episode_0135

After roughly wrapping up my business at the training grounds, I went to find Dark.

“You’re here.”

As soon as I arrived, Dark dismissed all the humans present.

Thud!

He even set up a barrier, creating a perfectly secluded space.

A barrier far more refined than the ones Lea made.

In terms of performance alone, they were similar.

But if Lea needed 500 MP to cast a barrier,

Dark could do the same with just 100 MP.

Tch.

He’s really skilled with magic.

Sigh… “Since there’s no one watching anymore, shall we talk comfortably?”

“You mean drop the act and just chat?”

“Yeah. Let me reintroduce myself: ‘[I Want to Squeeze Marianne’s Nipples]’. It’s really been a long time.”

“Same here. It’s been ages. ‘[Dark Flame Master]’.”

“Bahahahaha.”

“Pffahahaha.”

“Dark.”

“Yeah?”

“If you call me by that nickname outside, I’ll kill you.”

“Yessir, ~Squeeze-Milk Master~.”

“Wanna die?”

“Pfft! Fine, fine! That’s enough joking around.”

After laughing it off, Dark spoke again.

“You’re here to recruit the last member, right?”

“Exactly.”

“I’ll introduce them to you around lunchtime tomorrow.”

“You know where they are?”

“Of course. She’s the vice-captain of our Black Fang—did you really think I wouldn’t know?”

“Vice-captain?”

“I recruited her for a while.”

“Recruited?”

“Well, isn’t it better to stick with someone who feeds you well rather than rolling around in some gutter?”

“…Don’t tell me. NTR?”

“Nope.”

“Really?”

“Really not. Though she did warm up to me over meals, she never once called me ‘~Master~’.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Anyway, she’s the type who only calls someone ‘~Master~’ once she’s sincerely devoted. That alone means the game’s already over for everyone else.”

“Fair point.”

Rumi, one of the main heroines in Prophecy RPG—a cat beastkin assassin-girl.

There was one absolute, unbreakable rule about her.

What was it?

The moment she sincerely recognizes someone as her master, she addresses them as ‘~Master~’.

And once she chooses a master,

she never betrays them.

Even if she goes insane.

Even if she’s tortured beyond reason.

She will never betray the person she calls ‘~Master~’.

If her master is a hero, she becomes part of the hero’s party.

If her master is a villain, she joins the villain’s faction.

So I worked hard to raise her affection.

Even though I planned to abandon Lea,

I made sure to draft letters to keep Rumi close.

Hmm?

Why dump Lea but keep Rumi?

There’s a reason.

Lea might kill Marianne if she sees her (because succubus),

but Rumi would never do something like that.

“My master’s allies are my allies.

My master’s enemies are my enemies.”

That’s simply how Rumi thinks.

It doesn’t matter if the other party is demonkind or not.

The only thing that matters is what her master believes.

So even if she finds out Marianne is a succubus, it won’t be a problem.

Thus—

recruiting her is the smart move.

…With that in mind, I wrote letters diligently.

I filled them with words to steadily raise her affection,

provided information to boost trust,

sent money, delicious food,

an OP skill book (Shadow Arts Manual),

an OP exclusive weapon (Shadowblade),

and more.

The result?

Rumi started calling me ‘~Master~’.

In other words—

she was fully conquered.

Her affection was high enough that I could’ve dragged her to bed immediately and she’d have gone along with it.

…Of course, things are different now since I abandoned the “dump Lea and run” route, but—

Anyway.

Rumi’s affection conquest is already complete.

I can recruit her on the spot when we meet.

So I asked:

“But why tomorrow at lunch? Can’t we do it now?”

“Not that we shouldn’t, just that we can’t.”

“Why?”

“Someone (points at MC) taught her Shadow Arts too well—now she’s practically untraceable.”

“Ah…”

Rumi moves around in perfect stealth using Shadow Arts.

So Dark can’t find her.

Got it.

Makes perfect sense.

“Then tell me what she’s been up to lately.”

We exchanged letters, but

she only ever replied with vague “doing fine” updates—I don’t know the specifics of her missions.

So I asked.

What does Rumi usually spend her time doing?

“Patrolling demon territories, slaughtering every monster and demonkin she spots.”

“Hunting?”

“Monsters are high-quality food. Demon corpses sell for ridiculous prices as crafting materials.”

Dark elaborated:

Rumi hunts.

Other Black Fang members follow the markers she leaves behind, collecting the kills.

This alone provides enough food to sustain the entire slum city.

Add profits from selling monster parts?

Easy slum redevelopment funding.

Collapsed houses can be rebuilt.

New clothes can be bought and distributed.

Vegetables and spices make better meals.

Former gutter-rats now live decent lives.

Naturally,

the slum citizens became Dark’s fervent supporters.

…Though,

they didn’t obey from the start.

Dark first crushed them with overwhelming force (bloodbath), then gave food, clothes, and shelter—now they follow like loyal dogs.

“There were a few who refused to submit until the end, but…”

Those just got killed.

(To obedient ones) He’s a dependable boss.

(To resistors) He’s a merciless slaughterer.

To hammer this distinction in,

he conducted a lavish public execution.

Through such methods,

he became this city’s de facto king.

“Your goal?”

“Why I chose this place?”

“Mm.”

“You already know.”

“Yeah. I know so well it’s almost funny.”

Why did Dark become the slum king?

To conquer the world?

To gather insurgents?

No.

He occupied this place because it was cool.

No deeper reason.

The Villain’s Sovereign.

The Slum Lord.

The Black Organization’s Leader.

Dark (a terminal chuuni-edgelord) genuinely loves this stuff.

“The key isn’t just being a criminal syndicate—that’s not cool enough.”

“Right.”

While heroes save the world in the spotlight,

we save it from the shadows (secretly).

No one knows.

No one acknowledges our sacrifices.

Yet,

we fight for the world every single day.

Because that’s cool.

“And what if—at the critical moment—our deeds are unveiled?”

“That’d be the highlight.”

“As expected of my kindred spirit! You get it!”

The protagonist toils to save the world, craving neither recognition nor understanding—until their achievements are exposed.

The villain they despised was the greatest hero all along.

Dark loves endings like that.

So—

how should we do it?

Teamwork, of course.

“That’s why…”

“You want me to subtly spread word of your deeds later?”

“Exactly!”

“I can do that much.”

Once the Demon King falls, the celestial blockade lifts (Serena can speak to humanity).

Then just casually drop mentions of Dark’s contributions.

Easy.

“Thanks! Truly a kindred spirit!”

Dark grinned brightly as he said it.

But it made me wonder—

why does Dark call me kindred spirit?

(Thinking) Were we that close?

We interacted often back in the Prophecy RPG forums (as regulars),

sharing info and strategies—

not a bad relationship.

Even good, arguably.

But.

Were we close friends?

Not exactly.

If I had to compare (among the four friends):

One was a muscle-obsessed gay dude.

One prayed daily to be reincarnated as a TS (^genderbent) loli.

One was a terminally chuuni high school girl (Dark).

None really shared my tastes, so relationships were… awkward.

(If forced to pick) Dark was the least awkward.

The gay guy? (lol no)

The TS fetishist?

Well…

I could tolerate reading TS fiction,

but the idea of me getting gender-swapped? Hell no.

Imagine:

A maiden paradise (harem),

yet I can’t do anything (because no dick)?

That’s just hell!

(Hence) TS-self-insert dude was a hard pass.

Meanwhile,

chuunibyou was tolerable.

Being edgy’s kinda cool.

But.

I only enjoyed it in moderation.

I wasn’t the type to unironically live the chuuni fantasy.

Earth (no magic) made that impossible.

No matter how much you scream “Black Flame Dragon,”

no black flames appear.

Wrapping bandages around yourself doesn’t make you stronger.

The world just laughs at you.

(Except here)

This world actually has magic.

If you will it, you can summon black flames.

Delusions that were laughable back home

fuel spellcasting here (imagination → magic power).

The edgier you are, the stronger you get.

…Reflecting on my past (Earth memories), realization struck.

“Ah…”

I was once a full-blown chuuni, wasn’t I?

That’s why Dark calls me kindred spirit.

(His eyes sparkling) “Of course, my kindred soul! Your performance at the arena moved me to tears! Kneel! This is the shared height of our visions! That delivery! That presence! Truly, my rival!”

He was moved by my chuuni moments.

“Uh… I was just saying random stuff…”

“Such natural elegance! Such devotion to coolness! I admire it! It sends shivers down my spine!”

“……”

Dark kept gushing.

Somehow…

Talking to him dredges up memories (cringe past), making me want to curl up and die—

Ugh…

I just remembered.

Those embarrassing middle-school moments—!!!