Dungeon Defense

Lately, I've been spending a lot of time in the imperial palace's enshrinement chamber.

This place, solely built for Paimon, was always quiet. Aside from the palace maids coming to change the flowers every morning, there was hardly anyone else around. It was the perfect place to come alone and get lost deep in thought. Well, there was a mentally taxing aspect to it……but that could be ignored.

Of course, I didn't come to the enshrinement chamber specifically to mourn Paimon. It was a political gesture. Paimon was one of the most supported Demon Lords in the demon world, and even now, there were those in the Mountain Faction who missed Paimon.

Not able to forget Paimon's death, I, Dantalian, would spend most of my time at the enshrinement chamber whenever I came to the palace. Wouldn't they see this as a rather noble gesture?

"I knew you'd be here."

Someone approached from the entrance of the room. Sensing their presence, I raised my head to see Sitri smiling shyly.

"I saw that you weren't at your office, so I figured you'd be here. Hehe."

"I feel at peace when I am here."

"Yeah, it's the same for me too."

"This is quite the feast!"

"I-I tried making a packed lunch since I know you probably haven't eaten yet."

"I did not know you had culinary skills."

I exaggerated my admiration somewhat. My heart would feel endlessly melancholic whenever I saw Sitri, so I would chat cheerfully to hide it. Sitri seemed to gain confidence from my reaction as she chuckled brightly.

"I've been taking bride lessons lately!"

"Bride lessons?"

"I felt like I've been too much of a tomboy all this time. So I'm being taught by the maids and teachers. Hehe."

"……I see."

I forced a smile.

Sitri referred to it as "bride lessons", but in reality, she was being trained to be a ruler. With Paimon gone, Sitri had to lead the Mountain Faction whether she liked it or not. There was no one in the Mountain Faction more popular than her, after all.

She probably didn't intend to, but Sitri was the one who saved the Mountain Faction from falling apart after Paimon's death. She protected the Mountain Faction's pride by thoroughly carrying out a revenge play in the demon world.

"What do you find the most challenging in your bride lessons?"

"Hmm. Probably table manners. I've always eaten however I wanted, but the teacher says I can't do that. Apparently, there are like dozens of types of knives."

Sitri grumbled like an elementary school student who didn't want to go to school.

As anyone could readily discern, Sitri was sorely lacking in refinement, a quality she had never truly needed while Paimon was around. Her role had always been that of the steadfast sword of the Mountain Faction. However, everything had now shifted drastically…….

As the leader of the Mountain Faction, she found herself obligated to attend meetings, host important dignitaries from the demon world, and navigate political skirmishes with the Plains Faction or Neutral Faction. These were burdens Sitri now bore, burdens that weighed heavily on someone who had spent her entire life relying solely on her sword skills on the battlefield.

However, Sitri accepted this royal education without any complaints.

No, she requested it herself.

"You are doing well, Sitri. You are truly remarkable."

I gently stroked Sitri's head. Sitri leaned into my touch like a pet dog and nestled even further into my embrace.

"It's amazing. I feel like I can keep going every time I get praised by you."

"……If it gets too hard, you can always give up."

"Yeah, but you're holding up just fine."

Sitri didn't shy away from Paimon's death. Instead, she faced it head-on and accepted it. She was keenly aware that without her intervention, the Mountain Faction would have collapsed. And she was determined not to lose any of the legacies Paimon left behind…….

"I'm fine since I have you around."

"……."

"Now then, open wide."

Sitri picked up a sandwich and handed it to me.

"Mm."

Bacon, tomato, and lettuce were sandwiched between the slices of bread. The crisp lettuce complemented the flavor of the bacon perfectly. The inclusion of tomatoes suggested that these sandwiches were not crafted by human hands. Curiously, humans abstained from consuming tomatoes, dubbing them "blood fruits".

In an era steeped in myth, rumors abounded that tomatoes acquired their crimson hue from leeching the blood of corpses buried beneath the earth.

"Is it tasty?"

"Yes, it tastes amazing."

"Th-Then how about this one?"

Sitri picked up a second sandwich. Unlike the others in the basket, this one looked rather clumsy. The tomato was protruding awkwardly, and it seemed like there was an excessive amount of bacon.

What's this?

Despite my flaws, I'm someone who managed to survive for the past 8 years thanks to my quick wit alone. I immediately caught on to the truth. A woman suddenly appeared with a packed lunch, one sandwich looked like a mess, and Sitri was looking at me with an oddly anxious expression…….

So that's how it is? Come to think of it, although it's a given that they'd teach her table manners in her training to be a ruler, there's no way they'd teach her how to cook. I ate the second sandwich leisurely, as if I were someone who had realized the truth of the world.

"Hmm."

I deliberately chewed slowly, as if savoring the taste. With each passing moment, Sitri's expression grew increasingly restless. I was certain now.

"Well, how is it……?"

"It is delicious. No, it tastes far better than the first one."

"Really!?"

Sitri's face lit up with joy.

"I cannot quite express it, but how should I put it? I feel like I can taste the sincerity……. Yes, it is as if there is something hidden within this sandwich that surpasses taste."

The flow of events was obvious.

This was probably Sitri's first time cooking, meaning this was her first time making something similar to a sandwich. It was only natural that it wouldn't be made well.

Feeling despair about her own cooking skills, Sitri most likely sought help from the palace chef. However, unable to give up her desire to let me taste her handmade dish, she secretly hid the sandwich she made in the packed lunch. That was the true identity of the visibly misshapen sandwich.

"The previous one felt a little too by the books and overly professional, but though this one looks a little sloppy, it brings me more ease."

"H-Hehe……. Really? That's good to hear."

Sitri blushed shyly as she smiled.

Fufu, my perception can easily see this level of truth.

We ate the food amidst a greatly cheerful atmosphere. Sitri blowing on a steaming potato to cool it down before splitting it in half to share with me was a sight so beautiful it could have been a masterpiece.

After finishing our meal quickly, I received a lap pillow from Sitri. Sitri hummed a tune while combing through my hair.

"Lady Sitri!"

At that moment, a tiger person in a butler outfit came running in from the entrance of the chamber.

When the butler approached, the warm and cozy atmosphere changed in an instant. Sitri's gentle smile vanished without a trace, replaced by a cold and rigid expression. Sitri glared daggers at the butler.

"This is where the deceased rest. Keep your voice down."

"M-My apologies…… There is something urgent I have to report……."

The butler stopped in their tracks. They seemed to realize their mistake the moment they saw the two of us. With a deeply bowed head, the butler spoke.

"As you commanded, Demon Lord Belial has been captured. He is currently on his knees in your office."

"All right. What about the rest of the Mountain Faction?"

"They have all gathered."

Sitri's voice as she spoke to the butler was completely different from before. Her tone was that of a ruthless and merciless leader. Sitri whispered quietly into my ear so that the butler couldn't hear.

"Dantalian."

"I understand the situation."

I raised my body.

Sitri had reorganized the Mountain Faction, but it wasn't perfect. There were Demon Lords who, losing hope in the Mountain Faction, tried to escape to another faction. Among them was the former Rank 68 Demon Lord, Belial.

Belial became indebted to Barbatos early on during the 8th Crescent Alliance. Barbatos had saved Belial's Demon Lord Castle from falling into the hands of the humans. That was probably the reason. Since the Mountain Faction felt a little unstable, he quickly tried to change his allegiance.

However, he was naive. Sitri, following my advice, meticulously placed monitors on each of the Demon Lords in the Mountain Faction. Maids, gardeners, stable boys, and even the children of servants were bought off to create a surveillance network like a spider's web. Demon Lord Belial's private meeting with Brother Zepar was immediately discovered.

Brother Zepar is basically the second-in-command of the Plains Faction. Meeting someone of such standing from an opposing faction at a time like this when any thoughtless action could brand you as a traitor……. The result was obvious.

"I will accompany you."

"……Are you sure that's okay?"

"No one will question my presence since I am your ally."

Sitri nodded.

We left the enshrinement chamber and headed towards Sitri's office. Originally, Sitri didn't have a separate office, but she was now using the one formerly occupied by Paimon. The room was quite spacious, and all the Demon Lords of the Mountain Faction were gathered inside.

The atmosphere in the room was tense. Judging by their somber expressions, all of the Mountain Faction Demon Lords present must know that something unpleasant was about to happen. The Demon Lords politely bowed their heads as Sitri entered the room.

"We greet Your Highness Sitri."

"Thank you all for gathering despite your busy schedules."

Sitri raised her right hand to skip formalities.

Though some of the Mountain Faction Demon Lords raised their eyebrows at my presence, none objected to it. Given my tears when Paimon died and my regular visits to the enshrinement chamber afterward, they were relatively friendly towards me now.

"L-Lady Sitri."

Demon Lord Belial was kneeling in the center of the office, his arms tightly bound behind his back. Upon seeing Sitri, Belial began to plead desperately.

"I do not know why this has occurred, but there must have been a misunderstanding. I am truly innocent. Your Highness should be aware of how hard I have worked for the Mountain Faction!"

"……."

Sitri glanced at Belial out of the corner of her eye but did not respond to him. Instead, she turned her attention to the other Mountain Faction Demon Lords before speaking.

"We are facing an unprecedented crisis. Big Sis Paimon is dead, and the Plains Faction remains healthy. It's natural for us to be bewildered in the face of such a situation since we have always entrusted everything to Big Sis Paimon until now. Honestly, I don't know what to do either."

"……."

"But one thing is certain. There's another group who would be pleased to see us falter and divide."

Sitri didn't explicitly point fingers, but every Demon Lord in the Mountain Faction knew she was referring to the Plains Faction.

"Think back to Big Sis Paimon's funeral. Not a single one of them shed a tear. They merely nodded their heads before her coffin, as if that was all the respect required of them, before turning their backs and walking away. All except for one person."

Sitri glanced at me for a moment. The Mountain Faction Demon Lords nodded in response.

"I have no desire to appease those scoundrels. I wish to ask you all for your opinions regarding this."

"Your Highness' words are justified."

"We cannot afford to indulge those who cannot even show respect in the face of death."

The Demon Lords of the Mountain Faction fervently voiced their agreement. Belial's complexion drained with each echoing assent.

"Then, it's unanimous."

"Your Highness, please! Please listen to me! Th-This is a conspiracy! I have never—."

Before Belial could complete his plea, Sitri swiftly drew her sword.

Crimson blood sprayed, staining the opulent golden carpet as Belial's head fell with a thud. The Mountain Faction Demon Lords watched in silence.

Sitri flicked her sword once more to rid it of blood.

"Traitors will never be forgiven."

"……."

"We—all of us here—must safeguard Big Sis Paimon's legacy."

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. Whoopsie, I forgot to upload this chapter. It sort of slipped my mind cause I just had a lot of things planned with my friends over the weekend. I need to really organize my schedule and actually get things done.

Maybe if I translated during my lunch breaks at work… but I've been sort of using my lunch breaks for naps… I gotta sacrifice something to be more efficient. I might have to start sleeping at a normal time to fix that. The horror.

I'll see you guys in the next chapter.

This chapter upload first at NovelBin.Com