The Legendary Rebuilding Of A World By A Realist Demon King Chapter 51

Operation Urgent Fury

Castle Ashtaroth was large.

It was practically a ruin when I was first given life in it, but after that, Eve had a team clean it up.

She gathered the human women, succubi and demihuman servants together and started 'Operation Urgent Fury.'

It was a large scale operation indeed.

This was an operation to repair this castle, which had been abandoned since the fall of its previous owner, Azazel.

I actually didn't mind that it was a bit dirty, but Eve said,

"That is ridiculous!"

With a shake of her head.

"This is the castle of the one who will one day be the Great Demon King. It must have an appearance that is worthy of such a king."

And so she oversaw the project.

With the minimal amount of resources and money, she would change this ruin of a castle.

And now the treasure room which had been covered in cobwebs was now s.h.i.+ning as if it was plated with gold. The hundreds of gla.s.s windows now lack a speck of dust.

There was now furniture all over the castle. While not expensive, they were tasteful and put in the right places.

After all, Eve had the Maid Skill, and her efforts affected all of the castle's facilities. Those that were unnecessary were closed, those that were necessary were focused on.

There was a team of maids that answered to Eve, but it was very small.

A new Demon King did not have enough money to hire so many, and so we operated with the bare minimum.

So any facilities that we had no plans to use for a while were closed.

The fountain in the castle's courtyard was turned off.

The fish from the lakes were sold to merchants and the profits used to lower the cost of running the place.

Kitchens were decreased in number until there was only one.

I wasn't interested in luxury, and it did not seem that we would be hosting parties for our powerful neighbors any time soon.

And so most of the guest rooms were also closed off.

Perhaps there would be a day when this castle would overflow with guests, but currently, there were just a few demon commanders and Tos.h.i.+zou Hijikata and Jeanne.

Neither of them was interested in fine living, and so the large guest rooms were closed one after another and they were given smaller rooms.

Still, Eve was thorough in ensuring that their rooms were kept clean, so they would have no reason to ever complain.

Eve would also decorate their bedside with flowers every day, which was well-received.

Even demons knew a thing or two about refinement.

And Jeanne was a young girl who appreciated such things.

"I do like flowers. Your maid understands the heart of a maiden."

And so she looked forward to seeing every new flower that was placed in her room.

However, Tos.h.i.+zou wasn't as impressed.

"I would rather have food.'

He said with disinterest.

Instead, he visited his brothel for entertainment.

Apparently, he had been quite the playboy in the Bak.u.matsu period, which he had lived in during his previous life. And some things never changed, and he would never be away for more than three days.

According to him, 

"They do not like it when I am absent for any longer."

He insisted.

In fact, one could hear them moaning whenever he visited.

I had seen him on his return several times, and he always had white powder on and smelled of perfume.

Once…

"So that's why the other human captains have been complaining about you."

I joked. He replied calmly.

"It is not me who has a monopoly on them, it is the exact opposite. Besides, flowers need to be watered, or else they will wilt."

He showed no interest in changing his ways.

In any case, it would seem almost unnatural if he stopped going, shaved his beard and began to meditate instead, and so I left him.

Besides, I had never heard of the man being violent towards women or sleeping with married wives or other such immoral acts. And the rumors flowed from both sides with each other's consent.

It was not for a ruler to try and control people to such a degree, in any case.

Now, to return to the subject at hand. Eve was running Castle Ashtaroth quite well, and unused facilities were closed under her watchful eye.

Among them, was the 'Colosseum.'

It was a place that the Demon King used to kill time or otherwise for the entertainment of the townsfolk.

Prisoners were made to fight each other and sometimes slaves.

Other times it was human against beasts or monsters.

It was similar to the colosseums of ancient Rome, but not quite.

It was a facility that offered entertainment to the people and also showed off the king's authority.

However, it was all a little barbaric for me, and so I doubted we would ever use the place. It was one of the first that we closed down.

However, it was the right place to use on this occasion.

After all, this was a match between Tos.h.i.+zou Hijikata and Jeanne d'Arc.

Not only my people, but even I was very interested in watching this.

While it could have been held on the training grounds a well, that would only allow about one hundred spectators. The residents of the town would not be able to watch.

And so at times like this, I thought that it would not be bad to offer a little circus for the people, just like the emperors of Rome.

And with that reason, I negotiated with Eve, who was in charge of closing the places down. She silently whipped out her abacus and began a battle with numbers.

She was calculating the cost of having such an event.

Eve was rather strict when it came to funds, and she did not look like she would make this easy.

"You look lovely in your outfit today. The white headdress looks especially pretty."

That brightened her dark mood and she promptly set funds aside for the restoration of the colosseum.

Lastly, she said,

"It was very good of you to notice that I was wearing a different headdress today."

And she smiled.

"You were…?"

I could say no such thing, of course.

Apparently, she had changed the shape of the lace to what was now fas.h.i.+onable in the western towns.

To be honest, the difference was so subtle that I would find it difficult telling the old and new ones apart even if they were right next to each other.

I was starting to get a reputation for not being able to see such details.

However, I was a strategist and I knew when to take advantage of a moment.

"Indeed, it is very beautiful. And it is very impressive that you are so quick to adopt the latest trends."

Eve looked truly happy when I said this.

"You are too kind."

And she bowed.