Chapter 20

With the decision to participate in the 【Night Gathering】, I hastily made various preparations, and before I knew it, the day had arrived.

Being called to the 【Night Gathering】 is troublesome, but there are many benefits.

In particular, the highlight is the ability to conduct experiments that can only be done at the 【Night Gathering】.

Lifting my head from the documents, I saw Ciel, dressed as a female teacher, tapping the blackboard and passionately lecturing.

"That's not it. I'll tell you again. Humans are foolish and short-sighted creatures. Yet, they think they are smart. Therefore, presenting the truth doesn't work. It's important to show them only what they want to see and to make them feel that you understand them! After all, no matter how well you talk to them, they only hear what they want to hear, so the facts don't matter."

A green-haired girl with glasses nodded in agreement.

"Humans are like monkeys, aren't they?"

"Yes, monkeys. Running a city is like managing monkeys."

"It's educational!"

This green-haired girl is a monster I bought to manage the city after I leave. A plant-type monster, a B-rank Dryad, named Fleur Dryad. I was able to purchase her with DP because I had previously created an S-rank Dryad.

She currently appears as a human, but her true form has a plant root for a lower body. She is a monster with high mimicry abilities.

I chose her for multiple reasons to manage the city. Her ability to mimic humans and manipulate emotions. Dryads can generate and release pheromones and perfumes to control the emotions of others. This is a powerful weapon for a city manager.

However, even with these abilities, managing a city is impossible without a certain level of knowledge. That's why Ciel is educating her.

"Ciel, how is the education going?"

"It's tough. Trying to cram the knowledge of a lord and city management into her in a few days is impossible. Dryads aren't a particularly intelligent race."

"That's true."

As a high-level monster, her base abilities, including intelligence, are higher than humans, but not to an extraordinary degree.

...If she can't manage on her own, we'll need to provide support.

"Continue the education. When we return to Avalon, we'll send an expert to help her. She can learn from them."

For administrative tasks, I'll leave it to someone with experience, and Fleur Dryad will represent us in public.

"In that case, it should be manageable. I've trained her to the point where she can run with training wheels."

"Hehe, I'm a bit lacking in confidence."

I smiled at their contrasting responses. The issue is whether monsters can be sent from the other side after I return. I'm still considering this, but there's a good chance it will work out. And...

"It feels nostalgic."

"Ciel is here, too."

A strange floating sensation. The feeling of being called by the Creator. It's no different from the other world.

"Ciel, take my hand."

"Yes, my Demon Lord."

I took Ciel's hand. Then, I summoned a monster from the 【Storage】 and called another one that I had already taken out using special communication.

According to the rules of the 【Night Gathering】, only three monsters can be brought in, and they must be small enough to pass through the gate at the venue. The ones I'm bringing are Ciel and the two I just summoned. Even though they are nearby, they are invisible. I chose them for their stealth. If I'm ambushed at the 【Night Gathering】, it won't be a direct confrontation but a sneak attack.

Therefore, I prioritized stealth over pure combat power. With these monsters, I won't be caught off guard. In exchange, their combat power as S-ranks is low, but Ciel is there for direct combat. The current Ciel can use 【Perfect Mimicry】 and won't fall behind in a power struggle.

"Ciel, as soon as the 【Night Gathering】 is over, I'll officially appoint you as one of the 【Eight Demon Generals】. When we return to Avalon, we'll celebrate together."

"Whoa! Is that really true!?"

"I wouldn't lie about something like this. ...I want to thank you again. Ciel, I'm glad you were the one who was sent with me."

"Hehehe, I'm blushing. As a common monster, I'll do my best for my last job!! Hehehe, I'm graduating from the bottom ranks."

Ciel's face relaxed, and her head turned back into a slime, which was a bit unsettling. But I won't point it out. It's bad to dampen her joy. ...Besides, being appointed as one of the 【Eight Demon Generals】 means the upcoming work will be incredibly tough. I want to let her enjoy this happiness for now.

◇

I was forcibly teleported. I appeared in a garden with Ciel.

Flowers of various colors bloomed wildly. A garden so beautiful it seemed otherworldly. A beauty that would captivate anyone.

However, a discerning eye would notice its abnormality. This flower bed is an impossible combination considering the blooming seasons of each flower. It's impossible for all these flowers to bloom simultaneously. They are forced to bloom in the most beautiful theoretical arrangement, regardless of their natural cycles.

"Horrible."

When I first saw this garden, I was merely captivated. But now, I understand. This is the Creator's way of thinking. To him, the flowers blooming here and we, the Demon Lords, are no different.

"Lord Demon, you have a scary face."

"I'm just thinking. Let's go."

I signaled not only to Ciel but also to the two invisible monsters. They were successfully teleported with us. I tried to draw a monster from the 【Storage】 but failed. As expected, the 【Storage】 doesn't work in the Creator's domain. We walked straight along the path prepared in the garden. And we arrived at...

"Palace Demon."

The Creator's castle. The holy ground for Demon Lords. The venue for the 【Night Gathering】, where many Demon Lords gather. ...It looks exactly the same as the Palace Demon in the other world, which I visited just the other day.

"Indeed, the Creator is the same person... And this place is surely connected to Avalon."

The Creator is the same, even though the worlds are different. Otherwise, it would be impossible for the venue of the 【Night Gathering】 to be the Palace Demon. The fact that I can come to the Palace Demon is significant. There's something I've been wondering about.

'Why could the Demon Lord of 【Migration】 send me to another world?'

I tried to cross worlds to return and realized it requires an enormous amount of magic power. Even an S-rank monster can't do it from one side alone; it requires equivalent S-rank power from both worlds to cross. It's impossible for the Demon Lord of 【Migration】 to have the power to cross the barrier between worlds.

...And I reached a hypothesis. I was sent from the Palace Demon. The Palace Demon and the world I was sent to are close, which is why he could send me with his level of power. The world I was sent to and the Palace Demon are not exactly close; rather, the Palace Demon is at the center of many worlds. This assumption explains many things. If the Creator manages multiple worlds, he would likely place his castle at the center of the worlds he manages. If it weren't in a central location, it would require extra power to summon the Demon Lords. My guess is probably correct. This place is much closer to the world of Avalon than the world I was sent to. Therefore, there's something I can try.

"Ciel, let's do the experiment. Don't hesitate."

"Yes, it's a race against time."

Ciel and the two invisible monsters entered the Palace Demon with me. The experiment is important, but the meeting with the Demon Lord here is also crucial. I hope the Demon Lord here is friendly, but that's unlikely. Well, it will be what it will be.