like her operating construction equipment? “Hey, what are you doing? You can’t just go driving our heavy machinery around.” “What are you babbling about this time? I have a license to operate this thing.” She then holds out a license. “Why does a local like you have one of these?!” “Alice printed it for me. If you listen to her lecture, then pass the operator’s exam, she’ll issue one for you, too. This isn’t the only certification I’ve picked up, either. I’ve passed a bunch of other exams as well. After all, every new certification means a bump in salary!” Unbelievable. Her license shows that she’s got more certifications than I do. …That’s right—Snow is a former street urchin who worked her way into becoming a knight commander by hauling herself up by her bootstraps. “…What are you doing back here anyway? Weren’t you hyped about reclaiming your knighthood or something?” Yes, her recent achievements were enough to get her reinstated… “Her Highness told me to cooperate with Kisaragi as a part-timer, because that would allow me to deepen the Kingdom’s ties to Kisaragi while earning money and learning about your technology. Thanks to that, I’m in the wonderful position of earning salaries from both the kingdom and Kisaragi!” “Hey, that’s not fair! You collect two checks?!” So now Snow’s learning the ins and outs of Kisaragi tech… Isn’t that like spying?! She’s essentially earning a double salary to be a double agent. Are you kidding me…? “It’s not much different than when you were getting paid by the kingdom to be a knight while serving as a spy for Kisaragi.” “Uh-huh…well, anyway, where’s Alice? I needed to talk to her about Tiger Man.” “Don’t try to change the subject.” Even as she interjects, Snow nods at my question. “Alice is over there trying to reeducate the former leaders of the Demon Lord Army, but… It’s probably easier to just show you than try to explain. Alice is acting a bit strangely. Her usual cold logic is nowhere to be found. See if you can do something for her.” Snow deliberately keeps her description vague and points to a building in front of her. It’s a school building constructed for the education of demon children. In addition to teaching the typical subjects, the school also plays up how wonderful an organization the Kisaragi Corporation is, in the hopes that they’ll be brainwashed—er, educated—to become obedient workers in the future. The curriculum has been adjusted to match the local conditions, and it includes a smattering of reading, writing, and arithmetic; lectures on the glorious history of the Kisaragi Corporation; lessons on how to recognize and deal with the threat of local wildlife; and ways to recognize and gather the most valuable resources in the area. I guess their class is out today. I don’t see any kids around, but I do hear familiar voices echoing from one of the classrooms. “Again, how did you arrive at that answer?! You started out so well!” “Don’t look at me! Alice, you’re the one who’s going off on weird tangents!” “Heine’s right! I was following along just fine until the middle part! Then you suddenly lost me!” I follow the voices and peer into the classroom. There, I see Alice standing at the lectern, engaged in an argument with Heine and Russell. Catching sight of me through the hallway window, Alice gestures for me to enter and join them. “Oh, good timing, Six. A question for a veteran agent like you. Let’s say you’re ordered to take fifty agents and wipe out an enemy base. It’s expected to take you two weeks. How much are you going to prepare in terms of supplies?” …Basic math problem? I guess the reasoning that I can bring down the base in three days isn’t going to cut it here. “Given there’s the possibility our advance could be slowed by bad weather and the chance that enemy resistance might be greater than expected, I’d say three weeks’ worth of rations and ammo for fifty agents… Hey! Why are you patting my head?”