Hell Mode: Volume 3, page 32
The process of selling a product first required coming up with an idea, then turning it into a product, and then doing market research to determine the most appropriate price to sell at. This last step involved working out how much demand there would be and how much people would be willing to pay for it. However, Pelomas’s Extra Skill, Libra, basically eliminated the entire third step.
Understanding dawned on Cecil’s face. “You mean, as long as he has an idea for a product, he can start to profit off it right away?”
“Exactly. What’s more, his price would be even more spot-on than actually doing the market research. Normally, merchants might misread the market, or sometimes just never arrive at the right price.”
It took time and money to conduct market research, and there was always the risk of reaching the wrong pricing strategy. However, Pelomas’s skill effectively made it free, instant, and reliable. It was an incredible ability.
“Um, so...?” Pelomas sort of understood why Allen was getting so excited, but he could not see how it related to him showing Chester his worth.
“Here ya go.” Allen plopped a small pouch on the table.
“Wait, a hundred gold?!” As he still had Libra activated, Pelomas could immediately determine the number of gold coins within the pouch.
“Use this to open your store. Consider it your starting capital. Additionally, I’ll ask Viscount Granvelle if it’d be possible to license the rights to sell this sauce to you.”
“You want me to do what?”
“Use this money to hire people and establish a market for yourself. Start with one shop and expand it.”
Allen then went on to discuss the general plan going forward. An initial investment would be needed in order to turn what Allen had already developed—and whatever he would think up in the future—into manufactured products. As such, he wanted Pelomas to take the hundred gold to establish a business. Although this world was so hierarchical that unfettered competition could hardly be relied upon, Allen figured that he could get Viscount Granvelle, who now had connections to many different factions, to back this company. With the viscount’s support, not only would Pelomas be able to do business throughout the Granvelle fiefdom, but it was possible that he could establish a foothold in the royal capital.
Yes, yes, make your company large enough to eventually help me gather magic stones! I don’t mind fronting a little bit of cash to make it happen! And hey, a friend in need, right?
“Well, sounds like you’ve got a pretty fleshed-out course of action,” Cecil said. “All that’s left is to come up with a name for the store. Allen, do you have a snappy one in mind?”
“I-I suppose so,” Pelomas agreed. “Can you think of anything, Allen?”
Apparently, Pelomas was willing to give Allen the honor of naming his company. The rest of the Gamers looked at Allen expectantly, waiting to hear his suggestion.
Hmm... Well, we want this to become a store that sells products that people’ll want to spend their money on.
When it came to something that fully encompassed Allen’s vision of offering products so attractive and enticing that customers would be willing to spend any amount of money to purchase them, only one name came to mind.
“I think ‘Pelomas Whaling Company’ would be perfect.”
“Whoooaaa! I think I like that!” Pelomas exclaimed.
And so, Pelomas set up the Pelomas Whaling Company during his first summer break at commercial school.
Afterword
Thank you for purchasing this book! Due to your support, this third volume of Hell Mode is now out on shelves. I cannot fully express how grateful I am—thank you so much.
I pretty much did the same in volume 2, but I have once again gone all the way to Earth Star Novel’s upper limit for how long a volume can be. I really do regret it.
It was my editor who suggested that we fit each arc of the web novel into one published volume. That way, it would be easier to read and thus be more immersive. That was our intention. Yes, it was intended...
Look forward to seeing whether the fourth volume will contain the entirety of the fourth arc.
I realized I haven’t really talked about myself—Hamuo—in my afterwords. So I guess I’ll rectify that now. But just a little bit, so I don’t run out of material for volume 4 onward.
I’m a man, and while I usually live in another world, in this world I’m a part-time author living in Fukuoka. Yep, good o’ Fukuoka. (I rarely use the Hakata-ben accent, though.) I write when I get home from my corporate job and on my days off. Whenever one of my books gets published, I like to go see how well it’s selling at the bookstore closest to me. Please don’t target me when I have my guard down.
My favorite food is mint chocolate. When it comes to ice cream, flavors other than mint chocolate don’t exist in my mind.
My dream is to become a best-selling author one day and then use my earnings to rent a room at a countryside inn with an amazing view and work on my manuscript there. I want to stay cooped up there for a few years. The proprietress would ask, “Hamuo-sensei, how goes the manuscript?” Then I would look out onto a garden painted silver with snow and, in a voice with the gravitas of a literary master, I’d reply, “Mm, gazing at the scenery outside is doing wonders for visualizing my story.” You have no idea how big my dream is getting!
In actuality, however, my bathtub is where I get most of my ideas. That’s right. Hell Mode is given life while I boil myself in my own bath. That’s where I’m most able to ponder my story. I sit there in the water, furiously thinking up ideas as my notebook gets wrinkled from the humidity and my bath water grows cold.
In order to develop my aura as a literary master, I’ve tried visiting a coffee shop, but I end up being distracted by what’s going around me; it’s not working out great.
My day job has me sitting at a desk all day. Since I’m also hunched over a keyboard when I get home, my waist and shoulders get a bit stiff. I do frequent a Thai massage parlor, though. There, even when they’re pulling my arms backward and making my back arc like a shrimp, I’m still thinking up plot ideas. There’ve been a few times now when I’ve gotten a good idea for a short story in the middle of a session and I’ve had to fight to keep it in my mind so that I wouldn’t forget it. Unfortunately, there’ve been even more instances where I’ve lost ideas to the inky void of sleep due to how great the massage felt.
In short, the story of Hell Mode is one born of long hours of simmering in the bath, of stiff shoulders, and of pitched battle with sleep. And of course, I go through all of this entirely for the sake of you, my dear reader.
Since this is an afterword, I also want to talk about something that I really put a lot of effort into: the political structures of the countries. Volume 2 went into detail with the Kingdom of Ratash, the country where Allen was born. Despite his reluctance to do so, Allen became rather involved in the various power struggles between the aristocrats, royal envoys, and even the king.
Here in volume 3, the term “Five Continent Alliance” started coming up every once in a while. I created it as I thought it made sense for the countries to form such an international body after having been under attack by the Demon Lord for decades.
Near the end of this volume, Sophie and Meruru joined the party, introducing the elven and dwarven races to this story. The countries in this world each have unique races, worldviews, gods, and histories—some of them aren’t even fighting the Demon Lord Army. Not a single one of them are identical. So I’m left with the task of bringing all these vastly different elements together into one cohesive story, and it can be hard sometimes.
Allen was born into this world more than fifty years after the Demon Lord had begun attacking the world in an effort to obliterate it. This volume ends with him deciding to leave the Academy to help Rohzenheim stand against an escalated assault by the Demon Lord Army. I hope you look forward to seeing how Allen will interact with the various countries that will show up in the future.
This series, Hell Mode, also has a manga serialization. Have you guys added the Comic Earth Star page to your browser bookmarks yet? They’re releasing one chapter each month, so please go check it out. The first volume, which covers Allen’s life as a serf, has relatively fewer lines, but I’ve heard from the manga editor that there’ll be a lot more in the second volume, which gets into Allen’s time working for House Granvelle. I sincerely hope that you enjoy this version of the story too. I’m sure Allen’s evil grin will show up some time.
Let us meet again for volume 4. I’d be very grateful if you’d continue giving me your support. Well, until then!
Bonus Short Stories
Defense of the Northernmost Fortress
A lone elf stood at the top of a fortress, glaring out across the empty land that stretched all the way to the horizon. Not a single moving thing in sight.
This was the northernmost fortress on the continent of Rohzenheim. For fifty years the Demon Lord Army had thrown itself against its walls, and for fifty years it had stood proud and unassailable. The scale of the fortress was matched by very few elsewhere in the world—it could house a million troops and was surrounded by towering walls a hundred meters high, keeping out all monsters regardless of size.
Normally, a staggering amount of time and labor would be required to construct a fortress of this magnitude. And yet, this particular one had been created by a single elf. It was said that he had possessed the Talent of Grand Spirit User, so beloved by the spirits that he could evoke them strongly enough that they had physical forms. This fortress was one of the miracles that he had performed through the power of the spirits.
The sound of footprints approached from behind. “Ah, so this is where you were, Field Marshall Lukdraal. It is almost time for the strategy meeting, sir.”
“Mm.” The elf nodded and turned around. He appeared to be over fifty years old and was clad in armor. This was Lukdraal, the most senior commander at this fortress.
When he entered the war room, he found the other generals and officers already waiting for him. After greeting everyone, he took his seat.
“The air wasn’t good up there. The spirits seemed pained,” he commented.
The elves lived closely with the spirits. Although Field Marshall Lukdrahl could not exactly manifest them, he could still sense them somewhat.
“I see, sir. Speaking of which, and I’m not sure whether this is related to this push by the Demon Lord Army, but the monsters are behaving differently than usual,” one of the scouting party leaders reported.
“What do you mean? Elaborate.”
“Yes, sir. We’re still in the middle of confirming, but we might be dealing with a much larger force this time.”
According to the scout, the number of besieging monsters was the same as it had been every year. However, instead of immediately landing and rushing toward this fortress, this time they were standing by in the open sea just offshore. If they were doing so to wait for reinforcements, it would mean a much greater force was going to assault the fortress in one massive push.
“I see. Perhaps we should brace ourselves for at least double the usual numbers,” Lukdraal replied pensively. “I’ll contact Fortenia myself.”
“As in, more than a million, sir?” One of the generals gulped. The Demon Lord Army usually sent 500,000 troops each year.
“Mm. They must have figured that increasing their numbers by only a little wouldn’t make much of a difference.”
If the Demon Lord Army had finally gotten serious about capturing this fortress that had not fallen once in fifty years, the idea to send double their usual numbers did not seem all that far-fetched.
“This is going to be one tough fight indeed.”
“And we do not have much time to prepare. Proceed with preparations immediately; there’s no need to wait for the next report from the scouts. We can’t have the troops returning to the World Tree just yet.”
“Sir, yes, sir!”
“Also, begin evacuating all nearby villages.”
“Y-You mean to say we will fall?”
“It never hurts to be extra cautious.”
Right outside Rohzenheim’s capital, Fortenia, was a massive tree that reached all the way to the sky called the World Tree. This tree, said to have nurtured even Sovereign Rohzen, was one of the objects of the elves’ worship. They believed that when they died, they would return to and become one with the World Tree. To that effect, they strongly desired to be in view of the World Tree when they died.
The World Tree was not visible from this fortress. Field Marshall Lukdraal urged his subordinates to make all possible preparations so that the troops could survive at least until they returned to the shade of the World Tree. He then headed off to use the magic tool meant for communication between this northern fortress and the elven capital to make his report.
＊ ＊ ＊
Several days later, as the elven force continued shoring up their defenses, Field Marshall Lukdraal received a report from a colonel who led a battalion of scouts.
“I see, three million. That’s six times their usual annual number. I suppose this means the Demon Lord Army is finally getting serious about wiping us out.”
“So it seems, sir. What should we do?”
The monsters not only crowded the shore of the continent, but they obscured the ocean surface all the way to the horizon. This fortress was not all that far from the coastline. Once the Demon Lord Army began marching, they would arrive here in no time at all.
“If they’re coming, then they’re coming. We have no choice but to fight. I’ll contact Her Majesty.”
The evacuation of the nearby villages was still ongoing. If this fortress fell, it would lead to a massive number of casualties. In preparation for the worst, Lukdraal made sure to keep in constant contact with Fortenia. After giving his report, Field Marshall Lukdraal also requested that the capital take over directing the evacuation process.
＊ ＊ ＊
Not long after, the tide of monsters arrived, their footsteps shaking the ground as much as the hearts of the brave elves. Even so, the soldiers shored up their resolve, galvanizing themselves with the sole thought of protecting their homeland.
The monsters continued their relentless approach. Five hundred meters. One hundred meters. All too soon, they were at the castle walls.
“Tell the archers to maintain ranks and fire in volleys! The Spirit Mages are to focus fire on the big lunks! Watch out for the boulders that the monsters are throwing! Remind the Healing Mages to heal those on the front line as quickly as possible!”
After quickly analyzing the assaulting force, Field Marshall Lukdrahl swiftly determined the best method of attack and began barking out orders to the waiting generals. It was time for the elves to demonstrate why this northern fortress had never fallen since its erection more than fifty years ago.
The elves’ fighting style placed a heavy emphasis on defense, as they had a lot more people with Talents that dealt damage from a distance rather than up close. Those with the Archer and Bow Master classes lined the ramparts, numbering more than a hundred thousand in total. With a single command, they drew their bows and loosed their arrows as one, creating a cloud of projectiles that pierced the foreheads of Rank B monsters with incredible accuracy.
Standing behind the archers were battalions of elves who manipulated Spirit Magic. They called on the power of the spirits and filled the air with fireballs that reduced whole swathes of the monster army to mere charcoal.
However, the monsters were hardly just sitting still and doing nothing. The massive ones with great strength, such as orc kings and trolls, lobbed boulders and massive spears with enough force to fly up a hundred meters and reach the top of the wall. It was the job of the Healing Mages to tend to the troops who got wounded by these attacks.
No matter how many monsters there were, the elves swore they would hold fast as long as needed. If they failed, it would lead to the death of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of their countrymen. Failure was not an option, so the soldiers fought on with all they had.
＊ ＊ ＊
Half a day later, the elves were still going strong and steadily adding to the corpses strewn before their walls.
“Hmph, it’s the same battle all over again. How uninspiring.” A figure murmured as he surveyed the battle from a position beyond sight of the elves.
“So it seems, Lord Rehzel.”
“As expected, we can’t make any further headway attacking the same way as before. Glaster, tell the orc generals to ‘move the mountains.’”
“Sir, yes, sir!” The man that Rehzel called Glaster saluted before turning around to face Rank A monsters wearing crowns and cloaks. “Orc generals! Move the mountains!”
“Groooaaaaawwwww!”
When the orc generals passed the order down to them, the orc kings promptly began gathering their dead—and nearly dead—comrades in enormous piles. By continuously piling up the corpses ahead, the piles soon became mountains. Once the mountains grew sufficiently large enough, the orcs dug their feet in and began to push them forward, effectively using their comrades as shields. The closer they got to the fortress’s walls, the taller the mountains grew—until they eventually reached the height of the ramparts.
The elves stared in astonishment. They desperately blasted the mountains with fire balls and everything else on hand, but ultimately failed to collapse or destroy them. Soon enough, the piles of corpses crashed against the walls, now serving as ramps for the enemy forces to charge onto the parapets. With their defenses overcome, the elves’ lines collapsed.
In this way, the northernmost fortress, which had remained impregnable for over fifty years, fell within a single day. The Demon Lord Army’s invasion of Rohzenheim had begun in earnest.
Meruru’s Overseas Exchange
Meruru was born in a port town close to the Baukisian imperial capital. She was a first-year student at the Baukisian Academy and was back home for spring break.
