The Legendary Rebuilding of a World by a Realist Demon King Chapter 64

The People Are Your Defense

We returned from the dungeon called the 'Ruin of Ashgold.'

The adventure doesn't end until you reach home!

Then dungeon continues until you reach your door!

Adventurers were known to say such things. And in a way, it was true. It was important to stay cautious at all times.

However, it had not been a difficult journey going, and it was not much different going back.

We didn't meet any strong enemies. It only took one day to return to the surface. There, we took the carriage and returned to Ashtaroth castle.

There were no bandits to get in our way this time.

I remembered a song then. About things going well on your way to a place, but being frightful on the way back. It was the reverse for us.

Of course, no one here knew of such a song. So instead, I listened to Jeanne hum.

It was beautiful and she could stay on key. A surprising talent for her.

One day, it might be good to have her take proper lessons and become a singer. But that would not happen until I had conquered all and brought peace to this age.

Right now, I needed a brilliant commander.

And I had brought her in as personnel in war, not to sing.

As I gazed at her with these thoughts, I was suddenly reminded of something in my breast pocket.

It was the metal object in the bag.

"This was what I had wanted. But I do not know who it is from."

It was a shuriken, which meant it was related to ninjas. But Yoshinobu, the last shogun of the Tokugawa clan had used them as a hobby. And so there were other possibilities as well.

Of course, Hanzo would be very disappointed if someone like that were summoned.

I would be too.

He was not exactly a person that everyone had a high opinion of.

Some might say that he kept the country free from revolts and offered the regime to the new government. A wise man.

But others would say that he wasted his powerful forces and ended a history that had lasted two hundred and fifty years. A fool.

I preferred to look at history with a cool view, and while I found the decision commendable, I also looked at him with indifference.

Still, he had been called the second coming of Ieyasu himself.

He would be helpful if he was summoned.

I started to feel that way, in any case. But then I realized something with a self-deprecating laugh.

Eve turned to me.

"Master. What is it that you find amusing?"

I told her honestly.

"Well, I've been thinking about how I've really gone up in this world."

"Ah, you are the greatest of all. Did you not know that?"

"I don't care for flattery…"

Still, I really had gone up.

At first, I would have been thankful with any commander that was a Hero. But here I was now, being selective.

It reminded me of something an old Chinese king once said.

'I acquired Gansu, and now I want Shu han.'

It was him realizing the extent of his own greed, once he realized he wanted to subjugate the kingdom of Shu han after he had acquired Gansu. Cao Cao would also quote him.

And it applied to me as well.

I had to be careful. Eve heard all of this and agreed.

"Very good, Master. You are the humblest of Demon Kings."

I thanked her and told her to prepare for the soul summoning.

It was time to put our drifted relic to use.

I didn't know what I would get from it, but there was something about summoning that excited me every time.

In Japan, there were games that allowed the common people to enjoy a similar sensation. It was rather lucky that I was to do it in this world.

The Klein bottle. It allowed you to summon monsters and Heroes.

I had used it many times before, but it really was a mysterious artifact when you thought about it.

It came up to my waist in terms of size.

And yet, not only humans, but even much larger cyclopes had come out of it.

Well, it was the kind of mysterious artifact you'd find in the castle of a Demon King, so there was not much point questioning it.

As I stared at it with these thoughts, Eve explained it to me.

"There's always a Klein bottle like this in every Demon King castle. Just like there is a core in every castle."

"Are they all the same then?"

"Cores tend to differ in shape, but Klein bottles are the same. They all look like this one and are of the same size."

"I see. So they all look like innards, like this one."

"Yes. And they cannot be destroyed."

"Really?"

"Really. Not even the most powerful magic spell will put a crack in them."

"So it will be no use invading their castle and trying to destroy them."

"That is the case."

"Well, it would make more sense to go after the core, anyway."

"Yes."

Eve agreed with a smile, but she also added,

"However, as you know from Demon King Eligos's castle, the Demon Kings often hide and disguise or build iron walls around their cores. It will not be easy to destroy them."

"Indeed. Well, it would be very odd if any of them didn't do anything about their weaknesses."

"Yes. Master, I think it is time that you think about some serious changes to your defense."

Eve said with a worried voice. But I told her it was unnecessary.

"Why is that?"

She was anxious about my safety.

I would have to set the matter straight.

And so I borrowed the words of Takeda Shingen, a military commander from the country known as Japan.

"There was once a great general in the province of Kai. Though he was surrounded by enemies, he did not focus on the defense of his castle."

"And why is that?"

"It doesn't matter how strong the castle is if there is no one to protect it."

"That may be true, but…"

"There is something that he once said."

The people are the castles, stone barriers, and moats. Show compassion to your allies and vengeance to your enemies.

"What does that mean?"

"It's what it sounds like. There is no point in having a castle without people you trust. On the other hand, if you have trustworthy subjects, you don't need a castle. People are the castle. So be compassionate to them and don't hate them."

"So you are saying that instead of focusing on reinforcing the castle, we should surround ourselves in loyal subjects. Raise soldiers who will protect the core with everything they have."

"Exactly."

"That is wonderful. There must have been many competent generals like you in that country."

"Yes, I would say so."

"And did that general succeed in conquering the country?"

"No, he was unable to. But he became a great lord."

"I see. That is too bad."

She seemed disappointed, so I didn't tell her what happened after that.

He had been intelligent, but he made too many enemies later on as well.

He ambushed his relatives, expanded his lands and killed his own son. Then he betrayed allies and used all manner of trickery to climb to the top. But once his son took over, it all came apart in a single generation.

Some say that it was the recklessness of the father that came back to haunt the son. Others say that the son tried to copy his father's methods without actually having the skill for it.

In any case, the 'castle of people' that his father had built came crashing down.

Eve would just worry if I told her all of this.

She had enough work already, dealing with business and managing many other small things. And there was no reason to put a larger burden on her. And so I kept quiet and asked for some tea.

I began to think as I drank it.

A new part of this castle would be summoned through this Klein bottle now. But what kind of person would it be?

Would they be competent or incompetent?

Would they like tea or prefer sake?

There were questions to be answered, and it was best to get this summoning business over with as soon as possible.

I thought this as I drained the last of the tea down my throat. Then I tossed the 'shuriken' into the bottle.

Chapter end