A Weak Demon Lord Started Livestreaming in a Bottom-Tier Dungeon and Went Viral?! After Completely Crushing Rude S-Rank Explorers and Annoying Streamers, the Internet Erupted in Praise. Um, I'm Supposed to Be the Enemy of Humanity, You Know? - 15

Chapter 15: The Weak Demon Lord Asks the Viewers for Advice

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“Olden-sama, what shall we do?”

“This is quite the predicament, isn’t it?”

I held my head in my hands alongside Al-san, standing before an empty treasure chest.

“Al-san, would you mind reporting the situation one more time? Just in case I was hearing things.”

“Currently, we are experiencing a severe shortage of items to place inside the treasure chests.”

“So it wasn’t an auditory hallucination after all…”

Right now, Tokyo Dungeon was facing a problem that threatened its very future. That problem, in simple terms, was the lack of treasure. Inside the dungeon, treasure chests were placed all over. They usually contained magic stones, enchanted tools, and other valuable items that would fetch a fortune if sold.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say people ventured into the dungeon specifically for these treasures. But now, those very treasures were critically lacking in Tokyo Dungeon.

No, the cause was already known. All that was left was to deal with it—but that was easier said than done.

“Are the others still unwilling to work?”

At my question, Al-san looked down with a guilty expression. Tokyo Dungeon wasn’t only inhabited by my skeletons. There were also slimes, goblins, orcs, and the like. They lived in the dungeon and were originally supposed to serve it.

However, right now, with the exception of Al-san, almost all the monsters had abandoned their duties. It seemed that during the reign of the dungeon’s previous-previous Demon Lord, everyone had been highly motivated. But after a change in leadership, things took a turn for the worse. 

The last Demon Lord had apparently been extremely unmotivated. That lack of drive had spread to the other monsters, and by the time I arrived, Tokyo Dungeon was in complete disarray. Al-san bowed her head apologetically.

“…As someone who works in the same dungeon, I apologize on behalf of our kind for abandoning our duties despite being in service to you, Olden-sama.”

“No, Al-san, you have nothing to apologize for.”

Monsters living in the dungeon generally had three main roles. One was “patrolling the dungeon.” This meant eliminating intruders like dungeon explorers.

The second was “repairing the dungeon and resetting traps.” Doing this properly made a world of difference. It not only improved combat outcomes but also helped prevent explorers from penetrating too deeply. However, both of these tasks could be entrusted to my summoned skeletons. While skeletons had low intelligence, I could install part of my experience and memories into them to make them capable of working at a human level.

But the third job—”creating treasure and placing it into the treasure chests”—was something skeletons couldn’t do. I could put the treasures into the chests, sure. But I couldn’t make the treasures themselves.

Which meant the task of replenishing treasure had to fall to the original monsters living in this dungeon. Unfortunately, those monsters had zero motivation and weren’t doing anything at all.

Now, what am I supposed to do about this?

“Ah, what if I put my humerus into the treasure chest instead?”

“That is a brilliant idea. I’m sure the foolish humans would weep with joy.”

“Al-san, that’s where you’re supposed to say ‘No, don’t do that!’ If I actually did it, it’d cause a massive scandal.”

“Is that so? Humans really are foolish creatures, aren’t they?”

Al-san tilted her head to the side adorably. If only she wasn’t so blindly devoted to me, she’d be a truly sweet girl. Well, enough joking around.

“It can’t be helped. I really didn’t want to resort to this, but…”

“O-Olden-sama, surely you don’t mean to punish the others who abandoned their duties—”

“I’ll just have to make the treasure myself!!”

“…Eh?”

“Worry not!! I’ve seen a friend of mine make all kinds of things before, so I’m sure I can make something if I wing it!!”

Skeletons couldn’t do what I couldn’t do. So, the simple solution was to become someone who could do it. It would take time, but it wasn’t impossible.

Thinking that, I tied a headband around my head and picked up a hammer. I hadn’t decided what to make yet—but I could figure that out as I went along.

“Olden-sama.”

Just then, Al-san called my name. I turned around, wondering what it was, and she asked me a question while still looking down.

“Olden-sama, are you really not going to punish everyone who’s refusing to work?”

“Punish them? Of course not.”

“Why not? Right now, the monsters living in this dungeon are abandoning their duties. Isn’t that wrong?”

“…Hmm?”

I didn’t quite understand the intent behind the question, but a serious question deserved a serious answer.

“Abandoning one’s duties? I think that’s perfectly fine.”

“Eh?”

“After all, everything starts with personal interest. If you’re forced to do something, all you’ll feel is ‘Ugh, I don’t want to.'”

“That… That may be true.”

“What matters most is your own will. Whether you want to do something or not—that’s what’s important.”

That had been my way ever since my time in the Demon Realm. If I didn’t want to do something, I wouldn’t. If I did want to do something, I’d pursue it thoroughly. That was the kind of life I’d lived—and the kind I’d continue to live.

Sure, it was the Great Demon Lord’s order that first sent me to the surface world. But the final decision had been my own. It was my own will that made me take an interest in human culture, to want to experience more, to learn more. I placed the utmost value on a person’s will.

“So no, I won’t punish them. Of course I’d be happy if they got motivated, but I won’t force them. And Al-san, you shouldn’t blame yourself so much either, okay?”

“…Understood. As you command.”

Alright, enough serious talk for now.

“Ha!? I just had a great idea!!”

“I believe it’s a splendid idea.”

“Wait, I haven’t said it yet!? No—wait! I’m not the straight man here!!”

“So, what idea have you come up with?”

“Ahem. Why don’t we just ask the humans directly what kind of treasure they want? On a livestream!! If it’s something in demand, the humans will be happy too!!”

Ah yes, you really should pursue things that pique your curiosity after all!

Streaming had started as a whim, but it turned out to be quite useful. I took Al-san with me to a hidden room and quickly set up the equipment.

“Okay. I’m starting the camera, Olden-sama.”

“Thank you, Al-san. …Greetings! This is Demon Lord Olden!!”

I waved at the camera Al-san was holding, and the responses came pouring in.

『Another surprise livestream! Let’s goooooooo!』

『There are so many people here even though it’s a weekday afternoon. LOL』

『I knew something was coming so I’ve been waiting in the nude.』

There were some weird ones mixed in, but we were getting good engagement. I explained the situation right away.

“—And that’s why I’m thinking of making a new treasure for the chests. Does anyone have any good ideas?”

『Wait. You actually need to restock it manually?!』

『I thought they just get refilled automatically… I’m really sorry about that…』

『Who cares about that?! Just show us more of Lady Al-chan!!』

There were all sorts of reactions. It made me realize again just how little humans knew about dungeons.

『Well, it’s gotta be weapons and armor, right?』

『As an explorer, I’d love to find healing potions inside.』

『Al-chan’s used underwear or socks. Her shoes would be fine too.』

Hmm. Weapons, armor, potions. Maybe I could get minerals and herbs from the Demon Realm and try making those. As for the last suggestion about Al-san’s used underwear or socks…  That suggestion was definitely declined. Because, well—

“Tch, filthy lowlifes.”

Al-san clicked her tongue. Lately she hadn’t shown outright hostility toward humans, but… Well, I couldn’t blame her for reacting like this either.

“Everyone, thank you for your valuable input. I’ll definitely take your suggestions into consideration!”

『Wait, that’s it? You’re going to end the livestream now?』

“Hmm, true. It feels a bit abrupt to end here, so maybe we’ll chat a bit more—”

And then it happened. A skeleton I was sharing vision with spotted a large group entering the dungeon.

“Oh my, it looks like quite a crowd just entered the dungeon.”

『Oh yeah, I heard today that students from the Explorer School are going to do a field exercise in Tokyo Dungeon. My cousin’s niece’s friend’s little brother told me.』

“Explorer School? That name suggests it’s a school that trains dungeon explorers?”

『Yeah. You don’t have to attend it—if you’ve got magic and pass the exam, you can still get licensed—but graduating from the academy guarantees qualification and you can get direct training from famous explorers.』

“Oh my, learning directly from experts sounds wonderful.”

Indeed, the group did seem young. Aside from the middle-aged man who looked like their supervisor, everyone seemed to be in their mid-teens. Nothing unusual, really….

Wait, huh? …HUUH!?

“W-What is with this young girl!?”

『Huh? What’s up?』

“T-This is impossible!! She’s this compatible with magic despite being human!?”

『Wait, what’s happening??』

I was visibly shaken as I laid eyes on one particular girl. The amount of magic she held in her small body far surpassed me at my peak—and even rivaled that of the Great Demon Lord. I completely forgot I was streaming as I stared at the girl in astonishment.

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Afterword:

One fun fact about Al’s socks. Even after wearing them all day, they still smell floral. How mysterious.