NOVEL NEXT Chapter 65 - Episode 65: Is Lord Zaus a Savior? No, he's the ruler of evil.
Episode 65: Is Lord Zaus a Savior? No, he’s the ruler of evil.
~~Lord Zaus’s Perspective~~
I arrived at the Lion Tribe village.
The purpose is to develop the newly acquired territory.
And that’s because of yesterday’s conversation──.
“‘Well then, Gaonga, shall we get some information about the Demon Army?’
‘Ugh… W-well, Master. If I were to leak information, the village would be in danger, Gao… Um… It’s, you know…’
“Hmm. You mean prioritize the safety of the Lion Village?’
‘Yeah. We don’t know when the Demon Army will attack, Gao. If I were exposed for turning traitor, the villagers would be in the most danger, Gao. Everyone here is lower level than me, Gao. If the Demon Army attacks, they’ll retaliate in no time, Gao.’
He said he received a Level Limit Break from Idream Dal.
I need to get more details about this…
But being worried like this damages the ruler’s reputation.
‘Alright. Understood. Let’s form a master-servant contract with the villagers of the Lion Village. I’ll dispatch the Zaus Heavy Knight Brigade for village defense.’
‘The Heavy Knight Brigade, Gao?’
‘Yeah. It’s a unit of defensive-specialized orcs. Their level is around 200, but their defense is high. They’ll be deployed around the Lion Village and the surrounding areas. Initially, about 2,000 should suffice.’
“T-Two thousand!?”
“Is that a problem?”
“N-No, it’s not like that.”
“Then what is it?”
“W-Well, even the villagers of the Lion Village are only a thousand, Gao. So, having over two thousand is more than double. I thought we could have conquered with just that many troops, Gao.”
“Ah, you mean when we sent Stasa and the three monsters?”
“Y-Yes. That’s right, Gao. We didn’t need to take such a risky approach with just three monsters, Gao.”
“It’s futile.”
“Huh?”
“Mobilizing troops isn’t easy. The orcs eat a lot. It’s only natural to provide rations when they’re working. If we were to conquer by force, it would require even more effort. The cost of food would more than double.”
“W-Well… that’s true but…”
“And what if there are casualties?”
“Huh? B-But, this is a war between the Demon Army and the Zaus Army, right? That’s only natural, Gao.”
“Well, it might be. But my goal isn’t annihilation. It’s plundering the Demon Territory. Domination is the objective.”
“…Y-You’re a terrifying individual, Gao.”
“If there are casualties in Yorno Village and the Lion Village, when they become part of my army, my pawns will decrease, won’t they?”
“W-Well, that’s true but… It’s rare to have a ruler who thinks about such things, Gao.”
“I’m just prioritizing efficiency. It’s not like I want casualties. But I won’t tolerate a decrease in my pawns. Especially when there’s already a shortage of manpower.”
“Isn’t the Zaus Army well-equipped, Gao?”
Geez.
Don’t they know about strategy simulation games?
There are various constraints on actions.
Like Nobunaga’s Ambition or Sangokushi. In those classic games, there are things that consume when moving subordinates.
(Note:”Sangokushi” (三国志) translates to “Records of the Three Kingdoms” in English.)
Honestly, amateurs…
“Think about it carefully. Didn’t I just say I’d put two thousand Heavy Knights on guard duty?”
“Oh.”
“In our territory, my subordinate monsters are guaranteed three meals a day.”
“Eh!? Th-Three meals!?”
“They’re working. It’s their natural right to receive rations. The castle’s kitchen prepares their meals, you know?”
“T-That’s tough, Gao… The Zaus Army isn’t just orcs, after all.”
“The castle operates 24 hours a day. It works tirelessly without rest. Just preparing meals for a hundred subordinates at all times is busy enough. Can you imagine how busy it is? They even form teams to plan the menu.”
“M-Menu?”
“If we’re going to do it, might as well have delicious meals, right? Of course, the team that plans the menu also considers nutrition.”
“I-I see…”
“Anyway, there’s a shortage of manpower. Even other subordinate monsters are given three meals. They work hard, so they eat well. It’s efficient to have them work and level up while feeding them well.”
“I’ve never heard of a territory where you can eat your fill, Gao…”
“I’m just expanding my army while simultaneously nurturing it. I don’t really care about my subordinate monsters. They work to strengthen my army. That’s all there is to it. I’m only thinking about myself. After all, I’m the ruler of evil, the Demon Duke. Kukuku.”
“……….”
“Anyway. I want you to talk about the Demon Army’s information without worries. So, ensuring the village’s safety is a top priority.”
Sure, here’s the translation with extra line spaces between each sentence:
── And so, I came to the Lion Village.
It was a village surrounded by rocky terrain utilizing a gorge.
The population is about a thousand. Led by Boss Lion Gaonga, combat-type lion people reside here.
“It’s quite a fragile rocky terrain. I’ve been hit by small stones since earlier.”
“Hmm. There are cliff collapses every year. Several individuals become sacrifices, Gao.”
“Aren’t you reinforcing the gorge?”
“Hehehe… I’m not good at that kind of thing, you know.”
I see.
Lion people are fluffy.
I don’t have the image of them being adept at renovation work.
Alright. The construction-related tasks are for the Earthsoldiers.
“Dosuke, how long will it take to repair the gorge?”
“Let’s see… If it’s this size, it can be done in about a week, Earth.”
“Good. Get it done quickly. So that there are no more cliff collapses.”
“Oh. Leave it to me, Earth. I’ll make the village accident-free while maintaining its beautiful landscape.”
“W-What!? Are you going to repair it, Gao!?”
“Yeah. Any complaints?”
“B-But… Aren’t we slaves??”
“Then I’m the ruler. It’s only natural for me to take care of my subordinates.”
“B-But… You said there’s a shortage of manpower in the battle against the Demon Army, Gao.”
“Yeah. It’s totally insufficient.”
“…T-Then, what’s the benefit of improving my village, Gao?? Is it out of goodwill??”
“Huh? Don’t get it twisted. I couldn’t care less about the lion people. Whether you live or die doesn’t concern me. But if there are casualties due to cliff collapses, that will lead to a decrease in my pawns. In the long run, it’s an investment to not reduce my army. It’s not like I’m doing it for the sake of the lion people.”
“……….”
Now, there seem to be various other areas for improvement.
“The children seem quite thin. How about meals?”
“Um. Lately, it’s about once a week, Gao.”
“That’s too little. They won’t get stronger like that. Have provisions delivered from Zaus Town. From now on, they’ll have three meals a day.”
“U-Understood, Gao! If they get better, they can work easier! I’ll make them work tirelessly!”
“Idiot! If you do that, they’ll break down. The optimal working hours are about 8 hours a day. Give them a day off every week and let them rest more.”
“Eeeeeeh!? I-It’s like heaven with such great treatment, Gao!? W-Why, Gao! Even though there’s a shortage of manpower, Gao!?”
That’s how it is.
In the long run, that’s more exploitable. Don’t underestimate the ruler of evil.
“Listen. I won’t entertain objections. My orders are absolute.”
“…Ah, no. I-I mean, Gao.”
“There are many bedridden villagers…”
“Um. They often get fevers, Gao.”
“Alright. Let’s have Great Sage Caphrodyte diagnose their conditions. Then, we’ll order medicine from Zaus Town.”
“Uh… Do we really need to do that, Gao?”
Sheesh.
Time is precious. There are still many improvements to be made in this village.
“Geez. Hey hey. What’s with this sewer, aahhh!?”
The drainage is too poor!
It smells terrible. With this, diseases are likely to spread. Could this be the cause of the fever?
“Dosukeeeeee!”
“Yeesssss?”
“Take a look at this sewer.”
“Oh my. This is terrible, Earth.”
“How long will it take to improve it?”
“If there’s about 3 days, it can be done. But, which one do you prioritize? There’s also the reinforcement work on the gorge, Earth.”
Ugh.
“Meel! Stasa!”
The two of them ran up to me.
“Handle the delivery of supplies and reinforcement work on the gorge. Work out a plan with shifts.”
There are too many things to improve in this village.
It’s a big job.
“Haeeee… Is the master really a traitorous demon, Gao?”
“Hehehe. At first, everyone’s surprised. Lord Zaus is unfathomably kind, Earth.”
“Do you also think so, Gao?”
“Hehehe. Lord Zaus says ‘I don’t care’ with his mouth. But he always thinks about us…”
Geez!
“Stop blabbering and work!”
“Yes! We’re sorry, Earth!!”
Ugh.
We need more manpower…