8
“What do you mean? You did all that?! Why didn’t you call on me for such an important mission?!”
It’s the day after our blitzkrieg against the Demon Lord’s Army.
I’m taking the brunt of Grimm’s ire as, after hearing the news, she’s come to the hideout to complain.
“Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Sniff, sob… Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
……
“I thought we were family, Commander. Why did you exclude me?! I mean, Rose and I are best friends!”
“Well, that’s because we decided the whole thing late at night. Also, I don’t know where you live. Besides, we executed the operation in the early morning. You’re totally not a morning person.”
“I would’ve given you my address if you’d just asked! Also, if it was for Rose, I would’ve done a morning op!”
“Bwaaah! Sob, sob… Waaaaaaaah!”
………
Grimm wasn’t the only one who charged in.
A conspicuously dirty Snow is sprawled on the ground, weeping uncontrollably and making a mess of our brand-new floors with her tears.
“…Commander, can’t you do anything about that?”
“What am I supposed to do, exactly? I tried to tell her, but I couldn’t find her anywhere inside the city. And then when it comes down to it…”
This sinfully greedy woman had been relentlessly assailing the Sky King’s lair since the day it kidnapped me, plotting to steal treasure.
…Yes, the silhouette we saw being chased by the Sky King on our way to the Demon Lord’s Castle was Snow.
Now that she’s heard we put up remarkable results by rampaging against the Demon Lord’s Army in her absence, Snow has been reduced to an inconsolable mess.
Feeling sympathetic, Rose approaches Snow and gently pats her head while wiping her face.
“…I know it wasn’t for long, but she was your commander for a while, right? She’s only in the way here, so can’t you just drag her back to the city?”
“I’d prefer not to. I mean, she doesn’t have a place to stay right now. Am I supposed to just leave her on the roadside? I can’t do that to her. And my place is single occupancy…”
You know, Snow’s more trouble than she’s worth. I’m just gonna wait until she exhausts herself and falls asleep.
I have more important business to take care of anyway.
Summoned by Lilith, I make my way to the hideout’s teleporter room.
“Hey, Six, I’ve been waiting on you.”
Having finished the final adjustments to the teleporter and tested the link to Kisaragi headquarters, Lilith stands in front of the glass pod of the device, a giant backpack on her shoulders.
“Seems you were getting quite an earful. Though, if you’d done the same to me, I probably wouldn’t have let you off that easy. Be sure you make it up to them later.”
“I mean, I’ve got legit reasons this time. One of them is nocturnal and refuses to walk despite being fully capable, and the other wasn’t even in the city at the time.”
As I rattle off the excuses, Lilith smiles faintly in amusement.
“For my part, I still don’t understand those two very well, and they’re more like enemies than friends, but whatever. You have my permission to keep them close to you for now.”
“If I need permission to keep women close to me, why don’t you take a page out of their book and do the same?”
I say it teasingly, eliciting a smirk from Lilith.
“Oh really? In that case, I can stay here for you. But I know the moment I try to do that you’ll… Never mind, I got it wrong again. You’re not that sort of person. I’m really sorry. It’s not like that. I just wanted to tease you every now and then! You know, like in a romance light novel!”
I lumber toward her with my arms outstretched, and Lilith scrambles backward, rambling.
What a coward… One of these days, she’s gonna push me too far.
“What’s with that look? That’s not how you should look at your boss! Alice, Aliiice! Come here!”
Alice, who’s been running a diagnostic on the teleporter, comes over at Lilith’s insistence.
“It’s almost time, and you’re still flirting…? What do you need?”
“…It’s time to start the actual conquest, but Six is soft. I’m worried he might let his ties to the locals affect his judgment, which is why I plan to give you some broad orders for the foreseeable future.”
I mean, Lilith also let her fondness for the locals affect her judgment.
Lilith flips from relaxed to stern, her hand on her hip and her tone serious.
“Attention!”
Alice and I straighten, standing at attention.
“Combat Agent Six, pretty-girl android Alice Kisaragi. You two are to begin espionage and invasion preparations on the surrounding kingdoms, using this hideout as your base. In parallel, you will be responsible for founding a city capable of supporting human life in this area, with this fortress at its center. Bring life back to these wastelands, tame those woods, and create a foundation for settling earthlings on this planet!”
……
“Lady Lilith, can I ask a question?”
“I’m still in the middle of explaining…but whatever, go ahead.”
Lilith’s tone suggests she expects this sort of thing from me.
“I understand the part about espionage and invasion preparations on the surrounding kingdoms. I mean, we’ve already put enough points on the board that I think Alice and I should be allowed to go home, but still.”
Heading home with my Evil Points still in the red would end badly, so I put that aside.
…Besides, I’ve grown kind of fond of this place.
“The part I don’t understand is the city-building. What’s with giving us a mission that sounds like it requires serious brainpower? I don’t like saying it myself, but I’m not very smart. I have no confidence I’d be able to do anything like politics or governing.”
Lilith nods as if already aware of this.
“I know better than anyone that you’re a meathead. I don’t expect you’re capable of any decent city-building.”
You know, despite the fact that I won’t see her for a while, she’s still getting her barbs in.
“The city’s mayor will be Alice Kisaragi. As Alice’s partner, you’ll be responsible for taking care of the dirty work. We’re building a metropolis from scratch in a place like this. There are bound to be problems of one sort or another, like conflicts with the neighboring kingdoms and the savages and monsters from the woods. Once the city’s founded and the population grows, there’ll be crime to worry about. Obviously, criminal organizations other than our own will try to muscle in. Your job is to resolve those problems using force.”
…Oh, so the usual, then.
“Six, do you play any simulation games? You know, like RTS or nation-building games? The sort where you gather resources, build a base, then slowly expand your territory by defeating things like monsters around you?”
“To be honest, I only really play porn games.”
“O-oh, I see. Well then, never mind. At any rate…make sure we put down roots in this clean, green world that, as of yet, remains unspoiled by radiation or chemicals! Fortunately, there’s a lot of undeveloped land. Start working these unclaimed territories, and for places that are already settled, conquer them after thoroughly investigating them!”
Alice and I snap off the Combat Agent salute in acknowledgment of our orders.
Seeing our reaction, Lilith smiles happily.
“I’m counting on you two. So I’m going to go home…but don’t put all your focus on this planet. Think of the three of us back on Earth from time to time.”
As she enters the pod, Lilith glances away shyly.
“Well, see ya later, Lady Lilith. I thought you were pretty useless when you first got here, but you rallied at the end. Make sure you live in a manner worthy of being my creator.”
“Hey, who’s the parent here? But sure, I’ll aim to be a parent you can be proud of.”
I suddenly remember something when I see Lady Lilith’s blushing face.
“Lady Lilith. There was something I needed to tell you as well. You interrupted me on the roof before I could.”
Yes, it had been when Lilith was half crying, telling me not to forget them.
I’d been preparing to say the following:
“Not a day goes by that I’ve forgotten you three. Because…”
With the backpack on her back, Lilith fidgets more than usual, her cheeks flushed bright red.
“…I think about all of you every night! I wanted to make sure you knew that! As for why I think about the three of you at night, well, even porn costs Evil Points, so…”
“Wow! That’s really awful! You’re really awful! Don’t you dare come back to Earth! I’m going to tell Astaroth and Belial about this! You better remember this! You damned pervert of a subordinate!”
Seems our beloved boss was hoping for something different…
With that last line, she smiles faintly to herself as she disappears into the teleporter—
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