Dungeon Defense (WN)

At first, the archdukes were glad that they were able to meet Dantalian and Gamigin together.

The two Demon Lords were important figures, after all. There were no better cast members to show up in this banquet where building friendships was the goal.

However, they were now screaming inside their heads, begging to be pulled out of this situation.

‘Why did you mention Barbatos there!?’

‘It’s obvious to even a child that you should’ve praised Her Highness Gamigin at that moment!’

‘Do you plan to screw us over……?’

The archdukes mentally rebuked Dantalian as they desperately tried to maintain their peaceful demeanors. It was like a quiet graveyard built next to a beach…….

They did whatever they could to manage their emotions.

Demon Lords are able to read emotions. Therefore, they had to control their emotions as much as possible even if they were only complaining in their heads. The archdukes were very accustomed to this.

“Haaaa~.”

Gamigin was making all sorts of faces in her mind, but her tone was light and cheerful. It couldn’t be helped. Who else could possibly lighten the mood in a situation like this?

“Dantalian, you’re so mean sometimes. Do you have to praise another woman when I’m right here in front of you? I’m going to get mad if you keep acting like this.”

She had to step forward herself.

Her position was forcing this upon her. She was insulted greatly as a woman, but she had to be the one to arbitrate. This soured Gamigin’s mood to no end, but she couldn’t do anything about it.

Dantalian received her words playfully.

“My apologies. I would become quite lonely if Miss Gamigin were to hate me. Please forgive me.”

“Sure, sure. Watch yourself.”

She acted as if she weren’t angry at all, as if her mood hadn’t been soured at all.

Gamigin controlled everything with great detail from the intonation of her voice and the way her gaze wandered. It came so naturally to her that it was probably more appropriate to say it was instinctual than say that she was consciously controlling everything. Her acting skill was exceptional enough to easily deceive the archdukes.

“Haha. Your Highness Dantalian has quite the particular taste.”

“That’s right. I have no intention of denying Your Highness’ preference, but doesn’t Her Highness Barbatos have a rather young appearance?”

The archdukes quickly followed the flow once Gamigin paved the way for them. They were simply grateful that the situation didn’t escalate into anything bad. The banquet itself might have erupted if they made the wrong move.

“Gentlemen, please do not blame me too much.”

Dantalian smiled awkwardly.

“I do not like Miss Barbatos because I like young girls. It just happens that the person I came to like looks like a young girl.”

“I am occasionally afraid because Your Highness’ words sometimes sound like the truth. Your Highness, we humble ones are unenlightened, so please be merciful. We might actually take it the wrong way!”

“Stop acting coy.”

Dantalian and the archdukes laughed.

The banquet proceeded smoothly after this. The pretext of this banquet was food talk. Chefs that could be called the representatives of the demon world came out and prepared all sorts of delicacies one by one like the banquet was some sort of competition.

The good thing about food talk was the fact that there was always something to talk about. A new course of food would come out whenever a conversation was about to end.

“Ooh. This has quite the particular taste…….”

“Your Highness Gamigin, this finishing dish is rather splendid.”

“Chef, what did you have in mind while cooking this?”

Like this, the conversation would liven up again.

The people serving our food consisted of only the most beautiful men and women━a portion of the archdukes assured that they would ‘make sure to hire girls with young faces the next time His Highness Dantalian visits’.

Talking was like alcohol. People’s minds would start to gradually become blank if they talked non-stop. If you add alcohol on top of this, then people would genuinely become lightheaded as they laugh and chat with others.

Words would come out more easily the more lightheaded you are and people come to a misunderstanding where they think they become closer by being able to say things with ease. It was for this sake that the archdukes prepared expensive alcohol for Demon Lords.

“Oh? As I thought, I prefer white wine.”

“Is that so? Well, it did feel like there was another taste hidden underneath.”

“Your Highness Gamigin has quite the sharp sense of taste. This wine was sold for a limited period of time throughout the summer by the Earl of Naraka…….”

Smiles easily came to people’s faces.

Everyone was drunk on talking and alcohol. Everything blended together like a blob. Demon Lords aren’t capable of getting drunk, but both Gamigin and Dantalian had gotten drunk off the atmosphere as they were all smiles.

“Good. Very good.”

Gamigin shook her empty glass of wine playfully.

“Another glass of wine here.”

Gamigin’s line was the perfect summary of today’s banquet.

“Your Highness Gamigin, I have been curious for a long time now. Would it be all right if I asked a question?”

“Sure. Ask away. It wouldn’t make sense if you didn’t have any questions when the wine is this good~.”

“Do you perhaps have a special relationship with His Highness Dantalian?”

Gamigin let out an audible hum as she smiled lightly.

“I wonder? Dantalian? He’s asking if we have a special relationship.”

“Of course. We’ve always had a special relationship.”

Dantalian drank the rest of his red wine in one gulp.

The archdukes started to make a fuss.

“There have actually been a lot of rumors since a few years ago about the deep relationship between Your Highnesses! It seems the rumors were true. Nonetheless, Your Highness Dantalian, as everyone knows……are you not also in a relationship with Her Highness Barbatos?”

“Aah. You are correct.”

Several of the archdukes who were gathered here had been threatened by Dantalian before. The fact that they saw Barbatos cry out like a slave as she clung to Dantalian naked was a secret they had to take to their graves.

“I also heard that Her Highness Paimon and Her Highness Sitri are included in your circle…….”

“I swear to Artemis that that is the truth.”

“Dear Lord! Then that means Your Highness is dating every Demon Lord renowned for their beauty within the Demon Lord army!”

‘Is Your Highness not going too far?’, the archdukes complained together.

“You all are the ones going too far.”

Dantalian chuckled.

“What did I do for you all to condemn me so?”

“If Your Highness monopolizing all of the beauties is not a crime, then I do not know what is. Please tell us your secret. How did you acquire the hearts of such beauties?”

“What’s important is your heart. You all know this as well, but everyone has an ailment inside of them somewhere. You simply have to gently embrace that part of them. There is nothing more or nothing less to it.”

The archdukes whistled.

“How wonderful. What does Your Highness Gamigin think about what Sir Dantalian had said?”

“Mm~.”

Gamigin smiled widely.

“I’d be grateful if someone smacked him on the back of the head randomly while walking down a road.”

“Kuhahaha!”

“It seems the female Demon Lords think otherwise, Your Highness Dantalian!”

Dantalian shrugged his shoulders without a word.

People became more of a mess as the night went on. There was even an archduke who started to harass one of the waitresses. No one reprimanded him, however, since this was a gathering that was expected to end up like this.

“I am going to step out for some air. It seems I have gotten too drunk tonight.”

“Ah, me too~. My head is screaming at me to let it taste some fresh air.”

Like that, none of the archdukes said anything in particular as Dantalian and Gamigin stepped away. They simply told them to have a pleasant trip. The archdukes who didn’t have that much alcohol in their systems yet had smirks on their faces as they watched the two leave.

There was a room prepared at a corner of the banquet hall for ‘private time’.

There was one table, a chair, and a sofa. There was a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice prepared on the round table. Behind a large window was a veranda made of marble. This was quite literally a place for lovers.

“I really came here to get some air, though.”

Dantalian commented as he closed the door.

His expression and tone were calm as if he had never been drunk in the first place.

“The archdukes should be satisfied since we went along with them up to this point. Should we gradually make our way to your villa, Miss Gamigin?”

“Hmm~.”

Gamigin ignored Dantalian as she walked past.

She took the bottle of wine out of the ice bucket and poured herself a glass. The wine overflowed out of the cup due to her poor strength control. Gamigin’s right hand was soaked in wine, but she didn’t pay it any mind as she drank the alcohol.

“……Miss Gamigin, I am asking this just in case, but are you drunk?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking abooout.”

“Dear me.”

Dantalian furrowed his brows.

“There is no way that a Demon Lord like Miss Gamigin could get this drunk. You intentionally turned off your regenerating powers, huh?”

“Mhm. Hehe.”

“Are you insane? They are still the rulers of hell. They will rip you apart like a pack of wolves if you lower your guard. I do not understand you.”

Gamigin poured herself another glass and gulped it down. Alcohol flowed down the side of her mouth. The scarlet liquid flowed down her jawline and dropped down on her milky white collarbone.

“What is a Demon Lord like me supposed to be?”

“Pardon me?”

“I’m lesser than Barbatos anyway. Isn’t that right? There’s nothing impressive about me.”

“…….”

Dantalian looked as if he were staring at a mental patient.

“……You really are completely intoxicated. Well, there are times when people want to get drunk. I struggle to understand why that had to be today.”

“People like you, mhm. Are really like dogs, Dantalian.”

Dantalian let out a sigh as he sat down, making it evident that he didn’t want to deal with a drunkard.

After seeing that, a difficult-to-explain emotion enveloped Gamigin. Her last bit of rationality that was left helped her cast a soundproofing spell on the entire room. After checking there were no devices hidden in the room, Gamigin let out a low growl.

“I can’t go along with this kind of act anymore. I’m sick and tired of it. It disgusts me.”

“…….”

“Do you have to ridicule me in front of other demons? I get it. Barbatos is important to you. But there’s a time and place for everything.”

Dantalian quietly took out a pipe and put the end of it in his mouth. A smoky fragrance soon filled the room.

“I also have my pride as a Demon Lord. A scumbag like you probably doesn’t know what that is.”

“Miss Gamigin, did you soundproof this room?”

“You’re reeeaally fast at pointing that out, our wise and glorious Dantalian.”

Gamigin let out a snort.

“What? Are you afraid that people might see through your act? You’re a coward. An utterly useless coward. Not only do you only know how to ridicule and insult people, but you don’t know how to get drunk during a drinking party. Am I insane?  Don’t make me laugh. What about you? How sane are you?”

“Fine. You can stop if you want to.”

A sly smile appeared on Dantalian’s lips.

“But have you forgotten? You did this to yourself, Miss Gamigin.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that I colluded with Agares to take some land!”

Gamigin threw her cup on the marble floor. The glass shattered loudly.

“You should try holding that over me for a few decades or even centuries. See how that turns out. Did you know? I can attack that great lover of yours whenever I want. If you think Agares is the only Demon Lord to treat Barbatos lightly, then you’re making a big mistake!”

***

TL Note: Thanks for reading the chapter. Well, I’m back from my family reunion. It was actually the first time in a couple years since everyone was able to gather properly, so it was mentally draining catching up with everyone. I still feel exhausted. They mostly just talked to me about my brother’s upcoming wedding. He visited a day before the reunion, so he wasn’t there to answer their questions. How the hell am I supposed to know about how he met his fiancee? I just want to sleep… I’ll probably take a nap after I upload this.

Uuh, I’ll see you guys in the next chapter.

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