Published: September 9, 2025
The narrator is a high-ranking member of the Demon King followers, “Wings of Freedom.”
Correction made on 2016/4/3.
“This is the artifact entrusted to me by the former Count Bobino.”
The item placed on the purple cloth the man presented was a bracelet that looked like it was braided from strands of purple hair.
“Flame Mage, is this really it?”
“Yes, I swear on the name of the Dazares family.”
Though it didn’t look like an artifact blessed by the demon god, whether it was genuine would become clear once put to use.
If it turned out to be a fake, then that man’s soul could pay the price for betrayal.
“About the reward—”
I entrusted one of my subordinates to follow up.
The reward that this Flame Mage desired was a certain piece of information.
“The tigerman girl is in a district of the slum where even the human tribe refuses entry. Since this is important, it would be troublesome if the Flame Mage acted too flamboyantly. Therefore, I will order the kidnappers we are on good terms with to abduct the girl and bring her to the Flame Mage.”
The Flame Mage nodded with a displeased look at my subordinate’s words.
I do not know what grudge he holds, but it’s a hard task coming from a far eastern land.
◇
“... ■■■■■■■ Artifact Summoning (Summon Artifact).”
In exchange for one hundred sacrifices, a single black, short triangular horn lay on the altar.
“This is the ‘Short Horn,’ the demon god’s artifact that elevates humans into demons...”
I was briefly tempted to try it out, but such rashness was forbidden before the grand ambition.
I would only be elevated to the demon race after enthroning His Highness.
I spent my days turning the souls of miserable commoners into artifacts.
The curses and wails of the commoners as their souls were offered to the artifact filled the Holy Grail.
◇
“Does this pill create monsters?”
“Yes. It is a military secret of our empire, so please keep this confidential, Your Eminence.”
A weasel tribe merchant brought a box filled with tiny pills about the size of a pinky fingernail.
By itself, it was merely the lowest-grade magic power recovery potion, but if a demon core was implanted in the body or a demonic enhancement potion was taken to the verge of criticality, then with a surge of magic power from an activation instrument, a normal creature could be transformed into a monster.
There was some difficulty obtaining the demonic enhancement potion, but thanks to His Highness and the noble person accompanying him, mass production became possible in the labyrinth underground.
With this, the Royal Capital of the Shiga Kingdom could be transformed into a monster’s paradise like the Jade Domain.
◇
... What a calamity.
A lower-ranked noble involved in producing the demonic enhancement potion in the labyrinth city was arrested by the authorities, and on top of that, the potions scheduled for transport to the Royal Capital were confiscated...
“Mirage.”
“Here...”
“Disguise yourself as Marquis Kelten and dispatch the ‘Purples’ to the labyrinth city. Before all the underground fields are exposed, eliminate Sorkel.”
“May I accompany the mission?”
“No need. The ‘Purples’ have demi-humans with wings; send them instead.”
“As you command.”
I entrusted the artifact of ‘Disguise’ given by the noble person to “Mirage.”
When transformed with this artifact, even character assessments and malice detection cannot see through the disguise.
I doubt it can fool the Parion hero’s detection ability, but that hero should be pursuing the current Demon King far away in the weasel tribe’s empire.
This is the “season of union” that comes once every 666 years.
It is also called the “season of the great demon king,” the time of resurrection for the Demon Kings.
I must thank the demon god for the fortune of being born in such a sacred season since the era when the “golden boar king” who destroyed the Furu Empire reigned.
◇
All the demonic enhancement potion fields constructed underground in the labyrinth were raided by a man claiming to be the hero’s retainer.