Meanwhile, the Demon Lord was laying on his bed, looking up at the night sky through the window.
(There’s a moon in this world, too...)
He could feel himself gradually sobering up. Some time had passed since the Demon Lord came to this world, but it didn’t seem like he would naturally hop back to his own world any time soon.
(Will unlocking all the Administrator commands really do the trick...?)
The Administrator commands, of course, were related to the game. As such, there was no ‘return to the real world’ command or the like. If he really was summoned by that false-god-looking statue, finding a similar entity and wishing to it seemed like the Demon Lord’s only hope.
(The big problem, though, is whether or not I can return to the same day.)
As far as the Demon Lord was concerned, if he could eventually return to the real world on the same day he had left it, there was no problem. However, if time in the real world flowed the same as it did here, that would cause some issues. If he returned to the real world even just a month later... well, a person missing for a month would be a big deal. ‘Oops, just spent a month in another world’ wouldn’t cut it. The truth would only get him into a padded room.
(For now, I guess I just have to try and unlock more commands...)
But he had no idea what to do next. Keep farming SP? Make some money? Find specific items? In any case, not doing anything wouldn’t help. It could even be constructive if he just treated it like a vacation and enjoyed himself.
(What’s waiting for me back there, anyway...? Day after day of the same old job.)
“Master Demon Lord! The Oil-Drum is amazing!”
The Demon Lord let out a laugh. He didn’t know what to say to Aku, who found so much joy in that sorry excuse for a bath. Although, if the Demon Lord had lived through post-WWII Japan, he might have shared the sentiment. Now that they were travelling together, the Demon Lord imagined what kind of reaction he could get out of her with his other Administrator commands unlocked. Considering Aku’s upbringing, the Demon Lord couldn’t help but try to fill the role of a parent.
(A hot springs resort, maybe...? I might as well recreate the Sleepless Castle.)
The Sleepless Castle was the final area of the game, where Hakuto Kunai and all of his close subjects resided. The backstory of the place was that a select few of the world’s wealthiest were invited there to watch the Game live. In addition to the Demon Lord’s subjects, the impenetrable fortress was guarded with 2000 soldiers. The Demon Lord wondered how Aku would react if he showed her this ultimate showcase of the Empire’s technology. While it was a blood-soaked battleground, where countless players were taken down over the course of a decade and a half, the Sleepless Castle would also guarantee them safety from all. It had only been conquered once during its existence, after all. Besides, if the Demon Lord could summon his subjects, that would allow for many more options going forward.
“Master Demon Lord, I washed myself with bubbles again!”
“Hm...? Yeah, you smell good.”
“Really? Hee hee hee...”
Aku giggled with joy and climbed into the bed the Demon Lord was laying on. Her blond hair made it seem like a well-groomed kitten had curled up next to him.
“Woah, you’re going to sleep in my bed?”
“May I?”
“Look, I know you think I’m some old guy who could be your dad, but I need to tell you something. I... The real me, is not a dad. I’m not that old. Got it?”
“I don’t know what you’re saying, Master Demon Lord.”
As the Demon Lord continued to try, futilely, to get his point across, the night thickened.
——A few days later... On a mountain, somewhere in Holylight.
Forty or so bandits were swarming on the foothills. They had heard the news that a Holy Maiden was about to pass here on a carriage. Naturally, they couldn’t let such a perfect opportunity slide. They were poised to attack. The bandits, known as the Mole, were infamous around these parts for not being picky about their targets. No matter how weak or strong, they would attack without discrimination. Naturally, that led to some painful defeats, but their numbers only grew. Perhaps that was an indication of how unstable this country was.
The leader of the reckless bunch was calmly sitting on a stump, gazing towards the foot of the mountain. He had been in the highway robbery business since his teens, and now was a rather infamous leader of the gang. While he was now over fifty years in age, he was as built as ever. As he calmly tilted his bottle, a silhouette appeared at the foot of the mountain. The leader immediately determined that it wasn’t their target. But another thought crossed his mind while watching two people walking through a land so remote that it could be classified as a wasteland. Could it be a trap? More than once, they had jumped on a small group of seemingly ideal prey only to be surrounded by the hidden, much larger team, and they were forced to flee in bitter defeat. Then, it clicked. The leader caught on to the Holy Maiden’s tactic. She was baiting them out in the open, where she could easily take them down, he thought.
“...Heh. It’s not going to be that easy, miss Holy Maiden.”
“Boss, what should we do with those two?”
“Kill ’em... We’ll retreat before the rest of them show up from behind us.”
Thanks to his experience, the leader always made decisions fast. In the middle of action, there was no time for indecision. Stasis led directly to death. The leader recalled his many comrades who died of indecision in a critical moment. One of his henchmen loaded his bow without a sound and loosed it in a single breath. There was no hesitation in snuffing out a life here.