Heroes and Machine Girls Looking at Profiles

5 – A Show to Deceive the World

“This is the end!! Four Thousand Kings of the Demon Army, Big Bull!!”

“Ar…arrrggh?!”

The holy sword Rheinforce, held in his hand, scattered a blinding cluster of light and, together with this brilliance, the sword cut through the body of the Four Thousand Kings, Big Bull, of the Demon Army.

Fitting his renown, Big Bull, the Four Thousand Kings of the demon army, who even withstood the strike of the holy sword.

However, his expression twisted and his mouth hung open.

“Ar… aaarrggh!? I…I…I!!”

And then, Big Bull, one of the Four Thousand Kings of the Demon Army, wrapped in the burst of light, disappeared from the spot with a scream.

“Brave Warrior!!”

“It’s our hero!!”

With joyful expressions, they ran and embraced the beautiful female companions of the hero.

In their hug, the hero shyly smiles and talks about his future ambitions.

…Really, isn’t this just a cliché appearance of a hero?

“Well, let’s go back then, Hero.”

“Ah, right. I’ll look around a bit more, you guys go ahead.”

“What? But…”

“Ah…it’s okay. Now, Teleport.”

Annoyed with their nagging, he sent them to the nearest village using teleport magic.

Acting like they get along was already stressful, but recently they have been sticking to him even more as if to keep watch, and it had become unbearably bothersome.

No, it must be surveillance.

They must have noticed something suspicious about him and have become doubtful.

“Haah…”

“You have been put through a lot, Hero.”

As I let out a deep sigh, a heavily bearded man approaches me.

With a large horn affixed to his head and a sturdy muscular body.

Surely enough, the Four Thousand Kings of the Demon Army, Big Bull who just disappeared, appeared in front of me.

“…You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“hahahaha, even though it’s you, I’m not so weak as to get injured from a sword you swing around like that. Rather, I was worried that they would notice that you were going easy on them.”

…Well, those stupid chicks didn’t even realize that I was swinging the sword very casually.

Even Anies who is said to have the best swordsmanship skills in the kingdom, it still came to that.

“But it was a terribly dazzling light, what exactly was that?”

“Huh? Just something I tried with the holy sword and magic power, it didn’t hurt, did it?”

“Hmm, it felt a little prickly due to the holy power, but there was no significant damage.”

It did feel prickly.

I only sprayed out magic power that was supposed to just emit light, it seems to have harboured some holy power since it’s called a holy sword.

As I considered improvements, I sheathed the Holy Rheinforce.

Although it was my first time, they did not notice as expected.

It was a tiring technique for the first time, but somehow it was successful.

Warrior types, teleportation trick.

The day I met the Demon King, with the help of Succubus Luri.

I unleashed my full power in front of the Demon King, who couldn’t believe a word I was saying.

It was enough power to physically shake the Demon King’s castle.

“You see, if I wanted to, I could annihilate your castle, but I don’t, right? I harbor no ill will against you.”

“…So… So be it. Believe me. Just stop causing a scene!!”

I let out a bitter smile while looking at the complaining Demon King Irlein, her face on the brink of tears.

If only she believed me from the start with her lie-detection ability, I wouldn’t have had to go to such measures.

“…So, why exactly did the hero who bears us no malice come to see me?”

At Irlein’s inquiry, I took a look at those present, including Irlein, Luri, and the Four Heavenly Kings.

…They’re strong. All of them.

They might not be a match for me, but the entire group, including Luri and the Four Heavenly Kings, are stronger than the likes of Aneres and Ciella.

Well, I had more or less expected this when I had first met Luri, who is the Succubus Queen.

I had been surprised to find that Luri, a mere succubus I first met for information gathering, was much stronger than her peers.

…Of course, she was not just a mere succubus, but the leader of all succubi.

Anyway, with such strength on my side, I thought I’d be able to carry out my plan just as I’d anticipated.

With an unhidden smile appearing at the corners of my mouth, I turned towards Irlein.

“Demon King Irlein, will you make a deal with me?”

“A deal, you say?”

“Yes, you just need to join me in putting on a little show.”

The Demon King Irlein and the Four Heavenly Kings seemed bewildered, failing to understand my intent.

I reached out my hand to them and asked once more,

“Will you join me in deceiving the world? This is an offer that I believe will bring no harm to you.”

“…Are you serious about this?”

Demon King Irlein responded with a perplexed expression to my proposal.

It was understandable.

Until last night…no, until earlier this evening, I was the hero who ruthlessly cut down her demon kind.

For such a hero to make ‘this’ type of proposal, it was only natural for her to be bewildered.

“It’s a serious offer. I think it’s not a disadvantageous proposal for you, don’t you think?”

“No…I mean, that might be true…are you okay with this, though…?”

I get it.

A hero who claims to have set some limits but says he’ll ‘leave the country to its fate’ no matter what.

Even if I were them, I might not have believed it.

“I’ll say it again, it’s not complete neglect. Try to avoid civilians as much as possible when you attack, and limit your invasions to just one place.”

“Oh…alright…that itself is not a problem for us…”

Don’t harm the civilians.

I believed that they would accept this condition, as they had from the start.

Indeed, in the cities occupied by the demon kind, the ruling class and soldiers were destroyed, but the civilians always remained unharmed.

So, I believed they would accept the condition of not harming civilians.

The second condition was a bit of a gamble…

“But, about the second condition… What if other countries get involved?”

“Ah… I don’t mind if the other side instigates. But, I do hope they wouldn’t touch the civilians.”

The second condition, ‘The only country to be attacked is the Hapfas Empire.’

I was honestly unsure whether they would accept or reject this condition.

Depending on what their objective was, there was a chance that this condition could be refused.

However, the demon lord Ilrain accepted the condition as if it was nothing.

“Well, it’s good. There really is no loss for us.”

“Is that so?”

“For starters, it’s a huge benefit that you’re not hostile to us.”

At the words of the demon lord Ilrain, the other Four Heavenly Kings also nodded.

“…And, if we only occupy the Hapfas Empire, which is the largest country on the continent, it is as if the food problem is solved.”

Ah, the demons’ objective must have been food.

Certainly, when I first entered the demon territory with Luri, I felt the land was barren.

“It’s to the extent that we can make a pact not to fight with other human countries.”

“Well… I won’t go that far.”

“But… That ‘show’ you’re talking about. Is it really okay?”

Looking at Ilrain, who sounded worried, she continued.

“What…what happens if your comrades find out?”

“Ah, are you talking about that?”

Towards the demon lord Ilrain, who was worried, I smiled.

“Don’t worry, they will not find out.”

How could those incompetents figure out, anyway?

In the end, wasn’t it successful?

The show that I and the upper echelons of the Demon Lord Army staged.

A fight between the Hero Party and the Demon Lord Army.

“Now, you need to rest quietly for a while.”

“Hmm, should I play dead?”

“Yes. The four demon lords have been defeated by the Hero Party. That’s what we need to make them believe.”

Until the time comes, the Four Heavenly Kings were to be defeated.

And when the time comes, even the Demon Lord Army…

“Well, the Demon Lord also asked for cooperation… I guess I should take this as a temporary vacation. I also want to see my wife and children.”

“Huh? You’re married?”

“Yes, my eldest daughter could be of your generation if compared with humans.”

I looked at the Four Heavenly King Big Bull.

Indeed, it wouldn’t be surprising if he had been married with that fatherly appearance.

Although he is overly muscular, he seems to be in his middle age.

He is also a target of my profile skill, so I looked at his profile.

Name: Big Bull

Age: 485 years

Class: Heavy Warrior.

The four demon kings of the Demon Army, commonly known as Big Bull of Black Iron.

As his nickname suggests, his steel-like physique and monstrous strength exceed imagination.

He has two daughters with his wife.

Recently, it seems that the younger daughter is going through a rebellious phase and is causing much worry.

“……”

Fatherhood.

Such a thought made me reflexively blurt out.

“Uh…try to get along well with your younger daughter.”

“Uh…uhm? Ah… you mean that skill?”

“Yes, I… I saw it without permission, sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. It’s not problematic if it’s known.”

I had informed the Demon King and his subordinates about my profile skill beforehand.

I answered when he insistently asked how he knew about his ability to discern lies.

…Well, there was no reason to hide it from them, and I also wanted to earn their trust.

“Well, I think I’ll take a long rest this time, and I’ll have to talk with my daughter slowly.”

“Yeah, well… cheer up.”

“Um, I’ll pray for your luck too.”

…Luck.

Well, until this show ends, I have to deceive those snake-like women and continue the show.

If I need luck for that, I’ll consider it a good thing.

After seeing off Big Bull disappearing into the distance, I also moved on.