Dungeon Defense (WN)

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Sitri scowled. She shouted about how that was ridiculous, but Paimon herself remained cool. Paimon most likely understood that the general consensus was on our side. Things would simply become disadvantageous for her if she tried to claim to be innocent here, this was most likely what she was thinking. Or perhaps, she had something else in mind.

Sitri shouted.

“In the first place, it doesn’t make any sense! What? We came here to attack the Plains Faction from behind? Hey you, yeah you. Dantalian or whatever. I heard you wrote that in your message and sent it out? If you have any evidence, then show it.”

Oh dear, the arrowhead is pointing to me now. Did she think I’d be easier to deal with than Barbatos?

Be it here or in the game, Sitri was never an eloquent Demon Lord. She was purely a fighter. It seems this meathead was understandably looking down on me.

The other Demon Lords, whose presences were like that of glittering stars, were looking towards us with interested eyes. In truth, they only took action because of my message. Marbas was the only person among them who was present during that fateful Walpurgis Night. Therefore, this is like my debut for them. 

Well, whatever. If Marbas is the host of this gathering, then I’m the host behind the curtains. As the host, it is my duty to entertain my guests. Shall I try throwing out some bait?

“If it is proof, then there is more than enough. It is as clear as day even if you only look at the letter you people sent to the Plains Faction.”

“Agree to an armistice with the human army that has always been sworn enemies to demonkind, if you do not, then we will attack you……. No matter how you look at this, this is an act of treason. There is no proof better than this.”

“Hmph. That can’t be treated as a betrayal.”

Sitri snorted as if she had expected this.

“We simply acted for the sake of our greater cause. Taking over a portion of the land on the continent for demonkind to live. This is our purpose. We could have taken the northern region of Habsburg without shedding a single drop of blood if we accepted that armistice!”

“Without shedding a single drop of blood, is it?”

I snickered. This wasn’t an act. I fully displayed the emotion I was feeling.

“Whose blood could you possibly be referring to?”

“What?”

“We struggled desperately to get through the fortresses on the Black Mountains. We defeated Margrave Rosenberg and established peace in a portion of the northern region. Ultimately, we won against a total of 50,000 imperial soldiers. Do you believe that not a single drop of blood was shed during this process? A countless number of demons have fallen.”

Even I got hit by an arrow on the thigh during the battle in Austerlitz. At the very least, my blood has seeped into this earth.

“Sitri, the ‘we’ you are referring to most likely is directed to only the Mountain Faction. The numerous deaths within the 6th legion of the Crescent Alliance is not a part of your ‘we’. Before thinking for the sake of the entire Crescent Alliance, a Demon Lord is thinking only for their specific faction. What a dereliction of duty. How preposterous.”

I shrugged. A few Demon Lords around us laughed. It was Barbatos and Gamigin. The greatest sadist and masochist of the Demon Lord army, huh? It seems I only give a favorable impression to perverts and not normal people. It seems that saying about birds of a feather flocking together was wrong.

“That’s not what I’m saying!”

Sitri’s face became red. However, that was it. She claimed that I was wrong, but only an incoherent excuse followed after. I found myself letting out a sigh. This conversation is becoming disappointing.

At the very least, Paimon, who’s currently in the distance looking at me impassively, almost got me killed during the Walpurgis Night. If I hadn’t used my knowledge from the game to coax Ivar Lodbrok, then I would have definitely lost. It’d be great if she could display this much ability as well……but this was probably asking too much from a fighter who only has muscles for a brain.

“In any case, I’m saying that your claim has no proof!”

“So you are saying that the Mountain Faction has never communicated secretly with the Habsburg Empire. Is this what you are saying?”

“Of course. Our Mountain Faction has only acted for the sake of demonkind.”

I mused and pretended to contemplate her words.

“Then the Mountain Faction considers our Plains Faction as allies, correct?”

“Naturally. We’re all a part of the Crescent Alliance, after all.”

“Mm, very well, then.”

I relented.

Sitri furrowed her brows. It must seem suspicious since I was suddenly being submissive despite being so aggressive a second ago. However, I’ve already managed to reel in my bait. A large chunk of the Mountain Faction was currently caught on the bait.

“I also wish for the Mountain Faction to be innocent. However, the problem is how this appears to others.”

“Others?”

Sitri scowled further.

“What are you talking about?”

“Regardless of your intentions, the Mountain Faction had threatened the Plains Faction. If the other commanders present here today had not arrived, then the Plains Faction would have undoubtedly been wiped out. A portion of the Demon Lord army and demon society have already begun to treat Miss Paimon as a traitor.”

“Haah? What kind of bastard thinks…….”

I cut her off.

“Miss Gamigin, may I ask you for your personal opinion? Do you believe that Paimon and the Mountain Faction have betrayed the Demon Lord army?”

“Yup. I do think that they betrayed us.”

The blonde Demon Lord answered immediately with a bright grin.

“Sorry that a bastard like me thinks that way~.”

“…….”

“But, you know, wouldn’t the people who think otherwise actually be the minority? It’s over if you just attach a justification, but that doesn’t change the fact that the Plains Faction would’ve ended up with their faces in the dirt. You can go on about it being for the sake of demonkind, but you were still trying to shave away at the Crescent Alliance’s military strength.”

Sitri was at a loss for words. Gamigin openly winked at me. She looked like she wanted me to praise her for doing a good job. This made it feel like I was looking at a large dog with blonde hair.

“Well, that is how it is. Regardless of whether Miss Sitri acknowledges this as proof or not, the Mountain Faction will be seen as guilty once the hearing is opened. In this case, excluding the accuser and the accused which are the Plains Faction and the Mountain Faction……roughly 25 Demon Lords will be able to participate in this hearing. How many of them do you think would believe in the Mountain Faction’s pure and lofty justification?”

Demon Lords are greedy people. They wouldn’t even bat an eye if presented with an opportunity to weaken someone else. I guarantee that the Mountain Faction will be found guilty. Sitri must’ve realized this as well, as she spoke in a slightly less confident voice.

“If you guys don’t hold a hearing, then…….”

“We refuse. You said that there is no proof of the Mountain Faction’s guilt, correct? Allow me to return those words. Is there proof that the Mountain Faction is innocent?”

Sitri couldn’t respond.

“Since both sides do not have any proof, let us settle this through a vote. This would only be fair.”

“…….”

The room became quiet. Gamigin and Barbatos whispered to each other, but their conversation could be heard clearly since no one else was talking.

“I like him~. Can I have him?”

“Fuck off, you masochist. I called dibs 140,000,000 years ago.”

“Eeh. That’s unfair.”

……Don’t treat someone like some sort of object you can pass around.

The leader of the Neutral Faction, Marbas, let out a sigh. His wrinkles were refined, so he looked like a rather handsome middle-aged man.

“Dantalian, Demon Lord of Many Faces, I also believe that you have a point; however, if we let this happen, then a river which can never be crossed will appear between the Mountain Faction and the Plains Faction. The Mountain Faction and the Plains Faction are the 2 main forces of the Demon Lord army. In truth, this would cause the entire Demon Lord army to be split apart.”

“Is it already not split?”

“It is a matter of degree, Dantalian. Everything in the world is a matter of degree.”

Marbas removed his monocle and cleaned it with a piece of silk cloth.

“Should we go to war with the humans or should we consider the situation and withdraw……? There is no absolute answer for which action is correct. It changes depending on the situation and time. Nonetheless, we may be immortal, but that does not make us all-knowing. It is impossible to accurately distinguish these things.”

What must be done? He asked again.

“This is why we need factions. One side will declare why war is good while the other side will declare why war is bad. Both sides will gather proof to support their claims. By doing this, the Demon Lord army will gain a general opinion. You could call this a division of labor. Do you understand? The goal of a debate is not all there is to a debate. The goal is to reach a balance by debating.”

“…….”

A statement that befitted the head of the Neutral Faction. He was saying that discourse between factions is fine, but doing so excessively to the point of killing one side for the survival of the other would be going too far. Do not go too far.

“A bird that loses a wing will be unable to fly. Dantalian, if the Mountain Faction trying to attack the Plains Faction is wrong, then would it not also be wrong for the Plains Faction to try and wipe out the Mountain Faction in retaliation? I wish for a reasonable compromise. Of course, if the Plains Faction chooses to be tolerant, then the Neutral Faction will support you fully.”

In other words, he’ll compensate us politically and materially.

Hm.

Originally, I never planned to wipe out the Mountain Faction. That would only be doing a good thing for those humans, after all. Even if I’m officially a part of the Plains Faction, my ultimate goal will always be to survive and conquer. For this sake, both humans and demons have to be balanced in terms of strength.

The issue is convincing Barbatos.

If a hearing is held, then the Neutral Faction will deliberately take the Mountain Faction’s side. The Neutral Faction will most likely lead a back and forth debate before finally suggesting a compromise. I had planned to convince Barbatos to ‘back down here’ at that point. 

But this is different. ……Marbas is already offering a compromise. It sounded rather reasonable. If it’s this, then I might be able to convince Barbatos.

It’s a question as to how many people here noticed the nuance behind Marbas’ words, but, at the very least, I managed to see through it. It would be hard to expect the Neutral Faction’s support if a hearing is held. ……Among the 25 Demon Lords that have the right to vote, the Neutral Faction has about 10 seated members. I have to take a step back here.

I spoke calmly without batting an eye.

“You make an excellent point. Hearings are naturally impeding matters. Similar to how you mentioned that you are a member of the Demon Lord army before being a part of the Neutral Faction, I am also a single Demon Lord before being a part of the Plains Faction.”

Marbas never said that ‘he is a member of the Demon Lord army before being a part of the Neutral Faction’. The reason why I decided to fabricate these words despite this was purely political. 

For starters, I placed the words ‘hearings are naturally impeding matters’, which can be taken as nothing more than diplomatic rhetoric, at the front. I placed the word ‘hearing’ at the front like a traffic sign and followed it with context.

By doing this, I displayed that ‘I understand that your Neutral Faction is going to participate in the hearing while considering the position of the entire Demon Lord army.’

If you look into these words that seem like only a simple exchange on the surface, you’ll discover an excellent political trade. Marbas is the great individual who has acted as the mediator between the Mountain Faction and the Plains Faction for more than a thousand years. He should be able to understand the nuance behind my words with ease.

Sure enough.

「Demon Lord Marbas’ affection has risen by 10.」

A notification window popped up with a sound effect. Marbas was satisfied that his intentions had gotten across clearly and he had received the answer he wanted.

“Of course, the Mountain Faction is in the wrong. This is unquestionable. I simply wished to cool down this heated mood. It would not be too late to discuss this hearing a little later.”

What should I say? I don’t dislike this old Demon Lord before me. He nailed in the fact that ‘the Mountain Faction is in the wrong’ in consideration of the Plains Faction and he threw out smoke to cover the context behind our conversation by claiming that he wanted to ‘cool down this heated mood’.

After saving the party’s face and hiding the implicit conversation, he naturally continued by adding ‘it would not be too late to discuss this hearing a little later.’ He was telling me to discuss this with Barbatos.

“Now then, I would like to welcome everyone for accepting my invitation.”

Marbas gave a light clap.

Once he did, attractive men and women formed a line as they appeared from between the layers of cloth while dancing. Their skin glistened with oil. A portion of them were wearing clothes while the rest were naked. This was most likely for the sake of pleasing a variety of tastes. There are a lot of people who prefer clothes, after all. 

The musicians beyond the cloth walls played their instruments louder. Excluding Paimon and Sitri, the other Demon Lords enjoyed the party. I exchanged whispers with Barbatos while taking enjoyment out of this extravagant party. 

“What should we do? Do we hold the hearing or not?”

“What are you saying? Of course we’ll hold it.”

Mm. Barbatos failed to capture the implicit meaning behind my conversation with Marbas. Once I quietly explained it to her, Barbatos muttered.

“Dear Lord, fuck.”

We smiled pleasantly. We were managing our facial expressions since we didn’t want other people to know what we were discussing.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. Hm, a couple of people suggested putting early viewable chapters on Patreon. I never really wanted to do that in the past, but it’s been more than 3 years since I made my Patreon and times are changing. If I really want to do this, then I’m going to have to sit down and try to translate as much as I can in a single day. I don’t want to force a delay on regular releases. I’ll also have to think about how many early viewable chapters should be available on Patreon first and what the delay would be. I’m not really sure how people will really react to this either. I’ll have to ruminate over this for a bit. Don’t expect anything big any time soon.

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.

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