The Adventurer's Guild in the town of Karuka. In the deepest part of its second floor lay the Special Archives.

  Normally, this was a place only high-ranking adventurers or nobles who had made hefty donations could enter. However, thanks to the arrangements of the receptionist Marie - who had completely become my "pawn" through terror - Lily and I had rented out this space where no one would disturb us.

  "...It's dusty. It will sully the Young Master's noble lungs. Perhaps I should just burn this entire building..."

  "We are not burning it down. Lily, calm down a bit and brew some tea. There should be some top-tier tea leaves in the inventory."

  "As you command."

  Soothing the vampire maid who spat out dangerous proposals as naturally as breathing, I dropped my gaze to the several thick books and the giant parchment world map spread out on the long desk.

  My goal was singular. To accurately measure the common sense and power balance of this different world.

  By cross-referencing the information extracted from Marie with the history books in these archives, a complete map of this world was rapidly assembling within my mind.

  First, the human factions.

  It seemed this continent was broadly divided into the [Five Great Nations].

  An Empire excelling in martial might, a Kingdom that revered magic, a coalition of Free City-States focused on commerce and trade, a Holy State devoted to the gods, and a Great Forest Federation inhabited by beastmen and elves.

  It was a splendid group of nations that looked like the boiled-down tropes of a fantasy RPG, but what was worth noting was that they were currently in an extremely strong alliance.

  Petty territorial disputes and civil wars between humans were currently completely frozen.

  Why? Because they had an absolute [Common Enemy] that forced them to unite across racial boundaries.

  I traced my finger over the northern side of the map - a vast territory painted black, covering nearly half the continent.

  "...The Demon Lord's Army, huh."

  According to the history books, it was a coalition army of monsters and demons based in the northern wastelands. That was the Demon Lord's Army.

  They continuously invaded human territories with overwhelming military might and violence, and the allied forces of the Five Great Nations had been forced into a defensive war for many years. It was a typical, easily understandable binary worldview of Humanity vs. Monsters.

  I leaned back deeply into the leather chair and let out a sigh.

  The rulers of half the continent, whom the Five Great Nations banded together to fight.

  ...I see, so they're the enemies of the world.

  I called up my own status screen in my mind and reconfirmed the race name listed there.

  [Race: Archdemon]

  And the race of Lily, who was elegantly brewing black tea beside me.

  [Race: True Vampire]

  ...Yep. No mistake about it.

  No matter how favorably you interpreted it, we were not on the side of the Allied Forces of the Five Great Nations. We were undoubtedly on the side of the Demon Lord's Army threatening humanity's survival, and monsters that fit right into the top-tier executive brackets (or maybe even the top spot itself).

  What would happen if the [Rings of Mirage] currently on Lily's and my fingers came off and our true forms were exposed right now?

  Without a doubt, this town of Karuka would fall into a massive panic, an extermination force would be organized by the Five Great Nations within days, and the entire military might of the world would be thrown at us with no questions asked.

  "...Young Master, the tea is ready. Reading the texts of such lower lifeforms too intently will only tire your eyes."

  "Ah, thank you. ...Say, Lily. What would you do if all the humans in the world suddenly targeted our lives all at once?"

  When I casually asked while accepting the teacup, Lily looked blank for a moment before floating a terribly beautiful, cruel smile.

  "Whatever are you saying? ...If there are truly fools around the world plotting such high treason, I shall simply dye the oceans of the world crimson with the blood of those disrespectful pigs. There will be no need to trouble the Young Master's hands."

  "...I see. That's incredibly reassuring."

  Desperately suppressing my twitching cheeks, I took a sip of the black tea.

  In terms of physical combat power, we could probably win just as Lily said. But a blood-soaked World War was not what I desired.

  As expected, my policy of hiding our true identities and slipping into the underbelly of human society was not a mistake. We would safely play in this world using politics and economics, not military force.

  Just as I reaffirmed that resolve and was about to reach for another document...

  —BANG!!

  The heavy doors of the archives were violently thrown open.

  "S-Sir Dan...!!"

  Standing there, clinging to the door, was the out-of-breath receptionist, Marie. She was so frantic and pale that it was unimaginable from her usual calm and calculating self. Clutched in her hand was a guild parchment for an [Emergency News Flash], the smell of ink still fresh.

  "What's wrong, Marie? You seem terribly panicked."

  "I-It's terrible...! An emergency notification arrived via magic communication from the Royal Capital...! R-Right now, the lower floor of the guild, and the entire town, are in a festive uproar over this news...!"

  "Calm down. What happened?"

  When I frowned and asked, Marie held out the parchment with trembling hands, and with a cracking voice, she spoke a historical fact.

  "The Demon Lord was... defeated?"

  When I frowned and accepted the parchment, Marie nodded vigorously several times.

  "Yes! A Hero Party backed by the Holy State's Saintess finally breached the Demon Lord's Castle at the northern edge of the world and took the Demon Lord's head...! Right now, the lower floor of the guild, and the main street, are in an uproar over the war ending!"

  Even in this soundproofed Special Archives room, a faint, earth-rumbling cheer could be heard echoing from the lower floors.

  Humanity's long-held wish achieved. Liberation from prolonged terror. It was the ultimate happy ending moment in a fantasy world.

  However, Lily, listening to the story beside me, snorted as if she couldn't care less - no, rather, as if she were deeply displeased.

  "Demon Lord, you say? To think there was a shameless cur casually parading around with such a grand title when the true Absolute, the Young Master, is right here. ...Well, it's just as well they were exterminated by this so-called Hero. It saves me the trouble."

  "..."

  Ignoring her usual fanatical remarks, I silently dropped my gaze to the text of the news flash.

  Written there in excited prose were the Hero's brilliant achievements, and the war situation detailing how the Demon Lord's Army was wavering and beginning to retreat.

  However, my eyes were completely glued to a certain line written in the corner of the article.

  [—It was in the early hours of yesterday morning that the Hero's holy sword pierced the Demon Lord's heart. The time is estimated to be around after midnight.]

  "...Yesterday after midnight."

  A dry voice unconsciously leaked from my mouth.

  2:00 AM.

  That matched perfectly with the exact time I was in my six-and-a-half-tatami-mat room, barely managing to defeat the raid boss Seraph Metatron after a death match, only to be enveloped in light and teleported to this world.

  (...A coincidence?)

  No, that's wrong. My gamer's intuition, honed over years of playing various games, was sounding a frantic alarm.

  There's no way there could be such a convenient coincidence.

  I pictured the power balance of this world that I had just confirmed in my head.

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  The Human Alliance consisting of the Five Great Nations, and the Demon Lord's Army controlling half the continent. By those two massive forces antagonizing each other, this world had barely maintained its equilibrium.

  But yesterday, with the Hero defeating the Demon Lord, that power balance completely collapsed.

  The human side gained an overwhelming advantage, and the monsters, having lost their absolute strongest in the Demon Lord, would turn into a disorganized mob. At this rate, the world's equilibrium would be lost, and a one-sided trampling by humanity would begin.

  So, what did this world, or the higher-tier system managing it, do?

  ...To fill the vacant throne of the Demon Lord, they pulled in a new powerhouse from the outside. Is that it?

  The corners of my mouth naturally curled up.

  New Final Bosses meant to intercept humanity's hope, the Hero, and bring despair and equilibrium back to the world. That was the true reason Lily and I had been called to this world.

  The dots connected, and everything perfectly aligned.

  No wonder my stats were so game-breaking that they completely deviated from this world's standards. From the very beginning, I was set up as the next trial against the Hero.

  "...Young Master? What is the matter? You are floating a terribly amused, and evil, smile."

  Lily tilted her head and peered at me. Marie, too, was shaking her shoulders as if frightened by my sudden silence and fearless grin.

  "No, it's nothing. It's just... I've managed to read the punchline to a third-rate scenario written by someone else. I'm just a little excited."

  I tossed the news flash parchment onto the table and sat back deeply in my chair.

  The Demon Lord died, and I was called as the new Demon Lord.

  The world probably wants me to head to the northern demon territories, gather the scattered remnants, and declare war on humanity. A clash of power against power. A scenario for a massive, physical, blood-soaked war.

  ...Don't screw with me.

  In my heart, I flipped the bird at that "prepared scenario."

  I absolutely despise physical combat and blood-soaked wars. Boss fights in games were fun, but I have zero intention of being used as a pawn in a real war involving actual pain.

  If I have overwhelming power, I should use it smarter, and with far less risk.

  "Marie. What will this Hero's party that defeated the Demon Lord do now?"

  "Eh? Ah, yes... It's said they will return in triumph to the Royal Capital and receive rewards directly from the kings of the Five Great Nations. After that, they will likely tour each country as a symbol of peace to subjugate the remaining executives of the Demon Lord's Army..."

  "I see. A symbol of peace, huh."

  I looked down at the map of the Five Great Nations on the table.

  I didn't have the slightest intention of gathering the Demon Lord's remnants and fighting them head-on in a shootout.

  What I choose is not a direct war of swords and magic. While observing these symbols of peace from the shadows, I will slip into the web of human society's politics, economics, and relationships, and crush the world's neck before they even realize it.

  "Lily."

  "Yes, Young Master."

  "We are not going to the northern wastelands. Using this town as our first foothold, we will dive deep into the bosom of the Five Great Nations."

  If the world wants me to be a Demon Lord through military might.

  Then, I will rewrite this world's scenario from its very foundations.

  Right after my declaration echoed through the soundproof room...

  The air in the room trembled violently. No, it wasn't the air that was trembling. The slender body of Lily, standing next to me, was twitching in small spasms of sheer ecstasy.

  "...Ahh, ahh...!"

  Lily clasped her hands in front of her chest and looked up at me with rapturous, feverish eyes.

  "What... what terrifying and perfect evil...! To sit back on a throne in a barren wasteland of ice and rock like the foolish previous Demon Lord, engaging in a pointless, head-on contest of strength with humans, is the worst of the worst strategies. That is what you are saying, Young Master!"

  No, I just simply don't want to go somewhere cold, and I have zero desire to fight a messy, grueling war.

  There was no way she could hear my internal retorts, and Lily's fanatical interpretations showed no signs of stopping.

  "Yes, yes, I understand! The world expects you to play the role of the New Demon Lord and has prepared a stage for a gruesome death match against the Hero. ...However, our Supreme Master will not walk on the cheap rails laid down by someone else!"

  Crimson mana billowed up from behind Lily.

  She knelt before me and reverently dropped a kiss onto the instep of my shoe.

  "Hiding yourself within the absolute safe zone of human cities, you will seize the very roots of their economy and politics. And right beneath the feet of those ignorant, pitiful heroes singing the praises of peace... you will rot away everything in the world before they even notice and make it your own. ...Kuhu, ahahahaha! It is brilliant, Young Master! Trampling them with military force is far too lukewarm; this is true Domination!"

  "...Indeed, that's exactly right. You understand well, Lily."

  I nodded gravely, maintaining the mask of a cold-hearted Demon Lord flawlessly, while breathing a massive sigh of relief on the inside.

  It was her usual atrocious over-interpretation, but if she was this enthusiastic about infiltrating human society instead of a head-on war, I was absolutely thrilled.

  If the world called me here as a sacrificial pawn to be defeated by the Hero... as the Final Boss, I had absolutely no intention of playing along with such an unreasonable forced event.

  I will play in this world however I want.

  "Now then, Marie. It seems you've heard a fragment of my grand plan."

  When I directed my gaze at her, Marie, who had been shrinking in the corner of the room, made her shoulders jump with a start.

  She probably hadn't realized we were of the Demon Race yet, but from our conversation just now, she must have completely surmised that we were unbelievably dangerous arch-villains plotting to hijack the world from the shadows.

  "Hii...! I-I haven't...! I haven't heard anything...!"

  "That is fine. You are an excellent receptionist."

  I stood up and tossed the leather pouch stuffed with large gold coins that Marie had prepared into my inventory.

  "From here on out, we will begin our activities using this town of Karuka as our base. However, we can't just live out of inns forever. ...We need a Base of Operations fitting for us to settle down and move the pieces on the board."

  "A base of operations, you say..."

  "Yes. Tell me where I can find someone who handles real estate in this town. I'd like a high-class mansion that's reasonably spacious, quiet, and where our work won't be interrupted."

  At my request, Marie regained a bit of her composure as a receptionist and started thinking.

  "In that case, you should visit the Gold Coin and Scales Company on the central avenue. The merchants there handle almost all of the high-class properties in this town. With the funds you possess, Sir Dan, you should easily be able to purchase a mansion in the noble district."

  "Understood. Marie, I want you to continue gathering information for me here at the Guild. Scandals involving the town's influential figures, rumors of illegal trades, the movements of the Hero's party... anything that can be turned into money is fine. I will pay an appropriate reward for useful information."

  "Y-Yes, sir! Please leave it to me, Sir Dan!"

  Leaving behind Marie, who bowed deeply (and the bouncers still unconscious in the corner), Lily and I left the Adventurer's Guild's Special Archives.

  Stepping out of the guild building, the clamor of the slums and the heat of the main street, swarming with various races, enveloped my entire body once again.

  The inexplicable discomfort toward fate and the system that I had felt earlier had completely vanished.

  I decide the path I walk.

  Without hesitation, we began walking down the cobblestone street toward the real estate agency Marie had told us about, the Gold Coin and Scales Company on the central avenue.

  Located on the central avenue of the town of Karuka, the 'Gold Coin and Scales Company' was a luxurious stone-built merchant house, almost unthinkable for a frontier town.

  Treading across the polished marble floor, we were shown into a reception room at the back of the building, where a stout man clad in expensive silk clothes and wearing jewels on all ten fingers appeared. The head of the company, Giron.

  Giron sized up Lily and my attire with a sticky, calculating gaze.

  Then, looking at the [B-Rank Guild Card] I placed on the table, along with the leather pouch stuffed with large gold coins from cashing in the Demonic Wolf's core, he floated a plastered-on merchant's smile.

  "Welcome, B-Rank Adventurer. What kind of property are you looking for today?"

  "I am looking for a spacious and quiet mansion to settle down in this town. Preferably close to the noble district, and a place free from the interference of others."

  When I conveyed my requests, Giron pulled out several blueprints from a shelf in the back and put on a deliberately thoughtful face.

  "When it comes to prime properties near the noble district, none will run you less than several hundred gold coins. I fear that might be a bit heavy of a burden for an adventurer... Oh, wait. There is one property at an exceptional price."

  The blueprint Giron ostentatiously rolled out depicted a magnificent three-story Western-style mansion with a vast garden. Even from the drawing, its luxurious construction was apparent.

  "It is a beautiful mansion located in the Third District, at the entrance to the noble district. We can offer this to you for an astonishing one-third of the market price."

  "Hoh. That is quite cheap. ...May I hear the reason?"

  When I narrowed my eyes, Giron deepened his vulgar smile and leaned forward.

  "Truth be told, it comes with a bit of a history. Bad rumors have spread about poltergeist phenomena occurring night after night, or evil spirits wandering about, and the previous owner fled. ...However, for a skilled B-Rank Adventurer such as yourself, a ghost is nothing to fear, correct?"

  I see. He figures an up-and-coming country adventurer would be lured by the cheap price and vanity, jumping at the chance thinking, "I'll just beat up some ghosts," so he's looking down on me.

  From Lily standing next to me came a crack, the sound of the air freezing.

  "...This fat pig. To try and push an unknown, filthy garbage dump onto my Master. Young Master, permission please. I will turn this meat sack into mincemeat right now and dye the land deed in his blood..."

  "Cease. ...Isn't it an interesting story?"

  I restrained Lily, who was leaking killing intent, with my hand and curled up the corners of my mouth while staring at the blueprint.

  Within my brain, the Memories of the Underworld extracted from the brain of that greedy scout, Zack, clicked together like puzzle pieces.

  The haunted mansion in the Third District... Ah, no mistake. It's 'that' from Zack's memories.

  Count Bardia, who rules this town of Karuka. The petty noble brother of his mistress had hired low-level mages and slum thugs behind the scenes to stage a ghost disturbance in order to buy up prime real estate on the cheap - that was the truth behind this mansion.

  In other words, if I buy this mansion.

  The ultimate Political Connection tied to the relatives of the Count's mistress - connecting directly to the center of power in this town - will come charging at me all on its own.

  Doing a mental fist-pump, I deliberately acted the part of a haughty noble and gave a magnanimous nod.

  "...Ghosts, you say? Lowly evil spirits are nothing more than trash my maid can sweep away while cleaning. I will buy it on those conditions. In cash."

  When I dumped a mountain of large gold coins from my leather pouch onto the table, Giron's eyes bulged and he gasped.

  "O-Ooh! How generous! My, as expected of a high-ranking adventurer, you are truly bold! I will begin the paperwork to transfer the deed immediately!"

  Rubbing his hands together, Giron hastily began preparing the contract.

  Plastered on his face was the completely unguarded sneer typical of a third-rate villain thinking, "I just pawned off a troublesome defective property at a high price."

  However, a similar smile was floating on my face as well.

  Enjoy it while you can. When I legally extort those petty thugs 'claiming to be ghosts' in this mansion and completely seize control of this town's underworld... your company, acting as their pawn, will be swallowed up whole to serve as my convenient wallet.

  "Young Master..."

  Lily let out a sweet, feverish sigh right into my ear.

  "It is wonderful. That pig is signing his own contract of ruin without ever doubting his own superiority. ...Your cold-hearted skill in slipping a collar onto your opponents without them ever noticing sends shivers down my spine, Young Master."

  "...Well, just watch. By tonight, the power dynamic of this town will shift just a little."

  I scribbled my signature on the contract and received the deed.