Chapter 222: Senseis Scheme
The port city of Avana was bustling with activity, with numerous sailing ships spreading their sails wide to catch the wind as they came and went.
The harbor had turned into a lively fish market, with piles of freshly caught seafood from the haul of large fishing nets.
「Drake, you seem to have taken to the life of a fisherman quite well.」
「To think I’d end up as a fisherman at the edge of the world… but we can’t fight on empty stomachs, so there’s no helping it.」
As I looked at the nets being unloaded, I was surprised to see crabs—each about fifteen centimeters long—a lot of them.
Their shells were yellowish-brown, and their legs had a bluish tint. They appeared to be a type of swimming crab.
「Hey, crabs! I love crabs.」
「They come up all the time in these waters. This sea’s a treasure trove, King General. Drop a net, and you’ll pull up as much as you want. Maybe we didn’t need to worry so much about food after all.」
Now that I thought about it, if even that sea dragon wasn’t starving in these waters, there must be plenty of food.
The warm seas around Abyss continent were teeming with life. 「Drake, keep it up.」
「Aye, the small boats are increasing in number, and we’re not letting our skills rust. We’ll be heading further out soon.」
The small shipyard in the harbor had expanded, and more and more fishing boats were being sent out to sea. Most of the vessels used here were cog ships, common in Abysspania.
Though an older design, these flat-bottomed boats were easy to build and strong enough for coastal fishing. For now, they were more than adequate.
The materials—wood salvaged from wrecked ships—floated ashore, and if we needed more, the nearby forests could be harvested. The only concern was the shortage of sails and ropes, but Viola was working on cultivating kenaf and cotton, which should solve that problem soon.
With the constant big catches, food was no longer a worry. The harbor was lined with drying racks for preserving the fish. As I walked through the bustling port, a sense of relief washed over me. The port city of Avana was finally coming together, functioning smoothly.
Even the soldiers of the demon army were now accustomed to farm work, despite being scolded by the local women for their clumsiness. I made my way past the sprawling fields and the rapidly expanding barracks before heading to the town hall in the central square.
「Good work, Damons.」
「Oh, the strategist is waiting for you inside.」
「Oniisama, I have a report to make later, so please visit me when you’re free.」
「Got it, Sherry.」
In front of the tent outside the town hall, Damons and his officers were discussing the allocation of workers. In the midst of these large generals, tiny Sherry was sitting there, giving commands, which made for quite the amusing sight.
Inside the former town hall, I found Lyle-sensei sitting in a chair, waiting for me. On the desk in front of her was a map of the Abyss continent, covered in detailed notes.
After declaring that she would conquer the enemy capital within a year, Lyle-sensei had delegated the city’s administration to Sherry and the others, retreating to the back of the town hall to analyze the gathered information. She had spent several days deep in thought.
Today, he was going to share the conclusions she had reached with me.
「Takeru-dono, thank you for coming despite your busy schedule.」
「No, I’m not doing anything that important, really.」
It’s my subordinates and the slave girls who are taking the lead in their work all over the land. My job is just to go around and check on how things are going.
「I’ve gathered information on the current state of the Abyss continent and the Demon Country. I believe I’ve identified some weaknesses in the enemy.」
「And that’s why you’ve come up with this plan to take the capital within a year?」
「Indeed. We need to set a clear objective, or we won’t be able to make a move.」
Lyle-sensei looked delighted. It was clear that at her core, she was a strategist. Though she could handle domestic affairs, it was these schemes that truly excited her.
「By the way, Sensei, I haven’t seen Kaara lately.」
「I’ve sent Kaara ahead to the Abyss continent.」
「What? Why would you do that?」
「She’s setting up teleportation magic circles across the continent to establish footholds. Next, I plan to send Oracle-san with her. Since they’re both high-ranking demons, they’ll be able to communicate effectively with other demons. Damons-dono, who is said to be a noble demon descended from the famed Sea Emperor Khorang, will be a great help in this regard. I intend to go myself when the time comes.」
When sensei mentioned sending Kaara, it all clicked. Kaara had once infiltrated the upper echelons of various nations on the Eura continent, manipulating human nations into endless conflicts.
「Could this be… a plan to sow discord?」
Lyle-sensei smiled and nodded.
「Exactly. That’s the first of their weaknesses. The Holy Abysspania Queendom, which has waged war against the Demon Country for over a thousand years, has never engaged in diplomatic maneuvers due to their faith, which refuses to acknowledge demons. As a result, the Demon Country has no immunity to diplomatic warfare.」
「So, there’s an opening to exploit?」
「That’s what I thought when I saw Damons-dono, who, after being persuaded by Kaara and Takeru-dono, switched sides to join us. Humans and demons aren’t so different. If you give them a strong enough reason and the right justification, they will betray their own.」
「Damons and his people did indeed defect to us, but will it go that smoothly with others?」
「The second weakness lies in their overextension. The Great Demon King Ifriil took the lands of Abysspania just a year ago, and it was only three years ago that he forcibly united the Demon Country using the power of the demon beasts. No matter how strong those beasts are, it’s like an overinflated balloon.」
「One poke, and it’ll burst?」
As Lyle-sensei traced her hand over the map of the Abyss continent, he recited names like a song.
「…Morok, Nisrok, Times, Dagon, Linmon, Baal. The Great Demon King has sent governors to rule over the six provinces of the Abyss continent, but he left the armies of the old Morok and Tammuz nations intact as regional forces. Haha, this is a serious blunder.」
「I see. If we can turn the regional armies to our side, that would be huge.」
「Even if we can’t flip them all, it’s enough to just keep them from moving. The only force directly under the Demon King’s control is the central army of thirty thousand from the old Nisrok nation. If they’re all we have to deal with, it’s manageable.」
With Damons, the former admiral of Tammuz’s regional forces, now on our side, we already had a clear understanding of the enemy’s military positioning. The fact that we had inside knowledge of their affairs was a major advantage for us.
The regional governors might be using powerful demon beasts to maintain their rule, but the central army of the Demon Country was spread thin. Because they had scattered their forces across the continent, there weren’t many troops left to defend the capital.
「I see, so their governance was flawed from the start.」
「That’s how I’ve judged it. Of course, this is based on limited information, but the fact that we know so much about the enemy while they know almost nothing about us gives us a significant advantage.」
However, having only six months to prepare felt uncertain.
「Sensei, if our advantage is that the enemy doesn’t know about us, couldn’t we take more time to prepare?」
「Takeru-dono, I’m not underestimating the Demon Country by saying we can defeat them in a year. On the contrary, it’s precisely because they’re a formidable foe that we must act swiftly.」
「And why must we hurry?」
「The demon beasts controlled by the Great Demon King Ifriil seem to be growing stronger as the conflicts across the Abyss continent continue. This is likely why he was able to conquer the entire continent in just three years. If these beasts continue to evolve and grow more powerful, we may find ourselves unable to handle them if we take too long to prepare.」
According to Damons and his group, the beasts under Ifriil’s control initially included venomous lizards like the Basilisk, one-eyed giants like the Cyclops, and leathery-winged apes like the Lemurs.
But as he unified the Demon Country and attacked the lands of Abysspania, the beasts gradually grew stronger. He began to command dragons and griffons, and by the time he had conquered the Abyss continent, he was controlling a legendary-class creature, the Great Sea Dragon.
Lyle-sensei quantified the escalation of the beasts’ power, arranging it chronologically on paper in the form of a steadily rising curve.
The line extended beyond the present and into the future. If the level-up didn’t plateau and continued, where would we be in a year?
The curve Sensei drew reached the top of the paper a year from now. While there was no guarantee that this dire prediction would come true, I understood Sensei’s concern. We couldn’t afford to ignore this threat.
「So, that’s why we must strike within a year.」
Sensei nodded quietly.
「There’s also the fact that Damons can only send false reports to deceive the enemy for so long. If Ifriil starts to wonder why a force of twenty thousand soldiers is taking over six months to capture this tiny island, he’ll grow suspicious.」
「That would be bad.」
「We could lure them into a trap and crush them, but wouldn’t it be better to end the war on the continent as quickly as possible?」
Ending the war swiftly.
「Of course, I feel the same way!」
「I knew you would, Takeru-dono. Choosing speed over perfection is a fundamental rule of strategy. Oh, and there was one other thing I wanted to mention after hearing Damons’ story…」
At that moment, Sherry, seemingly unable to wait any longer, entered the room.
「Onii-sama, are you finished with your meeting?」
「Not quite.」
「Takeru-dono, it’s a discussion for another time. Let’s wrap up today’s meeting.」
「See, onii-sama? Even Her Excellency Lyle says so.」
「Alright, alright, don’t rush me.」
「Onii-sama, we’ll be finishing the new lodgings soon. After that, we’ll move on to the roads.」
Sherry pulled me along, eager to bombard me with her usual reports of what she’d accomplished today. Before long, Viola and the others joined us.
「Master, everyone worked really hard on the farming today. I think we’ll have a bountiful harvest of potatoes.」
「Ah, it was exhausting!」
Even Rara-chan had helped out with the farming. Besides cultivating potatoes, Viola had also started growing edible mushrooms in the caves that had been vacated after the soldiers moved into their new lodgings.
My slave girls are all quite capable and thoughtful.
And the one working the hardest, covered in dirt, is Roll.
「Master, I found some old soil that can make potassium nitrate, so we can make gunpowder now.」
「Ah, that’s excellent. We’ll bring it by ship eventually, but it’s better to produce it locally. I’ve prepared a reward snack for you.」
I hugged Roll, who had clung to me, and gave her some orange candy. It made her happy, and it felt like feeding wild animals.
「Onii-sama, rewards are nice, but how about we all take a bath together?」
「Eh!」
Come to think of it, everyone is covered in mud. I held onto Roll, who tried to escape at the mention of a bath, to keep her from running away.
「Master, if it’s a bath, I’ll go get Colette!」
「Hahaha, Roll, you’re so kind. Viola, since you’re in the kitchen, could you fetch Colette too?」
We’re going to have a bath. There’s no way I’m letting Roll escape.
「It’s a good idea to bathe Roll, but the bath is a complicated structure that Kaara designed, so we need Kaara’s magic to heat the water.」
If I ask Sensei, maybe intermediate magic could solve it.
「Onii-sama, don’t worry about that.」
Sherry, puffing up her almost nonexistent chest, seemed to have a plan.
※※※
A waterfall of hot water was pouring down into the rock bath. Viola had used water magic to pull it up from the upper reservoir, and Rara-chan had used demon magic to turn it into warm water.
Sherry, who doesn’t have magical power herself, had only given instructions, but managing the magic of the others efficiently is a talent in itself.
「Come on, Roll, you have to wash off all the mud!」
「I’m not dirty! I don’t want to get wet!」
Roll was like a cat that hated baths. We managed to strip her of her clothes and carry her into the bath.
Looking at Colette, Sherry, and Viola, I was taken aback. They had all grown up during the time I wasn’t looking!
「Hey, Colette, Sherry, Viola. You all need to wrap yourselves in towels!」
「Eh, why, onii-sama?」
Sherry protested. I had thought she was flat-chested, but now she was normal.
「Just because!」
「Come on, Sherry. Master said so, so let’s go.」
Colette, who had been playing the role of the mother figure in Sharon’s absence, persuaded them. Colette, with her brown hair and blond eyes, had also grown into a proper young lady.
It’s the stage of secondary sexual characteristics. It’s fine if they have developed breasts, but the curves are more concerning. I can’t describe it in detail, but it’s clear that they’ve matured.
It’s surprising how quickly girls grow up. I didn’t expect to have to worry about the others like I did with Sharon.
Even though I’m not their father, watching the growth of these slave girls brings a mix of happiness and sadness.
「It’s odd, Colette-san. Only Roll-san and Rara-chan weren’t mentioned.」
「Sherry, when Master says to cover up, it means he treats us as ladies.」
Colette’s persuasion was hard at work.
「Onii-sama, since I’m the little sister, it’s okay if I’m naked, right?」
「No, that’s not okay!」
According to my standards, that’s already crossing the line.
As Roll tried to escape again, I turned my back, holding her.
「See, Sherry? Master is embarrassed.」
「Ugh, then, onii-sama, this is a favor. You need to sleep with me tonight!」
Sleep with her? As a husband, I have my duties at night, but I suppose a day off won’t hurt.
「Alright, but quickly wrap up in towels and help me wash Roll.」
「Okay!」
It’s probably fine to sleep together with the slave girls like we used to, even if they’ve grown up. Since they’re all small, we can just lay down extra futons.
So, we decided to all wash Roll together, our hands full of soapy bubbles.
「Hold still, Roll!」
「Eek!」
It felt like washing a puppy. While rinsing the soap off Roll, I wondered why she hadn’t grown much compared to the others.
「All done—I’m done!」
「Roll, look, the waterfall is fun. Let’s play under it!」
Roll was fine after the bath, happily playing with Rara-chan under the waterfall. She didn’t seem to mind the hot spring bath as much but enjoyed the waterfall.
「Hmm.」
I wondered if dwarf girls in this world grow slowly. Maybe I should ask sensei next time.
「Onii-sama, even if we can’t show our bodies, you’ll still wash our hair, won’t you?」
「Of course.」
Despite the complications of their growth, they are still my dear girls.
With Colette, Sherry, and Viola lined up, I decided to wash each of their hair.
As Colette mentioned, they’ve all grown into proper ladies. I carefully washed their hair, expressing my gratitude for their hard work.
Brown, silver, and translucent blue. Each had beautiful hair, making me feel like I was polishing precious gems.
Though it took some effort, I didn’t mind the task at all.