Volume 6 Chapter 103 The Time Of Resolve
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”The Demon King has accepted the cooking challenge! The messenger returning safely is nothing short of a miracle. No, it’s only natural if it’s by the Savior’s command, isn’t it?” the cardinal reported, bowing deeply.
Even though the cardinal must be busy, he made the effort to report in person. Does he not have any trustworthy subordinates? I thought, but well, it’s actually convenient since we can make detailed arrangements directly, so I won’t complain.
”It seems that being able to communicate with the Demon King is unprecedented,” the cardinal continued, “and the important people of this world are making a huge fuss over it.”
To me, though, it was to be expected. After all, this time the Demon King is returning to life from a resurrection point. In other words, some god must be behind him. It could be an evil god, but a god is still a god. Gods wouldn’t miss out on an interesting event.
”Even though we might lose the first cooking battle, is that alright?” the cardinal asked hesitantly.
If we win on the first try, the Demon King might lose interest. It’s better to let him win at first, make him get absorbed in it, and then squeeze as much as we can later. It’s basic strategy.
”We’ve bet the ownership of the End Shrine. If the Demon King attacks, we won’t be able to hold it anyway.”
I don’t know what kind of place it is, but it doesn’t seem to have much strategic value. Losing the cooking challenge doesn’t seem to carry much risk.
If the gods find cooking shows more interesting than killing each other, we might be able to avoid pointless battles. Although that’s probably too good to be true. Still, I’ve heard cooking shows consistently have high ratings. I liked them myself.
The next task is to make the competition entertaining. The gods may understand the taste, but it seems they don’t have an appetite. We need to hype things up with our reactions. Since they can see through all acting, the food must genuinely taste good to those who eat it.
The decisive moment will likely be the judging. The competition will be decided by the judges’ reactions as soon as they taste the dish.
Since we can’t lie in front of the gods, it might be interesting to have the Demonfolk serve as the judges. Perhaps the Demon King and I can judge each other’s dishes? It might end up as a draw, but that could buy us some time.
I have many ideas, but what’s important is keeping it simple and clear. Also, it needs to be fair.
It would be pretty unfair to prep the food in Uno’s nest, so let’s avoid that. Both sides should use the same ingredients and cook on the spot.
In that case, pork or boar would be good. Tonkatsu (Japanese deep-fried breaded pork cutlet) sounds great. Both Oka, the orc girl, and Rin, the goblin girl, love tonkatsu.
And for the Demon King’s orcs and goblins, pork is a feast, and they cook it in various ways. It seems like the perfect challenge for the first cooking battle.
* * *
”Pork cooking challenge, huh? That’s pretty broad,” Dosan said, now fully a chef again. Wait, he was a chef in Japan before—so is this a revival? A comeback?
He volunteered to participate in the cooking contest, but not this time. First, we need to get the format right. If the taste competition continues successfully two or three times, his turn might come eventually.
”Demonfolk might defeat us if they serve raw meat dishes,” Dosan said, frowning.
”Raw pork, that’s dangerous, right?” I asked.
”In Japan, it’s suicidal, but there are nations overseas where people eat it risking their lives,” Dosan explained.
Ah, true. Raw ham is delicious, but considering the risks of bacteria and parasites, you’d heat it up, right?
”They say that German pigs are free from hepatitis E virus or something, so over there, they eat raw meat. The problem is that it’s incredibly delicious.”
The Demonfolk have this fearless image. If it’s delicious, they’d probably ignore the risks and eat raw meat.
Honestly, we might lose this. Fresh raw meat is really tasty, after all.
Losing in the first round is expected, so in a way, it’s convenient, but still, I feel uneasy. I guess losing still stings? I’ve got a long way to go.
Anyway, the menu is mostly decided. There might be last-minute changes, but I’m sure we’ll manage. When we lose, we’ll praise the Demon King’s chef.
Now, the choice of companions. We’re not fighting, but if we’re underestimated, that’s the end of the game.
It’s sneaky, but I’ll have Uno-sensei come along as a bodyguard. If anyone dares to attack, we’ll know the Demon King was no great threat.
I’ll ask Oka and Rin to be assistants. Should I bring the giant El or the horsefolk Claire along? Nah, it’s still uncertain what the horsefolk’s role will be in this battle, so I’ll leave Claire out. She’s been through a lot, so I want her to find some happiness.
* * *
”Your Majesty… please embrace me.”
”What?! What’s going on all of a sudden?!” I blinked in disbelief.
It was afternoon, inside the office. Sar-Sar had suddenly shown up, looking fidgety but with a seriously anxious expression—not something she’d normally do. Was this a dream? My fantasy? No, that wasn’t it.
Underneath her robe, she wore a new specialty silk nightgown—the kind marketed as lingerie for royalty across various countries. Would it eventually spread to aristocrats, the wealthy, and even commoners? Maybe.
The power of eroticism moves the world. The thin silk felt nice, but more importantly, it was wonderfully translucent. That was the key.
In the dim candlelight, the silk nightgown made the wearer’s body appear more alluring. Thanks to my imagination, anyone could look sexier. There was no way this wouldn’t sell.
With lingerie, my country could make a fortune—and at the same time, help with global population decline. To save this world suffering from fewer births, we had to first do what needed to be done. For humanity’s survival, I was seriously investing in that direction.
Sar-Sar, whom I had thought of as a child, had grown up splendidly without me realizing it. Her limbs were long and slender, but the body visible beneath her risqué nightgown was, how should I put it, not something one should flaunt in broad daylight. She still didn’t quite grasp the nuances of that. There was a sense of moral transgression, though.
Ah, I see—she must have been spurred on by her mother. I was going to confront the Demon King head-on. If something happened to me, her position as my fiancé would vanish. Shea-Shea, the head of the administrative side, was one thing, but Sar-Sar was the leader of the poultry business and still lacked achievements. Egg sales were expected to grow from here on out.
”Um, it’s not just because my mother told me to. I want a baby. Babies are cute,” she said, blushing.
”Just because you do what you need to do doesn’t guarantee you’ll conceive, you know?” I sighed. “According to Mr. Simonov, it takes a thousand tries to finally succeed. That’s about three years.”
”It seems that if the father is a summoned Hero, the odds increase a bit,” I continued. “Is there a problem with the men in this world? Especially since nobles are often not blessed with children. There’s a theory that it’s related to their levels—the higher the level, the more inhuman they become.”
”Another thing that concerns me is that it used to be normal to have ten siblings or so. Ms. Hóa, the high elf, mentioned it might be related to wall barley.” (T/N: Wall barley refers to a hardy grain historically associated with overcoming famine.) “With the end of famine, maybe there’s no longer a need to bear many children.”
”The appearance of the sky whale also seems to have come after the wall barley. It’s like they’re culling creatures that have increased too much, isn’t it?”
”If that’s the case, the difficulty in conceiving might be a matter related to the gods.”
”Well, whatever the case, it seems that if I want a child, I just have to do my best. So I will do my best. If someone has a child, everyone will probably want one too, so it’ll be tough—but I’ll do my best.”
”It’s said that getting a spirit pregnant is incredibly difficult, but I have no choice but to try.”
”Huh? Isn’t what I have to do not much different from being an Amazoness’s captive?”
”No, there’s love involved there. Love—yes, love.”
”Before going to the Demon King, shall we hurry and hold a wedding? With Shea-Shea and El as well,” she suggested.
”I’ve already prepared a wedding dress. All set?”
”Is it really okay to be so extravagant in such an emergency?” I asked, doubtful.
”Well, the cardinal is eager to hold a grand departure ceremony anyway. It’s strange to have a departure ceremony when we’re not going to battle, right? A wedding would be just right instead.”
I was worried whether strange flags would be raised, but with it being this blatant, maybe it’d actually be safe.
* * *
When I spoke to the cardinal, as expected, he was all in.
”Leave all the ceremonies to me. We will hold it in the Central Dome Emperor’s Hall with the most advanced formality. Since it’s a perfect opportunity to show solidarity against the Demon King, how about we combine the wedding with Princess Ayub and Lady Duke Mineley?”
”That’s about Princess Auroora and Tizzy, isn’t it? That could be good. Weddings in this world are heavily political—it’s like declaring an alliance with the Kingdom of Ayub. The Duke Mineley family might revive themselves as well.”
”Are you on good terms with the Antfolk queen and the horsefolk princess? Given the current times, we should deepen our ties with other races through marriage.”
”You must be talking about Ms. Ant and Claire? They’re neither a queen nor a princess, but if we leave it to the cardinal, it seems like he could manage that.”
”I haven’t proposed to Claire, but I doubt she would refuse. Still, involving the horsefolk in battle is a concern. Their numbers have dwindled significantly—they’re an endangered species, after all. We mustn’t let the few remaining women stand on the battlefield.”
”Then can we also ask Uno and the spirits to join us?”
”Since we’ve gone through the trouble of making a wedding dress, we should put it to use. Besides, if we leave Uno out, she’ll definitely go into a rage. She’s more of a threat than the Demon King.”
”Ah, the Dragon God and the spirit gods! Wonderful! It’s truly a recreation of legend!”
I wondered if there was any way to involve Ms. Nina in this festive uproar. She was stubbornly obstinate, but I felt she might become surprisingly agreeable if she was with everyone else.
Also, let’s have Ms. Shirakaba join among the spirits. She surely won’t be noticed.
As for the spirits, we needed to decide who would stay behind in the valley during the ceremony… Should we just leave it to Uno?
”Why not also marry the princess of the giant wolves or the queen of the Amazons? I’ve heard the rumors even in my ears.”
”What rumors are those?” I asked.
”Ms. Uruu should have had a partner, and I never want to get involved with the Amazons again.”
”First of all, the war is still in its early stages. If we increase our military strength too much now, there’s a risk of divine intervention.”
”No, that was presumptuous of me. While I’m at it, would you consider marrying my daughter? She’s a girl named Marsha, whom the savior knows well. She’s quite a beauty, and I’ll make sure she serves you with all her heart.”
”Huh? She was your daughter?”
”Of course, she’s an adopted child, but we are bound by a bond of faith stronger than blood.”
Ms. Marsha was supposed to belong to the opposing faction of the cardinal, but what happened at the Great Temple? This person was truly terrifying. If I showed any weakness, they’d push further.
In the end, I was going to be forced to accept Ms. Marsha. I should have consulted Miss Floria first.
I thought it was pathetic that I couldn’t decide anything without consulting someone each time. Was it just trivial pride?
* * *
”Well, well, a human wedding, huh? Sounds good to me.”
Despite the words, Uno looked incredibly happy.
”A wedding is just a political ritual, you know? It’s really boring~desuwa,” she said with a drawl. “I guess it might be joyful if it’s with someone you love. By now, that person is probably selecting the guests with a loud laugh. Why didn’t you consult me just once?”
”Well, I… wanted to have the wedding with Sar-Sar before the taste competition. It was urgent, and I didn’t think it would turn into something so big… I’m sorry, I got carried away by flattery,” I admitted.
When confronted with sound reasoning, there was nothing left to do but apologize.
”Never mind that, though. We must properly invite the gods we are connected to, or it will be a disaster.”
Even the Dragon Uno feared them. Gods were on an entirely different level.
If we accidentally forgot to invite them, it could lead to the disappearance of one or two countries. That’s how the fairy tales go here.
”Normally, it wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but you’ve received such an overwhelming amount of divine protection. It’ll take months just to organize everything.”
Miss Floria buried her face in her hands. The wedding was in three days.
”Well, there’s no helping it. Leave it to me. I’ll have the ones keeping watch over the valley take care of it. They’re probably dying of boredom by now.”
Oh, that was a good idea. The flow of time in the Valley of Trials was different, so it was perfect for outsourcing administrative work.
Plus, even if the current people in the Great Temple didn’t know much about the relationship between divine protection and gods, the Advanced Spirits should know all about it. Worst case, even if they didn’t, they could easily check it through the spirit network.
”Of course, we can’t make them work for free, right? We’ll need offerings for the gods who have responded to our invitation. Do you think you can prepare everything properly?”
”What the spirits and gods enjoy most isn’t hard—it’s soft. Everyone’s been terribly bored.”
I didn’t understand what immortals thought, but if I were working on blacksmithing or cooking, I don’t think I’d ever get bored no matter how much time I had. It’s fun to master something, or to think of new ideas.
Sure, there were times when things got repetitive or I hit a wall, but overcoming that struggle was part of the charm. It was also inspiring to see other people’s work.
Ah, I see. It really was time for a fresh breeze.
As offerings to the gods, it seemed that in ancient times, things like the heads of cattle or beautiful women were the standard, but as civilization advanced, songs, dances, sports, and artistic works started to be offered instead.
”Well then, how about asking the gods to be special judges for the taste competition?”
”The wedding is going to be at the Great Temple, right? What about the taste competition?”
”It’s quite far beyond the border, but I’ll have a teleportation taxi (luck) take us there, so it’ll be over in an instant.”
”Time and place aren’t really an issue for the gods. Sounds interesting. If you like, I’ll be a judge too.”
* * *
The Demon Lord’s side probably wouldn’t complain. There was no way they could voice any grievances against the gods. If anything, both humans and monsters were merely toys for the gods to pass the time.
A big event was about to unfold, and the people in charge must be busy managing the schedule. Especially those from the temple who couldn’t rely on cheats—they must be having a tough time. Or was there something else? A cheat, perhaps?
More than that, proposing to Ms. Nina was what truly mattered to me. I wanted to win her over properly—not just push through in a haphazard way, but with my own words.
But could I really do it? The time limit was pretty tight.
Should I bring Ms. Nina to Uno’s nest and persuade her in a long-term battle? No, that felt off too. For something like this, inspiration was key. It had to be a one-shot deal… but I’d already been shot down by Ms. Nina multiple times with that approach.
It wasn’t that she disliked me. We’d known each other for quite a while, so I understood that much. It wasn’t like she had someone else she liked.
Could it be because of my infidelity? It should be okay in this other world, and Ms. Nina herself was the one who introduced me to Miss Floria in the first place.
I knew she was worried about not being able to have children, but that wasn’t the issue at all.
No, I didn’t have time. I needed to hurry and find Ms. Nina. Once I met her, what then? Well, I’d just have to go for it! Life is only lived once, and there’s no point in regretting it.
”Do your best! Ah, being young is wonderful!” Miss Floria cheered me on from behind as I took off.
She saw right through everything, didn’t she? If only she could give me the perfect strategy.
No, wait—that wasn’t it. I needed to make this happen with my own strength.
Notes:
• El – She is a giant woman, appeared as Saburou’s captor, living alone in a large tent, skilled in hunting and cooking, proposes marriage to Saburou.
• Shea-Shea – Mauro’s daughter. Hurt by Alexander. Became an eager fiancée after advice from protagonist.
• Mr. Simonov – Skilled tailor, Raia-Raia’s dad. Mildly enjoys Chicken Ham.
• Tizzy – Claims to be Duke’s daughter, a noble with advanced magic skills. MC and Ms. Shirakaba lover.
• Ms. Ant – Level 20 ant soldier, over 2 meters tall in armor. Named by the protagonist due to lack of a previous name. Wields a huge battle axe, large round shield, and throwing axes. Seasoned warrior capable of taking down sub-dragons. Ms. Hóa’s prized secret treasure. Borrowed by the protagonist as a trial during his time in the royal capital
• Ms. Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
• Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
• Shirakaba – A paladin who seems to be a skilled fighter. He’s introduced as someone with a strong defense and healing abilities.
• Uruu – The wolf.
• Marsha – a second-rank priestess in the Hero’s Temple, tasked with handling the protagonist’s ‘job change’ as the summoned hero. She is described as a beautiful woman with long brunette hair, gray eyes, and a gentle demeanor. Her role includes guiding the hero and addressing his concerns about his new life in the other world.
• Miss Floria – Elegant, silver-haired noblewoman in her 40s, referred to as an ‘older sister’. Judge of the Supreme Court and Baroness. Former tutor of Princess Auroora. Initially stern but warms up, showing a playful side. Close with Ms. Nina (Princess Auroora’s doll copy), treating her like a sister. Trustworthy and explains legal matters clearly.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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