(Aeyrs POV)

As if it wasn't expected of him, my brother already had war declared in his new country. Was the difficulty of the world set to easy while the AI aggressiveness was put to the max or something? It's almost funny how many times people have tried to fight us. It's fun to think of what would have been if we were any weaker than max level players. What would we have done differently? Spam cash shop items? Maybe. A more passive route? Also possible. Or? Maybe nothing different? Not hard to believe, but it depends on a bunch of factors that aren't present in this hypothetical thought of mine. It’s fun to think about what could have been, but my focus should be on what is reality, as that has a much greater bearing on me. As the official military leader, I have to handle and manage the army and strategies in play.

The fighting shouldn’t be anything difficult, or at least it wouldn’t be a close fight if we use our strongest units. I’m hesitant to use the NPCs, as they are a limited resource, and their maintenance is quite costly when used in combat compared to their daily lives as of late. The casual sparring with Xylith that Premium does spiked his gold cost tremendously, but I suppose that it wasn’t a waste if it was used to actually improve the two of them. Premium somehow gained something from the sparring, which shouldn’t have been possible considering the level gap. Almost 700 levels separated the two, yet Premium improved his combat prowess. Maybe he found a fluke in the way he fights and just fixed it? Well, whatever it is, Xylith was still the one that initiated his improvement.

Maybe it’s because she was the demon lord? Maybe she has the ability to improve others through sparring? It was a pleasant idea, but not a realistic one. Besides, it wasn’t something that needed to be proven immediately, if at all. Still, the war isn’t going to fight itself, and I should focus on it with my full attention. The chain of command in the castle would normally be fine for managing the NPCs, but in a war, it might prove to be inefficient, or even harmful. I’ll have to organize the strongest NPCs that were designed for combat and prepare them for the war. I’ll have to go to Apoctaclass and see if any of the citizens are willing to act as the footmen, an army needs numbers as much as it needs strength. One hundred thousand should be plenty, but I’ll just have to wait and see how many are willing to protect this new kingdom.

As for the NPCs… Premium will be my second in command and lead the close quarters' combatants into the battle. Planthra will be in charge of the healers, and Katrinna will be her second in command. Misfortune will be in charge of the stealth groups if we have any, and Pareidolia would be her second in command after we shift the control of the castle’s golems over to another NPC of course. Titan is going to be in charge of the defense groups, and Arath would be his second in command, seeing as both of them have high health and defense. As for magic, Rubidia would be in charge with the Elder Twins as her second and third in command. What was left? Not much, if I were to be honest. Maybe an elite group of hard-hitters? The Star-Mates maybe? They were a tight group and would have excellent combat potential for working so close together, so they were a good pick.

I feel like I’m micromanaging a large scale military strategy game, with all the thought that I have to put into who leads who. I have to say, it is kind of fun, but it certainly is a lot of tough mental gymnastics. Is there anything else that I should address? Maybe a special unit? A powerhouse? But we don’t have much else besides two specific NPCs, and one of which was off the table indefinitely. I’d rather not let Mons go into the battle, but if we need an absolute powerhouse, then they are the obvious pick. I feel like I’m overshadowing someone right now. But there aren’t any more NPCs that have the strength that I’m looking for. What is it brain? What do you know that I don’t? Wait. Hold up a second. I totally did forget about someone. And it was because I was thinking about NPCs.

Oronix, the dragon god. Level 1000, but as strong as a level 1050. What other monstrosities of accumulated power could outmatch him? My brother? That wasn’t fair, for the dragon. No, out of the two powerhouses of the guild, Oronix beat Mons. The other NPC, I'm not exactly sure about. In a one on one fight, it could go either way, but that wasn’t something that they were designed to do. They were meant to fulfill a single purpose, and until the day that they do, they will not be used so frivolously. Alright, it’s decided then, Oronix will be the powerhouse if Mons isn’t enough, which I highly doubt, but caution is as much a foe as it is a friend. If Mons isn’t enough for this war, then I won’t be able to believe my eyes, as the only thing that could beat them was likely the old gods, as not even the new gods had the power or strength combined to take them down, even as players.

Mons was purposely kept out of the chain of power of the NPCs, as they are the only level 975 NPC, and I doubt even my brother remembers them after all these years. It was six years ago, wasn’t it? When we made Mons. Ah, fun times. I don’t remember them with much detail, not much more than the name. I can recall their general image, but not much more than their massive stature and strength. In all honesty, I don’t remember much about their intended personality or even how they interact with the other NPCs. I didn’t even remember their skills or abilities besides having the second-highest overall base stats of all the NPCs and being easily capable of besting the four level 950 NPCs in combat. Mons was a monster unaffected by logic, a terror that sleeps through the horror of the world, at least, that’s the only line I remember from their description.

It’s been so long since I have seen them that I’m actually excited to see them again. It would give me a blast of nostalgia, or at least give me a feeling of long forgotten familiarity. I’d love to fight them, as a good challenge is rare in this world, and I prefer to have my hands occupied, but I feel as though that opportunity won’t present itself, as it is one of the guild’s NPCs, and that wouldn’t be a good decision to fight on of the strongest NPCs we have for no good reason. Besides, I don’t even remember their abilities that much, if at all. I don’t even remember if they were a magic-user or not. My mind thinks of them as a physical combatant, even if they used magic in tandem with their melee attacks, so I guess I remember something, even if I can’t say what it was exactly. This war is going to be an eye-opener for me and my brother, so I’m looking forward to seeing the secrets that will reveal themselves.

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(Ashen POV)

Titan found another lost crystal today, a bright red one, and with similar difficulty as he did the previous one. It spawned tough defenders that were hard for Titan to beat by himself, but still, he secured it. Upon consumption, it gave me a brief emotion of anger, but what of and for was unknown to me. It was like being angry for the sake of being angry. Emotion for the sake of emotion was pointless, especially when it came to negative emotions. Being angry isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it tends to be, and even small traces of it can lead to a poorer result. The anger didn’t even last a minute, and it was as weak as the other emotions I felt so far, like a general acknowledgment of knowing I should feel that way, but barely feel it in actuality. Like knowing I should feel a certain way without actually feeling that way.

It’s kind of annoying, not being able to feel emotion at times. Rarely I find myself longing for some kind of emotion to wash over me, be it good or bad, just to know that I can feel them. I suppose that is just contradictory to what I thought just a moment ago, but It’s sometimes nice to feel something as opposed to nothing. I can withstand the desires, but can’t say that I can suppress them without difficulty. Sometimes I read the system log for hours on end to impose boredom, an emotion which I can feel the most often. The general feeling of unproductivity and generally being disconnected from any actual interaction popped up quite often for someone who was supposed to be a demon lord and a king. If only being such a person could reduce or take away such unpleasantries, but alas, it does not.

I wish I could do something, go somewhere, fight someone, or really anything at all of interest. The war has been declared, but it will take too long for them to reach the demon lands, so I’m left with the task of waiting. Normally I would just go to them and fight them all until they surrender or they are all gone or whatever, but this time I’m restricted from doing so. Being a king really puts restrictions on you. Ruling a country means that you have to follow international laws and legal boundaries. Although I wasn’t restricted from destroying the army myself, I thought it would be better to have the people fight instead. It might seem like I don’t trust them or don’t need them or any number of other negative things, but it could also be seen like I’m lazy for not fighting when I have the power to do it alone.

It was a difficult balance, and I wasn’t exactly keen about upholding it, but I had to. For the sake of the country and my people, I had to act as best as I could. I guess a combination would work well then? I could join my army in the battles, thus lowering the possibilities of negative feedback from the war and also minimize casualties and increase morale, at least I think it would. I suppose for those in the army that didn’t particularly enjoy fighting or me, it might be seen as a double negative, so that’s something to be aware of. I guess it was about time for me to start talking with Aeyrs about it, and see if he could handle the acquirement of the army and the management of it. As the commander of the army, it was his job after all, and if he refused after saying he wanted the job, then a big ball of fire was about to knock on his front door.

Which makes me think again, which has been happening lately. As of recently, every thought I’ve had has led me on a string of topics and ideas, some related and other completely different. Maybe it was due to my stat changes, or maybe it was just my innate ability to not focus on one thing for too long, and that ability was amplified to the extreme. I digress, the whole war thing made me think of the schools and towns again, as having better taught and better-trained individuals would be great for a country. Not just for military applications, as a smart populace would be great in general, and a strong populace would have many jobs available to them. Stronger and smarter people also mean stronger and smarter criminals and enemies. A risky endeavor to be sure, but one that I'm willing to explore, if only for the general well-being and happiness of the populace.

Oh right, the schools. I still needed the teachers for some of them, and I don’t have enough NPCs that can cover all the needed positions. So I have to use them sparingly, or reallocate them to the capital… Wait. We don’t have a capital yet, do we? How have I not made or declared a capital yet? It should have been the first thing I did after making the country official. The castle? No. It is just a single building in the mountains, and besides, I don’t think a capital city should be the guild base. Wheatberg then? No. It used to be a city of a different nation, it would look odd if it were the capital. Then what option do I have left, the only other choice? Apoctaclass? Thinking about it, it was the only real choice. The largest, most populated, strongest, best-defended city, and on top of that it also has a dungeon. What opposition could dare make a foothold of a chance?

Maybe the gnome sprawlings? No. Their numbers aren’t even a hundred thousand strong, not nearly as much as Apoctaclass. Besides, I rarely go there, and it is entirely underground, and made for gnomes, with few exceptions so that the demon lord could enter and attend meetings or whatever. Its size is a problem, so it never really stood a chance. Eventually, I’ll make more cities though, and I’ll have a proper network of towns, all as good as Apoctaclass as of today. Which reminds me, it’s been a bit over a week since I’ve last seen Apoctaclass, but they already finished the fourth ring of walls, and are almost done with the fifth. That’s a little overkill, even for a city of millions. The magic protection that surrounds the city is more than enough to protect it from most of the attacks possible in this world.

Perhaps it’s just a figurative thing? Like the closer to the middle you are, the richer? Or the stronger? Or maybe it’s just a thing that demons tend to do, like a decorative thing. Whatever the reasons, it’s a feat unparalleled by many of this world, and even puts them ahead of most players in Sugarea when it comes to the speed that they built those monolithic walls. Maybe the dwarf crafter players were faster, their skills aligned perfectly for mass construction of large-scale structures, so it was possible. Regardless, I’m impressed by their handiwork, and I’m thinking of rewarding them, so maybe having that town as the capital could work hand in hand with said reward. I can spend more resources on the town if it was the capital, as it would be easier to justify, and it would be a more worthwhile application of resources.

So I guess it’s settled then, Apoctaclass will be the capital of the Demonican Kingdom. I guess it’s also a pretty strategically located town, being damn close to the center of a massive wasteland that has no life apart from its citizens or stragglers. With the portion of the citizens having flight or detection magic or skills, a message can be sent to me in the case of an emergency, thus allowing the city to be nigh-invincible. It’s time to get more chores off that list, I'm still a long way away from checking off every box, so I still have to put the effort in. First thing, declaring Apoctaclass as the capital, and then establishing schools. Second, Repeating this in Wheatberg. Third, checking up on the new cities and their progress. After that’s all said and done, I can start putting the war into the foreground of my attention.

With a flash of white, the castle turned into the shop I had in Apoctaclass. I stood in the center of the room, with small stands holding up various magical items on display lining the walls and parts of the floor. There only seemed to be Jolven and a customer in the shop at the time, and my sudden appearance seemed to go unnoticed for a few moments. I didn’t have much need to make sure that the shop was running correctly, as I had confidence in Jolven’s ability to manage the place. That didn’t stop him from dropping a small sack of coins through a portal into my hands and nodded to me as I walked out. I placed the sack in my pocket dimension and continued on my way to meet with the elders. If I could talk to them all again, I’d be happy, but if I can only talk to one or a few, I can make do. After a handful of uneventful minutes, I arrived.

Knocking on the door and entering shortly after, I saw one of the elders and approached them. “Excuse me, do you have a moment?” I don’t recall learning their name, so I avoided using it, just to avoid being rude.

I believe they were a Zallamari, as their wings and blue skin was quite telling of their race. “Hm? Oh, yes. What do you need from me, Lord?” They bowed slightly, enough to be polite.

“Please, call me Ashen.” The elder nodded, and I continued. “I come here today, to brush up on some legal matters concerning the city. Nothing bad, I can assure you.” The elder stroked his chin, and subsequently the short stubble of white hair that grew from it.

“Ah, well then, shall I gather the others, or is that not needed?” Well, that was convenient, not even needing to ask for them.

I nodded and spoke my mind. “Yes, that would be beneficial to learning your point of view, and would be helpful for the legal matters of the town, thank you.” He bowed politely again, and went upstairs, presumably to fetch the other elders.

Only a minute passed before they started descending the stairs. “Alright, what kind of changes are you going to make now?” Another elder I didn’t know the name of spoke out, making the others sigh quietly.

I gestured my arm for us all to take a seat and started talking. “I promise it’s nothing bad, just some legal contingencies with Apoctaclass.” It seemed like my words caused the elders to fortify their minds for what’s to come.

The Zallamari I talked to before spoke up again, his voice old but gentle. “Alright, please explain.” If only more people acted as calmly and rationally as he did, then I would have to deal with heroes trying to fight me, or interplanar entities cursing me with strange seals and whatnot.

Taking a moment to get my mind in the right place, I responded. “I plan on making Apoctaclass the official capital of the Demonican Kingdom. It is mostly in name, but the change would mean I can spend more resources on the development and expansion of the city, and would also mean that I will protect it to the best of my ability.” The appeal of extra resources and protection piqued their interest nicely, as each of their eyes lit up when I mentioned it.

The Zallamari continued speaking for the group. “I see, and what would Apoctaclass have to do in return?” I suppose I should ask something of them, even if it’s something small, it would make it seem like I was making it worth my time as well as theirs.

“Well, it’s not like I need much of anything at the moment, but I have a few things in mind, you can pick which ones you’d be willing to do in exchange for being the capital city.” A few of them gulped slightly, and the others seemed to pay closer attention to my words. “It would be worthwhile to start trade with the Britgar Holy kingdom, seeing as they are one of our greatest allies, and it’s king doesn’t dislike demons in the slightest. It would also give you all a chance to reestablish yourselves in the world’s eyes. If people knew you were trading with another nation, it might change their opinion of the demon races, and might put an end to the unjust wars.”

The elders all took mental notes and nodded to one another. “That seems better for us than it would be for you.” One of them spoke aloud, voicing their concern.

It does benefit me though, I wouldn’t offer it unless it didn’t. “Ah, but having my people not hated or discriminated against would lift a heavy weight off my shoulders, not to mention the exchange of resources between Apoctaclass and the Britgar Holy kingdom would also ease the cost to maintain and manage the city. It helps me as much as it helps you, and it also strengthens the bond between our nations.” It really was a win-win situation, and it would probably help the Britgar Holy kingdom too, so it was just a really good choice, but there was more available.

“I see. What other choices do we have?” Another elder spoke out.

“Another option would be the creation of dozens of new settlements and villages. As I'm sure you are aware by now, I am trying to fill the land we own with sprawling towns. It would help cover more land and grant greater visibility to any incoming threat, as well as allow for the collection of taxes and fees to be greater. It would also allow for the rapid expansion of the population into new areas, allowing for more of the resources that are located in the demon lands to be utilized.” Truly this was a great help for the country and the people, as they can spread out instead of being all clumped together in one massive city.

Sure I wanted a metropolis, but there was no use for only a single city in an entire country, I needed many towns to be considered an actual country. “That does seem appealing, but it doesn’t seem like many people are willing to venture outside of the city, other than guarding the outermost wall.” Ah, so they need more incentive?

I gave it a thought, what could I offer that I wouldn’t already have to give them? “The individuals can choose one of three benefits if they aid in the development of new settlements. No taxes for ten years. Monthly payment of 1 gold, 20 silver coins a month. Or a magical item of their choosing, within reason of course. And it goes without saying that they can own any building that they create in full.” It didn’t sound all that bad, and because taxes change over time, the tax exemption sounded tempting to the rich, and the monthly payments were attractive to the poor, and the magical item was attractive to everyone.

“That would definitely help persuade a large portion of the people. Though jobs would help persuade a lot more, and a new city might not offer that immediately.” An arachnid elder spoke out, leading my thoughts in that direction.

Perhaps what would motivate people to move would be something more than just material goods, maybe they want something to do? “Indeed, these new cities would have fewer job opportunities at first, but down the line, plenty would present themselves. I'm sure I could find plenty for those that request one, as many things need to be done, and plenty of people that could do them. For example, farming, mining, crafting, enchanting, alchemy, construction, smithing, forging, and governing are all available jobs for a newly created city.” All of these would be of use to the kingdom at large, so it was a good investment into the future resources of the kingdom and the wellbeing of the cities.

“Cities do need jobs, and I'm sure plenty of people would be willing to move for the opportunity of work, I'm sure some won’t be willing to go unless there is some danger, or the chance to go fighting wild creatures. And, I'm sure you’re aware by now, these lands are all but barren of wildlife.” Another elder voiced his thoughts.

I can introduce beasts to these lands, but it could endanger the cities, so it’s a risky move. “For those that enjoy the thrill of the hunt, battle towers can be made that house monsters and beasts to be fought. These battle towers will create enemies much like a dungeon, even giving loot like one, but the monsters will be restricted to the towers, thus eliminating the potential for the cities to be invaded by a horde of them.” I got the idea of a battle tower from some of the early-game dungeons in Sugarea, the ones that were basically just towers with many floors with loot and enemies.

“Ah, that would be a perfect solution, a chance to sharpen one’s skills and get rewarded all at the same time, a good replacement for a dungeon. Though, it does beg the question, will you construct these or will the people make the structures and have you enchant them?” Honestly, it could be either, but I suppose I would both make and enchant the towers, as it would speed along the construction of the towers.

As for the loot, maybe I could have some of the spare weapons and armor for the castle along with some generic items that I have stashed up over the years. “For the first ten cities made, I will construct the towers, but for any city after that, they will have to make the building itself. The more floors, the better, but if needed, we could stretch it underground like a proper dungeon.” I didn’t want to make dungeons, just a substitute for them, to prevent the unpredictability, and the potential danger. “The ten I will make will be thirty stories tall, as I feel that should be good enough to tide over the people willing to challenge themselves.” Thinking about it, this could be a good substitute for adventurers not willing to go all the way to a dungeon town, as these could be constructed in any city, or even in the wilderness.

“Well, I suppose that covers most of the concerns we shared, I’m sure you would benefit from all of these suggestions. I’m sure I speak for us all when I say that we agree to your proposal.” The zallamari spoke out and made me want to learn their names so I could address them more formally, but that would have to wait for a while.

I spent nearly eight hours after that with the elders, learning more about them while also working on the plans for the future. As far as I can tell, they all have the interest of the people at heart and are willing to cooperate with me as long as it is for the good of the people. I’m sure that my strength was also more than enough for some to work with me regardless, but it helped that they all had a desire to improve their race’s reputation and strength. They all knew what potential these ideas had for improving the demon races, and they all wanted to see it through. I did too, as these lands were under my protection and rule, so it was up to me to ensure their safety and prosperity as king. It’s something that isn’t easy for me, but the challenge of managing it all keeps me going now more than anything. That, and I don’t want my brother to think of me as a lazy bum that can’t even manage a few million residents.

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(Xylith POV)

Fatigue and sluggishness were all that encompassed me now. Ever since that night, they were all I could feel. My mana has been draining constantly to ensure the health and safety of our child, and I’ve had to rely on the maids to bring mana recovery potions and items to make sure I have a steady supply at all times. I’m still in shock over the number of mana potions that they have access to. They are hard to make, and usually aren’t all that effective for higher-level individuals, but the ones they give me always fill my mana pool without fail. Which makes me wonder about the individuals at the castle. My mana pool is larger than the maids and butlers, and even some of the combat-focused personnel, but none of the magic-focused guards. The level gap between us is too great for my years of mana strengthening to be of any importance.

I’m sure if our levels were equal, that I would have more mana, but that just isn’t the case. And since Ashen has so much mana, our child is constantly in need of it, and so my mana is draining so fast, that I can’t find the energy to get out of bed. Nearly twice my mana pool gets drained every day, so the potions and items are the only things keeping it in supply. I’m sure that Ashen could recharge my mana if he were here with me, but he has his own duties to attend to. I know that the recently declared war is probably what’s taking his attention, so I can’t blame him for using his time to take care of it. I’m sure he has a reason behind prolonging the war instead of ending it as swiftly as possible, even if I don’t know what that reason is. I just hope he doesn’t put himself in too much danger.

Though, I know my worrying is useless, as his power is too great for any in this world to harm him, even the gods wouldn’t stand a chance, would they? I guess it’s only natural to worry, but it was pointless to be concerned about his safety when he is the single strongest person I have, or will ever meet. If nothing else, his strength might be too great. He is too strong for this world if even the gods have no chance to beat him. I don’t particularly think so, but others might, and I’m sure their fear and hatred of demons would only amplify the terror of his power. I know that not every human hates demons, but the number of those that don’t are too small to recognize as a changing ideal. The other humans call those people the Cult of the Demon Lord to make them sound like heinous villains to their own kind, but they just want equality of the races, a sad tale to be sure.

Over time, maybe those ideas can become more common, that humans, elves, dwarves, and all the other races, including the demon races, can all live together instead of fractured apart in seclusion. It seems like Ashen is already attempting to unify the races that the humans dislike, and trying to make the world see them as a legitimate race rather than monsters. Even the beastmen nation is still treated as a land of wild beasts from time to time. Us demons were the first to see them as people, not monsters, so I suppose their opinion on us should be similar, as long as their history or minds have been corroded by humans. I know that this castle is home to many races, including humans, elves, dwarves, and more, but none of them ever bring up race to a point where it excludes others. Out of the entirety of the world, this single castle has to be the closest to the ideals of the demon lords.

The title of demon lord was passed down through the generations, to the strongest, most determined, and most dedicated person that wished to reconnect the races of the world into a single great community. The demon elders also helped to find and train the demon lords, but since I have the power of reincarnation, I was the demon lord for many generations, and only when Ashen came along, did that title of demon lord change. I could tell from the moment I met him, that he held deep the same desires of unity that I did. He had the power to change the world, more so than I did, and his iron will allowed him to reinforce his determination to achieve it. It’s an understatement to say that he was meant for the position of demon lord, as he is the physical embodiment of the ideals that compelled us since the dungeons first arose.

This child of ours is sure to help the world achieve unity, even if the world itself doesn’t want it. Unification is the only true way to the future, as any other leads to mutual destruction. The age-old conflict between the races must end before the races are gone for good. I can only hope that our child holds the same heart that Ashen and I do, and pray that they can attain the future I so desperately hope for. I knew that one day, humans and demons could live together, and until I see it done, I can’t rest easy. My ancestors died fighting for a world that they were robbed of, and so, I must do all I can to reattain that world from the clutches of those that stole it from us. I’m sure the world is done with this meaningless conflict, and I just wish the future to arrive swiftly at this point, and I know that Ashen does too.

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(King Nylian Eir De Les Syngewood)

The first ships have nearly reached the shores of the demon lands, only a few days travel away. Each ship holds a few thousand men, so they will have to establish a small base on the shore to allow more troops to dock. As for that wretched hero, she will set sail once most of the army is already there, and then I will accompany my men onto the battlefield. Our investigation of the territory has revealed the lack of any food or wildlife on the land, so we must constantly bring new shipments to resupply the army. If things turned into a war of attrition, then we would surely lose. But that would indicate the existence of some form of sustenance in those lands, keeping the inhabitants alive, so if we could capitalize on those resources, the war would tip heavily in our favor.

The only problem was that accursed demon lord, and those horrid demons. We knew that there were small settlements sprinkled around, but knew not of any large towns or cities. Perhaps those foul beings aren’t sophisticated enough to properly capitalize on large-scale communities. But that still leaves the demon lord as an outlier. It is more than obvious that he is both a strong and intelligent being, so it stands to reason that he is gathering the demons into a single encampment to allow for a maximized defense. Even if they have undead on their side, their potential in battle is limited to that of their numbers and fatigue. A tired army is a sloppy one, and a sloppy army is a dead army. If we could tire out the demons while disposing of the undead, then their army would fall faster than our own, even if they have more numbers.

Even now, with the men we have, a battle of both total forces against each other, would make it a one on eight battle, with my men being the one. Those odds just amount to a flawless defeat, as it would be nearly impossible to defeat an army of that scale with such numbers. Their control of magic and their strength also decreases our odds of success. What could I do to correct this? Maybe I could hire adventures to help aid us in battle, but then again, I doubt many would want to join a war against a demon that powerful. My spies have told me about one of the human cities that the demon lord took control of, and the information that was extracted from the town was shocking, to say the least. A regular town with a defense on par with, if not better than, the capital of the Bandarainian empire, it was unheard of.

If they were capable of such a defense on any town under their possession, then the odds tip even further in their favor, to the point of being impossible. The other information that the spies gathered was even more concerning. Nearly all of the food grown in that town was magical crops, and on top of that, they exported massive quantities of it to the Bandarainian empire, gaining a huge profit in the process. If they could amass such riches so easily, then what do they plan on buying? My spies are still looking for the answer to that question but still haven’t found anything. Talk of new settlements has been readily reported as well, so maybe they were trying to spread out their reach. It was also possible that they were looking for something, perhaps even procuring the resources to create something.

I spent nights without sleep guessing at the answers, and still haven’t gotten much closer to the truth. Another alarming report was that of the immigration waves. Thousands of people were heading there every day, actively seeking out the town as opposed to their old ones. If one looked at the town from a purely objective standpoint, it was a clear upgrade, if you ignored the ruler. Low taxes, high defense, and safety, along with the opportunity to gain access to highly valuable magical crops and even magic items, it was the perfect town, if not for the demon lord ruling it. But somehow the people didn’t mind that fact, nearly ignoring it outright. When he visited, people just made a bubble around him, staying away, but not fleeing. It didn’t make sense, why did they not fear for their lives around such an awful creature?

Sure, he hasn’t slaughtered any civilian just yet, but that could just be because he wants to gather as many into one town before he does so. It sounds like something that could happen, he could be waiting for the perfect time to kill the lot of them. If he can convince so many that their lives wouldn’t be taken from them, then his intelligence is surely something to be cautious of. But there is always something more, and my spies have dug up some news that nearly ripped my heart from my chest. After doing some research into the adventurers guild, they found that the demon lord had registered. His basic stats were revealed to the public, and the information that was revealed was heart-wrenching. He was a level 1000, and something even more impossible, a god! How could a demon become a god, it just isn’t right!

If his strength was on par with the gods, what chance could we stand? Our only hope would be convincing the gods to fight on our side, as that seemed more plausible than trying to bring him down on our own. I’d rather die than admit it, but we stand no chance. We elves, the heralds of the pure world, are going to be bested by the harbingers of the end. It both shames disgusts me to think such thoughts, but I am smart enough to know that we have little hope to achieve victory. But I can’t just say to my people that we have lost before we even fight. Perhaps we could win if we outsmarted him, but even that seemed impossible. Was the world so dead set on forcing us to lose that it would create a demon so powerful that he rivaled the gods and had the strength and intellect to challenge the world, and come out on top?

It felt like we were the ones in the wrong, to have the world against us so. It was the demons that have caused the pain and misery in the world, much like the other races, not us elves. We weren’t the wrong ones, we were trying to make the world pure again, to remove any taint of evil or wrongs. We are the light in the darkness, not the despair in the night. We elves have only done what was best for the world at large. Were we really the people that were harming the world more than the demons and other races? I couldn’t believe it if it were true, it is inconceivable to me. That everything we were doing to help the world was in fact, the things harming it. Were we thinking ourselves to be the good guys while being the bad guys the whole time? Did we think ourselves holy while all the same practicing unholy acts? Were we the true demons?

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(Ashen POV)

Well, after the long day of discussing terms and conditions with the elders, I suppose it’s about time to head home. It’s getting dark, maybe around 7 PM, but I’m not certain. I should see Xylith, I know she hasn’t gotten out of bed much, so I’m sure she could use the company. I’ll stop by the magic shop for a few minutes before leaving, it will give me a chance to speak with Jolven after all this time. He was quiet when I asked him to run the shop, but that could have been for any number of reasons. Maybe he was just tired? Or maybe teleporting using Null magic was exhausting? Whatever the reason, It didn’t matter. I didn’t mind his quiet demeanor, and it wasn’t a bad thing per se. I’ll only stop by for a few minutes, just long enough to see what he has been doing since he started working there.

After a bit of walking, I arrived and walked inside. “Jolven, have a moment to spare?” the shop was empty if not for the two of us, so it was a decent opportunity to speak.

He nodded his head once. “Yes.” At least he spoke this time, maybe he was just tired?

Since he agreed, I continued. “I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing.” Maybe he was disappointed that we never actually went adventuring like I said we would?

“I am fine. I have been running the shop as you requested of me. The amount of items sold is 34, and the amount of customers is steadily increasing.” I didn’t ask for a synopsis of the business, but I guess it saved me from asking.

“That’s good to hear, have you any requests of your own?” Maybe he would tell me if he wanted something if I just asked him outright.

“A sister.” Well, that came out of nowhere.

“A sister?” Did he want me to make him a sister the same way I made him?

“Another Athramin.” I was right, he wanted me to make him a sister the same way I made him.

“Alright.” I guess I will have to bite the bullet and use another athramin sand pouch.

Much like the first time I used the pouch, I poured a large handful of sand from the pouch and threw it into an open area in the shop. After taking the vague form of a humanoid, the dust slowly cleared, leaving a female with the same features as Jolven. She was naked, looked mature, had grey hair and purple eyes. Her height was the same as Jolven, and she too looked as innocent as a child. It seemed like Jolven was happy to see another of his race, or maybe it was just the fact that they were a naked female, it mattered not. I needed to think of a name for her, or I could leave that up to Jolven. Actually, yeah, I’ll leave it up to Jolven to decide on her name, and then she can decide on what class she wants to be in as well. But for the moment, I handed her a small cloth sheet to cover herself before she picked her class.

“Jolven, as her brother, you should decide her name.” He looked like he started to think, and took a few seconds to respond.

“Julia.” I suppose that name suited her, it didn’t sound that bad either, sounding rather nice actually.

“Alright Julia, what class do you want to be?” She waited a moment to think.

“Lunar mage.” What.

“Lunar mage, alright.” Even if I knew little about the class, I could at least give her some adequate equipment in the meantime.

With some simple robes and staff, she already looked the part of a proper mage. I can only assume that a lunar mage uses the power of the moons, so I gave her a set of robes that had a crescent moon pattern. Her staff had a large crescent moon made of silver at the end, and every part of her outfit just screamed “moon girl”, reminding me of pleasant memories of some friends in Sugarea. With that done, I bid them both farewell and left them to do whatever they wanted, trusting Jolven to inform Julia of all she needs to know. I teleported back to the castle and went to my bedroom. I ought to spend some time with Xylith, as our child is in constant need of mana, and I am basically a massive battery of the stuff, so It stands to reason that I can overcharge Xylith’s mana pool so she can have excess mana for the child.