Dungeon Defense (WN)

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I opened my mouth and closed it again. I felt like I might trip over my words if I tried to speak right now.

The Rank 9 Demon Lord who loved humans more than anyone else and ultimately ends up betraying her kind. According to the players of Dungeon Attack, she was either a characteristic prostitute or a pureblooded maiden with unrequited love. From the perspective of demonkind, she was the biggest traitor. This was the image of Paimon that I had until now.

The fact that she was involved in the founding of Batavia……not only was this not mentioned in the game, but it was never stated in any part of her lore either!

I barely managed to clear my throat.

“What do you mean the Republic of Batavia was not created by the humans alone?”

“Now you finally panic.”

Paimon covered her mouth and giggled. I felt a chill go down my spine. Who was this woman before me? Who have I been facing until now?

“Creating a republic nation was not an easy task. Everything was new to this lady. If this lady may exaggerate it a little, it was basically like creating a completely new world. There was a lot of trial and error. Truly, a lot.”

“But I succeeded.”

The scenery around us changed to that of a village. It was a sequestered fishing village. There were only a couple of mudflats, boats, and shabby huts gathered together. Time started to flow quickly as soon as Paimon waved her hand.

Villagers gathered, a dock was built, followed by a harbor, tall structures were raised up, and a white wall was created. It became a city. Stone pavement covered the fields and mudflats. Dozens of waterways went through the center of the city. People rode gondolas through those waterways.

The sound of a bell ringing echoed from a temple. It echoed throughout the harbor city.

“The establishment of the capital of Batavia, Amstel, took 200 years.

“…….”

“I utilized the money, information network, and military power that had accumulated during that time to start a war of independence. This took 50 years. This was followed by a revolutionary war that was carried out under the pretext of inheriting the ideology of an ancient republic nation. This took 60 years. Finally, a liberation war was incited under the great cause of liberating other races. We even joined forces with the 4th Crescent Alliance. This took another 60 years.”

Paimon got up.

She spread her arms out as if she couldn’t endure how much she loved the scene before her. A dozen large ships created a fleet as they sailed across the sea beside Amstel.

“Finally, after 400 years, this lady managed to create a conurbation of 13 cities, the Batavia Federated Republic.”

She silently looked over the scenery she had created for a moment. Paimon was pressuring me by going silent.

The person standing before me was no longer a simple idealist. Ideals stop being delusions when you have the strength to carry them out. Jack Aland couldn’t possibly compare to this. Paimon had an ideology, she acted to realize it, and she actually managed to succeed.

In the middle of this medieval era where kings and knights are running amok―she alone created a republic nation.

What an accomplishment.

It wouldn’t be enough to simply say that she was great. That was much too lacking. Even as someone who learned about the original history of the world secondhand, I knew how much of a ridiculous and absurd delusion this was. And Paimon achieved this.

‘……!’

At that moment, a current went through my brain. A theory that sounded ridiculous but could be plausible. Rank 1 Great Demon Lord Baal, why did he leave the side with the Teuton Kingdom and the Republic of Batavia to Paimon on her 1st legion?

A dreadful theory. A theory that was more ghastly than any other theory I’ve ever had was put together in my head quickly.

My throat felt parched. I drank some tea. I swallowed it down as calmly as I could. I then forced my mouth open.

“What relationship……do you have with Great Demon Lord Baal?”

Paimon turned her gaze away from the sea and to me. She was awed.

“As expected, you are impressive. Truly surprising. But, yes.”

She smiled shamefully.

“This lady is not in a position to be able to talk about that.”

That response alone was enough to answer everything.

“…….”

I squeezed every last bit of strength I had left to maintain my composure. The strongest monarch of the Demon Lord army, Rank 1 Baal. The monarch with the strongest faction in the Demon Lord army, Rank 9 Paimon. These two individuals were in some sort of partnership.

‘Damn it. Barbatos, did you know about this?’

No. Barbatos most likely doesn’t know about this. She respects Baal. She even refers to him affectionately as old man. Barbatos’ attitude would’ve been completely different if she knew that Paimon and Baal were colluding. The Plains Faction doesn’t know about their alliance……. The other Demon Lords of the Mountain Faction probably don’t know about it either.

This changes everything.

It doesn’t matter what sort of ideals Paimon had until now.

Paimon genuinely possessed a great amount of power. Not only did she lead the Mountain Faction, but she could control a nation in the human world from behind the curtain. Her influence probably spreads beyond the Batavia Republic and reaches out to the other republicans here and there throughout the continent.

Adding to this……although I don’t know the details of their relationship, Great Demon Lord Baal was supporting Paimon as well.

‘This isn’t a simple yes or no question now.’

I gulped.

‘I have to cooperate with her at all costs.’

I had to take advantage of this. Her ideas don’t have any persuasive power? That doesn’t matter. An authoritative figure with the ability to influence both the Demon Lord army and the human army was standing right here in front of me. I have to gain her goodwill and make her trust me. For the sake of making this benefit me somehow.

I was already resolved to create a close relationship with Paimon.

“Dantalian, you asked this lady earlier whether a republic could be established in the demon world or not, and, going beyond this, whether a republic of humans and demons combined could be created or not. This is my answer.”

She spread her arm out and pointed to the city.

“Yes, it is possible.”

Paimon assured me.

“In the Republic of Batavia, we accept beings from other races as citizens. 20,000 elves and 30,000 dwarves are currently living with the humans in this city. 2,000 years ago, elves and dwarves were all treated as demons, but not today. Dantalian, what we treat as reality today was once nothing more than a dream in the past.”

She spoke in a whimsical tone.

“This lady can say this as someone who has lived for over 2,000 years. Although time flows so slowly that it can occasionally deceive our eyes, it still proceeds forward without a second of delay even now. Some people call this the flow of history. Others praise this as fate predetermined by the Goddess.”

Paimon smiled modestly.

“This lady refers to this as the realization of a dream. Life is harsh and abject, thus it disappoints us constantly. Therefore, you and I, and eventually, every human and demon will become disappointed by life one day and stop dreaming entirely. However, that is not today. One day, this ideal will become nothing more than a shabby joke, and the day may come where we can no longer yell out what is right or wrong.”

She looked at me.

“However, that day is not today.”

“…….”

“One day, every great flag may fall along with every last warrior. The Gods may depart this land and leave behind only revenge and deception to roam around the continent like specters. Mountains may become steeper and canyons may become deeper. Eventually, all of mankind may one day become slaves. But that day is not today. ―Since the day of destruction is not today, we must go forward one step at a time while believing it will not be tomorrow either.”

Paimon extended her right hand to me.

“Our feet are meant for going somewhere and our hands are meant for holding on to something. This is what this lady believes. If they are not meant for these things, then why do we Demon Lords have hands and feet when we are neither humans or demons?”

“…….”

“Dantalian, please walk together with this lady and grab hold of tomorrow.”

I gazed silently at her white hand.

Mares are a species that is able to freely control people’s dreams. They tease and satisfy people with various types of pleasures and reside within their dreams. Keeping them happy eternally. However, the woman before me didn’t want to stay in a dream and wished to step into reality. In order to turn reality into a dream. 

Thus, she was appropriately referred to as the Queen of Succubi. 

“I have……one question.”

There was one final thing that was bothering me. I opened my mouth in order to resolve it. In Dungeon Attack, Paimon betrayed demonkind. Why did she do this? I couldn’t hold back my curiosity.

“Feel free to ask me anything.”

“This might sound like a somewhat peculiar question……. I will most likely be unable to make you understand why I am asking this kind of question, but that does not change that this is a very important question. If possible, I wish for you to answer honestly.”

Paimon’s expression became serious. She gave me a solemn nod. I carefully selected my words as I spoke.

“For example……let us say that there is a very powerful human.”

“How powerful exactly?”

“Incredibly powerful. They are ten, no, a hundred times stronger than us. Even the strongest fighter of the empire, the Swordmaster is unable to defeat them. Only the corpses of demons lie in that human’s path. Great Demon Lord Baal cannot defeat them alone either.”

Paimon looked like she didn’t really understand, but she didn’t say anything about it. She had accepted my request to take this question seriously.

It wasn’t surprising that she found this hard to believe; nonetheless, a hero like that was destined to appear in this world of Dungeon Attack. General Zepar will die to their blade and Brother Beleth will also fall in battle. Barbatos will be beheaded and Paimon, you will also die a cold death.

The Demon Lord army will then get chased off of the continent.

“That human cleverly faces us Demon Lords one person at a time. We have no other choice but to fall one by one. At that rate, every Demon Lord will end up dying. In this situation, Miss Paimon……if you found yourself in this sort of situation, then what would you do?”

“…….”

Paimon brought her hand to her chin. She tilted her head twice.

“Can our Demon Lord army not come together to attack them?”

“No, we cannot. They do not lead an army. They will either work alone or with a small group of at most 15 people to attack us.”

“Therefore……a group that is able to take us out one by one with only 15 people. You are telling me to imagine a group like this.”

I nodded. Paimon fell into deep thought.

“Can we erase them politically?”

“The strongest monarch of the human world trusts them completely.”

“Mm. Is the human world unified in this situation?”

I shook my head.

“No.”

“In this situation presented by you, which nation does this strongest monarch rule? Is it the Habsburg Empire? Or perhaps the Anatolia Empire?”

“……The Habsburg Empire. Not like the empire that has currently been defeated by the Crescent Alliance, but an empire that has grown to become a powerful nation.”

The corners of Paimon’s mouth twitched as she audibly hummed in rumination. 

“Then this lady would divide the human world.”

“…….”

“The Habsburg Empire is located in the center of the continent. If they are powerful, then their authority should be able to reach the far corners of the continent, but this also means that they would have a lot of enemies around them. Yes. This lady would incite either the Frank Empire or the Kingdom of Brittany to action.”

I was in silent awe.

Paimon was now completely focused on my hypothesized scenario as she continued.

“It would be dangerous to let the Habsburg Empire grow any further. You all must actively keep this nation in check. One of the two nations will undoubtedly take the bait. If this lady is lucky, then I might be able to lead the two nations into forming an alliance. Like this, I would induce the humans to go to war with one another. This lady would use the opportunity presented to us by the human world falling into chaos by getting rid of that powerful human.”

Was that it?

Were you the culprit behind the human world’s division in Dungeon Attack? 

While a majority of the Demon Lords were helplessly being slaughtered by the hero―.

“So, Dantalian? Would it not be possible with this?”

Paimon.

You were plotting the hero’s political demise more seriously than anyone else.

“……Certainly, that is an absolutely splendid idea. Unfortunately, even that method will fail. The monarch who rules Habsburg is so formidable, that they bring both the Frank Empire and the Kingdom of Brittany to ruin.”

“……Dantalian.”

Paimon glanced at me.

“How could such a ruler possibly exist? The premise of a human being stronger than Baal is already hard to believe, but a ruler that is powerful enough to practically unite the entire continent as well? That is impossible. In that situation, even if we managed to kill that strong human, would that ruler not be the bigger threat? There would still be a problem even if that strong human were to die.”

“Please accept that impossibility as a part of the premise.”

“Mm.”

Paimon groaned as she mulled over it further.

I wonder how many minutes have passed. She let out a sigh and laughed weakly.

“Well, then this lady will sell her body.”

“…….”

“Regardless of that human’s gender, this lady is the Queen of Succubi. I am confident in my ability to bring down at least a single human. I will pretend to be as affectionate as possible with that human in order to gain their trust. Afterward, I will do various things in order to make them love me.”

Like this.

“If this does not work either, then I surrender. Fufu. This lady cannot think of any other method.”

All of my questions were answered.

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. I feel like I was going to say something here, but I forgot. I did want to comment in the last chapter about how surprised I was to see all those foreign comments, but that slipped my mind. I usually write the TL notes for these chapters as soon as I wake up, so I naturally forget about a lot of things. I should probably do something about that like write these a day earlier. Oh well.

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.

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