Dark Lord's Answer

"You wouldn't expect that a man of such great power and wickedness would be in the business of helping any person who requested it. But whether it makes any sense or not, that's the reputation the Dark Lord has: If you approach the Dark Lord for help, he'll give you an answer and your goal will be achieved. The price is that his answer might violate the rules of righteous conduct. To put it another way, he's like an ancient wisewoman who lives in a high mountain cave and speaks in riddles, except that he's a villainous lord."

The country of Santal is perishing, and nobody knows why. His country's plight has driven Prince Nama over far roads to consult the famed Dark Lord for answers. On arriving there, he finds a mightily muscled sage in black armor, just as the stories say. And, chained to the Dark Lord's throne, a mysterious slave-woman with round ears. Round ears? There's nowhere in the world where people have round ears, is there?

Content warnings: sexual abuse, economics.