Akatsuki Translations

Mirage had served for many months and years as the aide to Belzebuth, one of the Four Heavenly Kings, working on countless missions alongside Astarte, who shared the same position. Their strength had grown to such an extent that they could now hold their own in two-on-one mock battles against Belzebuth. They had gradually begun to be entrusted with various tasks as the stand-ins for the Four Heavenly Kings.

Typically, Astarte acted as the representative, with Mirage as her assistant. Without any significant problems arising, they lived through their days with smooth sailing.

“Surrender is your best option. What do you choose?”  -Astarte

“I, I surrender!”

Astarte, with her sickle pressed against her opponent’s throat, faced a demon with a cat-like face, who was meekly raising her hands in surrender. As soon as she spoke, her fur-covered face transformed into that of a girl still bearing traces of innocence. It became clear that she had been using beastification magic

With an air of experience, Astarte restrained the cat-demon girl, depriving her of the use of her hands. The girl belonged to a race known as the cat-demons, who had been stealing crops and livestock from nearby villages.

The cat-demons, using beastification magic, or in their case, cat-ification magic, could take on a form resembling a cat. They were incredibly swift and had better night vision than other demons, allowing them to commit their crimes under the cover of darkness. Yet, the Demon Lord’s army was not one to let such activities go unchecked.

In response to repeated complaints, Astarte had led an army in place of Belzebuth to apprehend the cat-demons. They had discovered the cave where the cat-demons were hiding, and after a few hours of battle, had found and detained the leader of the group.

“We’ve already captured your leader! Stop your futile resistance and cease your combat actions immediately!” -Astarte

“Boss!”

“The boss has been capturednya!”

“Nyanya!”

The cat-demons, who had been engaged in battle with the other soldiers, dropped their weapons one by one and started to undo their transformations upon hearing Astarte’s call to surrender. There had been a chaotic fight in the spacious cave, but with this, the situation was finally under control. Astarte exhaled a sigh of relief.

However, an unusual sight caused Astarte to widen her eyes in surprise, and she instinctively asked the cat-demon girl she had captured.

“From what I see… there seem to be only females here. Where are the males?” -Astarte

“We lost a territorial battle against the Black-furred ones and they killed them. Mao and the others, ran away because we didn’t want to become slavesnya.” -Mao

Many of the demon races not governed by the Demon Lord’s army still engaged in old territorial disputes, and in some cases, the losers saw their men annihilated and their women turned into slaves.

Cat-demons were divided into smaller groups based on the color of the fur that covered their transformed bodies, and it wasn’t uncommon for them to fight among themselves, much like the demon race.

However, Astarte couldn’t just take her words at face value. She had to consider the possibility that this was a trap to make her let down her guard.

However, that concern proved to be unfounded.

“It seems like what she’s saying is true. We found some children and elderly deep inside the cave. But there were no signs of any males living there.” -Mirage

The one who appeared, leading soldiers and other cat-demons, was Mirage. He had taken a different route through the cave and had found and protected non-combatant cat-demons.

The cat-demons, apparently a tribe called the Calico Tribe, originally lived at the eastern end of the demon territories. However, their village was attacked by the Black-furred Tribe. Despite putting up a fight, they were quickly defeated.

Thanks to the men of the village buying them some time, they managed to escape and made their way to the territories governed by the Demon Lord’s army. The Black-furred Tribe, perhaps sensing that a conflict with the Demon Lord’s army would be to their disadvantage, had not pursued them. However, the Calico Tribe was then faced with the problem of securing food and shelter.

While they had found this cave to serve as a temporary home, feeding nearly a hundred members of the Calico Tribe required a substantial amount of food. Moreover, half the tribe was made up of children and the elderly who couldn’t work, so they had inevitably come to the conclusion to steal from the nearby villages.

Having explained the situation to Astarte, Mirage waited to see what she would decide. The final decision lay with Astarte, who was acting as Belzebuth’s representative. If she decided to punish the Calico Tribe, they would have to comply.

“Let’s provide them with food, clothing, and shelter through the Demon Lord’s army and find them jobs. We’ll temporarily shoulder the cost of compensating the affected villages, to be repaid from their future wages. Of course, as it’s compensation, there will need to be some additional payment. Normally, we would seize their assets and expel them… but they’re clearly struggling to get by day-to-day… and we’d have trouble if they came back here again.” -Astarte

“Nya! Are you giving us jobs?” -Mao

“Do we not have to live in this cold cave anymorenya?”

“Will there be warm milknya?”

At Astarte’s words, the Calico Tribe began to buzz with excitement. It seemed they had felt the limits of their current lifestyle, and the prospect of someone helping them out was a welcome development.

As far as Mirage and the others knew, while the cat-demons had been stealing, there were no reports of them hurting anyone. Of course, theft was a crime in itself, but considering their circumstances, there was room for sympathy. If they could establish a solid foundation for a proper livelihood, Astarte believed they could reform.

“New leader! Our new leader!” -Mao

“Woah, hold on, stop! I’m not your leader!” -Astarte

“New leadernya!”

“Leader!”

“Leader!”

“Leader!”

Mao, still restrained by Astarte and unable to use her hands, rubbed her face against Astarte to show her gratitude. She spontaneously started calling her “leader”, and the other members of the Calico Tribe enthusiastically joined in.

It seems this race isn’t particularly clever, thought Mirage, calmly analyzing the situation and pondering what kind of work they could be assigned to. Administrative work was definitely out of the question. However, their friendly nature and agility might be useful for intelligence work.

They could pretend to have surrendered to the Demon Lord’s army while secretly plotting against it – a tactic employed by more than a few races. They could set up bars in major cities, have them work there, and perhaps assign those with high physical abilities to infiltration missions.

However, they would need considerable training to ensure that they didn’t leak any confidential information in case of an emergency. With these thoughts racing through his mind, Mirage was suddenly interrupted by Astarte.

“Mirage, stop daydreaming and help me handle this situation.” -Astarte

“Hm? For now, it seems better to call her instructor rather than leader. It would be quicker if Tart-chan takes care of it, and you guys have no objections, right?” -Mirage

“Instru~ctornya!”

“Astarte instru~ctor!”

“Tart-channya!”

“What on earth are you talking about… And it’s not Tart-chan, it’s Astarte. Please don’t mimic him.” -Astarte

Mirage had already decided that the Calico Tribe would be Astarte’s responsibility and started referring to her as the instructor without waiting for approval.

Mirage didn’t miss it. Every time Astarte’s eyes flickered when the ears of the Calico Cat Tribe twitched, he noticed.

Their ears, which sprouted from the tops of their heads, bore pads on the palms of their hands, even without the use of beastification magic.

Perhaps because they were all females, they were petite and adorable, and it was no wonder that Astarte, who loved cute things, was reacting.

However, right now, in front of her many subordinates, she was maintaining an impassive expression, not showing any undignified behavior. But, she couldn’t hide the sparkle in her eyes.

“Well, let’s leave the details for when we return to the castle. For now, let’s take these ladies with us and move. I’m curious about the Black-fur Tribe, too.” -Mirage

“That’s… yes, indeed. Now, we will return to the castle! The Calico Tribe will be taken in their restrained state. We will provide a carriage for the elderly and children, so please rest assured. If anyone attempts to escape, we will have no choice but to take harsh measures. Please behave and follow our instructions! All troops, begin the march!” -Astarte

With Astarte’s command, the soldiers showed a well-coordinated movement.

There were no signs that the Calico Cat Tribe was planning anything, but they were criminals who had been stealing, and it was necessary to restrain them.

Astarte and Mirage each had been given a hundred soldiers from Belzebuth, but thanks to their regular training, their discipline and loyalty were high, and there were no ones who would rough up the Calico Tribe without reason.

However, it was certain that they would show no mercy to those who attempted to escape, even after being treated with such leniency. Especially considering they were dealing with a tribe known for their quick legs, they would not hesitate to inflict minor injuries to prevent escape.

A few hours after the capture of the Calico Tribe, Mirage and his team were moving westward on the highway in formation.

Fifty soldiers at the front were on guard, ready to swiftly subdue any monsters or such they encountered.

In the center, Commanders Mirage and Astarte, along with fifty soldiers, were fortifying their defenses in a perfect formation.

At the rear, young members of the Calico Tribe were walking with their hands restrained, followed by children and the elderly in carriages, all under the watchful eyes of a hundred soldiers.

“All we need to do now is return to the castle and our mission will be accomplished. I’m glad the Calico Tribe isn’t a troublesome race.” -Mirage

“Mirage, you must not be negligent. Since we are currently operating with non-combatants included, we must consider the possibility of an enemy taking advantage of this opportunity to attack.” -Astarte

Astarte chided Mirage, who was casually making comments while straddling his horse.

Mirage wasn’t being careless, rather, he made such remarks on purpose, sensing the relaxed atmosphere around him.

While the front-line troops were vigilant against monsters and the troops at the rear were ready for any attacks, the central forces rarely needed to respond immediately.

Especially on the highway where Mirage and his team were advancing, the visibility was good, there was little cover for attackers, and they could detect any approaching threat in advance. In most cases, the front-line troops could handle any opponent.

Moreover, the current location was land controlled by the Demon Lord’s army. If any enemy demons were to invade, they would immediately report it via communication orb.

So, if they keep an eye on the movements of the monsters and the Calico Tribe, it would be a safe journey. However, if Mirage was the one planning to attack, he would seize this opportunity.

“Oh, I’ve upset you. Well, I can’t speak for an outsider like me, but I can’t imagine any of the soldiers under the proud Belzebuth-sama being careless. So, it’s not a problem.” -Mirage

Hearing his words, the surrounding soldiers, who had been slightly relaxed, tightened their expressions.

There are several ways to tighten a slack atmosphere. Instead of directly reprimanding someone, Mirage’s approach was to change the awareness of those around him by indirectly reprimanding someone else.

Many of the soldiers they were leading were veterans, with strong loyalty to Belzebuth and Astarte.

However, because they have known Astarte since she was young, direct reprimands have little effect.

On the contrary, there are even those who wear expressions of joy as if it were a reward.

For Mirage, who is still considered an outsider, while they obey his orders, it’s hard to say they pledge their loyalty. On the surface, they might accept him, but there’s a high likelihood they wouldn’t take him seriously in their hearts.

But those who are antagonistic towards Mirage would not want to be seen in the same light, and in the flow of things, they would likely march with a sense of tension.

“You really… You are also a deputy, so please consider a little more dignity.” -Astarte

“Hahaha, Astarte, you’re so serious, it’s just right for me to be like this.” -Mirage

Among the soldiers present, even those who held resentment towards Mirage, none of them took him lightly.

That’s because they all knew that he was going through hellish training every day under Belzebuth, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.

Astarte, too, was not just the daughter of a Heavenly King, but also had proven strength, which was why the soldiers trusted her and followed her orders.

For Mirage, he didn’t care about his own evaluation, and he thought it was more efficient for him to play his current role, as there was a deputy with a centripetal force like Astarte.

Many demons have a strong tendency to prefer to interact with only their own race and fundamentally do not want to serve under a different species.

The current Demon Lord’s army exists because the Demon Lord Lilith has worked for many years to unify the races.

It can be easily imagined that there was a great deal of trouble in permeating the value of different species working together as the same army among the demons.

Considering these circumstances, it’s safe to say that the subordinates of Belzebuth who accept Mirage, who suddenly became a deputy, understand the philosophy of the Demon Lord’s army.

In the casual exchanges between Mirage and Astarte, there are many reasons.

Of course, in the case of Mirage, the biggest reason is to work efficiently so that he can ultimately take it easy, but it’s pointless to say that now.

“Just because of your frivolous attitude, yo ――” -Astarte

“Wait a minute… This is… The Germania Empire? No, but… Impossible…” -Mirage

“Trying to dodge the issue won’t… Mirage, is something wrong?” -Astarte

Astarte was still about to continue her nagging, but Mirage focused his attention elsewhere as he felt something off with his magic detection.

Astarte seemed to realize in the middle of her speech that Mirage was not just trying to change the subject, but was genuinely disturbed by something.

The southern border of the demon territory is adjacent to the human kingdom of Valois, but most of the eastern side is adjacent to the Germania Empire.

The Germania Empire is a human country that has formed a tripartite alliance with the Valois Kingdom to counter the demons, but it has rarely had a large-scale battle with the Demon Lord’s army.

On the contrary, human beings called black marketeers secretly infiltrate, perhaps interested in the culture of the demons.

Officially, they are human merchants who trade with demons for their own profit, but Mirage had heard that the core of the Empire is likely involved behind the scenes.

It is also an excellent opportunity for the Demon Lord’s army to learn about human technology and culture, so it is a public secret that Demon Lord Lilith quietly approves.

However, apart from Demon Lord Lilith, the Four Heavenly Kings Belzebuth, and the deputies Mirage and Astarte, and the demons who are actually trading, the facts are not disclosed to anyone.

The magical power he felt from the direction of the Germania Empire, with whom he had a not-so-shallow relationship.

Even with Mirage’s superior magic perception, there is a limit to how far he can detect the magical power of others, hence his feeling of discomfort.

“No, I might be mistaken, so don’t worry about it. For now, let’s prioritize getting back to the castle.” -Mirage

“Being told that makes me more curious… Well, fine.” -Astarte

Surrounded by many soldiers, and also leading the Calico Cat Tribe, Mirage decided it was not a good idea to incite unease here.

If he could sense magical power across a country, it must mean that a large-scale magic or something equivalent has been activated in the Germania Empire.

But could such a ludicrous thing happen, Mirage wondered.

At least in his lifetime so far, he had never experienced sensing magical power from outside the demon territory.

Therefore, it is inevitable that Mirage cannot confidently assert what he felt this time.

While carrying a vague sense of unease, Mirage led his army and continued on his way home.

And a month after they returned to the castle, an urgent message came from the unit guarding the border with the Germania Empire.

―― A monster believed to be of the Dragon species coming from the territory of the Germania Empire has attacked. The border patrol and the unit sent to repel it were annihilated. ――