Chapter 48: The Neighborhood Demon King I & II
Chapter 48: The Neighborhood Demon King I & II
＜The Neighborhood Demon King I＞
【77th day】
There is a profession called adventurer.
The scope of an adventurer’s work is diverse. Running errands for villagers, subjugating monsters, gathering items for collectors’ collections, being bouncers for merchant companies, and acting as consultants. From menial to heroic, for gaining fame or to clear reputations, it’ll take forever if I try to list them all.
Most popular among them is exploring the dungeon.
In the dungeon, a great amount of wisdom that is unknown (or has been forgotten) to the people lay untapped. Pyroxenes more valuable than gold and silver, materials, and the equipment of heroes who had died are waiting to see the light of day once more.
Naturally, it’s lucrative.
Moreover, it’s lucrative regardless of race or lineage.
However, people who have made a killing and obtained unwavering status are few and far between.
Most lose their lives in the depths of the dark labyrinth. Whether they were satisfied, lamented, felt pride, or cursed, different people felt different emotions.
My party is also a party specializing in clearing the dungeon.
I had been on break for some time, but today, I can finally resume my main work.
In terms of the days elapsed, it’s now the 77th day. But the current floor that I’m clearing is the 14th floor. My goal is to reach the 56th floor within 365 days, obtain the materials indicated by the A.I.s there, and return to the modern world.
The deeper into the dungeon one explores, the more it entraps people manically.
There is still some leeway, but the future is unclear.
Cautiously and safely, cautiously and safely, I told myself that time and time again. But when it comes down to it, we challenge the adventure unprepared. There’s no such thing as a safe adventure.
The best way to get rid of this anxiety is to explore the dungeon.
It’s truly ironic.
「Hn」
Last night, I had been making plans till late. I couldn’t remember anything from mid-way through. It appeared that I had ended up falling asleep.
When I woke up, I felt the sunrise through the sides of the tent.
In my hand was a tablet in sleep-mode. Beside my pillow was an A.I. mini-pod that was also in sleep-mode. Next to the A.I. was a hand-drawn map with annotations.
At the tip of my nose was her sleeping face.
Rana. A woman from the alternate world who I had pretend married. She was a blonde-haired elven magician who, despite being baby-faced, had big boobs. Those abundant twin hills were being clutched from behind by her sleeping sister.
Her younger sister, Ea, had blonde hair and a tall, slim body. She was the very image of an elf.
Perhaps she was starved for mothering, but she was a girl who loves her elder sister’s breasts. So much so that she couldn’t sleep without touching them.
Both of them were in their sleepwear, which was T-shirts and hot pants. Even though I should be used to seeing it by now, my body heated up when I looked directly at them.
Without conscious thought, I naturally……
……tried to touch Rana’s bangs……
……but I couldn’t move.
I hadn’t noticed it because the heat of her body had seeped into mine, but someone had embraced me, who was lying on my side, from behind. I could see the hands that were wrapped around me.
The mostly likely culprit, my god, was sleeping in the corner of the tent with her belly exposed. She was still in the form of a cat.
In that case, there was only one person it could be.
「Lanseal?」
I caught sight of a swaying silver tail out of the corner of my eye.
Now that I had thought about it, the feel of the bulges that were pressed against my back was familiar.
「………………Lanseal」
So as to not wake Rana up, I lowered my voice as much as possible.
It had been decided just the other day that she was not to invade my bed without Rana’s permission, and yet, here she is.
I don’t want to see the two of them fight first thing in the morning. Or rather, mediating between them is troublesome.
I want to cherish Rana. I want to treat Lanseal affectionately. At present, no one understands how distressed I am by this.
「Lan, seal………Lanseal………Lanseal~」
I continued calling out to her quietly.
The scales were tipping wildly between troublesome and warmth. A little more, it feels good like this. But no, no, it’s bad.
「Ahnn~」
「Ugu」
She let out a seductive sigh and tightened her restraints on me. She wrapped both hands around my neck and one leg around my waist. A formidable suppleness was pressed against my shoulder blades.
I, I can’t break free.
To think that that she would attack me both physically and mentally, what a terrifying girl Lanseal is.
「Lan, Lanseal. Please wake up」
Somehow, my voice was small.
「Nom」
「Ow」
Instead of getting a reply, my earlobe was play-bitten. Even though it had felt like an electric current had shot through my spine with just that, she continued to munch on my earlobe and deal DoT damage to me.
「Heyy, Lanseal-sann」
「Hnn, yes?」
She whispered sultrily into my ear.
Did she wake up or had she been pretending to be asleep from the beginning?
「What’s the meaning of this?」
「I’ve come to wake you up as I’ve finished making breakfast. I’m quite confident in today’s tamagoyaki(Japanese omelette) and soup」
「Okay, umm, before that, what are you doing right noww~」
I was nibbled.
「I’m deepening our friendship. So that I can be taken as your mistress as soon as possible, I thought that I would try various thing on you, Souya」
「That makes me happy, no, consider the time and place――」
「Do you not like this kind of thing?」
The tip of her tongue licked my ear. It crept into a place that couldn’t be defended. It was forcing itself into the hole. At that never-experienced-before sensation, my brain went numb and I almost passed out.
Even though she’s only pretend, to be molested by other women in front of my wife, it’s mortifying, but it feels――
「………………Hnnn」
Rana woke up.
「Hmm?」
Lanseal didn’t care, or rather, she intensified her efforts at molesting me. Her beastkin blood had ended up completely boiling over.
「………………Huh?」
As could be expected, even the quick-witted Rana was confused.
She sat up and took a deep breath.
And then, she grasped the situation, organized it in her head, and drove her fist into Lanseal’s face.
＜The Neighborhood Demon King II＞
「Today’s breakfast is tamagoyaki with mushrooms and cheese, bread, and, um, this soup with bacon and vegetables」
『Lanseal-sama, it’s Pot-au-feu』
「Yes, this is Pot-au-feu. It’s cooked in the pressure cooker so the ingredients are soft and tender」
Lanseal and Makina laid out breakfast on the table.
Hmm, an environment where breakfast is ready upon waking up is also good. It can’t match the joy of being told that the food that I had made is delicious though.
「Here, Souya. I’ve added more bacon especially for you」
「Lanseal, you’re not allowed to come any closer」
Rana kept her, who was bringing me my breakfast, at arm’s length.
「But――」
「Not allowed」
「Then, I’ll leave it here」
Lanseal placed the bowl a little further away. Rana pulled it closer and moved it in front of herself.
「Or rather, Lanseal, do you have an explanation for what happened this morning?」
In response to Rana, who was a shade angry, Lanseal said with a nonchalant expression.
「Even if you ask me for an explanation, I didn’t disturb both of you at night, which is the married couple’s time, and besides, morning is free time」
「Som, something like married couple’s time! That’s, umm………………not yet. However! That thing in the morning is going too far! It’s shameless! Have some sense of propriety!」
Rana had turned red to her ears.
To be honest, it’s cute.
「Well, I think that Onee-chan should also dial it back a notch though」
Looking at Rana, who was sitting on my lap, my sister voiced a very reasonable impression.
「Ea, we’re husband and wife. What’s wrong with a wife sitting on her husband’s lap?」
「Your words have come back to roost, but if you haven’t realized it, then never mind」
「?」
Went Rana, who hadn’t realized it.
She had done it before, but as could be expected, sitting on a man’s lap at the dining table is a bit much
It’s completely my fault for not being able to admonish her. But I mean, come on. On my thighs, the feel of Rana’s butt is…… The rather fleshy sensation is……
If there is a man who can tear himself away from this, I’ll probably feel either respect or aversion for him.
「Oh, it’s delicious~」
My sister took a mouthful of the Pot-au-feu and gave her impression of it.
Rana also took a mouthful with an indescribable expression.
「Urggh………………It’s delicious」
The Pot-au-feu was a dish with simmered meat and vegetables.
Since we had brought granulated consomme from the modern world, the seasoning could be done easily.
Ingredients were malformed potatoes, melted turnips, tender onions, broken-off carrots and bite-sized bacon.
When I stuck my spoon into the potato, it broke apart without much resistance.
I also took a mouthful from around Rana.
「Ohh」
The saltiness was light, but the deliciousness of the ingredients had been concentrated in the soup, and a taste similar to sweetness spread throughout my mouth. Next, I took a bite of the thick, luxurious bacon.
By matching this with the vegetables, the saltiness became exquisite. The other ingredients were also cooked until they were easy to eat, so it was the ideal dish to eat in the morning.
「Yeah, it’s delicious」
「FuuuUUUUUNN~」
At my impression, Lanseal hid her face with a tray. She was trembling for some reason. Her tail was moving furiously with incredible force.
Because her tail was usually stowed inside her skirt, that meant that if I went to the opposite side, I would be able to see her panties. No, it’s definitely not as if I want to see…….
………………I want to see them though.
「Wh, what about the tamagoyaki?!」
「Let’s see」
I reached out my spoon towards the slightly burnt, thick tamagoyaki. When I cut it, mushrooms that were covered in viscous, melted cheese could be seen.
Sugar had been added. It brought out a deliciousness through the synergistic effect it had with the saltiness of the cheese. The crisp texture of mushrooms was also a highlight.
「The shape is bad, but the taste gets full marks. This is also delicious」
「Thank you very much, Souya. And, I’m sorry. I’m having a little trouble keeping my emotions in check, so I’m going for a run」
Lanseal raced across the plain like the wind. Her back looked incredibly happy. I understood how she felt, but she was rejoicing too much.
「It’s a little bland」
My sister put plenty of mayonnaise on her tamagoyaki.
As Rana ate the tamagoyaki heartily, she clenched her fist.
「………………It’s vexing. Makina, when we get back from the dungeon, give me special training in cooking」
『Makina is really sorry, but Makina refuses』
「Huh?!」
Nice, Makina.
She didn’t beat around the bush.
『To tell the truth, Makina still hasn’t been able to dispose of the dish that madam made previously. If you’re able to either neutralize or destroy it completely, this Makina will impart to you the secrets of cooking』
There was a substance that Rana had created in the process of making onigiri(rice balls) a little while ago. It was a very terrifying substance, and had become a bit of a problem as we were having trouble disposing of it.
It expanded when burned and became ferocious when sprinkled with water. Shooting it with a bow or attacking it with the magic sword also dealt no damage. To begin with, physical attacks were completely nullified.
We also tried Rana’s magic, but even with her firepower, it was impossible to destroy it completely, and reducing its size and weakening it was all she could do.
For now, it was sealed inside a metal box, but the sounds of it rampaging were getting more intense day by day. Recently, scratching sounds had been coming from inside the box. Whispers in what sounded like an unknown language could even be heard.
As Makina said, until a disposal method could be found, creating a second or third “that” would lead to a crisis on the alternate world.
As a person from the modern world, I couldn’t do anything that would cause trouble for the alternate world.
「Uuu………”that” is certainly my responsibility. I understand. I’ll develop the method of destroying it first. After that, please be sure to teach me how to cook, alright?」
『Yes, leave it to Makina』
I felt relieved for the time being.
When I happened to look over the camp calmly, I came across a strange spot.
「Makina, what is that?」
Behind Makina, in the shadow of the A.I.’s cylindrical-shaped pod, there was a bulge hidden under a blue tarp.
It was about the size of five humans laid flat and packed tightly together.
No way, has she finally……
『It’s only from the number of failures that people show great growth』
The Makina Unit’s arm stripped off the blue tarp.
「This is………………」
I had no words.
Broken frying pans and pots. Cutting boards that had been split into two. Shattered kitchen knives. Cracked plates. Foodstuffs that had been burnt to a cinder.
『Most of them are cooking utensils and foodstuffs from this world, so please overlook it. But please don’t overlook her efforts』
「Even I can do this much, but, muu, this is, hmm」
Rana had wanted to complain. But breakfast was delicious, so she held her tongue.
However, there was just one problem.
「Onii-chan, this bread is hard and inedible」
「Got it~」
This bread, they had probably served what I had bought and kept in reserve. They aren’t meant for eating as is. Well, it’s a pardonable mistake.
「Makina, collect them back」
『Understood』
The bread was collected back and stored in the food storage.
This hardness is perfect. I’ll use it for cooking when we come back from the dungeon.
I sorta wish that I could have ended the release on the 1st chapter of the arc haha. I was laughing for at least a full minute at that ending the first time I read it. I still chuckle at it now.
On that topic though, when Souya thinks, “no one understands how distressed I am by this”, the kanji used there can also mean “seduced”. Yes, you can punch the MC now.
From previous references, we know author does play games. For those that don’t, or only play games without such stuff, DoT damage is a gaming term referring to when an attack or spell doesn’t do its full damage upfront, but deals damage continuously over time at regular intervals. Like getting poisoned in rpgs, for example. As for why I didn’t just fit the meaning in as I usually do, author used a specific gaming term there as a joke so I felt that I should respect that and leave it there as well.
“It’s only from the number of failures that people show great growth” is not a saying, though it sounds like one. Meaning-wise, it’s similar to the Chinese saying, “Failure is the mother of success”. Surprisingly, English doesn’t seem to have something like that. The closest I was able to find aren’t sayings, but quotes, like “Failures are the stepping stones to success” by Arianna Huffington, which I actually traced back to an Albanian saying, so…
Haha, the biological weapon created by Rana in vol 2 is back! And it’s scary! What will happen? And that title, is there going to be a big-shot new character appearing? Well, actually, that’s exactly what’s happening next time! Stay tuned!