Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna
Source: Syosetu

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TL Notes:
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Chapter 347


　Regardless of the circumstances, all six squad members safely made it through the training exercise.
　And they did so by realizing the intention hidden within the exercise on their own.
　The first stage was to train the squad members until they reached a certain level, but once they had, there was another problem.

　That was the need for someone familiar with the terrain and such when venturing into the monsters' territory.
　I hate to say it, but I have practically no knowledge about that sort of thing.
　As part of my travels, I know how to read a map to some extent, but I have no confidence that I could accurately make my way through the depths of a dense forest... especially a place where even my sense of direction would likely become dull.
　I did ask Koga if he knew anything about it, but his answer was———,

"I don't know either."

　And so, in a sense, I ended up getting the answer I had expected.
　However, there was no way the Demon King hadn't thought about something like this, so I had someone knowledgeable about the geography and such within the Demon King's city recommended to me.
　Along with the scroll I had requested early that morning, the letter of recommendation listed several candidates, and among them was someone I happened to know quite well.

"———So, that's the situation, Hannah-san. Would you be willing to help?"

　Somehow, ever since coming to the Demon King's city, Hannah-san, the former commander of the Third Corps, had found herself taking part in all sorts of activities.
　On the very day she was given the letter of recommendation, I brought up the matter with her while she watched our subordinates perform “clap push-ups”.

"Haah, I understand."
"Right. You're going to refuse, aren't you... Eh?"

　I had expected her to refuse without a second thought, but she actually accepted?
　As I stood there in surprise, Hannah-san glared at me with a sullen look in her eyes.

"I’m probably the only one who is familiar with the terrain and has the ability to enter the monsters’ territory. More importantly, who would willingly go to a place where vicious monsters live?"
"That's true, but..."
"Besides, unless it’s someone who’s used to your strange behavior, Usato-kun, they will definitely lose their sanity."

　That’s a terrible way to put it.
　Am I really being regarded as some kind of crazy person who needs a sanity check because of my usual behavior?

"It really can’t be helped. It’s really, really troublesome, but there are no other candidates besides me who can handle a certain amount of combat, so I’ll reluctantly accept."
"I-I see... Thank you very much."

　Whatever the reason, I’m glad she agreed.
　Rather than going together with someone I was meeting for the first time, it’s better to have someone I already know to some extent and can trust.

"Besides, knowing the Demon King-sama, I know there’s no point in refusing anyway."
"No, if you refused, I would just ask someone else. ...Do I really look like such a nasty person?"
"I wouldn’t say you have a bad personality, but I do think you have the heart of a Devil."

　What kind of expression is that?
　I’m really starting to be treated as something non-human even on the inside.
　This is a bad sign, mm.
　I clap my hands once more, then try acting angry, something I learned through my interactions with Nero-san.

"What part of me is Devil-like...!!"
"What are you talking about when you’re the one who created this situation...?"

　In the direction of Hannah-san’s gaze were my subordinates, continuing to do push-ups in silence in time with my clapping.
　There was none of the commotion they had shown on the first day of training anymore. Seeing them now, all of them doing push-ups at the same speed and with the same movements to the beat of a single clap, I stopped my hands from clapping and turned my gaze back to her.

"...An everyday occurrence in the Rescue Squad."
"Is that so, Nea-san?"

　Why is she asking Nea about this?
　Nea, who has been perched on my shoulder looking sleepy for a while now, looks at the scene in the training grounds while rubbing her eyes with her wings.

"Hmm, the harshness is about the same."
"What kind of environment do you people live in?"

　She must have stayed up late reading a book.
　After Hannah-san called out to her, Nea yawned and fully woke up, then spoke to me with a slightly taken-aback look.

"Usato, now that I look closely, they’ve become just like the humans I controlled."
"...Good."
"Hey, what exactly is good about this?"

　I can’t deny that I may have gone too far, but perhaps this could be an effective tactic against Devils.

"Nea, Hannah-san. Devils are dangerous beings that try to deceive people’s hearts."
"Like you?"
"Like Usato-kun?"

　...

"That’s when I came up with an idea."
"... What is it?"
"If, by any chance, they were to fall under the influence of a Devil... I thought that maybe I could wake them up with the clapping of my hands."
"Isn't that just brainwashing them back?"
"Why is this person trying to defeat a Devil’s magic power with nothing but a clap?"

　I tried to say something appropriate and gloss over it, but that didn’t work.
　In fact, they’ve already cleared the mental hurdle.
　From the initial training all the way through the exercise, I pushed them so hard that I feel like I may have gone too far.
　The only thing I’m still worried about is the Devils’ mental interference, though.

"...Ah"
"What's wrong?"
"That’s right. We already have one right here, don’t we? A Devil"

　I suddenly realize this as I see Vina-san, the Devil who is currently doing push-ups exactly as she is told.
　I hadn’t thought of it at all because she was here training as if it were the most natural thing in the world, but with her here, we might be able to come up with an effective way to deal with Devils.
　Once I realized that, the next step was clear.
　I stopped clapping for the moment and approached where Vina-san was.

"Hah, what was I doing!?"
"You’re in the middle of training. Don’t make such a fuss..."
"Why is El-san still sane!?"

　I smile wryly at Nono-san, who suddenly starts making a fuss, and call out to Vina-san.

"Vina-san, come here for a moment."
"Ha, eh, ah, uhm! I’m still in the middle of training———"
"Come"
"Right away!"

　As I called her over despite her showing a moment of resistance, as if she didn’t want to stop the burden of training, I turned back toward El-san and the others, who were looking at me with puzzled expressions.

"Sorry for stopping the training. Please continue training as you were."
"So you really are turning Vina into your servant...?"
"I’m not."

　While warning El-san about the outrageous things she was saying, I returned to where Nea and the others were together with Vina-san.
　...Wouldn’t it be okay to reveal Vina-san’s true identity to just the squad members now?
　I don’t think it would be strange for someone like El-san to have noticed by now.

"So, what are you planning to do after bringing her here?"
"Are you going to dissect her?"
"Hiihn"
"I won’t, I won’t."

　I’m a little taken aback by the terrifying things Hannah-san says so casually with a smile.
　... Surely she’s joking, right?

"Vina-san. Is it possible for an ordinary person to have resistance to a Devil’s magic power?"
"Hmm, it’s difficult to say. Some people have it, while others don’t... There’s more to it than that, though. Things like experience and where someone was born also matter."

　When I first bring up the subject, for some reason, she answers while looking a little disappointed.
　When it comes to Devils, it’s quicker to ask a Devil.

"Our Devils’ magic power is, so to speak, temptation."
"Temptation?"
"It numbs the heart and dulls the mind. You could also describe it as becoming intoxicated. It is almost impossible for a human to resist it unless they are exceptionally strong."

　Then does that mean the only ways to resist are to be someone with strong mental fortitude like me, or to have Nea’s resistance curse?
　I assume that people with a certain level of strength can resist it to some extent, judging from how it feels, but even then, it’s safe to assume that they are still affected to some degree.

"We Devils exploit those openings in the heart and lead humans astray."
"I see. So that’s how you mentally corner them, make them suspicious of one another, and get them to fight each other. Devils really are pretty despicable monsters."
"That’s right. Manipulating people’s minds is just the worst, isn’t it."

　A vampire who can control people and an Illusion Mage who can make people fight each other with illusions are saying something.
　Come to think of it, all three of them have abilities that affect the mind.

"Don’t we have a lot of people here with abilities that can mentally corner others?"
"That’s right. There are four of us."
"Indeed. The four people here do share the same thing in common."
"I’m a Healing Mage, you know?"

　When I said that, Nea and Hannah-san snorted.
　As I resolved to get a little revenge someday for being treated so unfairly, Vina-san casually created a pink magic bullet in the palm of her hand and spoke to me.

"Usato-san. For now, would it be okay if I hit you with my magic power?"
"? Sure, I don’t mind."
"Usato-kun. After what we just talked about, I don’t think you should be giving her permission so easily..."
"Here I go!"

　Vina-san ignored Hannah-san’s surprised reaction and hit me with a slightly pinkish magic bullet.
　There was some impact from the magic bullet, but nothing in particular seemed to happen.

"Uwaa, it really doesn’t affect you at all. How did you develop such strong mental strength?"
"Mainly through training and getting used to the mental attacks from several hundred souls bound by Samarial’s curse."
"...Eh~tto. Do you think I’m stupid?"

　It’s a fact, though.
　She said that with a confused look on her face.

"Hey, Usato. It’s so funny that a Devil can’t believe it that I feel like I’m going to laugh."

　I glared at Nea, who looked like she was about to burst out laughing, even though I knew it wouldn’t have any effect.
　Well, at least now we know that Devil magic has absolutely no effect on me.

"...For now, we need to come up with a way to deal with Devils."
"A way to deal with them? What are you going to do? Have every squad member learn Magic Perception?"
"No, that won’t be in time. In the first place, I don’t even know if Magic Perception is a skill that anyone can use."

　It might depend on the nature of their magic, or it might depend on the person’s own aptitude.
　We don’t have enough time to find that out.
　...
　It can't be helped.

"Training is suspended for now!!"

　I stopped the soldiers who were silently going through their training.
　I looked around at them, who were all looking at me with suspicious expressions, and first I imbued the gauntlet I had deployed on my arms with magic.

"Ha, Usato, what are you planning to do———"
"Healing Magic Barrage"

　I swung my arm around in a circle, scattering magic power around us, and confirmed that there was no one here other than us.
　I turned back to the confused squad members and pushed Vina-san, who was standing beside me, forward.

"Vina-san’s true identity is a Devil."
"...Haeh?"
"""Ha?"""

　Everyone let out stunned voices.
　That was only natural, but it was only a matter of whether they found out sooner or later, so it would be better to just tell them now.

"Please return to your original form."
"I-Is it really okay?"
"It is."

　Though hesitant, Vina-san dispelled her magic and returned to her original Devil form.
　I urged the squad members, who were showing shocked expressions and growing restless at her transformation, to calm down before explaining the situation.

"Actually, she is a Devil who came here from the enemy side to spy on us, but after everything that happened, she decided to cooperate with us."
"..."
"However, her position here has not changed. She is a member of the squad, and she will not be treated any differently."

　... From the looks of it, they’re surprised, but no one seems to be against having her here.
　Just as I was feeling a little relieved, El-san raised her hand.

"What is it?"
"Eh~to, is a Devil one of those things you’re always called...?"
"...?"
"N-Never mind."

　I tilted my head with a smile plastered on my face, causing El-san’s face to turn pale as she backed away.
　Hahaha, I wonder why.
　... Nea and Hannah-san, who burst out laughing behind me, I’ll remember this.

"This is classified information that must not be leaked to the outside, but I thought I should reveal it to you since you’re all in important positions."
"..."
"The exploration into the monsters’ territory. The obstacle to this mission is the interference of Devils."

　There is a reason the Devils are particularly hostile toward me, but that is only part of it. The main issue is the struggle over the sealed power of the Demon King.
　The troublesome power of the Demon King must never be allowed to fall into the hands of the Devils.
　For that reason, we need to do what we can within the short amount of time we have left.

"I’ll explain the details of the exploration at the appropriate place, but for now, we need to focus on how to deal with the special magic power possessed by Devils."

　This is where the countermeasure against Devils comes in.
　While explaining the danger of the magic power possessed by Devils as briefly as possible, I move on to the training I am about to have them undergo.

"From now on, I’d like all of you to enter the influence of Vina-san’s magic power."
"Eh, eh~to, Usato-san?"
"Here he goes again, saying something weird."

　If we have a Devil here, there’s no reason not to make good use of that.
　If we learn about Devil magic power, it will be easier to come up with countermeasures, and more importantly, we might even be able to build up resistance to it.

"Devil magic power is troublesome because it can affect the mind. You’ll need to learn how their magic power feels, as well as develop the mental strength to resist it. That will be a new part of your training."
"So, we’re going to train as usual?"
"Yeah"

　The training would basically involve continuing to resist the sweet temptation to escape from the painful training.

"If anyone has any objections, speak up now."
"Ah..."

　Nono-san starts to raise her hand here, but when she sees everyone around her not moving an inch, along with El-san burning with the kind of defiant spirit that seemed to say, “I’ll do it!”, she reluctantly lowers her hand.

"Nono-san, you’re allowed to refuse, you know?"
"I'll do it..."

　W-Why does your voice sound so faint...?
　I'm not forcing anyone to do it, though.

"U-Uhm, Usato-san?"
"Then, Vina-san. Please start right away."
"Hiihn, I have no say in this at all...!"

　You’re the one who said you would cooperate, after all.

"Even though I’m a Devil saying this, I’ve grown quite attached to these people, you see. So I feel a little reluctant to use my power to tempt them..."

"You’re not such a bad person after all. ...Though you’re a pervert."
"Devils are surprisingly warm-hearted, huh? ...Though you’re a pervert."

　It seems that, in the end, El-san and Nono-san had a pretty harsh opinion of her.

"Vina-san, don’t worry. I’m not asking you to use enough power to make them lose their senses. It’s enough to make them feel a stronger urge to take the easy way out while remaining perfectly sane."
"W-What happens if I take it easy?"
"? Obviously, it’s training. What are you talking about?"
"Are you perhaps a Devil?"

　Aren’t you the Devil here?
　For some reason, I ended up being declared a Devil by a Devil.

"Don’t worry. Vina-san, I’d like you to participate in the training while releasing your magic power as well. It’ll be extremely difficult, but if it gets too hard, you don’t have to do the training———"
"I'll do it."

"She’s completely been trained, hasn’t she..."
"Vina-san has already been turned into a servant in just a few days."

　That was the answer I wanted to hear.
　Before starting the training, I’ll have to tell Ururu-san and Keira to be careful not to be affected by Vina-san’s magic power.
　Of course, I also intend to monitor them from within the range of Vina-san’s magic power, together with my subordinates.

"I’m worried about how much we can accomplish with only a few training days left, but it’s better than doing nothing."

　There’s also Shia to worry about, in addition to the Demon King’s power.
　If I have to stop her if she gets swept up in the Hero’s power... then I’ll have to face the same Light Magic as Hisago-san.

——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Author's Notes:
The Devil-style training that constantly puts a strain on their mental state is about to begin.