Estimated reading time: 29–37 minutes
Chapter 1
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Acedia
Episode 1
Ah, how bothersome.
Sorry for the abrupt start, but do you know the term “isekai reincarnation”?
I didn’t know about it until I was reincarnated. I don’t think it was a particularly well-known term in my original world either, but as the name suggests, it’s about dying and being reborn in a different world. Typically, in such a scenario, you retain your memories from your past life, often coming with some special abilities.
Think of it like starting a powerful new game, if that makes it clearer.
Well, not that I was powerful in my previous life. Ha, ha, ha.
For instance, my origin was in Tokyo, a city in the country known as Japan, on a planet named Earth. I’ll skip over that since I doubt it’s of any interest, but suffice it to say that in this world, there’s a substantial percentage of people from my old world. They tend to occupy significant roles.
Heroes, adventurers, saints, inventors, CEOs, aristocrats… These are the common picks.
It amazes me that people would bother with such troublesome roles. As insignificant as a pebble on the road, I can’t help but admire their spirit.
And why am I discussing all this?
Wait… Why am I even wasting my time talking about such trivial matters?
「…It’s a direct order from the Great Demon Lord. Please, write a proper report!」
Oh, how annoying.
I turn over in my fluffy bed, trying to escape the nagging voice buzzing in my ear.
The nagging voice belongs to a woman dressed in black.
She has a cold, doll-like demeanor, but there’s no doubt she’s extraordinarily beautiful.
What a pointless conversation.
Propping my elbow on the pillow, I take in the sight of the woman — a member of some knight order under the Great Demon Lord of Ruin, “Kanon,” as she arches an eyebrow in front of me.
「And… what was that?」
「It’s about the report! I’m the one who’s going to get scolded! My peers sent by other Demon Lords are doing their duties properly, but you…」
「Poor you…」
「Enough! Just write the re, port!」
I don’t get it.
Why do I have to do that?
Tired of supporting myself on my elbow, I lay my face back down into the pillow. It’s ridiculous to waste energy on such nonsense.
My shoulder shakes violently as the high-pitched voice in my ear becomes unbearable.
Raising just my face, I look at the woman who seems to be the Great Demon Lord’s right hand.
Seriously, do your job instead of bothering me.
「You, write the report.」
「What…? Why should I…? And what should I even write…?」
「I’ll leave it to you. I’m busy.」
As I reach for the feathered blanket, the woman grabs my arm.
Oh, how irritating. Even after saying all this, she still bothers me.
I’m tired. Exhausted. Everything is too much right now.
And what report are we even talking about?
「You said it, Demon Lord! You told me to write as you dictated!」
「…It’s too much effort to talk. Just write it yourself.」
I toss her the small square box lying at the edge of my futon.
It’s a stamp. Apparently, you need to stamp the report. To avoid the hassle of fetching it, I keep it in my futon, ready for use anytime.
Either way, whether I dictate and she writes, or she writes on her own, the content will turn into some sort of fantasy. It’s clear as day.
The woman hastily catches the box, looking baffled.
「See you then…」
「Huh?! Wait…hey, this is…」
Ignoring her shouting, I pull the blanket over my head.
My consciousness starts to fade within a few seconds. The screeching voice gradually moves away, pushed to the periphery of my awareness.
Uh, there was something else I needed to say. What was it again?
Right… My name.
My name is… Lazy Slaughterdolls. I’ve long forgotten what I was called back in Japan.
Once, I was a humble salaryman dedicating my life to a company on Earth’s Japan, and now, I’m just a Demon Lord, dedicating my existence to the Great Demon Lord.
Episode 2
To be frank, when I first realized I had reincarnated into another world, my initial thought was, “What a bother.” Just that, and nothing more.
However, I’ve come to find this life far more enjoyable than the tiresome existence of a salaryman on Earth.
Is this a reward for my good deeds? It must be. Yes, it’s definitely so.
If not for this, I would have been stuck working for decades like any other other workers. Well, maybe I might have gotten fed up and committed suicide along the way.
Comparatively, life in another world is extremely easy.
I can’t be bothered to go into details, but I have never worked a day since I was reborn into this other world. And yet, I lead a reasonably comfortable life.
A life of endless idleness. There’s no greater pleasure. At least for me, who values a life of contented poverty, this level of living is satisfactory.
「Unemployed!? You’ve never worked!? The audacity of a Demon Lord, who serves as the limbs of the Great Demon Lord, to claim life is easy!? That’s just because you yourself haven’t worked, isn’t it!?」
The only headache I have right now is this woman dispatched from the Great Demon Lord.
I don’t know her name. She’s incredibly beautiful. She makes a ruckus constantly. Those three points summarize her characteristics. She’s just like a slightly more refined mob character.
From my perspective, her constant noise is a real pain. It goes against my peaceful nature.
It’s evident just how adept the Great Demon Lord is at making nuisances.
「…So, what was it again?」
As one of many who’ve reincarnated into the role of a simple demon, I find myself feeling grateful for the surprising ease that life in this new world offers.
The value of life is a tad low, but with a little effort, you can lead a lazy life. You can do it even without effort.
Working in Japan feels like a joke now. Now that I can say it, I wish I had reincarnated sooner.
「The hero is here! The hero is attacking! It’s time for you to rise, get out of bed now!」
「I’m a pacifist, you know.」
I don’t understand why you’re so spirited.
I look at the woman, who’s waving her arms around in protest, with cool eyes. Change it up, bring someone better.
Please stop waking me when I’m comfortably sleeping. You always wake me at weird times, and I’m always sleep-deprived.
It’s good to have enthusiasm, but I wish she’d consider those of us without it.
I remember a boss who was overly enthusiastic, always working late and sapping the willpower of the department. I’ve forgotten his name, though.
「Pacifist!? A Demon Lord, a pacifist!? Have maggots finally infested your brain!? This is a decree! The Great Demon Lord’s decree!! Do you understand what this means? Receiving a direct order from the Great Demon Lord is an enormous honor…」
I understand, and I am honored.
You just can’t beat sleepiness.
「…Change. Change it up. Bring back the lazy guy who was here before.」
「Huh? Change?」
「Yeah, you’re being subbed out. You’re noisy. I don’t like you.」
「Whaaaaaaaaat!?」
Her eyes widen dramatically, almost as if blue veins might pop out on her forehead.
The woman before me is a demon.
I’m a demon, and the Great Demon Lord is a demon as well.
However, saying ‘demon’ is rather broad, as there are various types of demons, categorized by their attributes.
In other words, there are several… I’ve forgotten how many, but you know, like those you might have heard about in myths, religions, manga, and so forth on Earth.
Um… you know, like ruin, destruction… some stuff like that… there are about seven or eight of them. Sounds quite pompous, doesn’t it?
「The previous guy retired! He felt pathetic just “loafing around”! Do you understand what this means! He learned his lesson by looking at you, the Demon Lord! Do you hear me!?」
「I see.」
「’I see’? That’s all you have to say!? Only two words!? Ahh, I’ve had it with this guy!」
It’s a rather unimportant story.
To start with, I barely remember the previous guy’s face. The only thing that I do remember is that he was quieter than this one.
I am a demon. My attribute is 『Sloth』.
A pillar among the Demon Lords, governing decay and abandonment, evasion and degradation, stagnation and decline, inertia and melancholy.
From within my futon, I peer at the underling of the Great Demon Lord.
「Do you really think… I would move?」
「Kuh… This man is…」
I’m not proud to admit this, but I am a man who can sleep endlessly. This isn’t because I’m a demon; it was like this even before I reincarnated.
I used to work just enough to survive, but on my days off, I would sleep all day. That’s why I don’t remember how or why I died.
Perhaps that’s a more fortunate fate than those who were reincarnated after being run over by trucks or stabbed by random assailants.
Well, it doesn’t really matter now.
Reluctantly, I give instructions to the woman who is still shrieking at me.
Being a Demon Lord, as the name suggests, isn’t exactly a walk in the park.
「Tell Kanon.」
With just those words, the woman falls silent.
Despite all her faults, she is loyal to her duty. She has been trusted enough to be dispatched to serve a Demon Lord, which shows her proficiency.
Once I finish what I have to say, I attempt to depart for the world of dreams once again, only to have my futon yanked by the woman.
「Wai… You haven’t said anything yet!! Why are you trying to sleep?!」
「…Figure it out.」
Even if I don’t exert my full strength, a demon of this caliber can’t obstruct my sleep.
As I feel my futon, arm, and hair being pulled, my consciousness falls into the abyss, towards the darkness of tranquility.
Episode 3
I’m not boasting, but I don’t spend all my time sleeping.
When I’m hungry, I eat. When my bed is being cleaned, I get up.
Yes, it’s not that I don’t work; I’m just not doing any work. I’m not a NEET, strictly speaking.
「You’re the worst… That’s what people in society call a NEET.」
「It’s passive income.」
「No, it’s not like you’re living this lifestyle for free!」
To me, it feels like I’m living for free.
I’m not particularly bothered, but I prefer my bed to be as soft as possible, so I try to get out of bed only during cleaning time. There was a proposal to change the bedroom daily, but I rejected it because I didn’t want to walk down the hallway. I’m not that desperate for a plush bed.
The biggest reason why I’m glad I reincarnated as a demon is that no matter how much I sleep, I don’t wake up with a headache.
I stretch and rise from my bed, sitting down on a large, sturdy wooden chair.
It’s my favorite. It’s quite old and apparently valuable, but I don’t know the specifics. Sitting on it and rocking back and forth reminds me of when I was a baby, being rocked in a cradle. It also makes me sleepy.
「Hey, bring me something.」
「Yes, here you go, Demon Lord.」
The maid who came to clean brings me a blanket with a smile on her face.
This is it. This is the kind of treatment befitting a being called the Demon Lord.
Being a Demon Lord isn’t just a name. I have subjects and territories.
These were bestowed upon me by the Great Demon Lord, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that these bestowed subjects all take care of me.
I’m not boasting, but I can’t clean, do laundry, or cook. The only thing I can do is sleep.
I thank her, receive the blanket, and wrap myself in it on the chair.
Then I, the Demon Lord, am shoved off by an underling of the Great Demon Lord.
Thrown off the chair with incredible force, my body flys, and I crash head-first into the wall.
Such brute strength. Each time I’m blown away, I’m reminded of the distant memories of when I was human and feel the reality that this is a different world.
Slowly, I wonder if it’s just my imagination that this woman’s treatment of me is deteriorating.
「Wha… Demon Lord!? Are, are you okay?!」
「Yeah.」
「Enough already!!」
The woman stomps her feet in frustration. Just by doing so, the supposedly barrier-protected floor creaks.
She has a face like a demon. Hmm, how long has it been since she came?
I’m lifted up by the maid and placed back on the chair without resistance.
The maid then points her finger at the underling of the Great Demon Lord.
As a subject of the Demon Lord, the maid is a demon, of course. I don’t know her attribute. And I don’t even know her name.
I’m bad at remembering other people’s names. I generally lack interest.
「You should be the one to stop, Liese Bloodcross! Even if you are an inspector directly under Lord Kanon, your attitude towards the Demon Lord is far too disrespectful!」
So, this woman’s name was Liese.
Now that I think about it, it seems like she introduced herself when she was first assigned here.
「Aaahh!? It’s because you guys are like this, that this Demon Lord never works!」
At that abusive remark, I had to step in.
「No, even without them, I have no intention of working.」
「As expected of Lord Lazy!」
The maid looked at me with sparkling eyes of admiration. I wonder if she knows that I don’t even know her name.
And, what exactly does she admire about me?
Well, it doesn’t matter.
I close my eyes with a resigned feeling.
「Don’t… don’t sleep! You just woke up!」
「Liese, the Demon Lord is resting! Be quiet!」
「Aaaahhh! Why are you guys so lenient on this Demon Lord!? Why is someone like this the Demon Lord!? He’s just sleeping all the time!」
Ah, so noisy.
I’ve had enough. Everything is troublesome.
There are many demons, but few Demon Lords.
The criterion to judge whether one is a Demon Lord or not is simple.
Class: 『Demon Lord』
That’s the determining factor for being a Demon Lord.
Class, a concept that didn’t exist in my previous life, is basically like a job.
By taking a class, the humans of this world gain some kind of mysterious superpower-like abilities… They gain skills. I don’t know the details, I don’t know the principles of how they work, and I don’t know if there are any such principles. What matters is that by acquiring something called a class, you gain convenient powers. Without any effort.
And those who reincarnate often end up being assigned special classes. Hero, Legend, Sage. These are all considered classes.
In my case, I had been born with the class of a 『Demon.』
Over years of leading a self-indulgent life, my class had somehow changed to 『Demon Lord.』 It seems class evolution is a common phenomenon. I vaguely recall someone mentioning advanced classes, but I don’t remember the details.
Anyway, without making any effort, I had become a Demon Lord, with inexplicable powers gained by some stroke of luck, which I can use freely.
In that sense, the answer to this woman’s question is simple.
I became a Demon Lord just by sleeping. It wasn’t my choice.
I have nothing more to say than that, and I don’t have a more elaborate answer.
I keep that to myself because it’s troublesome.
The woman puffs out her chest in frustration and bellows with a solemn voice.
「Demon Lord Lazy Slaughterdolls! As a member of the 『Black Disciples,』 directly serving the Great Demon Lord, I command you in the name of the Great Demon Lord Kanon! Lead our forces to the fiery abyss and annihilate the hostile Demon Lord, Granza Estard!」
「I don’t wanna.」
Why on earth should I bother going to some unknown place?
「What? You dare to refuse a command given under the name of the Great Demon Lord? Do you understand what that means?」
「……」
I thought about answering, “I don’t care,” but it seemed too troublesome, so I didn’t.
This woman and I are incompatible. I hate pointless things and hate troublesome matters even more.
I call over a maid who’s been peeking over from time to time and say a single word.
「Goodnight.」
「Very well…」
The maid bows respectfully and leaves with a light rustle of her clothes.
As soon as she does, I start to close my eyes again, only to be hit in the head.
Such a tremendous strength. My favorite recliner shatters beneath me, and cracks appear on the floor.
The woman’s arm is slender, about the same thickness as mine, which people often describe as a gourd.
However, we’re in a fantasy world where appearance and strength don’t match.
I glance over at the woman, panting and blushing furiously, and, since my favorite chair is gone, I lay down right where I am.
I can’t get into bed yet. It’s time to air it out. Moreover, crawling into bed would be too much of a bother.
The woman stares at me in disbelief as I lay down.
「…Ha, ha!? Y-you… is that all? What do you have to say for yourself?」
What a troublesome woman.
She resorts to violence too quickly, which is not good. This woman, being a direct subordinate of Kanon, is much stronger than an average demon. There are ranks among demons, and while there are ordinary demons and Demon Lords, she’s likely on par with a general, one rank below a Demon Lord. This world may be a fantasy world, but there are people whose personalities and positions don’t match, just like in my previous world. Well, in terms of abilities, they do match…
Such a nuisance.
「I’m against violence.」
She grabs me by the hem and shakes me back and forth.
The sight of a man being bullied by a tiny woman forms in front of my eyes. However, preventing me from falling asleep with just this… is impossible.
「What? You’re closing your eyes in this situation? Unbelievable, unbelievable, what kind of Demon Lord are you?!」
My cheek is slapped, a body blow lands perfectly.
An uppercut smashes my chin and a kick follows it. Her movements are smooth and refined, suggesting she’s accustomed to beating people.
This woman… shows no mercy to her superior, even on a business trip.
The impact sends the feather comforter flying, and the feathers inside scatter extravagantly.
I’ll have to send the bill to Kanon… Well, not that I’ll be the one doing it.
But as I was saying, preventing me from falling asleep with just this… is impossible.
It’s not that I am particularly resistant to pain. It’s simply that there’s no damage.
This is where things are different from Japan. In this world, which is far more systematic than my previous life, everything is assigned a value called HP. Unless this value decreases, I won’t feel pain or get injured.
Normally, HP decreases with hits or skill uses, but a judgment of resilience is applied here. To put it simply, the higher your Vitality, VIT…. the less damage you take.
Everything in this world is made up of parameters, creating clear disparities. Quite a nuisance, really.
Even as a Demon Lord, my VIT is ridiculously high. The woman’s attacks are all blocked by my VIT judgment, causing about as much damage as if I were hit by an infant.
No wonder I feel sleepy.
What an annoying woman though. What the hell is her attribute?
A tiny bit of curiosity sparks in me.
「You, your attribute is…」
That’s when I sigh. I roll over and look away.
「DON’T. YOU. DARE. STOP. NOW!!!」
She’s really too noisy. I’m not that interested in you.
I may start to talk, but in the middle, I lose interest.
The woman’s foot mercilessly stomps on my unguarded body. She kicks my face as if it’s a soccer ball, and a sword is pressed against my cheek.
There’s no need to bring out a blade. I’m not planning to say anything…
A few minutes later, only Liese, who is utterly exhausted from moving around, and I, who remain unscathed, are left.
「Haa…haa… This man… I knew it… but still… he’s so… tough…」
Well, of course. If I didn’t have high VIT, I wouldn’t be able to sleep with all these distractions.
My VIT is absurdly high, and I have an extremely high resistance to all attributes, status abnormalities such as high temperature, low temperature, poison, paralysis, and more.
It’s not like I was born this way. It’s a skill that comes with the class of Demon Lord.
Well, I’ll skip the details for now because they’re a hassle.
Liese looks at her palm in disbelief.
「This is… the Demon Lord of Sloth…」
Take a good look, listen, feel. This is my power.
And I wish you’d be quieter. I’m sure that’s the only path to happiness for everyone.
Episode 4
Although I’ve not asked for the position, being a king, even a temporary one, means I have underlings… subjects.
A Demon Lord is the mortal enemy of humans, the nemesis of the soldiers of God residing in a certain country. On top of that, we’re also targeted by selfish other Demon Lords and demons.
In other words, I have many enemies. Even though I’ve done nothing, I have many enemies. All the trouble is caused by the one at the top, Kanon, who recklessly insists on conquering the world, the heavens, and the Demon World. If I didn’t have underlings, I, who don’t want to fight, would be dead.
About once a quarter, heroes and other champions come to attack, and once or twice a year, soldiers of God come to assassinate me. Once or twice a month, I get caught up in the wars of the Demon World. What a pain. Apparently, I seem manageable among the Demon Lords because I don’t instigate fights. This world is truly coming to an end.
An underling of the Great Demon Lord named Liese reports to me, arms crossed in irritation, a look of displeasure on her face.
「Demon Lord Lazy Slaughterdolls, it is hereby declared, in the name of the Great Demon Lord Kanon, that you have distinguished yourself in your conflict with the Demon Lord of another country, Granza Estard, in the infernal prison, and are promoted to the third rank, and given the Magic Sword Celeste.」
「I see.」
I really couldn’t care less.
I accept the sword she reluctantly hands to me, look at it without much interest, and toss it onto the floor.
I don’t need a sword. Nor do I want a shield or a medal. I don’t even want a rank. All I want is peace and time.
「Aaaaaah! How dare you treat the Magic Sword gifted by Lady Kanon in such a manner!」
Liese hastily picks up the sword, holding it carefully as she glares at me.
I don’t know the difference between a magic sword and an ordinary one, and since I rarely leave my bed, I have no use for it. A kitchen knife would be more useful.
Well, I don’t use kitchen knives either.
「I can’t accept this. Why are you being promoted?! You’ve done nothing!」
「I don’t know.」
She should ask her master about that. It would save her time.
I’m tired just looking at her, so I lie down on my back in bed.
Liese had spectacularly ruined it, but it’s brand new now. At first, I missed my old bed, but I don’t care anymore. All I need is simple sleep.
I don’t know why I’m being promoted, and I don’t know what position I hold now. I don’t even know if the third rank is a high rank.
Everything is trivial.
But Liese is stomping her feet, probably because she doesn’t like my attitude. I don’t know how much time has passed since she came, but my impression of her as a beautiful woman is gone. The saying that one gets tired of beauty seems to be true. Now, her incessant nagging stands out, but I’m also getting used to it.
「I know! Your army was led by a demon named Deji the Usurper! He led them and defeated Granza’s army!」
「I see.」
Who is Deji the Usurper?
Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m not interested.
Seeing my face, Liese sighs. It seems that just as I’ve gotten used to her, she’s gotten used to me. That’s adaptability.
「It was a magnificent command. The rumor that the army of Lazy the Deprave is elite seems to be true. Granza’s army was treated like children… I understand why Lady Kanon tolerates your attitude.」
「I see.」
「Are you listening?」
「I see.」
Once again, I roll over, hugging my huge low-resilience pillow that’s about as long as I am. I love to sleep, but I also love lazing around after I wake up.
Liese, raising an eyebrow, takes my pillow away. With no other choice, I hug my blanket.
「Anyway, as a representative dispatched by the Great Demon Lord, I offer you advice. As a Demon Lord, you should award a medal to Deji, who has achieved a great feat.」
「I see…. Deji? Who’s that?」
「Whaaaaat?! Don’t tell me you don’t even remember the members of your own army?!」
That’s what it means to be lazy.
And I have absolutely no interest in a demon named Deji.
Reluctantly, I pointed to the sword that Liese was hugging.
「…Give him that sword.」
「What?! Are you serious? Give the Magic Sword, bestowed by the Great Demon Lord, to a mere demon, even if he has achieved great feats?」
「I don’t need it. I would rather have some bedding.」
Bed, pillow, or maybe a replacement for the recliner that she broke. Kanon is quite meticulous, so she’ll surely send me something good.
「A divine treasure… are you saying you, a demon, even a Demon Lord, are going to use a divine treasure?」[Sub29: It’s a wordplay. 寝具 (shingu) = bedding; 神具 (shingu) = divine treasure]
Liese’s gaze, as if looking at a monster, was a first for me.
She’s clearly misunderstanding something, but correcting her is too much of a bother.
「…That’s right.」
「I see… You’re not just an ordinary do-nothing…」
An ordinary do-nothing… Quite an amusing woman.
Well, she can say whatever she wants. I’m not interested in her words…
I roll over once more. The futon is warm and heavy, offering a sense of comfort.
Having completed all the tasks I needed to, I let out a wide yawn and close my eyes.
「Please wait, Master Lazy.」
Annoying. It’s always the same. Every time I try to take a break, someone is there to interrupt me.
Perhaps I should just fall asleep now…
「Demon Lord, it’s Deji,」
So, who is this Deji guy?
My shoulders shake as I’m nudged, and reluctantly, I lift my heavy eyelids.
A single man stands before me.
He’s a burly, muscle-bound giant. His clean-shaven face is flat, like a Noh mask, with enormous horns sprouting from his head.
But his most striking feature would likely be the total of six arms—three sprouting from each side.
And then, there are the six gleaming eyes, the disgustingly twisted mouth, and the fangs that gaze at me.
「Who are you?」
「As always, you’re the same, Master Lazy. I am Deji Blindark, Commander of the Third Legion under Master Lazy’s command.」
「I see…」
The demon named Deji speaks in a carefree manner that belies his intimidating appearance.
So, this is the Deji that Liese was talking about earlier… I see…
I honestly couldn’t care less.
「Do I know you?」
「Indeed you do, Master Lazy. It was you who appointed me as the commander of the Third Legion.」
「Is that so?」
I’m mildly curious about how many armies there are, but he must be quite high-ranking.
This demon named Deji, I can sense that he possesses quite substantial power.
「You, Master, overrode the objections of Miss Medea to appoint me as the commander of the Third Legion. As always, Master, you’re truly remarkable.」
Who’s this Medea? I glance at Liese, but she doesn’t seem particularly concerned. Likely, this is a demon known by everyone in my army.
Well, it doesn’t really matter.
I care little about his name, existence, or power. He can do as he pleases.
Rubbing my eyelids, I tell Deji,
「Yoha.」
「I am honored to meet Master’s expectations.」
Deji replies with reverence, prompting Liese to tilt her head.
「What does ‘Yoha’ mean?」
『Yo』ki ni『ha』kara e [Sub29: (よきにはからへ) = I’ll leave it up to you]
『Yoha』manzoku da [Sub29: (よは満足だ) = I’m satisfied]
It’s a unique word that carries two meanings. Tired of constantly giving orders, I came up with this rule. It’s convenient because they interpret it however they want and act accordingly.
Answering her is too bothersome, so I decide to ignore her.
「So, what do you want?」
「I humbly conjecture, Master, that you are deciding on my reward. Might I ask if this is the case?」
It doesn’t matter one way or another.
All that matters to me is how I can get a good sleep. That’s all.
I look down at Deji with a disinterested gaze. Of course, it’s too much trouble to verbalize this.
「Take this sword.」
Upon hearing this, Deji looks at the sword Liese is holding with eyes that glint like a predator that has spotted its prey.
But then, he licks his lips and looks back at me.
「It’s a great honor, Master, but there’s another gift I would prefer… No, it’s not that I don’t want the sword. As you can see, I have six arms…」
「Deji… How dare you, a mere demon, imply that the Magic Sword Celeste, a gift from the Great Demon Lord, is not enough?!」
Liese erupts in anger, but I raise my palm to silence her. My pillow creaks ominously, ready to burst at any moment. I want her to stop.
She’s loud. Annoying. It would be nice if she could keep quiet. I just want to sleep.
The demon of Greed. It’s only natural that he’s greedy.
And since I, Lazy, am the demon of Sloth, our desires never conflict.
I retrieve my pillow from Liese and prop it under my head, tracing the saggy patterns on the ceiling with my eyes as I answer.
「Do as you like.」
「Then, may I request a new ‘doll’, Master?」
That was unexpected.
Creating a new doll would be labor-intensive.
「…It’s troublesome.」
「I implore you, Master. Even the most basic type will suffice…」
He persists, the embodiment of greed. His fervor won’t abate until I agree, or until I kill him.
Which would be less trouble—getting rid of him or making a new doll?
It’s a tough call, but it seems this Deji has indeed achieved something significant.
If both tasks are equally troublesome, I might as well give him a doll.
I survey the room, picking up the nearest object—a candlestick on the side table.
It’s a candlestick designed to look like a skeleton. Too much trouble to look for anything else. I’ll give him this.
I toss it to Deji.
With a face beaming with joy, Deji respectfully accepts it, running his six hands over the ribcage.
「Master, there’s no soul in it.」
That’s because I didn’t put one in.
「Should I put one in?」
「…You jest. A doll without a soul is nothing more than an object. What I desire is a slaughterdoll.」
「I see.」
It seems I have no choice but to put in the effort after all.
Fine. Let’s get this over with.
Suppressing a yawn, I extend my finger toward the soulless skeleton doll.
I invoke my skill.
A mere activation is enough to imbue life into the doll.
A skill possessed by beings of my class, the Demon Lord class, can breathe life into dolls.
It’s a skill I excel at. That’s why I’m known as the Slaughterdolls.
「Is that satisfactory?」
「Ah, a blissful fortune. Could you also bestow upon it a name, perchance?」
Naming is a significant ritual for demons. A name embodies and determines power, so it’s no exaggeration to say that it’s crucial.
Why do I have to do something like that?
「…Next time you make a significant achievement.」
「…Kihkihkih, I understand. I will do my utmost to avoid being discarded.」
As the creaking laughter lingers in my ears, Deji easily backs off. His modest demeanor is rather surprising for a demon who embodies greed, but it’s an insignificant detail.
Without changing her stern expression, Liese, who stands rigid like a scarecrow, let him snatches the sword from her.
「Then, Master. I shall pay a visit again when I have achieved something.」
He deeply bows and leaves.
It’s not like he has to come back. I’ll give him anything he wants, no matter what or how much.
No need to refuse. Just do as you please.
But don’t get in my way.
Decadence and laziness. That’s the sole purpose of my existence. That’s all I desire.