How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord: Volume 3 Read online

  “...Though I hate to admit it, Shera seems to have a talent for this.” Rem nodded. “It’s her first time, but the gate to the other world is remaining stable.”

  “What kind of Summon is she calling?”

  “That all depends on her luck.”

  “Hm...”

  —So it’s all a gacha, just like the game...

  Diablo often heard stories of players who had spent hours toiling for materials to perform the summoning ritual, only to end up calling forth a low-rank Summon. On the strategy wiki, you would always see comments like, “It’s not showing up;” “I have a better chance of finding Bigfoot;” or “I don’t think they even put it in the game,” in the comment sections for the rarer Summons.

  Rem leaned forward: “It’s here.”

  The gale-force wind coiled around, scattering the magic circle and the now pale blue flames that covered it. White sand danced in the air, blocking their vision. On the other side of the debris—the silhouette of a Summon.

  “I did it!!” Shera shouted in victory.

  †

  It was a Summon about the size of a basketball. It almost looked like a plump, rotund turkey. It had black feathers on its body, and fan-like tail feathers. It flapped its wings, leisurely keeping itself airborne. Its round black eyes sparkled continuously.

  “...That would be a 《Turkey Shot》,” Rem sighed.

  “It’s so cute! This is exactly what I wanted!!” Shera smiled ear-to-ear, completely overjoyed.

  “...This could be just right for your first practice.”

  “Really? What kind of Summon is this?”

  “...To put it bluntly, it is not very powerful. In fact, it may be one of the weakest kinds of Wind-elemental Summons. It’s on the same level as a 《Wind Spirit》—though judging it purely in terms of combat prowess, it is inferior in almost every way.”

  “Whaaaat?!”

  “It possesses the ‘Synchro Sight’ skill, an ability that allows you to see everything the Summon sees.”

  “That’s pretty useful, right?”

  “I’m fairly certain it can be used for things like reconnaissance... It takes magic power to activate the skill, so it can’t be used for long periods of time. It might come in handy if you get lost or something.”

  “Sounds haaard.” Shera looked a bit dejected.

  Rem shrugged. “There are many kinds of Summons, but in the end it’s the sturdiest ones with the highest attack power that are strong.”

  “Oh...”

  “What are you going to do? There isn’t any reason for you to go through with the Enslavement Ritual...”

  “Nah. This Summon came all this way just for me, so I’ll make a contract with it.”

  Shera reached into the pouch at her waist and produced a pure white gem. Diablo cocked his head to the side; he had never seen anything like it in the game before.

  “And that is?”

  “Hm? I don’t really know myself, but apparently you need it for this.”

  “...I just explained this to you yesterday.” Rem scowled at Shera’s response. “This is a 《Binding Crystal》. You use this for the Enslavement Ritual.”

  “Oh yeah, that! I-I remembered, honest!”

  —These kinds of things exist, too? Cross Reverie never even had an “Enslavement Ritual”... Was it redundant to implement from a gameplay standpoint, so they just cut it out?

  Or, there could be another reason for it: The “Enslavement Ritual” used to subjugate Summons seems to share similar qualities to the 《Enslavement Magic》 used to enslave other races. It most likely takes Binding Crystals to make slaves as well.

  Anything related to slavery in the game had been completely removed.

  Rem offered Diablo a white stone.

  “...I know you have no interest in Summons, Diablo, but it might be useful when it comes to researching how to remove the collars around our necks. I think it would be good for a Sorcerer like yourself to at least have one on hand.”

  “True, it wouldn’t hurt to have,” Diablo said, taking the binding crystal.

  Shera uttered a short incantation:

  “...By the name of Shera L. Greenwood, I command you: Heed my call. Give yourself unto me, and obey me.”

  Opening her thin, cherry blossom colored lips, she put the white crystal into her mouth. The Summon descended to the ground, still enough to make one think it was sleeping. Shera placed her lips upon the Summon’s head. Faint red sparkles trickled from her lips; the binding crystal had turned into pure light.

  Shera stared intensely at the Summon. A black light started to gather around the Turkey Shot’s neck, and a dull, low-pitched hum reverberated in their ears. A loud clank followed, as if something was being locked by a key. It was the same thing that had happened when the enslavement collars were put on Rem and Shera; but the collar on the Turkey Shot was smaller, and made to fit perfectly around its tiny neck. Because of its thick plumage, the collar was mostly hidden from view.

  Eyes sparkling, Shera excitedly looked over toward Rem and Diablo.

  “It was a success.” Rem nodded.

  “Yay! I did it!!”

  “Hehe... Thank goodness the spell wasn’t reflected back at you this time.”

  “Bleh... I don’t wanna be enslaved by a Turkey Shot!”

  The air was filled with the girls’ laughter. Diablo couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his face as he listened to them.

  Diablo suddenly remembered something he had read on the strategy wiki.

  “Now, about that Turkey Shot... With him and your bow, you two might just make an interesting combination.”

  “Huh...?”

  “If this were an FPS, you would be a sniper, while it would be your UAV. I read you could use it like that on the wiki, and—”

  “Huh? What??”

  Both Shera and Rem looked thoroughly confused—but of course they would; there was no way they would have ever heard of those terms before. He decided to redo his explanation.

  —What can be done in the game can’t necessarily be done in this world, though...

  Putting some distance between himself and the girls, he placed a coin in the grass.

  “Can you see the coin from there?”

  “Nope?”

  “Then try sending out your Summon.”

  With a nod, Shera began to concentrate.

  “Um... Go and take a look, Turkey Shot!”

  Heeding her command, the Summon flapped its wings and took to the air. It did seem a bit dull-minded—but even if it happened to be shot out of the air, the Summoner would not take any damage.

  Shera’s eyes opened wide. “Wow, I’m flying! —Ah, I see it!”

  “If you know where it is, then that means you can hit it with your arrows, correct?”

  “Leave it to me!”

  In one fluid motion, she pulled an arrow out from behind her back and nocked it into her bow. It didn’t even seem like she took aim as she released the arrow from the bowstring with a twang. It traced an arc in the air, falling down near Diablo—right where the coin laid in the undergrowth. It pierced straight through the center.

  “I got it!”

  “Good work!”

  Back in the game, you weren’t able to target anything out of your line of sight. By using Turkey Shot to expand your field of vision, you could mark targets to attack from the air. Even back in the real world, as long as you knew where your target was, all that was left was how skilled you were with the bow.

  “What’s this...?!” Rem exclaimed in surprise. “I never thought it could be used that way... As to be expected from you, Diablo. Though you say you have come from another world, you are much more knowledgeable about these things than we are.”

  “Heh, it’s something you could figure out if you just think it over. I am a Demon Lord, after all.”

  In reality, this was just something he had remembered seeing on the wiki. Cross Reverie had hundreds of thousands of players. With that many
people, there were bound to be some more eccentric players out there, too—specifically ones who had gone through a series of trial-and-error to see if Turkey Shot, a Summon everyone viewed as a failure, could actually be useful in some way.

  But Diablo was in awe of something else—

  Shera’s proficiency with a bow was no joke.

  —I can’t believe she managed to pierce the coin, especially after how lackadaisical she looked when she shot the arrow. Shera’s level as an Archer must be pretty dang high.

  He pulled the arrow out from the ground. The coin had been split clean in half.

  Shera ran over to them. “Thanks, Diablo! At first, I thought that I got the short end of the Summon stick... But I’m really liking this little guy!”

  “S-So I see...” Diablo wasn’t used to being thanked like this. He averted his gaze to hide his embarrassment.

  “Ehehe, I’m gonna train a bunch more and get my level up!”

  “Hm.”

  “...Training is all well and good... But with this method, wouldn’t the only thing going up be your level as an Archer?”

  Shera seemed to be in shock in the face of Rem’s pointed comeback.

  Interlude 1

  Lyferian Calendar: Day 6 of the Sixth Month, Year 164—

  Location: the Royal Capital of Sevenwall, where the Castle Grandiose stood surrounded by seven layers of thick castle walls. This was the waiting room in the deepest part of that castle—

  It was here where those who wished to have an audience with the king would stay. Even rulers of foreign countries would be made to wait here, so the furniture and fixings were the epitome of luxurious. It was as if they were there to exemplify the might and authority of the Kingdom of Lyferia.

  Vases of pure gold, a crystalline table... The floor and pillars of the room were made of marble, while embroidered silk covered the walls. The ceiling boasted an enormous fresco depicting various, towering gods. There was a great assortment of relics from heroes of old adorning the room, showcasing mementos of those who had repelled the Demon Lords of the past.

  And in that room—

  The Imperial Knight, Alicia Cristela, stood stock still, waiting in silence. Her reflection was shown in a full-length mirror.

  Normally, anyone wishing an audience with the king would be stripped of their weapons; since Alicia was an Imperial Knight, she was allowed to keep her sword at her side. If anything were to happen, she was trusted to jump to the king’s side to protect him. There were also cases where people were made to carry in cursed or otherwise dangerous enchanted objects, unbeknownst to the person themselves. For this reason, inspections were performed with the most scrupulous and utmost of care.

  On her way back from Faltra, a combination of bad weather and her encounter with the group of knights from Faltra had caused her to arrive later than she had expected. As of now, she was waiting her turn to have an audience with the king of Lyferia.

  There were two other visitors in the room with her: Humans, one male and one female, both in their mid-forties. One could tell they were from a position of high social status from a single glance at their elegant personal appearances. They were a married couple, a duke and a duchess—as well as Alicia’s parents.

  Alicia had left the Royal Capital when she was on her mission, and went straight to the royal palace when she had returned. This was the first time they had seen each other in about half a month.

  Her father, who sported a rather magnificent beard, laid a hand on Alicia’s shoulder.

  “Good work on fulfilling such a long mission.”

  “Thank you very much, Father.” Alicia slightly raised the corners of her mouth, shaping it into an elegant smile. “I feel no suffering or fatigue when I think of how I am serving for the honor of this kingdom.”

  “Excellent. I don’t believe I need to worry about you, but make sure not to disrespect His Majesty when you see him.”

  “I am fully aware of that. I would do nothing of the sort to besmirch the name of our family.”

  “I have raised you well. There are very few women allowed to have an audience with the king. This serves as even more proof showcasing your great talents. You are our pride and joy; be sure to continue putting that talent to use for the good of the kingdom.”

  “Of course.”

  “...Wouldn’t it be better if you took those off?” Her mother pointed toward Alicia’s eyes.

  “Oh, these are...”

  “A girl shouldn’t be wearing metal on her face.”

  She seemed to not like her daughter wearing glasses. Alicia never had any problems with her eyesight in the past, but it became poor as a result of her fervent studying day and night.

  “...I will be sure to take them off.”

  Without her glasses, she couldn’t even see the face of who see was speaking with. She could discern the king because of how prominent his position was in the audience chamber, but the ministers lined up on either side of him were impossible to tell who was whom. But still, Alicia removed her glasses and placed them into the pouch at her waist.

  As if she had remembered something, Alicia’s mother began to speak: “About those dreadful books I found lying in your room...”

  “...What?”

  As if her mother was asking for confirmation, she turned to look at Alicia’s father who nodded along, smiling gently.

  “We found some books that, how should I put it...didn’t seem too good for your education, you see. You are free to take an interest in whatever you like... But things like radical ideologies, legends about the Fallen... You should be able to work for the king just fine without knowing such rubbish, yes?”

  “That’s why we threw them away for you.”

  “......You threw them away.”

  “It was for your own good.”

  “We’re doing this for you, you know.”

  A smile spread across Alicia’s face as she bowed her head.

  “Thank you for your concern. I apologize for causing you worry.”

  Her mother smiled happily and nodded, and her father breathed a sigh of relief.

  “You truly are the perfect Imperial Knight. If only you were a boy, then I would have no complaints... But, no matter. I will find you a suitable partner soon enough. Our dukedom will be secure.”

  A knock on the door; it looked like it was finally Alicia’s turn. She bowed her head once more.

  “Mother, Father, if you will excuse me...”

  Beaming with pride, the parents saw their daughter off.

  †

  —I wonder how good it would feel if I could just cleave the heads from their shoulders.

  Walking along the red carpet, Alicia gripped the handle of her sword, that she had purchased back in Faltra, with her left hand. As you would expect from a place called the front-lines of the races, its appearance was second-rate, but its sharpness was top-notch. Even after cutting down the ten knights who had attacked her, the blade itself hadn’t suffered a single chip or scratch. With a sword like this, it should slice through a Human’s neck like it was nothing... In her mind, she daydreamed about bringing the blade down.

  —No. It’s still too soon.

  Alicia still needed to get some use out of her position in society. If she was going to exterminate these unsightly, rotten races, she couldn’t do it alone.

  She needed the Demon Lord.

  Her position of being an Imperial Knight as well as a daughter of a duke was invaluable to the Demon Lord’s resurrection. She couldn’t afford to lose that, to make the world a more beautiful place... Alicia had to be an obedient daughter, and an earnest Imperial Knight.

  Taking her glasses out of her pouch, she placed them back on her face. Masking her face with a smile, she entered the audience chamber.

  Countless pillars loomed in the cavernous room, with a lofty ceiling above. It was large enough that it could hold the kingdom’s many generals as they lined up before heading off to the battlefield. The country’s flag hung on
the wall, boasting a color scheme centered around the color red; even the carpet was just as red. A luxurious chandelier hung from the ceiling, with the numerous gems embedded in the fixture sparkling as they were lit up by the glow from the candles.

  Delouche Xandros, the sixth king of Lyferia—he would be 37 years old this year.

  Alicia approached the raised platform where the king sat. When she was about eight paces away from the throne, she knelt to the ground and lowered her head.

  “...Alicia Cristela, Imperial Knight, has made her return.”

  “Raise your head,” Delouche called out to her.

  Receiving approval from the king, Alicia looked up toward the platform. The king sat on a grand throne, one that had been chiseled from marble and inlaid with jewels and gold. If a person as equally grand sat upon it, it would surely make known their own solemn majesty.

  The king of Lyferia was still quite young. Delouche had dealt with no major problems in terms of domestic affairs... But by nature, this country was quiet and peaceful, and was blessed with bountiful harvests from both the land and the sea.

  The problem lay in his military aptitude. It was a factor still unknown to Alicia. The king had taken the throne twenty years ago, and there had been no large-scale engagements since that time.

  Delouche had a sharp expression in his eyes, but that merely could have been due to his hardened nature developing over the years.

  The stories of how Adventurers in Faltra managed to repel an army of Fallen had made their way to the Royal Capital. It was for that reason that Alicia had been dispatched to Faltra.

  —The Demon Lord.

  Nothing was more important, and nothing posed a greater threat to the Kingdom of Lyferia than any developments related to that being.

  There were six Humans gathered near the king; from generals to ministers, they were the big wigs of the country. Of course, Alicia was well-versed as to who they were.

  The stares from above the platform focused on her. If she had been any ordinary person, it might have been enough to make her faint.