Hell Mode: Volume 6, page 31
Just as they were pondering what to do, Pelomas happened to receive a call from a Giamutan diplomat asking for a large amount of equipment as soon as possible, and he had decided to make the most of this golden opportunity. He used his Extra Skill, Libra, which let him naturally intuit the current status of the fluctuating value of things along with his trading partner’s degree of demand and budget.
He had negotiated with Rohzenheim to get a purchase price lower than what they had agreed upon the previous time since he would be taking on a larger amount of equipment than ever before. He then negotiated with Giamut to sell the equipment at a price higher than before and even included a rushed transaction fee. As a result, the Pelomas Whaling Company had made a significant profit. However, Pelomas approached the Empire of Giamut with yet another transaction.
“Chester, could you please look over the contract to ensure everything’s in order?” Pelomas handed the second contract, unrelated to the purchase and sale of equipment, to Chester, who sat at his side.
“I, uh... Yes, certainly. Wait a minute...!” About halfway through the contract, Chester saw something that caused him to cry out in surprise and his eyes to well up with tears. This was all the proof Pelomas needed that the terms of the contract were exactly what he had hoped they would be.
“Thank you for agreeing to the terms we desired,” Pelomas said, bowing his head to Maruman.
Maruman beamed. “As you know, the imperial capital is scheduled for redevelopment. The plot you wanted was put up for sale at a price close to your request. Thanks to you, the redevelopment plan seems to be on schedule, and I even managed to earn myself a favor from the emperor.”
Pelomas had proposed to Giamut that, in exchange for eliminating the rush fee, they be allowed to open a branch of Chester’s inns in the imperial capital. He presented several candidate sites complete with business plans and prices—prices that he knew were fair thanks to his Extra Skill. The Empire reacted to this by incorporating Chester’s inn as part of the redevelopment plan, just as Pelomas intended, and left the purchase and sale of the land to Maruman, the real estate king.
With this done, Chester would finally be able to realize his longtime dream of running a top-class inn in a prime location within Giamut’s imperial capital. Meanwhile, Maruman’s role had been to bring about a compromise between the redevelopment plan and the business operator’s wishes. With all of the unused land now filled, the redevelopment plan could finally proceed in earnest.
“I’m sad to say that this is the end of our negotiations, but I truly appreciate you coming here to join me in this transaction, Pelomas.”
The diplomat and Maruman both stood up, followed shortly thereafter by Pelomas, Chester, and the minister of commerce, and the two parties bowed to one another. With that, the two Giamutan men left the room.
Once the pair was gone, Pelomas and Chester thanked the minister of commerce. Considering that he was involved in all aspects of trade between nations, they had asked him to attend the meeting for the sake of appearances.
Upon leaving the castle, they boarded a coach arranged for by Chester and made their way to one of his luxurious hotels. After getting in, Chester held the contract close to his chest, rubbing the pages gently against his cheek as he chuckled to himself. Meanwhile, Pelomas could feel his whole body trembling at the thought of the immensity of what he had just achieved. He tried to reassure himself that he was merely trembling with excitement.
Pelomas finally worked up the courage to speak to Chester. “Is it safe to assume that this means I’ve met the terms of my promise?”
He was referring to the contract he had signed with Chester prior to entering the commercial school. The promise in question was meant to assure Chester of Pelomas’s future as a merchant, deem him to be a suitable match for his daughter, and allow him and Fiona to marry. Pelomas has grown the Pelomas Whaling Company while attending school in the hopes of meeting this requirement. Chester was briefly taken aback by Pelomas’s question, but he quickly turned to the younger boy and offered a broad smile.
“Of course! I knew you had potential, but I can’t believe how far you’ve come!”
Pelomas smiled at this. “It’s all thanks to your assistance, Chester.”
“What’re you saying? My trading business is now a subsidiary of your own, boy. No need to be so self-effacing.”
“Th-Thank you! I look forward to working with you in the future!”
Pelomas bowed his head several times in quick succession, to which Chester merely smirked.
“You know, Fiona’s here in the capital. I’d like to have you meet her.”
“R-Really?! Are you serious?!” The mere mention of Fiona was enough to make Pelomas’s face light up.
“Absolutely.”
The two finally arrived at Chester’s luxurious inn and headed for the manager’s private room on the top floor. While Chester called for Fiona, Pelomas sat patiently with a cup of tea filled by one of the servants sitting before him.
“When was the last time we met? I must’ve been about ten or so.” Pelomas sipped his tea as he thought back on his memories with Fiona.
The first time they had met was just after Pelomas turned ten. His father, the chief of Krena Village, had taken him to attend a New Year’s event at one of Chester’s high-class inns in the city of Granvelle. There, his father introduced him to Chester, which was also when he met Fiona. She was so cute that he had not even been able to say hello. It was love at first sight.
The next day, the day after that, and for the whole the week that followed, Pelomas could not stop thinking about Fiona. Ultimately, a month later, he went to see Chester alone. He was happy that Chester had made time for him, the son of the chief of a small pioneer village, and was surprised that Chester neither laughed him out of the room nor flatly refused his request to court his daughter. Rather, Pelomas was pleasantly surprised when Chester told him that there would be terms and offered him a firm promise.
“I’ll let you court Fiona if you become a fine businessman in your own right by the time you graduate from merchant school.”
The fact that the person he was speaking to was Chester, one of the wealthiest merchants in the entire Kingdom of Ratash, made the situation all the more stressful. Not that it mattered—even if Pelomas had been talking to a boy his own age, he was not the kind of person who broke his promises. Though he was only a child, he already knew as much about himself.
So he worked hard, entered the commercial school, and founded the Pelomas Whaling Company while still a student. Whenever he hit a dead end, he changed his methods, came up with new ways of doing things, and gradually grew his business. And in the end, he asked Allen, with whom he had a relationship stretching back to their days in Krena Village, to aid him in opening up trade negotiations with Rohzenheim.
While Pelomas was reminiscing on all he had done to get to where he was, his thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. He quickly composed himself and called out for the visitor to enter, his voice shrill with nerves.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Pelomas. I’ve brought Fiona with me.”
Chester was accompanied by Fiona, the contract still firmly in his hand. Apparently he had gone straight to see her without stopping by his office. However, Pelomas was completely oblivious to Chester at that moment. His gaze was fixed on Fiona, the girl of his dreams.
“M-Miss Fiona.” It took all of his courage just to gaze upon her beautiful face and get those words out. It had been several years since he had seen her last, but she had only grown more beautiful in that time.
“Hm? What’s this about?” Fiona’s face, the one Pelomas had longed to see for so long, took on a confused expression as she looked up at her father.
“This is Pelomas, the boy I told you about. The one from the Pelomas Whaling Company.”
“Right, I understand that part. But why?”
“He had asked for my blessing to court you, and I’ve finally granted it.”
“What?!” Fiona shouted. “W-Wait a moment, father! What are you talking about?!”
Pelomas started to feel a peculiar feeling in the pit of his stomach. “Huh? Chester, sir, did you not tell her?” Judging by the way she was acting, it seemed that she had heard nothing about this.
“What are you saying, darling? I told you that I’d found you a great merchant, did I not?”
“Like I said, that much I’d heard about, but...” Fiona was still at a loss for words.
“Just look at this, Fiona. We’re opening up an inn in Giamut,” Chester went on, showing her the contract in his hand. “You know just how much I struggled to get that done. There’s nothing that Pelomas here can’t do.”
Chester tried to explain what had occurred earlier that day, but she still seemed perturbed. Or rather, it seemed like she was getting increasingly upset. Suddenly, everything became clear to Pelomas, so he decided it was time for him to try and mediate the situation.
“I, uh... Chester, sir. About our conversation concerning Fiona...”
“And, well, you know, it’s not only that, darling. You see, we also got permission from the minister of commerce to enter the palace whenever we please. That’s not all either.”
Chester continued to praise Pelomas’s business acumen in an attempt to show that there was even more to it, but he seemed to be losing his train of thought. As a result, he failed to notice his young daughter staring silently at the ground, her shoulders trembling. Finally, she reached her breaking point.
“Father!” Chester and Pelomas both turned to look at the girl. “I’ve told you this time and time again! I want to be with someone who’s strong!” Her shout was still echoing off the walls as she turned on her heels and stormed out of the room.
“W-Wait a moment, Fiona! Do you realize what you’re doing?!” Chester clenched the contract he was holding and hurried after his daughter.
“Leave me alone, father!”
Pelomas could hear Fiona’s outbursts all the way down the hall as he felt all the strength leaving his body. He collapsed onto the rug, unsure of what to do next.
“It’s all over.” Putting his thoughts into words only made the reality of Fiona’s rejection all the more real.
Thus, the first chapter of Pelomas’s story came to an end. What the boy did not know, however, was that another chapter was about to begin.
Side Story 3: The Demon Lord Army Writhes
During the time Allen and the No-life Gamers were working their way through the Rank S dungeon, the Demon Lord Army continued moving behind the scenes.
The Demon Lord’s castle, a vast complex made up of white marble floors and pearly white walls that acted as the headquarters for the Demon Lord Army, had thus far been spared any invasions by the Five Continent Alliance. At its center was a vast hall with a ceiling so high that it could easily give its visitors vertigo as they traced the solitary stairway extending to the top. The room was currently filled with monsters and demons of all shapes and sizes, ranging from several dozen meters tall to those only several times larger than a normal human. One thing was consistent among those in attendance, however: each and every one of them was far more intimidating than any of the monsters Allen had faced back in Rohzenheim.
This was only natural, of course. After all, the monsters gathered here were all Rank S and the demons held key positions within the Demon Lord Army. The monsters and demons mingled together, sharing information and laughing with one another before silence fell over the room as several demons descended the staircase. All eyes fell on the newcomers—the highest-ranking Greater Demonic Deities who controlled the Demon Lord Army. A burly Greater Demonic Deity stood at the front of the group, followed by the Demon Lord Army’s Strategist, Kyubel, dressed as a clown. They had been upstairs discussing the results of their recent assault on the Heavenly Realm, including accolades and rewards that were to be given to those who had performed well.
The gathered monsters and demons stood stock-still in the large hall, eagerly awaiting the report.
“Silence!” the burly demon shouted from the center of the stairwell to those in the room. “It is I, Ardoe, Supreme Commander of the Demon Lord Army! I am here to announce the awards that will be granted to those who proved themselves during our assault on the Heavenly Realm.”
The gathered group looked up adoringly at Ardoe at this announcement. Among the group was a set of twins identical in every aspect other than their genders.
“They must be talking about us, Ramon.”
“Agreed, Hamon. After all, we were the ones who stole Freyja’s divine vessel. The best reward will almost assuredly be granted to us.”
The rest of the gathered monsters and demons clamored among themselves, each positive in their own share of the rewards. The Demon Lord Army strictly evaluated each combatant based on their individual contributions on the field of battle before granting rewards.
“Silence!” Ardoe’s booming voice broke through the murmuring crowd. “Though we may have lost a great many warriors in our recent campaign, in light of the significant gains achieved, the Demon Lord has decided that he wishes to reward some of you. Syla, step forward!”
A female demon with pitch-black wings growing out of her back moved to the front of the stairwell and got down on one knee, bowing her head down low. “Yes, sir.”
“Our assault on the Heavenly Realm was only able to succeed thanks to your efforts in deceiving the Goddess of Magic, Isiris, and obtaining the Key to the Heavenly Realm. You did an excellent job securing the inroads for our invasion!”
“It was all thanks to Kyubel’s advice.”
“Yes, indeed,” Kyubel said, nodding in smug satisfaction at Syla’s remark. “I’m glad you understand that, Syla.”
Ardoe shot a glare at Kyubel for his comment, but the trickster only smirked in response. The supreme commander then turned his attention back to Syla. “The Demon Lord is incredibly pleased with your efforts. Therefore, he has decided to grant you the status of Demon God as one of the Greater Demonic Deities.”
A roar of excitement erupted from the crowd. A Demon God was a member of the elite guard assigned directly to the Demon Lord. Only those with sufficient skills and who had attained significant achievements were granted such a role.
Just like the armies of the humans, elves, dwarves, and beastkin, the Demon Lord Army was also broken up into different corps depending on their function.
Structure of the Demon Lord Army
Heavenly Realm Invasion Army: comprised of the most elite of the Greater Demonic Deities for invading the Heavenly Realm
Planetary Annihilation Army: a large group consisting of monsters under the control of Demonic Deities and Rank S monsters specializing in the annihilation of the Mortal Realm
Dark Realm Research Group: a group of demonic researchers specializing in investigating the Dark Realm as well as strengthening and researching monsters, and responsible for gathering information on the various countries in the Moral Realm and causing subterfuge from within
Much like how Ardoe served as the supreme commander of these corps and Kyubel as the strategist, Demon Gods also held a higher role, meaning that they would often be assigned as generals overseeing multiple corps.
“This makes you the sixth Demon God, Syla. As such, from today forward, the Demon Lord will refer to us as the Six Great Demon Gods. Now go to the Demon Lord to accept your reward!”
No sooner had Ardoe, the leader of the Six Great Demon Gods, spoken those words than Syla stood up. Amid the stares of the demons and monsters filling the room, she walked over to the staircase atop which the Demon Lord awaited her arrival. The Greater Demonic Deities standing in front of the stairway stepped aside to make room for her to pass, and halfway up, she stopped and bowed deeply. Upon reaching Ardoe, she bowed her head slightly before moving on.
Kyubel hopped up excitedly and held his hand out for a high five. “Good job, Syla! How awesome!”
“Thank you, Kyubel.” Syla offered a gentle smile and bowed her head in his direction before continuing up the stairs, leaving Kyubel’s hand hanging in midair.
“We’re not finished yet!” Ardoe called out to the crowd once Syla had disappeared from view. He then began calling out the names of those whom the Demon Lord had decided to reward as a result of their achievements.
Monsters who had courageously fought against the gods became demons, and demons who had managed to capture angels were granted those angels as their slaves. While all these rewards were being granted, there were those standing by in frustration over their names not being called.
“Ardoe, why haven’t we been called?” Hamon’s voice echoed throughout the chamber. Ardoe’s lips curled up momentarily in a smirk before being replaced by his usual calm expression.
“The Demon Lord has decided who is called and in what order. Are you implying that you object to this?” Ardoe asked in a slow, chilling tone. Ramon and Hamon shuddered at his sudden change in demeanor.
“M-My deepest apologies,” Ramon said in an uneasy voice. “It’s just that we were the ones to steal Freyja’s divine vessel.”
Ardoe remained silent for some time before finally speaking up.
“Hmm. Now that you mention it, the Demon Lord mentioned that the Research Group had succeeded in their research into the creation of Greater Demonic Deities. They’re apparently looking for two demons,” he said in a slow, casual tone, as if he had only just recalled this information.
“Wow! You mean that we could also become Greater Demonic Deities?!”
The monsters fielded by the army, numbering in the millions, were led by only a few dozen thousand demons. Greater Demonic Deities were an even rarer breed in the entire Demon Lord Army. Hamon was thrilled that he and his sister would be able to become a Greater Demonic Deity just like Syla had.
