0.0000001% Demon King - 0DK Chapter 16: The Prelude (2) (Part 2)

“But, sister.”

“What is it?”

“Why are you here?”

Soccu’s question made the woman’s expression stiffen slightly. She wore a complex expression, then shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know why you’re in this jail?”

Soccu tilted her head, confused. For convenience, it was called a jail, but this place was meant only for the woman. A space solely for her, more like exile than imprisonment.

“I really don’t know. I thought I said something right, but it seems I was wrong. I angered them, and now I’m bound here.”

The woman murmured in a dry voice, devoid of life. Soccu chuckled.

“I like your eyes. Like a corpse, like us.”

It was a sense of camaraderie. The woman, though human, resembled a demon, and Soccu felt an affinity for her. Soccu curled up in the air, spinning around.

“That’s why I told you things. The master would scold me, but you wouldn’t tell humans about me, right? You’ve given up on everything.”

“…”

The woman’s expression hardened momentarily at Soccu’s twisted words. Soccu waved happily as she left.

“Then I’ll be going. Sister. See you tomorrow.”

“Take care.”

Soccu left. Silence returned to the jail where the woman was left alone. She stared blankly at the spot Soccu had left and let out a chuckle.

“Given up, huh? Not a wrong word.”

She closed her eyes.

**** ****

“Ah, no answers.”

Karos frustratedly messed up his desk. Books and objects were roughly knocked to the floor. Soccu peeked in.

“Master, what are you doing?”

“Racking my brain. Did you come back from playing again?”

“Of course! It’s so much fun these days!”

Soccu beamed, hugging a slime. Every day was enjoyable for her.

“If only I could have fun like you.”

Karos clicked his tongue and grabbed his hair. He had been pondering for days, but no solution had come. Bathesia buried her face in her legs, murmuring tiredly.

“Why not just break through with force…”

“You’ll get annihilated. Can’t you understand?”

“Tch.”

“It might be good for you to cool your head.”

“Ah! Give me one too! It was delicious last time.”

“Understood, Lady Bathesia.”

Lillis neatly sliced an apple and handed it over. Karos took a bite, enjoying the crisp texture.

“This is good. Ah, Lillis. How many points have we gathered? We made contracts and killed humans. Did a bit of everything.”

“About two hundred.”

“…That’s stingy.”

Wasn’t it much more before? Why so many? Because of pulling Bathesia under his wing? As Karos pondered, Lillis asked.

“Didn’t you say there were a few methods? How about we organize those first?”

“Right. There were. So why haven’t you mentioned them?”

“Because the risks are high.”

Karos grabbed another apple, chewed it roughly, and spoke.

“There are four.”

“Four? That’s a lot, isn’t it?”

“They’re risky, I told you. First, send monsters to make humans destroy themselves.”

“Direct attacks are impossible, right?”

“That’s why I said make them destroy themselves.”

“Do you mean encirclement?”

“Yes.”

Lillis’s question was met with a nod from Karos. He drew a circle around a village on the map.

“Surround the village with goblins. The key is never to show themselves. Just give a feeling that something might be there.”

“What’s the point of that?”

“There’s something unknown near the village. Could be goblins, orcs, maybe even an ogre. How do you think they’ll react?”

“…Send out a search party?”

“Right. When the search party comes out, retreat and hide again. Once they return, subtly encircle the village again.”

“What’s that? What are you doing? Just kill the search party…”

“Think. Then the empire comes.”

“Ah.”

If monsters show collective unrest, the empire will send a punitive force. That’s the end. The punitive force won’t leave until they find traces, and killing them would only bring a stronger force. They couldn’t stop it with their current power.

“Occasionally destroy caravans going to the village. That should make the empire think it’s just bandits and not act. What happens then?”

Caravans, thinking something is there, won’t go to that village. The village can’t venture out carelessly. They become isolated.

“Slowly starve them to death. There’s an unknown enemy around the village. Public sentiment plummets and chaos ensues. When it explodes from within, it’s over.”

“…Not bad?”

Bathesia murmured in admiration. It seemed like a viable method to her.

“Then why won’t it work?”

“Too many uncertainties.”

Hiding their identity was a prerequisite for the plan, but the risk of being discovered was high. If unlucky, a punitive force would come and execute them.

“It takes too long. If they can somewhat sustain themselves, they won’t die off… After considering everything, it’s not feasible.”

“What about the others?”

“Modify the first method to openly encircle them. If information doesn’t leak out, it could work. But it’s risky, so forget it. Another is to send ogres to openly demolish them. That also risks bringing a punitive force, which goes against our objective.”

He planned to use the village as a base for expanding his territory. If the village was empty, it didn’t meet the conditions.

“Complicated…”

“Did you think it would be easy?”

It’s like bringing down a giant. Even if you start from the inside, the tough outer layer is the first challenge. Bathesia lay exhausted on the floor.

“So, the last one?”

“Rebellion.”

Karos pressed a pen onto the village on the map.

Hyung_Otaku

I'm currently Translating the following novels: Pick Me Up! | A Frontline Soldier Awakened as a Gamer In The War! | The 100th Regression of the Max-Level Player. If you want to support me and read more chapters please subscribe to my Patreon!

•