Volume 8 Chapter 9 (1/2)

After leaving the [Plains], I headed back to my estate.

There, I waited for Tiro and Kuina to come back from their level grinding. Once they have, we were going to go to Rorono's workshop and test out Rorono's new and never-before-seen weapon for Tiro. First, we needed to let Tiro try it out, check to see if it has accomplished its design goals, and whether it was usable in real combat. After that, we needed to determine if this was the right approach for Tiro's weapon.

In truth, I wasn't so confident in it.

I knew that what Rorono made was a pile bunker. It was a close proximity weapon that would shoot out via an explosive blast a gigantic metallic stake.

It was very impractical as a weapon, in my honest opinion. Due to its weight, it would have immense offense, that I didn't doubt, but that wasn't saying much considering the offense that firearms could offer.

It was Rorono, so it was going to be diligently and properly made, but there was no denying that this was going to be more of a novelty weapon than anything.

At that moment, I remembered something. Some time ago, I accessed the [Memory of the Planet] and used [Creation] to produce a copy of a certain robot anime. Rorono watched that anime, and when a pile bunker appeared in the show, I saw a glimmer in her eyes.

”Nah, everything'll be fine. The Avalon-Ritters' Twin Drive Golem Cores were inspired by an anime too, and yet it's exactly what was needed. This time too should be alright.”

I decided to stop thinking on that for the moment and think instead of what I needed to do next based on the results of my inspection of the casino's construction.

First off, I wanted to build an outer wall in the [Plains] much like the one the city had.

I was also thinking of dispatching Mithril Golems and resurrected artificial heroes to maintain public order. There was a need to prepare against attacks by bandits and monsters, but that was doubly so for places like ours where many people with money and resources have gathered.

It would also be a good move to build infrastructures in the [Plains]. Perhaps something like the water and sewer system present in the city. There were wells and the like built there already, but those were makeshift infrastructures at best and were not at all going to be satisfactory to our would-be guests. So, as soon as the casino's construction was complete, I was of the thought that I should have the Dwarf Smiths begin building infrastructures there.

”Oh, they're finally back, huh?”

I felt strong magic power which I guessed to be from the activation of a Transfer array.

Moments later, my guess was proven correct by the sound of footsteps of two people.

”Oto-san, we're back!”

”Guruu!”

All of a sudden, a fox-eared girl and a giant black dog jumped at me.

If it was just Kuina, I might have been able to withstood it, but with the both of them, yeah, it was a bit too much.

And so, the two pushed me down and buried their faces in my chest.

I couldn't help buy smile wryly; the two were so much alike.

”You two seem to be full of spirit. Now, will you two please move? I can't stand with your weight on me.”

”'Kay ♪”

”Guruu”

After the two finally let go of me, I used my Demon Lord powers to look at Tiro's status.

”In just a week, you're already level 30, huh. Things are going quite well, haven't they.”

”Tiro-chan's amazing! Even if she's by herself, she won't lose to any monsters in the [Crimson Cavern] anymore. Plus, with her excellent nose, not one enemy can escape!”

”That's amazing.”

”She's a really capable kid!”

Her leveling was indeed progressing well, but the end goal was still far away.

If an S rank monster was made to have a static level, it would be born around level 71-80. On the other hand, even though a monster that could level up had the ability to grow as strong as a monster of a higher rank, it came at the price of having to start at level 1.

So, the current goal was for Tiro to reach level 71 so that she could be at least as strong as an S rank monster with a static level. Indeed, it was still far from realization.

Kuina, Rorono, Aura, Duke, and Ruhe were fortunate in a way because they had been able to participate in large-scale battles and thus were able to earn enough experience points to reach and exceed level 71. Such a chance didn't seem likely to appear for Tiro though.

Whatever the case might be, I had to think of another way to level her up. I wanted her to be at least level 71 by the time the rule protecting us new Demon Lords was no more. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to use her as a true trump card.

But as it stands, Tiro won't make it in time. Should I challenge a fellow new Demon Lord into a war? If we massacre all their monsters… No. This isn't who I am.

”Kuina, Tiro, there are some snacks in the kitchen. After you've eaten and rested enough, let's go to where Rorono is. She has just finished making a prototype for Tiro's weapon.”

”Wow, Rorono-chan sure does work fast!”

”Gururu ♪”

Upon hearing my news, their eyes lit up with excitement and expectations.

Surely, what Rorono made won't betray these expectations… I can't help but feel anxious though.

◇

After they finished their snacks, we headed to Rorono's workshop.

I knocked on the door and out came Rorono.

Her silver hair was unkempt, and there were shadows beneath her eyes. No matter how I looked at it, it was clear that she pulled another all-nighter.

I had thought that her workload had finally lightened up to the point that she could squeeze the development for Tiro's equipment into her schedule, but…

”I'm sorry, Rorono. I made you overdo it again.”

Unsurprisingly, asking her to complete the development in just a week was asking for the unreasonable. Despite that, I still let her do it after hearing her saying it was manageable.

”No, it's not your fault, master. The fault's all mine. I got a bit greedy.”

”Greedy?”

”Actually, I finished Tiro's weapon yesterday morning. But while I was working on your request, the gravity-halving plates for the Hippogriffs' carriages, an idea for another equipment for Tiro struck me. But to make it to the deadline, I decided to stay up all night.”

Upon hearing that, I connected that to be the reason why she didn't show up for dinner the previous evening.

”Thanks to that, I made it in time. Just barely though. I finished it just 30 minutes ago.”

”Really, to finish that in a day, that's really amazing. Great job. But take it easy today, ok?”

”I'll take a break after we've done the tests. And, it's my turn to have [Father's Day] today, so I'll be sleeping soundly with you tonight, master.”

She seemed embarrassed, but she said such things filled with her expectations nonetheless.

It was her turn to spend the day and night with me, and I intended to spoil her lots.

”Master, please lead Kuina and Tiro to the workshop's garden. I'll go get the equipment first. Let's do the testing there.”

Rorono then went to the interior of her workshop.

There're two weapons. I'm absolutely excited to see both.

◇

”Rorono-chan, waiting, waiting, waiting for Rorono-chan ♪”

”Gaugau, wau, wau ♪”

Kuina and Tiro were both singing a rather questionable song.

More noteworthy though was the astonishing level of closeness the two had. As of the moment, Kuina was riding on Tiro's back.

Which reminds me, where could Ruhe be? She should have been back from her tour in the Axela Kingdom, but I haven't seen her today. Because Tiro and her are going to be fighting together in the other dimension, I want the both of them get along too.

”Sorry to keep you waiting. I've brought Tiro's equipment.”

Rorono said so after arriving.

The first of the equipment she brought was a revolver mechanism that would fire gigantic metal stakes. One such stake was not yet loaded and it was easily twice Tiro's size.

The second equipment was a set of boots made to match Tiro. The ones for the forelegs each had these three claws the size of daggers attached to them.