When I Was Reincarnated into the World of an Ultra-Difficult Game, I Ended Up As the Sole Subordinate of the Ridiculously Strong yet Incompetent Demon Lord, Tasked with Creating a Dungeon
“Mr. Dikitis. Hello.”
“…Oh, it’s the chief aide.”
On my way back from leaving Ripianem with Magirema, I saw Dikitis walking alone and greeted him.
He didn’t ignore me, but he did make a complicated expression. I guess he doesn’t think too highly of me.
Honestly, I can understand why.
If anything, the other revived demons have been far too accepting of me.
A low-status, weak demon. Someone who just happened to gain favor with Lady Fiona, who was all alone, and somehow ended up in a high-ranking position.
The demons who have served Lady Fiona for a long time have every right to be dissatisfied with me.
“That way of speaking…”
“Huh?”
“Epiclesi, Ipiletis, Terapheia . Speak to me the same way you do with them.”
Is this his way of trying to meet me halfway?
Well, I’m not the type to hesitate when someone tells me something like that, so I guess I’ll drop the polite speech.
Aside from Lady Fiona and Magirema, I’ll talk to everyone else that way from now on.
“Alright, I’ll do that from now on.”
“That’s all.”
It really was just that. Dikitis was already about to continue on his way.
Huh? Isn’t this usually the part where we start some small talk?
“Uh, um…”
“What is it?”
Oh, whatever.
No point beating around the bush. I’ll just ask him directly.
“You really don’t like that a low-ranking guy like me is Lady Fiona’s chief aide, do you?”
“……You should not be the Demon Lord’s aide.”
“I figured as much…”
Well, it’s better to hear it outright than to keep wondering about it.
The problem is what comes next. Right now, everyone seems to see me as Lady Fiona’s aide.
But as the Demon Lord’s army continues to recover, more people will start thinking like Dikitis.
I don’t want internal conflicts in the army just because of me.
Alright, I’ve decided. I’ll go tell Lady Fiona that I’m not her aide.
◇
“Looking forward to working with you today.”
“…Yeah.”
Unfortunately, Lady Fiona seems to want to treat me as her aide.
When I told her my thoughts yesterday, she just said, “Then work on dungeon-building with me and prove yourself.”
So today, I’m here with Dikitis, working on the new dungeon we had been planning.
“I’m expecting a brutal dungeon~”
Having Ipiletis with me is a relief.
Thanks to her, at least the work won’t be completely silent.
…Then again, maybe working quietly would be better.
Maybe things would’ve gone smoother if it was just me and Dikitis.
the circumstances behind their revival, but I’ve also heard that the elf reincarnator is dangerous.”
He must be talking about Zino. That guy really is a hassle.
He has ties to Kunimatsu and the human heroes, so if we go after him, we need to make sure it’s a sure kill.
But he’s knowledgeable and cautious, so trapping him won’t be easy.
On top of that, he has the power to strengthen other reincarnators. That means he might be able to cause damage to the dungeon, just like that bastard Jermi did.
“A troublesome opponent, careful, and has advantages we don’t.”
“Acting recklessly would be dangerous.”
Dikitis, after just hearing the situation, came to the same conclusion as me.
Yeah, it looks like taking down Zino at this stage isn’t realistic.
If we sent Ripianem into the elf nation, we might be able to take him out before Kunimatsu and the heroes get involved.
But that would expose our presence, so that’s a last resort.
“For now, I’d rather not deal with the elves.”
“…But just now, you said we were targeting elves.”
“That’s why we’re going after the dark elf settlement instead.”
“I see…”
Rather than opposing the idea, he seemed to accept it.
Dark elves. You could call them another faction of elves, ones who are in conflict with the regular elves.
They share the same origins, but now their personalities and cultures are far more different than just their skin color.
Because of that, elves and dark elves remain in a state of mutual non-aggression.
Since Lady Fiona exists as a major threat, I guess all the nations are in a kind of cold war, even if they have their differences.
Karl and the other dwarves don’t like elves either. The elves sure seem to have a lot of enemies.
“Pilkaya already scouted the location for us, so as usual, we’ll build the dungeon in secret first and add the entrance last.”
“…No objections.”
“If it’s you, Lord Rey, you could wipe out the dark elves completely.”
“If we go overboard, they’ll figure out that almost everyone but Lady Fiona is already gone. Plus, if we scare them too much, no one will enter the dungeon anymore. Moderation is key.”
“Alright, let’s start by deciding on the rooms and pathways.”
“…What species are we targeting?”
“Elves.”
“I heard about the circumstances behind their revival, but I’ve also heard that the elf reincarnator is dangerous.”
He must be talking about Zino. That guy really is a hassle.
He has ties to Kunimatsu and the human heroes, so if we go after him, we need to make sure it’s a sure kill.
But he’s knowledgeable and cautious, so trapping him won’t be easy.
On top of that, he has the power to strengthen other reincarnators. That means he might be able to cause damage to the dungeon, just like that bastard Jermi did.
“A troublesome opponent, careful, and has advantages we don’t.”
“Acting recklessly would be dangerous.”
Dikitis, after just hearing the situation, came to the same conclusion as me.
Yeah, it looks like taking down Zino at this stage isn’t realistic.
If we sent Ripianem into the elf nation, we might be able to take him out before Kunimatsu and the heroes get involved.
But that would expose our presence, so that’s a last resort.
“For now, I’d rather not deal with the elves.”
“…But just now, you said we were targeting elves.”
“That’s why we’re going after the dark elf settlement instead.”
“I see…”
Rather than opposing the idea, he seemed to accept it.
Dark elves. You could call them another faction of elves, ones who are in conflict with the regular elves.
They share the same origins, but now their personalities and cultures are far more different than just their skin color.
Because of that, elves and dark elves remain in a state of mutual non-aggression.
Since Lady Fiona exists as a major threat, I guess all the nations are in a kind of cold war, even if they have their differences.
Karl and the other dwarves don’t like elves either. The elves sure seem to have a lot of enemies.
“Pilkaya already scouted the location for us, so as usual, we’ll build the dungeon in secret first and add the entrance last.”
“…No objections.”
“If it’s you, Lord Rey, you could wipe out the dark elves completely.”
“If we go overboard, they’ll figure out that almost everyone but Lady Fiona is already gone. Plus, if we scare them too much, no one will enter the dungeon anymore. Moderation is key.”
“Eh~… you’re acting so much like a proper demon.”
“I intend to be proper…”
I guess it’s because I was originally human?
Is he trying to say that the typical demon mindset is something I just can’t grasp?
Well, I’ll show him. I’ll create a dungeon that both Dikitis and Ipiletis will recognize.
“Is this about right?”
“…This is… way too much.”
“Heh! Hehehe…”
Dikitis looks exasperated, and Ipiletis is trying to hold in her laughter.
Yeah, I get it. I probably messed up this time.
Damn it. Now that I think about it, Primilla , who usually helps me design dungeons, isn’t here this time.
Does it mean I can’t make a proper dungeon without her supervision?
“Sh-Should we destroy it?”
“No, no! That would waste magic!”
“It’s not like we should destroy it… it’s still a fine dungeon.”
They’re trying to be considerate.
…That’s right. The original purpose was to deepen my bond with Dikitis, who tends to avoid me.
So, I guess this is still a success.
Even if it’s because they had no choice but to be considerate due to how bad I am.
“…Shouldn’t we have the Demon Lord and the Four Heavenly Kings see it?”
“Have them grade it…?”
As expected, no one’s giving the go-ahead for this.
It looks like this dungeon will be finalized once it’s graded and reviewed by the teachers.
I can’t let this continue. If things stay like this, I’ll only be seen as a disappointing demon to Dikitis.
It’s not that they’re wrong, but I don’t want them to look at me with pity. Maybe I should try to make a better impression…
“Ah, that’s right. Dikitis, you’re the commander of the army, right?”
“Indeed.”
“I don’t have any subordinates right now, though~. How about borrowing some undead from Epiclesi?”
“If that’s the case, it would be better if she leads them. If it’s an undead army, I’m just her inferior.”
Indeed, Epiclesi is an extraordinary demon who could single-handedly command an entire army.
She once told me that her personal strength isn’t enough to defeat Dikitis in a battle between their armies.
However, when both armies consist of undead, it seems she believes Dikitis would win.
And in that case, it works out for us.
“Well, how about leading monsters that we haven’t stationed in the dungeon?”
“Monsters…? I don’t think they’d listen to my orders.”
“Monsters just attack according to their instincts, so they’re only able to distinguish between enemies and allies at best~? Leading them as an army might be a bit too difficult…”
“My goblins are smart enough to pretend to be defeated by intruders, so they’ll probably be fine.”
Actually, those guys have already developed some sense of self.
They definitely don’t just live by instinct anymore.
And it’s not just the goblins. I feel like all kinds of monsters are starting to show similar tendencies.
The basilisks, for example, are getting better and better at navigating the maze.
“Well, for now, just meet with the monsters and decide. If it doesn’t work out, feel free to tell me.”
Saying that, I took Dikitis to the monster waiting area.
…See? They definitely have self-awareness.
They were all relaxing, and as soon as I entered, they straightened up.
“Indeed… with this, they might listen to orders.”
