Dungeon Defense (WN)

I immediately got dressed.

The beastman prostitute I had invited yesterday was on my bed, but she let out a scream once she recognized who Barbatos was. She covered her naked body with a blanket━I’m not sure if you can call her covered when there was more of her left out in the open━and urgently kneeled on the ground.

However, both Barbatos and I didn’t have the leisure to pay her any mind. I tossed a nearby pouch of money to the prostitute before leaving out the door. I was still a mess as I hadn’t even put my clothes on properly.

“What about a declaration of war? Was there a declaration of war?”

“There was. If you can call them giving a warning 5 minutes beforehand a declaration of war.”

I gnashed my teeth.

Rank 2 Demon Lord Agares had launched a surprise invasion while a majority of the Plains Faction was currently here in the demon world! The words trickery and trap naturally popped up in my head.

“I felt like Gamigin was acting way too casually. This was what she was aiming for!”

“I dispatched Beleth and Zepar for now, but I don’t know what the current situation is.”

Barbatos spoke. She was deliberately holding back her anger.

It was weird now that I thought about it. Why did Gamigin participate as the lead negotiator alone? I figured it was because Gamigin was skilled in negotiating. This was a miscalculation……. Agares and Gamigin had teamed up and skillfully created a common front.

“Dantalian, listen carefully. I’m going to head to Habsburg immediately. As long as Agares is taking part in this personally, it would be impossible for them to hold on without me.”

“So all authority will be left with me…….”contemporary romance

“I talked to Baal and prepared a place for you.”

Barbatos continued.

“I wish you luck. Don’t get done in by someone like Gamigin.”

“All right. Barbatos, I wish you luck as well.”

I bowed and we shared a short kiss.

Barbatos cast a spell and immediately disappeared. I headed to Niflheim Palace alone.

There were already about fifteen or so Demon Lords gathered at the palace. They had quickly heard the news from somewhere and rushed here to see the spectacle that was going to unfold up close.

There were no Plains Faction members among them. All of them excluding me had probably returned to Habsburg with haste.

“Oh dear, Dantalian. You’re a bit late~?”

Gamigin was staring at me casually from the negotiation seat. Just like yesterday, her expression didn’t change as if she didn’t know what had happened. A wave of rage surged up for a moment. How brazen-faced……!

The good thing about me was the fact that my head became colder the angrier I got. I first gave a bow to Baal who was seated in the seat of honor. Baal was the one who arranged a place to hold this negotiation. Since Agares and Gamigin had one-sidedly broken the negotiation, Baal should now take the Plains Faction’s side.

“I ended up hearing quite the news in the middle of the night, so I failed to get a good night’s sleep. Miss Gamigin, I am curious to find out what has happened.”

I sat down at the negotiation seat and spoke.

“You are trying to invade the other party’s land when a formal negotiation is taking place? Maybe I am still green behind the ears since I am only Rank 71, but is this the courtesy of all high-ranking Demon Lords?”

“Oh dear. You seem quite upset. There is one thing, however, that you’re wrong about.”

All right, Gamigin. Let’s hear what you have to say for yourself. This entire situation can only be placed on Gamigin’s shoulders. Even if someone other than Gamigin were to come, they wouldn’t be able to make an excuse.

“Something I am wrong about? Could the high-ranking Demon Lord bestow upon this low-ranking Demon Lord the honor of knowing what I have said wrong.”

Gamigin smiled.

“Yup. It’s not ‘all’ high-ranking Demon Lords. You should’ve used the singular form, not the plural.”

“……?”

“Your information network must be slow. Agares didn’t attack only the Plains Faction.”

I became speechless once I heard the following words.

“The land I was occupying got attacked too, Dantalian.”

* * *

I had taken a blow. That was the only way I could describe this.

Agares didn’t set Gamigin forward as their joint representative. She pretended to give all of her authority over while she actually went behind Barbatos and Gamigin’s backs to hunt two rabbits at once. The Rank 2 Demon Lord’s army should easily be able to capture the ownerless territories.

“Honestly, I’m rather angry as well~. Or maybe it’s rather refreshing getting backstabbed so splendidly.”

“So Miss Gamigin is also a victim here?”

Gamigin nodded.

“Well, if I had to say it, then yeah.”

“…….”

Does that mean Agares had planned everything on her own?

I furrowed my brows as I fell into deep thought. This was weird. Was it fine for a Demon Lord to act this recklessly even if she was Rank 2? Baal was here. The Rank 1 Great Demon Lord was giving us a place to carry out these negotiations.

Furthermore, not only did Agares attack the Plains Faction, but she had betrayed Gamigin whom she had appointed as her negotiator. In other words, she had turned everyone into her enemy. No matter how powerful Agares is, she can’t stop a storm with only her ten fingers……. Where was she getting this confidence from?

“I do not understand. If Miss Gamigin is on our side, then there is nothing for Miss Agares to gain…….”

“Hm? What are you talking about?”

Gamigin then tilted her head.

“I’m going to keep negotiating with you, Dantalian.”

What was she talking about?

Her land was invaded and she was betrayed by her ally. Anyone would think that we should cooperate right now. And yet, she wants to keep negotiating? I had a bad feeling crawling up my spine so I spoke carefully.

“Miss Gamigin, pardon me but I figured that it was not the time to continue with our negotiations. Should you not return to Habsburg and punish the traitor?”

“That’s why I’m saying I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

For a moment, it almost felt like her red pupils were sparkling between her narrowed eyes.

“Why do you think I’ve been betrayed by Agares?”

“……Pardon?”

“I mean, Dantalian. Agares did attack my territory. An absolutely disgusting move! But this is basically a group attacking another group they’re hostile to, you know? There’s no reason to exaggerate and say that it was a betrayal.”

I was struggling to understand her words.

“I apologize, but, Miss Gamigin, were you not here as Miss Agares’ envoy……?”

“Aah. I thought that as well, but it seems like that wasn’t the case.”

Gamigin smiled brightly as she flicked her own forehead lightly.

“Now that I think about it, Agares had never said that she was leaving her diplomatic rights in my hands!”

“…….”

Aah, I see. Now I understood.

━So this was how she was going to play it?

“When I was going to come to Niflheim, Agares suddenly told me to go alone. So I thought, oh, she’s leaving the negotiations to me. You’d normally think that, wouldn’t you? Ahahah.”

Gamigin continued on by herself. My mind gradually became colder.

“I made a mistake. I should’ve received an ‘official’ confirmation from Agares. I ended up overlooking it on my own, so I don’t have any sort of documents. Mm, I was an idiot. I’m embarrassed. It’s completely my mistake. I’ll take responsibility and compensate you later.”

“……So you.”

My lips trembled as I barely managed to speak.

“You did not hear even one word of confirmation about being her negotiator?”

“Yup. I didn’t hear anything.”

Gamigin laughed.

“I wasn’t told anything at all.”

“Do not mess around!”

I slammed my fist on the table as I stood up.

This was the worst and dirtiest ploy. Agares and Gamigin were colluding. Agares never verbally said that she acknowledged Gamigin as her negotiator. Despite this, Gamigin misunderstood on her own and acted like she was.

This was a mistake. However, the one to start the war was Agares by herself, so the responsibility for the war is on her. Adding to this, Agares even invaded Gamigin’s land.

In terms of war, Gamigin was also just a victim!

What about Agares? She started a war, so she should naturally be criticized for this. However, Agares never participated in the negotiations. Everyone, Gamigin included, had basically ‘misunderstood’ and thought that she was participating through Gamigin.

Therefore, Agares may have been responsible for the war, but she wasn’t responsible for breaking down the negotiations. And, damn it! Power struggles were a daily occurrence in Habsburg right now! There were many times Barbatos started regional wars first and there were many times where Agares attacked first.

We couldn’t really blame Agares for just starting a war.

In other words……these negotiations themselves were a huge deception tactic!

“Even a child would understand that you are trying to evaporate all forms of responsibility!”

“Hmm.”

“You have ridiculed His Highness Baal’s authority and crushed the Plains Faction’s will. We will not overlook this incident.”

Gamigin made us lower our guards which led to a surprise attack, but since she was also attacked, she was innocent. Gamigin simply had the responsibility of making a foolish mistake.

Agares had caused the negotiations to break down and started a war, but she had never agreed to the negotiations to begin with, so she was innocent. Agares only had the responsibility for starting a normal battle.

The two high-ranking Demon Lords had colluded so that they could screw the Plains Faction over without incurring any losses themselves! These sons of bitches!

“Weeell, Dantalian. I understand why you’re so up in arms, but~.”

Gamigin continued leisurely.

“Nothing good would come to the Plains Faction for getting angry at me, you know?”

“Who else would I get upset at in this situation if not you, Gamigin!?”

“I told you already. I’m going to keep negotiating.”

Gamigin knit her fingers together.

“Now then, Dantalian. Agares has currently captured all of the areas within the Habsburg Empire excluding your land. This is from ‘my information network’, so you can trust it. I’ll also inform you that the imperial capital Vindobona was also captured.”

Her face was definitely covered by a thousand layers of stoicism. By her ‘information network’, this probably meant that she was receiving information from Agares directly. Moreover, it obviously wasn’t good news that the central northern area of Habsburg was captured other than my territory…….

“Yup, this is a crisis of a lifetime for the Plains Faction. In that case, Dantalian, wouldn’t the Demon Lord before you be an existence that can save you from this crisis?”

“……Gamigin, you.”

“I have more than enough reason to help the Plains Faction. I was also screwed over by Agares, so my desire to get revenge is also blazing. So…….”

Gamigin smiled widely.

“Weeell, I’ll consider sending reinforcements if you hand over about 50% of the land in the central northern area of Habsburg.”

I clenched my jaw. This was Gamigin’s true intent.

By teaming up with Agares and threatening us, she was forcing the Plains Faction to agree to this unfair distribution of land. What would this do? In the end, it would make it so that even Gamigin’s mistake would be overlooked.

Gamigin smiled with her eyes as she looked at me.

“Shall we begin the negotiations, Dantalian?”

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. This is quite a difficult situation for Dant and it’s also the end of this segment. I guess we’ll be seeing Agares in action in the next segment. On another note, I’m still grinding away in FFXIV. The new expansion is pretty great and I’ve been enjoying it so far. Pray that it doesn’t distract me too much, heh.

I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.

done.co