The old man and the Hero had left.
In other words, no one else was around.
Ah, being alone is wonderful.
{So, we're about ready for a detailed explanation, yes?} Oh, right. I wasn't actually alone because Queen was here.
First, I gave a brief rundown of how I'd gotten wrapped up in a war after leaving the dungeon.
{Oh, Jesus.} For some reason, Queen was lamenting.
To the point where, if she could facepalm, she would.
Why?
{Hey, main body.} What is it?
{Do you understand your current situation?} Yeah.
{If you do, then why the hell are you picking up MORE problems besides the Demon King!?} Y-Yeah.
Can't help it.
Got pissed off.
Lost my cool and went and did it.
{All "can't help it" this and that — shut up, you old fool!} Sorry.
{Haaah. Well, what's done is done. So, is there actually going to be a problem from meddling in the war?} Nope.
Honestly, with my current strength, no matter how many humans ganged up on me, I could repel them with ease.
{Well, from what you've described, that does seem about right.} Yep.
So no matter how much I meddled in human nations, I could handle it with brute force.
Might makes right. What a wonderful era we live in.
{Uh, this isn't some post-apocalyptic world, you know. There's still an established order and everything. As long as some pest isn't running around causing trouble.} I wonder what pest that could be referring to~ {So does that mean the only real problem right now is the Demon King?} Seems that way.
Even with all this commotion, Guriguri still hasn't made contact.
{About that Demon King, though — have you noticed?} Oh, yeah.
That thing's gotten pretty contaminated, hasn't it?
{What do you think is going to happen?} No idea.
Honestly, I can't predict it.
{Is that... okay?} It is NOT okay.
It's a huge problem.
{Hey.} I'm telling you.
Serious talk, though — if this keeps up, whichever outcome it is, win or lose, the Demon King's vessel has gotten so contaminated that it's going to be permanently altered. It won't go back to the way it was.
And I have no way of predicting what a contaminated Demon King's vessel will do.
I don't even know what the Demon King is really like as a person.
Worst case, we become enemies.
{Yeah, that's what I figured.} If that happens, I'm left with only one path.
Avoid direct confrontation, farm Experience Points wherever I can, and get as strong as possible.
And then climb all the way to the Administrator class.
{Can you do that?} Yeah.
Or rather, I think I'm already just one step away.
{I figured you could handle it, so I went ahead and gave the go-ahead for the other Queen vessels to start spreading the erosion.} Nice.
If I can integrate the Queens, the goal will be within reach in one fell swoop.
{What should I do from here on?} For now, probably just waiting to recover.
When the Demon King starts moving, your plan is to use teleportation to flee.
{Roger that.} The Demon King is still in the Lowest Layer, fighting the Earth Dragon.
It's been putting up a stubborn fight, but it looks like the battle will be decided soon.
Maybe one more day, give or take.
That said, the Demon King can't use teleportation, so even if the Earth Dragon falls, it won't mean immediate danger.
It'll take time for him to climb up from the Lowest Layer.
Factoring all that in, there's still a few days of leeway.
I want to do as much as I can in that time.
And along with that, there's something I need to do right now.
The Evolution took a significant toll on my SP.
I was already waiting to recover before the Evolution, so my SP reserves weren't exactly overflowing.
Now my Satiety stock has been completely depleted, and my SP is down to about half its maximum.
I need to eat.
But I don't really want to touch the food we have at home.
What's here also belongs to Queen, and it'd be better to prioritize her eating.
So I need to go procure food on my own.
Hmm.
Now that I've evolved into an Arachne, I have two mouths — one on my humanoid half and one on the spider half. Which one should I eat with?
If I did things the same as before, I'd use the spider mouth, but I'm curious what it'd be like to eat with the humanoid one.
Actually, this humanoid form — it's not just for show, right?
It's got proper digestive organs and all that, yeah?
My five senses seem to work fine on this side, and I can think through the humanoid form too, so there are probably proper organs.
Speaking of senses, if I ate with the humanoid side, would my sense of taste change or anything?
I can't imagine a spider and a human would have the same taste buds.
Which is all the more reason to get my hands on some food.
Ideally I'd want to eat something sweet, but I can't go to the city anymore.
Not after what I did.
Word probably hasn't reached the city yet, but I won't be worshipped as a Divine Beast anymore.
I helped them out plenty, but I also paid them back just as much in the worst way.
Thinking about it that way, I guess it's like I finally received compensation for all the work I did for free.
Fair trade, I'd say.
Well, whether they see it that way is another story.
They're probably telling themselves I betrayed them or something.
I should probably skip going back to the battlefield.
If I casually showed up at the battlefield again and started another massacre, it could put the Hero in a tough spot when he returns.
He's already suspicious enough for vanishing with me and coming back safe and sound.
I don't know how the Hero will be treated, but I'll leave that to the old man's expertise.
Leave it to him... can I really do that?
Now I'm getting worried.
Well, even if the Hero died in the worst-case scenario, it wouldn't be that big a loss for me. It'd be more of a "can't be helped" situation.
If anything, I'd just feel it was a waste.
Right then. Time to go shopping for food.
Fortunately, I have a lead.
Three massive pieces of meat I'd marked and left sitting around until now.
Well then, shall we go have our rematch?
Targeting the Earth Dragon trio. Teleport.