PS2: Click here to start reading Merchant Noble 235 and Let’s Create a Dungeon 56.1.

Impact-Site-Verification: 8cabe50b-540d-458f-b5cc-a830236fbb31

 

 

Short Story (6): Night Gathering – Kai’s Achievement

Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

At night, aside from the gate guards who remained on watch until they slept after eating, the demons were only sleeping. However, occasionally, there was a gathering where only the chieftains met to exchange information.

That gathering was being held today. Chieftain Kai, while sleepily yawning, headed toward Hide’s house, which had been chosen as the venue this time.

The place where the gathering was held was determined by taking turns at each chieftain’s house. The reason for this was to avoid creating a difference in status among the chieftains. If they were to visit the same chieftain’s house every time, that house would appear to be of higher rank.

Incidentally, the last gathering was held at Rin’s house, and the agenda was the order of reporting to the Demon King. The order was determined as follows, Lan, who completed the task and reported first, followed by Vi, who originally had no task. Next were Shiba, who had not completed the task but had something to report, and then Kai, who was in the same position with only a report. After them was Hide, who had no progress, and lastly Rin, who was waiting for training. That was, by the way, yesterday’s discussion. A gathering two days in a row and because of that, Kai was sleepy.

The only saving grace was that the reason for gathering this time was to meet the newly named Arachne.

Receiving a name from the Demon King was something special. No one understood this better than Kai, the chieftain of the Orcs.

Currently, among the races under the Demon King’s command, only the Orcs had the custom of giving names. A name was something important, given by a parent to a child. Thanks to a name, a child was recognized by those around them as belonging to a certain parent, and in case of emergency, they could be protected.

Then, what did it mean to receive a name from the Demon King, who was not a parent?
It meant being recognized as an individual by the Demon King. And what did that signify?

For example, suppose an Orc achieved some kind of merit. Because of that, the Orc would be praised, and the race would be evaluated favorably. However, what remained in the Demon King’s memory was only the fact that the Orc race had achieved merit. The individual Orc who accomplished it would not be remembered.

If one had a name, then in the Demon King’s memory, the specific individual of which race had achieved the merit would be recorded. If remembered, the individual might receive new orders based on their achievements.

That was how important a name was.

That said, this time was just a face-revealing. It should have ended quickly. That was what Kai thought until he entered Hide’s house.

Upon entering Hide’s house, Kai realized two things. That he was the last one to arrive among those called to the gathering, and that he did not understand what was going on. The host, Hide, was sitting with a troubled and downcast expression, while beside him, Rin was lying face-down on the table, asleep. Additionally, Vi, the chieftain of the Slimes, was absent, and instead, Seki was attending. For some reason, Shiba appeared to be angry. And at the receiving end of that anger were Ran and what seemed to be the newly named Arachne, both of whom were lowering their heads apologetically.

Kai understood about Hide. Since yesterday, he had been muttering about having nothing to report and was feeling down. It seemed that today as well, despite his efforts, he had no results. As for Rin, she had likely been training hard. Previously, when she had a test of skill against the Demon King, she suffered a complete defeat and seemed to have been quite troubled by it. Because of that, her recent training had been on a different level of intensity. Moreover, with Alice’s return, the harshness must have increased. No wonder she was tired.

From here, things became harder to understand. Why was Seki attending instead of Vi, the chieftain? Even though Kai did not fully grasp the thinking of the Slimes, he believed they would not break rules based on mere whim. And why was Shiba angry? The reason why his anger was directed at Ran and the Arachne was also unclear.

Wasn’t this supposed to be a gathering to introduce the newly named individual and celebrate? Questions arose, but Kai set them aside for later. First, since the chieftains had gathered, the meeting should begin. To that end, he clapped his hands once, drawing everyone’s gaze to himself.

“Rin, wake up. I would like to start the gathering, but before that, there are several things I need to ask.” (Kai)

At the sound, everyone turned their eyes toward Kai. As for Rin, she was so surprised that she stood up.

“First, Seki, explain why the chieftain Vi is not attending.” (Kai)

“Hmm~? The chieftain was called by Maou-sama. That takes priority. The gathering is covered by a substitute.” (Seki)

With that, nearly everyone was convinced. Indeed, the gathering was important, but anything related to Maou-sama took precedence over everything else.

“What! Summoned by Maou-sama at this hour! No way—” (Ran)

“Ran!” (Shiba)

There was Ran, looking as though she didn’t want to believe it, but she immediately shrunk back when Shiba yelled at her.

What exactly had Ran done?

“No? Maou-sama called me before the sun set. Said he had something to ask, come when free. If I go to the gathering, the chieftain is free. So, I came.” (Seki)

With Seki’s words, which revealed everything, all the chieftains lost their words.

Indeed, anything related to Maou-sama takes priority, but couldn’t this have waited until tomorrow? Wouldn’t it be inconvenient at night?

However, the fact that Vi wasn’t here meant that Maou-sama had accepted them. Trying to bring the strange atmosphere back to normal, Kai continued speaking.

“Now, it’s Shiba’s turn. You seem angry, did something happen?” (Kai)

“Ran caused trouble for Maou-sama. It’s a serious issue, but looking at the reaction to Seki’s words, I’m worried whether she really understands. It’s a good opportunity, I’ll talk to everyone about it.” (Shiba)

When Shiba glanced at Ran, she was lowering her head apologetically. The newly named Arachne behind her was also lowering her head.

What exactly had happened? Let’s listen to Shiba’s story.

After hearing the explanation, the only thing that came out was a sigh.

“First, let me ask, Ran, is what you just said true? Was there any lie or deception?” (Kai)

“…No.” (Ran)

Ran, who seemed about to disappear, answered in a voice barely audible. Indeed, arguing in front of Maou-sama was a problem. That too, at the very moment when they were granted names, was an even bigger issue. But…

“What is this, arguing without realizing that Maou-sama had left the room! I thought you were sitting there reflecting, but you were both insulting each other like curses! Have some shame!” (Shiba)

With hair and tail bristling, Shiba raised his voice in anger like a fierce flame. It seemed that even though some time had passed, the flames of his anger hadn’t died down.
Ran, who was yelled at, and Ichi, the newly named Arachne, both silently lowered their heads.

Indeed, what Ran had done was awful. Creating a tense atmosphere and arguing in front of their master, Maou-sama, and then not even noticing when he left and continuing the argument. If Kai had been there, he would have been just as angry as Shiba.

That said, if it had been Kai, it wouldn’t have dragged on like this. He would have scolded them on the spot, prompted them to reflect, and it would have been over. There was also a problem with Shiba continuing his anger. As the first race to be taken under the Demon King’s protection, the Kobold tribe has pride and, more than that, a loyalty to the Demon King that exceeds others. Kai himself felt that same loyalty, but this time he thought Shiba’s loyalty was running wild. However, pointing that out would only add fuel to the fire, so Kai decided to resolve the situation by offering a helping hand.

“Well, well, Shiba. They’re reflecting. Besides, Maou-sama himself wasn’t that angry, was he? There’s no point in staying angry forever. And besides, today’s gathering is also a celebration of Ichi’s name, after all. So, let’s call it quits, alright?” (Kai)

Saying that, it was hard for Shiba to continue being angry any longer. After a low grunt, he silently nodded.

“Now, then, everyone probably already knows, but let’s have the introductions. Hey, Rin, wake up.” (Kai)

Finally, they were moving on to the main topic, the face-revealing. Originally, the names were supposed to be learned during this introduction, but due to Shiba’s explanation, the name had already come up. So, Kai thought of doing the introduction differently, but he himself wanted to sleep soon. After all, he had a report to make to Maou-sama tomorrow. He couldn’t afford to show up sleep-deprived, so he decided to proceed with the usual method to finish it quickly. He grabbed Rin’s neck, who looked about to fall asleep, and handed the floor over to Ichi.

“I-I am Ichi, the Arachne who was named by Maou-sama today. I am inexperienced, but I ask for your kindness.” (Ichi)

Everyone welcomed her with applause. It wasn’t a great start, so the impression wasn’t that good, but compared to when Seki was introduced, it was much better.

After all, in Seki’s case, his greeting ended with “Seki, pleased to meet you”, and upon seeing that figure, Ran realized he was the culprit who had eaten the flowers used for dyeing, leading to a late-night chase between a Big Slime and a Arachne. The outcome was unknown. Before that, everyone went home and slept.

“Looking forward to working with you, Ichi. Now, there’s nothing else to report, correct? …Then, dismissed!” (Kai)

 

—

 

Finally, Kai had reached the point of showing the fruits of his efforts. Even if it was unrelated to his assignments, what he was first entrusted with by the Demon King had finally borne fruit.

“Oho, the flowers have bloomed?” (Nobunaga)

In front of him was a carefully cultivated field, now covered in green from the leaves and flowers. Beneath those leaves, countless vines connected to the crops.

“It was quicker than expected.” (Nobunaga)

“Yes, this crop grows relatively fast. Um, was it called Gallia Potato? That’s what the adventurer who attacked the settlement before called it. I’m uncertain, so I will ask Alice-sensei later.” (Kai)

From past events, Kai somehow remembered the name. Back in the settlement, calling it “potato” was enough, but since multiple mysterious seeds were planted in the dungeon, simply calling it a potato wouldn’t suffice if another variety appeared.

“How about the other crops?” (Nobunaga)

“Yes, the ones planted early on have grown to some extent, but they have not yet bloomed. The slower-growing ones have just begun to sprout.” (Kai)

Not knowing what the seeds were, he had only been giving them a suitable amount of water, yet they were growing well, whether due to luck or the environment. At this rate, harvesting seemed possible. After showing all the fields, Kai moved to another location to present another achievement to the satisfied-looking Demon King.

“Maou-sama, there is one last thing I would like to show you. Would you please come outside the dungeon?” (Kai)

The destination was just outside the dungeon, down the hill. It was a completely ordinary forest.

“Maou-sama, please take a look here.” (Kai)

Saying this, Kai pointed to a small sprout, which was carefully fenced off to prevent accidental trampling.

“It looks like some kind of sprout. What is this?” (Nobunaga)

“It is a Wari sprout.” (Kai)

“…Wari? Wari fruit!” (Nobunaga)

This was the greatest achievement discovered after the Demon King’s departure, the Wari sprout.

“Yes, this is the first successful case of Wari sprouting. As for the sprouting conditions, despite the environment, soil, and water being the same as in the dungeon, none sprouted inside, while a few I happened to plant outside did. From this, I suspect it can only sprout in the Great Forest of Owa.” (Kai)

Back when he had been frustrated by his lack of progress and overworking himself, he had thrown some seeds outside in irritation. And now, they had sprouted before his eyes. When Kai first discovered it, he doubted his own eyes. Then, he wept. What had all his struggles to find the sprouting conditions been for?

“So, it can’t be grown in the dungeon? Something exists in the Great Forest of Owa that isn’t in the dungeon? The difference between nature and artificial environments? I have no clue. But creating an orchard outside would make management difficult… There’s also the risk of it being ravaged by monsters at night. In that case, first, I need information.” (Nobunaga)

As he stared at the sprout, the Demon King began muttering something. If it had been relevant to Kai, he would have asked, but since the Demon King was merely organizing his thoughts, Kai remained silent and waited. It seemed the Demon King had finished, as he lifted his face.

“Alright, Kai. First, nurture this and make it bear fruit. As for its name—” (Nobunaga)

“Maou-sama, in that case, let us wait until the fruit appears. There might be some kind of mistake. It would be most fitting to receive a name only after presenting the fruit to you.” (Kai)

Truthfully, he wanted to receive a name immediately. However, his task would only be complete when he successfully cultivated the fruit. If he received a name now, he wouldn’t be able to face those like Hide, who worked hard but had yet to achieve results. Whether he understood Kai’s feelings or not, the Demon King nodded.

“Then, I shall look forward to it. Kai, when you bring me this fruit, come with the one who will receive the name and a fitting name for them.” (Nobunaga)

Feeling pleased, the Demon King returned to the dungeon. Watching his departing figure, Kai lowered his head.

“I will see it through, without fail.” (Kai)

Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

Please consider supporting Bayabusco Translation @

Previous Chapter | Table of Content | Next Chapter