A7P3: Checkmate the checkmated

It was second week after our takeover of the north.

I was walking in the streets of the city.

„Your majesty! Try these apples!“ man from stall throw apple to me and I bite into it. Juicy apple erupted with inexpressable sweetness into my mouth.

„Shoo good~“ I smiled with a bliss.

Suprisingly there were only few people who expressed ther discomfort with demon lord ruling the city. But after learning that they can leave if they desire and no one will stop them, they decided to stay. Seems like they don't mind that much, heheh.

Back to the apple. It was grown in orchard we build behind the city walls. Earth and water spirits created perfect place for growing trees and bushes. I also summoned a monster called Elder tree spirit, but basicly it was just an Ent that rooted in land.

The Sky dungeon every day yielded many Dungeon points and adventurers inside boosted their levels. Even Tongu, the guildmaster, was seen inside testing her wings.

Slowly, but surely we expanded southward. That was exceptionaly easy, thanks to recordly low crop yields this year and high percentage of villages geting abandoned due to famine.

"I heard that merchants from Karatz dukedom to south are coming to dwarven towns really often now," Eklu, a green haired High orkling reported.

"Do we know what they are after? I guess they don't just sell they wares and leave."

"No, my subordinates (pigs) reported that they collect informations about us," Tomi an assassin maid added.

"What kind of information they collect?"

"Mostly about the post war treatment, taxes and how easy or hard it is to live for people. Also some of them used our highway to get to Gurem's capital and then further to the west from there, but they were reported to return quickly," Eklu continued.

"They must've been surprised that they didn't find any beggars or homeless people, and their quick return isn't that surprising. Balgom merchant union is running low on funds from the east and Gurell Kingdom is now practically dependant on Holy empire becouse of it," I smiled under my breath.

The removal of beggars and homeless was one of first decrees I made. In exchange for safe living quarters they will work inside the dungeon on fields with goblins. We gave more people work opportunities and we can easily move them to places that needs certain experts for certain jobs through the Main dungeon.

Also I had to expand the dungeon a little as well.

Layout now looked like this:

First and second floors were the catacombs with the undead and vampires.
Third to sixth floors were ocupied by Magic beasts.
Seventh to eleventh floors are fields where goblins and the homeless work.
Twelveth floor is marsh where lizardman and Dragonsnake people are rising blue lizards and fish.
Thirteenth and fourteenth floors are home to spirits.
Lastly the fifteenth floor is my home and under them are the mines, where we found mithril veins few days back.

"Yes, moving all who were living in poverty to dungeon and give them work there… truely amazing, master," Eklu bowed her head.

"Oh, I forgot to ask, any development between Rose and Gavin?"

"It seems Gavin is starting to realize Rose's feelings towards him, but it seems he doesn't clearly understands his own."

"I guessed that that would be the case. Sadly I did all I could, we can't push him too much or he would run away instead."

"That is true," Eklu nodded.

"Tomi, tell me about that guy in Lasten, will he collaborate?"

"I belive so. We let the information that the duke's daughter have been healed by Kaen out. So he should be willing to do so more now. Also the guy in Mattat city is full scale collaborator now."

"Sugar and whip. Be good towards us and be rewarded. Turn against us and perish, brilliantly executed Zaru," Phara nodded and sipped her Blaublatt tea.

"Do we have any information about Duke Durel's actions?"

"He imprisoned the Black leaf party and went to duke Darius looking for help. It's also belived that he will request help from Armed nation Djano's Hero. Also it seems like he requested help from Margel dukedom," Tomi said.

"And what about our conspirators there?"

"They move just as we expected them to do. Sending succubae to seduce them was really a good idea."

Urgh… succubae… When I expanded my territory to north, I went all the way to Moon rabbit kingdom. There I met a group of around sixty succubae, who were almost starved to death. So I offered them a place to live and they became part of our community. The problem came later. They asked to project a red light district and Loa Nuta, our architect, and Greg Yu, the captain of knight order, nodded in approval with them. Luckily Lizzie wasn't around, or their heads would roll in the next instant. They even went so far as to give me free service anytime I visited. That made Albea so angry that she almost throw them out saying that only succubae that can enjoy pleasure with me is her. Which was in turn denied by my wives.

"So? How did it went?" I asked with sour face recalling the incident.

"Good. Or rather, too good. Some nobles, who were seduced are already plotting to became part of our nation. The worst case is probably the second son of the duke Margel himself."

"What did he do?"

"He called off his engagement and proposed to the succubae we send to seduce him."

"Ah, the purest ones are the easiest targets after all," Phara chuckled.

"And what is that girl we send thinking?"

"Orlea… she's well… she was probably the purest one among them and she revealed her identity. But she made sure, she could eliminate the kid if he turned on her… but he accepted her. It seems he thinks she was hiding her demon self in order to not be killed by humans on sight and now he's protecting her."

We all were uterly speachless.

Telling him that she is a succubae is one thing. But getting him to protect her? Is his magical deffence in negative numbers or what?

"So… that miss Orlea…"

"Oh, she decided to marry him and asks you for permission lord Zaru…" Tomi concluded her report.

What the hack is this? Story from novel for young ladies?!

"Urgh… fine, she can do what she want. But the kid should take over the territory and deflect to us first. He have to do so without our help. That is my only condition."

"I will tell them," Tomi nodded and left.

"Ah, I should've asked who he was supposed to marry… well whatever."

"My looord~" Kaen burst inside the room.

"Lord Kaen~ wait for me~♥" a girls voice followed Kaen's cry for help.

The next person to burst inside the room was daughter of the duke Durel, Gallen Bella Durel. When I saw her last time, she was confined to a room inside the mansion of the governor. There was no furnitre and only one small window leading to inner garden.

Back then, I had Kaen heal her mind with his flames of Emperor ranked spirit.

Sadly, the treatment wasn't perfect as her personality changed and now she was following Kaen anywhere he went and calling him darling, my beloved and other such nicknames.

"My lord! Please save me from her! I can't take it anymore!"

"That's rude Darling~ Lord Zaru! Please help Darling understand my feelings!"

What is this? A running gag?

"I belive miss Bella makes her feelings clear even without my help."

"My looord!" Kaen cried out.

"Miss Bella please give us a moment alone please. I will talk to your Darling a little," I gave her my best smile and let Phara and Eklu escort her out.

"So? How did this happen?"

"That girl… seemed to have a thing for spirits before we even came here… honestly, if we leave her, it's possible that she will do something unexpected… but if we keep her I will loose my mind first… I considered brainwashing her, but it seems it wouldn't work as she has high magical resistence."

"Oh, then, why don't you marry her?"

"B-but!"

"I know, but if you show her your strenght, like when you healed her, she should become more subbmisive no? She is already subbmisive to you to some extent. Or do you have someone you fancy?"

"N-no, it's not like that," Kaen blushed.

My inner sences reacted. He's hiding something, he have someone he likes.

"Kaen. Who is it. Tell me."

"I­–I'm sorry! The truth is one person helped me collect the spirits in the spirit realm."

"And you fancy that person," I pushed a little more.

"Y-yes… but…"

"Let me guess, it's a light spirit," I said and Kaen nodded.

"I understand… do you have some memento of the spirit?"

"I… have a strand of hairs."

"Great. Give it to me."

Kaen reluctantly gave me a strand of white hairs.

"In the name of Demon king Zaru, I summon you light spirit!"

The hair started glowing and when I let it drop to ground, in a flash a young busty woman appeared.

"I came to your call, demon lord. My name is Shirona, greater light spirit," the woman said with almost motherly soft look.

"Happy now?" I asked Kaen, who couldn't belive his eyes.

"Oh, there you are, my little Kaen," Shirona moved to Kaen and hugged him.

When Kaen woke up from his daze, he hugged her back and gave her a deep kiss.

"Well, now you won't have any problems right? You can have miss Shirona as your first wife and miss Bella as your second."

"Kaen dear, what's this about second wife?" Shirona gave Kaen a cold smile.

"Wha­–?! Well… I…" Kaen looked pleadingly at me.

"I will leave it to you Kaen. Miss Shirona, please take good care of our Kaen from now on," I smiled and started going through documents on my table.

*

"So, Miss Gallen is alive, well, and set to married Spirit general of demon lord's army?" asked Hunter J. Baldhold his retainer.

"Indeed. Also we suspect that Count Mattat, ruler of city Mattat is working with the demon lord behind the scenes."

"We have problems with holding forts against Wolfman principalities soldiers. Do you think that if we asked the demon lord, he would help?"

"I belive so," cold voice replied to earl.

"Who's there?!" retainer lashed out, but was instantly immobilized by thread control.

"I am simple Demon maid serving lord Zaru. I came to talk with sir Earl," woman said coldly and her blue hair swayed backwards.

"I am Earl Hunter Joachim Baldhold the sixth. What is your objective here?" Earl put on his brave face.

"Lord Zaru complimented your ability to sustain your lands and decided to give you an offer. Join his cause now and you will be awarded with your benefits for your territory. Wine?" The demoness said as she turned the cups of water on table into wine.

"What kind of benefits you speak of?"

"Blessing of the spirits for your land, monetary funds, undead foot soldiers and training facility in shape of fake dungeon to name a few," she said as she turned the wine back into water.

That's too good to be true.

"And what will you ask in return?" earl glared at the maid.

"To pay appropriate taxes of course. Also as someone with self governing territory, you will have a vote when congress of lords is created."

"Congress of lords?"

"Lord Zaru came up with it. It's for lords to came together under same roof to debate about politics of the Demonic kingdom. Currently, only lords we have are the King of Gurem, Queen Kyoko and representatives of dwarven cities."

"Fine. I'll do it. Count me in."

"Good choice sir Baldhold," the maid smiled for the first time and disappeared in shadows, "If need came, call Haagenti, the demon baronness."

"F-father, are you okay?" small boy asked hiding behind earl's chair.

"I'm fine Asto, your daddy will be hard at work so be a good boy and go play with your little sister okay?"

The boy relucantly nodded and left the room.

"Do you think…"

"I hope that our future will be brighter now," the retainer, now free from all restraints spoke relievedly.

"Yeah, let's hope we will see smiles on our childrens faces in the future as well," the earl smiled and continued, "really, those who would refuse such meritous treatment must be fools."

*

Few days after duke Durel send letter to duke Darius, a masive army of nearly two million slaves moved from Darius dukedom.

All slaves here were captured in raids of Wolfman principalities villages, just like the village of Bree and Tara. The group consisted of man, woman, kids and elderly alike. Many captured and mistreated souls were treated like second, if not third, rate beings. This was an army, duke Darius send to duke Durel. He didn't send any soldiers except for those who oversaw the slaves movement.

*

"So what is their army made of?" I asked assassin maid which came with report.

"Slaves. Mostly farmers from Wolfmen principality."

"I see. They came from Darius dukedom right? Tristan."

"Yes, my lord," the demon said while bowing.

"Go have some fun in that dukedom. The rest of you, stop hinding in shadows, this time we go full force."

And so, Demonic kingdom's army moved out as well.