The reincarnated mid-boss welcomes the protagonist with a level of 999 ~ It seems the hero is mistaken about having a max level of 99 ~

Episode 68: In Excellent Form! But, Subordinates Are Overdoing It

While I was training, the Zaus Army’s invasion was going smoothly.

Invasion after invasion.

“Lord Zaus. The invasion of Higashi Village was successful, Hapi.”

Hmm.

“Lord Zaus. The invasion of Nishi Village was successful, Gob.”

Good.

“Lord Zaus. The invasion of the Kitan Kingdom was successful, Deriza.”

A rapid advance indeed.

And this was largely due to the influence of the Lion Tribe members who joined the Foreign Affairs Team.

“With me here, it’s like having the strength of a hundred people, Gao.”

Led by Boss Lion Gaonga, the Lion Tribe fully cooperated with the Foreign Affairs Team led by Stasa.

This greatly boosted Stasa’s diplomacy. At times when things were going well, they even managed to invade two villages in just one day.

Of course, complete surrender from the opponents goes without saying.

I heard this from Stasa. Apparently, when they go to the villages targeted for invasion, the Lion Tribe members furrow their brows, show their sharp teeth, and let out a “Roar!” Just that alone is enough to declare surrender. It’s become quite a joke. Naturally, there are always zero casualties.

But to begin with, the Demon Lord’s territory is inefficient.

The environment is harsh, and the residents are clearly struggling. So, with the improvements brought by the Zaus Army, it’s natural for invasions to progress. Considering the benefits of being under control, it’s obvious that they prioritize me. It’s like a mobile contract. The carrier with more benefits is obviously the better deal. In the end, it’s the same story.

Thanks to this, the territory is bustling. Trade with various countries conducted by Zaus Town has accelerated, and the amount of tribute collected for the Demon Duke’s territory has increased a thousandfold.

We’re still short on manpower, but profits are only increasing. The food stores are on the verge of bursting, and tax revenues are amazing. You know those dubious ads you see in magazines, with pictures saying, “After buying this, I became popular with girls and became rich”? It’s a bit like that. It’s uncomfortably prosperous. We’re not selling dubious products, but we’re making abnormal profits. At this rate, I could probably fill a bathtub with gold coins.

Conversely, the invasion of human territories is horribly behind schedule.

This is being handled by the priestess Mishiri, but it doesn’t seem to be progressing smoothly.

The conquest of her hometown, Hajime Village, is complete, but the invasion of the royal capital, Rontomelda, is delayed. It must be unbearable for them to have their territories, which they’ve protected until now, taken over by demons.

Of course, being under my rule would lead to more than ten times the development and better living conditions. But apparently, the negative impression of being under demon rule isn’t being understood.

I could resort to showing military force, but that would only show a stance of thorough resistance. It seems that the people of the Demon Lord’s territory, who were originally under the control of the Demon Lord’s army, have a fundamentally different mindset.

And as I pondered these things, I ran into Stasa wandering the hallway.

“Oh… Lord Zaus. Hehe…”

Hey hey.

You’ve got dark circles under your eyes, you know?

“Are you… getting enough sleep?”

“Huh? Oh… hahaha… Y-Yes, I’m sleeping~”

“How much did you sleep yesterday?”

“Huh…? Um… hehe… I-I’m sleeping, so it’s okay~”

No, you definitely didn’t sleep.

“We’ll be taking over Acchino Village in the afternoon, so… Well then, excuse me~”

And off they go, stumbling.

“Hey, wait a minute… You should really rest properly.”

“I’m fine. I’m fine, rephu~”

No, no, no.

You’re definitely not fine.

How are the members of the Foreign Affairs Team doing?

I was a bit concerned, so I went to see how the monsters of the Foreign Affairs Team were doing.

And there, I found Lizardmaru, Hapi, and Gaonga, the three of them training with ferocious expressions.

Hey hey.

Aren’t you supposed to be conquering villages in the afternoon?

Are you guys planning to train until the last minute??

Upon closer inspection, all three of them had dark circles under their eyes.

Even these guys!

“Hey! Come here for a moment!”

The three hurried over to me.

“What’s wrong, Liza?”

“Are you guys sleeping?”

“Ah… um, Liza.”

“W-We, uh, take about 10 minutes of rest every 3 hours, Hapi!”

“That’s right, sir! We eat three hearty meals, Gao!”

“We also have snacks, Hapi!”

“I’m starting to appreciate the taste of subuta’s pineapple, Liza.”

That’s not it!

“Answer my question! I’m asking about your sleep time.”

“H-Hapi.”

“Haha… Haha… Liza.”

“Hehehe… Gao.”

Don’t laugh and try to dodge the question.

“What do you do on your days off? You have one day off a week, right? You do make sure to rest properly, don’t you?”

“I… I’ll, um, go back to training, Hapi.”

“E-Excuse me, Liza… Haha…”

“Then, Lord Zaus. We have training, so we’ll take our leave, Gao.”

“No, listen here. Aren’t you supposed to be taking over Acchino Village in the afternoon?”

“E-Every second counts, Hapi!”

“Master! We will become stronger and stronger, Gao!”

“We will definitely achieve results today!! Please look forward to it, Liza!! I will protect Stasa!! I won’t let her get hurt!!”

No, no, no…

These guys… they’re pushing themselves too hard.

Their bodies are screaming. They clearly look exhausted.

But deep in their eyes, there’s a burning flame of determination.

I’ve experienced this state many times.

When a newly bought game is so exciting that you play it non-stop on your day off, not sleeping at all. It’s the ultimate high.

This can be considered a symptom common among gamers. In severe cases, some even skip going to the bathroom and relieve themselves in a bottle just to save time.

The Foreign Affairs Team is similar to that.

The work is too exciting to spare time for sleep.

Hmm… I never expected it to come to this.

We need to take action.

Adding more personnel is the top priority.

Someone who can manage the Foreign Affairs Team. And also, someone who can assist with their tasks.

Thoughtful and kind… in that case, the top candidate would be Meel, the caretaker.

She also doubles as my secretary. If she were gone, my schedule would be in chaos.

So, apart from her, among the other personnel…

“Huh? M-Me? Help Stasa?”

“That’s right. Mishiri. There’s no one else but you for this role.”

Priestess Mishiri.

She’s a 15-year-old girl.

She would get along well with the 16-year-old Stasa.

She’s someone who even managed to take care of that extremely selfish and self-centered guy, the Hero Cea.

Calm and yet kind.

Undoubtedly, she’s the right person for the job.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Ugh…”

Wait, why!?