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| </noinclude>Prologue: Escape | | </noinclude> |
| Yuuki Kagurazaka is a genius.
| |
| In the original world, Yuuki had special powers. A mental ability—that is, a psychic power of the mind,
| |
| a superpower that he used throughout his life.
| |
| That being said, he never had an intention of doing anything with it, because he knew that letting others
| |
| find out that he had this power might get him caught up in something while demonstrating it.
| |
| Day-to-day life was boring, but he still had a good time.
| |
| Both his parents were good to him, and he had quite a few friends.
| |
| Making money wasn't hard for him at all, and as long as he wanted it, he could get it.
| |
| There was no dissatisfaction.
| |
| And then one day...
| |
| Yuuki was suddenly met with misfortune.
| |
| He was just starting high school when his both of parents died in an accident.
| |
| His parents were not at fault. While in the same car, the whole family was hit by a truck whose driver
| |
| was dozing off.
| |
| Only Yuuki, who was sleeping in the back seat, was spared.
| |
| He felt it was too unfair.
| |
| Yuuki hated that hit-and-run, but he couldn't do anything about it. Japan is a country under the rule of
| |
| laws, and individual acts of revenge were not legally sanctioned.
| |
| The results of the trial came out and he eventually learned some more facts.
| |
| That is, transport companies still take on commissions with tough conditions even if they can't handle it
| |
| with their current processing power.
| |
| In the end, that burden is placed on frontline employees to continue working while still knowing that
| |
| they are overworked.
| |
| That driver was also a victim.
| |
| Then it should be the transport company that is at fault. But that’s not the case either.
| |
| If the company refuses a large client's commission, their client might not come back to place an order
| |
| in the future. If old friends come to place orders, that is not so easy to refuse either.
| |
| While this would naturally improve the nature of the business, it is also not easy to hire skilled drivers.
| |
| So even if the company wants to hire young people to train, their current situation is that they don't have
| |
| that kind of power to begin with.
| |
| What is this? Yuuki lamented.
| |
| | |
| There are too many things in this world that do not make sense, and his own power is too small.
| |
| Who do I really have to blame?
| |
| To put it bluntly, the problem lies in the whole social construct itself.
| |
| Yuuki would have loved to take revenge on such a society.
| |
| But he couldn’t do anything. Because he was a genius, he immediately figured out what his limits were.
| |
| The world is highly developed.
| |
| Even with his powers, a slightly stronger personal power won't change anything. There is no chance of
| |
| winning against the entire world, and even if he did, he couldn’t see a future.
| |
| Yuuki had wanted to destroy this society with self-abnegation and build it up from scratch...but that
| |
| would have set a lot of people up for misfortune.
| |
| Yuuki couldn't do any better.
| |
| If he really wants to change society as a whole, he can only take it one step at a time, slowly adding
| |
| partners who think like himself. If that’s the case, then becoming a politician and improving the country
| |
| to make it what he wants it to be is the only solution that Yuuki can think of.
| |
| It takes patience to walk this path, but if he is serious it's possible, even though it’s a future that can
| |
| take decades.
| |
| Yuuki was distressed...
| |
| But before a decision was made, he ended up taking a trip to another world.
| |
| Was this lucky or unlucky for him?
| |
| It was the Demon Lord Kazaream's spite that called Yuuki to this world.
| |
| Although he had lost his physical body with only his spiritual body left, he hadn't lost the power of
| |
| being a "spell king.”
| |
| He had spent some time preparing himself to be resurrected.
| |
| In order to do so, one must summon a physical body corresponding to one's own spiritual body.
| |
| Of course he had to be sure to check carefully that the person of the summoning is not constrained. Just
| |
| in case, this ritual can't go awry, use your dominant power to engrave the spell seal and then summon.
| |
| The called will have their hearts crushed without knowledge. Immediately afterwards, Kazaream would
| |
| take the soul power of the opponent and then take the flesh to bring himself back to life, and that was the
| |
| full picture of the plan.
| |
| But Kazaream missteps to summon Yuuki. The spell he cast didn't do anything for Yuuki.
| |
| Because Yuuki is a genius and has seen how the world works.
| |
| When he crosses over to this world, he gets the power he wants.
| |
| | |
| That is the power that can change the world.
| |
| It was a pure energy, free to change essence, a "soul force".
| |
| Its name - the unique "creator" of technology...
| |
| He told Rimuru that he didn't have any special powers, and of course those were all lies.
| |
| First, he uses this ability to create the Ability Blocking, which nullifies foreign attacks.
| |
| In this way, Kazaream's ploy was broken.
| |
| And he lost to Yuuki and fell in line.
| |
| And Yuuki finds the meaning of being in this world.
| |
| The world of the weak and the strong still has a long way to go before it is fully developed, and the
| |
| mechanisms in place are still incomplete. That being the case, Yuuki thought that all he had to do was
| |
| become the ruler of this world and guide it in the right direction.
| |
| He was determined to challenge this unjust world head-on.
| |
| Yuuki's code of conduct is to play the battle card to the world.
| |
| To conquer the world—to that end, Yuuki sets out.
| |
| ***
| |
| Yuuki led Laplace, Footman, and Tear out of the chaos of the Great Hall.
| |
| Immediately after, a line of men attempted to escape from the sacred royal state of Ruberios.
| |
| As much as it was tempting to stay there and observe the situation, they felt it was dangerous to remain
| |
| on the scene.
| |
| Chronoa, the "Gutsy One" who went into an out-of-control state, was not that easy to deal with and was
| |
| not something Yuuki had the means to check. The opponent is completely indistinguishable from the
| |
| enemy and treats everyone on the scene as if they were the enemy, a very formidable opponent.
| |
| It's because of this that Granbell wanted to join forces with Yuuki, right?
| |
| Although Yuuki felt very bad about it, his opponent was slightly better this time.
| |
| "But this time it's really been a lot of trouble. It's a long way to go before the Demon Lord Ruminas is
| |
| revealed and the den has a chance to take advantage of him, and he's just about to get his hands on
| |
| Daredevil.”
| |
| "Hehehe, that powerful force is already something from another dimension. It's a shame we can't get
| |
| that kind of stuff, but if we go after that guy, everyone on the scene will be killed, right?”
| |
| Hearing Laplace complain, Footman responded thus.
| |
| | |
| In fact, Footman is right, but Yuuki has doubts about this, thinking that the hero may not be able to kill
| |
| everyone easily.
| |
| "You don't know that, do you? In any case, demon lord Rimuru was also crazy strong. Plus there's
| |
| Ruminas and Leon over there. With three demon lords present, as well as several powerful Monsters, both
| |
| sides had a chance to win.”
| |
| "That's right. That Granbell was a former hero, and he was very good at it. People can't guess who the
| |
| final winner will be.”
| |
| Laplace and Tear don't seem as optimistic as Footman. Like Yuuki, they think the Rimuru crowd is
| |
| likely to win.
| |
| For Yuuki, a Chronoa victory is indeed the best result.
| |
| If this were possible, in addition to the thorny enemy Rimuru, the obstructive Granbell, the future
| |
| threatening Ruminas, and the hated Leon of Laplace and others, the bad guys who did them good would
| |
| disappear, and the shaped form would be able to rule the whole West.
| |
| While the remaining Chronoa is tough, there's nothing to fear from losing your self-will. They could
| |
| also find a random magical creature to bait and drive her to the far end of the desert.
| |
| With empty power, such an opponent is not a threat to Yuuki.
| |
| So he originally wanted to make sure and see who the last person who survived was, but...
| |
| "No, running away is the right thing to do. If it happens, we probably won't be able to get away with it,
| |
| and besides..."
| |
| There was a bad feeling—Yuuki’s intuition told him so.
| |
| In order to decide on the way forward, he should have analyzed the trend of that big mess. Despite
| |
| thinking so, Yuuki trusted his instincts and chose to run away.
| |
| If Chronoa lost the battle, the few demon lords who survived would surely see them as a thorn in their
| |
| side. Rimuru should have also found out that Yuuki had committed a betrayal, and probably couldn't find
| |
| any more excuses to stall.
| |
| All the strongholds and positions previously established in the Western world will be lost as a result of
| |
| this mistake.
| |
| If there’s anything to blame, it's for being so stupid as to have taken the Granbell path, Yuuki thought.
| |
| That's why he’s all on his own.
| |
| Because of this, now that he has chosen to run away, Yuuki is no longer confused. Being able to simply
| |
| do the cutting was an advantage for Yuuki, and he'd been able to get through countless difficulties with
| |
| that kind of judgment.
| |
| So this time too, Yuuki thought so.
| |
| However...
| |
| He immediately found such an idea to be too naive.
| |
| | |
| Things came so suddenly that Yuuki and the others were about to bolt when a man stood in front of
| |
| them.
| |
| Next to him was a blue-haired beauty who made people's eyes glaze over.
| |
| However, this beautiful woman was wearing a very abrupt dark red maid outfit.
| |
| “—!”
| |
| "Who the hell are you?”
| |
| Sensing the danger, Yuuki stopped in his tracks.
| |
| Even when Laplace asked the other party who he was, the man didn't answer. He kept looking at Yuuki,
| |
| not looking at the others at all.
| |
| "Well, since you're trying to get in our way..."
| |
| Footman, who was standing in front, tried to get rid of the man and the beautiful woman, but someone
| |
| suddenly appeared and pinned Footman to the ground.
| |
| It was a woman, dressed in a dark red maid outfit of the same style as the blue-haired beauty.
| |
| Her hair was green.
| |
| The real identity, of course, goes without saying. It is Mizari, who was secretly messing around in the
| |
| Kingdom of Ingracia not long ago. The battle plan was suspended because of the presence of Testarossa,
| |
| and then the fire rushed to this place.
| |
| Since Mizari had come all the way over, it was clear from this that the blue-haired beauty's true identity
| |
| was Rhein. Then it is natural that who they follow is the one that there will be no second in the world.
| |
| He is the Demon Lord - Guy Crimson.
| |
| He is known as the Lord of Darkness, the most powerful overlord of all.
| |
| Red hair, thicker and deeper than blood, flowed, and bright red eyes glittering with gold and silver
| |
| starlight looked down at Yuuki from above.
| |
| "Hi. We should be meeting for the first time. You should be happy. Because I'm interested in you.”
| |
| Guy's eyes were firmly locked on Yuuki.
| |
| The others couldn't get into his eyes at all.
| |
| Seeing this, Yuuki didn't know whether he should cry or laugh.
| |
| When Footman was swung three or two times by Mizari, he could see just how much strength his
| |
| opponent had.
| |
| It should be said that the three in front of them had different hair colors, and two of them were wearing
| |
| very special maid outfits. Kagali, that is, Kazaream, and Clayman, who had mentioned some characters,
| |
| and these three corresponded to the characteristics of those people.
| |
| | |
| In other words, this man standing at the top of the world is what Yuuki is after.
| |
| As long as his ambition is to conquer the world, one day he must face off against this enemy.
| |
| "So, you are the most powerful demon lord, Guy Crimson. It's an honor to meet you. My name is Yuuki
| |
| Kagurazaka. I didn't think you'd come to me on your own initiative, are you planning to join forces with
| |
| me?"
| |
| Not being overwhelmed by Guy’s aura, Yuuki smiled in response to the other.
| |
| Of course, there's no such thing as good things under the sky. Just by looking at how they dealt with
| |
| Footman, it was clear that Guy and others could not have come running to construct a friendly
| |
| relationship with themselves.
| |
| Yuuki understands this, but he still talks to him intimately.
| |
| It's his unique negotiation skill.
| |
| In order to get to the bottom of the other person and find out what he is up to, he will say some
| |
| inexplicable things in order to test his reaction.
| |
| "Ah-ha-ha-ha! You're a funny guy. My opponent is me, and I have the guts to do so. The offer may not
| |
| be bad, but you seem to be the enemy of Leon. Besides, you're going to the East, right? Personally, I don't
| |
| want to see an increase in battle strength on Rudra's side."
| |
| Bargaining broke down.
| |
| Anyway, Yuuki didn't think the other party would accept the offer in the first place. But rather than
| |
| wallowing in regret, Yuuki was more focused on chewing over the message revealed by Guy's words.
| |
| | |
| Rudra was the name of the emperor of the Eastern Empire, the united empire of the East of Nazca-
| |
| Namlium-Ulmeria.
| |
| | |
| The way it sounds, Guy and Rudra have some kind of relationship and the two are in a hostile position.
| |
| —so get rid of us before we meet up in the East? Although it wasn't quite ideal to go up against the
| |
| strongest demon lord, the way things had turned out, there is probably nothing else to do...
| |
| It would be impossible to avoid a fight with Guy in this way.
| |
| They had no chance to escape.
| |
| In this case, it's useless to do anything small.
| |
| Instead of doing that, do your best to challenge Guy, that would have a better chance of winning.
| |
| Yuuki so judged.
| |
| "Oh... never mind, it's okay. Since we're the enemy, it's actually just right for me. Before moving the
| |
| stronghold to the east, I can test how much strength the strongest demon lord has.”
| |
| That was Yuuki's answer, as if to provoke Guy.
| |
| | |
| At the same time, a wave of excitement surged in his heart, which immersed Yuuki's entire being. He
| |
| had been hiding his strength, and it was at this moment that Yuuki decided to fully liberate in front of the
| |
| strongest demon lord.
| |
| He didn't see himself losing at all and confronted Guy about it.
| |
| ***
| |
| Yuuki is very confident.
| |
| If it's a one-on-one, he's confident of winning no matter what the opponent is.
| |
| Seeing the out-of-control Chronoa, he felt this enemy was very dangerous.
| |
| But that's about it at best.
| |
| As long as you take it seriously, you will still have a chance to win even though you will get into a hard
| |
| fight.
| |
| Yet there were still several demon lords on the scene who were clearly enemies of themselves.
| |
| There's Leon, and Ruminas.
| |
| And then there's that nice gentleman Rimuru, who must have sensed Yuuki's true nature as well.
| |
| In fact, Rimuru had seen that Yuuki was the enemy long before, which was in Yuuki's favor. If you
| |
| want to play dumb and use Rimuru, you'll get hit instead.
| |
| Yuuki didn't know anything about it, but he was right in thinking that Rimuru had indeed become an
| |
| enemy.
| |
| He didn't feel so good about himself that he thought he could take on three demon lords and Chronoa at
| |
| the same time. Even if he didn't have an ominous premonition, he'd still decide to retreat from the scene.
| |
| This time, however, is different.
| |
| The ominous foreboding was precisely because of this man standing in front of them.
| |
| Knowing this, Yuuki decided to do his best to get through this difficult situation.
| |
| "Oh, you think you can beat me?"
| |
| Guy laughed heartily.
| |
| "Sort of. I was going to beat you sometime in the future anyway, now I'm just bringing the booking
| |
| plan forward.”
| |
| Seeing Yuuki like this, Rhein and Mizari exuded murderous aura. As much as it was tempting to kill
| |
| each other, it wasn't even possible to speak without Master Guy's permission.
| |
| Guy is absolutely dominant, and to go and worry about his personal safety is a great disrespect.
| |
| Guy is very spontaneous and has no mercy unless he recognizes the other person.
| |
| | |
| It was hard for Rhein and Mizari to get him to approve, and if they pissed him off, they'd probably be
| |
| killed by him in a heartbeat. The gap in strength between Guy and them is just so stark.
| |
| Laplace couldn't move.
| |
| The frog being targeted by the snake—that’s exactly what this is about.
| |
| If he wants to save Footman, Rhein will act. It was four against three, but the difference in strength
| |
| between the two sides was too great to be of any consolation.
| |
| If the enemy had only been Rhein and Mizari, they might have been able to figure it out, but once Guy
| |
| appeared, they had no chance of winning.
| |
| Yuuki is going to challenge Guy and seems brave in Laplace's eyes.
| |
| We can't win. The troupe doesn’t care about this guy's opponent. That Chronoa is also worlds apart
| |
| from us in terms of strength, but this Guy Crimson is a monster like no other. We’re not his opponent at
| |
| all. There's no way to run away...the boss can't fight...it's all about survival...
| |
| Just for being able to get a glimpse of some of Guy's strength, Laplace deserves credit.
| |
| What was even more powerful was that in this situation, he remained undiscouraged and full of
| |
| thoughts on how to escape—this mental toughness was what made Laplace so powerful.
| |
| He also knew that Yuuki was strong.
| |
| However, the extent of Yuuki's strength, even these partners were kept in the dark, and it was unknown
| |
| whether it was useful against Guy...
| |
| Even if Yuuki can't beat his opponent, Laplace intends to save Footman and run away with Tear.
| |
| Yuuki should be able to read his mind and act in accordance with the times. Laplace's trust in Yuuki
| |
| allowed him to think that way.
| |
| The problem is that Rhein and Mizari are also extraordinary masters.
| |
| The opponent wasn't that simple enough to allow him to take advantage of the opportunity to save
| |
| Footman. Laplace didn't dare to take it lightly.
| |
| To find a way to save Footman—he was troubled by this, and did not expect the problem to be solved
| |
| in three or two minutes.
| |
| "Hey, let that guy go."
| |
| This time Guy ordered to Mizari.
| |
| How could Mizari possibly resist, she immediately set Footman free.
| |
| —So relaxed. This way the troupe will have a chance to escape.
| |
| Laplace started to think in a good direction, but things didn't seem so simple.
| |
| "Don't worry. If you beat me, I'll let you go and not hurt you a bit.”
| |
| | |
| This statement from Guy sounds contradictory.
| |
| If they could beat Guy, who needs him to let go.
| |
| The string of proclamations was utterly reassuring, and Laplace felt so melancholy after hearing it. Just
| |
| like that, he prayed for Yuuki to win and watched the battle on the other side.
| |
| ***
| |
| The first person to take action was Yuuki.
| |
| Knowing that neither magic nor skill would work on him, Yuuki thus developed absolute confidence
| |
| and fearlessly unleashed his kicks at Guy.
| |
| The kick is sharp, heavy and fluid.
| |
| A kick that was originally aimed at the enemy goes over, but halfway through the kick suddenly
| |
| changes track and a nice top segment kick blows away on Guy's head.
| |
| However, it was Yuuki who appeared with a distorted look.
| |
| "Geez, it's so hard.”
| |
| While smacking his lips, Yuuki mumbled something in his mouth.
| |
| His Ability Blocking is unbeatable and can penetrate all the enemy's defenses. Guy, who was
| |
| supposedly hit by him head-on, stood there unimpressed.
| |
| It didn't seem to hurt at all.
| |
| There was no movement behind the scenes. The mere flesh of gold is harder than diamonds.
| |
| This flesh is so rigid and flexible that that alone is a threat. Guy is just so powerful.
| |
| “That tickles. It's not going to be a fight at all. Have some more fun for me. Otherwise, I'll kill
| |
| everyone.”
| |
| Smiling as he finished the sentence, Guy's right hand bubbled up into flames.
| |
| This is the elemental magic "Hot Dragon Flame Fighter" —a directional, scorching flame that
| |
| transforms into a dragon, bending its long body to lunge at it, and the magic will burn the target to the
| |
| ground.
| |
| Temperatures can reach thousands of degrees, and the human race will disappear in an instant.
| |
| The fire dragon wrapped itself around Yuuki's body.
| |
| "It's a waste of time! Magic doesn't work on me..."
| |
| After shouting, Yuuki was about to attack Guy, who had been so lenient, when a cold shiver caused him
| |
| to jump away on the spot.
| |
| "Oh, your instincts are keen.”
| |
| | |
| At that moment Guy smiled and said this.
| |
| Yuuki didn't even have the strength left to talk back to Guy, who was desperately scrambling on the
| |
| ground, trying to make the flames go away.
| |
| This was indeed the result of the 'ability blocking' effect, and Yuuki was thus not injured by Guy's
| |
| magic. Yet in the meantime, the magical flames that were supposed to disappear immediately continued to
| |
| burn. And it wasn't just magic flames, it would also burn oxygen like a normal fire. At this rate, Yuuki will
| |
| have difficulty breathing and will be forced to face a fatal situation.
| |
| Somatically it felt like a long time had passed, but it had in fact only happened for a few seconds. So
| |
| although Yuuki wasn't injured, he would definitely be defeated if he continued to attack Guy without
| |
| realizing it. He knew this well enough to put out the fire even if he was in a state of discomfort.
| |
| And with Guy’s reaction, it seemed that Yuuki had thought of a possibility that made him unbelievable.
| |
| He didn't want to admit it, but it was necessary to make sure. He didn't expect an answer from the other
| |
| person, getting up while asking out the doubts in his mind.
| |
| "Why didn't you pursue it further? You don't want to compete with me, do you?”
| |
| "Ahahaha, what a stupid thing to say. You noticed that earlier, didn't you? I've discovered the secret
| |
| behind that power of yours!”
| |
| “.......”
| |
| “I see..." Yuuki thought bitterly.
| |
| His 'ability blocking' was omnipotent and could be offset by whatever power he encountered. However,
| |
| when it comes to magic and skill fusion, there is no way to counteract both properties.
| |
| That's the only downside, and the weakness.
| |
| Besides, no matter how hard Yuuki tried to improve his body, he was still human after all. Antibodies
| |
| can be used to fight the toxin, but you can't live without oxygen.
| |
| Human beings—every living thing—had this weakness, and now Yuuki realized that he was at a
| |
| disadvantage.
| |
| Guy stood idly.
| |
| "There's a guy I know who can offset magic perfectly, but I still win in a fight. This is because that guy
| |
| can't counteract anything other than magic. And as far as I know, there is no way in the world to perfectly
| |
| defend against the laws of physics in this world. If it is reinforced against one point, there is bound to be a
| |
| breach somewhere else. But you seem to be able to counteract not only magic, but skill as well, don't you
| |
| think?”
| |
| Guy glanced at Yuuki and didn't attack any further, patronizingly telling his opinion. It was all carefully
| |
| calculated that there would be such an unhurried attitude.
| |
| Because it's easy for Guy to kill Yuuki.
| |
| But that isn't fun, so Guy wants to blow Yuuki's self-confidence and make him admit his defeat in
| |
| despair.
| |
| | |
| He had already thoroughly analyzed Yuuki's physique.
| |
| The first time he launched the attack, Guy saw through Yuuki's special physique and even thought of a
| |
| countermeasure.
| |
| Even if Yuuki could offset the magic and skill well, as long as he was human, beating him would be
| |
| easy.
| |
| Humans are fragile.
| |
| That frail flesh is weak everywhere, even with the method of killing human beings without bitter
| |
| thought.
| |
| And there's a big gap between Yuuki and Guy’s basic physical abilities.
| |
| When Yuuki kicked over just now, Guy only left a small 'barrier' for defense, and as a result, the
| |
| opponent's attack didn't even hurt him.
| |
| As far as the amount of magicules goes, the comparison is even laughable. Guy was good enough to
| |
| rival the True Dragons, and as soon as Yuuki cancelled the magic, he could immediately restart it, which
| |
| wasn't hard at all.
| |
| "If I just kill people, then I don't have to come here specifically. I've come for a rare visit, so you'll have
| |
| to have some fun for me.”
| |
| Because of this, Guy arrogantly provoked Yuuki.
| |
| He was going to drive his opponent into a corner and give Yuuki his all and then beat the shit out of
| |
| him.
| |
| Yuuki knew exactly what Guy was thinking.
| |
| But he couldn't talk back.
| |
| The expression on his face was less subdued than it had been earlier. He began to carefully analyze the
| |
| battle situation to figure out how to break through this difficult situation.
| |
| His unparalleled brain of genius had already pointed out the desperate gap between the two sides. But
| |
| Yuuki hadn't given up and was exploring every possibility.
| |
| The only turnaround was to make Guy look at them small.
| |
| And yes, it's understandable that the two sides have such a big power differential that they'd be looked
| |
| down upon. But that guy is too arrogant.
| |
| Yuuki has other killer features.
| |
| That's the innate superpower, and the "greedy one" that was snatched from Mariabell.
| |
| Plus the "Creator". It can create the necessary capacity to respond to the situation, and with a "creator"
| |
| it will be able to get through this crisis.
| |
| If you don't kill me when you can, it's your fault!
| |
| | |
| After readjusting his breathing, Yuuki confronted Guy again.
| |
| "It's just a matter of seeing what I can do. It's too early to be proud.”
| |
| It's not that you can't afford to lose, those are true words.
| |
| If the other party is so angry that they lose their cool, they are more likely to make mistakes. Yuuki saw
| |
| this before he made a provocation.
| |
| While juggling these little tricks, Yuuki let his power scurry all over his body. Usually he suppresses
| |
| this force, but at this time he concentrates on building up his strength and transforming his flesh by his
| |
| own will power.
| |
| From human to "immortal".
| |
| Then it became "saints".
| |
| Let your own flesh evolve to a higher realm than Hinata, and Yuuki will never have to breathe again.
| |
| Complete and total "saints" equate to spiritual beings. Hinata was still imprisoned in the flesh, but
| |
| Yuuki had come to a higher realm.
| |
| So he didn't need to breathe at all.
| |
| Abandon human weaknesses and greatly increase their power of existence. If one converted the current
| |
| energy on his body into mana, it would be enough to rival Leon or Ruminas.
| |
| Guy, however, was still unfazed.
| |
| "What a bummer. Is this all you can do? With that kind of ability, it's impossible to beat me a hundred
| |
| times over.”
| |
| He's still so laid back.
| |
| "Probably. In that case, you'll have a good time with me!"
| |
| The words of Yuuki ignited the battle and they started fighting again.
| |
| Immediately following...
| |
| Yuuki finally knew why Guy was called the strongest overlord.
| |
| ***
| |
| The scene was shrouded in despair.
| |
| The one who lies on the ground is Yuuki.
| |
| In the face of Guy's overwhelming strength, Yuuki's attack did not play the same role.
| |
| Even hawking ploys won't help.
| |
| | |
| He took the time to gather the greatest strength to launch the attack, but was unable to hurt Guy by a
| |
| single cent.
| |
| "Damn it, you bastard...!"
| |
| Yuuki had lost even the strength to get back on his feet. At best, he was cursing Guy. But he's still not
| |
| disheartened, and that alone is worthy of praise.
| |
| Laplace didn't even blink, imprinting the battle deep in his mind.
| |
| Too bizarre. Boss is too weak, Guy is too strong...
| |
| Yuuki is stronger than Laplace ever imagined.
| |
| He uses strange powers, or superpowers, to try all sorts of tactics against Guy.
| |
| Such as shooting stones, spitting fire, heavy pressure, and releasing psychic interference waves. But
| |
| these were defused with ease.
| |
| To Guy, using his physical abilities, which were more than 30 times higher than normal, to launch an
| |
| attack at a speed of over 100 meters per second was the equivalent of a child's play.
| |
| In addition to this, Yuuki's main defense, Ability Blocking, is no exception and can no longer paralyze
| |
| Guy's magic.
| |
| "That's not working for me anymore."
| |
| As Guy said in this sentence.
| |
| It looks like Guy has managed to break through the Ability Blockade by some means. This is chilling.
| |
| Kazaream and Clayman had also mentioned the Ten Great Demon Lords to Yuuki and others. He had
| |
| heard that Guy and Milim were particularly powerful, but he hadn't expected the gap to be so wide,
| |
| presumably even they themselves hadn't noticed.
| |
| How else could they endorse such whimsical ideas as conquering the world.
| |
| Is this what you call a cataclysmic level...
| |
| It was only now that Laplace realized that there were some enemies in the world that could never be
| |
| touched.
| |
| He himself hides his strength from his partner. But if the opponent is replaced with Guy, the demon
| |
| lord, even with that kind of strength, there is no point.
| |
| Guy's strength is just so far from theirs.
| |
| Can't even find a way to get down. Even Yuuki, whose strength was indeed above Laplace, lay
| |
| helplessly on the ground, like a small baby.
| |
| The way things have turned out, it's harder to get back alive now than it is to get to heaven.
| |
| Someone had to make a sacrifice - Laplace had this realization, and he put on his usual dangling
| |
| attitude and took a step to come before Guy.
| |
| | |
| "You are worthy of the title Demon Lord Guy. The “moderate clown troupe" takes on all kinds of
| |
| business, only to be hired by the boss because of it. The boss in the nest is Yuuki from the vegetarian side.
| |
| Now that the boss has lost, there's no reason for the nest to follow him..."
| |
| “—!”
| |
| "Laplace, what are you talking about..."
| |
| Laplace pretends that he does not feel guilty about betraying his partner. He wasn't quite sure about
| |
| Guy's personality, but had heard it was very capricious and arrogant.
| |
| Totally uninterested in the weak, no one else is even allowed to talk to him unless they are approved by
| |
| Guy.
| |
| Treat that Guy with such an attitude and Laplace will surely be killed. However, by then his attention
| |
| would surely be on Laplace, and by taking advantage of this brief gap, Yuuki could possibly escape, a
| |
| possibility Laplace wanted to bet on.
| |
| Never betray a partner, and never betray a client—that’s the rule of the Moderate Clown Troupe.
| |
| Because of this, Yuuki must be able to detect Laplace's true thoughts.
| |
| Footman was too pushy and ill-thought out, but the man was very much for his fellow man.
| |
| Tear was still stronger than him, but didn't put her strength to full use because she was too timid.
| |
| Although these two have bad habits of getting carried away easily, they can be put at ease by handing
| |
| them over to Yuuki. Laplace thought so, before deciding to sacrifice himself.
| |
| "The Troupe can help you, Lord Guy. So, what do you say we give them a chance to live?”
| |
| Laplace makes a bold declaration of betrayal.
| |
| While Footman and Tear had a puzzled look on their faces, Guy looked like he had seen something
| |
| interesting and a smile appeared on his lips.
| |
| That's great, this will piss off Guy!
| |
| Laplace wasn't about to kill himself either.
| |
| Although the opponent was Guy with little hope, there was still a chance to save a life. He therefore did
| |
| not hesitate and intended to say what he was about to say.
| |
| And yet it's too late to get the words out...
| |
| "Ahaha, don't you force it, Laplace. Really, I can't be trusted?”
| |
| Someone snatched the words out first, and it was Yuuki who staggered to his feet.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| | |
| Yuuki was mentally prepared, knowing that he might die.
| |
| But at this moment, his heart was filled with indignation.
| |
| Anger at his useless self.
| |
| Hearing Laplace say that made him even angrier.
| |
| Laplace could not possibly betray him. In other words, he said those words as an act, and he still chose
| |
| to believe that Yuuki had interpreted Laplace's thoughts correctly, even though he had ended up in such a
| |
| mess.
| |
| In response, he was happy and at the same time felt guilty.
| |
| If only I had more power...
| |
| Without deliberately thinking about it, the thought came naturally to Yuuki's mind.
| |
| No one would respond to his thoughts, as a matter of course.
| |
| But just at this moment, a force appeared in Yuuki's mind.
| |
| <You Want Power? Then join forces with me.>
| |
| "Huh?" said Yuuki, confused in his mind. A bang.
| |
| I thought it was a hallucination, but this voice is too real.
| |
| <Just trade with me and you'll get the most power. Your wish is to conquer the world, and you can do it
| |
| easily by joining forces with me. Come on, make a decision...>
| |
| Hearing that voice say this way, Yuuki felt a pang of displeasure in his heart.
| |
| You shut up. I am what I am. If it's borrowing from a partner it's a different matter, but borrowing from
| |
| a stranger to achieve an ambition, I don't give a shit about that kind of classless thing!
| |
| So, Yuuki refused categorically.
| |
| Yes, personal ambition is something that has to be achieved by one's own hands to make sense, and
| |
| Yuuki has his insistence.
| |
| <...>
| |
| The voice suddenly fell into silence and seemed confused about it.
| |
| It didn't matter if the voice disappeared, Yuuki immediately focused his thoughts on something else.
| |
| The situation was desperate at the moment, but there was something that made him care. To say what
| |
| the point of care was, it was that Yuuki felt that Guy seemed to have another purpose.
| |
| Indeed, one of the reasons was that Guy wanted to enjoy the fight. But beyond that, there must be
| |
| another reason behind it.
| |
| | |
| Just now, Guy did say something like “I don't want the combat power on Rudra's side to increase". On
| |
| the flip side, if they hadn't gone to Rudra and joined the Eastern Empire, Guy wouldn't have had to kill
| |
| Yuuki and others - or so Yuuki interprets it.
| |
| To say why Guy didn't kill Yuuki right now...
| |
| Truly, hard knocks are not his match at all, but what comes next is brain power. But it's more likely to
| |
| succeed than having Laplace do the hard work!
| |
| Encouraging himself with these words, Yuuki stood up again.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| Even in this situation, Yuuki still smiled cynically when he dialed back the browser.
| |
| "I didn't expect you to be so strong, outside of my calculations, but I found one thing after fighting you.
| |
| That means you're not going to kill us, right?”
| |
| "Oh, why do you think that?”
| |
| "If you'd intended that, we'd have been killed to death. What does it mean that you attack repeatedly
| |
| and let me swim on the edge of death each time?”
| |
| Just like that, only to see Yuuki confidently questioning Guy.
| |
| It would be reckless to do such a thing.
| |
| Guy showed such a strong power, and Yuuki dared to do that to him - that's what everyone thought in
| |
| their hearts.
| |
| Only, Guy himself still showed an attitude of fun.
| |
| "You found out. But you don't need to know the answer..."
| |
| By responding in this way, Guy indicated that he wasn't going to reveal his thoughts.
| |
| Yuuki shrugged, he had expected the other party to answer that way. So he didn't panic and continued
| |
| with his next move.
| |
| "Then I want to make a deal with you.”
| |
| "You want to make a deal?”
| |
| "Right. If you leave us alone, we will be of some help to you."
| |
| "Will it help me a little?”
| |
| "Exactly. You don't seem to want us to join the Eastern Empire, but I want you to change that slightly.”
| |
| "Go ahead.”
| |
| | |
| "Since our aim is to conquer the world, we will one day be on a par with the Empire. I have now sliced
| |
| through your great power. I certainly don't want to make an enemy of you at the moment. You'd want to
| |
| destroy the Empire first, right?”
| |
| You can't help but wonder what he is talking about.
| |
| Footman and Tear had listened without understanding.
| |
| Laplace was also at a loss for words about the situation at hand.
| |
| He was ready to launch the scheme with a determination to die, but his only hope - Yuuki himself - was
| |
| destroyed. At this point, we can only rely on Yuuki's negotiation. Although he was the only one who could
| |
| rely on him, the cold sweat behind Laplace's back returned when he heard these words, ‘Heaven is not
| |
| afraid of earth.’
| |
| Too messed up. Why does Guy look like he's enjoying it?
| |
| That's right.
| |
| Hearing Yuuki say such words, I don't know why, Guy smiled.
| |
| "Are you going to keep challenging me?”
| |
| "That's for sure. My ambition is to conquer the world. It doesn't look like there's any chance of winning
| |
| at the moment, but one day it's going to overtake you.”
| |
| Despite the fact that it was very difficult to stand on one's own, Yuuki was unyielding in his words.
| |
| If you mess with Guy, you'll be killed - Yuuki seems to be completely oblivious to this and still speaks
| |
| loudly.
| |
| The object is Guy, then facing it with such an attitude is the right choice.
| |
| If it's an ugly plea for mercy, the other party will immediately lose interest. That would be the only way
| |
| to die.
| |
| Yuuki didn't know about it and made the best choice in the situation.
| |
| "What good will it do me if you bring down the Empire?”
| |
| That was the focus of this engagement, and Yuuki began to take it in stride.
| |
| Next, he looked back at Guy head-on, nodding his head forcefully.
| |
| "Of course there are benefits. I don't know why, but you don't seem to want the Empire to be annexed
| |
| even to the west. Isn't that right?”
| |
| “......”
| |
| Guy must have had some sort of entanglement with Imperial Emperor Rudra.
| |
| Here's the point, Yuuki bluffed and lobbied.
| |
| | |
| "I'm going to beat a lot of enemies. I did want to join the Empire, but did not want to let them do it.
| |
| Rather, it is to nibble at the whale from within and use each other for our purposes.”
| |
| "Oh. Turns out, the period where your intentions align with the Empire will help them, but not
| |
| necessarily after that. And you're going to borrow the power of the Empire to defeat Leon, and that guy
| |
| Rimuru, right?”
| |
| The sharp gaze seemed to have seen through everything, and Guy just stared at Yuuki like that.
| |
| Yuuki is a promise that cannot be kept.
| |
| He wasn't sure about Guy's relationship with Leon, or what Guy thought of Rimuru, and couldn't even
| |
| predict how his own words would make the other party react.
| |
| Even so, Yuuki still deliberately expressed his ambition.
| |
| "That's it. I'm going to take over the world, and it's you who's going to take down the last one - Demon
| |
| lord Guy Crimson.”
| |
| Breathing heavily from beginning to end, Yuuki finished what he wanted to say.
| |
| The rest is up to Guy to judge.
| |
| Even if we go along with Laplace's ruse, everyone will still be killed in the end. Sorry to have to get you
| |
| guys to go along with my plan.
| |
| Yuuki apologized to his partners in his heart.
| |
| See if it's all for the win or all for the loss.
| |
| Yuuki was greedy.
| |
| If you want to live, let's all live together —the stakes are just too high.
| |
| However, Yuuki won the bet.
| |
| "You're called the Moderate Clown Troupe, right? Ahahaha, you guys really look like clowns. Messing
| |
| up the situation in this game is no different than a ghost card. Sounds pretty good, and the offer is
| |
| interesting. For the love of your guts, I'll let you go this time.”
| |
| In the end, it's still not clear what Guy's purpose is.
| |
| What is certain is that Yuuki and others survived.
| |
| Faced with Guy's decision, Rhein and Mizari had no objection.With that declaration, Yuuki and the
| |
| others fled the scene safely.
| |
| ***
| |
| Waiting for the Guy and the others to leave, Yuuki and the others came to the place where they were
| |
| supposed to meet up with Kagali and the others.
| |
| Although it felt like it should be fine by now, everyone agreed that they should have left sooner.
| |
| | |
| As soon as he saw Kagali appear at the rendezvous site, Laplace opened his mouth to Yuuki.
| |
| "You're so full of shit, I can't believe it. I can't believe I'm so surprised at that monster..."
| |
| When Laplace had finished, Tear followed suit.
| |
| "And we got away with it. People originally thought it would be over this time.”
| |
| "Ho-ho-ho. I've had faith in the boss since the beginning.”
| |
| “You're just not using your head, are you?" Laplace spat this out to Footman, and Yuuki watched the
| |
| scene with the remaining light from the corner of his eye, looking tired as he sat down on the ground.
| |
| "I had no choice. This may be the only way we can get away with it. And in the end like this, that
| |
| method worked and I don't take complaints.”
| |
| It is more mentally exhausting than the injuries sustained in battle. So Yuuki didn't seem to want to
| |
| continue arguing, he lay down on the ground in large letters and closed his eyes.
| |
| Kagali had no idea what's going on, and Laplace and Tear step in to explain what's going on.
| |
| "You, you fought Guy...! I'm glad you guys came back unscathed..."
| |
| Kagali exclaimed in surprise.
| |
| It wouldn't take long for her tone to turn dumbfounded.
| |
| Ah, it's good to be alive.
| |
| Feeling the wind caressing his cheek, Yuuki thought so.
| |
| That's when something suddenly occurred to him.
| |
| I heard a mysterious voice in the middle of a fight. What was it?
| |
| Is that another personality of mine? How can this be? This is ridiculous. No, wait? Although it doesn't
| |
| feel like there are other powers hidden within me, there is only one possibility that can be thought of.
| |
| Yuuki thought of the power he had recently acquired.
| |
| That is the exclusive skill "Greedy One"—if it is this skill, as one's desire grows greater, it also gains
| |
| more power.
| |
| Against Guy, every move that Yuuki made couldn't hurt him. And of course it also contains the
| |
| strongest Great Sin skill "The Greedy One".
| |
| This "greedy one" is also a mystery, skills and magic are always outside the man and in the sky. Guy
| |
| used magic to break through my "ability blocking" and had to see the reasoning behind it...
| |
| Yuuki had full confidence in himself, so being easily attacked by Guy gave him a big blow. But he
| |
| would not give up on that.
| |
| Now that he had survived unscathed like this, he had to think about what to do next. It's quick to switch
| |
| focus, and that's what Yuuki does best.
| |
| | |
| He had prided himself on gaining power over the demon lord that was the strongest person under the
| |
| heavens.
| |
| No, even if they are not the strongest, they can win no matter what kind of opponent they are facing if
| |
| they study more and formulate countermeasures.
| |
| With such a force as a backbone, and with the assistance of people like Kagali and Laplace, he
| |
| managed to construct a powerful force.
| |
| Everything is going well.
| |
| But recently it has failed one after the other.
| |
| On top of that, this encounter with Guy had completely shattered Yuuki's self-confidence.
| |
| That being said, it was a fluke.
| |
| Things are starting to get very interesting. The harder the game, the more fun it is...
| |
| That's all, and Yuuki didn't suffer any setbacks as a result.
| |
| And he thought further.
| |
| In other words, Guy's ability is difficult to read even with Yuuki's "creator".
| |
| The unique skill "creator" is very special and can even create skills that can be immediately interpreted
| |
| even if the opponent is using a unique skill.
| |
| Although the premise was that the opponent had to use those skills, Yuuki believed that no one could
| |
| hide anything under this ability.
| |
| But it doesn't work on Guy.
| |
| This indicates that the opponent's abilities are above unique skills.
| |
| Yuuki craves strength.
| |
| Wanting more power, being able to overcome the power of Guy.
| |
| Deep inside him, the fire of desire was burning brightly.
| |
| So to speak, the "greedy one" in me has a chance to evolve as well. I became more greedy than anyone
| |
| else. If it's to instill those desires in it...
| |
| Thinking about this side, Yuuki was so excited that he was shaking all over.
| |
| He began to think.
| |
| Losing to Guy made him think about how much injustice there is in this world.
| |
| He wants to fight it and win. This is exactly what Yuuki wants.
| |
| Closing his eyes, he came face to face with his inner voice.
| |
| | |
| Go deeper within, go deeper, go to the place that lies at the end of the abyss.
| |
| Yuuki pays attention to all corners.
| |
| <Want to join forces with me now?>
| |
| No, it's not that.
| |
| <What is your purpose then?>
| |
| I need to run something by you.
| |
| <What's Up?>
| |
| That's right. I want to receive your power.
| |
| <Don't Be Joking.>
| |
| I'm not kidding, I'm serious.
| |
| <What a Silly Thing to Say...>
| |
| I'm sorry, you're in the way.
| |
| <—!>
| |
| Immediately following the next second, as if to cover every corner of his heart, Yuuki outlined that
| |
| wish in his mind.
| |
| The desire to fulfill his true ambition to achieve that hegemony.
| |
| Be untouched by anyone and use the strong will as a weapon.
| |
| Yuuki is challenging himself.
| |
| And after that, the "Voice of the World" sounded...
| |
| —Confirmation completed. Conditions met. The unique skill "Greedy One" has evolved into the
| |
| ultimate skill "Greedy King Mammon”.—
| |
| At this point, Yuuki opened his eyes and showed an arrogant smile.
| |
| "I will make good use of your power."
| |
| Next he muttered something so small that no one heard him.
| |
| This day, in this moment, in this place.
| |
| The most evil of demons is born.
| |
| | |
| Chapter 1: The Stepping Sound of Military Boots
| |
| The day the music exchange ended, we returned to our home countries.
| |
| | |
| Venom and others who had come to act as escorts, and Tako and others were unharmed, and everyone
| |
| was safe and sound.
| |
| As for the children that Diablo protected, I let them rest for a week. They weren't injured, but it was just
| |
| in case.
| |
| The difference between training and actual combat seemed to impress them, giving them less of the
| |
| vibrancy they normally had. They may be psychologically traumatized, so I want everyone to get some
| |
| rest.
| |
| Ruminas is on Leon's side, and we intend to meet another day to discuss it.
| |
| There was a dispute over which side to meet, and it was finally decided to meet in the capital of the
| |
| Jura Tempest Federation, "Rimuru".
| |
| Ruberios under the rule of Ruminas was busy rebuilding, and as for the Golden Country of Leon's
| |
| territory, it seemed that something big had happened there and there was no room to entertain important
| |
| people from other countries.
| |
| At present, our Jura Tempest Federation has no problem in this regard and can find no reason to reject
| |
| it.
| |
| We already have two demon lords on our side anyway.
| |
| Thinking of the winged fairy, and the lazy nobleman Dino, I promised Ruminas and Leon.
| |
| Time came the next day.
| |
| Neither had time to put their feet down and settle down, and the two came running in a hurry.
| |
| It seemed that Leon had gone back to the country once, and had made preparations before coming here.
| |
| I thought to myself that the two of them were in too much of a hurry, but Ruminas and Leon both wanted
| |
| to exchange information first.
| |
| I would also like to ask the two of them something about this incident. So I had no opinion and decided
| |
| to go along with what they wanted.
| |
| We came to the most luxurious reception room to assemble.
| |
| On the scene were me, Ruminas and Leon.
| |
| Since I'm going to have a meeting with the other demon lords, then I can't act too shabby.
| |
| The people who came to the talks were all connected to this event.
| |
| We decided to consolidate the information first and then see how far the information related to Chloe
| |
| would be made public.
| |
| Because of the importance of the matter, it would be better for everyone to hide it from their own men
| |
| as well—a point on which a few of us have made no secret.
| |
| The people who came from my country were Shion, Diablo and Veldora.
| |
| | |
| Seriously, I don't want to have Veldora in. I wanted him to stay in his room and play, but for some
| |
| reason, he strongly insisted, ‘I can't do it without you!’
| |
| Now that he's talked about it, I had to be reluctant to let it go.
| |
| According to the theory, Shion should have been seriously injured, but she never expected to recover in
| |
| a flash. This made me realize that "super-speed regeneration" is really a scary skill.
| |
| Now she was standing side by side with Diablo behind me.
| |
| Hinata sat next to Ruminas, while Louis and Gonda stood behind the two.
| |
| There were also two knights standing straight up behind Leon—Alrose and Claude.
| |
| Finally there is the main character, Chloe. She's gone back to being a child, but I think it's okay to treat
| |
| her as an adult.
| |
| Placed here was a rectangular table with six more couches for personal use.
| |
| I sat side-by-side with Veldora, opposite Hinata and Ruminas. Leon sat face to face with Chloe in the
| |
| main seat.
| |
| With that, the temporary demon lord talks began.
| |
| ***
| |
| The first thing to do is to ask Chloe to speak for herself. Hinata also stepped aside to help explain what
| |
| was really going on at that time.
| |
| In general, their words are incredible. However, I have experienced that spiritual landscape first hand,
| |
| so I accept these claims at once.
| |
| "That's how I got out of the Infinite Reincarnation, with the help of Hinata and Rimuru-san.”
| |
| Explaining to this side and concluding with a quote from Chloe.
| |
| People all put on a restless expression and observed the reactions around them.
| |
| In such an atmosphere, there are those who do not know how to read a room, and Veldora takes the
| |
| lead.
| |
| "That is to say, the one who sealed me is..."
| |
| That kind of thing doesn't matter.
| |
| Even though I thought so, Hinata reacted to that statement.
| |
| "That's me. Now we're both a winner and a loser. Wouldn't that be nice? To be able to taste defeat.”
| |
| "What the...!"
| |
| "Gee, do you have a problem with that? In that case, it's okay if I have to fight you again.”
| |
| "Well, well, well, well! Now that you've said so, let me show you my true power..."
| |
| | |
| You don't even have to drive at this rate. Hinata was normally calm, but for some reason, as soon as she
| |
| met Veldora, she became childish.
| |
| Looks like I'll just have to jump in and be the mediator.
| |
| "All right, that's enough.”
| |
| We'll talk about this topic when it's just the two of you next time.
| |
| "Hinata, educating that stupid dragon is a vital thing. If you really want to make a move, my servant
| |
| will also help, you must tell my servant.”
| |
| Miss Ruminas, please don't add fuel to the fire.
| |
| Now that things have turned out this way, then I'll change the subject.
| |
| "Anyway, it's good that it ended up being okay. One more thing that concerns me is that I seem to have
| |
| been killed, right? So it was really the Imperials who did it?”
| |
| For me, this issue is even more important.
| |
| At present, there are suspicious movements on the Imperial side, and if they really want to make an
| |
| enemy of our country, then we must remain vigilant.
| |
| "Probably. Other than that, it should be the same person who killed Hinata. There seems to be some
| |
| very powerful masters on the Imperial side, or they've sent several of them against you, but the glow that
| |
| runs through Hinata can't even be seen by me.”
| |
| It turns out that the other side can kill even Hinata, so killing me who hadn’t evolved into a demon lord
| |
| is not surprising.
| |
| "I've evolved into a demon lord now, but I think it's better to be careful.”
| |
| Although it's a different timeline, the other side has beaten me down before and will subconsciously
| |
| guard against it. Since we are going to make an enemy of the Empire, one still has to be more careful.
| |
| "I think it's better this way too. The Empire is even more dangerous than Mr. Rimuru had in mind.
| |
| After the killing of Mr. Rimuru, Mr. Veldora began to rebel, and it was the Empire that drove him back.”
| |
| Halfway through the showdown with Veldora, Hinata is killed and Chloe goes back in time. Later
| |
| memories are only fragmentary memories of Chronoa.
| |
| Having said that, the out-of-control Veldora and Chronoa clashed violently, and the one who took
| |
| advantage of the situation seemed to be the Empire.
| |
| We've seen Chronoa's power with our own eyes, and just being able to intervene in that fight means
| |
| that the other side is very good. That being said, the Empire may have a fairly large war power, so large
| |
| that it's beyond our expectations.
| |
| It's not just me, Ruminas and Leon seem to think so too.
| |
| Everyone is igniting a sense of crisis about the Empire.
| |
| | |
| In the midst of this heavy atmosphere, Veldora’s next comments were simply misdirected.
| |
| "I can't believe I lost it."
| |
| He spoke with a smug look on his face.
| |
| Hearing that, people reacted as if they were saying, ‘What is this guy talking about?’
| |
| | |
| It
| |
| | |
| It's just as well that Veldora was able to play the idiot in such a serious atmosphere...
| |
| "Wait! Why are you looking at me like that? How could a gentleman like me get out of hand and run
| |
| amok!?”
| |
| Nope, I'll say it.
| |
| I heard that you made a big mess a long time ago, so I guess you were just as capricious at that time.
| |
| Well, maybe it was the resurrection and finding out I’d been killed that made him furious.
| |
| Thinking about it this way makes me feel a little happy.
| |
| "All right, take it easy, let's just take it as it is.”
| |
| Thinking about that in my head, I got a little warm in my heart and decided to placate Veldora.
| |
| "The empire is dangerous”—that part of it comes down to this.”
| |
| Next we'll talk about Chronoa's memories and see how much Chloe can recall.
| |
| World War broke out after Veldora was defeated by the Empire.
| |
| East and West were at war, and the battlefield was becoming increasingly favorable to the Empire.
| |
| It was at this time that Milim launched into action.
| |
| My death became the fuse for her animosity towards the Empire. At this point Guy intervenes and the
| |
| worst of the battle—Milim versus Guy—is repeated.
| |
| There was also a military conflict between Dagruel and Ruminas, and as a result the war spread
| |
| throughout the world.
| |
| Then Chronoa lost her life fighting someone.
| |
| She rushed to the main battlefield and fought on as long as there was breath left. The only thought left
| |
| in her mind was to 'destroy everything', and I heard that Chronoa would kill the strong man regardless of
| |
| what she saw.
| |
| So not remembering who you were killed by......
| |
| "There aren't many people who can defeat that Chronoa, are there?”
| |
| "It must be Guy.”
| |
| "Only Guy can do it, right?”
| |
| Hearing my tweets, Ruminas and Leon responded immediately.
| |
| I think so too. I don't know who's going to die in the matchup between Guy and Milim, but there's no
| |
| second choice but Guy to kill Chronoa.
| |
| Only, it's not clear why Guy wanted to kill Chronoa, or maybe not him.
| |
| | |
| "So, why does Chronoa like me?”
| |
| After hearing what Chloe said, I still feel like I crossed paths with Chronoa.
| |
| Chronoa came back to life after I died, so she doesn't know me at all.
| |
| In spite of that, it felt like Chronoa liked me anyway. I'm not a slow person, so I can at least find that
| |
| out.
| |
| Looking back on it now, it was like that in the beginning. When I summoned her for Chloe, she kissed
| |
| and hugged me as soon as I saw her. I thought it was the first time we met, didn't I? But I guess there's
| |
| some reason why Chronoa would do that.
| |
| "That's because..."
| |
| "Because Rimuru has helped me. In the world to come, I have been in turmoil, and it is you who will
| |
| save me.”
| |
| When Chloe was halfway through her words, Chronoa continued on.
| |
| "What the hell, I'm the one who has to explain!”
| |
| "What does it matter? It's just a small thing. I'm you anyway. It's all the same, right?”
| |
| To the eyes of the others it would only seem that Chloe was splitting hairs. It looks like as long as
| |
| Chloe is negligent, Chronoa will step in and interject.
| |
| But this kind of thing is just fine to get used to.
| |
| Next, Chloe and Chronoa began to alternate narratives.
| |
| Chloe - it should be said that according to Chronoa's memory, the future me did not really die. I did get
| |
| knocked down by the Empire, but seemed to come back to life smoothly afterwards.
| |
| That's right.
| |
| I don't care, but the "Great Sage" who evolved into the King of Wisdom, Master Raphael, does
| |
| everything right. It seemed to take a while, but it still had managed to keep me alive.
| |
| Having said that, the world situation had changed significantly.
| |
| Veldora disappears and the Jura Tempest Federation is destroyed.
| |
| A great war erupted between the East and West, and a fierce tug-of-war ensued between the demon
| |
| lords.
| |
| Well—it’s not hard to imagine how I felt at the time.
| |
| After all, I am the party.
| |
| If it were me, I would definitely be desperately searching for survivors. Even if there's no way to save
| |
| everyone, at least save the people I know.
| |
| Then I found out about Chloe, aka Chronoa.
| |
| | |
| Chronoa's memory is left in bits and pieces, not remembering the most important parts. Still, she
| |
| remembers roughly the process.
| |
| After the encounter with Chronoa, We exchanged blows several times before I finally succeeded in
| |
| bringing her to her senses.
| |
| By this time, however, the world situation was set.
| |
| "Just as everyone guessed, I did battle with Guy. Don't remember how things came to that, but I'm sure
| |
| Rimuru wasn't around at the time. When I was about to die, I was held by Rimuru again, and when I came
| |
| back, I saw Rimuru and myself as if I had seen the old Rimuru, that is, Chloe.”
| |
| About Guy, I was just surprised by what I thought was unexpected.
| |
| More than that, I'm curious about what happened when Chronoa died...presumably she started "time
| |
| travel".
| |
| But that alone wasn't enough to drive her back to the time when Chloe had stayed. It's also possible that
| |
| what I did is indefinable.
| |
| "By that time I had evolved into a demon lord?”
| |
| "He had evolved. By the time he met me, Rimuru had become even stronger than he is now.”
| |
| Uh, that kind of thing just by looking at it?
| |
| I think I’m strong enough on my own at the moment, but Chronoa isn't so strong as to misjudge her
| |
| opponent. In this way, the loss of my companions probably made me quite a mess.
| |
| However, those have nothing to do with me now, yet there is an empire behind them. I still think in a
| |
| good direction though, knowing that there is room for progress after myself.
| |
| Anyway, those aside first.
| |
| Since she said it was better than the current me, then the "Great Sage" must have evolved into the
| |
| "King of Wisdom Raphael".
| |
| That is, letting Chronoa's spirit and memory fly to the young Chloe - it would be no surprise if I were to
| |
| do such an incredible thing.
| |
| <<“...”>>
| |
| Ohhhh, the guru can't deny that.
| |
| That's a good indication that something is happening in the future.
| |
| "Anyway, the end result was OK.”
| |
| "It's too easy to say such things.”
| |
| "Don't say that. Anyway, Chloe was as seen now, the people were safe and sound, and Veldora had been
| |
| resurrected. As long as we keep a good eye on these two, we won't have to worry about them losing
| |
| control. In that case, all that's left is the Empire, right?”
| |
| | |
| Hinata glared at me, and I responded with a cheerful smile.
| |
| "That's it. If Dagruel attacks, I'll take care of it. After all, you're the one who saved Chloe, so let me
| |
| thank you a little.”
| |
| It seems that Ruminas and Chloe are really good together, and I saved Chloe's life with the stock going
| |
| up and down. Thanks to this, it seems that in the future the two parties will be able to maintain a better
| |
| relationship than before.
| |
| I was originally still worried about Dagruel's ambitions. This is something that Ruminas is willing to
| |
| underwrite. Without even asking me to please, Ruminas has promised to guard the Western world.
| |
| In fact, the Western countries were originally under the jurisdiction of Ruminas. While some areas
| |
| would clash with Guy's men, those were like games to Guy. Ruminas seemed to look away and think
| |
| there was no point in caring about that.
| |
| The bigger problem was Dagruel, and Ruminas seemed to be on constant alert, fearing the day when
| |
| the two sides would go to war.
| |
| "It sounds like we'll still be at war in the future, and if the Empire makes a move, he's likely to follow
| |
| suit.”
| |
| Although Ruminas said so, I still held my doubts.
| |
| "However, Dagruel's sons have come to live in this country for a while. He wouldn't have resorted to
| |
| force so easily, I guess.”
| |
| Personally, I think there should be some sort of reasoning behind Dagruel's actions.
| |
| "Huh? You say Dagruel's sons are here too? Is this true?”
| |
| "It's true. They have now become minions of Shion and are working on their training.”
| |
| "Yes. Although those guys aren't quite there yet, they've become more decent lately. To reward them, I
| |
| treated them to a homemade meal and they cried with joy. What a bunch of cute guys.”
| |
| Hearing me say that, Shion answered in a serious manner.
| |
| I wonder if they were really ecstatic?
| |
| They should be happy the girl of their choice cooks for them with her own hands...but only if those
| |
| things are edible.
| |
| No, as long as the appearance and taste can be tolerated, the cuisine of Shion can still be eaten.
| |
| That should be no problem. If they hadn't complained about it themselves, it wouldn't be an issue I
| |
| could intervene in. That's it.
| |
| Hearing that Dagruel's sons were staying in the country, Ruminas was aghast. But these things only
| |
| happened for a moment, and she immediately found her usual pace.
| |
| "It seems to be true. It's a little strange to say that the Dagruel guy fell for someone's scheme too—no,
| |
| those are future things. It should be said that he might have been caught in someone else's trap.”
| |
| | |
| Ruminas said as she thought.
| |
| There will be war in the future, but for now there is peace.
| |
| That said, there must be some reason behind Dagruel's ambition to expand his territory. When I met
| |
| him at the Walpurgis before, he didn't feel like a big bad guy. I’ll check in with the his sons next time.
| |
| If there is anything wrong with that, I can discuss it with them. It's much better to sit down and talk it
| |
| out than to start a war.
| |
| "We'll try to look into this, too.”
| |
| "Then I'll leave it to you. I don't want to start a war for no reason either.”
| |
| With regard to Dagruel, we have decided to wait for future findings. It would be troublesome if he
| |
| followed the Empire into action, and just in case, I asked Ruminas to keep her guard up as well.
| |
| Louis and Gonda nodded their heads, saying that they could safely leave the matter to them.
| |
| "And then there's Guy...”
| |
| "Let me talk over there.”
| |
| It's no use going to Guy to complain about something that might happen in the future, but I'm still a
| |
| little worried. It's better to explain to him what's going on, too.
| |
| That point is bitter to make though...
| |
| "After all, Guy is the 'mediator'. Although the current me doesn't have him in my sights, it seems I was
| |
| exterminated by that guy a long time ago. Anyway, I don't remember any of those things, so it doesn't
| |
| count!”
| |
| That's when those words came out of the blue from Veldora.
| |
| It makes people wonder where he starts spouting off and how he does it.
| |
| Guy is a "mediator." What does that mean?
| |
| Didn't think Guy had fought against Veldora before and Veldora had been exterminated.
| |
| Those were the first things I heard.
| |
| By the way, if you don't remember, you lose because you don't remember, and even if it's a child's
| |
| excuse, it's still too low, but if you say it, it seems like you're pathetic, so don't say it.
| |
| "Oh, in my opinion, Guy has done great things.”
| |
| “‘Mediator,' right? It is true that Guy is not a partner of mankind, but he is also not an enemy of
| |
| mankind. It's reasonable to speculate that the reason why Chronoa was killed in the future was because he
| |
| feared that the world might end if he didn't take care of Chronoa, who 'just wanted to destroy
| |
| everything’."
| |
| Leon stepped in to draw the conclusion.
| |
| | |
| "What exactly is a ‘mediator'?"
| |
| Everyone understands what he means, and I'm the only one who still can't react. I didn't hesitate to ask
| |
| questions, and Ruminas explained them to me.
| |
| "The so-called 'mediator' is a different mechanism from the 'hero' or the 'demon lord'. The purpose is to
| |
| prevent the destruction of this world and is said to be the spokesman for the Creator, the Star Dragon,
| |
| Veldanava.”
| |
| "That's what it's all about. My brother 'Star King Dragon' Veldanava would set it up in such a way that
| |
| he did not want the world that he had created so easily to be destroyed.”
| |
| I see.
| |
| It's because Veldora wanted to destroy the world that he was exterminated, right?
| |
| Now I totally get it. One more thing that is confirmed in passing is that the “true dragons" will indeed
| |
| be resurrected. I doubt very much that Veldora really has lost his memory, but let's not correct that.
| |
| "So it is. Then it's unlikely that Guy will keep an eye on the current Chloe.”
| |
| | |
| "Mmm. I also have memories of when Chronoa was out of control, and she didn't hate that demon lord-
| |
| san.”
| |
| | |
| Hinata and Chloe seemed to be okay with that, and the two laughed and talked about it. As long as
| |
| there are no out-of-control doubts, it seems to be possible to avoid fighting Guy.
| |
| "In that case, why don't you ask Leon to explain it to Guy?”
| |
| "Good. Because this is about my future with Chloe."
| |
| "This has nothing to do with Brother Leon, does it?”
| |
| Leon spoke righteously, only to be rebuked mercilessly by Chloe.
| |
| I thought to myself how awful this innocence was and felt a little sympathy for Leon.
| |
| Leon looked very handsome and gave off a cold look, and the world seemed to treat him like the big
| |
| bad.
| |
| The matter with Miss Shizu seemed to be like that too, it looked like he was very bad at talking, in fact
| |
| he was in some ways considered disgustingly good. Maybe because of that, he seems to be easily
| |
| misunderstood.
| |
| For example, it's the opposite of Masayuki, so it's easier to understand.
| |
| Chloe thought of him as a kindly big brother next door.
| |
| There was not the slightest hint of romantic affection for him.
| |
| Leon seems to have been popular with girls from before, and the reason for that is probably here, and
| |
| Chloe is therefore completely unaware of Leon's love for her.
| |
| | |
| Come to think of it, I think Leon is actually a man full of sadness.
| |
| In my mind, I decided to be kind to him in the future.
| |
| ***
| |
| Now that two demon lords have agreed to help, the talks have been a success.
| |
| That leaves the Empire as the object to be guarded against.
| |
| Let us then draw up our own response. As I am about to close the meeting...
| |
| "Please, please wait! There are guests inside now, and important meetings are taking place.”
| |
| "Oh, it's nice to see me invading. But I came all the way over, so let me say hello.”
| |
| Just then, a loud noise came from across the hallway.
| |
| It's that voice, and the arrogance that flows from talking to people...
| |
| Whoever came was definitely the strongest demon lord Guy. There aren't many people who can do that
| |
| without being so close to me.
| |
| <<Notice. There is no hostility on the other side.>>
| |
| ......have you found out?
| |
| Uh, now is not the time to argue about that.
| |
| I hurried to get up from my seat.
| |
| But before I act...
| |
| Diablo, who was originally standing behind me, walked towards the door with a look of displeasure.
| |
| “Hi!”
| |
| “Bye.”
| |
| After this brief conversation, Diablo vigorously closed the door.
| |
| “......”
| |
| It came so suddenly that we all froze on the spot.
| |
| "Oi oi oi, no need for that, Diablo.”
| |
| The doorway opened again and Guy burst into a roar.
| |
| "Geez, you interrupted an important meeting. It's only been a day and I'm not ready. I would like to talk
| |
| to you slowly afterwards, please wait until I invite you over.”
| |
| The use of words was still polite, but Diablo's attitude towards Guy was tough.
| |
| | |
| Did they already know each other?
| |
| I wasn't the only one who thought so, Ruminas and Leon were also amazed.
| |
| "I can't believe it. I didn't expect that the Black Primordial would not budge in the face of Guy, so the
| |
| Black Primordial was really something.”
| |
| "Is he truly the Black Primordial? How did such a ruthless character come to serve under Rimuru?”
| |
| ...Hmmmmmmmm?
| |
| I vaguely heard some words that didn't sound good?
| |
| Diablo's a tough guy? No, he does have an arrogant attitude......
| |
| Then again...what are the Primordials?
| |
| Just as I was feeling a bit confused, there was a bigger commotion behind me.
| |
| "Lord Rimuru, are you all right? Just now, my sister, she..."
| |
| "Lord, did you sense Red?”
| |
| "Is there going to be a war? I'll do my best if you tell me!”
| |
| First it was Benimaru rushing over, Souei following behind him.
| |
| Immediately afterwards it was Carrera who appeared, and then even Ultima broke in with her, coming
| |
| in at about the same time.
| |
| They caused a major uproar.
| |
| The way things had turned out, it was better to take Guy in instead of driving him back.
| |
| It’s just that I didn’t have an invitation at all. Why did things come to this? It seems necessary to ask
| |
| Diablo afterwards.
| |
| The immediate priority now is to clean up this mess.
| |
| "Everybody calm down. Diablo, you also restrain yourself.”
| |
| When I said that, the people who had just run over also settled down with me.
| |
| Seeing that the atmosphere around me had stabilized, I continued.
| |
| "It's not part of the plan, but we still have something to discuss with Guy. Since you've all come over,
| |
| let's invite you directly to the meeting. Is that okay?”
| |
| I'll make sure to check in with Guy first.
| |
| "No problem. I also have something to talk to you about, which is just right.”
| |
| Originally, he was going to ask Leon to explain it to him and it looked like he was going to change the
| |
| booking plan. This time Guy agreed, so I'm going to disband the ones who came running later.
| |
| | |
| "That's the way it is, so no need to worry. If anything happens, I'll call you over, so you can get back to
| |
| work.”
| |
| Hearing me make such an announcement, everyone showed a look of relief.
| |
| Although a few people in the room said something like "Hmph, that's right, it's Red" to keep the world
| |
| in check. Even now, I can't see it coming," and "Tsk, I thought I had a chance to make a scene this time,"
| |
| but in the end, it ended up just barely okay.
| |
| ***
| |
| The people who had gathered were back at work.
| |
| Then, in order to make tea for those who stayed in the room, Shuna also exited the room.
| |
| It was at this point that Leon spoke first.
| |
| "Hey, what's going on? Why is the Yellow Primordial here?”
| |
| Huh?
| |
| "I'd like to ask you the same. The other one seems to be the Purple Primordial. Is that a servant who's
| |
| been over minded? I heard that her personality is more gloomy and cunning, so my servant is a little
| |
| unsure....."
| |
| Hmm...?
| |
| What yellow primordial and purple primordial, what the hell are these guys talking about?
| |
| —Ah, that can't be it!
| |
| "Are you talking about Carrera and Ultima? These two were poached by that Diablo over there, and I
| |
| didn't think they'd be better than I thought..."
| |
| I stepped in to explain, but couldn't finish the sentence.
| |
| “Carrera!? And another one named Ultima!? You're not going to name those people, are you?!"
| |
| "I can't believe it. Not only that Diablo, but you also took in other Primordial Ancestors as
| |
| subordinates, didn't you......"
| |
| Leon stood up suddenly and yelled, along with a heart-stoppingly surprised Ruminas. Both looked over
| |
| at me.
| |
| "Isn't that right? The reason I came over here was to find out what he was really up to.”
| |
| Eventually even Guy started saying inexplicable things.
| |
| You ask me? Who do I ask?
| |
| I didn't know how to answer, and at this time Shuna pushed the food truck to bring the black tea over.
| |
| To avoid disturbing her, we kept our mouths shut.
| |
| | |
| The scent smelled good and everyone gradually replied calmly.
| |
| I followed suit and calmed down to think about what everyone had just been talking about.
| |
| The key word is "Primordial" that Ruminas speaks of.
| |
| Speaking of the Primordials...
| |
| <<Answer. It is one of the benchmarks used to define the demon race.>>
| |
| That's it, by the way, I remember hearing similar instructions.
| |
| The definition of a Primordial is the original demon.
| |
| Huh, the original demon...?
| |
| "Diablo, you're not one of the Original demons, are you?”
| |
| When I finished asking the question, Diablo responded indifferently.
| |
| "Well, that's right. I am indeed one of the first of the Seven Systems of the Demon Race to be born in
| |
| this world.”
| |
| ......Oi oi oi, no way.
| |
| The demon I summoned when I evolved into the demon lord was not expected to be such a powerful
| |
| character...
| |
| I always thought he was so strong, I didn't expect it to be more so than I thought.
| |
| “...............didn’t you know?”
| |
| "I can't believe it. I thought you were a little careless, but I didn't expect you to be that careless...”
| |
| The way Leon and Ruminas looked at people hurt so much.
| |
| Can't blame me for that.
| |
| Since I casually summoned it and he responded, I guess it shouldn't be a big deal.
| |
| << “....”>>
| |
| It was as if even Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, was speechless.
| |
| And there was this reaction as if it was not for Diablo's true identity, but because I didn’t know about it.
| |
| It seems that Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, seems to think that I knew the Primordial Demons
| |
| as well.
| |
| No, wait.
| |
| In this way, it seems that Elmesia, the Celestial Emperor of Sarion, also said something about the
| |
| Primordials. Turns out it's because she's also discovered Diablo's true identity that she's so vigilant!
| |
| | |
| If I had paid a little more attention, I would have detected Diablo's true identity sooner.
| |
| This is actually that.
| |
| Commonly known as preconceived notions.
| |
| There is no in-depth investigation of what is known, nor is it brought up for discussion. In the opinion
| |
| of Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, it just didn't feel the need to speak to me specifically about it.
| |
| It's a big loophole.
| |
| Even with a dictionary at hand, there's no point in not using it. Even Master Raphael, the King of
| |
| Wisdom, who would advise me recently, could not possibly grasp what I knew and what I did not know.
| |
| No matter how good a partner is, it's pointless if you don't let them do their job properly, and now I've
| |
| come to understand it again.
| |
| Leaving the surprised me aside, Diablo began to tell the story of his acquaintance with me.
| |
| It sounds as if it goes back to when I met Shizu-san. There seems to be some kind of connection
| |
| between Diablo and Miss Shizu, and Diablo happens to go to that place when he finds out that Miss Shizu
| |
| is about to die.
| |
| It turns out that Diablo had been paying attention to me since that time, which surprised me, but I had
| |
| no idea what his intentions were.
| |
| "It's so abhorrent that a low-ranking demon belonging to my system was summoned before me by Lord
| |
| Rimuru. However! I didn't panic over it, but waited for the time to come and finally answered Lord
| |
| Rimuru's call smoothly!”
| |
| Speaking of this side, Diablo showed a very happy smile.
| |
| | |
| Geez, is it not a coincidence that Diablo would respond to my summons, but a corollary to his long-
| |
| established calculations?
| |
| | |
| I was so surprised that even my head started to hurt.
| |
| That said, there was something I had never heard before, and it turned out that Diablo was very jealous
| |
| of Beretta and wanted to get rid of him without my knowledge. But Beretta's body was built by me, so
| |
| Diablo couldn't hurt it.
| |
| "This body was made by Lord Rimuru himself, and it would displease him if you were to strike at it.”
| |
| Beretta is said to have advised him so at that time.
| |
| How should I say it, should I say it's dumbfounding?
| |
| That said, it's stupid and long-winded to go on like this.
| |
| Somebody stop it—I think so, but Diablo's imposing presence is so overwhelming that no one seems to
| |
| have a chance to interject.
| |
| Seeing that this was not the way to go, I spoke.
| |
| | |
| "Diablo, Diablo-kun! Just talk about this side. It's almost time for us to get on with the meeting, too.
| |
| Immediately after me, Guy followed suit and said.
| |
| "That's enough about this, right? By the way, that Dino kid is here too, isn't he? Can you bring him here
| |
| for me?”
| |
| When this came out of Guy's mouth, Diablo finally stopped talking.
| |
| "Then let me invite Lord Dino."
| |
| Shuna hadn't been able to find the right time to exit the room, and only now did she politely curtsy and
| |
| leave.
| |
| She's escaped—I think I'm in the mood too.
| |
| "It's the rest that follows that's important.”
| |
| The look on Diablo's face was like he was saying there was going to be more to come, but everyone
| |
| united and pretended not to hear.
| |
| I wonder what he'll say if we keep listening. In order to keep my mind at peace, it's best to shut Diablo
| |
| up.
| |
| In the midst of this commotion, unknowingly, Guy's seat was also ready. The waiting room next door
| |
| had a sofa for guests to sit on, and Leon's men moved it this way.
| |
| "Oh, very clever."
| |
| Hearing Guy’s words, the knights under Leon, Alrose and Claude, nodded softly at him. It looked like
| |
| these two also knew Guy, otherwise neither of them would have made a move, because facing Guy could
| |
| not be done lightly.
| |
| It was supposed to be my job to prepare, but I didn't expect so much. It was a great help to have these
| |
| two people around, as one mistake could make Guy angry.
| |
| Even the secretary, who was supposed to be assisting me, seemed to be all talk.
| |
| On the other hand, Shion looked like she didn't care about her own affairs and had no intention of
| |
| leaving my side at all.
| |
| "Sorry to bother you.”
| |
| "No, please don't worry about it!”
| |
| "We also know how much trouble His Majesty Rimuru has taken. You want others to stay out of this
| |
| room so we don't have to go to the trouble of policing, right? That being the case, we'll leave the trivial
| |
| matters of this magnitude to us.”
| |
| Alrose and Claude are delightful.
| |
| Hopefully Diablo and Shion will learn from them.
| |
| | |
| "Hear ye well, that ye also look unto them, and become more attentive.”
| |
| "Gee, gee, gee, gee, gee.”
| |
| It was Guy's fault for coming here without prior arrangement - Diablo seemed tempted to say so, but he
| |
| didn't normally make such mistakes, except to say that this was a bad time.
| |
| "Yes, I'll learn from that!"
| |
| Shion was quite frank.
| |
| The girl only had her mouth full.
| |
| I prayed in my heart that she actually listened.
| |
| At this point Guy took his seat arrogantly.
| |
| At the same time, Shuna returned with Dino.
| |
| For some reason, Ramiris is with them, some interlude occurs in between, and the meeting unfolds
| |
| again.
| |
| ***
| |
| The first topic to begin with is the Primordial Demons.
| |
| "Well, Dino. May I ask why?"
| |
| "Hey, what's the reason for this?”
| |
| Faced with Guy's question, Dino asked back in a straightforward manner. This attitude was starting to
| |
| set Guy on fire.
| |
| "Don't pretend! This guy named those three demons, why didn't you stop him!?”
| |
| That's right, it's important!
| |
| "This guy" said as if it was me, and so did I. If I had known those three demons were so dangerous, I
| |
| wouldn't have named them."
| |
| Although it's too late, I'd still like to at least give some advice.
| |
| "I ask you, why do you think I sent you here?”
| |
| "Well, isn’t it for tourism?”
| |
| "No! It's to spy on the enemy, to spy!”
| |
| Seeing this interaction, I thought to myself that Guy was having a hard time too.
| |
| I had guessed it might be that way. Was Dino really here to be a spy?
| |
| Only, it's best not to blab about the spy in person.
| |
| | |
| "Hey, and you! Don't act like it's none of your business!"
| |
| Oops, that's anger.
| |
| It doesn't make sense to send someone over as a spy and scold me, but the reason is really on me. As
| |
| much as it was tempting to complain, a subconscious retort didn't seem good.
| |
| After all, the other side is Guy, and pissing him off is definitely the next best thing.
| |
| "Hahahaha, Guy, don't get mad about a little thing. It's not like this kid just named people randomly, it's
| |
| not like it started today!"
| |
| It's rare that Veldora would speak for me.
| |
| I yelled "Go!" in my heart. Cheer him on. I didn't think...
| |
| "You shut up! Don't interfere when your lordship is talking!”
| |
| "Mmmm, mmmm.”
| |
| At being yelled at by Ruminas, Veldora shut up. This alone makes it impossible to say anything back,
| |
| and it shows that he is bullying good and fearing evil.
| |
| That being said, it was thanks to him covering me that the spear didn't continue to be pointed at me. I
| |
| didn't let the opportunity pass and took the opportunity to spit on Guy.
| |
| "All right, take it easy. Dino came here to spy on me, right? The complaints about that aside, Dino who
| |
| didn't stop me is certainly at fault, but shouldn't someone who trusts him to send him should take on the
| |
| responsibility of being the overseer? Guy, don't you think?”
| |
| To put it bluntly, I'm trying to get everyone to sit down.
| |
| How can you put all the blame on me, and let Dino and Guy share the blame?
| |
| It's obvious what Dino is responsible for, so again, just drag Guy down with him.
| |
| "Say it, Guy. After all, I wasn't meant to spy on people. It's surprising that you're forcing me to work."
| |
| It's only times like these that he seems particularly shrewd, and Dino seems to have seen through my
| |
| ploy. He deftly matched me.
| |
| "You two...."
| |
| Only to see Guy with a chagrined face.
| |
| Now one has to be careful not to let him get even bigger and create consensus quickly.
| |
| "I couldn’t stop it in time. I was so surprised to see Rimuru with the Primordial Demon that I couldn't
| |
| even speak. There are three demons of the Origin. The Black Primordial is a weirdo, which I can
| |
| understand, but I didn't think that even demons like the Pure White Primordial (Testarossa) would serve
| |
| someone else, which is beyond anyone's imagination!"
| |
| "That's true."
| |
| | |
| Ah, Dino began to say something about evading responsibility. Guy seemed to agree a few times to the
| |
| point that it wasn't good to go on like this.
| |
| "I also had a bitter feeling because Diablo said they could be useful and brought them here, so I had no
| |
| doubt that he accepted. Not at all expecting such awesome characters, and they were polite and well
| |
| behaved and willing to be my men. These men are under Diablo's jurisdiction and Diablo should be held
| |
| accountable. If something happens, I'll help take responsibility, but I should have trusted my men, right?"
| |
| I'll just go with the flow and put all the blame on Diablo.
| |
| After all, Diablo is the one who started it all. It's just a little touchy-feely, so don't bother with me.
| |
| You will endeavor to bear the wrath of Guy—with that thought, my gaze fell on Diablo. Immediately
| |
| afterwards, hearing me say this, somehow Diablo nodded happily.
| |
| "I am satisfied with the words of Lord Rimuru, who is willing to trust me. In response to your
| |
| expectations, I will refine even more.”
| |
| “......”
| |
| Seeing Diablo's bright smile, a tired looking Guy was speechless, and then the whole man leaned back
| |
| in his chair.
| |
| "That is to say, the person in the wrong is Diablo?”
| |
| He opened his mouth high and questioned.
| |
| "It's not that it's all his fault..."
| |
| "It means we're victims too."
| |
| Seeing that I was stammering, Dino was also embarrassed and swallowed back what he was about to
| |
| say.
| |
| As for the person in question, Diablo, he is the only one with a big, proud face.
| |
| "This guy's been a weirdo since the old days, and it's no use complaining to him now..."
| |
| Guy gestured to Diablo as he said this.
| |
| "Dino, you were too late to stop Rimuru, which, given the circumstances, is understandable.”
| |
| Oi oi oi, things seem to be starting to go in a strange direction.
| |
| "So, Rimuru, it’s you!”
| |
| It's me!?
| |
| Why is the point being made at me?
| |
| "What's wrong with me?”
| |
| We can't afford to get carried away at this time.
| |
| | |
| I'm going to put on a straight face and pretend like I've done nothing bad and face Guy like this.
| |
| Having made up my mind, to avoid the other party finding out I was panicking, I handed over physical
| |
| dominance to Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom.
| |
| That's a relief. No matter how choppy my heart may be, on the surface it seems calm.
| |
| "Don't you dare ask me what's wrong!”
| |
| Afterwards, Guy blurted out at me.
| |
| Because of the good I did, the balance of power of the whole world completely collapsed, and because
| |
| of this, it is impossible to predict the future of the world situation. The content of the speech is serious,
| |
| and the time I cede the physical domination to the king of wisdom, Master Raphael, is equivalent to
| |
| nothing.
| |
| It looks like Guy's calculations are more meticulous than expected.
| |
| "Not only that, but because of you, Mizari's battle plan also ended in failure. You have to take
| |
| responsibility for that!”
| |
| With that said, that's the end of Guy's preaching.
| |
| I don't know anything about those things, and he holds me accountable and listens to me in disbelief,
| |
| but it's kind of a bargain if doing it will get him to accept it. After making this judgement, in any case, nod
| |
| your head first and say "I see", and find a way to muddle through.
| |
| ***
| |
| The preaching time was over, but Guy's words were not.
| |
| It was said that he would periodically cause disasters that would make people think of him as the
| |
| common enemy of humanity. Because of the fear of a powerful enemy, people will not fight among
| |
| themselves and get into power struggles all day long, which is what he is all about.
| |
| When Granbell is in control of the situation, he keeps his eyes on the wall and doesn't act too blatantly.
| |
| This time, however, Granbell led the entire army to challenge Ruminas, and the balance fell apart.
| |
| That's why Guy ordered to Mizari, hoping to unite the people with fear.
| |
| The death of the elected members of the Senate will make the heads of the States that are members of
| |
| the Senate realize the threat posed by the demon lord. Laying it out in this direction, uniting the heads of
| |
| the Western nations—that’s the battle plan Mizari had in mind.
| |
| "Then Mizari attacked the venue, but I don't know why 'Primordial White—Testarossa—was there.”
| |
| Tsk, already used to calling her by her first name, she accidentally called her by her previous name—a
| |
| small mumble escaped her lips as Guy continued to speak.
| |
| "In order to avoid a conflict with Testarossa, Mizari interrupted the battle plan. There's nothing wrong
| |
| with that part, the problem is later. Humans are very clever, and since there's no way to dominate them
| |
| with fear, these people will just start skirmishes. Now that the system of domination created by the Rosso
| |
| family has disintegrated, the power struggle will intensify, as it always has. Doing such a foolish thing at
| |
| | |
| a time when the Eastern empires were in a state of folly would inevitably lead to the defeat of the Western
| |
| powers. It's all your fault, Rimuru. What are you going to do about it? Tell me about it.”
| |
| I'm so surprised.
| |
| The Western powers might be torn apart and want to prevent such a crisis before it happens - that's
| |
| Guy's purpose.
| |
| He seemed to have little interest in humanity, but perhaps a little attention was paid to it for the time
| |
| being, lest it perish. That being said, it seems to be the role of the "mediator".
| |
| Not exactly on the side of mankind, and the approach is too radical, but a different perspective might be
| |
| a way of talking to us and understanding each other.
| |
| So the question is—I anticipate a policy of response to Western countries.
| |
| Although I didn't even know about the contact between Testarossa and Mizari, honestly it was too
| |
| much to say. Personally, I would love for humans to identify with us and construct a friendly relationship
| |
| with us, but...
| |
| I was troubled and didn't know what to say to Guy for good, but it turned out that Diablo stepped up in
| |
| my stead. He ignored Guy, who had a hint of disgust dripping from his face, and began to recount his
| |
| argument.
| |
| "Hmph, what else is there to say, the only goal is to achieve Lord Rimuru's ideals anyway.”
| |
| Although I was disturbed to know what he would say, I had no specific response. I guess idealism
| |
| doesn't work on Guy, so trying to gamble on Diablo's self-assured attitude is a failure, really?
| |
| I didn't realize that Diablo was using my rhetoric, which I thought was useless.
| |
| "What does that mean?”
| |
| "Nothing, to put it simply. Guy, using fear to bind others—even if you do such uninteresting things,
| |
| indeed, people will obey you out of fear. But in this way, the human capacity cannot be fully realized. Not
| |
| only that, but the fear will fade over time. No matter how much tragedy you cause for humanity, they will
| |
| eventually forget. After that, there's only hate in the heart.
| |
| "Well, go on."
| |
| "That hatred will eventually turn to contempt, wanting revenge on those who bullied them. And
| |
| mankind just plays small and isn't smart enough to realize that they have a power differential from us that
| |
| they absolutely cannot fill. As soon as they are incited by a race like the Demon Race, they'll do
| |
| something stupid right away."
| |
| "Indeed it is. That's why I want to purge the human world of blood to curb such behavior.”
| |
| "Geez, I told you it wouldn't work. As long as humans are still that stupid, they are easy to fade away.
| |
| Things like that have been happening for generations, and I don't think that's changed. But..."
| |
| With that said, this side was temporarily suspended, and Diablo looked at Guy with a serious
| |
| expression.
| |
| | |
| "Unlike the unilateral totalitarian rule of the Rosso, we can redistribute wealth, maintain a degree of
| |
| equity, and reconstruct relations between nations. This will give rise to a new economic system.”
| |
| “So?”
| |
| "To create a new economic system, to preserve the right to choose, to mislead people into believing that
| |
| they chose the future with their own hands, and to make foolish humans believe that they started it all
| |
| with their own hands. Unlike memory, following such a system, one never forgets. We will then be able to
| |
| dominate the human world in a semi-permanent way. Lord Rimuru will be in charge, and that's our job."
| |
| Woo-hoo, Diablo is right on the money.
| |
| Do people cherish it because it was started by their own hands?
| |
| That said, have I ever thought of such a thing?
| |
| There seems to be an impression that something similar has been said, but it shouldn't be so
| |
| exaggerated......
| |
| It's that it feels a little scary to say that all this is premised on success.
| |
| "So it is. The weak will come to you as long as they have a grasp of the economy and provide free
| |
| security, right? There is no need for bloodshed to fight this battle, and in a society like that, everything is
| |
| already arranged. This is perhaps more desirable than the way the Rosso have dominated.”
| |
| Guy nodded, seeming to look the other way at Diablo.
| |
| "Of course it's better. More people will be happy in that world than if wealth were gathered in the hands
| |
| of a few. When that happens, demand and supply will respond to each other, and new possibilities will
| |
| surely open up. That's Lord Rimuru's heart's desire, Guy.”
| |
| Well, that's true.
| |
| I'm looking forward to an elevated level of culture in my life.
| |
| There will be movies and music, comics, novels. I want to increase this kind of mass entertainment.
| |
| A life of contentment and joy must be the basis for such artistic achievement. In order to discover
| |
| talents that have not yet been seen, I want to make people live rich lives.
| |
| Only, I don't have any plans for what comes after that.
| |
| "Having tasted and enjoyed the happiness that comes with living in peace, people are afraid of losing
| |
| that, aren't they?”
| |
| "That's it. If we were to express it in one sentence, this concept would be called 'gratitude'. The people
| |
| thanked Lord Rimuru, the peacekeeper, and became willing to help keep the world at peace. It would be
| |
| more efficient for us to do that than for you to use fear to dominate human thought.”
| |
| When I looked back to find that Diablo and Guy seemed to have reached an understanding, the two
| |
| nodded at each other.
| |
| Hearing Diablo tell of such a future, not only Ruminas and Leon, but even their men looked at me with
| |
| admiration.
| |
| | |
| In such an atmosphere...I’m afraid to say...I didn't even think that far ahead.
| |
| “However, if you want to put these ideas into practice, you must have a long-term vision and a precise
| |
| calculation, right? It has to be managed, and if it goes on like that, it will be overpopulated, and one can
| |
| imagine the human race becoming overwhelmed. Do you have a way to take that part into account?"
| |
| Hey hey hey, it's not like you're taking care of a pet and talking like the sink is overpopulated with
| |
| greenies...
| |
| ''Hmph, is that meant to say that Lord Rimuru can't even see into the future to this extent? Even if it's
| |
| difficult for you to manage, it's an easy problem for Lord Rimuru. I'll be upfront with you, so you don't
| |
| have to worry about it.”
| |
| Hello?
| |
| Why did the premise become like this?
| |
| Uh, yeah, I seem to recall saying to Diablo that it's very demon lord like to manipulate the world from
| |
| behind. But to say such things in front of Guy and other demon lords, I think, I would be hindered.
| |
| It's something that worries me, but it seems like I'm overthinking it. Or I should say, they are...
| |
| "Yeah? Then I'll leave it to you. While I don't think things will go so well, even if it fails, it won't hurt
| |
| me. At most, let me get rid of the stupid ones myself then. Just let me see how you're going to take
| |
| responsibility for this.”
| |
| I didn't expect Guy to laugh.
| |
| Since it's all been said and done, I can only be aware of it.
| |
| They all nodded their heads and said, "I know," but how can they say "no" now?
| |
| "What Diablo said earlier was a bit of an exaggeration, but largely correct. A bit over-ideal, but I'd love
| |
| to see that happen in the future. Without you saying it, I want to bring world peace in my own way.”
| |
| With that, I made a pact with Guy.
| |
| So much so that it was too late for me to figure out what was really going on, and I became the
| |
| administrator of the Western countries with the recognition of the Eight Star demon lords (Octagram).
| |
| The next thing you know, it would be nice if things ended up this way, but there seem to be other
| |
| problems behind it.
| |
| "Rimuru, I'll give you a word of advice first. Regarding Yellow Primordial Carerra, that one sometimes
| |
| has a messy side and will look moody while shooting nuclear strike magic. If you don't take care of it, the
| |
| city you've built up so easily will fall to pieces.”
| |
| Leon gave me advice.
| |
| Immediately after, Ruminas also had something to say.
| |
| "That's it. I have something to tell you, too. As mentioned earlier, the Purple Primordial as the servant
| |
| knew it was insidious and vile, and synonymous with miserable inhumanity. Unlike the demon race, they
| |
| | |
| don't mean to kill all humans, but they are very fickle and do as they please. They seem to act like
| |
| cheerful maidens before you, but you must not be careless.”
| |
| Well, she says things that make people uncomfortable. Not only that, though the two of them didn't
| |
| make it clear, but it seemed that Testarossa was more tricky than those two demons.
| |
| It's a big one.
| |
| No, that's not quite right. It should be said that I finally realized that things were already in trouble.
| |
| It is now known that Testarossa and the others are the Primordial demons, and I will be in charge of
| |
| these people. If anything happens, I will be held responsible...
| |
| At the moment they are at least Diablo's men, but there is no way to use that as an excuse to get away
| |
| with it.
| |
| Elmesia is holding me accountable, so how can I say I can't do it when it's too late?
| |
| I wanted to beat the shit out of myself for not knowing anything at that time, but it was my own fault
| |
| that this was happening.
| |
| This part of the management seems more taxing than managing human society. I felt so melancholy just
| |
| thinking about this side, that I let out a quiet sigh.
| |
| ***
| |
| Seemingly just waiting for Guy to finish his sentence, Ramiris, Dino, and Veldora stood up
| |
| unannounced.
| |
| "We seem to have been pestering you for a long time, so I'll leave the rest to you!”
| |
| "Just say it. I also have very important work on my hands. Mr. Vesta is waiting for me, that's the thing,
| |
| I'll see you some other time, Guy!”
| |
| "Well, I'm going back to guarding the labyrinth, too. Ahhh, so busy, so busy, Kuahahaha!”
| |
| As if by prior agreement, the three were in tacit agreement, and at a glance it was clear that they were
| |
| attempting to flee.
| |
| Dino, in particular, doesn't seem to want to be read and thought of any more, and yet he speaks out
| |
| against his heart.
| |
| "Huh? It's not funny that you have to go to work and say such a cold joke.”
| |
| Guy Crimson couldn't listen anymore either, and he hit the nail on the head. However, Ramiris stepped
| |
| in to respond.
| |
| "No, no, no, those are real. Dino is also my assistant now, helping out on my side!”
| |
| Guy was so surprised to hear that.
| |
| Even if he didn't believe Dino's words, but even Ramiris endorsed them as true, Guy had to believe
| |
| them.
| |
| | |
| "You said Dino was working? Rimuru, what magic have you done?"
| |
| This surprised statement from Guy was addressed to me, but it was a question even I didn't know how
| |
| to answer.
| |
| "I don't know! There is a rule in my country that 'people who don't work don't eat'. It's just that there’s
| |
| no magic to make him follow the rules.”
| |
| If only there was magic that handy, I wouldn't have to work so hard. My heart seemed to come out
| |
| through those words and Guy didn't pursue it.
| |
| Then the three of them panicked and fled from this room. Watching them devour all the tea and
| |
| refreshments prepared by Shuna, it was obvious that they had been waiting for this moment for a long
| |
| time.
| |
| I thought to myself, ‘These guys are really no slouch.’
| |
| "Forget it. He's already picked on Dino, so he'll be more serious when it comes to gathering
| |
| information.”
| |
| At this time Guy muttered in a small voice.
| |
| I'm telling you, don't say that in front of me. I really don't know how to respond to your bold statement
| |
| about sending someone here to spy.
| |
| It's just that, even if he said such things to Guy, he wouldn't have listened to it. Forget about that for
| |
| now, thankfully I don't have to pretend to test each other, I should be thinking in the good way like this.
| |
| I looked away and decided to do so, so I changed the subject.
| |
| "By the way, did you come here just to ask about Testarossa and the others?”
| |
| If that's all there is to do, Guy should be prepared to go home. Seeing that he didn't do that, presumably
| |
| there was something else. As much as I don't want to face more questions, I get stuck without asking.
| |
| "That's something to care about too, yes, but I have other things."
| |
| Speaking of which, Guy leaned back in his chair.
| |
| He lowered his eyes to look around the crowd before his final gaze rested on Leon.
| |
| "I'm going to meet with the clowns who call themselves the Moderate Clown Troupe.”
| |
| “Oh?”
| |
| "Those are the guys you're dealing with, right?”
| |
| “Exactly."
| |
| Faced with Guy's question, Leon gave an affirmative answer.
| |
| Huh, wait. He had just gently brought it up, but that topic was important!
| |
| "Hey, did you see Yuuki, too?”
| |
| | |
| “Right."
| |
| Guy nodded dryly, answering my question for me.
| |
| I am now ordering Souei to search for the Freedom Association Headquarters. Something like that
| |
| happened yesterday shouldn't be unexpected for Yuuki, so we think he'll run to the guild headquarters that
| |
| is used as a stronghold. But he shouldn't be able to show up in a big way, so I asked the Souei to pay more
| |
| attention to prevent Yuuki from disguising himself or finding someone to be his double, and even asked
| |
| them to keep an eye on him.
| |
| I didn't hear anything from the other side at the moment, but I didn't expect Guy and Yuuki to ever
| |
| meet.
| |
| "So, are you in cahoots with Yuuki?"
| |
| "Huh? What a stupid thing to say. It's just that the gang is planning to run away to the East, so I'm
| |
| going to teach them a little lesson.”
| |
| I originally suspected Guy of colluding with Yuuki, and it doesn't look like that. That's a relief for the
| |
| time being, however in that case, I don't know what Guy’s purpose is.
| |
| "You didn't kill them?”
| |
| This question comes from Leon.
| |
| That one concerns me too, but more than that...
| |
| It turns out that Yuuki is planning to give up his position in the West and flee to the East?
| |
| It's a really dry decision to make, what a horrible decisiveness, and it's bold.
| |
| Just being targeted by Guy is bad luck for him. Guy said it was just a lesson, which should sound like it
| |
| didn't kill them, but it must have taken a lot of pain.
| |
| No worse, I don't sympathize with them at all, and instead think they're making a fool of themselves.
| |
| "I didn't kill them in the end. At first it was about getting these people arrested and selling you out, but
| |
| things changed.”
| |
| With that said, Guy started talking about what happened between him and Yuuki.
| |
| Finally, we can figure out roughly what Yuuki is doing behind his back.
| |
| Yuuki is the employer of the "Moderate Clown Troupe" and their boss. This, in fact, is just a
| |
| confirmation of my guess—the prediction of Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, I should say.
| |
| Here are the great and bad things that Yuuki has done.
| |
| 1. Letting the Adventurers develop into a free guild.
| |
| 2. Having the Rosso family, which dominates the Council, in charge of what goes on under the table.
| |
| And making a deal with Demon Lord Leon.
| |
| | |
| 3. Accepting Clayman, making him the Demon Lord and manipulating him behind his back.
| |
| 4. Defeating the Mother of Darkness (Echidna), who dominates the Eastern Empire's underworld, and
| |
| forming a secret association called the “Big Three (Cerberus)".
| |
| Ostensibly the leader of the Freedom Association, but behind the scenes it is the Chief Marshal of the
| |
| Secret Association.
| |
| Things about the organization that was the Mother of Darkness were still being heard for the first time
| |
| today, and it sounded like it was a very large dark force. This was information given by Leon and should
| |
| not be false.
| |
| By the way, it seems that the Slave Chamber of Commerce that Yuuki screwed over is also a
| |
| subordinate organization of the Big Three, and he may have some sort of connection to this organization
| |
| as well.
| |
| Yuuki is particularly adept at bringing down established organizations and taking over the nest.
| |
| This seems easy to say, but in practice it is extremely difficult to put into practice. He did all of this in
| |
| ten years, and the word "talented" no longer describes it. Even calling him a genius is not an
| |
| overstatement.
| |
| Yuuki is a genius, but overconfidence becomes a failure. No matter how good he is, the inability to see
| |
| through an opponent's strength is what will deduct points.
| |
| It's only right that once you see Guy, you know that he's very strong.
| |
| Count him lucky this time, Guy let him off the hook, perhaps such luck would be commendable.
| |
| I had mixed feelings when I heard that Yuuki had saved his small life.
| |
| As a fellow countryman, I don't want his life so badly. But at the same time, I can't forgive Yuuki for
| |
| what he did.
| |
| Yuuki pretends to be a good man, but behind his back, he plays the Rosso and Leon led by Granbell.
| |
| And used the “Moderate Clown Troupe" to drag Hinata and me into the fight...
| |
| His goal was simply to fulfill a childish dream—to conquer the world in such a way that I couldn't even
| |
| laugh.
| |
| That said, why would Guy let Yuuki go?
| |
| "Then why did you let Yuuki escape?”
| |
| I was puzzled by this, so I got right to the point and asked Guy.
| |
| I earned it by his willingness to answer - and asked based on that thought.
| |
| "Well, it's all about the game.”
| |
| As a result, Guy Crimson gave the answer without a care in the world.
| |
| He had just said play the game, a word that made for a dumbfounded listen, but Guy ignored my query
| |
| and went straight to the point.
| |
| | |
| He said that in a little while the Eastern Empire should act.
| |
| The reason for letting Yuuki escape is because Yuuki negotiated with Guy, saying that he would disrupt
| |
| the Eastern Empire.
| |
| “That—Guy, you don't seem to want the Western nations to perish. Why is that?”
| |
| Surprised, I asked the question, and as a result the other party gave a surprising answer.
| |
| "It is my duty to manage to prevent the destruction of mankind. But then again, excessive prosperity
| |
| can be a nuisance just fine. Let all demons rule over all mankind—that is my ultimate goal.”
| |
| It looks like this is the "game" in Guy's mouth.
| |
| As long as Guy's plan for domination is complete, it seems to satisfy the game's victory conditions.
| |
| "No, why let Miss Mizari bring down the Council in this case?”
| |
| When the Eastern Empire attacked, all the members of the Council had been killed. If that happens, it
| |
| will be very bad for the Western countries.
| |
| States cannot join forces against the enemy and may even be defeated before the battle.
| |
| After listening to my question, Guy snorted and said, "It's okay to call Miss Mizari without adding
| |
| Miss," and then added, "The reason for approving Mizari's combat plan is to unite the Western countries.”
| |
| What exactly does that mean...?
| |
| <<Answer. In order to facilitate the master's domination of the Western nations, he plans to use fear to
| |
| control mankind.>>
| |
| Well, in other words, that's what it means, doesn’t it?
| |
| People go into a panic when members of the council are abused and killed by the demon lord.
| |
| If I reach out at this time, people will not hesitate to accept my shelter. To achieve this, sacrificing a
| |
| few is not a problem.
| |
| <<Answer. That's how it should be.>>
| |
| I see.
| |
| The means taken were too aggressive, the self-directed acting was great, and it always felt like Guy's
| |
| goals, Mizari's ideas, were a bit off, but would do it all for me.
| |
| No, it's not.
| |
| He also wanted to use me to run the Western States.
| |
| Yet things have gone beyond Guy's expectations, and I have long since gone out on the West. I don't
| |
| really have that deep of a grasp, but Testarossa has mastered the Council.
| |
| | |
| The purpose of Guy is not to bring about the destruction of mankind, but rather the opposite, to do the
| |
| proper stewardship so that mankind does not invite his own demise through their own foolishness.
| |
| Let me do this, I'm sure Guy has his hands up in approval. In terms of results, that's what Guy wants to
| |
| see, too.
| |
| Now I understand one thing.
| |
| That is, Guy does things casually enough.
| |
| Indeed, he would have preferred me to strike.
| |
| "So, you're okay with me taking control of the Western countries, right?’
| |
| "That's all right—I’m not going to interfere as long as the fools don't get carried away.”
| |
| That puts my mind at ease.
| |
| Although it seems that many of the formalities that I had envisioned were skipped, I was then left to
| |
| take over the management of the Western countries.
| |
| "Since you've said that, I'm sorry. By the way, could you please not continue to send people to harass
| |
| the northern part of the Ingracia Kingdom?”
| |
| After inquiring from all sides, I learned that Guy's men would periodically rebel in the northern lands.
| |
| Originally the place was guarded by Razul (***was weirdly translated as Lancelot too, but I’ll just stick
| |
| w/ Razul like the FanTL now), but he was thoroughly crushed by Shion.
| |
| Because of this emergency, the Sarion Celestial Emperor Elmesia sent a regiment of magical warriors
| |
| to suppress it. It's strange enough that I'm the one who says thank you, but as to whether or not I can ask
| |
| them to do it again, let's just say don't think too hard.
| |
| Since the Western countries are at my disposal, I will naturally be responsible for the defense of the
| |
| region in the future. This inevitably results in unnecessary defense costs.
| |
| Of course I don't want to increase that fee, basically talent like Razul is rare.
| |
| "Please don't worry. Just give it all to Testarossa, including all the chores.”
| |
| As if to clear my mind of my troubles, Diablo reported back to me with a smile on his face.
| |
| It's too late to ask for Guy's opinion...
| |
| "That's good. Those guys should also need a bit of a breather and a break, so do as you wish.”
| |
| I didn't expect even Guy to agree with Diablo.
| |
| At this time I thought to myself, ‘What those demons are thinking is beyond me as a person with
| |
| normal values.'
| |
| Just do as Diablo says, and leave all matters concerning those demons to Testarossa. With Guy opening
| |
| his mouth, I thought using that as a reason wouldn't cause any disputes.
| |
| In that case, I will dominate the West in the future, but things are not over here.
| |
| | |
| "Then Rimuru, can the Eastern Empire be given to you too?"
| |
| Being asked that by Ruminas, it occurred to me that there was still that question.
| |
| "If the Empire acts, does that mean it will become a military operation?”
| |
| Insurance-wise, I asked this question, with the result that Guy rightfully nodded.
| |
| "Lately the Empire has been conducting military exercises all day long. The matter has also been a
| |
| matter of great debate in the Council.”
| |
| The Committee was informed by the President of the United Nations that he had appeared before the
| |
| Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Now that they have a handle on the situation,
| |
| that means they have already formulated a response.
| |
| Personally, I don't think the Empire will invade.
| |
| Killing from either of the three routes would be difficult, and I think that's unlikely to come true.
| |
| It would be another matter if they didn't care how much they lost, but the benefits of conquering the
| |
| West were too little for the Eastern Empire.
| |
| So-called wars of aggression are actually waged for profit.
| |
| It is because there is no food, no resources, no place to live that other bountiful countries are locked in.
| |
| If these problems were solved, they would not have to force themselves into a bloody war.
| |
| But it's certainly not that simple to solve those problems. The rich country does not have to work for
| |
| the poor country, so if the aggressor takes the claim for granted, there will be disputes between the
| |
| countries.
| |
| It is for this reason that the rich nations must develop armies in order to defend themselves.
| |
| It becomes a big focus to show the invaders that they can't win easily against them.
| |
| Let us all be reluctant to resort to such means as war if the benefits gained are not proportional to the
| |
| blood shed.
| |
| Even so, the reason for wanting to go to war is...
| |
| <<Answer. Because the other side thinks they are 100% going to win.>>
| |
| Can't think of any other answers, it seems.
| |
| The council is already under my control, so there will be no traitors. In this way, the opponent could
| |
| develop new technology or they could make up a list of tactics that make people unexpected...or they
| |
| could have other killer tactics.
| |
| “Hinata."
| |
| "I know what you mean. Before you asked me to investigate the structure of the dwarven kingdom
| |
| right. As far as the conclusion is concerned, it is possible to use it to send out a large army.”
| |
| | |
| Hinata immediately saw what I wanted to say and revealed the message I wanted to know.
| |
| The Dwarven Kingdom maintains a neutral stance and I don't think Gazel will let it go, but the fact
| |
| remains that the safest route of aggression into the West still exists.
| |
| No, maybe...
| |
| "I always thought it was impossible before, so I didn't bother with it, but it's possible they attacked the
| |
| Dwarven Kingdom first isn't it?”
| |
| "Oh, less pretending. I was asked to look into the matter because I had doubts about it," she said.
| |
| Geez, is Hinata complimenting me on this?
| |
| I'm actually just thinking about it now, so forget it, it's okay, let's just call it that.
| |
| "Were you found? Well, since there's such a possibility, we should work out a countermeasure first."
| |
| I'll be in charge of contacting Gazel to figure out what to do.
| |
| Things are getting tricky now that they can't be called troublesome, but they must be faced. Now that
| |
| the military power of the Council has been handed over to the Jura Tempest Federation, it is our duty to
| |
| be on the front line.
| |
| "Without you, most of the Empire would have been met by Granbell and Ruminas.”
| |
| It was at this point that Guy spoke unconcernedly.
| |
| It is not known how capable the Empire is of fighting.
| |
| The Rosso will mobilize all of their forces, and Hinata will lead the Paladins, plus Ruberios’ army.
| |
| Whichever side wins, Guy doesn't seem to care. Guy must have had his own intentions when he agreed
| |
| to Yuuki's terms of engagement.
| |
| The key to knowing what he had in mind was the word "game", but even if I had asked, he wouldn't
| |
| have given me an answer, would he?
| |
| "I'll help, but I won't listen to you.”
| |
| Hinata had no incentive to go to the front lines of the war. So it would make sense to say so.
| |
| "I honestly don't know if war will break out, but we'll find a way to prevent it first. Hinata, I hope you
| |
| are ready for battle first, in case the Empire attacks in a way that is unexpected to us."
| |
| "Understood. Some spies pretend to be businessmen and we will take care of them.”
| |
| With a smile on her face but seemingly a bit too much trouble, Hinata just agreed. That's a relief, and it
| |
| looks like I don't have to say anything more.
| |
| "Rimuru, if you are defeated, then my servant will come to the fight. In order to avoid such things, you
| |
| have to work hard.”
| |
| Ruminas said this with a look of amusement.
| |
| | |
| There is a need to know how many casualties there are and to repair the crumbling great hall of god.
| |
| Ruminas doesn't actually have any spare time for war, does she? Even if only Hinata stepped in to help,
| |
| we should be satisfied.
| |
| "The next doubt is whether we can join forces with Yuuki...”
| |
| I'm a little moody about that.
| |
| It's because the guy was secretly screwing around that the Farmus Kingdom was manipulated into
| |
| letting Shion and the others get hurt.
| |
| The man who manipulated Clayman was also Yuuki, going back in time, and the reason for the uproar
| |
| caused by Geld’s predecessor when he was the Orc Disaster was also related to Yuuki.
| |
| Even if someone asks me to put aside all previous grudges, I can't just say let it go, it's human nature.
| |
| "Lord Rimuru, are you worried about us?”
| |
| It was rare that Shion was so keen. I didn't say anything, but she said those words as if she could see
| |
| my inner struggle.
| |
| "Sort of. After all, that kind of thing has happened before and it's a little hard for me to trust him
| |
| overnight.”
| |
| It should be said, I have no way to trust him.
| |
| Besides, if we do fight, there is nothing more unreliable than an untrustworthy self-army person.
| |
| "I don't know what kind of action Yuuki will take after he escapes, either. But I'm not interested, you
| |
| guys take care of the rest.”
| |
| As a result, Guy threw everything at us and said things like that.
| |
| Hearing that, I had a thought.
| |
| As expected, it was impossible to count Yuuki as one of our combatants.
| |
| "Kufufufufu. Then please ask Souei-san to check the movement.”
| |
| "Let's do it."
| |
| We'll talk about Yuuki later.
| |
| Whether they can work together also depends on the future.
| |
| At least there was no way I could accept him without him apologizing.
| |
| We're running a country at least, and depending on Yuuki's reaction, maybe we'll make peace with him.
| |
| But I may not be so big-hearted as to forgive him without paying any price.
| |
| "Can Shion still accept him even if it's like this?”
| |
| | |
| "Of course! If he is at enmity with us, then I will strike him down completely, and if there is to be
| |
| reconciliation with us, let me spare him with one blow!”
| |
| Please don't send him to hell with one punch—I didn't say that, silently asking in my heart.
| |
| If it does happen then, consider it an accident. Shion and I didn't mean to kill him, so let's just insist
| |
| that it wasn't intentional killing.
| |
| In that case, Yuuki's matter will be decided later.
| |
| ***
| |
| There's more than that and another thing Guy has to say.
| |
| That's what he wanted to talk about the most this time, something to do with the "Hero" —Chronoa.
| |
| "I already know what Granbell is up to, Ruminas is desperately trying to hide something in that place
| |
| and he's going to release that thing. So I kept watch in case the guy got out of hand and messed around,
| |
| but this Diablo kid said to leave it to Rimuru.”
| |
| It seems that Guy came to this side to confirm the follow-up status.
| |
| When did this happen—it dawned on me that Diablo had disappeared for a while, halfway through his
| |
| fight with the others. It was then, I'm afraid, that Diablo made a superfluous bargain with someone.
| |
| I thought to myself that Diablo was real too, but as far as results go, it was handled pretty well. If even
| |
| Guy had come to join the fray at that time, I wonder how things would have turned out.
| |
| "That's what we were talking about, right now. Let's just go over it again and have me explain it
| |
| myself.”
| |
| I stepped in to preside over the plenary and begin the presentation.
| |
| I think Leon and Ruminas shouldn't be talking too much, but it's better to be careful.
| |
| These things about Chloe's ability to make time jumps and repeat time travel several times are so
| |
| important that I decided to keep them hidden. Anyway, as long as I keep my mouth shut, the other party
| |
| won't know about it, based on such considerations.
| |
| "That's the way it is, after defeating the runaway Chronoa, the matter is finally settled.”
| |
| I put all the blame on Chronoa, but it was also to protect Chloe. The fact that Chloe is Chronoa is going
| |
| to get complicated to illustrate, so I'm going to hide this from Guy.
| |
| "I see. Thank you very much. So, I have a question for you.”
| |
| "Well, if you have any questions, just ask."
| |
| "That one’s a "Hero" in every sense of the word. How do you explain that?”
| |
| Grunt.
| |
| I'm going to muddle through, but this shouldn't work on Guy.
| |
| | |
| "During that battle, the power that lurked within this girl awakened..."
| |
| I explained it in that direction, and it made sense.
| |
| "Listen to what you're saying.”
| |
| That's right.
| |
| While battling a human being to the point of awakening internal power is a classic plot, and there is
| |
| usually a bridge like that, it's a stretch to use that as an excuse.
| |
| "Actually, it's like this...”
| |
| "I've been using the Specific Calling to find someone, and that person is Chloe. I don't know why she
| |
| was there, but thanks to that it helped us a lot.”
| |
| Replacing me, who didn't know how to answer, Leon spoke.
| |
| I don't know what Leon is going to say next, but I guess I'll just have to hitch a ride while I'm at it.
| |
| "That's it. Even my servant was surprised that the maiden named Chloe was suitable for a sealing
| |
| device.”
| |
| Before I could even go on, Ruminas came running out to take Leon's words. They're adding fuel and
| |
| saying more, am I taking over now?
| |
| "You mean the Sealer?”
| |
| Only to see Guy say this with a foxish expression and then look towards me.
| |
| I'd like to know what it is, too—but since it's come to this, there's no way to tell the truth, so I'll have to
| |
| go along with it.
| |
| "Right. According to Leon, she seemed to have a special physique that could seize the opponent's
| |
| power no matter what kind of opponent she faced, sealing that power away. I was half convinced even
| |
| after hearing about it, but after seeing the effect with my own eyes, I had to believe it too."
| |
| How about this!
| |
| I was hinting at handing over the baton to Leon and leaving the rest after that to him.
| |
| "That's how it is. Even though even my servant's killer weapon was taken away, it's better than not
| |
| being able to control it and letting her make a mess everywhere.”
| |
| What a chagrin—with such a look, it was completely impossible to see what was being played, and
| |
| Ruminas immediately jumped in to take over. I can't help but feel admiration.
| |
| Let Leon take the final wrap-up next.
| |
| “...yeah. Guy, including you, there are many strong people in this world. In response to these threats, I
| |
| wanted to take Chloe under my wing beforehand, but I didn't expect her to use that power just after I met
| |
| her. It's my bad luck.”
| |
| Putting on a melancholy look—one even wonders if it's really an act? Leon let out a sigh.
| |
| | |
| If Ruminas is the best female lead, then Leon is the best male lead.
| |
| But in this way, things make sense.
| |
| Since Chloe seals Chronoa, she gains the power of the Hero, thus completing the above setting.
| |
| "Oh, you guys aren't trying to trick me, are you?”
| |
| "No, not at all.”
| |
| "Your bad problem is being paranoid.”
| |
| "Just say it. Never mind that little thing."
| |
| Seeing that Guy was suspicious, several of us were in denial. It's because the three of us cherish Chloe.
| |
| "But it's true that she gained the power of the hero, isn't it? In that case, can we just sit back and do
| |
| nothing?”
| |
| Guy's words made Leon react and get up from his seat, but Guy smiled a little and said, "Don't worry, I
| |
| won't do anything to her," out of his mouth, thus reassuring Leon.
| |
| "That's good. If you draw a sword against Chloe, then you must pass me first, and remember that.”
| |
| Leon also stepped in to put the word out, then resumed his seat.
| |
| The atmosphere of the scene hit right off the bat, but Guy had no intention of hurting the killer from the
| |
| start.
| |
| I was also wary that Guy would do something, but to my surprise, he didn't have any killing breath.
| |
| This is what reassured me, but then it turned into a cold sweat situation.
| |
| A blade of light flashed by.
| |
| Not knowing where it came from, Guy held a longsword in his hand and saw that it was about to swing
| |
| down at Chloe's neck.
| |
| Guy's speed out of the sword was simply divine. My speed of perception has been pulled up to a
| |
| million times, but even now it's too late to strike.
| |
| Not just me, but Leon and Ruminas as well. Everyone wore a desperate look, not daring to look at the
| |
| tragedy that would follow.
| |
| But...
| |
| Just the next moment, a crisp sound rang out.
| |
| “—!”
| |
| | |
| Chloe, who was originally a child, suddenly turned into an adult, not knowing when she drew her
| |
| sword and took Guy's attack with that sword. Also, the clothes on her body became the ones that “the
| |
| hero" was wearing. It looks like Chloe can live "armed with the holy cloak" in a very natural situation.
| |
| | |
| “Greetings, demon lord. This is the first time I've seen you, you're really something.”
| |
| "Ahahahaha, you're not so bad. There are only a handful of people, including me, who can fully utilize
| |
| that power.”
| |
| Guy said hello to Chloe in this way. The two looked amiable, but aside, I couldn't stay calm.
| |
| What just happened? I did read it and didn't understand it. Even if the perception speed increased to a
| |
| million times, it was still impossible to see the two of them in action.
| |
| That's obviously not super high speed or some kind of three-legged kung fu. This is because the
| |
| surrounding air is not disturbed at all, nor does it appear abnormal from the point of view of the laws of
| |
| physics.
| |
| Is this magic? Or something else?
| |
| This is the time to bring in a reliable partner to make an appearance.
| |
| Come on, explain it to me, Master Raphael, King of Wisdom!
| |
| <<Answer. The situation is unknown. What the individual name "Chloe O’Bell" just did, the
| |
| phenomenon "analysis and identification" failed.>>
| |
| Geez, no way.
| |
| Master Raphael, the rare king of wisdom, would say "the result is unknown". Sometimes they make
| |
| predictions, or they make calculations, and they give me some information, as a matter of course.
| |
| The absence of even this bit of information indicates that something beyond the realm of reason is
| |
| really happening this time, already outside the understanding of Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom.
| |
| That means we're running out of steam.
| |
| Surprised, I looked around to see what everyone's reaction would be.
| |
| Leon and Ruminas were also like me, with iron faces. It felt more like a desperate effort, a desire to
| |
| clear up what had just happened in front of me than the anger that came with watching Guy do such a
| |
| thing.
| |
| Others, not to mention. It seemed as if he couldn't even see where the sword was going, completely
| |
| unaware of what was going on.
| |
| Hard to say it was only Diablo showing a look of surprise. Perhaps seeing those phenomena just now,
| |
| he could think of nothing to say.
| |
| I’ll ask him after this, now to stop Guy and Chloe first.
| |
| As if to say the next move was my turn, Chloe began to attack Guy. The greeting just now was clearly
| |
| very amiable, why did it turn out like this...
| |
| They traded blows several times.
| |
| | |
| It's like a fast-forward, two swords going at each other in an offensive and defensive battle that doesn't
| |
| look coherent—probably.
| |
| Oops. Since I can barely see, I can only describe it as "probably".
| |
| "Pause, pause...!”
| |
| This time I stiffly intervened between Chloe and Guy. It was a bet to go and predict at what point the
| |
| move would come next and it looked like it worked.
| |
| "Hey, don't mess around. If you don't make a mistake, you'll be hacked to death by me.”
| |
| "That is, Rimuru. Guy wasn't serious, just testing me. But it makes me happy that you're worried about
| |
| my safety.”
| |
| As soon as that was said, Chloe came over and hugged me and gave me a kiss on the cheek.
| |
| This move is also like a fast forward. There's no way to dodge it, and I'm going to claim it's force
| |
| majeure.
| |
| As for the person in question, Chloe, she kissed me and became smaller—back to my original Chloe, I
| |
| should say.
| |
| And with a big red face and a big sulk in her mouth, she said, "Really! She took the liberty of hugging
| |
| Sir. Rimuru and kissed him!”
| |
| "Could that be Chronoa?”
| |
| "Mmm. We changed hands halfway through.”
| |
| The one that started out first was taken by Chloe, but after that it was all Chronoa out to face, or so
| |
| Chloe said. The two of them were identical in appearance, and it seemed difficult to tell the difference.
| |
| "Rimuru, it is agreeable that you should try to save Chloe, but I will not allow you to continue with
| |
| her.”
| |
| Seeing that Chloe had finally calmed down, Leon first said this, then picked Chloe up.
| |
| "I hate it. Brother Leon is too much of a worrywart.”
| |
| Chloe mouths this, still letting Leon put her in the chair, followed by Leon staring at Guy with an icy
| |
| expression.
| |
| "Guy, didn't you say you wouldn't do anything to Chloe?”
| |
| "Sorry. It was just to try it a little. Of course, I didn't mean to kill her.”
| |
| "Not even that. It doesn't matter if you want to kill or not, it's not a joke if you're using your power.”
| |
| It looked like Leon was on fire, while Guy, who was the opponent, did not back down in the slightest,
| |
| complaining loudly.
| |
| As a result, Chloe stepped in to ease her cheeks, desperately explaining that Guy wasn't trying to hurt
| |
| her, and that she wanted to try out how much Guy could do.
| |
| | |
| It's also because of this that Chronoa exhibits a bit of out-of-control behavior, indicating that the fault
| |
| isn't entirely on Guy.
| |
| I think it's probably the case that it was Chloe—I should say Chronoa—who was intent on testing
| |
| Guy's strength by speculating that she might die at his hands in the future.
| |
| The situation is different now, and unlike the future that Chronoa has experienced, there is an
| |
| awakening of a new power that was not there before—an ability that seems to be the ultimate skill of
| |
| Jugoslavos, the King of Time and Space.
| |
| Whether or not that force could hurt Guy, Chronoa would be interested in that.
| |
| <<“Notice. That may be so. The unique skill "Time Travel" is integrated with the ultimate skill
| |
| "Jugoslavos, King of Time and Space", which allows an individual named "Chloe O’Bell" to manipulate
| |
| "time" —a phenomenon that cannot be observed out of the same timeline, so "analyzing and identifying"
| |
| the phenomenon is bound to fail.>>
| |
| Ah, so it is...
| |
| Chloe's newly awakened power—the true face of it-is the power to suspend time, or so it is.
| |
| It seems that Raphael, the king of wisdom, has also been "analyzing and identifying" the structure of
| |
| the unique technology "time travel", but it is said that it will take some time before a conclusion is
| |
| reached. It seems that Chloe's "King of Time and Space Jugoslavos" is simply absorbing "time travel"
| |
| directly.
| |
| It's no wonder that it shouldn't be easy to understand unobservable information.
| |
| In other words, it was Chloe herself who gained that power. This is too much, and at the same time
| |
| makes me want to scream, "It's too foul to be able to take a timeout".
| |
| No wonder the speed of perception accelerated to a million times is also unrecognizable. Those things
| |
| happen in a world where time stands still, and those of us who are still in the flow of time naturally have
| |
| no way of recognizing them.
| |
| No, no, no, wait?
| |
| If this hypothesis holds, then the world of inaccessible time stasis, no matter how strong, is no better
| |
| than those who can stay in the stasis world...?
| |
| <<Answer. This interpretation should be correct.>>
| |
| Fool it, hey.
| |
| I can't help but think in that direction, but about that, I have to accept it.
| |
| After all, even a Chronoa that good had been killed by Guy. If time is stopped, there is nothing to be
| |
| done, think about the natural consequence.
| |
| On the flip side, wouldn't the current Chloe be able to go up against Guy?
| |
| On the surface she just looks like a cute girl, but that means that Chloe's strength is even above mine.
| |
| | |
| I found out about this and secretly broke out in a cold sweat.
| |
| The result was that Leon finally gave in and the two sides reached a settlement.
| |
| "As much as you value it, I value Chloe. That's something I hope you keep in mind.”
| |
| This was not uncommon at all on cue, and Leon sat back down after he finished.
| |
| "That's what I thought. Guy, my servant admits that you are the strongest, and even then, without our
| |
| help, that would be a big loss, right? If you really want to make an enemy of us, that's a different matter,
| |
| but I hope you know that to do it to Chloe is to make an enemy of us.”
| |
| It seems that Ruminas is also very angry in private, counting down Guy with Leon.
| |
| It would be a bad idea to say publicly that you particularly value someone, but your opponent is Guy,
| |
| so the effect is just the opposite.
| |
| If Guy was really going to make an enemy of them, then whatever was done was for naught. Those two
| |
| thought so, that's why they wanted Guy to take a shot at Chloe.
| |
| "All right, all right. I don't want to bog things down either. As long as you do not come in my way, I
| |
| will not strike at your treasure.”
| |
| Surprisingly, I didn't think Guy would be able to ensure the safety of Chloe.
| |
| As for Chloe, who is very dear to everyone, she is actually far more powerful than we are, but it is
| |
| better not to say such things.
| |
| ***
| |
| By the time we were done with the meeting, the sun was also setting.
| |
| Shuna had dinner prepared for us, so we had a dinner party somewhere else.
| |
| It should be said that there was no food, and everyone didn't seem to have any intention of beating
| |
| around the bush.
| |
| The main course of the day was pork—a magic pig-like creature, I should say—cooked in soy sauce
| |
| with grilled eggplant and tofu with sprinkled vegetables. And miso soup, and freshly cooked rice, which
| |
| is black— "magic black rice".
| |
| It wasn't a set meal, but then we had a meeting that wasn't on the schedule and we were in no position
| |
| to complain.
| |
| "What's the matter? I didn't see the tempura.”
| |
| Ruminas grumbled there, I didn't expect her to like tempura so much.
| |
| "It's okay, Ruminas. These should be delicious too. Rimuru's penchant for good food is not to be
| |
| underestimated.”
| |
| Hinata became an advocate of the enigma.
| |
| Should I be happy, or not?
| |
| | |
| Just identifying with what I've accomplished in this part feels a bit subtle and honestly not happy
| |
| enough to feel complimented on it.
| |
| Never mind.
| |
| The dinner thus began and everyone seemed to eat to their satisfaction.
| |
| "So that's what it tastes like. Your food is not bad."
| |
| The words came from Guy, and the tone seemed somewhat admiring.
| |
| "It tastes amazing, but to cook it to this level is a pass.”
| |
| Seeing as how Leon wasn't even picky about eating all those dishes, consider him praising us for being
| |
| nice.
| |
| "Well, just like Hinata said. These are rare dishes again, but they're delicious."
| |
| "You're really good at this. The food is really nostalgic. I didn't think it would be nice to eat these
| |
| dishes again and feel alive.”
| |
| Ruminas looked satisfied, and as for Hinata, her happy performance had come to very exaggerated
| |
| proportions.
| |
| No, come to think of it, two thousand years had elapsed before she had the opportunity to eat marinated
| |
| meat with rice.
| |
| "Wouldn't it be better with white rice?”
| |
| "Thank you for your understanding. But this is the part I'm used to.”
| |
| Yeah, that's good.
| |
| Having lived for 2,000 years, I'm sure I've seen all kinds of cuisine, but it's not a big deal that the colors
| |
| are different.
| |
| Until then, unlike Chloe, Hinata can't even seem to taste it. Probably because she only had access to
| |
| visual intelligence, so she was very thankful to have a meal alone.
| |
| Thinking about Hinata's situation, one can imagine that she would naturally feel grateful.
| |
| The dinner ended afterwards and was generally well received.
| |
| As soon as they finished eating, the demon lords were busy making preparations to return home. Since
| |
| they're all here, it's okay to stay for a while, but they don't seem to plan on staying long after they're done.
| |
| "Chloe, if you hate it here, don't worry about it, and just contact me. I'll be right over to pick you up.”
| |
| Seemingly not dead in the water yet, Leon spoke defiantly.
| |
| Who was going to take in Chloe, after which for a time fell into a glue.
| |
| "My friends are here, and I'd rather be on Mr. Rimuru's side.”
| |
| | |
| In the end we decided to respect Chloe's wishes, but I don't think that would have made Leon accept it.
| |
| After all, Leon's obsession with Chloe was obvious enough.
| |
| I have a bit of an opinion about the means that Leon has taken. But as far as protecting Chloe's feelings
| |
| alone was concerned, that sentiment was true.
| |
| This sentiment of Leon's did convey to Chloe as well.
| |
| "Brother Leon, I'm happy to know you're worried about me. But you don't really have to worry about
| |
| that. I'm not a child anymore!”
| |
| After saying this, Chloe hugged Leon.
| |
| For his part, Leon gave a gentle smile and touched Chloe's head.
| |
| I heard that they had grown up together as close brother and sister, and it looked like Leon really
| |
| valued Chloe.
| |
| At this point, Chloe let go of Leon, followed by turning into an adult.
| |
| "You see, by the power of Chronoa, I can become grown up. So brother doesn't have to worry about me
| |
| anymore."
| |
| Seemingly trying to reassure Leon, Chloe finished with a whiff of a smile.
| |
| The destructive power of this smile was unusually strong.
| |
| Should I say that smile was pathetic? Looking vulnerable, yet giving the impression that she has a
| |
| strong heart. That smile contains that charm.
| |
| "That's true. You've become a very wonderful woman. But I want to cherish you and your mood
| |
| remains the same. It's okay for you to look up to me whenever you want.”
| |
| Leon smiled and said this to Chloe. He's a handsome man with a lot of charm. Is that the kind of
| |
| calmness you should expect from an adult? It feels very handsome.
| |
| This kind of thing doesn't seem to be something I learned. Thinking about this side, I watched from the
| |
| sidelines, not expecting Leon to turn his head and look at me with a cold look.
| |
| The fallout between this is said to be as intense as it gets.
| |
| "Chloe says she's grown up, so maybe you...”
| |
| "No! I don't have a gender, how could I do something like that!?”
| |
| What a misunderstanding.
| |
| If it were me, he wouldn't seem to have all the composure of an adult.
| |
| I also tried desperately to explain. Chloe, who found out we were talking about this, came out and
| |
| counted on Leon, thinking that Leon would accept it..........it looks like all that was just cosmetic.
| |
| The evidence is...
| |
| | |
| "I think you know better than to put Chloe in danger, don't you?”
| |
| To go back, he whispered a warning in my ear.
| |
| This makes it seem like he's overprotective of Chloe, but Chloe was sucked into the otherworld with
| |
| him in the first place, and Leon once went out of his way to find her. It's not that I don't understand how
| |
| Leon would feel worried. Then he went back to his home country docilely, for now.
| |
| I made an appointment with him and said that I would take Chloe over to play next time, and thanks to
| |
| Chloe, there seemed to be a chance for us to establish bonding with the Golden Township ruled by Demon
| |
| Lord Leon.
| |
| He felt a bit like a brother-in-law, with an annoying feeling, and it was okay for me to put up with it.
| |
| "Well, it's over, after all. Chloe, you are a very important friend. If you encounter any difficulties,
| |
| please feel free to come to me for help. You take care of yourself.”
| |
| Immediately after Leon, Ruminas also pampered Chloe. Of course, I didn't say any of these things.
| |
| Don't try to piss her off on purpose.
| |
| And so it passed—leaving these words, and Ruminas and her party departed with them.
| |
| Hinata also went back, leaving only Guy in the end. I looked over at him and thought to myself, ‘Isn't
| |
| he going back yet?’ As a result, Diablo was seen pestering Guy over there.
| |
| "In that case, I'll go on and finish what I didn't say...”
| |
| "No, I've heard enough of those words.”
| |
| You don't have to be so polite.
| |
| "Don't send me weird invitations too...!"
| |
| What the hell is Diablo doing!?
| |
| "Geez, there's nothing we can do about that. I'll change the subject and tell you what you'd like to hear,
| |
| like how Testarossa and their work is going, and anecdotes about Lord Rimuru...”
| |
| It made me look at him with a dumbfounded look, mentally thinking ‘how much he wanted to say that,’
| |
| and later found out that Guy seemed to be in the same mood.
| |
| "No, no, no, you guys seem busy right now, I'll come over and play next time you get settled.”
| |
| Guy hurriedly opened his mouth to refuse, and then hurriedly fled the scene.
| |
| I was so impressed that I thought to myself, ‘It turns out that Guy has a panicked side too.’
| |
| Seeing the unexpected side, I think he might not be so difficult to communicate. Although you can't
| |
| take this person lightly, you shouldn't have to worry as much as you originally thought.
| |
| The other side also accepts the fact that Chloe is a "hero" and the biggest problem is arguably solved.
| |
| | |
| All that was left next was Yuuki's movements and his attempt to flee to the Eastern Empire.
| |
| Let's put aside whether or not Yuuki is worthy of belief.
| |
| There might be a war after that—I sighed at the thought of it.
| |
| One wave has not yet subsided and another has risen.
| |
| I wish the day of peace had come sooner, I was beginning to feel melancholy.
| |
| ***
| |
| Although it was only a verbal agreement, the most important thing was the assistance of the two demon
| |
| lords. If there is a real war, that alone makes one feel reliable if there are trustworthy friendly countries
| |
| around.
| |
| They can be expected to send support, and even asked to consider accepting refugees if the worst
| |
| happens.
| |
| But it's best not to have a war.
| |
| This depends on how the other side plays, we can only react to the situation......
| |
| Complaining here isn't the way to go, so I decided to think about countermeasures first.
| |
| The first thing to do is to stand firm, to the point where even a war with the Empire would be fine.
| |
| Be prepared for everything—I made up my mind.
| |
| Chapter 2: Results and Preparation
| |
| Months passed after the meeting with Guy and the others.
| |
| Time flies, and a year has passed since I became a demon lord.
| |
| Attended the Walpurgis.
| |
| Matched up against Hinata.
| |
| Had the Founding Festival.
| |
| As well as fighting against Mariabell and the Rosso.
| |
| Probably because of a lot of things that happened, the year really turned around.
| |
| We only found our own people and quietly held the Tempest Resurrection Festival, but the Empire still
| |
| did not act. Having said that, according to the information brought by Souei and Moss, it seemed that
| |
| there were supplies coming in one after another in the major capitals near the military border.
| |
| Things have come to this point where even I can see it.
| |
| Knowing that war will break out soon afterwards.
| |
| | |
| Now that a war had been established, the entry scrutiny into the Jura Tempest Federation would
| |
| become even stricter.
| |
| It can't be the same as before, no matter who's coming, you're welcome. The only people who are able
| |
| to enter the country are adventurers or businessmen who are able to confirm their wealth, otherwise they
| |
| are referred and others who have similar qualifications.
| |
| Such measures were taken to police spies, but there were actually other reasons.
| |
| That's what's used to differentiate.
| |
| Human beings are not the only ones who visit our country; everyone's abilities vary. People with
| |
| unclear backgrounds are usually barbaric and we would be overwhelmed if they were allowed to enter our
| |
| country in large numbers.
| |
| After all, even with an explicit ban on fighting behavior in town, there's still no stopping idiots from
| |
| running amok. We do set "boundaries", but it is difficult to resist magic completely.
| |
| It's different from towns that are inhabited only by humans, and different from towns with magical
| |
| creatures.
| |
| So we went to consult with Gazel and decided to emulate the Dwarven Kingdom.
| |
| Educate people a little as they enter our country and let them learn our regulations. This is what is
| |
| called an immigration review.
| |
| If the other party's goal is immigration, they'll have to do more careful study first. We have other
| |
| institutions set up specifically to deal with that and will take them to that place for education. Wait until
| |
| they learn how to work, then they can issue a permit to enter the country.
| |
| These matters were best left to the men of Shion. Even if the other side is brutal, they still have a way
| |
| of letting the other side know where the division is. There are also spies from the Empire that can be
| |
| found in passing, so we should continue to maintain this system in the future.
| |
| We will make a distinction in advance at the time of immigration screening, and we will also ask each
| |
| other about the purpose of entering the country. In addition to preventing people with no money from
| |
| infiltrating our country, they can also prevent trouble in advance.
| |
| The arena is surrounded by many hotels of average standard, which are used by people who have no
| |
| money on them.
| |
| We would take the moneyed merchants and nobles to the high class hotel area. As for the upper class
| |
| accommodation in the capital "Rimuru", it's for the top people.
| |
| There are also travelers who want to come to our side for retreats and are brought to this high-class area
| |
| by us.
| |
| Recollection is priceless—that kind of sophistry does not apply in our country. Our ethos is that the
| |
| user pays and then the holiday is happy.
| |
| Prices vary from person to person, with the average user spending from 30 silver coins a night. For the
| |
| rich and low ranking nobles, it was more than one gold coin.
| |
| | |
| There's no cap on the amount of money that can be spent again, and we're going to stay in a room that
| |
| costs more than ten gold coins a night—geez, why is it that I'm the one who's playing publicity...
| |
| Presumably, this is the way to distinguish.
| |
| In order to make it a tourist area, we hope that the more people use it, the better. For example, some
| |
| businessmen who do big business with us and those who break through the ten floors of the labyrinth, we
| |
| have prepared gifts for them, such as accommodation packages to stay in high-end hotels.
| |
| Maze Challengers rates these rewards highly.
| |
| The fact that the meal is of high quality is passed on to everyone and helps to boost morale.
| |
| Just eating a meal would cost more than ten silver coins.
| |
| If you go to a cheap hotel, you can stay for as little as three silver coins, and from that point of view,
| |
| the price is quite high.
| |
| That being said...
| |
| There are times when people want to be extravagant, so some people will spend the money they get
| |
| from maze hunting or doing other activities on this.
| |
| It's also our organizers' duty to provide some space for these people to spend their money.
| |
| If they make it to the tenth level, they must be able to team up to defeat large spiders (dark spiders) of
| |
| B level difficulty—in other words, teams of adventurers of C+ or higher. If it could be beaten alone, it
| |
| would be the equivalent of a grade B or higher, and there's nothing wrong with recognizing that they have
| |
| a corresponding right.
| |
| In small countries, these people can already be knights. In the Freedom Association, if you come to B
| |
| level, you're good enough to be a knight no matter what country you go to.
| |
| As long as one acknowledges the status of the other like this, it is natural for people to pay attention to
| |
| their words and actions.
| |
| That said, if it's a B-grade adventurer there should be quite a bit of money in it. The same is true of the
| |
| Labyrinth Challenger.
| |
| Eren and the others don't seem to have much money, but let's just say this group is the exception.
| |
| Basically, if it's causing problems, there won't be a second chance.
| |
| The premium lots were fenced off with a moat and were heavily guarded. We had explained to people
| |
| that if they were kicked out they would not get another chance to come in.
| |
| Everyone understands this, no one messes around and the image strategy can be very successful.
| |
| The merchants were no less than businessmen, and they flocked to the weapons and artifacts produced
| |
| by the Jura Tempest Federation.
| |
| There are also people who make big deals and have a lot of money.
| |
| Even without a voucher, the number of guests coming to spend money naturally increases.
| |
| | |
| The items we put in the hands of the merchants are either equipment made by the apprentices under
| |
| Kurobee’s men, or fine craftsmanship made by the Dold apprentices. Those qualities are, of course, all
| |
| very good and quite well received.
| |
| As for items such as special equipment opened from the labyrinth treasure chest, those merchants ran
| |
| off to acquire them. This has me in a bit of a mixed mood, but we have been keeping an eye out to avoid
| |
| an exodus of dangerous items, so we'll wait and see for now.
| |
| When these things are sold around the world, people's opinions of our country spread.
| |
| Thanks to this, the average consumer has also recently started to see an increase. I can't help but feel
| |
| admiration for the power of word-of-mouth.
| |
| This may lead one to think, ‘What the hell is going on when you're in a war crisis?’ But that's a
| |
| different thing.
| |
| I also know that I am too spontaneous and do what I want.
| |
| Although wary of the crisis that will one day come, I am not afraid. Not giving up on the daily routine
| |
| and taking one step at a time to do what you can is best.
| |
| ***
| |
| Just as the capital is developing smoothly, we continue to overhaul our transport network with other
| |
| countries.
| |
| As Benimaru stepped in to convince, Momiji and the Tengu Clan were willing to assist. The tunnels
| |
| have now been opened and the road paving work is still partly complete.
| |
| There was also the mechanic brought by Duke Elalude who was about to complete the handover, so it
| |
| wouldn't be long before there was a direct path between the Jura Tempest Federation and the Sorcerer
| |
| Dynasty Sarion.
| |
| We have also begun to work on laying the track to the Kingdom of Farmenas.
| |
| The goal is to complete it quickly.
| |
| As far as the route to the Kingdom of Ingracia is concerned, the tracks have been opened as planned.
| |
| The same goes for the Dwarf Kingdom, where even the hotel town with its parking lot is being built.
| |
| Through the great forest of Jura, we came to the site of the rendezvous with the Ameld River, which
| |
| was used as a resting place and a good base for construction when the street was being opened up. We laid
| |
| the track along the river and this place was just right for a middle base.
| |
| There were also magical creatures that lived nearby that gathered to form a small town. This of course
| |
| had to be utilized a bit, so we tidied up that town and let it develop into a town for people to stay in.
| |
| This hotel town will become a major metropolis with a repeater station in the future, it’s a major focus
| |
| where most of the importance will be increased.
| |
| And on the Eurazania side, work was done to widen the road. The paving of certain parts of the road
| |
| has not been completed, but movement is not a problem.
| |
| | |
| Since it was really uncomfortable to ride in a high-speed carriage, the merchants were begging bitterly,
| |
| ‘I hope we finish sooner.'
| |
| Having said that, safety and convenience have evolved considerably compared to the past and have
| |
| reached a point where they are not comparable.
| |
| For the sake of travelers who advance at night, we always have street lights lit at night, fully automatic
| |
| magic engines set up at every distance, and the "barrier" used to expel monsters do work.
| |
| Just like that, in less than a year, the overhaul of the traffic network has been largely completed.
| |
| The Dwarven Kingdom and the Kingdom of Ingracia have begun to test run the Magic Train, which
| |
| can be used in practice.
| |
| We will obtain the information generated in the experiment and use it to consolidate the problem. In
| |
| fact, all aspects of the testing have been done, and this is called a practical experiment.
| |
| It maintains an average speed of fifty kilometers per hour and can carry a lot of stuff. Now the history
| |
| of logistics will be rewritten.
| |
| Even ingredients from distant regions can maintain freshness during delivery. In this way, people will
| |
| eat more and more abundantly, and fewer people will starve because of famine.
| |
| Rationalizing the logistics system is indispensable in order to enhance the country's strength. I
| |
| recognize that again.
| |
| Along with gathering this information, I intend to produce a detailed operating cycle. Constant testing
| |
| in order to create a schedule.
| |
| As for the section connecting the Dwarven Kingdom and the Jura Tempest Federation, the entire
| |
| distance was about a thousand kilometers. Moving at 50 km/h would take 20 hours—less than a day to
| |
| reach.
| |
| The distance to the Kingdom of Ingracia is about three hundred kilometers, and it only takes six hours
| |
| to get there.
| |
| But these are all numbers that have been calculated with security in mind.
| |
| Theoretically, the speed can be increased four times, and even the handling capacity can be calculated
| |
| to exceed a thousand tons. However, it has not yet achieved any success in practical application, and if it
| |
| runs at full speed, it will be difficult to cope with any accident.
| |
| Let's wait and see for now.
| |
| Practical application will certainly be troublesome, and also take into account the rest time. In addition,
| |
| the "Magic Train" can be used continuously to its limit, and it will run at night for a while. On top of that,
| |
| refurbishment work such as replacement parts has to be done at night, and technicians and train crews
| |
| cannot be allowed to work around the clock.
| |
| So far we have prepared twenty power vehicles.
| |
| Each power car is connected to two wagons, plus three passenger cars, for a total of six cars in one
| |
| train.
| |
| | |
| The passenger car has eighty seats, but can carry up to one hundred and fifty passengers. However,
| |
| station guests have to spend hours on their feet, so I think it's better not to approve it.
| |
| If the target for a drive is 200 or more passengers, the ridership is over 80 percent. Considering the cost
| |
| of transporting each person, how exactly should the fare be booked—geez, why am I even thinking about
| |
| that?
| |
| I would have done well to leave this sort of thing to Myourmile-kun.
| |
| Sooner or later, we will be able to really get through, and it will be more convenient for us to have
| |
| more performance to improve the operation rate more or less.
| |
| Let's aim to exceed the speed of 100 km/h and increase the number of train cars to about ten.
| |
| This is not a dream, but a reality that will soon come true.
| |
| That's pretty much it, and the results of the year can be said to be substantial.
| |
| If these results were to be published, I think the world would be in a state of amazement and
| |
| excitement.
| |
| A bright future will be created, and the benefits of our efforts, of our country, will be widely known.
| |
| Life will be fulfilling.
| |
| There will be delicious food and a variety of entertainment cultures from around the world.
| |
| The switch to slime didn't even occur to him that a fun and happy life was just around the corner.
| |
| If there were no problems brought about by the Eastern Empire, there would be no need to be upset
| |
| about anything and one could indulge one's interests...
| |
| Then it occurred to me that I could declare war on the Empire by myself, Veldora and the volunteers,
| |
| and at the same time take the Empire down.
| |
| Once civilization is highly developed, an army of angels may come, but there is no telling where those
| |
| opponents are. So it's difficult for us to attack on our own initiative, but the Empire is a different story.
| |
| Since they're making big moves to prepare for the offense, there's no complaint that they've been beaten
| |
| to the punch—I can't help but think so.
| |
| On the one hand it's not in my character to wait and think offense is easier than defense no matter what.
| |
| If the Empire's intention is to annex the Western countries, they can ignore us without attacking the
| |
| Great Forest of Jura for a different strategy.
| |
| The resurrection of Veldora has become so well known that a little investigation will reveal that being
| |
| an enemy to me is the same as being an enemy to Veldora.
| |
| The choice is in the hands of the Empire.
| |
| The current situation is putting us under a lot of pressure.
| |
| | |
| So, to say whether they will invade the West directly......
| |
| There’s no way to take the sea route.
| |
| Considering the possibility of being attacked by a large sea beast, it was not safe to prepare many giant
| |
| warships.
| |
| It would be too risky to take into account when fighting on the territory of the Great Sea Beast. It's not
| |
| even known if you can cross the sea safely.
| |
| To fight at sea where it was difficult to gain a foothold, the conditions were too harsh for those knights.
| |
| Besides, there are a lot of soldiers to transport, I wonder how many ships to prepare.
| |
| Even if they were to transport tens of thousands of soldiers into the Kingdom of Farmenas, Youm and
| |
| the others would not be not idle. They were indeed defended and prepared to meet the Empire.
| |
| If it was impossible to build a forward position at the beginning of the attack, the Imperial side would
| |
| not have sent additional manpower to reinforce it. There were large sea beasts in the rear and the
| |
| Farmenas Kingdom Army ahead. In this way, the Empire's soldiers will also lose morale, and cutting in
| |
| from a tactical point of view will be like winning a battle.
| |
| Was it possible, then, for the Empire to ignore the Kingdom of Farmenas and attack northern Ingracia?
| |
| The conclusion is that this is not easy to implement.
| |
| North of Ingracia is the playground of the demons.
| |
| Guy also doesn't seem to have any intention of stopping his men, who are currently in charge of
| |
| defending that area from Testarossa's men.
| |
| There are a lot of militants in this area who would fight regularly, and if the Empire attacked there, it is
| |
| conceivable that they would just happen to be targeted by everyone.
| |
| So I think it's unlikely that they'll take the sea route to launch an invasion.
| |
| Now taking a look at the land route......
| |
| To pass through the interior of the Dwarven Kingdom, they must first cross the Dragon's Lair, located
| |
| in the Great Mountains of Canaat.
| |
| The latter is too high of a risk to be taken into account.
| |
| This is because wanting to march at an altitude higher than North Peak, no matter how well prepared, is
| |
| an act of suicide.
| |
| It's impossible to train an ordinary soldier to be an expert mountaineer, and even if there was a way,
| |
| there's A-ranked monsters waiting in front of them—a swarm of evil dragons.
| |
| By normal thinking logic, no fool would choose that route.
| |
| So what if the route is through the interior of the Dwarven Kingdom?
| |
| Since Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, had pointed out the possibility, Hinata went to investigate,
| |
| and it sounded as if the great army was likely to pass.
| |
| | |
| Having said that, Gazel could not allow this to happen, and if it did, the Empire would have to attack
| |
| the Dwarven Kingdom before it could attack the Western nations.
| |
| Trying to attack the Dwarven Kingdom was too much of a stretch.
| |
| The declared neutral armed power, Dwargon, has a well-developed standing army for the security of its
| |
| country. The army's equipment was built with good technology, and those were no fun. They even
| |
| enjoyed the reputation of "no weak soldiers in Dwargon".
| |
| Basically, just observing the terrain will also reveal that the Dwarven Kingdom is constructed like a
| |
| fortress. As long as you guard the entrance and exit, you will be able to resist even if a large army comes.
| |
| There are three major cities—Isthmus, Wester and St. Doral.
| |
| There are a total of three entrances and exits, and if the Empire really wanted to attack, they would
| |
| have chosen either Isthmus or St. Doral. Wester was able to lead to the kingdom of Farmenas, and there
| |
| was no need to be alarmed in this regard.
| |
| There is nothing more dangerous than the Isthmus connected to the Empire's borders, but Gazel is not
| |
| dimwitted. He told the troops to focus here and asked them to check on the Empire's movements.
| |
| I'll be there if something goes wrong, and the Dwarven Kingdom should be safe to hand over to Gazel.
| |
| That is the situation that our country is currently facing.
| |
| ***
| |
| As a result, I think the Empire had to choose to go through the Great Forest of Jura.
| |
| These days it's been a daily meeting with Benimaru to discuss, and until then I keep thinking the same
| |
| thing.
| |
| The Great Forest of Jura is guarded by us, and if the Empire chooses to pass through here, then their
| |
| biggest bottleneck is obviously Veldora. My guess is that they will not be able to break through from the
| |
| front, but will prepare troops as bait, intending to use them to trick Veldora.
| |
| Taking this possibility into account, I have to think about what to defend within our borders.
| |
| In the great forest of Jura, there are three routes by which military operations can be conducted.
| |
| Except, one of them was right next to the Dwarven Kingdom. If the Empire ignores our warnings and
| |
| invades, they will be besieged by the Dwarven army and our army. I think the Empire should also be well
| |
| aware of the dangers that would be encountered if they took this route, and even lowering their guard
| |
| should be fine.
| |
| The Empire is likely to attack through two other routes of aggression.
| |
| But is it really that simple?
| |
| Scattered forces are not conducive to fighting a large army, so it is possible to send half of the force to
| |
| follow Veldora, the other half being our army. If we adopt such a tactic, the forces on the Imperial side
| |
| that are prepared to be used exclusively as bait may be sufficient.
| |
| | |
| I'm not an expert on the military to that extent. Those soldiers are dedicated to war, and I don't think
| |
| they would adopt such a pure form of combat.
| |
| And the Empire is in danger of underestimating us.
| |
| They think they have an overwhelming army, whether it’s against an army of Veldora or a monster
| |
| army, which can be ravaged at will.
| |
| Or they might not attack with a straight face, but instead go the other way.
| |
| The regular army can be used as bait to divide the elite troops into many small groups and fight with a
| |
| sound bite. Breaking into small groups and taking the forest, then meeting up somewhere—what in that
| |
| case?
| |
| In this case, it would be impossible to monitor all the forest trails.
| |
| Depending on the size of the opponent, casualties may occur among our personnel if reconnaissance
| |
| forces are casually placed.
| |
| If, as Hinata did to them, the other side dispatched strength like a small squad of Paladins...
| |
| Even taking that possibility into account, I can think of several routes through which they might attack,
| |
| not enough to cover all of them given the number of troops we have.
| |
| It's too risky to identify a target for the empire to step up to the plate again, and I want to avoid that as
| |
| much as possible. If we lose our lead, we will be in an irreversible situation.
| |
| It's to avoid that, so we've been on guard, but the most important key—the movement of the Empire—
| |
| we’ve never been able to see that.
| |
| In the so-called war, if the opponent can be taken by surprise, the situation will be in his own favor.
| |
| Make tactics that take your opponent by surprise, and by doing so alone you have the potential to win.
| |
| In this way, we must consider the possibilities...
| |
| This keeps spinning in place.
| |
| No way.
| |
| The more I think about it, the more I get tired of it.
| |
| Or should we attack first?
| |
| Or should that be done, as soon as the Empire steps in to declare war, we launch a special attack?
| |
| It's not like the Empire is necessarily going to send out troops the way we envisioned, so there's no
| |
| point in continuing to think about it.
| |
| Either way it makes more sense that we take the initiative and attack without waiting for the other side
| |
| to strike.
| |
| That way there's nothing to worry about and we take the reins.
| |
| ...but I wouldn't do that just yet.
| |
| | |
| It's hard to think of an answer.
| |
| This kind of thing depends on improvisation.
| |
| Responding to a crisis.
| |
| How well that word is pronounced, giving the impression of a shrewd and capable man.
| |
| So much so that I made my usual conclusion and next reached towards the cream puffs prepared by
| |
| Shuna.
| |
| Use up your brain and you want something sweet.
| |
| Eating too much would make one too bloated, but that kind of thing wouldn't happen to me.
| |
| If it's really too much to eat, plan for it then.
| |
| "Ah, only you eat yourself good.”
| |
| I used the black tea that Shion had made for me to moisten my throat while enjoying the cream puffs,
| |
| and by this time the Benimaru had finally arrived.
| |
| The location is my office. Lately I've had to discuss something with Benimaru every day, and today he
| |
| was a little late.
| |
| There may be a war with the Empire in the future, and I asked Benimaru to prepare before doing
| |
| something in that direction, so he seemed busy. Although he was a little late, he complained that he was
| |
| too narrow-minded.
| |
| Huh? You want me to help you? What was being said, I didn't understand at all.
| |
| That's not for laymen to interfere with.
| |
| That's a convenient phrase to think about...
| |
| "Shion, pour a cup of black tea for Benimaru too.”
| |
| "Yes, sir!"
| |
| The cuisine that Shion cooked seemed to cast a shadow on Benimaru's mind, causing him to always
| |
| show a guarded look. In fact, only the black tea is okay, but Benimaru still dare not be careless.
| |
| "Thank you. Feeling tired makes one want to eat something sweet.”
| |
| "Yeah. Now you can use sugar as much as you like and hope that these peaceful days will continue.”
| |
| "That's right. But even if we have to fight each other, it doesn't matter, just beat them to death."
| |
| Benimaru is as confident as ever.
| |
| While solid, let's hope he doesn't forget to make an effort to avoid the war.
| |
| "Go ahead!”
| |
| | |
| At this time, Shion served tea to Benimaru.
| |
| She also poured me a second cup of tea and the aroma was very healing for me.
| |
| "By the way, where's Diablo?"
| |
| "Oh, he went to play arbitrator today, too.”
| |
| “Again?"
| |
| "Mmm. Here we go again.”
| |
| That's right, Diablo kept running to be an arbitrator.
| |
| Every day Ultima and Carerra cause problems.
| |
| It didn't feel like the two were at loggerheads, but they just loved to fight.
| |
| | |
| Yesterday it was a debate over the extradition of the prisoners, and before that it was a fight over what
| |
| to do with the suspects in custody.
| |
| Sometimes there are fights over the menu of the meal, or over who will buy the latest version of the
| |
| costume first.
| |
| It's okay to just fight verbally, but once those two start fighting, there's a resistance that even the yakuza
| |
| are afraid of.
| |
| Only Diablo could stop them.
| |
| As for Diablo's subordinate, Venom, he was not only beaten by two major forces, but he also quarreled
| |
| and lost.
| |
| But there was no harm done to the townspeople, and in fact they became a famous commodity, even a
| |
| gambling object, which, having said that, could not be left untouched.
| |
| It was based on these considerations that Diablo was sent, but perhaps it was time to think of a
| |
| response to the underlying problem. This is because Diablo might have put up with an unbearable fury if
| |
| he hadn't done so.
| |
| Previously Diablo had also taken Ultima and Carrera into the labyrinth. Not going in for a date, not so
| |
| sweet, he boasted of thoroughly lecturing the two.
| |
| They wouldn't die inside the maze, so he could teach those two a lesson and beat them to death, but
| |
| even then, they wouldn't reflect on it.
| |
| Instead, they’re happy and hoping to fight Diablo.
| |
| Ahhh, why is the demon race so belligerent...
| |
| Personally, I think there's no end to dealing with these two.
| |
| "I've kept you waiting.”
| |
| After I chatted with Benimaru for a while...
| |
| A weary Diablo returned.
| |
| "You're back, after all your hard work."
| |
| "No, that's not hard work, it's time spent for Lord Rimuru..."
| |
| "You don't look tired at all. Let's get to the point.”
| |
| "I thought so.”
| |
| He can still say stupid things there, which means it should be okay.
| |
| Diablo seemed to want to say something, which should have been to show off his fight record as usual
| |
| anyway. I don't think those things need to be taken to heart, and Benimaru decided to start the discussion
| |
| today.
| |
| ***
| |
| | |
| As mentioned earlier, more and more migrants are entering our country.
| |
| In this way, the question is how to assign work to those visitors.
| |
| I think it's the same in every country, employment rates are very important.
| |
| In order to increase the productive capacity of the country, the focus is on getting every citizen to work
| |
| seriously.
| |
| The more people are employed, the more personal consumption will increase and the boom will follow.
| |
| Conversely, a worsening employment boom will be followed by a worsening crime rate.
| |
| This must be properly managed, and that is something that the leadership of the country should be
| |
| doing, but in practice it is very difficult to achieve.
| |
| Accepted immigrants vary in their individual abilities, and there is limited pure labor work that anyone
| |
| can do.
| |
| The country is developing and there is a rush to work everywhere, so so far there is a way to distribute
| |
| work. But now that those projects are nearing completion, what to do in the future will be an issue.
| |
| People with better abilities won't have a problem.
| |
| It's relatively easy to accept people like skilled people who have a skill, who can feed and clothe
| |
| themselves without worrying about their talent.
| |
| The problem is people who have no knowledge and no way to make money.
| |
| If it's a farmer, just give them farmland.
| |
| If they are craftsmen, just introduce them to the workshop.
| |
| If it's adventurers, they have mazes to wade through.
| |
| If it's entertainers, the theater can hire them.
| |
| How should people without these talents be treated?
| |
| In the face of this problem, my answer is to set up an educational facility.
| |
| Ask the other person what they can do during the immigration review, and then ask them to do
| |
| extended learning. The place dedicated to their learning is the educational facility, which is currently used
| |
| by the military under the jurisdiction of Benimaru.
| |
| "The number of immigrants continues to increase, and the number of volunteers who want to join the
| |
| military is also increasing. But it is still a question of whether it is useful, and if it is only for policing in
| |
| the country, it should be possible.”
| |
| This is the reason why we have tried to implement this practice, but as things stand, there seems to be
| |
| more people.
| |
| There's food on the table when you join the army, and you learn skills for free, and you even help with
| |
| referrals—rumors are spreading.
| |
| | |
| As a result, not only the immigrants, but also many adventurers and mercenaries gathered one after
| |
| another.
| |
| Well, since the defense of Western countries is also our responsibility, armament enhancement is also a
| |
| major issue.
| |
| These are also the reasons why there are no problems at the moment. There are a few minor situations
| |
| that come up one after the other, but those can be adjusted within the military.
| |
| The problem is that we are more and more likely to go to war with the Empire.
| |
| How to get people who have just joined the army on the battlefield and have to reconfigure the force is
| |
| imminent.
| |
| So I ordered Benimaru to come up with a new organization chart.
| |
| Benimaru took out a piece of paper and spread it on the table.
| |
| "This is the organizational chart I reimagined. This kind of staffing is a bit bold, but I think it should
| |
| work."
| |
| The power of command is in Benimaru's hands, including the power of appointment, and I hold the
| |
| power of command.
| |
| This is a bit complicated, as the right to command is supposed to include the right to command. I
| |
| separated it out and handed it to Benimaru.
| |
| | |
| In terms of commanding the military, I, a layman, shouldn't interject—because I think so, military-
| |
| related matters are given priority to Benimaru.
| |
| | |
| Also because of this, in the army, Benimaru's orders are still bigger than mine.
| |
| Except, strategic orders are a different matter.
| |
| Things like assigning people to the top military appointments or making judgments to bring the war to
| |
| an end in time of war.
| |
| The following general assignments can be arranged by Benimaru according to his own authority, but
| |
| the establishment of a legion or the appointment of a general is left to my decision.
| |
| Whether or not to approve the organization chart produced by Benimaru must be confirmed by me.
| |
| “Oh... if you think that's okay, then I'm okay with that, but...”
| |
| Not going to be picky, but it's tempting to say a few words sometimes.
| |
| Since the power of appointment is in my hands, I am responsible if anything goes wrong.
| |
| However, we've actually argued several times about the staffing this time around.
| |
| There is no point in saying that we do not intend to express our views.
| |
| | |
| As for the personnel arrangements I insisted they adopt, it was this paragraph—“First Army Chief
| |
| Gobta".
| |
| "The proposal to make Gobta a general was at first exaggerated, but he seemed unexpectedly suitable.”
| |
| Looking at Benimaru's reaction also shows that there are those who are for and those who are against
| |
| making Gobta a grand general.
| |
| Indeed, it is disturbing to appoint that fool, Gobta, as head. With Gobta's judgment of the lives and
| |
| deaths of his right and left minions, no wonder Benimaru and the staff under him were so troubled.
| |
| Gobta also sleeps a lot during meetings, and he doesn't have any problems—even I don't think so.
| |
| However, I am well aware that Gobta has been sneaking in special training and that he has been
| |
| working hard and wants to defend this country.
| |
| "I told you so! This man will work hard when he should.”
| |
| It's just that when you don't have to be serious you're going to completely mess it up.
| |
| Having said that, Gobta's men trusted him, don't look at him like that, he was actually very good at
| |
| taking care of people.
| |
| I trust him a lot.
| |
| "That guy is also one of the Four Heavenly Kings, and Lord Rimuru is definitely not looking away!”
| |
| "Right. On top of that, just in case, I'm sending Testarossa over as an inspector to help make up for any
| |
| shortfall."
| |
| Both Shion and Diablo, part of the same "Four Heavenly Kings", elected Gobta.
| |
| "Since you have all said so, as the head of the Four Heavenly Kings, how can you refuse?”
| |
| In this way, Benimaru also revealed a bitter smile.
| |
| In fact, he endorses Gobta.
| |
| "Indeed, as Diablo said. If something goes wrong, we'll just have to come back up. Just let him do it.”
| |
| "Should be fine. It doesn't look like much, in fact it seems to be very desirable.”
| |
| With that, we decided to make Gobta a general.
| |
| ***
| |
| The military chiefs outside of Gobta also need to be sure, I've been looking at the organization chart.
| |
| There are three legions under Benimaru.
| |
| The First Legion is currently the talk of the town.
| |
| With Gobta as head of the army, Hakurou was made military adviser.
| |
| | |
| The soldiers under the banner are as follows.
| |
| *Hundred wolf and ghost (ogre?) soldiers.
| |
| Each one has grown to the A- level, with strength equivalent to a hundred men.
| |
| *12,000 in the Green Corps.
| |
| The 4,000 men who had joined at the beginning of the Kusaka (???) period became superior soldiers,
| |
| and underneath were the 8,000 subordinate soldiers who were later employed. They seem to act in groups
| |
| of three.
| |
| The troop strength has increased dramatically this year, but most of it has been magical creatures from
| |
| the Great Forest of Jura. So it's not too much of a problem to apply.
| |
| Although subordinate soldiers only have C to D ranks, superior soldiers are trained to the equivalent of
| |
| B ranks. Should be able to play a considerable amount of combat.
| |
| Then there is the Second Corps.
| |
| With Geld as Chief of Staff.
| |
| With regard to this Second Corps, it is currently serving as a working force and is active around the
| |
| world. We expected to call them back as soon as we entered wartime, and they would become the main
| |
| army of the Jura Tempest Federation.
| |
| The soldiers at the bottom are as follows.
| |
| Two thousand in the Yellow Legion.
| |
| The Order of Orc Generals had been Geld's men from the beginning.
| |
| The personal ability is equivalent to a B+, which is very powerful and can be integrated with Geld to
| |
| form an impregnable defensive line.
| |
| At the same time, these men serve as squad leaders and are responsible for leading the new troops.
| |
| *The Orange Legion is 35,000 strong.
| |
| The newly arrived Orcs volunteered to join the army. It was the equivalent of a powerful C-ranked
| |
| force, but there were only fifteen thousand veterans who could step up to the plate. The remaining 20,000
| |
| are expected to put them in rear support jobs, or as engineers.
| |
| Finally, the Third Corps.
| |
| Having let them actually fight in the field, this regiment can be described as our killer weapon, a
| |
| guerrilla force that can fly in the air.
| |
| The head of the army was the man who founded the legion—Gabil.
| |
| The soldiers at the bottom are as follows.
| |
| "Hundreds of Flying Dragons".
| |
| | |
| Needless to say and know, they were the strongest force in the Jura Tempest Federation.
| |
| Everyone's fighting ability is equivalent to A-, and in addition to having the ability to fly, they also
| |
| have superior command abilities.
| |
| I've heard that some individuals even make it to the A level. Their best move is "Dragon
| |
| Warriorization".
| |
| *Three thousand in the Blue Legion.
| |
| Some of the volunteers were from the Lizardman Warrior Corps, and they all came because they
| |
| admired Gabil. The main members of this force are them, with capabilities equivalent to C+.
| |
| However, the essence of the Blue Legion is not here. This regiment is characterized by its ability to
| |
| fight on flying dragons. This unit has air control and has the highest strike power in the war.
| |
| That said, there were only about three hundred flying dragons currently cultivated, not enough for
| |
| everyone. Their main task was to cultivate the flying dragons and provide support, and they might not get
| |
| a chance to make a big splash until afterwards.
| |
| Even so, they cannot be underestimated. The Flying Dragon is a subspecies of the lower-order dragon
| |
| race, equivalent to a B+ monster. Gabil succeeded in capturing them and bred them smoothly, but the goal
| |
| going forward is for the numbers to increase. If all the members had flying dragons available, then the
| |
| Blue Legion would have played to their true worth.
| |
| Above are the three legions directly under Benimaru.
| |
| "The Second Corps to Geld, and the Third to Gabil? It should be fine."
| |
| "Well, I've done a lot of evaluation, but I think it's the most appropriate distribution.”
| |
| With little explanation, Geld would make a solid general.
| |
| There's nothing wrong with Gabil's side either.
| |
| He does get carried away, but is very good at combat. He was so good at mock battles that even
| |
| Benimaru saw him as a competitor.
| |
| Although he doesn't seem to be very good at thinking about tactics, he’s accurate when it comes to
| |
| tactical situations. Also very good at taking care of subordinates and knowing when to step back behind
| |
| the scenes.
| |
| Impeccable and a good fit for a military chief.
| |
| "These will remain as they are.”
| |
| At this point, Benimaru took out another piece of paper.
| |
| Three forces are recorded above.
| |
| There are three hundred members of Benimaru's pro-army group, the Kurenai.
| |
| Led by the A-ranked Gobya, the members of this elite force were all very powerful, all above A-. Also
| |
| currently serving as principal staff officer.
| |
| | |
| Seeing their battle training, I think that these high ranked monsters of Gobya should be able to gain the
| |
| upper hand when they compete against Kalmud (???).
| |
| The rest of the team is no exception, and some of them are even A-ranked if you take their skills into
| |
| account. Some people would not lose even if they went one-on-one with the Paladins, and the combined
| |
| battle power of this force was difficult to estimate.
| |
| The benchmark for judging the strength of a magical creatures is mostly determined by the amount of
| |
| magical power.
| |
| There is no concept of hierarchy for naturally powerful magical creatures. However, in addition to the
| |
| inherent physical properties of our magical creatures, they also carry out military training. This would
| |
| seem to accumulate strength better suited for actual combat.
| |
| Even at a level higher than the usual standard of judgment, it is not excessive to give such a rating.
| |
| That said, just look at this exception of Hakurou and you'll see that I was obviously right.
| |
| The members of this unit are all tough characters who can survive Hakurou's special training in hell.
| |
| All are fairly well trained.
| |
| There was also the Blue Shadow Group, an intelligence force led by Souei—over a hundred of them.
| |
| This force is a mystery, completely obeying the orders of Souei, and significantly fewer people know of
| |
| their existence.
| |
| But—as far as I know, there are experts inside.
| |
| For example, Souka and the four captains under her were all Grade A.
| |
| There are many more masters there too. Glenda is one of them, with several Special A's.
| |
| In fact, Testarossa poached some talents through judicial dealings, and those were received by Souei.
| |
| There was Gerard, the chief of the mercenary regiment, the Apostles of Green, and Aine, the elven
| |
| emissary who was previously under him. These two are also awesome characters who have surpassed the
| |
| A rank and are now becoming highly skilled spies who are making a big splash.
| |
| I used to joke that this secret service specializes in taking in problem children, but now it gives the
| |
| impression of that.
| |
| Souei says one can't expect them to perform in battle, but I'm not buying that one. Because they seem
| |
| to be very good at assassination.
| |
| It's that there are so many A-plus masters on their side that I really want to say "what the hell are you
| |
| talking about” to him.
| |
| What exactly was Souei's goal?
| |
| Everyone is rumoring that this force feels a little scary, but in a way, it can't be helped.
| |
| And then look at the "Yomigaeri" with Shion—there are a hundred of them.
| |
| The characteristic of this unit is that they don’t die easily.
| |
| | |
| Using their fearsome regenerative abilities, all members of the team have become strong, equivalent to
| |
| B+, after a brutal special training session. They were all C's originally, sort of growing the most.
| |
| They are also very active when fighting with the Paladins, so it's possible that there are people in them
| |
| who have broken through the limits to A rank.
| |
| If I had to say which force would be reversed, I'd say it's the "Yomigaeri" of Shion.
| |
| This unit is the equivalent of my pro-war unit in the organizational chart proposed by Benimaru.
| |
| Personally, I don't really want to do this, but people are considering putting into practice the ability to
| |
| fight with their hit resistance—when the bait buys time.
| |
| If there's anything I can do, I'll use the Yomigaeri as bait to facilitate my escape.
| |
| Shion once proudly explained this to me.
| |
| Let me state up front that they don't take orders from me even though they are called the Pro-Guards.
| |
| The value of this force's existence is to protect me, and I have heard that it is strictly forbidden for them to
| |
| act on my orders without permission.
| |
| So even if I scream no, they'll go out of their way to sacrifice themselves for me.
| |
| This is too much.
| |
| But even though I asked them to help with the chores, they still agreed in a flash
| |
| It was better not to tell these things to Shion.
| |
| There's still a distinction to be made between making superficial appearances and being true to one's
| |
| heart.
| |
| By the way.
| |
| In fact, Shion had another secret army that wasn't even documented in the organization chart.
| |
| It's a secret, but everyone knows it, so it should be considered a well-known secret.
| |
| That's the unit that claims to be directly under the Shion.
| |
| They later became the pro-villains of Shion, but in fact were simply a fan club.
| |
| The number of people is not known.
| |
| I don't think any more than a thousand.
| |
| Because this force is not a regular army, it is not under our jurisdiction.
| |
| Is it okay that the number of people and their abilities are unknown?
| |
| Just don't make a scene.
| |
| These people were secretly cultivated by Shion, so their strength was also unknown.
| |
| | |
| I heard that Dagruel's sons had made an effort to serve as captains, and even the adventurers who had
| |
| original combat experience seemed to have run to participate.
| |
| Maybe it will really come in handy in the future, but I'm more upset than I am expecting.
| |
| Not to the point of not being on the stage, but there was no way this unit could be sent to the front, no
| |
| wonder Benimaru didn't put them on the organization sheet.
| |
| I returned the piece of paper to the Benimaru.
| |
| "Nothing seems to be wrong. The combat power seems to have increased, but there is no need to make
| |
| changes regarding the use of these troops. Don't interrupt me or you, either.”
| |
| "That's true. I'm proud of the fact that the Kurenai is a unit I've cultivated with my own hands. Souei
| |
| and Shion probably thought so, so these troops weren't written into the organization chart.”
| |
| Hearing Benimaru say so, Shion nodded vigorously along with it.
| |
| I had no problem with it personally, so I approved it and told them "just do it".
| |
| For troops who cultivate themselves, whoever it is will want to use it for themselves.
| |
| Seriously, actually Gabil's "flying dragon congregation" doesn't have to be written on the organization
| |
| chart either. On this point, all because of the adoption of the Gabil opinion.
| |
| By the way, although the Wolf Rider Force was not cultivated by Gobta, they were fellow soldiers and
| |
| war buddies, and everyone was Gobta's partner and all recognized his strength. So even if we were to
| |
| change commanders, we would be concerned about the mood of these people.
| |
| At this point, Benimaru took out a third sheet of paper.
| |
| "It's important to start here. These aren't the legions that belong directly to me, so here they are.”
| |
| Finally getting into that part?
| |
| The form previously produced only recorded increases and decreases in existing troops and personnel.
| |
| The only one more notable is the fact that the First Army Corps is headed by Gobta. This one was
| |
| proposed by me, so it didn't wow the crowd.
| |
| So come and see what's in this one.
| |
| With nervousness, I began to look at the piece of paper.
| |
| ***
| |
| A few diagrams are documented on the left and right, respectively.
| |
| On the right is written all the military numbers listed so far.
| |
| The First Corps - under Gobta, about 12,000 men.
| |
| The Second Corps - under Geld, about 37,000 men.
| |
| | |
| The Third Corps - under Gabil, about 3,000 men.
| |
| That adds up to about 52,000 people.
| |
| These were the standing army of the Jura Tempest Federation and it felt so intimidating.
| |
| Even so, we still have room for troops. The country's population has already surpassed one million and
| |
| is increasing at a breakneck pace. Thinking calmly, our national strength is increasing dramatically.
| |
| It is because of such a powerful nation that it is possible to raise such a large army. Add to that the fact
| |
| that there was a second regiment as engineers to maintain such a force.
| |
| If these guys are unproductive, I think things should get pretty grim. Be thankful for Geld.
| |
| Excluding Geld and others, the remaining strength was about fifteen thousand.
| |
| These men alone are not enough to fight the Eastern Empire.
| |
| The question of what to do about it has always bothered me and Benimaru.
| |
| "As soon as the war starts, I'll call Geld and them back. This is done as intended. Still, it's not enough.
| |
| The Western nations seem to have their own armies, but getting them to mobilize those armies is also a
| |
| big problem.”
| |
| "Yeah. It would be a big loss to not have to use the military power of the Senate, but to do so could
| |
| cause a dramatic backlash.”
| |
| "There is also the inability to contain problems within the Western countries if they arise. And then
| |
| things are going to get tricky.”
| |
| "There is no problem within our borders, but it will be very difficult to do things in the future if people
| |
| in the West have doubts about our ability to govern.”
| |
| "Indeed it is.”
| |
| So and so, those things we've discussed several times.
| |
| In response, Benimaru wrote the answer on the left side of this organization chart, right?
| |
| Come see what's on the left.
| |
| Western armies - 150,000.
| |
| The Monster’s Army - 30,000.
| |
| Volunteer Corps - 20,000.
| |
| That's all it says above.
| |
| "The numbers are huge. What kind of army are these on the left?”
| |
| "It's basically a legion under our command. It was mentioned earlier that there is also an army under
| |
| the Council, that is, an army on the Western side. These national armies, unlike those of individual
| |
| | |
| countries, are directly employed in this way by the army of the Senate, or so it should be said, mostly
| |
| financed by our country.”
| |
| Indeed, since the Senate is willing to hand over military power to us, we have the power of command
| |
| over the army that is vested in the Senate. I understand that, but...
| |
| "There's that many?”
| |
| The military, which is vested in the Council, exists only formally. Those were originally brought in by
| |
| parliamentarians from their home countries, mainly knights and soldiers.
| |
| The number was also only about a thousand, and the main business was to guard the meeting place of
| |
| the Ingracian capital.
| |
| In principle, the Western countries have their own armies, and the security of each country is guarded
| |
| by them. There is almost no need for the Council to send out an army, so there is no need to raise a really
| |
| large army.
| |
| It is because of the current situation that they simply cede military power to us...
| |
| That being said, I would want military power, not to respond to any situation.
| |
| The only reason is that it is necessary to lay the tracks for the Magic Train to open in various countries.
| |
| It would be too much trouble to wait for approval one by one if the working forces of the Jura Tempest
| |
| Federation were to be sent there.
| |
| If something does happen, then our country will send its troops. With this in mind, we will first allow
| |
| the soldiers who were previously part of the Senate to return home temporarily.
| |
| In addition to this, a force was established to maintain law and order under the condition that it would
| |
| be "financed by us".
| |
| And I thought it would be more reassuring to plant humans and subhumans than magical things, so I
| |
| ordered the people below to look for people locally.
| |
| "Those armies were first disbanded, and then the new ones became more numerous. According to the
| |
| report from Testarossa, one is not afraid of running out of food if one joins the army, a rumor that spreads
| |
| all over the place, with the result that many people come as soon as they are recruited."
| |
| "But the purpose of that army is to keep the peace, right? It takes 150,000 people.”
| |
| Since countries still have police powers, we are going beyond the call of duty to catch the perpetrators.
| |
| Even if the purpose is to keep the peace, the activities are mainly about disaster prevention, and honestly
| |
| my purpose is to get them to help work the troops, otherwise it's to go to the rear to support.
| |
| Don't say it's 150,000, not even 10,000.
| |
| "On this matter, according to Testarossa, it seems as if the States wished to do so.”
| |
| Benimaru began to elaborate on me.
| |
| Testarossa has made a name for herself in the Council and has been bold enough to push for tectonic
| |
| reform.
| |
| | |
| It's something I also know, and the results have triggered widespread reverberations, big enough to
| |
| exceed my expectations.
| |
| In any case, in this reform we are only playing the role of a consultative object. Domination is in the
| |
| hands of States, with our country providing the technology.
| |
| It's like ODA - official (government) development assistance.
| |
| The Council bets on official funds, which our country treats as a national cause, sending its workforce
| |
| and lending a helping hand to countries in trouble. Go local and hire local people for technical instruction
| |
| while responding to their requests.
| |
| This way our side can create jobs and earn fees, and those who are helped by us can get assistance,
| |
| creating a win-win situation.
| |
| But there is no such thing as a free lunch.
| |
| There is of course another side to this support system and we will demand something in return from
| |
| each other.
| |
| To put up a dam, for example, and see how much we pay for construction, would require us to take
| |
| back an equal amount of water rights.
| |
| When the railroad opens and the train rides are taxed, then we can always reap the benefits through the
| |
| levy. The same goes for the opening of the street, we will maintain the management, but the other party
| |
| must withdraw the tariff or give us various benefits.
| |
| It's like a trick that only a demon lord would do.
| |
| Pretending to act cordial actually does something very vicious.
| |
| It's just that it will definitely be more convenient for the other party later, so there's no loss in trading
| |
| with us. We expect to get those unseen benefits in the future, which will be paid for by them, just so.
| |
| Of course, I guess those big congresses want to do something on their own.
| |
| Even if there's no way to do it at the moment, there's still a chance to sneak a lesson after seeing the
| |
| real thing. Steal our techniques and use them yourself—I think that's generally the case.
| |
| I didn't think...
| |
| "That's how it is. I've heard that the big countries are asking for an early opening of the train,
| |
| "So we don't have enough manpower for our work force alone, and we need to mobilize those hired for
| |
| rear support?”
| |
| "Right. Even that's not enough, we're going to go to the scene and get someone to help..."
| |
| The reason for this is right here, is that why the military is so outnumbered...
| |
| I made Testarossa a diplomatic marshal, with full authority over me.
| |
| She doesn't have to report to me about small things, and can just sign off on them—that's what I've
| |
| already told her, so it seems that even Benimaru has only recently learned about these things.
| |
| | |
| She turned out to be hiring a bunch of people, didn't she?
| |
| "But that's what the big powers are up to, right? As long as we train technicians, it will be easier to use
| |
| in the future."
| |
| It's more efficient than stealing technology. That kind of thinking is really brutal, but I don't begrudge
| |
| this approach either. As a leader, one would certainly come up with this response.
| |
| The technicians we have trained will be the backbone of every country in the future. While it is a pity
| |
| that some rights and interests cannot be acquired, it is actually a great pleasure to be able to trigger
| |
| healthy competition through technological development.
| |
| "It doesn't look that way. How could these big countries let those technicians go?”
| |
| That's right.
| |
| "Hey, I hear you're saying that all the support soldiers Testarossa has sent over here are going to be
| |
| integrated directly into the Western Army?”
| |
| "That's right.”
| |
| Facing the surprised me, Benimaru responded with a wicked smile.
| |
| It would be a shame to bury these technicians in the ground. In that case, it's best to do disaster relief
| |
| training or bodyguard work and urban defense training as well—it looks like Benimaru knows how to be
| |
| meticulous.
| |
| "Testarossa says it's done and wants them fired, but it's a waste.”
| |
| "That's true.”
| |
| "I thought I could prepare them for work, so I arbitrarily named them the Western Armies and formed
| |
| them into this army.”
| |
| So that's it, I see.
| |
| However, in just one year, those people shouldn't be proficient enough to go anywhere. That said, if
| |
| they also continue to train in the future, they should be expected to turn into a professional force
| |
| responsible for disaster prevention, and to do so in a big way.
| |
| It can also be used to deal with accidents, and as Benimaru said, it should be used in a variety of
| |
| scenes.
| |
| "I see. That's a good judgment, Benimaru.”
| |
| "I don't think it's all that great."
| |
| Saying that, Benimaru looked shy.
| |
| That said, the West is equipped with an army, right?
| |
| A hundred and fifty thousand is a rather large number, but to send these people to Western countries at
| |
| the same time, even that many people would not be enough.
| |
| | |
| If they are able to secure entitlements, they are equivalent to being able to earn what they need to live
| |
| on their own.
| |
| I didn't think things would turn out this way at first, and it made me happy to hear the happy news.
| |
| Come see the next one.
| |
| "I already know what the Western Army is, and what is the Monster Army?”
| |
| The number of people is as high as 30,000. Is it the magical creatures from the Jura Forest that come as
| |
| soldiers?
| |
| "In that legion, it's mostly majins who used to work under Clayman. Geld wants these captives to work,
| |
| but he picks people who are good at fighting and rents them out. Instead, some of the Inhumans have their
| |
| own projects on hand and just happen to have nothing to do, so they go and fill in the gaps for these
| |
| majins.
| |
| According to Benimaru's words, it seemed that careful arrangements had been made so as not to affect
| |
| the works of Geld.
| |
| In that case, it's okay.
| |
| Instead of getting some laymen over, it would be better to get some people with combat experience to
| |
| consolidate the army, which would be stronger. But...
| |
| "Those guys don't seem to fit in very well?”
| |
| When it comes to Clayman's minions, most of them are B's. But there are a few of them who are above
| |
| A level.
| |
| It's a very strong group, but weak from a Legion perspective. How could this group of monsters, who
| |
| obeyed orders only out of fear, possibly win over a trained professional soldier.
| |
| It should not be too late to gather the gang for military training.
| |
| "At the moment, thanks to Geld's presence, no one is coming out to mess around. However, even if
| |
| such fools do appear, I will still shut them up.”
| |
| That's right.
| |
| If it was Benimaru, it would be easy to bring them to their knees with brute force.
| |
| "But they've only gotten used to the work, and now they're forced to go to war...”
| |
| Seeing the difficult look on my face, Benimaru said no problem.
| |
| "That thing was initiated by them. Seems they want to show themselves to Lord Rimuru so you know
| |
| they can come in handy too.”
| |
| “What?"
| |
| What Benimaru said was a good surprise.
| |
| | |
| Those monsters who do what they do are even offering to join the army.
| |
| "There's good food and like-minded partners. Add to that the need for their supervisor, and a job well
| |
| done. They argued vigorously, saying that in order to guard these, they themselves sprang into power.”
| |
| “Really......”
| |
| The happy miscalculation refers to this, and it was very helpful for us to have them come forward.
| |
| This is because the troops that are conscripted are simply useless when it comes to actual combat. On
| |
| the one hand, it's necessary to do it for the sake of family and country, but if you measure the profit/loss
| |
| ratio, sometimes unconditional subjugation is the smart thing to do.
| |
| It is unbearable to become a slave of another country, but if you are just taxed heavily and you submit
| |
| to the other country in such a situation, you can actually be in the mood to disobey.
| |
| To put it in a harsh way is to be patient for now and wait for the opportunity to take revenge.
| |
| As long as the aggressor does not act in an excessively cruel manner, being good enough to suffer some
| |
| damage is also an option.
| |
| But in this case, one cannot ignore how the people living in that country feel.
| |
| Owning your own future requires taking responsibility and making choices. Being the dominant one
| |
| just has to respond to their mood.
| |
| I therefore believe that the conscription system is the worst possible means and that they should not be
| |
| forced to be patriotic towards our country.
| |
| This country of the Jura Tempest Federation is under my patronage.
| |
| If someone comes out of nowhere and makes an arrogant claim, I'm not going to take it.
| |
| I do not intend to give up our rights lightly, so that there will be a confrontation of views in any case. If
| |
| the other side is unwilling to compromise, war is bound to occur, and if there is a backlash as a result, it is
| |
| actually a nuisance.
| |
| If people don't want to defend their homes on their own, they’ll want to escape to somewhere else as
| |
| soon as possible, that's what I've always thought.
| |
| Make no mistake about knowing who you should be protecting.
| |
| I do not intend to take care of them to the extent that those who join us afterwards will only assert their
| |
| rights.
| |
| If I hadn't had the people I was supposed to protect, even I would have fled long ago. Then go
| |
| somewhere and find like-minded partners and start a new country together. For me, it's no use obsessing
| |
| over the land.
| |
| But...
| |
| Our home is the Jura Tempest Federation, and if you all love this land, I want to do my best to respond
| |
| to your hearts.
| |
| | |
| No matter what foreign enemies you face, do your best to defeat them.
| |
| Even if the opponent is demon lord Guy.
| |
| I have been made aware that I must defeat my opponent no matter what means are used.
| |
| That being said, Guy is really tough to deal with and I hope things don't turn out that way.
| |
| "I do feel their enthusiasm, and I'm sure they really think so. In addition to this, some people from all
| |
| over the great forest of Jura have expressed their willingness to assist us when they hear of the war to be
| |
| fought. Gather them together into one legion, and it is the army of monsters.”
| |
| Even so, there was still the matter of excluding the weak... Speaking of which, Benimaru smiled
| |
| bitterly.
| |
| Well, that sounds really good.
| |
| This gives everyone the incentive to work hard and I feel happy.
| |
| About the last Volunteer Corps.
| |
| I heard that it was a legion of humans, residents from the Jura Tempest Federation, or gathered by
| |
| neighboring countries.
| |
| In any case, if we are defeated, the countries around the Great Forest of Jura will also be destroyed.
| |
| Since it would be better to offer assistance from the beginning, people who are willing to offer full
| |
| assistance will gather here.
| |
| Most of the team is made up of adventurers or mercenaries. We have taken in some immigrants and I
| |
| have heard that a number of people have volunteered.
| |
| The idiots who desperately explore the underground labyrinth—each time becoming prey to one of our
| |
| “stand-ins"--also have a large contingent gathered.
| |
| The total is 20,000, which is not that much to look forward to, but we count them as a contribution to
| |
| the country's fighting strength.
| |
| "That's about how it feels on the left. To say there is any difference between the right and the left, it is
| |
| the level of loyalty to the Jura Tempest Federation—or, should I say, to Lord Rimuru.”
| |
| "To me?”
| |
| "That being said, the legions on the right, these men bet their lives not for Lord Rimuru, but for this
| |
| country. But these people on the left have their own intentions as to why they have gathered. Some people
| |
| may have a noble interest in volunteering, but we didn't have time to interview them all, so we organized
| |
| them in such a way.”
| |
| "So that's it......”
| |
| Behind me, Shion and Diablo nodded vigorously.
| |
| I seem to have overheard some dangerous conversations, such as wanting to treat these people on the
| |
| left as outcasts, or having them go through a trial to select only the elite, but that must have been my
| |
| mishearing...
| |
| | |
| "Then the next question is who should be appointed as chief of each army.”
| |
| So now we finally get to the point.
| |
| ***
| |
| Let's start with an assessment of the Western equipped army.
| |
| This is the largest legion, and they belong to the Senate, whose members are still scattered around the
| |
| world.
| |
| "If we just look at the number, they will become 200,000, but as for the 150,000 men who are equipped
| |
| in the West, I intend to leave them unused and leave them on the spot.”
| |
| "That's right. They nominally belong to the legions of the Council, and it is not convenient for us to use
| |
| them without permission, so we cannot deliberately call them over here either."
| |
| If they were gathered somewhere, I could magically move them over in one breath.
| |
| To move a hundred and fifty thousand people in one breath would be very labor-intensive to manage
| |
| alone. The chain of command is not yet finalized, and I don't think there is any way to conduct a decent
| |
| military operation. In order to avoid the spies sent by the Empire to make trouble in various countries, it is
| |
| best to be on the alert.
| |
| "I thought so. It's okay to use them with my power, but I want to maintain the status quo on the Western
| |
| side of the military. At the moment there is no army chief on their side, but I intend to put Testarossa, who
| |
| is a diplomatic marshal, in charge as well.”
| |
| "That's not a bad option...but once the war starts, maybe it's time to get Testarossa back home too. It's
| |
| worrying not to know if we'll be able to get in touch with those legionnaires.”
| |
| Those troops are scattered all over the West. How do we get in touch with them?
| |
| You can use "magic communication", communication crystals for contact, or "magic wire" to create a
| |
| contact network. With such a variety of means of communication, countries and major metropolitan areas
| |
| have successfully established communication networks.
| |
| But as things stand now, some of the end towns or villages are not so well equipped. It should be said
| |
| that setting those things up is also the task of the working force.
| |
| There are majins in every unit, and I think it should be possible to use 'magic communication', but...
| |
| "No problem. If it's Moss, there's a way to manage it even with hundreds of troops.”
| |
| "That's right, I've heard about it from Souei too. Moss works with Souei on intelligence gathering, and
| |
| I'm told he also uses his work gaps to handle liaison work between troops.”
| |
| Really!
| |
| This Moss guy is really good to use.
| |
| "In that case, why don't we just make Moss head of the army?”
| |
| | |
| “No, should I say that Moss is pathetic...”
| |
| "Indeed, judging by Testarossa’s nature, it would have been a terrible fate for Moss. It's none of my
| |
| business, but I kind of feel for Moss."
| |
| “...okay. Since that's the case, let's make Testarossa the army chief for now.”
| |
| Not only Benimaru, but even Diablo was sympathizing with Moss. Then I'll have to read between the
| |
| lines, and say it's better not to let Moss be the army chief.
| |
| As for the Western armed forces, let them concentrate on their own business this time, which is
| |
| policing.
| |
| If something goes wrong, it's not certain, but sending out Western armies is a last resort.
| |
| The chief of the army was then held part-time by Testarossa. But I will state up front that this is a
| |
| temporary arrangement and the baton will be handed over when the right person is found.
| |
| This is where the arrangement for the Western armies comes in.
| |
| Next up was the Mixed Monster Army.
| |
| Why don't we leave it to Benimaru to arrange this?
| |
| "I personally recommend Mr. Rigur.”
| |
| Rigur is right.
| |
| Indeed, Rigur has experience in leading a police force and is beyond A-grade, truly impeccable.
| |
| However, the fact that Rigur was in charge of aiding Rigurd makes it doubtful that he was available to
| |
| serve as chief of the army.
| |
| If I can, I'd like to see a showdown with just the standing army. However, it was still unclear how many
| |
| troops the Imperial side would prepare.
| |
| We have sent men to scout, but there is no way to even get information from inside the Empire.
| |
| Having said that, we have had intermittent information about military exercises, and on the basis of this
| |
| information, it is assumed that they may also mobilize at least over 300,000 troops. Maybe more than a
| |
| million troops will be sent out.
| |
| In that case, we didn't have to postpone the use of this monster army's remaining strength.
| |
| I was not displeased with Rigur’s command, but felt uneasy. It's dangerous to think about it anyhow
| |
| when you have to use troops that are scattered all over the place when you suddenly start fighting.
| |
| "Well, I'd like to give Benimaru the responsibility for this legion. In the future, this army of wizards
| |
| will be called the Red Army. From among the Kurenai, a thousand leaders will be chosen to run the army.
| |
| This one will serve as the Fourth Corps, Benimaru, and you will be the leader of the Corps and directly
| |
| command them.”
| |
| Red because it's dangerous—just kidding.
| |
| It's been a long time since I've been able to tell a joke like this in a flash.
| |
| | |
| “...”
| |
| Hmm.
| |
| I don't want the scene to chill out, so let's stop.
| |
| The expression on his face was still serious, but he was thinking about such idiotic things. Everyone
| |
| didn't find out about it and the meeting went off without a hitch.
| |
| "I know. In that case, leave it to me."
| |
| It seems that Benimaru also expected that I might say something like that. So he didn't panic and
| |
| agreed without a second word.
| |
| Benimaru has a unique skill called "Generalissimo" on him. If the legion's lack of training could easily
| |
| be compensated for by using a large group of soldiers, Benimaru was the most suitable person.
| |
| Just like that, in addition to commanding the entire army, Benimaru also had to command his
| |
| immediate unit, the Red Legion.
| |
| That leaves the Volunteer Corps in the end.
| |
| "What are you going to do with the volunteers?"
| |
| "That's the problem."
| |
| Faced with my question, Benimaru responded with a difficult tone.
| |
| That being said, almost all of this volunteer army is human. If a monster were to be the leader of such a
| |
| legion, it might cause unnecessary resentment—that seemed to be what Benimaru was worried about.
| |
| "That's a real problem. If rumors emerge that mankind will never be able to emerge from the heavens in
| |
| the kingdom of monsters, that alone will bring down our image.”
| |
| "The only people who worry about that kind of foolishness are three-legged cats and dogs. These
| |
| people won't accomplish much anyway, so I don't care!”
| |
| "No, Shion. That's true, but some people don't know us, and they'll think it's true when they hear it.”
| |
| "Just say it. Humans are hard to serve."
| |
| Shion seems unable to agree, but image strategies are important.
| |
| It would be funny if we were called racist for something like that, so I think there is a need for a serious
| |
| review on that.
| |
| "But I thought we couldn't find the right person.”
| |
| At this point Diablo jumped in to interject.
| |
| Right now, the situation was just as he said it would be, so Benimaru was also troubled about it.
| |
| "Yeah. Basically they're a volunteer army, and I didn't even think there would be this extra army.”
| |
| | |
| "That said, there's no need to do it for nothing."
| |
| That's it.
| |
| I'm thankful that those who volunteered to join us had that heart and didn't want to let their efforts go to
| |
| waste.
| |
| But to put their abilities to good use, one must find a competent commander.
| |
| If you want to find someone to unite them, you won't be able to find anyone other than Benimaru.
| |
| So what do we do now?
| |
| "What about Gerard, who works in the shadow?"
| |
| "No way. We got him by secretly trading with the Kingdom of Ingracia, and the guy doesn't seem to
| |
| like public appearances either."
| |
| I don't know what kind of deal he and Testarossa made with each other, this one I didn't ask, but I don't
| |
| think it's good to have Gerard publicly active. He may also be labeled as a human traitor, and it seems
| |
| difficult to convince the crowd without saying that the man is dead.
| |
| I'm naturally under no obligation to protect him, but there's no need to force him to behave outside.
| |
| "It would be deserved if it were just his strength, but it's really not feasible under realistic
| |
| conditions...”
| |
| It looked like even Benimaru was just talking about it, not really pushing him. In a flash, he dismissed
| |
| the idea and named the next candidate. The crux, however, is to lead humanity. He named names one after
| |
| another, but none of them caught anyone's eye.
| |
| "Shall we ask the Paladins for help?”
| |
| At this time, Shion suddenly proposed so.
| |
| Benimaru and I first looked at each other, and then began to stare at Shion.
| |
| "Yes, I guess not.”
| |
| "No, this kind of thing...”
| |
| "In that case, should we call Mr. Masayuki?”
| |
| It can't be done—I was just about to say that when Shion interrupted and she said a name.
| |
| Masayuki.
| |
| When I heard that name, I was struck by thunder.
| |
| "That's it!”
| |
| "You're great, Shion!"
| |
| | |
| I yelled at the same time as Benimaru.
| |
| It was at this moment that the military chief of the Legion of the Righteous and Brave decided that it
| |
| was Masayuki.
| |
| | |
| ***
| |
| We didn't make this personnel decision with my consent, but it was a fantastic decision that everyone
| |
| agreed with.
| |
| Only Masayuki himself disagreed.
| |
| "Why me......”
| |
| When I told Masayuki about it, he was very distressed.
| |
| But it's something that can't be helped.
| |
| Sad as it is, this is war. It has nothing to do with my will.
| |
| Although it was completely unexpected, I couldn't care less about Masayuki's feelings.
| |
| Because if we give it to Masayuki, even if we do nothing, there seems to be a happy ending.
| |
| At times like these, he's a very reliable companion.
| |
| "I'm already very good at controlling my own unique skill, ‘Chosen One'. And it won't be like the old
| |
| days of being complimented on whatever you do. But I can't even use it this time, so don't expect too
| |
| much.”
| |
| As such, I am fortunate to be doing the dying struggle and attempting to escape, but I know that none
| |
| of that is true. Because, fortunately, he is still as popular as ever and still has a huge impact today.
| |
| "You want to show Kenya and the others how handsome you are, don't you?”
| |
| "Wuh, this..."
| |
| If he is willing to take the job and instill strange knowledge in the little children and respect them, I
| |
| will turn a blind eye to it.
| |
| "No problem, you can do it!”
| |
| “But......”
| |
| "What else. Didn't I help you when you faced off against Gozu?”
| |
| It was fortunate that they had broken through to the fiftieth level. At that time, in order to weaken Floor
| |
| Guardian Gozu, I had to secretly use fake magic bodies to help.
| |
| "Thanks to you for this..."
| |
| "In that case, you know what to do, don't you?”
| |
| “Yes..."
| |
| I threatened and cajoled, tried to pacify him, and finally the bargain stood.
| |
| | |
| "I got it. Mr. Rimuru has taken good care of me, and I would like to take this time to repay your great
| |
| kindness...”
| |
| Although he was reluctant to do so, Masayuki was willing to serve as the military chief.
| |
| The volunteers were okay with that. Don't say it's an opinion, they even say "Great! "We're going to
| |
| win this one! The culture of winning before the battle begins to spread.
| |
| No matter how heavy Masayuki's expression was, the matter was now settled.
| |
| "So it's come to this...”
| |
| He just said that he was already very capable of controlling the unique skill "Chosen One", what
| |
| exactly is it...
| |
| Sure enough, just like I thought, Masayuki's claim that he's already good at using that skill is simply a
| |
| lie.
| |
| Or does it have nothing to do with skill at all, because Masayuki's super fortune is at work?
| |
| That would have surprised me even more.
| |
| As for Leon, he just happens to be the opposite of Masayuki, no matter what he does, he will be
| |
| interpreted in a bad direction. I heard that he used to be like this when he was still a hero, so maybe it's
| |
| not that simple to change everyone's innate temperament.
| |
| "Geez, come on. It's not good for me to decide, but you have to be a spiritual symbol to inspire
| |
| people!"
| |
| All in all, I console Masayuki with these words.
| |
| In this way, in the name of "the hero", the 20,000 men of the Volunteer Corps will follow the command
| |
| of Masayuki.
| |
| ***
| |
| The organizational chart was amended so that the right wing became 52,000 and the left wing wrote
| |
| 50,000.
| |
| The top commander is Benimaru.
| |
| At the bottom, the heads of the various regiments are lined up.
| |
| This large army totaled more than 100,000, but I still wasn't sure it could stand up to the Imperial
| |
| Army. But we don't need to panic. Because all the preparations are being done.
| |
| There are reserves—150,000 troops in the West.
| |
| Countries also seem to be preparing reinforcements, with members from the Order of Knights they
| |
| have. And to organize the Western coalition as the last and ultimate line of defense.
| |
| I'm afraid the total number is no less than 200,000, if anything, it should be relied upon.
| |
| With mercenaries, there is also support from various countries.
| |
| | |
| It all adds up to about the same number, should we say that it's more or less...
| |
| It seems that Testarossa has threatened everyone at the Council and because of that, everyone is willing
| |
| to assist. In any case, if we are defeated in the war, they will suffer next, so they have to help.
| |
| But to mobilize this army, that too will have to wait until we are likely to lose this war.
| |
| To say which part benefits us, it is that we have the advantage.
| |
| Then there's the fact that we have Veldora on our side, plus the ability to expect assistance from the two
| |
| demon lords, Ruminas and Leon.
| |
| Even Milim has promised to help us out. Carrion's Beast Kingdom Warrior Regiment was ready to send
| |
| troops at any time.
| |
| There is also the killer weapon that belongs to me personally, the Black Legion under Diablo at the
| |
| ready.
| |
| Since I've handed over the entire command of the army to Benimaru, it's honestly possible to think that
| |
| I don't have an army that I can use directly—which at first glance may seem true, but it's not.
| |
| Only this black legion, they obeyed Diablo, and his subordinates, the three demon girls.
| |
| This legion is not under the command of Benimaru and operates completely independently.
| |
| That's all we have at the moment in terms of war power.
| |
| As for how Yuuki will act, this element is not accounted for.
| |
| "There's going to be a war.”
| |
| Staying in my room, I muttered something in a small voice.
| |
| Is it really the purpose of the Empire to annex the Western powers?
| |
| Guy once mentioned the word "game".
| |
| He seemed to have some sort of entanglement with the Imperial side, and it always seemed like there
| |
| was some sort of dangerous attempt on the Imperial side as well.
| |
| But, even if that's the case...
| |
| "Whoever comes, if they intend to strike at our paradise, then I will beat the hell out of them.”
| |
| That's the truth of my heart.
| |
| I don't want to make the same mistake again.
| |
| Because I am a demon lord. How to prioritize cannot be misjudged.
| |
| ***
| |
| At the same time.
| |
| | |
| The place came to the Eastern Empire.
| |
| Rimuru and the others were preparing for war, just like them—no, the empire took longer, so long that
| |
| the two were simply incomparable.
| |
| They prepare carefully and literally.
| |
| Ready to make a big push.
| |
| In a little while, the Empire will awaken from its long sleep.
| |
| There's only a few moments left before they launch a fierce attack...
| |
| Intermission: The Inside Story of the Eastern Empire
| |
| The Eastern Empire.
| |
| It was one of the oldest countries.
| |
| Its official name was the United Eastern Empire of Nazca-Namlium-Ulmeria.
| |
| There is a long history, and it is said that a state was in operation two thousand years ago, and that
| |
| became the foundation of the present empire.
| |
| It took a long time for what was originally a small Nasca Kingdom to absorb and annex what was
| |
| originally a large country, the Magic Kingdom of Namlius, and the Eastern Union of Ulmeria, to give
| |
| birth to the empire it is today.
| |
| Set against a backdrop of overwhelming military power.
| |
| In these two thousand years...
| |
| In the name of the unified Emperor Rudra Naam Ulu Nasca.
| |
| The empire did not allow the countries they annexed to rebel and held extremely powerful power.
| |
| To be the absolute ruler, to rule these countries completely.
| |
| This is the United Eastern Empire of Nazca-Namlium-Ulmeria, commonly known as the "Eastern
| |
| Empire" —the above is the actual state of this country.
| |
| It is said that the emperor promotes hegemonism.
| |
| The current emperor, who also bears the name "Rudra", is a descendant of a tyrant with a pure
| |
| bloodline.
| |
| Regardless of the actual situation, the emperor's preference for absolute power—as it should be.
| |
| Thus the core philosophy of military units is that "strength is everything", in a special form, where one
| |
| can stand out if one has strength.
| |
| Rumors were circulating among the subjects of the Empire.
| |
| | |
| There is only one reason to say that the Empire did not invade across the Great Forest of Jura.
| |
| That is—it's not ready.
| |
| About three hundred and fifty years ago, they tried to get the "Storm Dragon" Veldora to do their
| |
| bidding and failed, and one of the metropolises was wiped out. If the fickle dragon is accidentally
| |
| offended, there is no room for regret, and the same fate is met directly with this city.
| |
| The victim city was the largest at the time, with a population of 100,000, and was a fortress city
| |
| immediately east of the Great Forest of Jura.
| |
| In order to attack the Great Forest of Jura, it took them a hundred years to build this front city.
| |
| Using this city as a military stronghold, the empire would be able to expand further by breaking
| |
| through that forest. Driven by this ambition, the military units of the time began to draw up operational
| |
| plans.
| |
| To get through this Great Forest of Jura.
| |
| That was the Empire's sad wish for a hundred years.
| |
| They were already a bountiful nation and wanted to expand their territory for one purpose only.
| |
| That's how the Emperor wanted it.
| |
| For no other reason than that, all the subjects have no complaints.
| |
| The drawing is well underway, and the imperial-trained army is building up its strength and preparing
| |
| to make a splash.
| |
| Immediately afterwards, they issued orders in the name of the Emperor to prepare for an invasion
| |
| campaign.
| |
| But a certain troop leader came up with a foolish idea that made all the battle plans fall apart.
| |
| ‘Since it is all going out, let us let the lord of the great forest of Jura do as he commands. It's just a
| |
| giant lizard, anyway, not big enough to be our enemy’ —because of this overly stupid idea, it lead them to
| |
| destruction.
| |
| As for what they once did, it didn't actually pass down to posterity. This is because the people
| |
| responsible for keeping the documents, the places where they were kept, all went down in flames
| |
| together.
| |
| The empire's sad wish, the emperor's ambition, just went up in smoke.
| |
| And then time flew by and came to the present.
| |
| The Empire had been quietly nurturing its strength.
| |
| For the injuries suffered by Veldora have healed.
| |
| However, the emperor never approved the launching of the invasion campaign.
| |
| | |
| Forbidding any act of aggression against the Great Forest of Jura, after three hundred and fifty years,
| |
| they had once again built up a force that had been waiting for the right moment for them to play well.
| |
| So, next came the political system of the empire.
| |
| Within the Empire, the political and military branches were the Emperor's right and left hands. Both
| |
| parts, political dominance and military command, were in the hands of the emperor himself.
| |
| That's a lot of power.
| |
| In the political branch, the Imperial nobility organized the House of Peers and enjoyed great power. But
| |
| that is only what is seen on the surface and does not in fact give those nobles any decision making power.
| |
| The only thing that is good for you is your reputation and your rights, and you are at best a bureaucrat at
| |
| the will of the Emperor.
| |
| These nobles were hereditary and did not need a vote to become members of parliament. Even if they
| |
| have lofty ambitions in their hearts, they can't gain enough power to realize their dreams.
| |
| All the territory of the empire went to the emperor. Just lend these to the nobles and let them manage
| |
| those lands.
| |
| Those who support these nobles are official men of high learning.
| |
| It was also these officials who were responsible for setting up all kinds of projects, and they were
| |
| backed by the Emperor.
| |
| These officials therefore swore allegiance to the Emperor.
| |
| The same goes for the military.
| |
| Military command—this supreme power of decision is not vested in the State, but in the Emperor. All
| |
| the military power of the Empire belonged to the Emperor.
| |
| Some of the local metropolises that were annexed by the Empire and are now part of it are in the same
| |
| situation. All the territories were to be surrendered, as if they were leased from the Emperor. The
| |
| defensive forces guarding there were no exception, armies lent to them by the Emperor's grace.
| |
| Such a policy has worked, shutting down any potential rebellion everywhere.
| |
| What makes this possible is the difference in national strength.
| |
| The Empire accepted the surrender of other nations, but that was tantamount to agreeing to surrender
| |
| all rights. If they feel unconvinced and want to disobey, they will be cleansed in blood.
| |
| This is to prevent people from thinking that way again and to eradicate it completely.
| |
| In this way, the Empire was able to maintain order.
| |
| Overwhelming force creates fear and gives the submissive a security of life—a means of grace and
| |
| power. It is only through thorough management in this regard that the Empire will always be able to
| |
| maintain peace and quiet.
| |
| | |
| A state of this magnitude ruled by only one man would not be possible under normal circumstances.
| |
| Not only that, but in these two thousand years of long history, the dominance of the emperor has never
| |
| wavered.
| |
| Even with the change of generations, the emperor's power still hasn't faded.
| |
| It's weird from either perspective.
| |
| If this was all the work of the emperor, then the emperor should not be human either.
| |
| Next, look at the military power of the Empire.
| |
| That said, the military organization of the Empire can be roughly divided into three main legions.
| |
| Mecha Corps (Armored Corps)—The main force of the Mecha Corps is the Mecha Technicians, which
| |
| have been adjusted.
| |
| The possession of military weapons, such as chariots, is a modernized armed force and a technological
| |
| symbol of the Empire.
| |
| Legion of Warcraft (Magic Beast Corps)—The Empire has captured all kinds of warcraft from all over
| |
| the world, within their territories, and from other places.
| |
| This legion would dominate those magical beasts and use their power, a symbol of the Empire's power.
| |
| Hybrid legions (Mixed Corps)—consisting of out-of-spec mechs, or berserk beasts that don't fit in, sort
| |
| of garbage camps.
| |
| This legion is too focused on individuality for group action.
| |
| But their power is unknown, and together they have the potential to pose a huge threat.
| |
| This is the spiritual symbol of the Empire. However, that "heart" is currently immature.
| |
| Unlike the Western powers, which focus on sword and magic, the Empire believes that it is up to them
| |
| to usher in a new era with magic and science.
| |
| Behind the development of the Empire's military power is a close relationship with the Otherworldly
| |
| Visitors.
| |
| There is another world of knowledge that this world doesn't have, and someone has taken to that.
| |
| The man was a great wizard from a long time ago who lived in the palace—his name was Gedora.
| |
| Contrary to his pale appearance, this man is full of energy. Eager to soak up all the knowledge, not just
| |
| limited to magic, he also enjoys hearing things from people coming over from the other world.
| |
| So he knew that in the other world there were also many countries, not unlike the world on this side,
| |
| where the inhabitants spoke different languages, but overcame the barriers of dissident thought and were
| |
| able to coexist.
| |
| Also know that there is no magic in that world, civilization is highly developed, and the type is
| |
| different from this world.
| |
| | |
| Gedora lived for a long time. Once his life is coming to an end, he repeats the reincarnation through a
| |
| mystical ritual of his own creation, the mystical mystery of reincarnation.
| |
| It is because Gedora has the ability to observe "otherworldly visitors" over the years.
| |
| Gedora's knowledge is vast, and he also speaks a variety of otherworldly languages. In addition to that,
| |
| if an "otherworldly visitor" came to this world, he would definitely send someone to bring the other
| |
| person under his own protection.
| |
| It wasn't just magical beasts that were collected from all over the world.
| |
| Gedora also argued against the utility of "otherworldly visitors" to the emperor, who, with the
| |
| emperor's approval, could do as they pleased.
| |
| Some people have special abilities, others are knowledgeable.
| |
| The "otherworldly visitors" who come to the Empire are treated with favorable treatment and are
| |
| overwhelmingly numerous compared to other countries. Thus inundating the Empire with their culture
| |
| and identity.
| |
| Of course, the Empire has also recruited many people with exclusive skills, and they are doing ongoing
| |
| research. From this point of view, the military technology of the Empire has advanced to a point where it
| |
| is beyond the reach of many countries.
| |
| Within the Empire, they have abolished the profession of knight.
| |
| The concept of fighting by riding horses has long since faded and established a tactic based on
| |
| modernized weaponry. Soldiers who mechanize their own flesh are called "mechs" and are the spiritual
| |
| symbols in the Empire when they fight.
| |
| The Empire's main mech armor corps showcases this in full.
| |
| On top of that, the Warcraft Legion also lives on with knowledge from another world.
| |
| DNA - Deoxyribonucleic acid - is a biological polymer that governs the genetic information of an
| |
| organism. All of this knowledge comes from "otherworldly visitors" and allows the Empire to analyze the
| |
| power of magical beasts. Further research is no exception...
| |
| As for the Hybrid Legion, there are many powerful "otherworldly visitors" in it. Everyone's unique
| |
| skills had been awakened, and that fighting power should not be underestimated.
| |
| Just like that, in addition to technology from another world, there are special abilities. By drawing on
| |
| these elements, the empire can create legions that are as powerful as they are powerful.
| |
| Because Gedora's enthusiasm was what made the Imperial Army stronger, and even that wasn't too
| |
| much to say.
| |
| Unlike the three main legions cultivated by Gedora, there was another group responsible for protecting
| |
| the Emperor.
| |
| This group was at most the size of a squadron, with only a hundred members, and was called the
| |
| Imperial Emperor's Order of the Near Guard.
| |
| The "knight" has been abolished, but they are calling it that.
| |
| | |
| That leaves only one form, as old as it is—the ignorant would probably think so.
| |
| Yet this is not in fact the case.
| |
| This is because the Near Guard Knights in the Imperial Emperor's Order of the Near Guard are all
| |
| selected from the top of the various legions.
| |
| There is no shortage of "otherworldly visitors" among them.
| |
| This is the best proof that the Empire does not treat one person differently just because they are who
| |
| they are, faithful to the Empire's idea that "power means everything".
| |
| These people did not benefit from the pedigree and power of the ancient empire and fought for that
| |
| throne purely by strength. This Imperial Emperor's Order of Near Guard Knights were all endowed with
| |
| legendary level equipment to prove that they were the strongest candidates.
| |
| The most powerful masters are equipped with the best weapons and defenses, complementing each
| |
| other to create an unbeatable effect. Together, these people's fighting abilities even surpassed the various
| |
| legions.
| |
| They are also guaranteed top-notch treatment.
| |
| Each is a superior general with at least the rank of major when it comes to special missions.
| |
| They were the vision of the Imperial soldiers, the Empire's most powerful fighting force—that was the
| |
| Imperial Emperor's Order of the Near Guard.
| |
| As mentioned above, there are four fighting groups within the Empire.
| |
| As the commander of such a legion, one must show strength to bring others to their knees. It must be
| |
| recognized by all as the strongest in the Empire.
| |
| So, how do you prove it?
| |
| That part is decided by a battle of the rank and file within the Legion.
| |
| In the presence of an objective third person, this system allows the inferior to challenge the superior,
| |
| that is, it allows the inferior to commit an offense, so that the ranking is constantly changing.
| |
| Of course, there are several conditions that must be met in order for a ranking battle to take place.
| |
| It cannot be held in military operations and is invalid without witnesses. Not only that, but if you are
| |
| defeated in a challenge, you have to wait a year for the right to challenge next time. The same is true of
| |
| killing an opponent who is facing off against himself.
| |
| Since those in power have the right to kill the challenger, the exercise of the right to challenge requires
| |
| careful thought.
| |
| It takes an overwhelming amount of power to get an opponent to submit.
| |
| This is the system of "power for all", which is really very imperial.
| |
| | |
| Even so, those who wanted to become a kamikaze still went on and on, presumably because the idea of
| |
| the empire had already taken root in everyone's hearts.
| |
| The high ranking within the empire is clearly determined in this way, but Gedora is not in it. His stance
| |
| was peculiar and seemed foreign to the Empire.
| |
| Not counting Gedora, the members of the Imperial Emperor's Order of Near Guards were selected from
| |
| among the others, and the heads of the various legions were chosen.
| |
| If there is a need for a replacement, they will also choose from the top 100.
| |
| For those who want to move up the ladder, they give the opportunity equally. Therefore, those who are
| |
| truly powerful will not be buried, everyone is honing their strengths and waiting to excel.
| |
| In this way, the Empire elects one "marshal" and three "generals" at the top.
| |
| Adding, by the way, that the person at the top is automatically chosen to be a marshal. Instead, they
| |
| would name the right person to be the "Grand Admiral" only after the Emperor, Marshal, and Gedora had
| |
| agreed.
| |
| The reason is simple, and that is that being strong alone does not make a good soldier.
| |
| All in all, those who remained in the various legions were weaker than the near-guard knights, and the
| |
| 'Grand Admirals' who became army chiefs were certainly the most powerful masters in the various
| |
| legions. It is in this way that the chiefs of the various legions are determined.
| |
| These four men represent the most powerful people in the Empire to the outside world.
| |
| The marshal and the three brigadier generals will all receive equipment commensurate with their status.
| |
| Since the Imperial Emperor's Near Guard Knights would obtain legendary level equipment, the
| |
| equipment bestowed on these four people would be better than them.
| |
| Those outfits were all secret treasures of the Empire.
| |
| In ancient times, it was the most powerful weapon used to suppress other countries—a mythical
| |
| weapon.
| |
| This mythical equipment even makes people wonder if it really exists, and having several mythical
| |
| equipment is just the thing to show the prestige of the empire.
| |
| The average human with only flesh and blood has no chance to touch these extreme equipment. Those
| |
| who want to use those gear must be eligible. It's getting recognition for those gear that can be of real
| |
| value.
| |
| Top-notch strength paired with extreme weaponry.
| |
| It's the reason why the empire is standing.
| |
| And then...
| |
| Such empires appear mutinous.
| |
| Decades apart, the army chiefs change.
| |
| | |
| That man also made arrogant achievements, the mixed legion was originally a scattered mess, that man
| |
| made them a powerful centripetal force.
| |
| Less than a year after joining the army, progress has been unprecedented and unprecedented.
| |
| Defeating warriors who have been through a hundred battles and have not lost at all.
| |
| A teenager had climbed to one of the tops.
| |
| His name is Yuuki Kagurazaka.
| |
| Things take a more drastic turn because of Yuuki's rise to power.
| |
| Chapter 3: Visitors from the Empire
| |
| In a luxurious room, three people stood with a nervous face.
| |
| They stood upright and awaited the arrival of the owner of this room.
| |
| The owner of the room is Yuuki, the man who came to the Empire and became a military commander in
| |
| an instant.
| |
| In the eyes of these few people, that sort of thing is no surprise.
| |
| This is because Yuuki is dominant over the few of them.
| |
| He is also the General Manager of the secret association "The Big Three (Cerburus)”.
| |
| "Hey, I've kept you waiting! You can actually sit and wait."
| |
| With a side of his mouth, Yuuki entered the room.
| |
| At the rear followed Kagali, who looked like a secretary.
| |
| | |
| "No, no, no, Yuuki-sama. We are your faithful ministers, so don't worry about us.”
| |
| One of the men responded in place of everyone else.
| |
| He is one of the chiefs of the secret association of the "Cerburus", Damrada of "Wealth". It looks
| |
| suspicious and makes one wonder.
| |
| The other two, one of whom is Misha, who represents “Woman”. It looks both like a teenage girl and a
| |
| mature woman. It's the beauty that exudes eerie charm.
| |
| The last man was a man who symbolized "Power" and was named Vega. Possessing a flesh as even and
| |
| strong as a carnivorous beast, the sense of oppression emanating from it seemed as if it would shoot
| |
| anyone he saw to death.
| |
| These three figures are several of the chiefs of the "Big Three".
| |
| The three men first bowed to Yuuki and then took their seats.
| |
| "Congratulations on your assumption of command."
| |
| "Lord Yuuki even escaped from the demon lord's men, that's for sure.”
| |
| "Well, if it were up to me, running the legion would be a piece of cake.”
| |
| Both Damrada and Misha showed up to congratulate, and in the end it was only Vega who looked
| |
| disgruntled.
| |
| But Yuuki didn't mind.
| |
| Indeed, you should be able to climb the top 100 if it's you. But after that, there was no way out. It's
| |
| impossible to be a military chief because you can't be expected to show command.
| |
| He only smiled bitterly in his heart.
| |
| "But then again, it was thanks to Damrada that I was introduced to Master Gedora.”
| |
| Yuuki said these words in an attempt to change the subject, and Damrada responded with a smile.
| |
| "What do you mean by that? We have come this far thanks to the fact that we had anticipated such
| |
| things and made arrangements in advance. I just introduced the 'visitor' prepared by Yuuki-sama to Master
| |
| Gedora, and did not do something so praiseworthy.”
| |
| "Hahahaha, Damrada's as stubborn as ever. In fact, you could have just acted happy."
| |
| "That won't do. Letting people hold onto excess expectations is also a nuisance for me.”
| |
| "Haha, what a joke."
| |
| Yuuki and Damrada looked at each other and the two smiled. The reason why we can have a common
| |
| heart is because we have confidence in each other's strength.
| |
| After the two men laughed together for a while, Yuuki cut to the chase.
| |
| "Then, Kagali, please explain the movement of the Demon Lord Rimuru.”
| |
| | |
| "Yes, Yuuki-sama. The demon lord Rimuru is now..."
| |
| Following Yuuki's orders, Kagali began to report.
| |
| Her sources of information came from Freedom Association members who stayed in the West. Most of
| |
| the people who used to be Yuuki's henchmen had fled, using this as a baffle, and they left a few spies
| |
| behind.
| |
| Kagali explained succinctly and forcefully in a clear, lucid voice.
| |
| She said that the Western nations were completely dominated by Rimuru.
| |
| It is also said that the other side organizes legions of such size that they are fearsome and used to guard
| |
| against imperial aggression.
| |
| On top of that, there are sometimes incredible phenomena to be seen in the capital "Rimuru" —and so
| |
| on.
| |
| "So, there's a town along the Ameld River for people to stay, and he's going to use it as a military
| |
| stronghold, isn't he? That's right, if you want to extend the defense line to your home country, you'll have
| |
| to do it.”
| |
| "Yes. Nearly 20,000 soldiers were already stationed at that location. It seems that even the transporting
| |
| of supplies is facilitated by things like the Magic Train, and I've heard that there is enough food to fight a
| |
| lasting war.”
| |
| "That's great. In that case, it shouldn't be that easy for the Imperial side to win.”
| |
| "Yeah. That country imported enough food from the Kingdom of Farmenas to feed a population of over
| |
| millions. The power of the country is no longer comparable to what it was a year ago, and maybe they
| |
| alone can fight the Empire. Not only that, but even the Western States Council was in the hands of the
| |
| demon lord Rimuru. If he brings together all the war power of the West, it must be very considerable.”
| |
| "That's hard to say. Mr. Rimuru intends to make himself utterly cruel, but by his very nature it is easy to
| |
| be soft. If he intends to fight with numbers, it will only increase the number of casualties, so he probably
| |
| intends to drive out the Empire with the elite forces at home, right?”
| |
| "How is this possible...”
| |
| "At least he's the one who became the demon lord, so he shouldn't have done such a stupid thing...”
| |
| Although both Kagali and Damrada denied it, Yuuki's thoughts remained unchanged.
| |
| That man is really naive and inexplicably powerful and might manage to do something about it...
| |
| Though he thought so, Yuuki didn't put those words out, and he asked Kagali to continue.
| |
| "I'm sorry. I’ll continue to report.”
| |
| After an apology, Kagali then resumed her report.
| |
| "More than 50,000 soldiers are waiting in the capital 'Rimuru', and reinforcements are arriving from the
| |
| old Eurazania side. The estimated total strength should be over 100,000.”
| |
| | |
| "That sounds great, but the Empire still has the advantage.”
| |
| "Yes, after all, there's a huge difference in numbers. The army on the Imperial side numbered over a
| |
| million, and even the soldiers at the far end had had bizarre makeovers. Even the miscellaneous soldiers
| |
| were at least C-rated in strength, plus they had a lot of strange armor. Seriously, demon lord Rimuru and
| |
| the others are no match for the Empire at all.”
| |
| Kagali really thought so.
| |
| Having an army of 100,000 is indeed powerful.
| |
| These soldiers are highly trained and their morale is high.
| |
| The scale of this is, by definition, very commendable.
| |
| However, it was dwarfed by the entire Imperial Army.
| |
| In the past, when she was still a demon lord, Kagali created a very confident work, the defensive
| |
| structure of the Monster City stronghold, but she was defeated by a large number of Imperial troops. The
| |
| disparity between the two is such that it makes no sense to have an army of only 100,000 people at most.
| |
| However, Yuuki has a different view.
| |
| "Your comments will be used as a reference, go ahead and report."
| |
| "Then I'll take it up with the country's technical skills..."
| |
| Kagali reported on faintly.
| |
| She mentioned that very rare new products were suddenly on sale within the Jura Tempest Federation.
| |
| There are props that make life more convenient, and there are high performance premium gear.
| |
| The uses are varied, but everything is practical.
| |
| Of course, many people want to sign exclusive contracts with the developers of these goods. Yet, no
| |
| matter how hard those merchants try to find the source of the manufactured goods, it all still seems like a
| |
| fog.
| |
| The "Magic Train" mentioned earlier is one of them, and that country, like the Empire, seems to be
| |
| experiencing a new wave of technological innovation. Only unfortunately, they seem to have completely
| |
| prevented classified information from being leaked. There's no way to find the source by the strength of
| |
| the guild members alone.
| |
| I”'m afraid it's being developed somewhere in the country. This can be determined, but it is not known
| |
| where the location is.”
| |
| Kagali was also chagrined, but the other party was the Demon Lord Rimuru, so it was always
| |
| impossible for her to step up. Other than that, it would have been ruined if it had been suspected, so they
| |
| couldn't force it on their hands either.
| |
| At this time, something suddenly occurred to Kagali.
| |
| | |
| "Come to think of it, maybe they're developing new weapons, too. With that possibility in mind,
| |
| perhaps we need to keep our vigilance higher and not just target the number of soldiers we see in front of
| |
| us.”
| |
| Hearing that, Yuuki smiled.
| |
| "You did notice. That's it. It was surprising to know that the Empire had been developing chariots, but
| |
| Mr. Rimuru had also managed to develop the Magic Train. Scientific weapons are not the preserve of the
| |
| Empire, and one cannot go expecting them to have an advantage on that.”
| |
| The Empire is not the only one with technology from another world. Rimuru also has the memory of
| |
| still being an "Otherworldly Visitor" in the past and wonders what kind of weapon he will develop.
| |
| If they were facing an ordinary country, the other side must have been terrified in the face of such an
| |
| unknown war power. Even if the other side has an "otherworldly visitor", in such a case, the other side
| |
| will be desperate because of the relevant knowledge. The difference in fighting power between the two
| |
| sides is clear and they will find themselves with no chance of winning.
| |
| Yet the opponent also possesses a high level of skill and can develop the exact same thing.
| |
| They were immediately able to formulate countermeasures that would crush the so-called advantage.
| |
| Instead, it should be said that if someone is overconfident in such a dominant force, the rapidly changing
| |
| situation may overwhelm them and leave them behind.
| |
| Yuuki has seen this already, so it's not unlikely that they will win at Rimuru.
| |
| At this point Vega interjected.
| |
| "Boring! Just beat the crap out of them. If you're worried, wipe them out! That way everything is
| |
| settled.”
| |
| Whether it's weapons or armies, get rid of them all if they get in the way—Vega confidently declares.
| |
| It was a headache for Yuuki to hear the other person say something like that without understanding the
| |
| context.
| |
| This guy has a lot of power, but a bad head—or should I say no head at all...
| |
| If he had been a little smarter, he himself could have handed over more useful positions to him, Yuuki
| |
| sighed in his heart.
| |
| "Then I'll leave it to you. Don't misjudge the situation.”
| |
| With that vague phrase, Yuuki told Vega to shut up.
| |
| However, Vega’s words were not without merit.
| |
| Yuuki was lost in thought and thought, ‘After all...’
| |
| In this world, quality is more important than quantity.
| |
| No matter how large a military force was gathered, it was no match for the demon lord Guy. As you can
| |
| see from such examples, the power of individual warfare should never be taken lightly.
| |
| | |
| In order to achieve strategic goals, it is crucial to see how strong the opponent is—such intelligence
| |
| warfare. To achieve this, it would be quicker to send someone of some strength to try in the past.
| |
| Not only that, it is one of the means that should be used, as is rarely the case, to give up when the fight
| |
| is not won.
| |
| If several combatants are allowed to attack at the same time, it is possible for them to achieve strategic
| |
| objectives, no matter how strong the individual strength of the opponent.
| |
| In other words, there is no point in looking at integrated warfare capabilities alone, and it is more
| |
| important to have a strategic approach to what forces are at hand and how they can be used effectively.
| |
| From this point of view, the Jura Tempest Federation is a very tricky enemy.
| |
| It wasn't just Demon Lord Rimuru that posed a threat.
| |
| In that country, there were several monsters that were exceptionally powerful.
| |
| For example, the four heavenly kings heard from the people's mouths—Benimaru, Diablo, Shion, and
| |
| Gobta.
| |
| The mere presence of these men was like mobilizing four tactical units, and simply defeating them
| |
| would become a high task.
| |
| It's not just a matter of technical prowess. There's a lot of tricky talent in that place, and I don't think
| |
| it's going to work no matter how many people are gathered to deal with them. So thinking of it another
| |
| way, surrendering to the demon lord is the right thing to do.
| |
| As far as Yuuki knew, he knew a few people who were better than Gobta. That is, at the very least,
| |
| there are others who are comparable to the Four Heavenly Kings.
| |
| "There is nothing more difficult than those monsters, who are comparable to saints or demon lords.”
| |
| Damrada's opinion seemed to echo Yuuki's, words mumbling out of his mouth.
| |
| "That's right, there aren't just the four heavenly kings in that country, there's also monsters like Geld or
| |
| Gabil. Why there are so many Demon Lord level people gathered there makes it a little hard to
| |
| understand.”
| |
| Yuuki felt that the more he thought about it, the more wrong he was.
| |
| Those people were strong enough to rival Clayman, and there were quite a few of those under the
| |
| demon lord that was Rimuru. People who know these things can't even help but complain, saying "what a
| |
| joke".
| |
| "Fortunately, we're not at odds with the Demon Lord Rimuru."
| |
| The other three nodded silently, except for Vega, who heard Yuuki say the words softly.
| |
| At the moment Yuuki and the others were surrendering to him because of the pact they had made with
| |
| demon lord Guy. In other words, to fight against Yuuki is to fight against demon lord Guy.
| |
| Since Yuuki and the others weren't going to make a move on Rimuru, it could be said that the two sides
| |
| were in a truce for now. Count Yuuki lucky, he intends to make the most of this situation.
| |
| | |
| Even if one day they would have to deal with each other, that would have to wait until they made up for
| |
| the losses they suffered in the West. In this way, Yuuki switches moods and brings the topic back on track.
| |
| "So is your report over?"
| |
| He turned to face Kagali and asked.
| |
| Faced with this question, Kagali seemed to remember something, adding.
| |
| "The people down there don't seem to have detailed military intelligence, and the ones that are more
| |
| accurate are the ones just now. Only, there is one thing that intrigues people.”
| |
| "What is it?”
| |
| "In the capital, Rimuru, there are activities called disaster prevention training, and later, evacuation
| |
| training.”
| |
| The training done so far has been very specific, such as escaping into a solid building, or being trained
| |
| to put out a fire in a building that is on fire. This time, however, the evacuation training was a bit
| |
| confusing—a quick escape through four doors into the town.
| |
| "You mean run into town?"
| |
| "Right. The investigators were puzzled, so they split up.”
| |
| "Inside and out?"
| |
| "That's it. As a result, they saw an incredible phenomena, like they were dreaming..."
| |
| "Seeing the unthinkable?”
| |
| "That's right, Misha. Making something incredible happen, a full ten minutes passed after the broadcast
| |
| ended and the vast town suddenly disappeared. And then there's only one door left over there.”
| |
| The investigator who had remained outside reported to her that, in addition to the door, there were
| |
| several more vigilantes left there to bring those who had not escaped before they could make their way to
| |
| the cave.
| |
| After making sure that none of them remained on the scene, the investigator made up his mind to go in
| |
| the door. It was later discovered that there seemed to be a maze built with stones inside.
| |
| Panicked investigators were able to escape to the outside, which means people should be able to come
| |
| and go freely.
| |
| "Maybe that's the underground maze...”
| |
| "Do you have a plan, Yuuki-sama?”
| |
| "Right. As you know, Kagali, that town has a tourist facility called the Underground Maze, right?”
| |
| "Yes, there are magical creatures lingering inside, and adventurers challenging inside, right?"
| |
| "I think that's it. I heard that there is a city underneath that underground labyrinth...
| |
| | |
| "There's a city in the underground maze?”
| |
| A disbelieving Damrada asked each other back, but both Yuuki and Kagali responded in earnest. It's
| |
| hard for the uninformed to explain, they can only say that it's all true.
| |
| "Exactly. It would be unthinkable to go on with the usual ideals, but it is possible that Mr. Rimuru
| |
| could do it. After all, that labyrinth has a total of one hundred floors underground, and I've heard that
| |
| there's still Veldora guarding there.”
| |
| “...is all this true?"
| |
| "Of course. These words were spoken by Veldora himself.”
| |
| After hearing Yuuki's words, Damrada was speechless.
| |
| With a sympathetic look at such a Damrada, Kagali opened her mouth next.
| |
| "No, it makes sense to think in that direction. There should be an important facility in that city, a base
| |
| for technology development, right?”
| |
| "Oh, so it is. It's a possibility, no, it makes sense to think that way.”
| |
| Yuuki felt more than surprised when he thought about it.
| |
| Although the idea was only speculation, he felt that he was not far off. If it was possible for Rimuru to
| |
| make these things come true, he was so sure.
| |
| "But what will become of the war?”
| |
| "Well, even I don't know about that. I didn't think I would be able to play a decent hitting style against
| |
| such an opponent, but didn't expect him to play urban defense that way. The Imperial Army would be
| |
| surprised by that too.”
| |
| Yuuki had always believed unilaterally that it was impossible for Rimuru to fight a duel in the country.
| |
| Because he won't let the townspeople get hurt.
| |
| However, if the town defends perfectly...
| |
| It looks like the tactics envisioned for possible use must be revisited.
| |
| "Does that mean that fighting people in a hotel town is just a way to see what happens, but the real
| |
| focus is on the capital? If the Imperial Army ignores that door and passes directly in front of it, then the
| |
| other party may snipe from behind.”
| |
| "So that's how it is, with the Western allies, we can still contain the enemy."
| |
| "First, send the vanguard forces to test the Imperial Army's combat capabilities and analyze them.
| |
| Afterwards, while the Western allies fight the Imperial Army in a war of attrition, they can slowly figure
| |
| out how to cope.”
| |
| "That's a terrible thought. It's worthy of the Demon Lord."
| |
| | |
| After understanding Yuuki's thoughts, Kagali, Damrada, and Misha all had a surprised look on their
| |
| faces.
| |
| They knew that Demon Lord Rimuru was not something that could be handled by sending ordinary
| |
| combatants, but they hadn't expected to be so powerful as to go this far.
| |
| The mere thought of being hostile to each other in the future makes one's head go up in smoke. Because
| |
| of this, Yuuki and the rest of them were looking forward to what the Imperial Army's showdown with the
| |
| Demon Lord Rimuru would end up as.
| |
| ***
| |
| "Then, Yuuki-sama. How do you plan to act in the future?”
| |
| Finding the right time, Misha raised questions.
| |
| Misha they also knew that Yuuki had lost to demon lord Guy. They followed Yuuki knowing that, but
| |
| they couldn't see what Yuuki really thought.
| |
| It would have been nice if Rimuru had let the Empire suffer, but they didn't want an accidental burial.
| |
| The gang can't help but think so.
| |
| Yuuki didn't take the deal with Guy seriously enough to work for the Empire. However, he became a
| |
| military commander, which made people suspicious, fearing that he would become a cocoon and tie
| |
| himself up.
| |
| For the "Big Three", it is indeed attractive for the top military subordinates to side with them, but on
| |
| the other hand, there is a risk of being implicated by the military.
| |
| To eat each other up, or to be devoured?
| |
| Get it wrong and by then they are waiting to perish.
| |
| Misha would ask that because she was worried about it, and of course, Yuuki knew it well.
| |
| "Don't worry. If Mr. Rimuru is approaching us, it will be just right for us. To achieve our ideals,
| |
| empires get in the way, don't they? Not just because demon lord wants us to do that, but to bring down the
| |
| Empire one day anyway. As I become the army chief, I will be able to control the point in time that allows
| |
| the Empire to be destroyed. Just think of it this way.”
| |
| Now that Yuuki had become one of the three generals of the Empire, it could be said that the inside
| |
| information of the Imperial Army was all within reach. As long as one knows the military strategy of the
| |
| Empire, one knows how to adjust the footwork to match. It will be possible to predict the timing of
| |
| military operations, the size of the army, and even to know precisely when the imperial defense network
| |
| will weaken.
| |
| If the Western countries resist fiercely, the empire will have to devote a corresponding amount of war
| |
| effort. In this way, no matter how tight the defense is, there will always be a breach, Yuuki thought so.
| |
| "We'll kill him before he knows it!”
| |
| With a hard slap on the table, Yuuki so declared.
| |
| As for the others in their seats, they were all excited by the meaning of the words.
| |
| | |
| "A coup d’état?"
| |
| "Ah, it's unbearable. That's how you look Yuuki-sama.”
| |
| "Hey hey, that sounds like fun. Even if it's an empire or a demon lord, so what, watch me beat the shit
| |
| out of them!”
| |
| It always felt like Vega was overexcited, but Yuuki didn't take it to heart.
| |
| He listened and began to cut to the chase.
| |
| "Anyway, that's the end of it. The pact made with Guy was also to disrupt the empire and must be kept.
| |
| I'll also disturb the West in passing, but on that point, the other side has no reason to complain.”
| |
| Speaking of which, Yuuki smiled smugly.
| |
| Guy did not deliberately ask that he not be allowed to take on the West. In other words, whatever Yuuki
| |
| wants to do is his freedom.
| |
| "You want the Empire to compete with the West and get rid of the head of the Empire...?"
| |
| "The idea is as vicious as ever.”
| |
| "You can't say that. An idea like that could come to anyone's mind."
| |
| Even if one could think of it, no one would want to put it into practice. No, maybe someone really
| |
| wants to put it into practice, but no one is that capable of making it happen. Yuuki is a special case.
| |
| "I also put out all sorts of messages to Master Gedora. The old grandfather was fond of new things and
| |
| had flexible ideas, but didn't know why he hated the Western powers so much. His hatred is so strong that
| |
| it's not too much to say that it's the product of that hatred that he has developed all kinds of weapons for
| |
| the Empire.”
| |
| "Indeed, it's a very famous thing, even I know about it.”
| |
| "Right? He would have seen the Demon Lord Rimuru as a threat, thinking that the other side would
| |
| thwart the ambitions of the Empire. He must have struck, to see how dangerous the other party was.”
| |
| “...So, how will things go?"
| |
| "Master Gedora has great influence over the Imperial Army, but in reality has no authority whatsoever.
| |
| This is because, that old grandfather is only interested in revenge. So that said, if we are cleverly induced,
| |
| we should be able to get Master Gedora to take on the demon lord Rimuru.”
| |
| At the same time, he also wanted the other party to make sure to spy on the intelligence of the
| |
| underground maze. Yuuki is playing this game as he sees fit.
| |
| "In that case, apart from finding trouble with Demon Lord Rimuru, it will also make the Imperial Army
| |
| weaker, won't it?”
| |
| "That's it!”
| |
| At this time Yuuki nodded satisfactorily towards Damrada.
| |
| | |
| Yuuki wasn't about to take on Rimuru himself, and he was happy to welcome others to go over and
| |
| challenge him without permission. It is because of this that many despicable schemes have been devised.
| |
| Yuuki further revealed his thoughts.
| |
| "It seems to me that there are three people in the Empire who need to be put on guard. One of those
| |
| people is Master Gedora.”
| |
| Gedora is the Great Wizard, and the Wizard of Eternal Life. Everyone was afraid of him, thinking that
| |
| he was a strange man who knew the inner workings of the Empire, and that the last great invasion-the
| |
| Empire had fought the "Storm Dragon" Veldora, when he had also survived as a heroic figure.
| |
| "So, who are the other two?"
| |
| Kagali stood behind Yuuki and asked with interest, at which point Yuuki gave a somewhat chagrined
| |
| expression.
| |
| "The fact that I don't have their true identity yet makes it tricky for sure.”
| |
| Even using the intelligence network that Yuuki had, there was still no way to find out the true identity
| |
| of those people. Just by hearing that, one should know how difficult the other party is.
| |
| "Could it be that the Imperial Emperor's Knights of the Near Guard are among the top ranked?"
| |
| Misha seemed to have some idea too, she said so.
| |
| Faced with this question, Yuuki nodded ambiguously.
| |
| Rumors circulate within the Legion that the knight who is the "Double 0 number" is more powerful
| |
| than the army chief.
| |
| Yuuki had felt it firsthand and knew it wasn't hearsay. Despite climbing to the rank of army chief,
| |
| Yuuki's ranking is "ten digits".
| |
| Even if it's a rowdy battle, there's no point in not knowing who your opponent is. In order to become a
| |
| "single digit" one must apply with the Emperor, race in front of him and win.
| |
| Only those who are actually very much expected to acquire this right know about it.
| |
| "It's just my guess, but I should be able to beat 'single digits'. But I didn't want to release the killer in
| |
| front of the enemy, so I didn't apply with the Emperor.”
| |
| That said, Yuuki was chosen as the army chief, but that was because he was lucky enough to have
| |
| Master Gedora backing him up.
| |
| "However, if we haven't really fought each other, I don't know if the boss is better than those people. In
| |
| that case, doesn't the tricky part become—how shall I put it? That would make it more than just nine
| |
| people, wouldn't it?”
| |
| At this point, Vega hits the nail on the head.
| |
| Apart from being a bit surprised by this, Yuuki agrees.
| |
| | |
| "Well, that's true. Maybe there's a tricky guy among these nine people. Still, there's no way to go on
| |
| guard. You haven't seen your opponent, have you? I was talking about the people who are in the open.”
| |
| "What do you mean?"
| |
| That question came from Damrada.
| |
| "I'm talking about Tatsuya Kondo, the head of Imperial Intelligence."
| |
| "So it is. Indeed, that man is too much to touch.”
| |
| "It's strange to know his name and what he looks like, but not to know the truth.”
| |
| From Tatsuya Kondo, who is also known by this name as the "Otherworldly Visitor", he is unable to
| |
| gather further personal information.
| |
| There are even rumors that Kondo Tatsuya is a "weirdo who feeds on information".
| |
| His rank was that of lieutenant, but even the chiefs of the various regiments had no right to order him.
| |
| This means that there is also an Imperial Intelligence Service in existence, of a higher status than the
| |
| military organization.
| |
| "I mean, this is weird, right? Personally, I think that guy is one of the 'single digits' as well."
| |
| “...so it is.”
| |
| "I hear you say that, it's possible."
| |
| Damrada felt quite the same way as Kagali.
| |
| Misha also looked puzzled, but she didn't seem to mind.
| |
| "And who is the other one left?"
| |
| It was only Vega who showed a lack of interest, asking this as if he was urging Yuuki to finish his
| |
| sentence.
| |
| "Hahahaha, you're a real hothead. The first thing about Tatsuya Kondo is to go and meet him for a
| |
| while. I will look for opportunities to request an interview. Next, about the remaining one, I'm not really
| |
| sure.”
| |
| "What did you say? What does that mean?”
| |
| "You calm down, Vega.”
| |
| "Whoa, whoa, whoa. I'm sorry."
| |
| Emotionally overwrought, Vega accidentally mouths off, Yuuki warns slightly. His tone was even mild,
| |
| but Vega, who had been reminded of it, was nervous to the point of cold sweat.
| |
| At this very moment, the difference between his "status" and Yuuki's was already real.
| |
| "The one left is the man with the Emperor. Even if one stayed behind the curtain used by the Emperor's
| |
| imperial court, one could still feel him, exuding a very powerful sense of presence.”
| |
| | |
| “...?”
| |
| No one but Yuuki had even noticed the existence of such a person. Just looking at that alone shows how
| |
| dangerous that figure is.
| |
| “—There is such a person? This kind of thing has never even been heard of..."
| |
| At this point, Dhamrad seemed to speak everyone's mind.
| |
| "You're right. Although he exuded a very strong sense of presence, people didn't realize there was such
| |
| a person. That means he's very good.”
| |
| The words of Yuuki sent everyone into silence.
| |
| "Is there really this guy? My side didn't get any rumors about that guy either.”
| |
| "On the other hand, if Yuuki-sama hadn't brought this up, I don't think anyone would have believed it."
| |
| “......”
| |
| For the minions who were still a bit skeptical, Yuuki smiled.
| |
| "It's okay, don't worry too much. If a coup d'état is contemplated within the Reich, you need only
| |
| remember that these three will create obstacles. First to rule out Master Gedora, Damrada, will you help
| |
| me investigate Kondo Tatsuya?”
| |
| "Yes, sir."
| |
| "Misha, you continue with the task at hand."
| |
| "I understand. I will continue to focus on enlisting the Mecha Legion's army chief."
| |
| "So what do I do?”
| |
| "I'll have to ask you to join the Legion of Warcraft. With your strength, join the Imperial Emperor's
| |
| Knights of the Near Guard right away. But you mustn't kill the army chief!”
| |
| "Got it. I'll try."
| |
| Not having to continue to take orders seemed to amuse Vega, who gave a plagiaristic grin.
| |
| Is it really okay? Yuuki was worried, but this time he decided to trust Vega.
| |
| If the army chief was actually killed, the Empire's military action would be delayed. It was disturbing,
| |
| but he decided to look away and see what happens then.
| |
| After the “Big Three” retires, only Yuuki and Kagali are left on the scene.
| |
| "By the way, Yuuki-sama, will they really dance according to our arrangement?"
| |
| "Well, I don't know. Even I thought I was being cautious in my actions, but still stepped on Guy's tiger's
| |
| tail. So I'm not qualified to say anyone else, but I still hope things work out.”
| |
| | |
| Damrada went to investigate Kondo Tatsuya.
| |
| Misha attempts to cage the Mecha's army chief.
| |
| He ordered Vega to rise to prominence in the Warcraft Legion.
| |
| They are all going on a dangerous mission to work for Yuuki. As a commander-in-chief, one can only
| |
| go and trust that the ministry will get things done.
| |
| "But we've finally come this far. There will be war in a short time.”
| |
| "Yeah, right. The next thing is to wait and see which side will win."
| |
| "That's so easy to say. Even if the coup d'état succeeds, more important things are yet to come."
| |
| "Indeed. Just for that, I'm also going to get Laplace and the others to do something about it. It must be
| |
| foolproof."
| |
| After saying that, the two of them smiled at each other.
| |
| Their goal was not to make the Empire triumphant.
| |
| The more this war sinks into the quagmire, the lower the Empire's national power will be. That's what
| |
| they're after, and the success of the subsequent coup is at the heart of Yuuki and Kagali's plan.
| |
| "To make the emperor a puppet and build a new empire. In addition..."
| |
| "Let us reconcile with the Western nations by peaceful means.”
| |
| “And..."
| |
| "The assassination of the Emperor!"
| |
| If it was difficult to defeat the demon lord that was Rimuru, so it was not necessary to force it.
| |
| Because of the defeat to Guy, he gave up on conquering the world in the short to medium term. To
| |
| conquer the world by brute force without acquiring enough power to be proud of the world's masters was
| |
| a foolishness of the highest order, and he had come to realize that.
| |
| Instead of that, it would be better to focus on increasing the aces you have available at hand for now.
| |
| Just let this scourge of war widen and much blood be shed...
| |
| "Then I'll be able to awaken as the true demon lord.”
| |
| "I'm looking forward to it, Kagali. Until then, I'll also use the new power I've acquired since then.”
| |
| Now Yuuki's ultimate skill has awakened. As a result, he has actually felt his life span increase
| |
| significantly.
| |
| Not only that, but he also learned another fact, there were even more powerful people in existence in
| |
| this world, and overlords like demon lord Guy were dominating this world.
| |
| Trying to skip these people and conquer the world is just nonsense.
| |
| | |
| He was going to fool Guy's ears and reserve his strength now.
| |
| The agitation of the empire has prolonged the war and drained both East and West. Let the boredom
| |
| spread, and while everyone is fed up with war, let the Emperor's assassination happen again—and the
| |
| world will be plunged into a more miserable state of chaos.
| |
| They could take advantage of the chaos to awaken the more powerful forces in their bodies—that’s the
| |
| full picture of the plan Yuuki and Kagali came up with.
| |
| "Anyway, be careful."
| |
| "Right. Be cautious."
| |
| After saying that, the two looked at each other and smiled again.
| |
| Although these two were smart, they didn't take the underground maze too seriously.
| |
| It was a formidable organ, one that could hide even important facilities and towns—the most they
| |
| could do was think of it and get Master Gedora interested in finding trouble on the Rimuru.
| |
| Depending on the situation, it might be necessary to go there in person, and the most that can be done
| |
| to find out what to do is to investigate beforehand - these two people only think so lightly.
| |
| As a result, the Underground Maze Raiders team would bring back unexpected reports, although Yuuki
| |
| didn't expect that.
| |
| ***
| |
| After receiving the information brought by Yuuki, Master Gedora fell into contemplation with a hard
| |
| look on his face.
| |
| Hmmm—I thought this was a good opportunity to get the Empire out again to crush the god Ruminas...
| |
| Due to the resurrection of "Storm Dragon" Veldora, he had to drastically reassess the plan.
| |
| It was also forced.
| |
| During the last great march, the "storm dragon" made the plan fall apart.
| |
| To this day.
| |
| In order to plan well, some say it's better to wait for the "storm dragon" to disappear.
| |
| There are also those who say that the new weapon they have successfully developed is powerful
| |
| enough to bring the "Storm Dragon" to its knees.
| |
| In order to avoid confronting the Storm Dragon, there were also those who advocated bypassing the
| |
| Great Forest of Jura.
| |
| People's opinions split into these three factions, thus giving the Empire a head start, and as a result
| |
| giving the Storm Dragon a chance to be resurrected.
| |
| | |
| The militant faction, which believes that it should "bring the Storm Dragon to its knees," is outraged,
| |
| but the other two factions are mainstream, so their opinions are ignored.
| |
| After all, if the new weapon they mentioned didn't work, the plan would fall apart again.
| |
| To Gedora, the "storm dragon" didn't matter at all. His goal of survival is to expel the Ruminas Sect
| |
| from the West and take revenge on the "Seven Celestial Sages" who killed his friend.
| |
| He got some news from the West, with a headline that read "Heroes Fall Out", and it was about the bad
| |
| things that the "Seven Celestial Sages" had done. He also learned that the news reported the demise of the
| |
| "Seven Celestial Sages".
| |
| Yet Gedora did not take this information alone.
| |
| At the very least, he determined that Sage Master Gran must be alive and sneaking around somewhere.
| |
| Over the months, intelligence from the West has been complex and difficult to corroborate through
| |
| investigation. So it was never clear whether it was true or false, but it was heard that the Rosso had also
| |
| been destroyed.
| |
| All in all, it's not clear what's true or false. I'm afraid that the Sage Master Gran was killed by that
| |
| "hero". Despite his advanced age, he is certainly an opponent not to be underestimated.
| |
| That's what Gedora thought.
| |
| In addition to this, while the domination of the Senate appears to be rock-solid on the surface, behind
| |
| the scenes there is a lot of action.
| |
| In these messages, there was no news received about the weakening of the Holy Church in the West. In
| |
| Gedora's opinion, he thought this was enough to prove that Gran the Sage Master was still alive.
| |
| It would have been nice to ignore the Storm Dragon and attack the West sooner...
| |
| Gedora thought in his mind, but he was well aware of how difficult it would be.
| |
| The Storm Dragon and the demon lord are teaming up? That kind of monster had already jumped out
| |
| of the so-called magic laws, and it was too stupid to send out an army to deal with it. I had also helped
| |
| structure the theory about the new weapon, and with that kind of thing, it should be able to stop him from
| |
| moving for a while. Whether or not he can be exterminated, however, is another matter. Not to mention to
| |
| dominate him...
| |
| Gedora was one of the survivors of the last great long march and had already experienced firsthand the
| |
| menace that Veldora posed.
| |
| In his experience, he thought the main warring faction was too brave and unscrupulous.
| |
| Talking about spiritual domination over spiritual beings—those fools have no idea how hard it is!
| |
| It is not impossible to exercise spiritual domination over spiritual beings. He had used the Demon Race
| |
| as a test subject and made some achievements.
| |
| Gedora knew this well. He was the one who came up with that theory, too, and it would be odd if he
| |
| didn't know.
| |
| | |
| He had already sought out various results, and based on them, he concluded that they could never make
| |
| a move against the "Storm Dragon" Veldora.
| |
| He had given this report to the Emperor, but sadly it was not endorsed.
| |
| "Some people want to try, so let them try.”
| |
| In the end Gedora's comments were silently ignored.
| |
| Let's put that aside.
| |
| This time there was another problem, and it had something to do with the Demon Lord Rimuru.
| |
| He built his kingdom at a frightening rate, and this demon lord ruled the great forest of Jura. If this
| |
| demon lord joined forces with the Storm Dragon, attacking the Jura Great Forest would simply be a
| |
| foolish act.
| |
| It would be a different matter if all the Imperial armies were mobilized, so that in order to lay out the
| |
| entire army for the most efficient use, the enemy must be introduced into the terrain in our favor.
| |
| As usual, that's an impossible thing to do.
| |
| What about fighting on the other side's territory?
| |
| "To fight in the underground maze? And they may have developed weapons from another world...
| |
| right? This must be investigated. It would have been nice to take down Veldora and Rimuru with our army
| |
| losing so many. If that is not possible, it will be impossible to fight the Western countries after that.”
| |
| As if to encourage himself, Gedora spoke to himself.
| |
| By this time Gedora had gotten it all wrong.
| |
| He thought that the target of vigilance should not be the Jura Tempest Federation, but the Ruminas Sect
| |
| that dominated the Western nations.
| |
| Being able to spot this mistake or not, that will be the key to determining the success or failure of
| |
| Gedora.
| |
| ***
| |
| At the behest of Yuuki, three people stood out.
| |
| The condition was that Master Gedora also knew, and must be affiliated with, the Hybrid Legion —
| |
| three were thus chosen.
| |
| It was to be a day for them to meet, so Yuuki invited Gedora to his room.
| |
| First up is Shinji Tanimura.
| |
| He was originally a college student in Japan and spent his days in the research room. After coming to
| |
| this world, he also loved to wear white, which now became his unique mark.
| |
| Mark Lauren.
| |
| | |
| Left with coffee-colored hair and a lot of muscle on his body. He was about twenty-five years old, the
| |
| oldest of the three. Wear a tank top with jeans for a healthy body in the winter too.
| |
| Zhen Liu Xing.
| |
| The man was young and had few words. It was hard to tell what he was thinking, but the words spoke
| |
| for themselves. The black hair was braided into a sisal braid and hung behind his back, and he wore a
| |
| loose-fitting Chinese-style outfit. I heard that he had a lot of concealed weapons hidden under his clothes.
| |
| Both Mark and Zhen would obediently listen to Shinji. Also because of this, unknowingly Shinji
| |
| became their leader.
| |
| The three men stood upright in front of Yuuki and Gedora.
| |
| | |
| "Master, long time no see!”
| |
| The dark-haired youth, Shinji, greeted Gedora on behalf of everyone.
| |
| "Long time no see, Shinji, and Mark and Zhen, how are you doing?”
| |
| "Yes, we're doing fine. It's good to see Grandpa you're tough too.”
| |
| “...Teacher, I'm not having a good time.”
| |
| Hearing Mark and Zhen respond in this way, Gedora smiled happily back.
| |
| "You're still the same. It seems to be working hard on the Legion side as well, so I'm relieved.”
| |
| Shinji and the others are "otherworldly visitors" who were taken in by Yuuki. Yuuki has brought in
| |
| "otherworldly visitors" from all over the world, and all of them are sent to the Empire, whether they are
| |
| particularly good at fighting, or not.
| |
| The Imperial side is responsible for receiving them from the secret association of the "Big Three", and
| |
| then they will be given to the Imperial Grand Wizard, Master Gedora.
| |
| His purpose was to ask for knowledge from another world, but personally, if he had a talent for fighting
| |
| and also had that will, Gedora would exercise them.
| |
| These people come to a place where special talents rich in personality are gathered after being
| |
| exercised—the Hybrid Legion.
| |
| But the Empire wasn't that good of a mixer, and wouldn't hold high ranking positions in the Legion just
| |
| because they were from another world. One must be able to live one's strength properly in order to be
| |
| worthy of the title of a good warrior.
| |
| The so-called power is the unique skill that is revealed in each of them.
| |
| Shinji and the others were able to use their unique skills so that they could establish a solid position
| |
| within the legion.
| |
| | |
| "Yeah, in the mixed army I lead, the three of them also belong to the first line of masters. I think it's a
| |
| good fit to take on this investigative assignment.”
| |
| "Since Yuuki-san has said so, I have no problem with it either. Sit down, you guys.”
| |
| The three men were terrified because the strict wizard asked them to take their seats, and only then did
| |
| they take their seats.
| |
| Looking at the three of them like that, Gedora smiled slightly.
| |
| They've all become lone soldiers, and it's fun to see themselves still looking like nervous apprentices.
| |
| | |
| "So, Mr. Yuuki, you're going to lend these three to me about the investigation you mentioned before,
| |
| right?”
| |
| Playing around with other people's performance all the time wasn't the way to go, Gedora pulled open
| |
| to ask.
| |
| "Right. I'd love to go and investigate on my own, but it's really not convenient to go to that country.
| |
| Only by sending Shinji and the rest over to them, I wasn't so relieved, so I wondered if I could ask Master
| |
| to supervise them.”
| |
| "Mmm. I've already read the report, and it's very interesting. If what is written above is true, it must be
| |
| investigated before the Great March.”
| |
| Gedora looked at Yuuki with a tentative look, waiting for him to react. Yuuki seemed to have expected
| |
| this from the other party, and he nodded.
| |
| "Those are all true. I also explained to the three of them that this mission was a bit special and I wanted
| |
| to ask them to investigate a certain maze.’
| |
| "Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute, please! You called us here to get through the maze? Are we that
| |
| untrustworthy? Even if Gedora-sensei stepped up to the plate to please, a massive military invasion is
| |
| about to take place, I don't think it's something that has to be done on the eve of an invasion!”
| |
| Of the three, Mark was the most subdued, and he began to question Yuuki.
| |
| It is common for such behavior to occur. If it's not acceptable, just ask, Yuuki himself has given them
| |
| permission to do so.
| |
| "Mark, don't get excited. It's a very important thing.”
| |
| “But!"
| |
| "Take it easy, Mark. Mr. Yuuki must have something in mind, right? We can hear what he has to say.”
| |
| While placating Mark, Shinji turned his head to face Yuuki.
| |
| "Then please explain.”
| |
| "Of course not. I think after listening to this, you guys should stop complaining.”
| |
| After saying that, Yuuki began to explain the mission in detail.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| Gedora knew those contents beforehand, and he listened to Yuuki as he made sure there was no
| |
| discrepancy between the two.
| |
| The three of them were surprised.
| |
| The warriors who follow Yuuki's orders—those with unique skills that make them particularly good at
| |
| fighting—blend into the various legions and live in hiding. The aim is to rise together when the time
| |
| comes so that the legions can be mastered.
| |
| | |
| People hadn't heard of the specific plan, but they all agreed that the day was near.
| |
| So did Shinji and the rest of them, now that the Hybrid Legion was in Yuuki's hands, they thought it
| |
| was only a matter of time before he ordered it.
| |
| To conquer the world...
| |
| When they heard this dream from Yuuki, it was like a child's dream, and at first everyone thought it was
| |
| impossible.
| |
| But as people hone their strength and become more and more aware of the world situation, these people
| |
| begin to feel that they have a chance to realize that dream.
| |
| Shinji and the others started to become obsessed with Yuuki and kept waiting for the right moment to
| |
| come.
| |
| It was at this time that the other party suddenly gave the order for them to go through the maze.
| |
| No wonder the three of them were so confused.
| |
| Having said that, while listening to Yuuki's explanation, their thoughts changed along with it.
| |
| Some preparation and investigation has been done regarding this war, only the interior of the maze has
| |
| not been investigated. Therefore, there was a good chance that there was some kind of secret hidden in
| |
| that maze.
| |
| Hearing that the enemy could hide an entire town in a maze became a problem that was hard to ignore.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| "I see...so the Imperial Army can't ignore this underground labyrinth if they want to make a move?”
| |
| "And there's a town in there? It's still unbelievable to not see this kind of thing with your own eyes.”
| |
| “...that’s why we have to go there.”
| |
| Shinji and the others will have to accept that now.
| |
| "Explained as above. But then you get the idea, right? If the Empire were to invade the Great Forest of
| |
| Jura, the period of warfare would be extended to some extent, and we expect a military mutiny to be
| |
| launched at that time. When the time comes, hopefully it will distract the Imperials as much as possible.
| |
| With Demon Lord Rimuru's army alone, and ''Storm Dragon'' Veldora, that wasn't enough for the Empire
| |
| to send out all of its troops. I need stronger motivation, to be able to get them to always mobilize.”
| |
| I'm not sure if that maze can create such a motive, if it can't, just make one up at random, Yuuki said so.
| |
| When they bought time in that way, Yuuki and the others were going to suppress the Imperial Capital
| |
| with one breath.
| |
| Shinji was surprised by this.
| |
| | |
| A coup d'état had long been thought of in the future, but this was the first time he had heard such a
| |
| specific account. And before that, Gedora was here. Not being careful enough with words could cause
| |
| their plans to leak out, so Shinji and the others didn't expect Yuuki to be here to talk about that.
| |
| "Wait a minute, Yuuki-san!"
| |
| Shinji tried to stop Yuuki, but Yuuki replied with a smile.
| |
| "I know, don't worry. Master Gedora knows my plan.”
| |
| “Huh?"
| |
| "Heh heh, that's for sure. This old man had feelings for His Majesty, but what would happen to the
| |
| Empire has nothing to do with me. This Old Master's goal is to destroy the Ruminism religion. The true
| |
| face of the god Ruminas was actually Demon Lord Ruminas, a blind spot that hadn't been discovered
| |
| before. What will become of those believers, I am not interested in knowing. But those guys killed my
| |
| friends, and it's hard not to bury them with their own hands. I heard that demon lord Rimuru and demon
| |
| lord Ruminas were very close, and the first thing that I wanted to solve was demon lord Rimuru. That's
| |
| why I will also participate in the Maze Raiding Operation.”
| |
| Gedora flashed a frantic smile and said that what happened after that didn't matter to him at all.
| |
| Of course Gedora had also heard rumors of the demon lord Rimuru.
| |
| A year ago, the Kingdom of Farmus fell as a result of angering the "Storm Dragon".
| |
| It is said that after the Storm Dragon's power was exhausted, it was the demon lord Rimuru who took
| |
| him in.
| |
| The truth is not known whether they were actually taken in or simply assisted. However, from that time
| |
| on, the Storm Dragon showed no signs of rebellion, nor did it detect the huge demonic aura. Gedora
| |
| thinks those rumors have a certain amount of credibility.
| |
| On top of that, there was movement among the demon lords.
| |
| Several demon lords have been removed from the Top Ten and are now said to be "Eight Star Demon
| |
| Lords (Octagram)".
| |
| Although the story had spread to human society, it was definitely the Demon Lord Rimuru who was
| |
| behind it.
| |
| Clayman, who was originally one of the Ten Demon Lords, disappeared, and newcomer Rimuru was
| |
| listed among that group. The fact that this happened means that Rimuru is stronger than Clayman.
| |
| Clayman the Demon Lord was cunning and could not be underestimated, but demon lord Rimuru was
| |
| more threatening than he was.
| |
| Not only that, but the demon lord Rimuru has also established borders with human nations and has
| |
| become increasingly influential in the Council.
| |
| He didn’t know what the Western powers thought, but Gedora thought it was dangerous to offend the
| |
| demon lord Rimuru.
| |
| Plus there was something that bothered Gedora.
| |
| | |
| That is, over 20,000 troops were said to have participated in the military operations of the Farmus
| |
| Kingdom, but only three of them survived in the end. One of them was killed, and in the end all that
| |
| remained was the former king and Razen, who had previously been an apprentice of Gedora.
| |
| It seems necessary to confront Razen about this.
| |
| Gedora took note of this first.
| |
| In addition to that, there are many enigmas on the Demon Lord Rimuru.
| |
| He didn't dare be careless.
| |
| It was said that the great army of the Kingdom of Farmus was buried in the hands of the "Storm
| |
| Dragon", but there was no way to prove that event was true. That alone makes one feel weird.
| |
| Generally speaking, if there are 30% casualties in a battle, then the operation is a failure. This is the
| |
| time to surrender, but I don't see where a relevant record has been left stating that the army of the
| |
| Kingdom of Farmus has ever made such a move.
| |
| Surrendering to the "storm dragon" is useless—and there are certainly those who argue that.
| |
| But on this point, Gedora denies it. After all, Gedora had picked up a life and survived the last great
| |
| march, so he was very familiar with the character of Veldora.
| |
| A simple description is that he does things very casually. Won't go after those who run away, though
| |
| there will be heavy casualties, but only those who are caught up in the attack in the first place.
| |
| According to this logic, under normal circumstances, a 20,000 large army could not be wiped out.
| |
| So, was there something going on with the demon lord Rimuru... According to the rumors about
| |
| Rimuru's people, Gedora thought it was impossible.
| |
| If we surrender with him, we should not be killed. But in the end everyone was killed.
| |
| It would seem that this should be interpreted to mean that when the army of the kingdom of Farmus
| |
| surrendered to Veldora, he killed them all at once.
| |
| Seriously, Gedora felt horrible just thinking about it.
| |
| It is because of this that they avoid going head-to-head with each other and also prepare relevant
| |
| counter-strategies.
| |
| There are oddities in the demon lord Rimuru, but there is still a chance to solve them by investigating
| |
| from now on and thinking about countermeasures.
| |
| Thinking about this side, Gedora switched his thoughts.
| |
| He didn't hate Demon Lord Rimuru, but he was on the same side as Demon Lord Ruminas, and that
| |
| would be the same as an enemy of Gedora.
| |
| Since it was the enemy that had to be defeated, having said that, Gedora was not about to act rashly
| |
| either.
| |
| | |
| He spent a long time arranging plans to get the Empire to send out troops to attack the Western nations.
| |
| Now that that plan was about to come to fruition, he couldn't be foolish enough to sulk.
| |
| So Gedora acted cautiously and then cautiously.
| |
| Yuuki and Gedora had the same interests at stake, and after talking the two decided to work together.
| |
| They would share the information they held in their hands with each other, and the relationship between
| |
| the two could be described as that of a war buddy.
| |
| Secrets were revealed in three or two times, and Shinji and the others were all pale.
| |
| When they suddenly hear someone say something like that, of course they want to say "please pause.”
| |
| Shinji wasn't stupid either, he didn't think the other side would trust them that much. Though I think so,
| |
| I think I should not treat them as discarded sons.
| |
| The other side was testing them—so Shinji thought.
| |
| Mark and Zhen seemed to think so.
| |
| "I know! We will do our best to investigate.”
| |
| "Anyway, we won't hold Grandpa back...stay tuned!”
| |
| “...I'll cheer."
| |
| This is certainly an important mission. If they take this opportunity to do something—no, they have to
| |
| do something good this time so they can live—Shinji and the others realize this.
| |
| "Then I'll test you all. You do know how many demon lords there are in the world, right?”
| |
| "Yes, there are eight, right?’
| |
| “...Huh? Aren't the ten demons lords? No, it should be increased to eleven, right?”
| |
| “...Mark, they just had a big shuffle last year..."
| |
| This caused Gedora to sigh and a roar to come out of his mouth.
| |
| "Shinji, hurry up and give this idiot the right message. If you join the army and can't even gather
| |
| information, you'll know he'll be the first to die!”
| |
| As soon as his mood calmed down slightly he began to explain.
| |
| "There are eight demon lords in all, and they call themselves 'Eight Star Demon Lords (Octagram)'.
| |
| The implication should be that one thinks one can compare oneself to the stars, but some of them do have
| |
| that ability. The reason why this is mentioned is because the opponent this time is 'Newbie' Rimuru. You
| |
| can't take him lightly, but don't explore that issue this time. There is another reason. Among these demons,
| |
| there is a person known as the Labyrinth Fairy. All right, what do you guys think after listening?"
| |
| That comment made the three of them take a backward breath from Shinji.
| |
| Even Yuuki put on a surprised expression and kept staring at Gedora.
| |
| | |
| "You said labyrinth fairy...is that the point?”
| |
| At this time, Shinji was afraid to express his opinion.
| |
| Gedora nodded solemnly, pulling out a piece of literature for the three men to look at.
| |
| There is a labyrinth named "Elven Goddom", said to be in the western Republic of Ulgrasia. The world
| |
| says that the great maze is covered under the ground, or in the air, but it is not.
| |
| That's true in one respect, but it's not entirely true in another.
| |
| It was written in that document that not only spirits lived in the "Spirit Realm", but also that the queen
| |
| who changed from an spirit to a monster also lived there.
| |
| "This queen is the Labyrinth Fairy, Ramiris, one of the demon lords from ancient times.”
| |
| These words of Gedora weighed heavily on the three men.
| |
| He further revealed the truth.
| |
| "The door to that maze used to be in the Ulgrasia Nature Park, but now it's gone. That's what the old
| |
| man himself investigated, and it's certainly true. As for the period of disappearance, from what I've heard,
| |
| it's presumed to be the same period as when Rimuru became the demon lord. Then the country went
| |
| public with their underground labyrinth...”
| |
| When Gedora finished, Yuuki added next.
| |
| "That's a long way off. I've wondered before how Rimuru made a maze like that, and I think it must
| |
| have been created by Demon Lord Ramiris. In other words, Demon Lord Ramiris and Demon Lord
| |
| Ramiris have joined forces.”
| |
| Yuuki seemed to have decided that this was the case and had a wide smile on his face.
| |
| Shinji they didn't come out in denial either. Not only that, but they felt that the difficulty of the
| |
| investigation was bound to increase and they began to become very melancholy.
| |
| "I look forward to your performance.”
| |
| "Remember to be on guard at all times.”
| |
| After that, Yuuki repeatedly told them how scary and cunning the demon lord Rimuru was, and Shinji
| |
| and the others left the scene after listening.
| |
| ***
| |
| The day after Yuuki called him there, his secretary, Kagali, came to lead Shinji and the others and sent
| |
| them to the outskirts of the Jura Tempest Federation.
| |
| After sending Shinji and the others out, ten days passed, and Gedora was on his own to other
| |
| destinations.
| |
| Seeing Yuuki threaten Shinji with them, he planned to leave the investigation task to these people at
| |
| first.
| |
| | |
| I'm afraid Yuuki didn't really mean to treat those three as outcasts. To get Shinji and them to get serious,
| |
| just threaten a little.
| |
| Then again, Yuuki-san isn't forthcoming enough. It's because he's overly competent himself that he
| |
| wants others to reach this realm.
| |
| Gedora had seen through that a long time ago.
| |
| But it could be applied to him as well.
| |
| Gedora also didn't intend to watch his apprentices die, and he intended to lend a helping hand if they
| |
| were in trouble. But Gedora wouldn't put these thoughts out there; he would only silently pressure others,
| |
| so that others would find him scary.
| |
| Unaware of this himself, Gedora went to the old site of the Kingdom of Farmus.
| |
| He remembered that he had taken in an apprentice a long time ago, intending to go and gather
| |
| information related to the Demon Lord Rimuru.
| |
| Immediately afterwards, Gedora flew towards the old Farmus capital "Maris" and headed straight for
| |
| the palace.
| |
| Razen was working in his office, at which point he jumped up from his chair.
| |
| Originally thinking that the great teacher, Gedora, was dead, he felt the other's breath.
| |
| "I didn't think...he was still alive...”
| |
| While muttering something to himself, he thought to himself that this would be bad.
| |
| Not sure what Gedora's intentions were, but he had come here to find himself, I guess.
| |
| What is certain is that it is not to reminisce with him.
| |
| And there was also the problem that none of the soldiers in Farmenas knew the man Gedora. If this
| |
| goes on, they will be stopped and questioned at the gates, and those who displease Gedora may be hurt.
| |
| In case one accidentally turns them and Gedora into enemies...
| |
| This is not good. If it turns out that way, there's no way for me to hold Lord Gedora back.
| |
| Razen was quick to judge as above and to act.
| |
| He calls out to his later new apprentices through "magical communications".
| |
| "Can you hear me?”
| |
| "Geez, don't call me out of the blue.”
| |
| "You must have found something.”
| |
| "There. Although Gregory didn't seem to notice it, there was an unusual aura just now. He'll be at the
| |
| gates in a little while, right?”
| |
| | |
| "Since you know so well, it's a good thing. You go to the gate, too.”
| |
| “...you have been gracious to me. Got it.”
| |
| The "magic communication" was interrupted this way.
| |
| His new apprentices were two in total.
| |
| They were Sare and Gregory.
| |
| These two men were both originally 'Three Martial Immortals' - the Hall of the Emperor of the Sacred
| |
| Emperor's Kingdom of Ruberios, and had previously stayed in the Imperial Near Guard Division, which
| |
| was directly under the Emperor.
| |
| When Razen knew them while he was touring the country in order to inspect them, they made a major
| |
| mistake and dared not return to the Hall of the Emperor, so Razen took them directly as apprentices.
| |
| Not to give them favors, but to be able to experience how they feel.
| |
| Especially Sare, who seems to have lost badly in front of journalists from various countries. Hearing
| |
| that his opponent was Diablo, Razen could no longer stay out of it.
| |
| Sare had an arrogant attitude, but he still recognized Razen as his master.
| |
| Gregory does show fear of something from time to time, but is slowly finding his old swagger.
| |
| Looking at the strength alone, these two were impeccable, so Razen decided to exercise these two and
| |
| one day get them to work under the tabletop of the Kingdom of Farmenas. That also includes crisis
| |
| management like this one.
| |
| There's me, Sare and Gregory. Add Mr. Grucius after that, and we should be able to confront Lord
| |
| Gedora.
| |
| The average soldier cannot be useful in the face of a single individual with overwhelming power. The
| |
| current weakness of the Kingdom of Farmenas is the lack of heroic level talent.
| |
| In the old days when the Kingdom of Farmus was still in existence, his fellow Knight Commander
| |
| Folgen and the warriors of his rank were now figures of the past. Talent must be found that can replace
| |
| them—this is the subject of the Kingdom of Farmenas.
| |
| Again, Razen recognized this, chagrined that he was too late to deal with the problem.
| |
| When he rushed to the city gate, Sare and the others were already there.
| |
| And are being confronted by Gedora.
| |
| "I say, I don't know what it is that brings you to this city, but we are under care here. You understand
| |
| that you can't let unidentified people go, don't you?”
| |
| "That's right, Grandpa. We're not going to sue people, so you'll just go back today. If you want to meet
| |
| with someone, you can apply to the counter and get a response in about two or three days.”
| |
| | |
| Sure and the others wanted a peaceful resolution, blocking the front of the road to keep Gedora from
| |
| passing. But in Razen's eyes it reduced his life expectancy.
| |
| "Stop it! Let the lord pass.”
| |
| "Hey, aren't we supposed to stop him?”
| |
| "In that case, why did you call us here?”
| |
| Both men seemed unhappy with the order, but Razen didn't have time for that sort of thing.
| |
| "Long time no see, Lord Gedora. I didn't know you were still alive, so I didn't bother to greet you.”
| |
| Razen knelt down on one knee before Gedora and said so from his mouth.
| |
| | |
| He wanted to avoid making an enemy of Gedora. If anything, he would have been ready to become
| |
| aware and stop Gedora even if he released all his power, but it seemed as if he was overly vigilant.
| |
| "Long time no see, Razen. You don't look the same anymore, but it looks like you're really him.”
| |
| "Yes, I'm not like Master, I have to change my body to live...”
| |
| "It's not a reproach, so don't be so afraid. The reason I'm here today is to ask you something. It's okay if
| |
| you don't have to be so vigilant about the monster hiding over there. If I were to come against you, I
| |
| would not have come alone.”
| |
| The words of Gedora always eased the tension.
| |
| In spite of this, Razen and the rest were not careless, they were going to prepare the meeting place so
| |
| they could talk to Gedora, so the group broke up on the spot.
| |
| ***
| |
| The next day, they met in a room somewhere in the castle.
| |
| Among those who participated were Youm, Grucius and Razen. Sare stayed indoors with Gregory to
| |
| protect Youm.
| |
| Myuran also wanted to participate, but was rejected. She had just given birth and had to be completely
| |
| still, so Youm desperately tried to stop her.
| |
| The child is a girl named Mim. The child, who looks a lot like Myuran and is very likeable, is now in
| |
| the care of Edka, who dotes on her.
| |
| "By the way, Master, what is it you want to ask?”
| |
| "Well, before we get to the point, let me correct a few points. Kid, your name's Sare, right? You're not
| |
| bad, but magic's your undoing, isn't it? That kind of stuff doesn't just get learned to apply, and it's
| |
| important to manage your magic properly. That monster over there, your name's Grucius, right? As for
| |
| you..."
| |
| Gedora began to point out each person's shortcomings one by one.
| |
| He wants Grucius to develop the eye to see through his opponent's strength.
| |
| "Transforming in front of the enemy is like giving the opponent a chance to make a first strike.”
| |
| Gedora even goes so far as to harshly point out the shortcomings.
| |
| On Youm's side, he first said, "You look stronger than average..." and then said that relying on
| |
| equipment is not a good idea and that you have to concentrate on how to defend yourself.
| |
| He was even more ruthless in the face of Gregory and told him to continue to improve—with these
| |
| words alone.
| |
| Finally he looked to Razen and said to him this.
| |
| "Razen, it looks like you've improved a lot. Your magic is possessive...?"
| |
| | |
| "Yes, based on my master's theory of the mystical meaning of 'reincarnation', I have arranged the great
| |
| secret art of 'possession and reincarnation’."
| |
| "Mmm. This is another interesting attempt. Unlike the Old Master's magic, it doesn't temporarily
| |
| weaken and rejuvenate into a small baby.”
| |
| "Thank you..."
| |
| "But it's pointless if you can't play it all out. It's rare to take away someone's flesh, you're not
| |
| performing, are you?”
| |
| “Yes!"
| |
| Faced with Gedora's correction, Razen was sweating profusely and in fear. He himself knew these
| |
| things and had to admit that all the accusations hit the nail on the head.
| |
| This adult is still terrible. I can't believe that we can see through our strengths at once...
| |
| Razen was speechless and could only be silent in response.
| |
| However, Sare and Gregory listened very badly.
| |
| "What the hell, look at me just sitting there thinking I'm not even listening. What did you see in me to
| |
| say something like that?”
| |
| "Yeah. Mr. Razen was kind to me, but there was no reason to fear even his master. Since you're so
| |
| confident, let's ask for your advice and show you what you can do!"
| |
| Eventually they began to pester Gedora.
| |
| Shut up--Razen was tempted to shout the words, but seeing the look in Master Gedora's eyes, he didn't
| |
| get them out.
| |
| For Gedora, this was all to be expected. It was only then that Razen realized he wanted to show Sare
| |
| and Gregory what he could do.
| |
| In this way, things will still end well. Just do what the Master wants you to do.
| |
| Razen so calculated.
| |
| Immediately after, as if to warm up a little before the talks, Gedora began to square off against Sare and
| |
| Gregory.
| |
| They battled it out on the practice field and the result was a landslide victory for Gedora.
| |
| "How is this...how is this possible...?”
| |
| "This old grandpa is amazing... I didn't expect to deal with us both at the same time, he's not tired at
| |
| all. I totally lost to him....."
| |
| Gedora was so strong that it completely shattered their pride of being the "Three Martial Immortals".
| |
| To boast of one's strength here, to make the bargain go smoothly—that was Gedora's purpose, and both
| |
| Sare and Gregory's reactions were expected. Only, the next development was unexpected.
| |
| | |
| "Still, not as good as that monster.”
| |
| "Is that all? The dog I'm fighting with should be about as strong as my grandfather.”
| |
| “Hmm?"
| |
| Clearly losing to Gedora, Sare and Gregory instantly accepted this fact. On top of that, Myuran had
| |
| seen the strength of Gedora, and the two of them were not too surprised.
| |
| Can you compare this monster to me? Not only that, but there are monsters that are stronger than
| |
| Razen...?
| |
| The unexpected reaction confused Gedora, and it wasn't like Sare they were losing by saying those
| |
| words. Thinking so, those should all be true.
| |
| Gedora was going to question this...
| |
| "Lord Gedora, that matter may also be saved for later. I'll start by answering the questions Lord Gedora
| |
| has to ask on this trip.”
| |
| At this point, Razen jumped in and said this, and what had happened so far came to an end for the time
| |
| being
| |
| ***
| |
| The venue went back to the reception room and they started talking again.
| |
| "It's true that you're the master of Razen, a majin. Not an opponent I can beat.”
| |
| At this time Youm spoke in a relaxed tone.
| |
| Grucius echoed this sentiment.
| |
| "The majin Razen is well known, but rumors of his master are few and far between. That's what
| |
| Myuran said, she said that the master was a great man and also structured a new system for magic theory,
| |
| looking at the battle just now finally understood.”
| |
| He said this excitedly.
| |
| It's no wonder, after all, Gedora's magic is powerful.
| |
| You can interfere with your opponent's magic and prevent them from unleashing magic, and you can
| |
| unleash more than two kinds of magic at the same time for unparalleled effect and power.
| |
| It's simply a clear manifestation of that, he just played a beautiful game in front of everyone.
| |
| That said, Sare and Gregory's strength is far beyond the serious Grucius. The two of them had been
| |
| toyed with by Gedora, so there was no doubt about Gedora's strength.
| |
| In perfect contrast to Youm and Grucius, the two men who lost to Gedora were depressed. But the man
| |
| was still at peace on the scene, focused on his escort duties.
| |
| "So, what is your business here?”
| |
| | |
| This question comes from Razen.
| |
| "The reason for the old man's demonstration of strength is to avoid unnecessary resistance from you.
| |
| Razen should have understood that the old man's anger was directed at Ruminism and was not interested
| |
| in other things. That's why I can't bear to see this country suffering from imperial aggression and
| |
| unnecessary casualties.”
| |
| Gedora said this terrible thing as if it were nothing.
| |
| “The Empire..."
| |
| "No way. Don't call me when I'm king, okay..."
| |
| "Really. I don't want Myuran and my daughter to be in danger.”
| |
| "That's not your daughter. That baby is my baby!”
| |
| "What a noise...! Although not related by blood, that child is my daughter. I have decided to live as a
| |
| father in the future.”
| |
| "Don't make up your own mind...!"
| |
| Youm and Grucius start to get into an ugly fight.
| |
| Razen coughed a few times, telling the two fools to shut up.
| |
| "So, I see why Lord Gedora is here. In return for saving us from the scourge of war, do you wish the
| |
| kingdom of Farmenas to fall and submit to the Empire?"
| |
| "Exactly. You do realize how powerful the Empire is, don't you? And there's still the old man there, so
| |
| if Farmenas, led by you, joins our camp, even Dwargon can be easily taken. That country is not good at
| |
| dealing with attacks on troops and food. Just stop dealing with people, and they'll be wailing in no time.”
| |
| Of course, to do that one must first dispose of the Jura Tempest Federation. Razen points out this node.
| |
| "That's not possible, Lord Gedora. Nowadays, the railroad between the Dwarven Kingdom and the Jura
| |
| Tempest Federation has been laid, allowing for high-speed transportation. Even if our country is cut off
| |
| from food supplies, they can still resupply through other countries.”
| |
| "That's why you betrayed me. There isn't much food self-sufficiency within the Jura Tempest
| |
| Federation. If your country is cut off..."
| |
| "Lord Gedora.”
| |
| Knowing it was rude, Razen interrupted Gedora's words anyway. For he found that the information in
| |
| Gedora's hands was too old to keep up with the times.
| |
| The situation in the world today is changing rapidly and is very different from the past. As things stand
| |
| now, a betrayal of the West could lead to exclusion from the economic sphere. Representing a country in
| |
| danger of perishing.
| |
| Even if one accepts the shade of the empire and is assured of the abundance it will give, it will not be
| |
| as prosperous as it is now.
| |
| | |
| It was the Kingdom of Farmenas that was so deeply influenced by the West—no, so deeply influenced
| |
| by the Jura Tempest Federation.
| |
| Razen addresses this point.
| |
| “...so it is. In fact, I already know, but I just want to hear the truth from you. But isn't the demon lord
| |
| Rimuru afraid of the armies in the sky? Of course, if the power is enough to defeat even angels, even if it
| |
| were so, the things that were built so easily would suffer great disasters. The Empire had originally
| |
| considered importing trains as well, giving up for this reason..."
| |
| Gedora said this when he heard that the other side was going to connect the metropolis by rail.
| |
| "His Majesty Rimuru has no fear of harm.”
| |
| "Yeah. The young master hates to have injuries, but doesn't care about other losses.”
| |
| "Maybe he'll be happier with a new job.”
| |
| Razen, Gruicius, and Youm feel free to say what they think.
| |
| In particular, the words of Youm are particularly important.
| |
| That said, creatures like humans feel happy to be entrusted with something because they want the skills
| |
| they've learned to come in handy. If you don't have a job, you'll lose your motivation.
| |
| Maybe someone else will run off to commit a crime, too. To avoid this, preparing for a new job is the
| |
| responsibility of the leader—the employer.
| |
| "Once the consolidation of the countries is complete, all that remains is maintenance and repair. What
| |
| to do when the time comes, Young Master Rimuru has been troubled. That one wants to do it, this one
| |
| wants to do it, but the technical side can't keep up. When I went to have a drink with him, he kept
| |
| complaining about it.”
| |
| If angels were to come and attack at a time like this, there must be many special needs in order to
| |
| rebuild after the disaster. In that case, the young master may be angry on the surface, but he may be happy
| |
| in private.
| |
| Then even Grucius started to take it out on Youm’s nostrils.
| |
| Although Sare and Gregory posed with expressions that they couldn't stand, they didn't seem to be in
| |
| denial.
| |
| "But even if he were a demon lord, the West is the domain of mankind, and the Rosso clan wouldn't
| |
| just sit back and watch, would they?”
| |
| Razen's words were consistent with the information that Gedora had gathered, but still some parts were
| |
| missing. Taking this opportunity, Gedora intended to squeeze as much information out of Razen as he
| |
| could.
| |
| Without waiting for the armies from the sky, the Rosso clan would make moves to defend their rights.
| |
| And this incident has to do with the economic dimension, and they should not take military action, which
| |
| would hinder in other ways, Gedora asked Razen about this.
| |
| | |
| Of course, his intention was actually to probe the current situation of the Rosso clan.
| |
| Razen correctly interprets his intentions to give the answer that Gedora wants.
| |
| "The Rosso clan is finished. The kingdom was not destroyed and the survivors were gathered there, but
| |
| now there was no way to influence the Council. The reason why the surrounding countries still deal with
| |
| them to this day is because His Majesty Rimuru allows them to do so. King Delan also surrendered to His
| |
| Majesty Rimuru.”
| |
| Razen shed light on the matter. By the way, tell the truth about how the national army of the Kingdom
| |
| of Farmus was defeated in battle.
| |
| This time Gedora was finally shocked by a situation she didn't know about.
| |
| “...Are you saying that Demon Lord Rimuru relied on him alone to kill all the armies of the Farmus
| |
| Kingdom? And to exterminate the Rosso clan...no, wait! If these are not just hearsay, what happened to
| |
| Sage Gran—-Granbell?
| |
| Granbell the "Hero" was recognized by Gedora as the strongest man in his heart. It was because he
| |
| thought that this man was the leader of the “Seven Celestial Sages" that he was cautious about the Great
| |
| Long March plan on the West.
| |
| Yet Razen says that the Rosso is destroyed.
| |
| "Then the rumor of the demise of the Seven Celestial Sages..."
| |
| "Master, this is also true. The Seven Celestial Sages were hostile to His Majesty Rimuru, and they set
| |
| up the Paladin, Hinata, to make her fight with us, but their schemes were uncovered and they perished.”
| |
| Hearing that, this time Gedora was truly speechless.
| |
| Razen has explicitly said that all the "Seven Celestial Sages" perished.
| |
| Even that sage master Gran was buried by Cardinal Nicholas himself. When Gedora learned this, he
| |
| couldn't help but lament the lack of accuracy of his intelligence network.
| |
| Now that Granbell is dead, it is logical that the Rosso destruction should take place. Had this
| |
| information been available earlier, the Great Long March program could also have been substantially
| |
| reassessed.
| |
| In the meantime...
| |
| Thinking of Yuuki's mouthy face, Gedora muttered hatefully. Probably trying to tell Gedora about it
| |
| might make him feel less like taking revenge, but in Gedora's opinion, it made him feel bad.
| |
| "You mean Yuuki Kagurazaka? We were also used by that man, so we understand Lord Gedora's
| |
| feelings very well.”
| |
| Being so comforted by his apprentice, unspeakable feelings surfaced in Gedora's mind, feeling a bit
| |
| chagrined and a bit ashamed.
| |
| According to the sound of Razen's words, it seemed that the demon lord Rimuru had also been
| |
| victimized by Yuuki. But the other side added that even so, they would observe the situation first for the
| |
| time being and not be completely hostile to each other.
| |
| | |
| That Yuuki guy, looks like he's hiding something again. Apart from those... He knew that Gedora’s goal
| |
| was to destroy the Ruminas Sect, and he revealed information related to the Western Holy Churches, but it
| |
| was always ambiguous. Is it inconvenient to tell the old man...?
| |
| When Gedora found out that he was being used, he began to worry about what to do next in front of
| |
| Razen's men and others.
| |
| ***
| |
| "It's big down here. After hearing these things, one must rethink how to correspond with the demon
| |
| lord Rimuru.”
| |
| The dangers of the monster Rimuru were unexpected by Gedora.
| |
| What exactly is the right thing to do in the face of such a threat?
| |
| Because his good friend was duped into being killed, Gedora continued to take revenge on the
| |
| Ruminism.
| |
| However, the Seven Celestial Sages, the ones he most wanted to get revenge against, are all dead.
| |
| In this way, he would not be so keen to destroy the West.
| |
| It was because the Empire aligned with Gedora's stakes that he stepped in to help, and less of that
| |
| motivation would have given Gedora no reason to back the Empire.
| |
| —No, the reason is still there. The culprit of all this, the god, the demon lord Ruminas, is still alive.
| |
| Thinking that his best friend died because he believed in her, he couldn't let the demon lord who was
| |
| beckoning in the name of god live. Thinking about this side, Gedora made up his mind again and decided
| |
| to continue with the battle plan.
| |
| No, it should be said that he was planning to do just that.
| |
| "Lord Gedora, you may find me nosy, but you'd better stop thinking about it.”
| |
| “Oh?"
| |
| Razen had been watching for Gedora's reaction, and at this point he threw a cold shower on Gedora's
| |
| determination.
| |
| "I am still your faithful disciple, and proud of it. But I have an even stronger loyalty to a certain lord. If
| |
| you intend to fight against his country, I must treat you as an enemy.”
| |
| "Could it be the demon lord Rimuru?”
| |
| "No. It was one of his men, Lord Diablo—he is my master now.”
| |
| The words surprised Gedora a little.
| |
| Razen was his proud disciple. The fact that not only someone was able to get such a Razen to serve
| |
| him, but that he was also willing to be a demon lord's subordinate, was unbelievable.
| |
| | |
| "I may not be in that position to interject, but since I have this opportunity, I'll just say it in passing.
| |
| That fellow Diablo—that lord is the demon who defeated me.”
| |
| Obviously no one asked him, Sare took the liberty of adding.
| |
| Is that the demon who is said to be more powerful than Razen? Although unbelievable, it's hard to
| |
| assert that it's a lie when even Razen can take it in.
| |
| Still, Gedora didn't think he was going to lose, and he took down the name Diablo first.
| |
| "Lord Gedora, this message is also revealed to you. Lord Diablo is an original demon.”
| |
| "Think also. It should be an ancient species, or maybe a rare prehistoric demon, that can take you
| |
| down.”
| |
| Plus that demon still had a name, so even if the strength surpassed the demon lord, it wasn't surprising.
| |
| "No, it's not just that. That lord is much more powerful..."
| |
| "I've heard he's the 'Demon Lord’."
| |
| "What the...!"
| |
| How could this be—Gedora couldn't help but want to scream.
| |
| Demons have so-called evolutionary limits.
| |
| It was an absolutely unbreakable rule, and the one who could break this law was the only one known to
| |
| Gedora.
| |
| That demon surpassed the high-ranking demon generals and became a demon archduke.
| |
| The most powerful and evil of all, the Lord of Darkness, Guy Crimson.
| |
| "Lord Gedora, then, my lord Diablo, there is no need to argue how long he will live. If it's you, you
| |
| should understand the meaning of that phrase, right?”
| |
| These words of Razen seemed so distant to Gedora's ears.
| |
| This is unbelievable and he’s unwilling to believe.
| |
| With that in mind, words mumbled out of Gedora's mouth.
| |
| "Is it the Primordial?”
| |
| “Yes."
| |
| So asserted Razen, the voice came cruelly into his ears.
| |
| So it is, thought Gedora, while soothing a confused heart and trying to discern the truth of these words.
| |
| If so, it is understandable that Razen would submit to the other.
| |
| | |
| In addition, once the primordials have acquired flesh, it is not surprising that a new "demon archduke"
| |
| is born. It should be said that if what Razen says is true, then the Empire's plans for the Great Long March
| |
| will have to be substantially reassessed.
| |
| Look at the White Primordial that has embittered the Empire, the tricky level speaks for itself.
| |
| —No, wait. If the Primordials acquired flesh, why didn't anything terrible happen?
| |
| Gedora began to regain his composure, but he pushed back on his thoughts that that sort of thing didn't
| |
| matter.
| |
| Hold on a second. Whether Diablo was the Primordial or not, that doesn't matter at all now. At least
| |
| one can know that he really made Razen subservient, at least as a "demon archduke”...
| |
| Immediately afterwards, he heard Youm and the rest of them casually chatting about something that
| |
| made Gedora stiffen.
| |
| "So, Mr. Diablo, he's working as Master Rimuru's butler, right? Earlier, to commemorate the start of the
| |
| train, there was a commemorative event, and I ran over to congratulate him, and at that time slightly
| |
| overheard something, and he said he didn't want to be a handyman himself, so he went and searched out
| |
| people he knew and made them his ministry.”
| |
| "Whoa, whoa, that demon you're talking about, I had an involuntary glimpse of. The young master
| |
| assigned her as a diplomatic marshal, which is why I met her at the Council. A great beauty with white
| |
| hair paired with deep red eyes and is very pretty.”
| |
| At this point Gedora leaned back in her chair with his body in disarray.
| |
| This, this isn't true, is it? Aren't those features just like the White Primordial...?
| |
| Those things suddenly began to feel so real that it sounded like a nightmare to Gedora.
| |
| He looked to Razen, only to see the other side nod with a satisfied face.
| |
| "This is all true, isn't it?”
| |
| "I will not lie to my master.”
| |
| It dawned on Gedora.
| |
| Knowing that Razen and the rest were telling the truth was really for Gedora's sake in trying to
| |
| convince him not to start a war.
| |
| "Is it really that dangerous?"
| |
| To this, the response given by those present was a silent nod.
| |
| And when Gedora looked at it...
| |
| Ah, Shinji and the others might have left for their mission!
| |
| Thinking about this side, his face completely lost its color.
| |
| ***
| |
| | |
| In the capital of the Jura Tempest Federation, "Rimuru", there was a huge crowd of people.
| |
| The metropolis was so well deserved that even people like Shinji from another world looked at it and
| |
| thought it was a highly developed city, not at all like a backwater countryside.
| |
| The Empire is a different story, but even the surrounding city has the stench of animals, and this place
| |
| has none of that uncomfortable feeling. This incident surprised them.
| |
| "I heard they left a door open and this place is all empty. I think it's a mistake.”
| |
| "I don't think so. Perhaps the other party is free to manipulate freely, or the spy is seeing visions.”
| |
| “...in that case, we can't be careless.”
| |
| Shinji the three of them you look at me and I look at you and tense your nerves again.
| |
| Someone used the elemental magic 'stronghold move' to send Shinji over to them, this person had
| |
| visited the Jura Tempest Federation before and she was Kagali.
| |
| Kagali went right back, but there was no need to worry about what to do on the way back. They would
| |
| rendezvous with Gedora and go back by his magic.
| |
| Their orders were not to push too hard until then, just investigate whenever possible. Shinji and the rest
| |
| are not fools either, and they will obediently do what they are told without ordering them to do such
| |
| things.
| |
| "Ms. Kagali is really beautiful.”
| |
| "If I say that to Shinji, I'll get dumped by my girlfriend.”
| |
| "Girlfriend? Nothing like that. If I had a girlfriend, my life would have been more colorful...”
| |
| “Huh?"
| |
| “...It's no use, Shinji is slow.”
| |
| Seeing Shinji sighing there, Mark and Zhen shrugged.
| |
| They chatted freely while being screened for entry at the entrance to the town.
| |
| Since Yuuki had the Freedom Association ID cards prepared for them, it was easier than expected for
| |
| them to enter the country with just a simple explanation.
| |
| They then went to check in at the inn and sightsee around the town in the name of gathering
| |
| information.
| |
| Three people are so surprised.
| |
| They are "otherworldly visitors" who have the power to be treated favorably in this world. But they're
| |
| not like the demon lord Rimuru, who does what he wants, and then again, he can't do it.
| |
| | |
| Yuuki put a lot of effort into improving his diet and living environment, and the empire introduced that
| |
| system, but it was overtaken by this country many times over. Shinji knew those things so well that it was
| |
| no longer a surprise to describe it, it even made him dumbfounded.
| |
| There's takoyaki and okonomiyaki, and yakisoba. There are even a variety of desserts, like cornflakes
| |
| or cakes.
| |
| The store also has a variety of extremely expensive items that make you want to ask where the
| |
| ingredients came from.
| |
| There are small stalls, cafes, and everything from small restaurants to fine dining.
| |
| The items inside give a sense of their passion for eating and drinking, recreating the flavor of another
| |
| world. The inhabitants of this world must have been confused at first, but now they seem to be getting
| |
| used to the variety of cuisine.
| |
| As for Shinji, he was so happy that he shed tears when he saw the curry rice in the cafeteria.
| |
| The toilets here are also perfect, and the hotel is very comfortable to stay in.
| |
| Coupled with bathhouses that can be used for a fee, it takes root for mass entertainment.
| |
| "Why don't I just come live in this country? Gentlemen, let's not go back to the Empire, shall we?”
| |
| “Hey!"
| |
| "No, I'm sorry...I was joking, it was all a joke. Don't be angry, Shinji.”
| |
| "I'm not angry, I'm thinking I can seriously consider—"
| |
| “...I want to live here too.”
| |
| The three of them looked at each other with a sigh coming from their mouths.
| |
| Shinji and the others had always thought that in this world, the Empire was the most civilized.
| |
| However, it's only now that you know this country that you realize you were wrong about what you
| |
| thought before.
| |
| The town is thriving and the food is great.
| |
| In addition to being a comfortable place to live, it seems to have become an entertainment and cultural
| |
| center of gravity, with new ways to play emerging one after another.
| |
| Those rides were all familiar in the original world, these guys had always survived in harsh
| |
| environments, and for them those things were all nostalgic.
| |
| There was no shortage of culture and entertainment in the Empire either, but those were for the
| |
| aristocracy to enjoy. It's not as free as this town, and if civilians want to use it, the price is too high.
| |
| By comparison, this town...
| |
| "No, no, no, that's still not good.”
| |
| | |
| "That's right. Mr. Yuuki might have an opinion, and Gedora-sensei is horrible. Besides, the war is about
| |
| to start...”
| |
| “...a deserter will be shot.”
| |
| Right.
| |
| There will be war before long.
| |
| This metropolis is a clear target, inevitably facing a war.
| |
| The three of them knew very well how much military power the Empire had, and to say how much this
| |
| country stood a chance of winning against the Empire, just thinking about it made them think they were
| |
| out of luck.
| |
| That's why Shinji forced them to abandon that lingering attachment.
| |
| Then begin to stay true to the task and set about challenging the maze.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| "I heard that the hero was lucky to have broken through the 50th level, but it's easier than I thought.”
| |
| "Haha, that's for sure. According to Yuuki-san, the strength of this man is really no big deal.”
| |
| “...but his skills are not to be underestimated.”
| |
| "That's why it takes more than six months of careful planning."
| |
| At the moment of advancing to the fortieth floor, Shinji was snorting at them.
| |
| They were still on guard against the underground maze at first, but now they felt comfortable and less
| |
| nervous.
| |
| Because they didn't want to take any chances, they had to gather information beforehand, but Shinji
| |
| and the others always felt that this maze was full of game elements.
| |
| Zhen seems to have lived a life that has nothing to do with video games, but both Shinji and Mark
| |
| enjoy playing video games. Shinji, in particular, loved role-playing games and would indulge in a series
| |
| of adventure games whenever he could while doing research in college.
| |
| Compared to his knowledge of the game, one can't help but think that this underground maze is pretty
| |
| ridiculous.
| |
| There was indeed a deliberate attempt to malign the challenger.
| |
| That said, those with the knowledge are familiar with these...
| |
| Zhen Liu Xing was best at sensing traps. Plus there was Shinji to give him advice so he could actually
| |
| see through those traps.
| |
| | |
| As long as one could find a way to deal with these traps, it was no big deal even if the magical creature
| |
| was powerful.
| |
| "In this maze, the challengers may not have enough knowledge to get up.”
| |
| "Should be. I also used to laugh at the fact that this maze is a competitive play area, and it really is that.
| |
| Stuff like that, as long as you know how the author is going to screw people, it's accidentally pretty
| |
| broken.”
| |
| “...and you can’t die.”
| |
| While gathering information, they heard about the "Resurrection Ring".
| |
| There's also a free one handed out to them at the counter. As long as you wear this, even if you die in
| |
| the labyrinth, you seem to be able to come back to life at the entrance.
| |
| Hearing that, Shinji and the others were in a subtle mood.
| |
| How should I put it, in this serious world, it's only here that it seems like another world full of jokes
| |
| that make them feel unspeakable.
| |
| The problem at the moment is that it's not clear how deep the maze is.
| |
| Even if one wanted to attack in one breath, the food that could be brought to the table was limited.
| |
| Shinji and the others were still wondering how much to prepare when they heard unexpected
| |
| instructions on the counter side.
| |
| "Well, there's no need to worry about such things. As soon as the stairs are found, there will be an
| |
| entrance and exit to the hotel. Although you have to pay, you can stay there overnight, so don't worry too
| |
| much about the food. Lord Rimuru once said, ‘A snack can only be 300 round at most.’ Not sure what that
| |
| means, but it should be important. By the way, there will also be a merchant waiting inside the hotel, so
| |
| we can buy things that are in the way.”
| |
| That's very thoughtful.
| |
| Shinji was tempted to yell, “How about information about acquisitions which are more important than
| |
| snacks!” But he didn't want to be accused of being disrespectful for shouting out strange sentences, so he
| |
| chose to hold back on the spot.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| Time comes to now.
| |
| It had been a week since they have started raiding the Maze.
| |
| The three of them rested at the inn in the maze, looking out over the loot on one side.
| |
| "Well, I've been making a lot of money these last few days. Although the hotels here are said to have
| |
| only minimal facilities, they are very comfortable to stay in. The cost of accommodation is cheap in
| |
| comparison, and you can make a lot of money selling unnecessary equipment, right?”
| |
| | |
| The moody Mark asks the question.
| |
| Seemingly somewhat interested, Zhen also raised his face.
| |
| Like in response to these two, Shinji took the gold coins out of the bag.
| |
| The golden glow had the three staring intently.
| |
| They get all kinds of props from magical creatures or treasure chests, and these aren't just money for
| |
| selling props.
| |
| There were also bonuses—dozens of gold coins, and even star gold coins. Such remuneration is simply
| |
| unprecedented.
| |
| "Sort of. We made a lot of money. Then I heard something about how not even the group that attacked
| |
| to the front of the line broke through the fiftieth floor. It's said that only Masayuki's group broke through,
| |
| and we are the second group.”
| |
| Even Masayuki’s group was currently stuck at the sixty level. It was conceivable that people should be
| |
| blocked from going by the floor guardians on the fortieth floor.
| |
| Thanks to this, Shinji has made them the MVP of the month.
| |
| "Oh yes, it's the Tempest snake, isn't it? Very strong indeed, but not our opponent."
| |
| The Tempest Snake is A- rank, and even the more powerful adventurers who encounter this magical
| |
| creature will be in a bitter battle.
| |
| It would make ranged attacks, spitting out dangerous spray that was particularly vicious in a cramped
| |
| room. Because there was nowhere to run but to face, but the snake's flesh was so tough that it would be
| |
| finished as soon as it was wound up in a circle.
| |
| It should be a magic creature that cannot be taken lightly, but for Shinji and others, it was actually not
| |
| that hard to defeat this opponent.
| |
| What is interesting is not how strong the magical creature is, but the treasures that can be obtained after
| |
| the defeat.
| |
| "This weapon has holes in it, I don't know what they are. Things like this can sell for amazingly high
| |
| prices...”
| |
| It's because the price is so high that they're afraid to take it and sell it.
| |
| With regard to this kind of weapon with holes in it, coming near the fortieth floor will slowly begin to
| |
| appear. They hadn't seen that sort of thing in the Empire, so the Shinji crew wasn't sure of its value.
| |
| "What the hell is this hole? Even if I can't find out the results with my identification magic, it might be
| |
| better to stay until Master comes.”
| |
| "No such weapon has ever appeared before on the fortieth floor."
| |
| “...hmm. Only the demon lord's room will appear, otherwise the powerful magical creatures near the
| |
| fifty floors will fall.”
| |
| | |
| "Well, that's right. But in fact it seems to be circulating in the town, though rarely. I've heard that
| |
| treasure chests below the 30th floor will open such things with a very low chance.”
| |
| "Well, the quality is really good. But even if you use this as an excuse, it shouldn't be so expensive,
| |
| right?”
| |
| “...is there a secret?”
| |
| "Should be. Even if you ask the merchants, they just smile and don't tell us.”
| |
| "Hey hey hey, that's too suspicious. We might as well keep it until Grandpa comes over. Forget about
| |
| that for now, look at this, look at this!”
| |
| With a side of his mouth, Mark took out the minotaur's battleaxe and showed it off to everyone.
| |
| It radiates a beautiful silvery white glow.
| |
| That kind of thing is made of magic steel, and it's the supreme dream escape.
| |
| Also a special-grade weapon, the floor guardian of the fiftieth floor was guarding a treasure chest,
| |
| which was opened from the treasure chest.
| |
| "It's a special-grade weapon. Even within the Empire, it's hard to get something like this!”
| |
| Mark looked so smitten that he rubbed his cheek against the tomahawk.
| |
| Seriously though, that weapon is pretty awesome.
| |
| If one joins the Imperial Emperor's Knights of the Near Guard within the Empire, one is given
| |
| legendary level equipment. But for the generals and soldiers underneath, the equipment given to them was
| |
| high quality and sturdy, but there was not even magic from above.
| |
| As for special-grade equipment, that kind of stuff was hard to get even a superior general to get his
| |
| hands on. No wonder Mark was so excited.
| |
| "That's right. To hear Yuuki-san say, it seems that all of the Empire's equipment is mass-produced. We
| |
| don't get to see it very often, but I've heard that even the legendary gear is the same style.”
| |
| “...Is this possible?”
| |
| Zhen wants to ask Shinji if it's possible to mass produce legendary equipment.
| |
| Theoretically—it’s not possible to do that.
| |
| "Shinji, that's what you're saying, isn't it? Just because it's all the same shape doesn't mean it's a product
| |
| of quantity?”
| |
| Mark seemed to have a problem with that too, laughing at Shinji's remark. If such a thing could ever
| |
| come true, then the value of the special-grade equipment he got would also slip.
| |
| "Of course, not in the usual way. Even Master Gedora said that it would be difficult to mass produce
| |
| 'Magic Steel'. However, it still seems possible to do so if one can maintain a special environment.”
| |
| “...special environment?
| |
| | |
| "Right. It is said that if you place your equipment in a place with a high concentration of this type of
| |
| mana for a long time—often hundreds to thousands of years—you will be able to meet the conditions for
| |
| equipment evolution. After that, as long as the equipment recognizes good owners, they will begin to
| |
| evolve individually.
| |
| "I don't think there's any such thing.”
| |
| “...hmm. I don't think so either."
| |
| "Right? But both Yuuki-san and Gedora-sensei said something like that.”
| |
| "Well, let's say it's possible, then, so what?”
| |
| "It's nothing. It means that this minotaur's battleaxe is probably mass-produced too.”
| |
| "How can that be?”
| |
| "You don't think that's possible either, do you? But this tomahawk also has holes in it. We've never seen
| |
| a naturally occurring one look like this, have we?”
| |
| "Haven't seen it. What the hell is that?”
| |
| “...but this weapon is beautiful. Although the shape is weird.”
| |
| Shinji wasn't trying to be whiny.
| |
| Nor was he envious of Mark to see him so happy. After all, a large weapon like the tomahawk was
| |
| difficult for him and Zhen to master.
| |
| Shinji just...
| |
| "I just think the ease with which this country can provide that kind of weaponry means that they're
| |
| more powerful than we thought...”
| |
| His words sent Mark and Shinji into silence.
| |
| In fact, the two of them were in the same mood.
| |
| Mark had been worried about whether the counter staff would take the Minotaur's battleaxe after
| |
| getting it.
| |
| The props obtained in the maze are all the challenger's property—the other side has already mentioned
| |
| this rule to them. However, he still had the idea that such powerful weapons would normally be collected
| |
| in the treasury.
| |
| From the standpoint of a few of them, if things turn out that way, so be it, we can only go against the
| |
| grain.
| |
| That said, several of them are spies, provided they don't make a big deal out of it.
| |
| However, the results were unexpected.
| |
| | |
| People clapped their hands and congratulated them, and the staff present offered their blessings. Not
| |
| only that, but even a bonus.
| |
| So the three couldn't help but feel that it was proof that the Jura Tempest Federation was beyond the
| |
| pale.
| |
| "Same thing with weapons, this country is weird.”
| |
| "What a surprise. If you're serious about how to approach this place, you'll not only have money to
| |
| take, but you'll also feel like you're having fun. It should be said that there seems to be no loss to us. It
| |
| should be hard for the weaker ones to earn a living here, but if they're as good as we are...”
| |
| "No way, Mark. Think, what would happen if you run away?:
| |
| “...the death penalty.”
| |
| "Yeah, that'll happen. But no matter how you think about it, the way of life here seems to be happier.”
| |
| Shinji and Zhen share Mark's views.
| |
| Yet the reality is harsh.
| |
| Mark's words were charming, but they can't keep dreaming here.
| |
| "If there's a war, this country will suffer, too.”
| |
| “—should be. If this country wins, I will happily betray the Empire and join them. But no country is
| |
| willing to accept such a person if they run away and betray their country.”
| |
| “...losing our place will be very disturbing, there's no way around it.”
| |
| The three of them let out a sigh and decided to throw away their naive thoughts.
| |
| Shinji and the others changed their moods and began to think about their plans for tomorrow.
| |
| "From tomorrow, we will enter the fiftieth floor, and I have heard that next this place is called the
| |
| Paradise of the Dead. Mark's Minotaur Battleaxe is made of Holy Attribute magic steel, and its effect on
| |
| the Immortal or Necromantic lineage is worth waiting for.”
| |
| "This is it. It's also incredible at this point, it really seems like a game. The key to the next level is
| |
| guarded by the demon lord.”
| |
| “...and it's getting stronger."
| |
| Seeing the two of them appear this reaction, Shinji actually noticed it too.
| |
| Shinji's best game is role-playing, and without anyone else saying it, he'd thought of that a long time
| |
| ago. It just felt too weird, so he deliberately didn't think about it.
| |
| He found many things.
| |
| Like the floor guardians located on ten multiples of floors are suddenly stronger.
| |
| | |
| It starts with a large spider (Dark Spider) with difficulty equal to B, and then a large centipede (Evil
| |
| Centipede) with difficulty equal to B+.
| |
| After that, on the thirtieth floor, a B+ ranked Big Ghost Maniac King (Ogre King) showed up with
| |
| several of his men. Since these magical creatures work together, it is difficult to deal with them simply by
| |
| strong brute force.
| |
| On the fortieth floor there is the A- tempest snake mentioned earlier, and on the fiftieth floor there is
| |
| the human-speaking monster from a tribe of bull-demons, named Gozu.
| |
| At this level is a monster that doesn’t even appear once in a hundred years.
| |
| It's equivalent to a disaster level—according to Yuuki's rank, it’s a rank A magical creature.
| |
| The equivalent of a monster underneath a demon lord is a very dangerous opponent.
| |
| However, if the three of them went on together, it would take a little effort, but they could still beat
| |
| him. If that's what it means, even if one person goes out to fight alone, they should be able to win.
| |
| But one thing must not be forgotten. It doesn't die in the maze, so it can be hard-tried during combat.
| |
| "That's true. Since the fiftieth level is that kind of ranked magical creature guarding it, it might get
| |
| stronger in the next breath.”
| |
| “...it may be a fight to the death then.”
| |
| Mark agreed with Shinji, and Zhen nodded with an expression full of awareness.
| |
| Progress was good on this side, but a harsh battle would follow—so thought all three.
| |
| "Just like before, the next tactic is still dominated by the mark. We also get weapons with special
| |
| effects, let's see how far we can fight.”
| |
| “...and right.”
| |
| "I don't think there's a lot of powerful magical creatures around. I think the next sixty levels should be
| |
| the bottom, and if that's not the case, it's pretty scary.
| |
| "No, no, no, I don't think so.”
| |
| Although Shinji came out and denied it, he actually heard annoying rumors.
| |
| He wasn't going to tell Mark about it to them. Because he knew that if he said it, the morale of the two
| |
| would definitely drop.
| |
| After all, that rumor was that the underground maze had gone down to a hundred levels below ground.
| |
| That's ridiculous.
| |
| This is the conclusion of Shinji.
| |
| The floor monsters to face next made him uneasy, but it was useless to care about those.
| |
| | |
| They won't die anyway, and Shinji and his crew think they'll be able to win in the end, only they may
| |
| have to fight for a long time next.
| |
| "It can't be as bad as it looks, so let's just try and see, and remember to be vigilant.”
| |
| Hearing Shinji say that, Mark and Zhen nodded.
| |
| The destination is at the bottom.
| |
| Supposedly there was a research facility there and they were going to make sure it wasn't true.
| |
| Later, Shinji reconfirmed their policy, and that was the day they went to sleep.
| |
| Three days passed after that.
| |
| Breaking through the poisonous swamp and erosion zone, Shinji and the others finally found the stairs
| |
| located on the 59th floor.
| |
| Walk down this staircase and you'll reach the 60th floor below. Finally, I was able to get to the front of
| |
| the room of the floor guardian.
| |
| It only took them seven days to hit the fiftieth floor directly, and it took them three whole days to go
| |
| from fifty to sixty. Although the area is smaller, the difficulty is much higher.
| |
| "Are you ready for this?"
| |
| "All right.”
| |
| “...hmm.”
| |
| Yesterday they were fully rested and fully prepared.
| |
| It's a lot of energy.
| |
| "It seems that like the fiftieth floor, there are so-called floor guardians ahead. It must be a monster with
| |
| intelligence.”
| |
| "I know. Should be tougher to deal with than yesterday's Necromancer Long.
| |
| “...let's give it our all from the start."
| |
| Faced with the next hurdle, it's okay to just deal with it calmly. Thinking so, the three nodded silently at
| |
| each other.
| |
| Immediately following...
| |
| They reached cautiously toward the door and pushed it open with one breath.
| |
| ***
| |
| Time goes back a little...
| |
| Staying in my room, I considered constructing a surveillance network.
| |
| | |
| Currently, Souei and the spies released by Moss are on standby at the Jura Forest focus area. Not only
| |
| that, but we also have personnel deployed along the coast from the Kingdom of Farmenas to the northern
| |
| part of Ingracia and even on the mountain tops.
| |
| That being said, the intelligence gathering still gives me a hint of unease.
| |
| My biggest fear is the time delay.
| |
| The intelligence officers released were in groups of two, taking into account the fact that both could
| |
| have been killed at the same time. In that case, the information coming out of that location would be
| |
| interrupted.
| |
| As heartbreaking as it is for people to be injured, information that comes too slowly could be
| |
| implicated in an existential crisis for the country. In order to avoid such a thing, I want Souei to speak to
| |
| those people with heavy words.
| |
| Once a surveillance officer is found, he or she may engage in a fight with the other party even if not
| |
| killed. This delayed the speed of information transfer, so I've been fumbling around, looking for ways to
| |
| operate more safely and smoothly.
| |
| So I wondered if I could use magic to spy.
| |
| There are some spells that can see far and exist in the spell system, but they are more difficult to use
| |
| than one might think. At best, the amount of information that can be transmitted is not that much more
| |
| than confirmation of the other party's posture.
| |
| And only a single location can be monitored, and if you want to see a different place, you have to
| |
| rewire the magic.
| |
| It takes some time on the switch, and it doesn't make sense if the opponent has already passed through
| |
| that location, so this magic doesn't have enough flexibility.
| |
| In addition, if your opponent releases a magic barrier, the magic will be bounced off and disappear. It
| |
| simply can't be used to spy on the more powerful, and the conclusion is that it won't come in handy in the
| |
| real world.
| |
| But then an idea came to me.
| |
| That is "physical magic" —the "Megiddo".
| |
| The so-called “Megiddo" magic causes water droplets to gather into the shape of a lens, which is used
| |
| to gather sunlight. As long as we follow this theory, I think we should be able to create surveillance magic
| |
| as well.
| |
| For example, let those beads of water float around and reflect the scene. If I can copy out those scenery,
| |
| I think I can confirm what's going on in the distance as well.
| |
| If that doesn't work, then I'll let a lens that floats about 10,000 meters into the air shine those images,
| |
| and then I'll let the images expand so that they project onto the screen.
| |
| It's an integrated system with telescopes, photos and intelligence rewrites. Combining these together, it
| |
| is possible to create satellites for surveillance by magic—it should be easier to understand in this
| |
| direction.
| |
| | |
| It seems like a lot of trouble to construct these principles one by one with magic, but the King of
| |
| Wisdom gave the answer, saying that it can be achieved with "physical magic", "spirit magic", and "space
| |
| domination".
| |
| Next, just send the detailed requirements to the King of Wisdom.
| |
| Just doing that alone will create the magic I want.
| |
| When this surveillance system is completed, gathering intelligence will become easier.
| |
| It became safe, and it did. The amount of information we can get our hands on will also become so
| |
| large that we can easily keep track of the enemy's movements, no matter how they act.
| |
| One might think that there's something to be done with that when you're so busy, but it's a very
| |
| important thing.
| |
| He who controls information controls the world—even to such an extent that it is important, and so on,
| |
| to control war.
| |
| When the Russo-Japanese War was fought in the past, it was in the Sea of Japan, where the Japanese
| |
| Navy, under the command of Heihachiro Togo, Commander-in-Chief of the Joint Fleet, wiped out the
| |
| Russian Baltic Fleet.
| |
| It is said that the most important subject in this naval battle is whether or not to encounter the enemy
| |
| fleet.
| |
| Predict where you will be able to catch your opponent and where you will be able to meet them. Had
| |
| the guesses been wrong, there would have been no such battle in history. In terms of results, Japan would
| |
| have lost the war too, right?
| |
| In other words, that's exactly where we are.
| |
| If the fighters were spread out, our troops would be at a disadvantage in numbers and likely to lose the
| |
| battle. The ability to see through the Empire's movements and concentrate the fighters in the most suitable
| |
| locations is what will make the difference to victory.
| |
| Conversely, if the Empire has left their armies scattered, we can draw up a more detailed battle plan to
| |
| break them up individually. In order to make the playing field favorable like this, and most importantly
| |
| for us to actually win, this magic must be done.
| |
| Although I'm being cool by saying this, in fact, the completion of the magic has come to the trial stage.
| |
| | |
| The reason why the King of Wisdom has been asking for it is because I want it to be more user-
| |
| friendly, and it is my fine point in this regard.
| |
| | |
| Huh? I didn’t do it myself?
| |
| Don't say stupid things like that.
| |
| The King of Wisdom is my skill, which is to say it equates to me having to work on it myself.
| |
| Thinking about it makes me think that I might be overworked lately. To combat the fatigue, I wanted to
| |
| catch my breath a little.
| |
| | |
| After a long absence, I began to enjoy the black tea that Shion had made for me.
| |
| During this period of relaxation, I intend to use the surveillance magic that has been done...
| |
| "Lord Rimuru, I have an urgent report for you!”
| |
| It was at this time that Beretta contacted me urgently through the "Communication Network".
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| His report was astonishing.
| |
| A second group of Raiders who had broken through to the fiftieth level in the underground maze had
| |
| appeared.
| |
| To add, by the way, without further ado, the first people were Masayuki and his crew. There is currently
| |
| an imminent war with other countries, so they are temporarily on hiatus, and their record break is 59th
| |
| floor.
| |
| Thanks to a few of them, the maze was in full swing.
| |
| Every day, many challengers come and use it to bring us wealth.
| |
| And of course it's good for the challengers.
| |
| Over the course of the year, they have also become quite skilled. The teams that started attacking the
| |
| 30th floor one after another, created strategies to take advantage of the immortality phenomenon by using
| |
| combat methods such as coming back from the dead or making their teammates be honorably sacrificed
| |
| as living sacrifices.
| |
| However, after breaking through the thirtieth level, those who encountered those traps for the first time
| |
| would not only die, but the monsters would also begin to fight in collective action. If you use some evil
| |
| and devilish ways, it will be very difficult to correspond.
| |
| Still, there's no shortage of strong people among these challengers.
| |
| Those who attack with proper play tend to be slower on their feet, but they are more skilled and more
| |
| full of equipment. At the same time, the strength will increase. It's scary to get used to such things, and
| |
| even when encountering vicious traps, some people will start to dodge them by instinct.
| |
| That's roughly the case, the nearest frontline Raider Team is closing in on the 40th Floor Guardians—
| |
| yet for now they're all stuck here.
| |
| Because the floor guardian on the fortieth floor was the A- rank Tempest Snake.
| |
| It was also one of the first black snakes I started encountering and was good at launching very effective
| |
| spray attacks against whole groups of people. A lot of people were sprayed by this guy until their
| |
| equipment broke and ended up coming to our stores with tears in their eyes.
| |
| This time of year we'll be sweet enough to lend out equipment produced by the Jura Tempest
| |
| Federation.
| |
| | |
| It's another good deal to break it and claim it against them anyway.
| |
| Oops—thank you, Mr. Snake!
| |
| Take away their previously earned savings from the challengers for us completely. I was going to say
| |
| that this guardian is just that reliable, just that great, and can bring us wealth... It's a shame to be beaten
| |
| down.
| |
| And I heard that even the floor guardians of the fiftieth floor were taken out.
| |
| It was fortunate that they had played some small tricks when they broke the barrier, which meant that
| |
| the people who came this time were very strong. They took even the prize money, but it was just enough
| |
| to offset it as a promotional expense.
| |
| The maze was abuzz with talk of a new hero being born, and the event seemed to be even bigger than
| |
| before.
| |
| Regarding this fiftieth floor, I asked the wise monster to take care of the defense.
| |
| Ordered the Gozu of the Bull Beast Clan and the Mezu of the Horse Beast Clan to take turns guarding.
| |
| Those two weren't weak, and being breached surprised me well.
| |
| After all, the two of them would compete against each other whenever they had the time, and would
| |
| start playing around with ideas to make the fight more complicated. They are no longer fools who only
| |
| rely on brute force and can tell when they have a mind in the way they fight.
| |
| Now those two are less prone to strife, like good friends.
| |
| As for the fifty floors that have these two people taking turns guarding, it occurred to me that when
| |
| people break through this floor, I have pretty awesome prizes ready.
| |
| Only the first time will the equipment be opened from the treasure chest with a 100 percent chance.
| |
| That's the special-grade equipment—the Bull Head and Horse Face Series.
| |
| The name is taken from Minotaur, guardian of the labyrinth. The gear is strong, strong as a mess.
| |
| If a weapon is fired, it's a minotaur's battle axe or a horse-headed minotaur's battle gun.
| |
| There are no shields, all that's left are defenses for all parts of the body.
| |
| Originally I thought it should be a while before anyone hits this level, so I only seem to have about ten
| |
| sets ready. But in terms of quality it's all first class. The high disciples from Kurobee gathered their skills
| |
| to create these fantastic creations.
| |
| It's a problem to be getting that kind of stuff, however what's more important is the fighting ability of
| |
| these Raiders.
| |
| That said, because of naming Gozu and Mezu, they got stronger. Being able to take these two down, the
| |
| country is keen to cut their corners.
| |
| If they are not willing to let us cut corners, they may become our enemies. That would be troublesome,
| |
| so we anticipate watching these dangerous people.
| |
| | |
| For the above reasons, if the Gozu had been knocked down, someone would have contacted me
| |
| urgently.
| |
| That's why Beretta came to contact me just now.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| "So, how's it going?”
| |
| "In your words. There are three breakers in total. Everyone has a unique skill.”
| |
| Maybe it was someone I knew—I had speculated that, but it was overturned at once.
| |
| Not only did it take three men to defeat Gozu, but they had unique skills. Not only that, they weren't the
| |
| ones who had been active before, they were newcomers who had just recently joined.
| |
| If it was a normal visit that’d be fine, but war was imminent, so it was likely that spies had been lured
| |
| here by a decoy.
| |
| It is necessary to gather detailed information about them.
| |
| Because of this, I suspended the scheduled practice plan for monitoring the magic and headed for the
| |
| command room located in the maze.
| |
| ***
| |
| Going inside, I found that Ramiris and Veldora were already there.
| |
| Dino and Vesta seem to have the day off.
| |
| Dino is fine, Vesta seems to be working a lot lately, I hope he gets some rest.
| |
| Ramiris and Veldora were in good spirits.
| |
| These two probably don't know what fatigue is.
| |
| It's called childish energy.
| |
| Just do what you're interested in and you won't feel exhausted at all during this time.
| |
| "Oh, there you are, Commander! No change in the situation has occurred yet!”
| |
| I don't understand where the change didn't occur.
| |
| Probably just say something decent.
| |
| I looked to the image reflected on the big picture.
| |
| Three young people are indeed reflected there.
| |
| | |
| It looked like they were breaking through those floors with a swagger of momentum. Not only that, but
| |
| they fight in an extremely specific way.
| |
| One person with a decidedly abnormal throwing power is catching the "air" throw.
| |
| Something like an air-compressed bullet or something, right? It was absolutely impossible to do it with
| |
| human power.
| |
| It was a stout and tall man with coffee-colored hair. His five features were deep and he wore a tank top
| |
| with jeans.
| |
| That's right, tank tops with jeans. Just looking at that makes him seem like an "otherworldly visitor".
| |
| Looking at the other two...
| |
| One of the men covered his thin frame with a black cloak, the other wore lock armor, and the youth had
| |
| a white coat over his body.
| |
| White. That's right, a white lab coat.
| |
| Often seen in research rooms or hospitals, it is the white coat that is everywhere. But it's not that
| |
| common in this world.
| |
| The white clad youth's five features looked like an asian man.
| |
| He looks Japanese no matter how I look at him.
| |
| That black cloak didn't matter, the man in the vest and the white youth should both be 'otherworldly
| |
| visitors'.
| |
| Those aside first.
| |
| In the big picture, the battle goes on.
| |
| This time the opponent was a powerful character—six other Necromancers joined the battle and
| |
| attacked the three of them.
| |
| So fast that the average person couldn't react, the Necromancer wolves approached their prey with a
| |
| flourish.
| |
| The Necromancer probably thought that pulling too far away would only result in a one-sided attack.
| |
| Here, after the 50th floor of the underground, even the miscellaneous demons that appear have high IQs.
| |
| By the way, just one Necromancer has a B+ ranking, and gathering six will be very tricky. And they are
| |
| also necromantic, characterized by the fact that physical damage must be inflicted through holy attribute
| |
| weapons or magic weapons.
| |
| Their flesh is constructed of magical elements and will immediately regenerate even if they are beaten
| |
| to a pulp. It's a very difficult thing to defeat without a countermeasure.
| |
| One accident and they will bite you to death in one breath...
| |
| "Don't underestimate me. I'm just a dog! Watch this...!"
| |
| | |
| Someone let out a shout, it was the brunette who had been catching air and throwing it earlier. This
| |
| time picking up the dreaded battleaxe on his back and jerking it back vigorously there.
| |
| This wave alone made the three Necromancer Wolves turn into balls of light and disappear.
| |
| Ahhh, that thing! I was going to say that the dangerous-looking tomahawk looked familiar, and it
| |
| turned out to be a minotaur's tomahawk.
| |
| Since it was a special-grade weapon, of course it would carry magic. That is, it was a magical weapon
| |
| that could inflict damage to the Necromancers with ease. The magic power possessed by that weapon
| |
| alone could do damage to magical creatures.
| |
| And the Minotaur's battle axe is, as a matter of course, also very good in terms of materials. The
| |
| impression was that it was something that had been specially ordered, made from magic silver mixed into
| |
| the magic steel. This is a holy attribute, and this weapon is specifically used to inflict large damage to the
| |
| Immortal or Necromantic lineage.
| |
| "That's right, if it's a minotaur's tomahawk, it only takes one slash to kill a necromancer wolf.
| |
| "Mmm. That weapon seems to have been dropped by Gozu. Just picking up the weapon and being able
| |
| to use it so purely, it looks like that person has a talent for fighting.
| |
| I mumbled something there, and Veldora agreed with me.
| |
| As I watched them fight, I listened to what had happened.
| |
| At this very moment in the day, I wish I had potato chips to go with it.
| |
| It looked like most of those fights before were also the same one where the coffee-haired man took the
| |
| enemy down.
| |
| After actually seeing it with my own eyes, I finally understood.
| |
| The coffee-haired guy was really strong.
| |
| So, what about the various traps?
| |
| On that point, it was all the black cloak that quickly found out and told his companion the location.
| |
| Beginning at the fifty-first level, some ingenious traps, or sinister traps that will kill those who
| |
| encounter them for the first time, are officially employed.
| |
| A look will reveal that the black cloak has all the traps correctly pointed out.
| |
| That should be his unique skill. It can be said that such a member is indispensable in order to approach
| |
| the maze.
| |
| The last man in white has only made one appearance so far. I heard it was against Gozu.
| |
| Veldora's commentary on them was baffling, so I asked the King of Wisdom to pull up the records of
| |
| the Labyrinth's past. Next thing you know, it turns out he's actually done some pretty incredible things.
| |
| He took a syringe out of his arms and administered the blow to both partners.
| |
| | |
| Immediately afterwards, Gozu's movements suddenly became sluggish.
| |
| What kind of status change is conferred?
| |
| <<Answer. It is poison. Based on the results of the analysis, we know that the attack on the individual
| |
| named "Gozu" came from a neurotoxin. That room was filled with toxic gas that seemed to be able to
| |
| hinder movement if someone was not resistant enough. No impact at this time.>>
| |
| Ah, so it's poison gas.
| |
| And it's free to match the opponent's modulation on the spot.
| |
| Gozu's movements turned sluggish, just in time to become the mark of the brunette man.
| |
| However, it was the man in white who sent him to the Western Heaven. He took a knife that glowed
| |
| silver out of his arms and properly sliced through the veins in Gozu's neck.
| |
| This man in white was the leader of the three of them.
| |
| It's not that he barely gets a chance to play, it's that he's responsible for calling the shots.
| |
| And it's not bad. The coffee-haired man, who appears to be the front man, can also move freely.
| |
| They have a good balance and can be described as a good team.
| |
| Just at this time, a knock on the door of the room rang out.
| |
| The door opened silently, and Shuna entered the house.
| |
| She brought a piece of paper with the three people who had been the subject of conversation just now,
| |
| with the information the three of them had used to log in.
| |
| "This is the information that the three men logged in when they entered the country.”
| |
| Next, Shuna gave a bow and handed me the piece of paper.
| |
| Sincerely: twenty-three years old, wizard.
| |
| Mark: Twenty-six years old, fighter.
| |
| Zhen: Seventeen years old, a hunter.
| |
| A brief note on paper with their names and occupations.
| |
| From a small country next to the Empire.
| |
| When the merchants heard the rumor of the underground labyrinth, they came to try their hand at it—
| |
| the purpose of entering our country is stated above.
| |
| No, no, no, it's a lie any way you look at it.
| |
| Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, also presents the results of the analysis of those three men. Just
| |
| like Beretta had said, it looked like those three people each had unique skills.
| |
| | |
| These three would form a team and still come at the same time and teach people how to believe.
| |
| A couple of points about the careers they propose also concern me a bit.
| |
| In order to be a mage, you must be able to do more than two systems of magic, which is a more
| |
| advanced profession. As for that ‘Sincerely’, he seems to have learned "Spirit Magic" and "Elemental
| |
| Magic", and can be said to have great qualities.
| |
| The same goes for the fighter, who must excel in both his use of weapons and his fighting skills. Under
| |
| these conditions, at least one of each is required for basic fighting techniques and the weapons that will be
| |
| used.
| |
| If with a sword it is swordsmanship, with a bow and arrow it is shooting, among which there is
| |
| throwing such things as throwing a short sword or throwing stones. To choose from a wide variety of
| |
| weapons that suit you. It also requires flexibility, which is the ultimate in weapon use skills.
| |
| That Mark seemed to be good at throwing abilities and using a spear in addition to fighting abilities,
| |
| which felt very versatile.
| |
| As for the last hunter, that can be called the top of the magic hunter.
| |
| In the shooting technique, special emphasis is placed on the bow and archery and learning to the
| |
| extreme, as well as using the "invisibility method", which is the most difficult in the technique. And one
| |
| must also learn the skill of "crisis awareness"; one cannot become a hunter by talent alone.
| |
| It is the most revered profession for those who are attached to the repression department.
| |
| In a world where it's essential to be able to spot traps or magical creatures when exploring, there are
| |
| very few people with that kind of skill. The situation is such that the only people who can become hunters
| |
| seem to be members of the hunting nation, a difficult profession.
| |
| All three have very rare careers, and they come in teams. Either way, it feels like they’re saying "please
| |
| doubt me".
| |
| "These three really look like the spies who took the bait.”
| |
| "Yes. But would a spy reveal his identity as generously as this?”
| |
| After my muttered words, someone picked up, a Diablo with a thin sense of presence.
| |
| When I was doing the magic development, he was the subject of my consultation and was looking
| |
| forward to the experiment of the new surveillance magic, but the experiment was interrupted because of
| |
| this summoning, and he seemed very unhappy. His eyes seemed to be filled with hatred for the three
| |
| people in the picture, but it turned out that judgment was still normal?
| |
| "Ah, I wonder about that too. I used to think they might have to make a move, but the town is pretty
| |
| stable.”
| |
| This team is indeed suspicious, but the information documented above is really too candid.
| |
| Did they really write those things honestly—to give rise to such doubts, even as to the ingenious battle
| |
| plan to make us suspect a dark spirit?
| |
| "Rimuru, you're overthinking it, aren't you? Don't you always say honesty is most important too?”
| |
| | |
| "Say what? More than that, how to entertain the challengers is the most important thing right now!"
| |
| No way, I envy you both, neither of you have to use your brains.
| |
| They shouldn't be bothered, I'm starting to envy Veldora and Ramiris.
| |
| Never mind.
| |
| Whatever the truth is, it's definitely important to pay more attention to these people.
| |
| The dark-haired young man in white was named Sincerely.
| |
| I think Sincerely is a pseudonym. Either way I look at it, I think his name should be Shinji (***I think
| |
| that Shinji has a meaning or a sound similar to ‘sincere’ in japanese which is why the pseudonym refers
| |
| to what Rimuru thinks is his real name).
| |
| The brown-haired guy is Mark.
| |
| He didn't just throw air bombs, but also things like the corpse of a magical creature, a dropped rock, or
| |
| anything that could be caught, as if he could throw anything.
| |
| He also grabbed a live magical creature and threw it out to smash two skeleton warriors into pieces at
| |
| the same time, causing me to almost spit out my tea as I watched.
| |
| He looks like he should really be a fighter. Deftly manipulating the minotaur's battle axe, he knocked
| |
| those dead spirits down one after another.
| |
| The man in the black cloak was Zhen.
| |
| This guy definitely has an eye for seeing through traps.
| |
| At first, I thought it was "crisis awareness", but seeing that he could avoid all dangerous places
| |
| beforehand, I thought it was probably due to his unique skills.
| |
| Originally the vicious trap after the fifty layers was more threatening than the powerful demon.
| |
| The Immortal System's magical creatures don't need to breathe, and to avoid unnatural situations, we
| |
| adjust the composition of the air. The room without oxygen was so violent that even if you accidentally
| |
| stepped in it, you would die immediately.
| |
| Others prepare poisoned water, acid swamps, corrosive gas rooms, etc.
| |
| Not only the flesh, but even the equipment is damaged, and very annoying various traps await the
| |
| challenger.
| |
| Those insidious traps are exactly the character of the producer, and the design concept of the Fiftieth
| |
| Levels is to use these dangerous traps to hinder everyone.
| |
| Yet the trap was so thoroughly seen that it's pointless.
| |
| On top of that, their sense of direction seems to stand out, not being fooled by the spinning floor,
| |
| simply taking the shortest distance forward.
| |
| | |
| The labyrinth obviously makes no sense at all.
| |
| If they suffered some injuries, the white-clothed youth, Sincerely, would heal them. If he can also break
| |
| down toxins, can't seem to expect those traps to have much effect.
| |
| Although there are only three of them, they are particularly well suited to Raid the Maze.
| |
| Just like that, three days passed.
| |
| The three of us, me, Veldora, and Ramiris, had fun watching Sincerely and the others raid the
| |
| Labyrinth.
| |
| No, they're not meant to be used as a reference model to replace their own maze!
| |
| That's the one—just admiring the beauty of a master fighter.
| |
| Diablo was reading a book in one corner of the room, and Shuna was teaching Shion how to make
| |
| snacks.
| |
| On top of that, Shuna poured fresh tea for the three of us.
| |
| Today's drink is black tea, but the apple aroma inside is soothing.
| |
| "By the way, Rimuru, what do you mean those people took the bait?”
| |
| Well, what are you talking about—it dawned on me that I was talking about a conversation from three
| |
| days ago.
| |
| The sluggishness is not on par with a dinosaur, but he's still Veldora.
| |
| "It's okay if you don't have to care about that.”
| |
| "That's a little out of line, isn't it? You can tell me.”
| |
| Usually I don't give a damn about such things, but today I'm particularly obsessed. Well, it's okay if you
| |
| ask me.
| |
| "So I said, actually...”
| |
| So much so that I decided to explain it to Veldora.
| |
| Uppercut means literally.
| |
| We have additional asylum training. The reason is that we've been able to do something as exaggerated
| |
| as isolating an entire town directly into an underground maze.
| |
| The inherent ability of "labyrinth creation" in Ramiris is really impressive. I knew she could replace
| |
| floors, but didn't think even the above-ground metropolis could be replaced as a floor.
| |
| Although the isolation was carried out, it was fixed for twenty-four hours. But there is no need to worry
| |
| about water or air. It should be said that the sun can still be seen and does not seem to be too much of a
| |
| burden on the minds of the residents.
| |
| | |
| Of course that requires a very strong force, and this is the time to look for him—we have Veldora-kun
| |
| here.
| |
| Because of this, our approach to warfare was primarily to segregate towns in time of war.
| |
| —and practiced it several times, which is the bait we sow on spies.
| |
| Only one door was left in the ground, and that was the junction to the maze that looked as suspicious as
| |
| it said it was. In discussing with Benimaru they came to the conclusion that the other side would
| |
| definitely come and investigate.
| |
| "So it is. Thanks to Master, my power has also increased! It seems like a big help, which is great.”
| |
| "Huh-huh, so. Thanks to me? I see.”
| |
| Veldora looked at me with a look that was very much intending to be complimented.
| |
| This guy is a pain in the ass, I thought to myself, but thanks to Veldora it was the truth.
| |
| “Geez—that was a big help, Veldora-kun~”
| |
| "Kuahahaha! I guess so, that's it! So, can I have this cake?"
| |
| That won't work...!
| |
| This cake is one that I'm going to keep and enjoy.
| |
| “In that case, please have my share.”
| |
| Oh, Diablo, thank you!
| |
| “Sorry."
| |
| "If anything, it's no big deal if it’s for Lord Rimuru."
| |
| He’s so reliable.
| |
| Then I will respectfully submit to Diablo's kindness.
| |
| Enjoying the cake on one side, my eyes looked to the big picture.
| |
| Immediately afterwards, the group challenged the floor guardians that were about to challenge the 60th
| |
| floor.
| |
| "Since we know they're spies, shouldn't we take them in?”
| |
| "No, I want to test their strength and see how far they can go forward. It's a big loss to pay a bonus, but
| |
| they fired up the atmosphere so that should be fine.”
| |
| The big deal is to still arrest them and get those things back anyway.
| |
| Now let them think we're going to booze and come and use these people completely.
| |
| “That’s Rimuru for you."
| |
| | |
| "So dirty! Your ideas are genius!"
| |
| Obviously complimented by Veldora and Ramiris, why am I not happy?
| |
| Shuna looked at the few of us with dumbfounded eyes.
| |
| "That's a failure. Didn't expect to fire the Minotaur's battleaxe the first time. That one is a holy
| |
| attribute, and the damage to the Immortal or Necromantic lineage is greatly increased.”
| |
| "I can't believe we're having a first-return limited-edition giveaway. We seem a little overwhelmed..."
| |
| The guardian of the sixty levels is Adalman.
| |
| Just like in the old days when he was King of the Dead, he went to meet the challengers, so I let him
| |
| take the title of "Immortal King", but...
| |
| One has to lead the army to play to Adalman's strengths. If he was the only one, actually weaker than
| |
| Gozu or Mezu, there was always the feeling that there might be a regrettable result this time too.
| |
| And Adalman is a dead spirit and is very vulnerable to holy attributes or light attributes.
| |
| As long as Mark had the Minotaur's battleaxe in his hands, the odds of Adalman's victory were slim.
| |
| I did make some suggestions with Adalman, but this floor boss is actually a trap.
| |
| There wasn't a lot of expectation for the strength of the floor guardian, so I think it's okay to give the
| |
| challenger weapons that can attack weak points.
| |
| I'm sorry Adalman.
| |
| Unfortunately, there's no way to stop those three on his own.
| |
| Well, it's probably my fault, just please forgive me.
| |
| For the above reasons, I was more looking forward to the 70th level of the Guardians.
| |
| ***
| |
| The "Immortal King" Adalman spotted an invasion of his jurisdiction and his fleshless lips lifted
| |
| upwards.
| |
| Teeth rubbed slightly, making a tiny sound. It was hard to tell, but Adalman smirked to himself.
| |
| "You seem to be in a good mood, Lord Adalman.”
| |
| Someone opened their mouth to Adalman, the man who had been his beloved comrade long ago.
| |
| This man was originally a Templar and his name was Albert.
| |
| Even when Adalman was set up to die, he always followed Adalman.
| |
| | |
| After becoming a member of Rimuru's ministry and taking the last seat, Albert became a lower-ranking
| |
| magical creature called a skeleton swordsman. To even be able to exist in the world was good luck, so he
| |
| becomes something very weak.
| |
| Certainly even less likely to speak.
| |
| Today, however, Albert speaks fluently.
| |
| Why is this?
| |
| The reason is actually very simple.
| |
| Because the current Albert is no longer some skeletal swordsman, nor is he a Necromancer who
| |
| evolved several stages backwards.
| |
| Rather, he’s a more powerful character—the Paladin of the Dead.
| |
| Since he is a dead spirit, he will not possess flesh. Yet he stood there with the same posture he had in
| |
| his life. Only there were blue ghostly flames flying around, and his skin was a miserable white color, so it
| |
| was obvious that he was not a living person.
| |
| Adalman had no attachment to the flesh of his life, and preferred the present posture, with only bones
| |
| left. But Albert seemed to think differently, and since he had been given a much larger amount of magic
| |
| power than the Necromancer, he was now free to rely on the magic vein structure flesh.
| |
| Albert still had a fondness for the way he was when he was alive, and that look made him proud.
| |
| He becomes a young man with a fresh face—strange to say that the dead are fresh.
| |
| Guided by seemingly dangerous equipment, a glance at Albert could tell he was no panhandler.
| |
| "Well, I'm certainly in a good mood. Albert, it looks like a guest is coming.”
| |
| Hearing that, Albert nodded happily too.
| |
| "So you're here at last?”
| |
| These two befriended each other so well that they knew everything about each other, and with a little
| |
| conversation they were heart to heart.
| |
| "Mmm. This moment has finally come. Lord Rimuru, the demon lord, has given us peace of mind,
| |
| which will now help that lord. Since he has given us such a powerful power, you must know that we must
| |
| not lose our temper like before.”
| |
| "Of course. I, Albert, understand perfectly.”
| |
| "Well, it looks like I was nosy. It's probably because he was so excited that he started nagging about it."
| |
| Immediately after, the two of them looked at each other and flashed smiles at each other.
| |
| In addition to them there is another one.
| |
| “Ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho!"
| |
| | |
| A ferocious and violent roar roared through the interior of the city of death.
| |
| "Well, I see you're looking forward to it, too. All right then. Use your power well today. We have to
| |
| prove our faithfulness to god!”
| |
| It's both serene and thick.
| |
| The enthusiasm of those three men enveloped the room.
| |
| Adalman's faith died for a time, and demon lord Rimuru became the god of his renewed faith.
| |
| Months passed after a bitter defeat.
| |
| He hoped to be able to contribute to Rimuru, and in just a few short months, Adalman had taken back
| |
| the power of the King of the Dead, which was nothing compared to the heyday.
| |
| Adalman's faith has become so strong.
| |
| In Rimuru's perspective though, he only felt that faith was too much to bear.
| |
| Not only that, but he was also thinking in his mind, ‘Sorry, you guys shouldn't have a chance to win,’
| |
| and was already looking forward to the next floor guardians. Adalman and the others were completely
| |
| unaware of this matter, and everyone was in full force.
| |
| This time it has to be—no, it can't be the next time.
| |
| Failure is not allowed, he must keep winning.
| |
| Adalman and his partner were full of energy, thinking that the foolish intruders should come over soon
| |
| and start discussing countermeasures cautiously.
| |
| ***
| |
| A fierce battle opened and ended in the blink of an eye.
| |
| It was a real battle—I’d like to make that comment, but it was too much of an understatement to say.
| |
| I had even prepared poker cards in order to defuse the boredom, but those were completely useless.
| |
| The result was a landslide victory for Adalman.
| |
| The win was glorious—glorious to the point of being speechless.
| |
| It wasn't that the challengers were weak, and they weren't sick or injured.
| |
| Those people seemed to be in good physical condition and full of energy. But at these levels, Adalman
| |
| and the others are even better.
| |
| This time the challenger was very strong.
| |
| Their skills are also analytically complete and I think they should be better than Adalman.
| |
| Those three people were all above level A, and each of them had unique skills.
| |
| | |
| The unique skill of Sincerely is called "Healer", and it is a very rare skill. Through that skill, you can
| |
| manipulate the construction of tiny viruses. If the other person is a creature, it seems to be able to still
| |
| destroy from within the body. It also seems to be able to manipulate the air components and spread tiny
| |
| attack viruses.
| |
| Honestly, that's too good to be true. If the opponent is a living creature, there's probably no way to beat
| |
| it, right?
| |
| Without a microscope, there was no way to distinguish those extremely small attacking bodies, and if
| |
| there was no way to see those things, it should be impossible to win over Sincerely right now.
| |
| And of course he can administer therapy. That's superior to medical nanobots, a skill that's also
| |
| excellent in terms of its versatility.
| |
| Then there's Mark, whose power is the exclusive skill "Thrower".
| |
| As long as it's something that can be held in the hand, it seems that anything can be lost. Seeing as he
| |
| can hold magical objects in disgrace, being able to lift things seems to apply to this skill as well.
| |
| If combined with magic that manipulates gravity, it could be more tricky than your average mass
| |
| weapon. Rather than being used against a single individual, it may be more effectively used, especially
| |
| against the military.
| |
| Finally, there are the skills of Zhen, which contain many convenient skills.
| |
| His unique skill, "Observer", contains "Intuition Avoidance", "Crisis Sense", "Trap Sense", "Magic
| |
| Object Sense", "Breath Sense", and seems to be able to see even the smallest of sincere attacks. Combined
| |
| with his individual fighting abilities, he was especially good at running away. Not only is he fast, but he’s
| |
| also a natural enemy of the maze as it won't be countered by traps.
| |
| That's about it.
| |
| Those skills that look good let me be the reference.
| |
| Everyone is excellent, and those three have a tacit understanding, no wonder they’re so strong.
| |
| I think it's understandable to think that these three would be able to beat Adalman.
| |
| However....
| |
| In the intervening months, that Adalman guy seems to have grown substantially.
| |
| Without self-willed magical creatures, it is impossible to increase the fighting ability substantially from
| |
| the initial value. It's a different story if one lives for decades, but nothing will change in just a few years.
| |
| But Adalman and Albert...
| |
| "I say, what's going on? Why have they become so strong with Adalman?”
| |
| And what is that dragon?
| |
| This time, the floor guardian has an evil dragon he's never seen before in addition to Adalman and
| |
| Albert. Standing nearly ten meters tall, his body exuded a terrible darkness.
| |
| | |
| From which side do you bring such things...?
| |
| What was going on when I went abroad to inspect the town that was out of town?
| |
| "Hey hey hey, you're scared! Actually, we've been keeping it a secret. Didn't you equip them, Rimuru?
| |
| They seem to be having fun, so they exercise hard! And there's also the fact that the concentration of
| |
| mana in the maze is high, right? Because of the absorption of these magical elements, both Adalman and
| |
| Albert regained their original power!"
| |
| The spoof worked! That's probably how I felt when Ramiris spoke to me.
| |
| Indeed, a closer look will reveal that Adalman has evolved from a Necromancer to a Necromancer
| |
| King. I didn't notice because he was all bony and had luxurious clothes, in fact his magic had become
| |
| very big.
| |
| | |
| There was another person, Albert who seemed to have evolved beyond the Necromancer into a higher-
| |
| order magical being like the Necromancer Paladin.
| |
| | |
| "That Necromancer King and Necromancer Paladin, both of them have the equivalent amount of mana
| |
| to a high ranked demon general...”
| |
| "Kuahahaha! It's a small cast, but they've worked hard to get the glory for us!”
| |
| To say that they evolved speaks volumes, but the level of reinforcement has been overwhelming.
| |
| "Then I ask you, what is this dragon like?”
| |
| "Hey, don't you know about it Rimuru? That's Adalman's pet!”
| |
| Pet....?
| |
| Well—so to speak... Adalman seems to have said he wanted a pet, but I didn't expect such an evil
| |
| looking dragon.
| |
| This dragon is a Necromantic Dragon that stands at the pinnacle of the Necromancy. Because of the
| |
| fact that Shuna and the rest seemed to be familiar with this opponent, people assumed that I was also in
| |
| the know.
| |
| I was actually negligent in this matter as well. I can't help but feel that reporting, liaising and
| |
| negotiating is really important.
| |
| So, let's take a look at the most important part, which is the combat content.
| |
| There's not much more to say about that.
| |
| Adalman didn't move half a point from his throne. On the left hand side, there was a Necromantic
| |
| Dragon sitting.
| |
| Albert alone came forward to fight, but he took everyone down directly.
| |
| As for the minotaur's tomahawk in Mark's hand, it was simply too late to be of real value. Blocked by a
| |
| spite spirit sword that was also a special-grade weapon, Mark was simply beheaded.
| |
| | |
| Zhen looked so surprised that he couldn't speak, and in that instant there was a break. Albert didn't let
| |
| go of this great opportunity, and with such speed that one would think he had disappeared, he launched an
| |
| attack on Zhen in response. This alone will end Zhen's career.
| |
| “What!?”
| |
| Sincerely was surprised, but he hurriedly released the divine magic 'Spirit Holy Cannon' towards
| |
| Albert. That's the kind of magic that Paladins are good at, and there aren't many people who would use it
| |
| in general. It's not even on the application form at the time of logging in, so this should be a sincere stunt.
| |
| This spell is great for a quick attack that hits Albert directly.
| |
| It looked like he could get away with it. Was it too much for Albert—he thought so, so he didn't have to
| |
| worry. Because there was no need to hold back, Albert didn't act.
| |
| "That's a lie!"
| |
| Aiming with astonished sincerity, Albert swung down his sword.
| |
| It's over when you get to this side.
| |
| Albert is also an immortal, so the holy attribute should be a weakness, right?
| |
| If anyone thinks that way, the sentiment is the same as mine.
| |
| Definitely true.
| |
| The reason why Albert is fine lies with Adalman.
| |
| That's Adalman's killer technique—the add-on "Holy Reversal".
| |
| <<Answer. The "Holy Reversal" is a mystical mystery created by the individual name "Adalman". The
| |
| effect of this skill can replace the "Holy" and "Magic" attributes.>>
| |
| Thanks to this skill of Adalman's, Albert converted from a magical attribute to a holy attribute.
| |
| That wouldn't affect the equipment, but Albert would still be dead and wouldn't be absorbing essence. It
| |
| seems that even property changes don't seem to be a problem.
| |
| If the creature is one of your own, don't worry about developing resistance.
| |
| Holy dead, what a joke this is—think of it, because of Adalman's "holy reversal" and the event thus
| |
| becomes a reality.
| |
| Adalman they are necromancers, able to resist attacks of various attributes. As far as physical attacks
| |
| go, most of them don't hurt.
| |
| They have overcome the weakness of holy attributes. In this state, the average challenger can be said to
| |
| be at a loss for words.
| |
| With no use of the magic I teach, Adalman and the rest have won.
| |
| The situation was such that the three of them were defeated in just two or three strokes, turning into
| |
| many small balls of light and retiring.
| |
| | |
| ***
| |
| "Did you see it? O, my god Rimuru? We win for you!”
| |
| Looking at the high pitched Adalman, I had a thought.
| |
| It seems like Adalman and the others are going overboard as the 60th level of defensive play.
| |
| Under the impression that I did say to Adalman that against a group opponent just use the group back.
| |
| In response, they did abide by my admonition that no opponent facing an offense sent more men than
| |
| they did.
| |
| But that's fraudulent.
| |
| What's that?
| |
| <<Answer. Special Class A—Three catastrophe classes appearing at the same time, all of which can
| |
| wipe out a small kingdom.>>
| |
| The way it looks, they should have something else to hide.
| |
| I'm going to wait until it's over before I question Ramiris, and I'll comfort the Adalman group for now.
| |
| "Well done, Adalman! It's not convenient to be so far away, so you can come to this command room."
| |
| "Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh! Thank you very much, I'll be at your side in a minute!”
| |
| He's as polite as ever.
| |
| Forget it, it's only like Adalman.
| |
| "Albert can talk now, too, can't he? Bring him along.”
| |
| "Yes, sir. What about the Necromancer...?"
| |
| "Let the dragon take care of the house anyway.”
| |
| “Yes!"
| |
| The Dead Spirit Dragon looked as if it was sad, but I refused with an iron heart this time.
| |
| Up to ten meters, that's too big.
| |
| If it was the dedicated hall of the Veldora, located on the 100th floor of the ground floor, it would be a
| |
| different story; this commander's chamber is not that big. Sad as it is, please give it up.
| |
| I ordered Shion to prepare black tea for Adalman and Albert, and the next moment she asked me with a
| |
| serious expression.
| |
| "They're all bones. Is there a way to drink them?”
| |
| “.......”
| |
| | |
| Yeah, that's right.
| |
| Albert seems to be in the flesh? But Adalman is still a skeleton, right?
| |
| Having said that, can they at least enjoy the scent?
| |
| "It's the heart that's important at a time like this.”
| |
| "So that's it, I see!”
| |
| The two of us talked while we waited for Adalman and the others to come over.
| |
| "Long time no see, Lord Rimuru!”
| |
| "I am grateful to see you in your presence.”
| |
| Adalman and Albert knelt before us.
| |
| Instead of looking through the big picture, the two are viewed up close. Their power soared that it even
| |
| made one wonder if it was the same person as before.
| |
| "Well, good on you guys. Your name is Albert, right? You're very good. And Adalman, as a Guardian,
| |
| you've done very well. Keep up the good work in the future too!”
| |
| "Well, I'll have to ask you guys to do the same.”
| |
| Before I could talk to them, Veldora and Ramiris stepped in to motivate them. If you don't speak first at
| |
| a time like this, you get more and more worried about what to say.
| |
| Well, let's not get too hard on the words.
| |
| “Geez, that's really it. It's been a long time since I've seen you guys, and you've grown so much, it's
| |
| amazing to me.”
| |
| That's not growth anymore, it's evolution.
| |
| Those three challengers were so good, I thought I'd have a hard time dealing with them on my own—
| |
| that sentence was swallowed hard. Even if I really feel that way, it's better not to say it—it happens
| |
| sometimes.
| |
| “Yes...!"
| |
| Adalman and the rest were touched by a million things.
| |
| To force away some of the guilt, I asked them to sit in a chair.
| |
| "It smells really, really good. If someone else had bought us a drink, I would have thought they were
| |
| being sarcastic..."
| |
| Ah, so that's it?
| |
| Is it too much for someone who can't drink?
| |
| | |
| "But this is an invitation from Lord Rimuru, and the scent alone heals the mind, feeling all the fatigue
| |
| in the body gone.”
| |
| That's fine, except that the person who made these teas was Shion.
| |
| "Yummy. It's like manna with a sweet, sweet aroma. I am grateful to you for this brief moment of
| |
| immense happiness.”
| |
| You two are overdoing it...
| |
| Albert seems to be using the magical vein to structure his flesh.
| |
| Probably only possible in a maze, temporary flesh.
| |
| "Adalman, aren't you going to create a body of flesh like Albert?”
| |
| “Huh?”
| |
| "Nothing special, just wanted to say this way, you can even enjoy black tea, right?”
| |
| "Say, say, maybe so, but I personally seem to value the atmosphere more..."
| |
| So it turns out, I don't quite get it, but Adalman has his preferences I guess. Since that leaves no room
| |
| for me to interject.
| |
| "If that's the case, I won't force you.”
| |
| So I decided to change the subject.
| |
| "By the way, the additional skill 'Holy Demon Reversal' is a good focus. Just developing something
| |
| like this shows you're working hard.
| |
| "Thank you! On that sort of thing, Mr. Beretta also assisted. Besides...”
| |
| I changed the subject and went to ask about the "holy reversal”, only to hear a surprising insider's story.
| |
| Didn't realize it had anything to do with Ruminas.
| |
| "Lord Ruminas said to me, 'Consider this a repentance,' and the Beneficent gave me a mystical ritual,
| |
| the reversal of day and night. Mr. Beretta used a unique technique called 'Heavenly Evil Ghost' to modify
| |
| it, and as a result, I learned it successfully.
| |
| It is said to be so.
| |
| When Ruminas said she wanted to "make amends", she meant to turn a blind eye to the fact that the
| |
| Seven Celestial Sages were out of control.
| |
| Why did Granbell exclude the capable Adalman? My reasoning on this point is as follows.
| |
| With the exception of Granbell, the other Seven Celestial Sages were desperately trying to find a way
| |
| to exclude the Adalman bar in order to avoid having their status threatened. But Granbell felt that
| |
| Adalman had to overcome that level of trap to be of use to himself.
| |
| Adalman and the others fought the dragon and lost both. Maybe Granbell didn't see it coming.
| |
| | |
| An enemy of even this magnitude can't be defeated, can't be a guardian of the human race—I always
| |
| felt things should be like this.
| |
| It was the sight of that lone figure, the way Granbell looked before he died, that gave me the idea.
| |
| But it's a bit uncomfortable to talk about that kind of thing.
| |
| Hopefully someday Adalman will find out for himself. With a prayer in my heart, I changed the subject
| |
| again.
| |
| "That's great. I'll go and say thanks to Ruminas afterwards too, Adalman!”
| |
| “Yes!"
| |
| "If it's you, you should be able to defeat the floor guardian currently in charge of the 70th floor, right?”
| |
| "What do you mean by that?”
| |
| Faced with a confused Adalman, I decided to elaborate.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| Currently the sixty-one to seventy levels are all magic puppet zones.
| |
| These soldiers have no blood or tears, and do not know what fatigue is. As far as the special geographic
| |
| guardians go, a few of them are even equipped with the guns we tried out.
| |
| As for the types of traps, most are vicious, with organs such as mines. Not to the point of death though,
| |
| we mainly wanted to set it up for the repartee spellcasters to use as a practice field.
| |
| Other than that, the things that we use as floor guardians are new machines that transform the Holy
| |
| Spirit Guardian Giant.
| |
| Kaijin helped, too, and finally Vesta got these things done.
| |
| The high defenses built with Magic Steel are still there, and they've managed to make them smaller and
| |
| lighter. Track performance has increased dramatically and the driver's seat protection is flawless.
| |
| Such things have no self-will and are constructed to allow the driver to ride. The ability to operate from
| |
| a distance using the NIKIKI is also excellent.
| |
| It should currently be being controlled from a distance by Beretta.
| |
| If it's operated from a distance, it doesn't matter if you come across a tiny attacking virus. The bodies of
| |
| those things were made of steel, and even the battle axe of a minotaur would not work. Not only that,
| |
| there were several layers of armor on his body, and he was also blessed with the 'magic obstruction' from
| |
| Charybdis Scales.
| |
| It is the completely invincible Guardian of Steel.
| |
| This is the holy guardian statue, the Floor Guardian Colossus
| |
| | |
| Sincerely and the rest could not break through the 70th level. I've been pretty sure of that before.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| But this time, when I saw Adalman and the others fighting, my thoughts changed.
| |
| "Veldora, who do you think is stronger between Adalman and the Floor Guardian Colossus?”
| |
| "Mmm. It must be Adalman."
| |
| "Right? That's it, Adalman. I'm going to make you go up to the seventy level.”
| |
| Sure enough.
| |
| Since Veldora thinks so, I should be right about that too.
| |
| <<Answer. The individual named "Adalman" is more powerful than the floor guardian colossus...>>
| |
| Ahem.
| |
| It's all about the atmosphere, not the numbers.
| |
| "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa...! In response to Lord Rimuru's expectations, the younger
| |
| Adalman will work even harder at whatever comes his way.”
| |
| “Brilliant Albert, you will give your full support to my master, Adalman.”
| |
| Kneeling before me, Adalman and Albert so proclaimed.
| |
| After just a short while, their strength has shifted dramatically.
| |
| The holy guardian statues weren't weak either, but honestly, they lacked the aura of a floor guardian.
| |
| On top of that, being broken again would be overwhelming. If you don't actually put the "soul" in when
| |
| you use it, you can't be affected by the power of Ramiris. There's no way to do random experiments and
| |
| see if it comes back to life when it's broken.
| |
| If these things had self-will, the situation would be different.
| |
| Or is it better to let someone actually control it?
| |
| No, why not just get possessed, that way you might not have to deal with it as a prop...
| |
| It's just a shame we don't have that kind of booking plan. So there's nothing wrong with letting
| |
| Adalman upgrade them.
| |
| "Yes! Then from today onwards, exchange the fifty to sixty floors with the sixty-one to seventy floors
| |
| for me.
| |
| "Got it, I got it!”
| |
| That's it, floor shifting within the maze.
| |
| | |
| ***
| |
| I praised Adalman and the rest, and decided to swap floors.
| |
| With that done, I was about to order Adalman and them out of the room.
| |
| And yet at this very moment...
| |
| "I think we've come to the end of our conversation. I have something I want to report to you."
| |
| Diablo, who had been so quiet just now, spoke up.
| |
| "What is it?"
| |
| "It is so, my servant Razen has made a magical communication with me, saying that he wishes to make
| |
| an urgent report to Rimuru. It was as if his former master had come this way, and the man seemed to wish
| |
| to pay an audience with Lord Rimuru. I heard his name was Gedora.
| |
| Um...what?
| |
| <<Answer. In several Magic Guide books, the author's name is written about this character.>>
| |
| Sounds like a very famous person.
| |
| Razen was also known as an excellent Grand Mage, but his Master was even more famous.
| |
| I'm kind of interested, and meeting him is fine.
| |
| "Isn't that a trap? It's really suspicious that we're about to have a showdown with the Empire to meet at
| |
| this time.”
| |
| "Yes! With a suspicious person like that, there's no need for Lord Rimuru to meet him deliberately!
| |
| Shion is on full alert, and the suspicion is greater than mine.
| |
| It's not that I don't understand what she means. After all, these are sensitive times, and since she's a
| |
| member of my pro-war team, protecting me from unnecessary danger is part of the mission.
| |
| My vigilance is a bit weak, and it's best to listen to the minions at times like this.
| |
| "Indeed. It is Razen, and his opinion is used without taking it all in stride. I don't think I need to go to
| |
| him for questioning.”
| |
| Diablo took that for granted, but he was just afraid of trouble, right?
| |
| Since both secretaries were against it, the matter was off—halfway through the conversation, I noticed
| |
| that Adalman seemed to be very impetuous.
| |
| So, I actually understand how Adalman is feeling right now.
| |
| During a meeting with a superior officer, I was about to leave after the conversation, when a visitor or a
| |
| call came. Because I didn't want to disturb my boss, I just stayed put and wasted that time, feeling sad.
| |
| | |
| I want to go back, but I can’t—that's often what happens when you leave society.
| |
| Hey, is it just me?
| |
| Anyway, those things don't matter.
| |
| "Adalman, I'm sorry we got off topic. It's okay for you guys to go first.”
| |
| "Ah, no! Don't worry about us, but compared to that...”
| |
| “Hmm?"
| |
| "Actually that one, this one...”
| |
| “Hmm?”
| |
| "I was just talking about this guy Gedora..."
| |
| "It's been said.”
| |
| "I wonder if he's my friend.”
| |
| “What?"
| |
| I couldn't help but stare at Adalman, and as a result he became flustered and displayed bizarre
| |
| demeanor.
| |
| No, I don’t take you for a traitor. The level of panic on the other side makes one want to say that.
| |
| I wanted Diablo to wait a bit before replying and decided to listen to Adalman in detail first.
| |
| It sounds like a thousand years ago, Gedora and Adalman were good friends. Since the other party
| |
| should have already died, it was not surprising that Gedora was a great magician, even if he used the
| |
| mysterious spells he created to extend his life.
| |
| It seems that the person who saved Adalman by using the mystical Upanishad "reincarnation" was
| |
| Gedora.
| |
| The name Razen also struck Adalman, and he wondered if the man was one of Gedora's long-ago
| |
| apprentices—one of the senior ones.
| |
| As Adalman spoke more and more, I began to think that it was Gedora himself who was right.
| |
| “Diablo."
| |
| "Yes, sir. I'll grind out the dates and set up the meet-and-greet talks.”
| |
| As expected of the more competent secretary. Just calling him by his first name tells me what I'm
| |
| thinking.
| |
| The other, dumber secretary seemed okay with it, so I decided to see Gedora for a bit.
| |
| ***
| |
| | |
| After the defeat at the sixtieth level, the three of them, Shinji’s group, experienced the so-called death
| |
| back to the original point for the first time.
| |
| When they went back, many people told them they had worked hard, or encouraged them loudly, others
| |
| cursed and made jokes, and others comforted them, saying that it could not be helped, and people said all
| |
| kinds of things to them.
| |
| The battle scenes inside the labyrinth are broadcast exclusively by the Jura Tempest Federation, and
| |
| Shinji’s group has gained high popularity for their challenge.
| |
| Of course, if the screening can be decided by signing the contract, the person concerned is free to
| |
| choose or refuse. But for two reasons, Shinji and the others decided to sign the contract.
| |
| The first reason is that a portion of the screening revenue will go into their pockets.
| |
| The second reason was that after the rush to fame, he thought that his personal safety would be secured.
| |
| It is within the enemy's sphere of influence and famous people are less likely to be assassinated. In
| |
| addition, it will only be shown when you are fighting against a floor guardian, so you don't have to pay
| |
| attention to it even on the way. The amount of money that was able to get seemed substantial, and in
| |
| Shinji's opinion there was no reason to refuse.
| |
| Faced with Shinji's decision, the other two were okay with it. That's why they signed the contract, and
| |
| as a result there is now such a reaction from the crowds around them.
| |
| "What a pity. We can work on it more and challenge it again another day.”
| |
| "No, no, no, no, no. That's not gonna cut it. What the hell is that monster? The speed of his sword is
| |
| simply extraordinary, and the skeleton man sitting on the throne is a legendary magical creature, right?”
| |
| "I guess it's the King of the Dead. Even the great monster, the one who is in charge of the plagues of
| |
| death, is not even in sight.”
| |
| "So, the dragon is alive? It looks like it's more than just decorations, if even that dragon joins the fray,
| |
| humans really don't stand a chance of winning, do they?”
| |
| And so on and so forth, there are many questions.
| |
| Shinji they laughed at those words and managed to avoid such a scene.
| |
| "Anyway, let's look forward to Masayuki.”
| |
| "Now you'll have the same record as Masayuki-sama. If you want to win over them, you can find a
| |
| strategy to defeat that floor guardian while Masayuki-sama is busy preparing for the war.”
| |
| "That makes sense. I've placed a bet that you guys will win. I'll leave it to you next time!”
| |
| Turning their backs to these voices, Shinji’ group returned to the hotel where they were staying.
| |
| As soon as they entered the inn, the three men collapsed on their beds.
| |
| "Hey, what's next?”
| |
| "Don't do it. Give me a break first.”
| |
| | |
| Mark looked for Shinji to speak, but Shinji was exhausted. They challenge the level demons with full
| |
| energy, but the difficulty is so high that it makes you think that 59 levels were cute before.
| |
| Coming to the 60th floor, even the stray monsters that appeared were well trained. The magical
| |
| creature, known as the Necromancer, had a self-willed mind, and also carried the soldiers underneath to
| |
| launch a surprise attack.
| |
| Shinji and his party manage to beat them down and come to the main floor guardian’s room with
| |
| dismal results.
| |
| Zhen pointed this out to him, and Shinji got up from the bed.
| |
| He sat on the bed, a sigh escaping his mouth.
| |
| Mark and Zhen also climbed up and the three sat face to face again.
| |
| "What's the report? That enemy can't be beaten. I didn't expect the depths of the maze to be so
| |
| difficult.”
| |
| "Yeah, it went pretty well up to the 59th floor. But what about the 60 layers? The Elder Necromancer
| |
| would lead the Necromancer and prowl in small groups. The average soldier will only get killed if he
| |
| encounters something like that!”
| |
| "Should be.”
| |
| “...those magic creatures are not simple. Arriving at that level suddenly became guarded. Not only the
| |
| knight who defeated us, but also the Skeleton Man and the Necromantic Dragon who sat on the throne,
| |
| making one wonder if the three of them were the hidden demon lord.”
| |
| The three of them began to speak out loud.
| |
| Probably too excited to care at all how the other person reacted.
| |
| "Before yesterday, I was able to get away with it, but today, my remaining strength is gone.”
| |
| "And the skeleton man. It's the guy sitting on the throne, it's the King of the Dead. If someone could
| |
| use advanced identification magic, they should be able to see right through him. But I can't compare it to
| |
| what I saw on the screen!”
| |
| "Exactly. If we do run into this kind of guy afterwards, our side won't be able to handle it.”
| |
| “...seriously, I don't want to challenge a second time.”
| |
| Hearing Zhen say so, the other two shared his opinion.
| |
| “That Necromancer didn't even join the fight. It seems to be only responsible for exuding the majesty
| |
| of kings, not moving half a point from the throne.”
| |
| "The minotaur that looks like a normal floor guardian is also equivalent to level A in strength. Using his
| |
| strength as a benchmark, sixty layers is too much fortification, right?”
| |
| “...this part is really exaggerated. I think the fifty tiers were trying to get the challenger to fall off the
| |
| wagon before.”
| |
| | |
| "But now we'll know for sure. With such a powerful demonic creature guarding it, there must be a
| |
| ghost in that maze.”
| |
| Shinji so asserted.
| |
| "Possibly. After all, the knight who called himself Albert was strong as a mess.”
| |
| "The equipment is different from the others. When Mark was in combat, I took the opportunity to try to
| |
| qualify him, and to my surprise, he wore all of the quality top-notch stuff.”
| |
| "No wonder. It was thought that with my minotaur's tomahawk I could hack him up along with his
| |
| weapon.”
| |
| "That's to say that the weapon you found just happens to be used to fight the guardian monster,
| |
| something that only happens in video games...”
| |
| "That's true. A few of us seem to have gotten ahead of ourselves.”
| |
| “...hmm."
| |
| Later, the three of them looked at each other, and a deep sigh escaped their mouths.
| |
| Talking over here, the three finally calmed down a bit.
| |
| They made their own tea and took a break to catch their breath.
| |
| "Do you want to take on the challenge again tomorrow?”
| |
| "Are you serious?”
| |
| "...we are no match for them. No matter how many times you fight, you’ll lose.”
| |
| "I guess so.”
| |
| "Those people were talking about the hero... I think it was Masayuki that Yuuki-san mentioned, right?
| |
| I heard that it's just a lucky teenager, I don't think he's ever gone to challenge the sixty levels.”
| |
| "No, I don't think so. I've heard that he's done well before and hasn't even died once.”
| |
| "What about the others?”
| |
| "I heard that the people in the top ranking are challenging for the 50th floor. But they don't seem to
| |
| have a playing contract, and the highest record of having been shown is the 50th floor that Masayuki
| |
| challenged. There are a couple of other groups challenging forty levels, and that's about it.”
| |
| Even if a screening contract is signed, it's not as if it's tracked on every floor. The camera will only
| |
| capture the Floor Boss Room on every tenth floor. In addition to that, I heard that sometimes the
| |
| interview team would walk with the challenger for reasons like events.
| |
| It's because of Shinji that they challenged the sixty layers in this situation that they burst into red in a
| |
| flash. They were breaking records one after another, and that's why they became the ones who signed the
| |
| bet.
| |
| | |
| "I think someone told Masayuki the secret behind it. It says that there are still hidden level monsters on
| |
| the 60th floor."
| |
| "In that case, it's understandable that we would lose. So there are two strong magical objects in total,
| |
| and the other one is a dragon. The balance of that maze is too poor.
| |
| There should be towns after that.
| |
| The three of them just talked and took those words to comfort themselves. Not only that, but discussion
| |
| of future intentions began.
| |
| "Now that we're all so conspicuous, there's no way we can continue to be spies.”
| |
| "There's no problem. It's been explained before, so we'll be safer.”
| |
| “...we only have the maze to investigate anyway.”
| |
| "Shall we wait for Lord Gedora? Just the few of us, no matter how many challenges, won't help, right?”
| |
| Or is it going to be a practice? Mark asked half-jokingly at this point.
| |
| Hearing that, Shinji responded with a bitter smile.
| |
| "There must be something going on. The guardian of such a thing is extremely powerful, should we
| |
| report this to Yuuki-san?”
| |
| "Tell him how great the maze is, by the way. It's supposed to expand by some kind of magic, it's big
| |
| and deep there, not like it's built by hand.”
| |
| “...the battle strength is also exceptionally strong compared to the other floors—that’s something I
| |
| can't forget to say.”
| |
| Since Mark had said that to Zhen, Shinji nodded his head without saying a word.
| |
| "I know. So when we're done, do you want to do some sightseeing?”
| |
| The order of precedence was decided, and they were to move quickly.
| |
| The three regrouped and came out into the night streets.
| |
| ***
| |
| Shinji and his entourage came tentatively to the outskirts and began reporting in order.
| |
| Briefly compiling the report and transmitting it to Yuuki, after about ten minutes of that, Yuuki
| |
| contacted them using the 'magic communication'.
| |
| "Hey, you guys seem like you're in good spirits. That's great.”
| |
| "Up until yesterday, I was in good spirits, but today I'm in bad shape.”
| |
| "Ahaha, it looks like I've suffered a lot. What about your plans for the future? What are you going to
| |
| do?
| |
| | |
| "See your master. It's impossible for us to break through the sixty levels alone, even if we wanted to
| |
| sneak in, there's no way to do so inside the maze.”
| |
| "I think so, I know. Then I'd like to ask one thing.”
| |
| “Please?"
| |
| "Just say what you feel. How strong is that 60-story barrier?”
| |
| Ask Shinji how strong they are, and only they will be able to hear the meaning of this paragraph.
| |
| It means to compare it to the Imperial Emperor's Order of the Near Guard, and the opponent's rank is
| |
| roughly equivalent.
| |
| Yuuki's question had Shinji pondering.
| |
| Shinji wasn't interested in the battle for rank within the legion. He wasn't so intent on making a name
| |
| for himself that he didn't even participate in this rowdy battle.
| |
| Because Yuuki picked him up, was kind to him, and took good care of him, Shinji wanted to return the
| |
| favor before he did anything under him. Shinji did not want to help the criminal organization, so he chose
| |
| to join the army. Later, Yuuki became the army chief, and Shinji, who was originally in the Mecha Corps,
| |
| was transferred to the Mixed Corps.
| |
| Among the 'otherworldly visitors', several of them were in line with Shinji's thoughts. Not wanting to
| |
| show their power, those who live their lives casually in order to avoid taking on too much responsibility.
| |
| The strengths of these people were opaque, and it was still unknown if the Near Guard was really the
| |
| strongest group, but nominally this group was definitely the strongest group within the Empire.
| |
| In some ways it will certainly be used as a benchmark for ranking strength.
| |
| "Let's see, I can at least squeeze into the top 50. Those at the bottom of the ranking shouldn't be able to
| |
| defeat the floor guardians.”
| |
| "Are these comments only for the knight named Albert?"
| |
| "Yes. Ah, I don't know if I can use this as a reference, I used to be a doctor in the army and had to take
| |
| part in the High Rank Demon General crusade mission. There was a slight glimpse at that time, and the
| |
| amount of mana was about the same as the King of the Necromancers seen today.”
| |
| "Are you talking about the Lakeshore Dyed in Scarlet Incident?”
| |
| "Yeah, right. That's the one."
| |
| "Got it. Very informative. Then you can enjoy yourselves before you meet Master Gedora.”
| |
| After saying that, Yuuki ended the 'magic communication'.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| | |
| Regarding the Lakeshore Dyed in Scarlet Incident, it was one of the ominous events that took place in
| |
| Imperial territory.
| |
| The imperial vassal state, which is adjacent to a beautiful lake, intends to betray the empire by saying
| |
| that they want independence. The country was not fighting as well as the empire, and their king resorted
| |
| to certain means, and that became the fuse of tragedy.
| |
| He used forbidden occult spells to summon demons.
| |
| The king ordered the court magician corps to summon the strongest demons that could obey their
| |
| orders, and those court magicians complied.
| |
| As a result, the demon summoned up the High Rank Demon General and destroyed that small country.
| |
| With a population of less than 10,000, this small country has no chance of winning against the Empire.
| |
| Even so the king decided to be independent and there was a corresponding reason behind it.
| |
| There was an only daughter under the king, and the nobles of the empire wanted this princess as his
| |
| beloved servant.
| |
| The empire was so powerful that the emperor used not to bother with the movements of the smaller
| |
| countries. All the territory was vested in the emperor and given to the nobility to administer.
| |
| It was up to the nobility to decide how to govern these dependencies.
| |
| There was a frontier count in charge of the area outside the capital who used the emperor's power for
| |
| his own good, something that was common within the Empire.
| |
| And the demon wanted the princess of that kingdom.
| |
| The king flatly refused, however the head court magician went mad at the sight of the demon and
| |
| agreed to the demon's request.
| |
| As a result, the demon showed an evil smile and possessed the princess.
| |
| The king was furious. But his anger was immediately replaced by fear.
| |
| Because of the acquisition of flesh, demons began to rage.
| |
| As a result, the small nation perished, and the matter was passed back to the Empire proper, where they
| |
| decided to send men to suppress the demon.
| |
| If they had moved any slower, it would have spawned a second Guy Crimson.
| |
| The blood of the inhabitants of the small country stained that beautiful lake and turned its waters red.
| |
| It was the creepiest thing in the Empire's recent centuries of history, arguably the most tragic in history.
| |
| Someone stepped in to solve the Lakeshore Dyed in Scarlet Incident, a Mecha Legion that had
| |
| branches throughout the Empire.
| |
| On the surface.
| |
| | |
| Yet this is not in fact the case. Shinji, who had joined the army, watched from a distance as the high-
| |
| ranking demon generals that his own troops couldn't help, were defeated by a few soldiers stepping in.
| |
| | |
| This whole thing is also very suspicious.
| |
| It was true that the aristocrats were playing favorites, but that demon had not even spared the nationals
| |
| of his own country, and Shinji thought that the truth should be at odds with those rumors.
| |
| After all, the speed at which the empire had begun its operations had been too fast.
| |
| When it happened, the news came back to the Empire, and then they decided to send soldiers to crush
| |
| it, and also to prepare the crusading force.
| |
| If it took that much time, the demons would have been done with physical possession.
| |
| Yet things didn't turn out that way.
| |
| Just the fact that the Empire hadn't allowed the demon to succeed in gaining flesh was proof enough
| |
| that the Empire had known from the beginning—Shinji thought so.
| |
| He wasn't going to speak his mind to anyone else.
| |
| Seeing how powerful the people who fought the demons at the time were, he realized that some things
| |
| in the world were still better without knowing it.
| |
| Those people are probably the first few masters of the Order of the Near Guard...
| |
| If one were to go up against those people, no matter how hard Shinji tried, he couldn't win.
| |
| The two sides are simply people of different worlds.
| |
| That's why Shinji lost interest in the battle of the rows.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| Letting out a breath, Shinji finally let out a sigh of relief, at which point Mark spoke to Zhen to find
| |
| him.
| |
| "Is it over?”
| |
| "...hard work.”
| |
| "Yes, that's what reporting to someone is all about. Master will come over later, so let's go relax until
| |
| then.”
| |
| "Yeah. So Shinji was a survivor of the Lakeshore Dyed in Scarlet Incident, huh?”
| |
| "...and I'm glad I got my life back.”
| |
| "Yeah, I faked my own death to get away with it, but I was able to come up with that.”
| |
| | |
| "No, no, no, it would be awesome just to survive. Isn't there almost no chance of survival for that
| |
| thing?”
| |
| "Just say it. It made people not want to do it a second time—and then again, I was in the army as a
| |
| doctor, but it didn't help much.”
| |
| “...Huh?”
| |
| "No, because the person who was attacked died on the spot, there was no chance to heal them or
| |
| recover. So I had to get away with it as soon as possible.”
| |
| "That sounds really tragic. Is a high-ranking demon general really that scary?”
| |
| "The demon I saw is no longer something that two words can describe as scary. Honestly, I felt like I
| |
| had an eye to eye with the other person, but the other person seemed to let me off the hook. Just thinking
| |
| about those crimson eyes makes me want to pee my pants.”
| |
| Seeing the two men with a surprised look on their faces, Shinji smiled and said the words.
| |
| "But you said that we are on the same level as such a dangerous high-ranking demon general, so how
| |
| can we possibly defeat that skeleton man?”
| |
| "...are they really of the same class?”
| |
| "At best, it's the same amount of mana. The longer you live, the stronger you are, the so-called demons.
| |
| About the one I saw, it's just my guess, but she should have lived a long time.”
| |
| Otherwise, the Empire's superiors would not have taken that response. Just as he was about to get that
| |
| out, Shinji swallowed the words back again.
| |
| "It's useless to care about such things anyway. My country seems to be developing machines that can
| |
| investigate the strength of its opponents, but I don't think there is much point. The one called Albert was
| |
| actually the same, if you look at the amount of monster element, he was too strong for people to imagine.
| |
| But just think about when you were in school classes in the past, whether a fight was strong or not wasn't
| |
| just about physical strength, right?”
| |
| "Yeah, I know what you're trying to say.”
| |
| “...hmm."
| |
| "That's what it's all about. That means that among the monsters, there are those whose strength is
| |
| unfathomable. You guys just have to remember that.”
| |
| Shinji said that these things had nothing to do with himself and others, and the other two listened and
| |
| decided to stop thinking about it."
| |
| ***
| |
| The three men changed their moods and rushed in before the Freedom Association's office was even
| |
| closed, selling the 'magic crystal stone' and unused equipment to the resource department.
| |
| "It's amazing, it's a deep 'magic crystal' with a world of difference in quality.”
| |
| | |
| "Another weapon with holes in it? And it's made of pure 'magic silver', so it's not available in other
| |
| countries.”
| |
| Blah, blah, blah, those guild members were happy.
| |
| If the target of trafficking is strictly selected, there should be more benefits to be gained. But Shinji and
| |
| their purpose was to infiltrate the investigation, not wanting too many people to know them.
| |
| And it's a good price to sell to the Freedom Association.
| |
| Despite the bottlenecks in the investigative mission, a lot of income was generated. These days alone
| |
| have made them a lot of money.
| |
| Those who join the army receive an annual salary.
| |
| The money will be paid in advance and if there is a promotion, the excess will be made up next year.
| |
| It doesn't matter if you don't have any money on you, just join the army and you'll get your reserve that
| |
| day. The military would first count the number of days left in the year and then pay that money to those
| |
| people as part of their pay.
| |
| Basically the military has nothing to lose. Even if a soldier dies in battle, the money paid in the first
| |
| place can be used as part of the condolence money.
| |
| The general soldier, Private, receives only his salary.
| |
| The amount is ten gold coins—the equivalent of a million won a year.
| |
| The military would take care of their food, clothing and shelter, a large amount for those without
| |
| money.
| |
| There is also a step increase or various allowances, and sometimes a hazardous duty allowance.
| |
| Mark and Zhen's rank is Lieutenant, and Shinji is a Major with a military medical qualification.
| |
| Although there is no power of command, they are treated with courtesy in every way.
| |
| Within the Empire, "otherworldly visitors" are treated well. There were at least some second lieutenants
| |
| available, and compared to those people, Shinji enjoyed more favorable treatment.
| |
| As for Shinji and the others, their income is also a lot more than the average soldier.
| |
| There were thirty-six gold coins for the addition of the rank of lieutenant.
| |
| The addition to the rank of Major was forty-four gold coins.
| |
| Just one step up will add four gold coins.
| |
| Mark and Zhen can get about 50 gold coins a year. Shinji, on the other hand, is a little over seventy.
| |
| The military pays more than the average salary for the average person, but doesn't go so far as to give
| |
| people a lavish life. If they go to a more remote place, they will become rich, but prices are high in
| |
| Imperial City. That being said, the conditions of existence in this world are harsh enough to allow them to
| |
| break away from the military and stand on their own.
| |
| | |
| The mere fact of being able to live a peaceful life is attractive.
| |
| But this time they learned one thing.
| |
| The three of them can live together in the labyrinth city without having to wait for the army.
| |
| The proceeds from this sale alone were more than three hundred gold coins, and the money earned
| |
| from this mission in a short time was more than the annual salaries of the three of them combined.
| |
| Plus they could still get their own special-grade equipment, if the Imperial side hadn't sent it to them,
| |
| they wouldn't have had a chance to get it in their lifetime. It is not too much to say that such a result is a
| |
| bumper harvest.
| |
| All three of them noticed it, but kept their mouths shut. Then they continued in silence, taking silent
| |
| steps.
| |
| The three of them dined at a restaurant that is considered to be a high class restaurant in the Capital
| |
| City "Rimuru".
| |
| “I haven't enjoyed it this much in a long time.”
| |
| “...how about this? Selling the equipment without permission.”
| |
| The more timid Zhen Liu Xing said with trepidation.
| |
| However, Shinji and Mark were unfazed.
| |
| "It's okay. It's not like they're all sold, there are still some samples left.”
| |
| "Besides, we can't take them all back anyway. Just leave the ones of better quality and the higher-ups
| |
| won't complain.”
| |
| The loot obtained in the course of military operations all belonged to the military unless they were
| |
| given permission from above to seize it. And this time, even if all the equipment was taken, they couldn't
| |
| have any complaints.
| |
| But their mission this time is to investigate the maze, hiding their identities and pretending to be
| |
| adventurers. It's more natural to act accordingly, and it's okay to treat this income as a small benefit.
| |
| And Yuuki shouldn't have asked them to hand over the loot either. Other than what was necessary,
| |
| everything else would surely give way to the Shinji line.
| |
| "But if all the money we get is taken away, we'll seriously consider moving then, won't we?”
| |
| Hearing Shinji say this, the other two people also felt the same way.
| |
| One gold coin is equivalent to 100,000 won.
| |
| Coming to the Empire is of equal value.
| |
| The gold coins circulating in the market are from the Dwarven Kingdom, and the Empire defines those
| |
| coins as official gold. Since it's the same thing, bringing it back will work.
| |
| "I think it really works.”
| |
| | |
| "...hmm. Not long ago, I thought it was a joke, but I think I'd be happier trying.”
| |
| While Shinji only half meant what he said, Mark and Zhen's intentions were higher than expected.
| |
| The Empire is really at the forefront of culture and technology and is great urban.
| |
| The food was good and the stay was comfortable.
| |
| As long as they have money, they can still have a good life, even compared to the old world.
| |
| However, they were attached to the army. The risk of death does lurk behind it.
| |
| As far as that goes, that underground maze can be described as perfect.
| |
| Because they don't have to worry about dying.
| |
| I was half-trustful at first, but after the actual experience, there was no room for doubt.
| |
| Since they don't have to worry about losing their lives, wouldn't it be better if they could just make
| |
| their money there and have a good time every day? There is no reason why they should think so.
| |
| There is no point in having money for nothing but entertainment. But there are many playgrounds in
| |
| the Capital City, Rimuru.
| |
| There is a place called the Colosseum that is open to the general public on days when there is no
| |
| activity. This time of year residents seem to be able to go over there and have fun. Various sports with a
| |
| playful nature, such as football or baseball, are popular, and those who are maze-challengers seem to be
| |
| having fun with them.
| |
| There are also spas or opera houses.
| |
| According to the survey, there are plays being performed there, and they are full of activity every day.
| |
| As for the deliciousness of the food, it's not on par with the Empire—no, it should be above the Empire.
| |
| There are a wide variety of desserts and a wide variety of sakes, all of which are often eaten in Japan
| |
| and are nostalgic. Even the dishes that are not available in this world have been successfully recreated,
| |
| which appeals to the Shinji-like people from Earth.
| |
| Seriously, the only person they owe favors to is Yuuki, and it doesn't look like Yuuki wants to be hostile
| |
| to demon lord Rimuru. That being the case, even if Shiinji moved a few of them to live in this country,
| |
| they shouldn't be seen as traitors.
| |
| "Although running away from the battlefield is punishable by death for treason, it's not a time for war,
| |
| is it?”
| |
| "Yeah, Shinji. I was also wondering if it should still be possible to petition for retirement and leave the
| |
| army in this way, right?”
| |
| “...It's up to Yuuki-san to decide.”
| |
| Once the war started, they would turn into a fringe, and thankfully it was still the usual. Explained
| |
| differently, they could also leave the military in the form of a discharge, perhaps with that possibility.
| |
| | |
| "The problem is...war is coming.”
| |
| At this point Mark muttered something.
| |
| The reason they can't make a decision. The question now mentioned is why.
| |
| What is certain is that war is about to begin and the place will be shrouded in war.
| |
| If that weren't the case, they would have decided to move in a long time ago.
| |
| "Which side do you think will win?”
| |
| “...so to speak, what should we do if we are ordered to attack this city?”
| |
| Three people you look at me and I look at you.
| |
| Just now I thought the meal was delicious, but now it's suddenly tasteless. Once again, they thought to
| |
| themselves, please give me a break.
| |
| The three had only been in town for a short time, but they loved the town and didn't want it to
| |
| disappear.
| |
| There's another point.
| |
| Judging from the strength of the floor guardians inside that maze, they vaguely imagined that the
| |
| strength of the leaders in this country should be very great.
| |
| "Thinking about it logically, the guardians responsible for guarding important facilities are certainly
| |
| strong, right? However, assuming that the members of this country's army are weaker than the Guardians
| |
| —that would be wishful thinking on our part.”
| |
| "I thought so. At the very least, demon lord Rimuru's strength should be above the average person. I
| |
| heard that the evil dragon called Veldora had once wiped out a city, and that didn't seem like a joke. Even
| |
| that Necromancer King is no exception, I think he has the potential to annihilate the city.”
| |
| Mark's words struck a chord with Shinji.
| |
| The fact that this country's magical creatures seem to have the potential to trigger a similar disaster.
| |
| "That's just my guess, but they seem to be able to manipulate even high-ranking magicians and nuclear
| |
| strike magic, which should be on par with so-called nuclear weapons by Earth's standards.”
| |
| "That's how it should be. Our common sense would be to think, "We'll win if we have more people,"
| |
| but there's no point in sending a bunch of people to fight the demon lord at that level.”
| |
| "A warrior of our rank would not have won without sending dozens of men.”
| |
| The three men looked at each other face to face and were troubled there.
| |
| Just the next moment, Gedora contacted the three of them with a 'thought communication'.
| |
| ***
| |
| | |
| An old man bowed before me.
| |
| In the back were the three challengers who had seen it through the big screen yesterday, and they all
| |
| bowed to me like the old man.
| |
| The old man's name is Gedora.
| |
| It was through Diablo and Razen that he asked to see me.
| |
| The dress code didn't look flashy, but he wore what looked like a very high level of mantle on him. The
| |
| eyes were sharp, not at all like old people.
| |
| Sincerely, just as I expected, his real name was Shinji.
| |
| His real name was heard to be Shinji Tanimura.
| |
| The other two people seem to have originally used their real names.
| |
| All three seemed to be under the Great Wizard Gedora. They were all said to be working under Yuuki,
| |
| this time assisting in the investigation, temporarily loaned to Gedora.
| |
| Those things are what they're telling me now.
| |
| Gedora posed like this right after he finished speaking, and Shinji and the others followed his example,
| |
| but it was impossible to talk properly at all.
| |
| "Ah, actually...I had already guessed that might be the case. By the way, there's no way to have an easy
| |
| conversation in this state, is there? Let's go somewhere else, shall we?”
| |
| When I finished, Shion nodded.
| |
| "Put your face up.”
| |
| Somehow, she swore high and mighty.
| |
| That's why I find it complicated to visit people.
| |
| It felt like it was bound to be in the wrong order at some point, and honestly I wasn't very keen to do
| |
| that.
| |
| "Obey, obey...!"
| |
| Seeing Gedora promise with great exaggeration, I couldn't help but think ‘the next talks might be
| |
| troublesome too.’
| |
| The location changes to a cheaper reception room.
| |
| Because this side is more peaceful.
| |
| The more expensive reception rooms are also made of superior materials, making me afraid to mess up
| |
| the place. If one accidentally spills the tea, that alone could leave a stain on the premium carpet...
| |
| What kind of people live in those kind of places. For me, a small citizen, the more approachable
| |
| furniture makes me more comfortable.
| |
| | |
| Shinji and the others seemed to think so too, blushing better than just now.
| |
| "Black tea or coffee, which do you prefer?”
| |
| I asked bluntly, and Shinji reacted to that statement.
| |
| "Then, then, I'll have coffee.”
| |
| “Shi-Shinji...!"
| |
| Gedora, whose face had changed drastically, cried out, but I placated him and told him to take it easy.
| |
| "What about Mr. Gedora?”
| |
| "Old, old man? Then, then—just like Shinji.”
| |
| Huh? Could it be that there's no coffee in the Empire?”
| |
| It seems to be there under impression, maybe not so popular.
| |
| I looked over to Mark and Zhen, who also nodded sullenly.
| |
| Looks like they want some of the same.
| |
| "Shuna, four cups of American coffee!”
| |
| "You mean Americano?”
| |
| "Ah, you want something strong? Should I mix the coffee then? Or is it the proud Tempest of this
| |
| country?”
| |
| "No, no, no, it's not that, it's because..."
| |
| “Hmm."
| |
| "Wouldn't His Majesty Rimuru be a visitor from the otherworld?”
| |
| "Is that right?”
| |
| Huh, you didn’t know?
| |
| It's a basic skill to gather this kind of information, isn't it?
| |
| Thinking about this side, I looked around at the expressions of the four of them and only Gedora had a
| |
| 'bad' look on her face. It looked like he had known it all along, but had forgotten to tell the other three.
| |
| Forget it, that kind of thing doesn't matter.
| |
| "Then let's talk in depth.”
| |
| The coffee prepared by Shuna was given to everyone, and the table had milk and sugar on it. I decided
| |
| to listen to what Gedora had to say first, without bothering to look at those people, such as Shinji, whose
| |
| faces were moved.
| |
| | |
| Shinji whispered after taking a sip of his coffee, "This is so good!” But being stared at by Gedora, it
| |
| was nice of me to pretend not to see.
| |
| "I am actually a reincarnationist."
| |
| That's when Master Gedora suddenly uttered words that surprised people.
| |
| The other three were also so surprised that they turned their heads to look at Master Gedora.
| |
| Since a long time ago, Master Gedora has wanted to be the Great Monster Mentor who rose to the top,
| |
| and I've heard him go back and forth to be born several times.
| |
| Each reincarnation would go around looking at the secret collections of the various royal palaces,
| |
| accumulating a huge amount of knowledge.
| |
| One of those times he went into hiding for magic research, and it was at that time that he met his later
| |
| good friend Adalman.
| |
| "As I said earlier, I hate the Holy Church in the West. I hate them because they killed my friend
| |
| Adalman. So for hundreds of years I have been working on a plan and decided to incite the Empire.”
| |
| Speaking of which, Gedora began to reveal himself.
| |
| Knowing that Adalman had been set up, he vowed revenge. He then went to the Empire alone, slowly
| |
| gaining people's trust in him.
| |
| He still seems to have experience fighting with Veldora, and the past seems to be more climactic than
| |
| one might think.
| |
| "Seriously, doing the reincarnation ceremony beforehand is the right thing to do. Because I want to see
| |
| with my own eyes the limits of the 'monsters' that come naturally..."
| |
| In this world, only four “true dragons" were born, and they stood at the pinnacle of magic, the strongest
| |
| race in this world.
| |
| Because of the experience of having actually fought, Gedora did not think the Imperial Army would be
| |
| able to defeat Veldora.
| |
| And he uttered these words right in front of Veldora's own eyes, and isn't Veldora peeping at me with a
| |
| happy expression on his face?
| |
| Please don't do this, really.
| |
| I think you're great too, but I don't think that compliment is necessary.
| |
| "No, it should be said that tactics have a chance to win, but those fools want to dominate Lord Veldora.
| |
| Frankly, I have repeatedly persuaded them that it's impossible, that it's useless to do that, that they should
| |
| give up.”
| |
| Gedora was only interested in the West—it should be said that he wanted revenge on the Ruminism
| |
| religion, and so didn't want to divide his forces over something boring. That is why he tried so desperately
| |
| to emphasize the reality of the situation and to convince those people, but the army chiefs thought too
| |
| highly of himself and reportedly did not listen to him at all.
| |
| | |
| However...
| |
| Gedora's nature doesn't seem to be a bad one, as those words suggest, and yet he seems to have been
| |
| the one who drove the growth of imperial hegemonism.
| |
| I asked him to omit the irrelevant part, and I inquired in detail about the recent developments.
| |
| "In other words, the reason why the Empire started the war was mainly because of your connections?”
| |
| "Well, one could say that's partly true..."
| |
| No way, although he said it vaguely, but either way think the reason is out of this old grandfather.
| |
| Presumably noticing my deteriorating mood, Gedora hurriedly began to explain.
| |
| "It's not like that! The empire was originally hegemonic, and had it not been locked in one direction,
| |
| the whole world would have been affected by war. That's why I let them lock on to the West. It just so
| |
| happens that it's the same as my purpose, so I'll just go with the flow—something like that.”
| |
| What just now?
| |
| Then we were simply swept by the tail of the typhoon!
| |
| "I also opposed their invasion of the great forest of Jura before. I didn't want to end up like the last
| |
| time, so I proposed to stir up the Dwarf Kingdom, but I didn't realize that many people were too stupid
| |
| and wanted to solve everything by force..."
| |
| Gedora lamented so, but I didn't have time for that.
| |
| "Wait a minute! Is the Empire really planning to strike at the Dwarven Kingdom?"
| |
| I always thought that it should not be so, but now I have to take into account the combat operations
| |
| through the Dwarven Kingdom as well?
| |
| "You've noticed? What Gedora said was not something so specific as asking them to send out troops. I
| |
| personally want to make an alliance with King Gazel to turn a blind eye to our military actions. After all,
| |
| the only thing the old man hates is the Western Holy Church...”
| |
| Gedora already knew that Adalman was safe and sound, and had long ago made an appointment to see
| |
| him when the meeting with me was over.
| |
| It is also because of this that Gedora found himself working in vain and has now changed his position
| |
| against the war.
| |
| His relationship with the emperor also seems to be good, but not in a position to be able to petition for
| |
| the withdrawal of military plans. He would therefore advocate against war at the conference.
| |
| That being said, his handling was a little too easy, but with Gedora's help I might have said less if I had
| |
| been able to avoid war.
| |
| Anyway, try to get information out of him.
| |
| | |
| Benimaru and the others also stayed in the other room, eavesdropping on our conversations while
| |
| conducting combat sessions. It was my job to get Gedora to willingly give it all away.
| |
| "I don't suppose King Gazel promised?"
| |
| "Yeah, of course not. So the Imperial side was going to resort to assassination, but Gedora was against
| |
| it. I think that if I'm going to do it, I'm going to attack it righteously!"
| |
| Now is not the time to say such things with a proud face.
| |
| Old Grandpa Gedora was more like a martial artist than I thought.
| |
| Feeling dumbfounded, I questioned further.
| |
| I asked what's going on inside the Imperial Army and what their higher-ups are thinking.
| |
| There was even a surprising amount of information asked about Yuuki's attempted coup.
| |
| I asked for all the information that Gedora knew.
| |
| Finally he began to blurt out his heartfelt words off the cuff.
| |
| "Don't look at me like this, I don't owe the Empire anything. The legions nurtured by me were
| |
| disbanded and all the minions were taken away. It's because Shinji and the others are my disciples that
| |
| they're here. Adalman is all right—it’s a bit of a stretch to say, but he's doing well, so I don't have any
| |
| more attachment to the Imperial side.”
| |
| He says he is downright selfish and has nothing to do with so-called loyalty.
| |
| This old man really isn't a cover.
| |
| A glimmer of respect for him sprouted in my heart, and that was the secret.
| |
| "That's the way it is. If I can be a part of His Majesty's plans, I'll work for you, even if I'm with you,
| |
| and I'll die for you!”
| |
| Daring to assert that you have no loyalty and having that courage to say that you want to be my servant.
| |
| I don't hate this guy.
| |
| However, Benimaru and the others were in the next room, taking in the conversation here. I have a
| |
| feeling that Gedora's attitude is going to set him on fire and it might take a lot of work to placate him
| |
| later.
| |
| Immediately after that...
| |
| We took old Grandpa Gedora as a guest and decided to hire him for the time being.
| |
| Since he himself said he wanted to be my subordinate, I'll let him do his job.
| |
| I don't expect his allegiance to me, but should be able to expect it.
| |
| Anyway, after he meets up with Adalman, I give him permission to "teleport" to the 70th floor.
| |
| | |
| His knowledge should come in handy, and maybe even make him an assistant to Ramiris. But before
| |
| that it was expected to first get him back to the Empire and ask him to do one thing.
| |
| As for Shinji and the rest, the three of them will move directly into this country. They seemed to want
| |
| to relax and rest before they could figure out what to do in the future.
| |
| After some persuasion from Gedora, they themselves offered to join, so I had no reason to refuse.
| |
| If they betray us, I’ll drive them out of this country. They didn't seem to want this to death, and even
| |
| swore allegiance to me.
| |
| Only Shinji and the others seemed to respect Yuuki and didn't want to behave in a way that was hostile
| |
| to Yuuki. There's really nothing wrong with that.
| |
| "We have a complicated relationship with Yuuki's gang. It probably feels like a truce right now.
| |
| Honestly he's done a lot of things that piss people off and I would love to get revenge on him, but I just
| |
| can't seem to hate the guy.”
| |
| Even if Yuuki was that virtuous, he was still Miss Shizu's disciple.
| |
| Thinking about how happy Ms. Shizu was about Yuuki before, I couldn't help but want to forgive him.
| |
| I thought it was too naive myself, but we are, after all, from the same country.
| |
| This kind of thing is absolutely unprecedented, but those things were reserved for the time being.
| |
| Having said that, it would be another matter if someone asked me if I believed him.
| |
| Go ahead and trust that kind of guy, no matter how many lives are not enough in this world.
| |
| "You too, better not trust Yuuki too much.”
| |
| When I say that, somehow Gedora keeps nodding his head.
| |
| It seems that he has a feeling about it too.
| |
| Yuuki and Gedora not only knew each other, they seemed to have a partnership. It seems that being
| |
| able to be a bridge between us and Yuuki, perhaps making Gedora our partner is the right thing to do.
| |
| Gedora's reluctance to over-trust Yuuki alone suggests to me that he is trustworthy.
| |
| After that, I asked Gedora to meet with Adalman.
| |
| They both missed each other.
| |
| Because Adalman had promised to take Gedora in, he is currently being sent to him first.
| |
| But before we do that...
| |
| After asking for all the information, I ordered Gedora to go back to the Empire first and act according
| |
| to my plan.
| |
| It starts with anti-war activities.
| |
| | |
| "Is this possible?”
| |
| "Leave it to this old man. I'm used to getting my hands behind my back.’
| |
| Well, I guess so.
| |
| That said, it's impossible to make a national policy stop at the whim of one person, as a matter of
| |
| general logic.
| |
| Not to say I don't believe in Gedora, but I think it's better to think of a filing.
| |
| "If I can get the war to stop, that's what I'd like to see the most. But by the sound of those words, I don't
| |
| think it should be easy. The empire espouses hegemonism, right? In that case, there's no stopping them
| |
| once they're out in force."
| |
| “But......”
| |
| "So if anything, I hope you introduce them to this maze.”
| |
| "What do you mean?”
| |
| No matter how many casualties there were in the maze, there was no problem.
| |
| That's why I said that to Gedora.
| |
| "So that's why I'm planning to weaken the Empire's war power in that place, so that they lose their
| |
| fighting spirit.”
| |
| "That's it. Also, Yuuki should take the opportunity to act as well, once there's a commotion on the
| |
| Empire's mainland, there's no way for the Empire to continue pushing for war, right?”
| |
| I'm not sure things will go so smoothly, but coming to the maze without death or injury is a fact.
| |
| I explained this to Gedora, giving him several pieces of equipment from the labyrinth, and three
| |
| "resurrection bracelets". Wanted to use this as bait to sell Maze to the Empire.
| |
| It's also tricky to get attacked from behind from a military perspective.
| |
| I don't think they should leave the labyrinth behind and just head west, but if they can make each other
| |
| feel like they can still gain treasure by entering the labyrinth...
| |
| "So it is. Your ideas are really great. This old man already knows which commander is greedy, and His
| |
| Majesty Rimuru's ploy will surely succeed.”
| |
| Gedora took this task with confidence.
| |
| If things go well, the war will have ended.
| |
| If not, introduce the Imperials into the maze.
| |
| Again, it's all up to Gedora's work.
| |
| These four outlaws were received by my country at my whim.
| |
| | |
| And just like that, with unexpected company, the commotion ended.
| |
| Chapter 4: The Empire is Out
| |
| There is a strange man in the Empire.
| |
| His name is Kondo Tatsuya, an 'Otherworldly Visitor', a man who was well aware of the dark side of
| |
| the Empire.
| |
| Because he is representing that very dark side of the Empire.
| |
| Adorned with neat short black hair. The smooth bows drape around his eyes, giving a softer, more
| |
| serious look.
| |
| At first glance he appears to be an upstanding youth.
| |
| He looks young, under twenty-five.
| |
| Yet he is cold by nature.
| |
| His face is expressionless, and his eyes are shining, so sharp that he stares at his opponent, giving
| |
| people the illusion of seeing through everything. There was not the slightest glimmer of gentleness in his
| |
| eyes, giving the impression of old cunning.
| |
| It's no wonder.
| |
| Tatsuya Kondo, Lieutenant Kondo, was not as young as he looked.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| In this imperial capital, 'otherworldly visitors' are not so uncommon. That was the approach taken by
| |
| the Imperial Capital to bring these people to the Imperial Capital from all over the world in the name of
| |
| protecting the "otherworldly visitors".
| |
| He is also one of those who have been saved by this approach.
| |
| There is so-called magic in this world. That's why he was able to get his life back.
| |
| Seventy years ago...
| |
| He gambled his life for the sake of his homeland to make a special attack on the enemy's sea strike
| |
| fleet.
| |
| As to whether such a fight was right or wrong, he will not comment. Thinking back on the situation, he
| |
| thought that it was the only way to go at that time.
| |
| Thinking of the minions who had lost their lives, he wanted to find some meaning for those actions. So
| |
| he also remembered not to forget them.
| |
| To live with those comrades, because he didn't want to forget the legacy of his men, he was still a
| |
| "lieutenant", maintaining the rank of the time.
| |
| | |
| In order to carry out the sting operation, Tatsuya was going to die, but somehow, amidst the light and
| |
| searing heat from the explosion, he came to another world. Brushing up against death, he survived.
| |
| The man who saved him was the Emperor himself.
| |
| He got lucky.
| |
| The place where Tatsuya appeared was a courtyard where only the Emperor and a few of his attendants
| |
| had access. The emperor happened to be resting in that place.
| |
| "Interesting. That's the way fate would have it.”
| |
| Upon hearing the sound, Tatsuya suddenly lost consciousness.
| |
| When he opened his eyes again, there was no longer half a wound on his body.
| |
| He was also lucky to get his life back.
| |
| And in return for this kindness, he vowed to give his life for the Emperor, which he had once given up.
| |
| Crossing the world and nearly losing his life awakened his power, and Tatsuya offered it all to the
| |
| Emperor. To this day, he still lives only for the Emperor.
| |
| Never onstage activity.
| |
| He doesn't age, he stays the way he is.
| |
| Becoming part of the dark side of the Empire, to the Intelligence Headquarters, which lurks in the
| |
| shadows of the Empire.
| |
| He's a weirdo who feeds on intelligence.
| |
| Lurking in the shadows of the Empire.
| |
| Being both human and walking with the devil.
| |
| This man had various “aliases”, he is Lieutenant Kondo.
| |
| He’s the Imperial Army’s Director of Intelligence.
| |
| Even the chiefs of the various legions could not ignore him, and the people were afraid of him, not
| |
| knowing what he really was.
| |
| | |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| In order to raid the underground labyrinth, Gedora sent Shinji over to them, and Imperial Intelligence
| |
| also had the information.
| |
| Lt. Kondo was a man of few words.
| |
| "Well, that's hard work.”
| |
| That was all he said, and nothing more was said after that.
| |
| Those who came to report were used to it, and left the scene after a bow.
| |
| Lieutenant Kondo the man would not tell anyone else his opinion.
| |
| The report also contains detailed information about Yuuki's men.
| |
| The number of "otherworldly visitors" collected from all over the world has exceeded a thousand.
| |
| Among these people, those whose unique skills had not awakened probably accounted for a little over
| |
| 10%. All of these people are living peaceful lives in the Imperial Capital.
| |
| After the awakening, people with unique skills suitable for fighting are about 10% or 20% faster. Over
| |
| a hundred "otherworldly visitors" are assigned to the various legions according to their personalities.
| |
| Others are placed in workplaces where they can excel, doing a variety of jobs in various places.
| |
| The problem these days is the "otherworldly visitors" who are capable of fighting.
| |
| Yuuki—Yuuki Kagurazaka, the man who founded the Freedom Association in the Western countries. A
| |
| year ago he was also the Grand Master of the Freedom Association, trying to use his powers to protect
| |
| those "otherworldly visitors".
| |
| That's what Yuuki himself said, but the results of the Imperial investigation showed that those were all
| |
| lies.
| |
| He had also infiltrated the Rosso clan and used their power.
| |
| He also carries out "otherworldly visitor" summons that are forbidden on the Western side, and
| |
| according to the survey, they summoned quite a few people.
| |
| Otherwise there wouldn't be so many people who are particularly good at fighting.
| |
| On top of that, if it's an "otherworldly visitor" who's been summoned over, a "spell" can be used to
| |
| force them to swear allegiance. Wanting to be prepared not to betray one's own ministry, summoning is
| |
| most appropriate.
| |
| And these "otherworldly visitors" are scattered throughout the legions.
| |
| Lt. Kondo had a sense of crisis about this and thought that something bad would happen if we
| |
| continued to let it go. He'd thought right—this man possessed intimidating insight.
| |
| | |
| In fact, Lt. Kondo's misgivings were not wrong.
| |
| The results are clearly written in this report. After Yuuki moved to live in the Empire, we can conclude
| |
| from his words and actions that he was likely to stage a coup d'état by force.
| |
| In addition to that, those who were sent in against Yuuki have also been found.
| |
| Because of Yuuki's good record in the past, he escaped to this side of the Empire to be accepted. Yet he
| |
| forgets this favor and seems to be trying to expand his power without permission. Some became his men
| |
| and were sent to various legions.
| |
| And a few of them joined the glorious Order of the Near Guard.
| |
| In the case of other legions it is a different matter, the Imperial Order of the Emperor's Close Guard
| |
| must protect His Majesty and will not tolerate betrayers.
| |
| In Lt. Kondo's opinion, the matter could not be ignored.
| |
| It's dangerous. Yuuki Kagurazaka—it looks like we have to get rid of you.
| |
| Lt. Kondo was determined.
| |
| Yet now is not the time to act.
| |
| He received word that Master Gedora, the Grand Wizard of the Imperial Heavy Town, was linked to
| |
| Yuuki. Evidence is also available, but it's not clear how deep their relationship runs.
| |
| Needless to say, Master Gedora was also a very important figure to the Empire. It shouldn't be so easy
| |
| to betray, but Lieutenant Kondo also knew that he was coming to the Empire's aid only because his
| |
| purpose was in line with the Empire's philosophy.
| |
| In this way it was also possible to pit him against the Imperial interests for some reason.
| |
| If that's the case, the old man is also in danger. That being the case...
| |
| Yuuki and Gedora.
| |
| Yuuki looks like a teenager, but he is very sophisticated in his behavior. Like Lt. Kondo, he was
| |
| dangerous and could not be judged on appearances alone.
| |
| Gedora is an old man on the outside, but his essence is a monster that has survived for over a thousand
| |
| years. If one is going to be hostile to him, one cannot challenge such an opponent without being
| |
| thoroughly enlightened.
| |
| That's why information is collected.
| |
| Although some evidence has been found, the intelligence is still insufficient.
| |
| It is too early to act blatantly.
| |
| He's going to carefully investigate Yuuki's "otherworldly visitors". Find out afterwards if anyone is
| |
| dominated by the "spell".
| |
| However, if Yuuki or Gedora are found to be behaving unnaturally...
| |
| | |
| "Don't expect to be tried in public.”
| |
| Lurking in the shadows of the Empire - Lieutenant Kondo would never spare a traitor.
| |
| "Dance for the Empire. Your life is in my hands.”
| |
| In the shadows of the Imperial capital.
| |
| A cold glow rose in his eyes, and Lieutenant Kondo murmured quietly.
| |
| ***
| |
| It was the office attached to a plush desk, with a one-eyed man in a high-class chair.
| |
| With his left eye covered with a blindfold, he was a very thin man who looked to be about forty years
| |
| old.
| |
| His name is Calgurio.
| |
| He has the greatest power within the Empire and is the military leader of the Mecha Legion.
| |
| There were several "magic crystals" on the table in front of him.
| |
| This is the source of magical energy, high purity, high quality "magic crystal". Because Yuuki brings
| |
| certain techniques, it is possible to refine these "magic crystals" into magic stones.
| |
| In other words, "magic crystals" are taken from the core of magic creatures and refined to produce
| |
| magic stones that can be used to generate magical energy.
| |
| There are also natural magical stones that fall from magical creatuers, but only individuals with a large
| |
| amount of magical elements and a grade of A or higher can harvest them. These natural magical stones
| |
| are of a high quality, unmatched by other magical stones, and generally do not generate energy, but are
| |
| used as decorative objects or magical mediums.
| |
| If it cannot be taken on a regular basis, it has no value as a source of energy.
| |
| Calgurio reached out and grabbed the 'magic crystal' on the table. The more closely he looked, the more
| |
| he knew the quality of something like that was great.
| |
| Reluctant to let go of the touch that remained in his hand, Calgurio placed the Magic Crystal Stone
| |
| back on the table. Instead, he picked up the report book that had been sent with the stone.
| |
| This is a report from the Institute.
| |
| If it is a "magic crystal" of this purity, it will be able to produce a hundred of the magic stones made by
| |
| the Empire. It can also be converted directly into energy with high purity. If you want to take this level of
| |
| "magic crystal", you must at least defeat a magic creature of B level or higher.
| |
| It is so written.
| |
| "That Gedora guy! I can't believe you're keeping something so profitable from me..."
| |
| Calgurio was outraged by this.
| |
| | |
| He had bribed those Institute personnel to inform himself of anything. The result is this report.
| |
| This "magic crystal" is something that Gedora brought recently. He didn't let on where it was harvested,
| |
| but since there were several it meant he might have found a place that could give birth to a large group of
| |
| magical things. After all, these stones are all of first-rate quality, and the test results indicate that almost
| |
| all contain the same amount of energy.
| |
| Different kinds of magical things can't take on the same quality. There will always be deviations, which
| |
| must be refined before the magic stone can be worked on.
| |
| Yet here the "magic crystal" is of almost the same quality. This means that there is a large group of
| |
| magical creatures of the same race.
| |
| He didn't think it would be possible to breed these magical creatures, but with regular attacks and then
| |
| executing them at intervals, it should improve the Empire's energy problems.
| |
| Yet it seems that things are more complicated.
| |
| Calgurio's face twisted with desire.
| |
| If the goal is to stabilize the energy supply, it is necessary to ensure the location of the production of
| |
| this "magic crystal”—the report concludes.
| |
| Not only do they have an eye on the habitat of these magical creatures, they also lock down locations.
| |
| That place was within the domain of the demon lord Rimuru, the legendary underground maze.
| |
| "Recently, Gedora and Yuuki were so close that they didn't even come to see me. It's inexcusable to do
| |
| something so profitable in private!"
| |
| That's what sets Calgurio on fire.
| |
| And things follow.
| |
| The high-ranking nobleman who was walking very close to Calgurio told him an interesting thing.
| |
| A large group of them ran over, with obnoxious smiles on their faces, and came over to report to
| |
| Calgurio. Upon hearing this, it becomes clear that Gedora ran off to investigate the maze and lost three
| |
| more apprentices.
| |
| If that were the only thing, it would only be sympathetic and not funny at all, yet what Gedora brought
| |
| back was a problem.
| |
| Because Gedora not only brought back the "magic crystal stone", but even the treasure.
| |
| It was a sword that adorned Calgurio's room.
| |
| Not only is it made of pure "magic steel" of high quality, but the technology is also of a very high
| |
| standard. Not far from the most powerful artisanal forge in the Dwarven Kingdom. It's a great sword. No,
| |
| this side is better in terms of the material.
| |
| There's a distinct difference from what circulates within the Empire.
| |
| | |
| As for the excellent sword, it was one that Calgurio had bought with a high-ranking nobleman. There
| |
| were three in total, one of which was taken to the technical department of its own army for testing.
| |
| The high-ranking nobleman said proudly, "This is something precious, perhaps with incredible effects."
| |
| His words were exaggerated, lobbying Calgurio to buy.
| |
| Even though it was dedicated to that nobleman by Gedora.
| |
| Calgurio asked him if Gedora had any demands, but the other said in a loud voice, "How can I tell you
| |
| that? That's for sure, right?”
| |
| It turned out that a sword asked for a hundred gold coins and sold for a total value of three hundred
| |
| gold coins, but Calgurio did want to know something.
| |
| Because he bought three at a time, the other party finally gave him a clue...
| |
| Calgurio was of lower aristocratic origin and became a military chief by strength.
| |
| The empire is entirely a powerhouse society, and therefore has a higher status than the nobleman with
| |
| an empty exalted status.
| |
| Originally, there was no way he would have had the opportunity to speak to these high ranking nobles.
| |
| However, facing the current Calgurio, these same men had to give him three points of courtesy.
| |
| They clearly looked down on me in private, but now that doesn’t matter. More important now than that
| |
| is the clever use of these people.
| |
| High-ranking nobles do everything for their own benefit. Informing things based on good intentions—
| |
| there is no such thing as good intentions under heaven.
| |
| Would have told Calgurio what Gedora had said, also all carefully calculated.
| |
| In other words, they put Yuuki on the scale with Calgurio to measure.
| |
| "Those greedy aristocrats! But more important now is Gedora. Even the aristocrats are lobbying them
| |
| to use the hybrid legions to attack the maze! Since I'm going to Raiders, I should recommend my army...I
| |
| took the Mecha Legion from that guy, I didn't think he'd still hold a grudge over it now..."
| |
| Because of Gedora's assistance, the Mecha Legion managed to become the Modern Legion. The force
| |
| inside swelled from tens to hundreds of times, and Gedora had no command over it.
| |
| Calgurio thought the reason lay there, and Gedora was therefore jealous of him.
| |
| "No harm done. Good luck getting information from the nobility. This way we can get ahead of those
| |
| guys and let my army hold the benefits.”
| |
| Of course, pulling in high-ranking nobles requires some money.
| |
| Even if Calgurio gets the benefit, part of it has to go.
| |
| Even so, Calgurio still thinks it's a good deal.
| |
| The only thing you can get from inside the maze isn't just "magic crystals". The quality of this sword is
| |
| also great, currently equivalent to the Rare class. But in another hundred years, it might turn out to be a
| |
| | |
| special class. If the body is built with so much "magic steel", it might evolve even faster. That alone would
| |
| be worth it for me to master that maze!
| |
| It was precisely because that was what Calgurio thought that he decided to go and pull in the high
| |
| ranking nobles.
| |
| Calgurio is making plans for the future, but one doubt just can't wave it out of his mind.
| |
| —then again, what is this hole?
| |
| The high aristocrats say "it has an incredible effect," but those are all from Gedora's side, I guess.
| |
| In Calgurio's opinion, he did not find a similar effect.
| |
| However....
| |
| One thing that made him suspicious when he read it was the holes in the sword.
| |
| Is there a meaning behind this?
| |
| Calgurio had no way to tell.
| |
| That's why those were given to the technical department, but the analysis is not yet available.
| |
| It's okay, the Empire is not like the West, and nowadays the era doesn't fight with swords anymore...
| |
| So no matter how much value this sword contained, it wouldn't make sense in a modern army.
| |
| Only a highly skilled warrior can live with this sword.
| |
| Yeah, just like Calgurio with his right hand.
| |
| Thinking on the one hand, Calgurio looked forward to seeing the results of the analysis come out.
| |
| Immediately following, a few days later.
| |
| Calgurio received an amazing report.
| |
| "Let me explain.”
| |
| The director of the technical unit explained it in person.
| |
| After a scientific analysis of this sword, they found many things.
| |
| The orifice was not decorative.
| |
| It was a device that could absorb energy, a medium that could unleash magic with high efficiency.
| |
| That is to say, it's not just a sword, but a magic unleashing device.
| |
| "He's called the Demon Lord Rimuru, right? I can't underestimate him for coming up with such an
| |
| interesting idea."
| |
| | |
| "Right. It's a weapon that makes you think it's a sword—that is, a weapon that fights at close range, and
| |
| then uses magic to make an unintended attack. As long as the source of the energy supply that matches
| |
| this hole is found, the caster—in this case the owner, I guess—can cast the magic without any burden.”
| |
| That's right.
| |
| The greatest feature of this weapon is the ability to manipulate magic as well as unleash it, breaking
| |
| existing common sense.
| |
| "But did you really get this in the maze?"
| |
| "About that I can prove it's true. I had men sent over, and it doesn't sound like Gedora was lying.”
| |
| Calgurio also sent his own men to the magic capital "Rimuru" to gather information related to the
| |
| maze. Internal investigations hit a bottleneck near the fortieth floor, but those people had interesting
| |
| rumors from the merchant side and the rest of the population.
| |
| They said they could get weapons with holes in them from the maze. Although the transaction amount
| |
| is high, it's cheaper to buy than Trinity level.
| |
| "So, what is the other party's purpose in doing such a thing...”
| |
| "Huh! Just think about it for a moment. At least we have to experiment before we can use this as a new
| |
| weapon!”
| |
| The director of the technology department has a good head but doesn't think about the tactical side of
| |
| things. After listening to Calgurio's explanations, I finally found out what the point of doing so was.
| |
| "Oh, so it is. Adventurers abound, to give those things to them and let them investigate the effect? It
| |
| does sound reasonable. When the magic stone was placed into this hole, the sword's rank was raised by
| |
| one stage. Would turn into a high powered magic sword, but seemed to have other uses. It takes a lot of
| |
| time to master these various experiments.”
| |
| "Exactly. Just send those things to the adventurers at random and ask them to try them individually.
| |
| Once the data is all out, come back and wait for that data to be recycled.”
| |
| In a way, Calgurio correctly interprets the intent of Rimuru. And judging from experience that such an
| |
| experiment would take time, he was well aware of that.
| |
| At this stage, these are just experimental weapons. Yet procrastination is dangerous.
| |
| Humans are interesting creatures, some of whom can see things by intuition. Most of these people are
| |
| particularly prone to having that excellent instinct, especially when they are in danger.
| |
| "This is a great idea—human experimentation in a maze where no one dies.”
| |
| "I think I need a bracelet like this to get inside, but the results of the analysis are still a mystery. If the
| |
| rumors were true, conducting military training wouldn't have to be so hard.”
| |
| The director of the technical department pulled out a small box, which was tightly sealed, and he held it
| |
| out to Calgurio.
| |
| In this chest is one of the treasures that Gedora brought back—the "Resurrection Bracelet".
| |
| | |
| "Those things certainly sound suspicious. However, if our army mastered this labyrinth...”
| |
| That way they can discern the truth of the rumors, and if things are true, that would be a great
| |
| achievement.
| |
| "Oh, so Lord Calgurio is so ambitious that he wants to fight the demon lord?”
| |
| "That's for sure. It's a bad idea to go after each other for nothing, but the Great Forest of Jura is on our
| |
| invasion route. Plus that maze is in a location that can't be ignored, someone has to step up to the plate.”
| |
| "Oh, how dare you.”
| |
| After that, Calgurio and the director of the technical department looked at each other and smiled.
| |
| "A stable supply of magical crystals and an efficient place to experiment. If things go well, we can still
| |
| capture the enemy's new weaponry.”
| |
| "Then we must get ahead of the other legions and let Lord Calgurio's mech legions go over and
| |
| suppress them first.”
| |
| "You don't have to say that. You just have to wait there and expect results.”
| |
| The director of the technical department wore a pleasant smile, and a light smile appeared on Calgurio's
| |
| face.
| |
| "But the master is getting old and his mind is beginning to be unclear."
| |
| "Exactly. I was blinded by the "magic crystal" and didn't see that the maze was more important, and
| |
| misjudged the performance of the sword.”
| |
| "It's only by relying on magic that you can do this harm. It's unheard of for a weapon to make a change
| |
| in rank like this.”
| |
| Calgurio thinks the director of the technical department is right.
| |
| Gedora was a great man, yet it was no longer the time to rely on magic. A new wave is blowing up, and
| |
| that is science, so that things go hand in hand with magic, opening a new era.
| |
| It's because of this that the Mecha Corps should let me lead. The old man would have had a little more
| |
| respect if he'd rested on his laurels. Since he's now teaming up with that so-and-so Yuuki, there's no need
| |
| to be polite with him.
| |
| Thinking about this side, a battle plan popped into Calgurio's mind.
| |
| It would be foolish to go up against several demon lords at the same time, but just dealing with demon
| |
| lord Rimuru would be fine.
| |
| And the "Storm Dragon" has long been an object of crusade, and that's what the Empire has always
| |
| wanted. Calgurio intends to use the newly developed weapon to put the Storm Dragon in place.
| |
| If successful, even a small sacrifice would be profitable. Master Gedora, however, was adamantly
| |
| opposed.
| |
| So this became the key reason why Calgurio and Gedora were pitted against each other.
| |
| | |
| Ha! As long as the evil dragon is able to be captured, the Slime demon lord is no match for us at all.
| |
| This time make sure to show everyone that we are the strongest legion in the Empire!
| |
| The time had come, and Calgurio was excited about it.
| |
| Gedora was against him to thwart his opponent's sharpness and consolidate his position in the Empire.
| |
| So Calgurio must build up a reputation for making the Mecha Legion crush the Evil Dragon no matter
| |
| what.
| |
| For this reason...
| |
| "Let's go in at the next imperial meeting and advocate a march.”
| |
| "Oooohhhh, finally..."
| |
| "Hmm," nodded Calgurio.
| |
| No need to wait for the Demon Lord to be ready. He's going to use that as an excuse to silence those
| |
| who object.
| |
| Gedora, I definitely can't let you get ahead of yourself. And then there's Yuuki, the brat. So you're just
| |
| going to get carried away by joining forces with Gedora? I'm going to show you how much of a pound
| |
| you have.
| |
| Calgurio was laughing at his stupid peers.
| |
| There was clearly an opportunity to get important information, and the idiot just missed it by not
| |
| finding out about it.
| |
| Just a half-baked fool, anyway, Calgurio was convinced.
| |
| While laughing at his peers, Calgurio continued to think.
| |
| What should I do to get the most out of myself?
| |
| He pondered the matter deeply, while sorting out what was to be played to the Emperor.
| |
| The Empire began to stir as a result of Calgurio's actions.
| |
| ***
| |
| The imperial meeting was about to begin.
| |
| This time the situation was very different from the usual, not only the soldiers and generals who
| |
| participated, but even the civilian officials present were nervous.
| |
| Presumably sensing this atmosphere, people who had nothing to do with it didn't want to be anywhere
| |
| near the big convention hall.
| |
| This meeting was different than usual.
| |
| That's something people feel.
| |
| | |
| Someone announced the arrival of the Emperor, and everyone bowed their heads in unison.
| |
| On the other side of the curtain, someone seemed to appear.
| |
| That would be the Emperor of the Unification Empire, Rudra Naam Ulu Nazca.
| |
| | |
| At the pinnacle of the united eastern empire of the most powerful military power, Nazca-Namlium-
| |
| Ulmeria.
| |
| | |
| No one knew what was going through the Emperor's mind, and the voice appeared on the other side of
| |
| the curtain.
| |
| Except for a few close servants, no one has ever seen the true face of the emperor, a supreme being,
| |
| who just stays there and lets others not dare to make a scene.
| |
| The emperor is the only one who cannot be questioned.
| |
| Only a fraction of those dare to speak out against the emperor.
| |
| There were nearly two hundred people in the meeting room.
| |
| First there were the "three generals”—they were the chiefs of the various legions, and their deputies.
| |
| The elite members of the Imperial Emperor's Near Guard Knights were lined up.
| |
| There are also ministers who deal with the administrative affairs of the State, and the Grand Council of
| |
| Peers, which is the center of the State. The best and brightest from all walks of life are gathered here with
| |
| their heads bowed.
| |
| All that remained in the solemn hall was the sound of clothes scraping.
| |
| Then the voice disappeared.
| |
| At this moment, the Prime Minister winked at the official of the ceremony.
| |
| "Your Majesty the Emperor...is here...!"
| |
| Upon hearing this, all the people in the room unanimously said a salute.
| |
| Breaking the silence, it was like a roar of rage, a hundred voices.
| |
| This imperial meeting began with the question of whether the Great March that will go down in history
| |
| is right or wrong.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| The imperial meeting took place in a serious atmosphere.
| |
| On this occasion, the issue of the Great March was raised, with one group advocating prudence and the
| |
| other advocating troops, in which the militants were again divided into two factions.
| |
| | |
| The first thing to ask is what is the name of the war?
| |
| This is a stupid question.
| |
| Plundering because the emperor wanted it so badly—it’s just that.
| |
| Does that work?
| |
| At this point, there is again a substantial difference of opinion.
| |
| Some advocate that one should be cautious, others advocate attacking from the front and ravaging the
| |
| enemy.
| |
| The civil officials felt that they should persuade the other side to surrender, exerting pressure and
| |
| coercion, starting with diplomatic negotiations.
| |
| If the emperor wished to go to war, then they would have no room for opinion.
| |
| But at present the emperor did not give a holy decree, and everyone had their own opinion during the
| |
| meeting.
| |
| It is only a matter of time before war starts.
| |
| The question is what method to use.
| |
| The demon lords in charge everywhere were also in the way, but as long as they didn't infringe on their
| |
| territory, they wouldn't do anything about it.
| |
| The only obstacle is the "storm dragon" Veldora.
| |
| Later on, all the talk was directed towards the Great Forest of Jura.
| |
| One of them came out to petition and said he was against the war.
| |
| "I am afraid, Your Majesty. I'm against sending troops.”
| |
| He is the Great Wizard of the Empire, Master Gedora.
| |
| Gedora did not fear the emperor at all, and he entered boldly.
| |
| "What a cowardly thing to say! Is that again to be mentioned, Sir Gedora?”
| |
| Some have ridiculed Gedora, one is of the "three generals”—Calgurio, the head of the Mecha Legion.
| |
| Every time.
| |
| These two men represent the Deliberative and the Militant, respectively.
| |
| "If it's just to hit the West, that's fine. But there was the evil dragon Veldora in the great forest of Jura.
| |
| The resurrection of the evil dragon was just confirmed two years ago. Of course you have to be careful!”
| |
| Some share his view.
| |
| There were also those who laughed at Gedora's weakness.
| |
| | |
| The calamity brought about by Veldora was projected to have passed over three hundred years ago, and
| |
| that fear had long since passed with the wind. Now that more people are starting, things are not looking
| |
| good on Gedora's side.
| |
| Calgurio has seen through this and wants to agitate further by words.
| |
| "Master, your attitude of prudence is something we should learn from. But as I've said many times, the
| |
| countermeasures used against Veldora are foolproof. With the new weapon we've developed, we have a
| |
| chance to bring that evil dragon to its knees!"
| |
| "Ridiculous! Don't talk in your dreams, Sir Calgurio. Since it cannot be denied that this operation has
| |
| the potential to fail, it is certainly prudent to proceed. And now there's a new demon lord ruling that
| |
| forest! Although it was impossible for a demon lord to join forces with each other, it was not good to
| |
| deliberately work against them. And that evil dragon had been resurrected and seemed to have joined
| |
| forces with the newly installed Demon Lord Rimuru. Usually, people tell the devil that the water from the
| |
| well does not violate the river!”
| |
| As long as the "Valley of Death Creek", which is connected to the old Clayman territory, is passed,
| |
| there is that possibility to get the army to move. However, they didn't choose to do so because the Empire
| |
| didn't want to offend the area under Demon Lord Milim's jurisdiction.
| |
| The march through the fertile earth will be faster than through the forest. Yet the benefits gained were
| |
| not great enough to offend the demon lord, Milim.
| |
| Likewise, just by going through the Great Forest of Jura, they could lay their hands on the West.
| |
| However, now that Veldora the Storm Dragon has been resurrected, he has also joined forces with the
| |
| demon lord Rimuru.
| |
| With no intention of adding enemies—the above is Gedora’s claim. Upon hearing this, several civil
| |
| officials nodded their heads in agreement. However, Calgurio snorted and questioned Gedora.
| |
| "Is it not true, then, that His Excellency Gedora wants us to give up a long-held ambition of the
| |
| Empire?”
| |
| It would have been difficult to send a large army to the west without going through the great forest of
| |
| Jura. It is for this reason that Calgurio's question was supported by the military.
| |
| "His Excellency Calgurio has a point, Master. In the face of the great Imperial Army, a single Demon
| |
| Lord is not even a threat!”
| |
| "How dare you speak insultingly in front of His Majesty! Could it be that His Excellency Gedora wants
| |
| to defy the Emperor's will—!”
| |
| "No! Come to think of it, instead of making an enemy of the demon lord, it would be better to enlist the
| |
| help of the Dwarf King. That way we don't get hurt and it's relatively easy to master the West!”
| |
| Gedora yelled loudly, refuting those objections.
| |
| Yet there are those who scoff at Gedora’s claims.
| |
| "It's you that's funny, Sir Gedora. The Dwarf King is a man of great virtue and respect, known as the
| |
| Sword Saint. The previous generation was also a hero, and the kings of this generation have extraordinary
| |
| strength. His companions are all famous heroes, and this side is a stronger opponent than slaughtering the
| |
| | |
| newcomer demon lord. Even I wanted to put my hands together and beg for mercy, but that wasn't the
| |
| point this time. It is better to fight with heroes than to crush the demon lord, so that the world will look at
| |
| us more positively!”
| |
| Someone who uttered the phrase was one of the "three great generals".
| |
| The Beast King Gladim, the leader of the Beast (Warcraft) Legion.
| |
| Just standing up exudes a sense of oppression, enough to overwhelm the entire field.
| |
| It's very kingly.
| |
| Even the Beast King, Gladim, could get them to give in by strength. It is the premier martial arts
| |
| faction in the Empire, with a highly combat-oriented army chief.
| |
| The class is the Grand Admiral.
| |
| They say he is the second most powerful man in the Empire.
| |
| Although Gladim was not in the "single digits", he was in the "tens", but because he was strong enough,
| |
| he became a military commander very early. He used to think of himself as the strongest without having
| |
| to compete with others for ranking. Therefore, he has always had a bad taste in the "marshal" who is
| |
| allegedly stronger than himself.
| |
| It was said that this man possessed the bloodline of an orc race, but it was not certain if that was true or
| |
| not. It's the type of person who acts on instinct, which Gedora is not good at dealing with.
| |
| "It was His Excellency, Lord Gladim, and the comparison is not correct. I'm just asking you to get King
| |
| Gazel!”
| |
| "Stupid. If the dwarven kingdoms are to be annexed together, I can understand what you are saying. If
| |
| you dare to obstruct the empire's unification of the world, all you have to do is beat the hell out of those
| |
| guys. But! What are you playing at here? It's because you keep saying that, even with all the troops in the
| |
| field, we still can't get started, can we...!"
| |
| “Don’t say something stupid! The Dwarf Kingdom is a natural stronghold, and they're trying to take it
| |
| down..."
| |
| "Shut up...! To say such useless things in front of His Majesty is the reason why you were dismissed
| |
| from your post and could not continue to be a military commander...!"
| |
| The Beast King Gladim roared out the words.
| |
| He is telling the truth.
| |
| About thirty years ago, Gedora led a magical legion that was one of the three major legions of the
| |
| Empire. Today, however, those who are able are assigned to technical departments, while others are
| |
| transferred to various units.
| |
| The reason for this is that the use of magic can only depend on talent.
| |
| You can't manipulate magic without it in the first place. It's not something you can learn with effort, so
| |
| there are very few people who can use it.
| |
| | |
| While also useful in combat, the Empire later developed weapons that could replace magic.
| |
| That's the Magic Gun, a small magic guide weapon.
| |
| Using the magic stone as a source of energy, unleash the magic array carved into the body of the gun.
| |
| In this way, this weapon allows anyone to use magic. The weakness is that only one kind of magic can be
| |
| put out, but practicality is naturally out of the question.
| |
| As for fighting close range battles, they have the "Imperial Style Magic Sword". The same is true in
| |
| principle, with the added magic of a strengthened weapon, which is a small magic-guided weapon.
| |
| It's because of these things that the tech department found out what the hole-filled weapons from the
| |
| labyrinth could do.
| |
| Everyone is thinking the same thing—in a nutshell.
| |
| Now that people without talent can use magic, the Magic Legion no longer serves any purpose.
| |
| As if announcing the end of the magical age, it was a sad thing for Gedora.
| |
| On top of that, there was another person who laughed at such a Gedora.
| |
| "Ha ha ha, Master. You're getting old. Your knowledge of magic is a treasure to the Empire. There is
| |
| also assistance for the development of a new type of magical guide weapon for our mecha legion...but
| |
| like Lord Gladim said, what was said earlier was inappropriate. Have you become a coward?”
| |
| Calgurio sneered contemptuously at him.
| |
| The sound of snickering came from both the Noble House and the military units.
| |
| "Do you really understand? That evil dragon in charge of the storm is the strongest race in this world!”
| |
| "Master, you don't understand. The Imperial Army is not the same as before. Many people from the
| |
| other world brought knowledge to us—we studied these 'sciences' and began to have a very different
| |
| system of technology from this world, and the military power of our Imperial Army has increased dozens
| |
| of times compared to the previous generation. Wizards like you, who can't keep up with the times, can't
| |
| keep up with the current way of fighting anymore. I am indebted to the emperor, so please live in peace.”
| |
| "You, what are you...!?”
| |
| Gedora was outraged by this, but it was really all an act.
| |
| After all, Gedora had surrendered to the demon lord Rimuru. He tried his best to talk in the direction of
| |
| not going to war, but after that he just left it alone.
| |
| These guys are really pathetic. Science is great knowledge, yes, but even the Sorcerer Dynasty of
| |
| Sarion has a secret knowledge that belongs to them—“Magical Science". His Majesty Rimuru was also
| |
| originally an "Otherworldly Visitor", and the Empire relied on these military forces to secure their
| |
| superior status, but there's no telling how much of an effect that would have...
| |
| Now that Gedora had gotten to know the Jura Tempest Federation and Rimuru, he began to wonder if
| |
| the Empire would win.
| |
| | |
| He didn't want to see any misfortune happen to his peers, and felt that His Majesty the Emperor had
| |
| been kind to him. That's why he’ll try his best to bait everyone in the hope of avoiding war, but if they
| |
| fail, they’ll have to wait and see.
| |
| It is expected that Yuuki will stage a coup, and if it happens, he intends to go and ensure the personal
| |
| safety of the Emperor.
| |
| Yuuki would have wanted to assassinate the emperor, right? Since his purpose is to conquer the world,
| |
| nothing gets in the way more than a great leader.
| |
| If it had been before, Gedora would have intended to leave it alone. But now that the reason for starting
| |
| the war was gone, Yuuki's approach would throw the whole world into chaos, and Gedora would not
| |
| allow him to do so.
| |
| But I don't know what happens after that, so there's probably no point in going on about it. Then the
| |
| next step is to follow His Majesty Rimuru's orders to "keep the Imperial Army's attention on the
| |
| underground maze."
| |
| Gedora made up his mind darkly.
| |
| Then began to pay attention to Yuuki who was still silent now.
| |
| ***
| |
| Seeing Gedora fall into silence, Calgurio thought he had won.
| |
| Gedora's magical legions were dismantled and the military structure reconfigured. After that, Gedora
| |
| could only titularly serve as technical advisor to the Mecha Legion.
| |
| But he is known to have the power to be a hero, and perhaps still has more influence than Calgurio.
| |
| Recommending Yuuki the brat for army chief, that too is Gedora alone. It's infuriating.
| |
| It's something that makes Calgurio feel bad.
| |
| The great wizard Gedora—the hero so called—was now old too. But his feats were still glorious, and it
| |
| was inevitable to pay him a little tribute, and Calgurio thought so, but...
| |
| Heck, he's an old-time character anyway. This has turned out to be an old scourge...
| |
| As the times have evolved, the Empire has become more and more combatant. The poor old man could
| |
| no longer keep up—that’s Gedora now.
| |
| The Empire ushers in a new era.
| |
| The three major legions of the new generation were so powerful that they simply could not be
| |
| compared to before.
| |
| ...........
| |
| ........
| |
| Calgurio's Legion of Mechs...
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| | |
| Combining the science and technology of another world and their magic technology to become the
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| largest legion of the Empire.
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| The total number of troops that can be mobilized is over two million. However, this includes the
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| number of troops on standby throughout the Reich, so that if a military operation were to be launched
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| immediately, it would in fact be possible to mobilize only a million people at most.
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| Even then it was a massive legion, unimaginable a hundred years ago, so to speak, beyond reason.
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| And then there's Gladim's Legion of Warcraft (Beasts)...
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| Using DNA analysis, a technology from another world, they have been able to breed captured beasts.
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| The cultivated magical beasts will be re-educated and strengthened to become the center of this legion.
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| It's like the impossible cultivation of a magic beast according to common sense so far. Not only did
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| they achieve this, but they even tamed those demonic beasts. In this way, the tough magical beast can
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| become a riding beast.
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| The men who rode these magical beasts were heroes within the Empire.
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| Heroic bloodlines that have been active since time immemorial—they use them for analysis, so that
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| those people have this power.
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| They come down in life to be strong.
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| Let the powers that remain in their bloodline awaken, and the members of the Warcraft Legion are all
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| heroes.
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| To be as talented as they are, it is said that there is only one out of 100,000 people, and this legion is
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| small, only 30,000. However, the demonic beasts they rode were all above A- rank, and the strength of the
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| human-demonic oneness was immeasurable.
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| Only 30,000 people could be called the Legion, the strongest elite force that the Empire prided itself
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| on.
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| And then there's the "hybrid army" led by Yuuki...
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| Although this force is heavily staffed, their potential capabilities are very high.
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| Without understanding group cooperation, these disordered molecules are collected, and there is a nest
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| of these redundant members—the world generally thinks so, but in fact that assessment is wrong. The
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| reason why it is impossible to coordinate with other people is because each of them has excellent abilities.
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| The individual talents are outstanding, so powerful that they are difficult to control—many of them are
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| "otherworldly visitors" and the potential abilities are unknown.
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| Also, as a result of various experiments, some individuals have begun to possess irreproducible foul
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| elements—magical beasts with A-rank power that are difficult to master but have extraordinary fighting
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| abilities.
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| As well as weapons whose performance has been abandoned without knowing why things have turned
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| out the way they did—many of the products of the new experiment have been gathered in this unit.
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| | |
| Before, they were simply governed by people, but then Yuuki, the leader, appeared before them. The
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| result is a hybrid legion of trump-like forces, so powerful that it is difficult to calculate them numerically.
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| The total number of the army is 200,000.
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| Half of them are intelligence generals or general service soldiers, and the actual number of soldiers
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| available is 100,000.
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| There is also a force of carefully selected members at the head.
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| Those people were believers in Yuuki, the soul of the Hybrid Legion.
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| ...........
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| ........
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| The above are the three fledgling legions of the Empire.
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| It was a massive force of war.
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| As soon as the emperor gives the order, the army of one hundred and thirteen thousand can now be sent
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| out and a military operation will be launched.
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| At present, the Imperial Intelligence Bureau has studied the total war power of the Western countries,
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| which translates into less than a million troops. Considering the number of people they might mobilize, it
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| would be a blessing to gather up to 400,000.
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| And they did not think that the countries would join forces smoothly, concluding that there was
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| probably no way to use it militarily intelligently.
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| Against a crowd of 400,000, the Empire had over a million elites.
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| This large army was up against an enemy that was simply no match for them.
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| At the heart of this overwhelming Imperial army was the mech legion led by Calgurio.
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| This time, Calgurio intends to send specially selected fighters to the field to fight.
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| He expects to mobilize millions, with the following members.
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| The main force is the "Mecha Modification Corps...”
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| Draw on technology from another world to magically transform those soldiers. The minimum personal
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| combat ability is also a C+. Some of them even came to A rank.
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| With seven hundred thousand men in the regiment, it was the main force that kept the others from
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| seeing the light of day.
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| The Magic Chariot Division...
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| They have a practical new weapon, the Magic Guiding Chariot, with a total of two thousand units.
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| The Magic Chariot is going to be manned by five people, but can play a very powerful performance,
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| breaking common sense so far.
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| | |
| The main cannon is called the "Magic Guide Cannon" and can reach a speed of 2,000 meters per
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| second at first strike. The ability to load fifty rounds of ammunition, and shoot five rounds in one minute,
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| is so powerful that it's as destructive as tactical magic—the Super Advanced Explosive Flame style.
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| By the way, the shell itself is a "block of iron" even though it is fired using magic principles. A quality
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| weapon that can easily penetrate the boundaries of magic or defense against bows, etc., is intimidating.
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| Originally, this kind of power could only be harnessed by magic instructors and belonged to a few
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| elites, but now even ordinary soldiers could use it. Add to that the difficulty of defending, and there is a
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| great deal of meaning behind this.
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| Including the maintenance team, the number of soldiers inside was 200,000, so just by increasing the
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| number of chariots, the combat power would increase.
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| And a classified weapon, the Air Combat Corps.
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| There are four hundred blimps inside.
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| It could be said to be a treasure of the Empire, a crystallization of knowledge from another world.
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| Each blimp can carry up to four hundred people.
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| Fifty staff members operate, while others are responsible for waging defensive magic or controlling
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| artillery fire. There are many magic-enhanced cannons inside, which are excellent for attack and defense.
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| Also a very useful means of transportation.
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| It's not too much to say that there is "no concept of air power" in this era. The complete absence of the
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| alert air allows for the transport of large numbers of troops while the enemy is inattentive.
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| If you want to surround the enemy back and forth, you can do it simply by using the airship.
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| This is an invention that subverts established tactical theory.
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| The regiment had a total of 100,000 soldiers, and most of the former members of the "Magic Legion"
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| were affiliated with this regiment.
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| Because of the preparation of such a large force, Calgurio felt that he could do nothing.
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| For example, although it depends on the size of the country, the average strength of a knight in this
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| world is at best a C. The use of weapons or protective gear, watered down, and rigorous training is not
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| guaranteed to barely reach B level.
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| Conversely look at the mecha legion, which can magically transform members as long as they have the
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| will to do so. To demonstrate a high degree of compatibility in a health diagnosis would semi-forcing
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| them to undergo revision surgery.
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| The result succeeded in turning the entire legion's fighting prowess from the valley.
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| On this point, the people stationed everywhere were no exception, and Calgurio believed that the
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| Empire was rock-solid.
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| As for this big long march, he expected to send out all the magical chariots and hovercrafts.
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| | |
| Even if other countries unite, these soldiers still far surpass them in quality.
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| Plus there are a lot of new weapons that are being made public for the first time.
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| If you want to show the power of the Empire, you must send an army of mechs, Calgurio, to be so sure.
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| We have such a powerful army, whether it's Veldora or Demon Lord, there's nothing to fear! My legions
| |
| alone can be the world's greatest!
| |
| Heart full of such confidence, Calgurio watched again to see how Gedora reacted.
| |
| That's why he noticed one thing. That was when Gedora turned his gaze to look at Yuuki. The next
| |
| moment, as if waiting for this opportunity, Yuuki spoke up.
| |
| "Grandfather Gedora was too cautious, and I agree with that. In my opinion, we are overly vigilant
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| about the Storm Dragon. Just like the Calgurio army chief said, if it's the current Imperial Army, it
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| shouldn't be a problem to deal with them, right?”
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| At this imperial meeting, Yuuki spoke for the first time.
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| He didn't expect him to agree with himself, which made Calgurio wary.
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| This guy is going to take this opportunity to attack the maze, right? It's naive to think I didn't notice
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| that! How can one take on the important task of a military chief without intelligence?
| |
| In spite of his heart, Calgurio flashed a friendly smile at Yuuki.
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| To make an exception there is still the figure of Gladim, but he was only chosen to be the military chief
| |
| because he was powerful beyond reason. It's too early for a Yuuki in the district to become a military
| |
| commander, and on weekdays, Calgurio sees Yuuki as a thorn in his side.
| |
| Hiding this side of his heart, Calgurio began to speak.
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| "You're worthy of the title of Lord Yuuki. As a young up-and-comer, you’re really something else.”
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| "No, you're flattering me. I'd say that if we were to start a war, we'd have to investigate first, right? To
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| pass through the Great Forest of Jura, one must pass through the area governed by the demon lord
| |
| Rimuru. But an interesting thing happened here, I heard that the demon lord was able to make their city
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| escape into the maze.”
| |
| "Oh, you mean the maze?"
| |
| "Right. Properly speaking it should be an underground maze. I don't know what kind of principle is
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| behind it, but I've heard that the entire metropolis has disappeared, leaving only a gate in the ground.”
| |
| While Calgurio, who pretended to be unaware, asked this question, Yuuki replied to him with a "just
| |
| what I want" look on his face.
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| Huh, boring. Is he trying to say he's going to go over and investigate, intending to take away the
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| benefits that can be gained in the underground maze?...that's why I said you were too tender)
| |
| Thinking about this side, Calgurio snickered.
| |
| | |
| "Well, is this information accurate?”
| |
| "If it's true, we can't ignore the underground maze. When our military comes through, they may attack
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| from behind."
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| "Indeed. If the West wasn't so stupid, they would have built a line of defense to strengthen their
| |
| defenses. If supplies are cut off by the demon lord's army, our army will be in desperate straits.”
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| "In that case, it's dangerous to go through the Great Forest of Jura."
| |
| Hearing Yuuki say so, everyone began to take their own positions. That seemed to be what Yuuki
| |
| wanted, and the expression on his face lit up with it.
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| "The credibility of this information is beyond question. After all, it was Grandpa Gedora himself who
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| came to investigate it for us!”
| |
| Finding the right time, Yuuki said this. And then, after a victory lap, he continued.
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| "Master Gedora has confirmed with his own eyes that he finds the Demon Lord Rimuru threatening,
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| and has brought back a certain rumor. That is, it was said that the underground labyrinth had a total of one
| |
| hundred layers, and the guardian was 'Storm Dragon' Veldora. This rumor is not based on a definitive
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| basis, but the investigation was interrupted by the presence of the victims on the 60th floor underground. I
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| heard that even Masayuki “the chosen hero" hasn't broken through on this floor, so I think the difficulty
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| is equivalent to A+. Whichever route to attack the West from, I think there is a need for investigation.”
| |
| Abandoning the dangling attitude from before, Yuuki spoke in a serious tone.
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| "There are victims...”
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| "It's a shame. I can relate to the feelings of Lord Yuuki.”
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| "It's okay to just go and investigate, so let the Hybrid Legion handle it.”
| |
| The aristocrats began to speak their minds. Calgurio looked on and began to get annoyed.
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| Geez, it's just some dumbasses who get paid for it! Yuuki, this kid, what a smartass. This guy shouldn't
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| be a military chief, he should be a politician.
| |
| Seeing Yuuki show such a sincere attitude, even the people who hadn't been bought off began to take
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| his side. Annoyed by this, Calgurio decided to speak out.
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| "Wait a minute!”
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| He said aloud, and the man stood up after him.
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| Then a bow to the Emperor on the other side of the curtain.
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| "Your Majesty! It seems that Master Gedora and Lord Yuuki are very much afraid of Veldora, but not
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| me. Of course, the Western countries are not worth mentioning at all! May His Majesty be at peace, and it
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| is my wish that you order me, Calgurio, to 'conquer them'! In that case, I, Calgurio, will risk my life and
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| limb to go to war!”
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| Calgurio so upstaged the Emperor that his words shook the room.
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| | |
| How dare you speak frankly to the emperor and ask him to comply with his wishes.
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| “What!? How dare you say such treacherous things..."
| |
| "Sir Calgurio, it is inexcusable to do such a thing!
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| "Calgurio, are you going to sneak away? Your Majesty, we Demon Beast Legion are the same, ready to
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| go to war at any time. Please order us to march as well!”
| |
| It was at this time that even Gladim volunteered.
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| Yuuki hurried to pick up the conversation.
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| "In that case, please make sure you send the hybrid army to investigate!”
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| Even Yuuki stepped forward, and the "Three Generals" unanimously bowed their heads and asked for
| |
| orders.
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| The only person who can calm the scene now is the Emperor.
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| No.
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| There's another one.
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| The figure stood up from behind the curtain with a voluptuous smile.
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| That is the Supreme Leader of the Imperial Army, the "Marshal".
| |
| "You fools, take it easy. You're in front of Lord Rudra.”
| |
| He dared to call the emperor by his first name, the average person would never be able to make such a
| |
| rude move. The only one who could do such a thing with no change of face was the one who was the
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| "Marshal".
| |
| ***
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| The so-called "marshal" is equivalent to the strongest man in the Empire.
| |
| Only a handful of close attendants knew his true face.
| |
| Even his name was not disclosed to the public, and it was said that he always stayed with the Emperor
| |
| to protect his safety.
| |
| Because the man said that, the scene fell silent at once.
| |
| All of them bowed and bowed, and a sound came from the air.
| |
| "What's with Veldora. The last great march was hindered by him, but can the empire be shaken by it?”
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| “No!"
| |
| "That's for sure. For this empire is guarded by the great Emperor."
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| “Yes...!”
| |
| | |
| Already more than just shocked by it, no one can disobey, such an atmosphere dominates the scene.
| |
| It was at this point that the "marshal" opened his mouth to ask.
| |
| "Your name is Yuuki, right? Although you're less than a year into the Empire, the accumulated merit is
| |
| worthy of praise. But it was tepid, too tepid. Why the Empire has not acted until now since the
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| resurrection of Veldora—do you know what the reason is?”
| |
| "Because it's not ready...”
| |
| Yuuki thought about how long it had been since he asked this, but he still gave an answer that didn't
| |
| offend anyone.
| |
| However, the 'marshal' laughed out contemptuously.
| |
| "Not so. It's because the fools are imprisoned by the fears of the past and keep finding reasons to
| |
| escape. Isn't that right, Gedora, isn't that right?”
| |
| "Yes, yes...!"
| |
| Everyone knows deep down, that things are just as he said.
| |
| Even Gedora was no exception—he couldn't answer "no". Without debating whether or not he would
| |
| be able to defeat the Storm Dragon, his stated opinion had always been to avoid the war, so there was no
| |
| room for half a rebuttal.
| |
| —But what's going on? Why is "she" so anxious?
| |
| Gedora was one of the few people who knew the true face of the "marshal". That's why he sensed that
| |
| the always transcendent "marshal" seemed a bit restless.
| |
| Yet there was no way he could ask for understanding at this time.
| |
| Without knowing the reason, Gedora felt only a vague sense of unease.
| |
| The "marshal" continued.
| |
| "Trying to negotiate with the Dwarf King Gazel—that’s not going to work, is it? You should understand
| |
| that. Why are you so stubborn? Or are you actually more stupid than I thought? It's not like it's getting in
| |
| the way of the empire's hegemony, is it?”
| |
| The cold voice sent a chill down Gedora's back.
| |
| Did she see through it? Surprisingly...
| |
| Gedora found it hard to believe.
| |
| He was considered an original figure in the Empire, and even a subject of the Emperor's consultation.
| |
| Even such a Gedora could not help but shy away from the "marshal".
| |
| So to speak...I don't even know her “name”...
| |
| Gedora is trusted, and he is indeed important.
| |
| | |
| Yet this may just be Gedora's wishful thinking. Thinking about this side, Gedora was stunned.
| |
| Apart from that, the empire—the emperor, he should say, who he really was—it was the first time that
| |
| he had doubts about the matter.
| |
| Never mind such a Gedora, the "marshal" is pointing the finger at Calgurio.
| |
| "So, Calgurio, you should have a chance, right?”
| |
| “Yes...! Of course, Your Excellency, Marshal!"
| |
| "Yeah? Then tell me the battle plan you came up with.”
| |
| "This, this...”
| |
| Calgurio was originally imposing, but his dominance in the face of the "Marshal" was overpowered.
| |
| Wanting to rely on the majority of the army to take down his opponent, he was forced to find that his
| |
| thinking was too childish.
| |
| As for fighting the Storm Dragon, Calgurio also has a case in mind.
| |
| Because he had been orchestrating this for a long time.
| |
| Calgurio wasn't afraid of Veldora.
| |
| It was just a dragon anyway—he’d always thought so.
| |
| There are some dragons that inhabit the Great Canaat Mountains, and those are indeed powerful
| |
| magical creatures.
| |
| Regardless of the lower-ranked dragons that inhabit the foothills, if they grow to middle-ranked
| |
| dragons, the strength of these individuals is above grade A.
| |
| If it was a high-ranking dragon clan with attributes, it was a very dangerous opponent, enough to
| |
| overthrow a small country.
| |
| However, if you switch to the Empire, all they have to do is to send a large force of about five hundred
| |
| men from the Mecha Reformation Corps and they will be able to suppress it. Several of their military
| |
| drills have been to crush dragons, and as long as they don't get anything wrong, there shouldn't be too
| |
| much damage.
| |
| This is proof that the empire is powerful. Their national strength was enough to raise tens of thousands
| |
| of soldiers, even if their opponent was a group of dragons, they would be able to overcome.
| |
| Veldora was also a kind of dragon—a perception of Calgurio, only a dragon, so what was there to fear?
| |
| He even generated such a state of mind.
| |
| How strong the magic is, that is determined by the amount of magic element. No matter how powerful
| |
| the individual, such a rule applies.
| |
| Dragons are strong because they contain a huge amount of mana that seems to be proportional to their
| |
| mass.
| |
| | |
| There is a high level of defense and a jet attack that can annihilate a large area. All of this is possible
| |
| because the dragon has an overwhelming amount of magic.
| |
| That being the case, there's no need to go head to head.
| |
| Calgurio and the others have their own magic plan.
| |
| They are already working on a classified new technology called "magic vector disrupted radiation".
| |
| If you want to make your opponent weaker by magic, it probably won't work against a dragon. Some
| |
| individuals can even be disabled by "magical obstruction".
| |
| Yet this new technology is unaffected.
| |
| Whenever you expose yourself to "magicule disrupting radiation", you will have an effect on magicules
| |
| as a substance. It wasn't manipulating the mage, it was putting the magicules into chaos. In other words, it
| |
| has the effect of making a substance such as magicules lose control.
| |
| If the opponent is a wizard, they are hindered from chanting so that the magic cannot be waged.
| |
| If the opponent is a magical creature, the magical elements used to structure the body will be scrambled
| |
| and there will be difficulty in movement. Simply put, it gets weaker. If it goes well it can make the
| |
| opponent lose power.
| |
| It's particularly effective against high-magicule aggregates like Veldora's, and is the reason Calgurio is
| |
| so confident.
| |
| He has another ace in the hole, which is the Magic Chariot.
| |
| The Magic Guiding Cannon is so powerful that it can kill you even when you're facing a large monster.
| |
| They experimented with the captured dragons and found that even an A-grade creature could be killed
| |
| with a single blow from the "Magic Cannon".
| |
| Then there's the killer blimp.
| |
| The airship is a classified weapon and can be described as a result of magical technology.
| |
| The top speed is even above the speed of sound. A creature made of flesh and blood could not escape at
| |
| such a speed.
| |
| The battle plan that Calgurio came up with in order to fight Veldora was as follows.
| |
| Let the faster-moving soldier lure Veldora out, then seal his movements with the magicule disruption
| |
| radiation set in the forest.
| |
| The blimp also released a massive mana-disturbing radiation for irradiation, completely weakening
| |
| Veldora.
| |
| In the end, a fatal blow was delivered, using 2,000 Magic Guided Chariots to fire the Magic Cannon
| |
| simultaneously. In that case, even the ancient evil dragons must have been destroyed.
| |
| Even if he survives. No matter how strong a “true dragon" is, it can't be unharmed.
| |
| | |
| The so-called battle is that the more information you have, the better the chances of winning. They
| |
| killed uncountable dragons and had accumulated enough intelligence.
| |
| Calgurio believes they will win, holding absolute confidence.
| |
| However, Calgurio, who spoke to the "marshal," was reserved.
| |
| "Just, just configure the chariot and lure the evil dragon over there...”
| |
| Since Calgurio had always believed that he could win with a large military force, he expected the
| |
| detailed combat segment to be decided on the spot.
| |
| No matter how treacherous the road ahead, any chariot could make its way through the forest.
| |
| It is said that there are also streets connected from the Dwarf Kingdom side. If it went this way, I heard
| |
| the road was still wide enough for the chariots to pass easily.
| |
| He thought that the layout of the chariot was a trivial matter, but he could not talk nonsense in front of
| |
| the "marshal".
| |
| I'm too focused on augmenting the war effort and neglecting the most important field investigation.
| |
| This is my misstep, isn't it...
| |
| The sanity to make such a judgement remains in Calgurio.
| |
| "Incompetent. I think you're going in the wrong direction. What was the point of wiping out Veldora?”
| |
| “Eh?"
| |
| Not knowing why the other party was asking, Calgurio couldn't help but ask back.
| |
| Faced with such a Calgurio, the 'Marshal' glared coldly.
| |
| "Since Veldora has been sealed before, why do you think the Empire hasn't moved?”
| |
| "This, this is because it's not ready..."
| |
| "It's not that, dumbass. It's to wait for the resurrection of Veldora, to go head-to-head in full form. So
| |
| that everyone can know how great His Majesty the Emperor is. To achieve this, what's the use of
| |
| destroying Veldora? He must be defeated and dominated if the Empire is to win!”
| |
| There was silence in the meeting, and the words overwhelmed the room.
| |
| Everyone's heart seems to be clenched tightly, unable to tell if it's because of fear or awe, dominated by
| |
| feelings like that.
| |
| Gedora felt equally warred.
| |
| No way, do you mean it when you say that? It's clear that all the instructions were made before that
| |
| mental domination is useless. But...
| |
| But the phrase "marshal" is so inexplicably convincing that it always feels like it might be possible.
| |
| Sensing this, unspeakable fear rose up in Gedora's heart.
| |
| | |
| So much so that it's actually mind-boggling to think about. Who the hell is the "marshal"? I've seen her
| |
| before, but I've never been suspicious until now without knowing the other person's name. This, this is...
| |
| It was a fact that Gedora was forced to confront, however.
| |
| That meant that the "marshal" might be a master of spiritual domination beyond the likes of the
| |
| Imperial Grand Wizard Gedora.
| |
| Rather than saying it's possible, it's almost so certain.
| |
| At this point Gedora opened her eyes and fixed them on the other side of the curtain.
| |
| The curtain is woven with expensive flat silk, reflecting soft silhouettes. To Gedora, it was like a
| |
| monster beyond human imagination.
| |
| If it was a humanoid gesture that the Dragon Race had taken on—Gedora began to get the illusion and
| |
| shrugged it off.
| |
| ***
| |
| Everyone in the meeting swallowed nervously, stiffening their bodies.
| |
| "Then I'd like to submit a plan of action."
| |
| At this time, a teenager spoke up.
| |
| He's Yuuki.
| |
| The mere fact that he dared to speak in such a situation is commendable for his audacity.
| |
| "You tell me about it.”
| |
| A gentle, cold voice gave permission for Yuuki to speak.
| |
| Hiding his true thoughts inside, Yuuki made a salute.
| |
| "I don't think it's time for the legions to be in each other's crosshairs, so I've decided to speak from the
| |
| heart without any hesitation.”
| |
| After laying out the first sentence with that, Yuuki began to elaborate on the battle plan with a serious
| |
| expression.
| |
| The first thing is for the Mechs to attack the Great Forest of Jura head-on. The army of the demon lord
| |
| Rimuru is gathering near the junction of the Great Forest of Jura and the Great River of Ameld. It appears
| |
| that the hotel town there is being used as a base for a state of siege.
| |
| That said, the Imperial Army's route of march would pass between the Great Mountains of Canaat and
| |
| the Great Forest of Jura. There are no roads to the east of the Jura Forest, and it would take too long to
| |
| cross that way.
| |
| They could come to the front entrance of the Dwarven Kingdom, down the great south river of Ameld,
| |
| and they would reach the inn town. Then the two armies will meet, but this side will have a problem.
| |
| | |
| "Wait, Mr. Yuuki. Not going through the forest would have irritated Dwargon! It was said that King
| |
| Gazel and demon lord Rimuru were on good terms and the two nations had formed an alliance. Wouldn't
| |
| we have been pinned down right away if such a move had been made!”
| |
| Calgurio came forward to testify, and his opinion was well taken.
| |
| Not through the streets along the great river of Ameld, but through the forest. The fundamental reason
| |
| for thinking this way was to avoid hostility with the Dwarven Kingdom.
| |
| Once the battle begins, the Dwarven Army will also send support. In order to cope with this situation,
| |
| they must not allow someone to cut off the army's supply lines.
| |
| Caught between the forest and the river, the entire army would be unable to move. They will lose their
| |
| numerical superiority if they are pinned back and forth. Even if there are blimps, there's no way to
| |
| resupply if you can't maintain the formation.
| |
| For Calgurio, Yuuki's idea can't be heard.
| |
| However Yuuki seemed to have expected that, and he smiled.
| |
| "You may rest assured of that, Sir Calgurio. Our goal is not an inn town, but a dwarven kingdom. Since
| |
| King Gazel won't negotiate with us, such a country is not a friendly one, is it? There's no need to keep
| |
| them.
| |
| “What...!”
| |
| Yuuki's speech surprised Calgurio to the point of being speechless.
| |
| The scene of the meeting was in an uproar.
| |
| "Do you intend to attack the armed power of Dwargon? No, we should be able to win, but I don't know
| |
| how many casualties there will be!"
| |
| "There's no room to continue attacking the West."
| |
| "After all, that country is like a natural fortress."
| |
| In this way, the participants in the meeting began to exchange views with each other. Hearing those
| |
| words, the smile on Yuuki's face deepened.
| |
| "Right. That country is a fortress. Because it's particularly easy to defend, it's so far been said to be
| |
| easy to defend and hard to attack. But we have chariots on our side. It was because Dwargon had
| |
| particularly strengthened their magical defenses that their defensive capabilities were solid. As long as we
| |
| can break through this defense network, it will be easy to take that kind of country, right?”
| |
| "Well, well...”
| |
| Hearing Yuuki point this out, Calgurio thinks it makes sense too.
| |
| Suppose they were to attack the Dwarf Kingdom.
| |
| Then their target is either East or West. If the enemy was to be taken lightly, they would not attack
| |
| Isthmus, which was next door to the empire, and should attack St. Doran, the frontal entrance to the Great
| |
| Forest of Jura, where they could escape.
| |
| | |
| Pretend they're going to attack the hotel town on the demon lord Rimuru, and then directly surround St.
| |
| Doran with chariot troops...
| |
| This would not only stop the Dwarf Kingdom from sending additional reinforcements, but also take
| |
| down the inn town at the same time.
| |
| "So it is, it's an interesting plan of action, maybe.”
| |
| "Right? If the Dwarven Kingdom is in crisis, the Demon Lord Rimuru must also act. All we have to do
| |
| is prepare a battlefield where we hold the reins and wait to greet each other..."
| |
| "Then the combat situation will be favorable to our army."
| |
| That works—Calgurio nodded.
| |
| "I'm afraid that only the advance party remains in the hotel town. Having said that, fighting in the Great
| |
| Forest of Jura benefits the opponent and will cost us a big loss no matter what. But if we take down the
| |
| Dwarven Kingdom in one fell swoop, that natural fortress will protect us this time instead.”
| |
| Yuuki's words are partly deceptive. If they actually attacked with the Magic Guided Cannon, it would
| |
| destroy St. Doran as soon as they started shooting at the same time. Even if the opponent escapes into a
| |
| maze-like underground cavern, the city near the entrance will be greatly damaged.
| |
| In the future, the Empire will absorb the city and rebuild it, but it won't be available in this battle.
| |
| Calgurio noticed this, but he decided to go along with Yuuki's words this time.
| |
| "I don't think things will go so well, but there are certain points worth looking at. At least it's better than
| |
| chasing rats around in a pesky forest, setting traps and waiting for rabbits to be killed in one fell swoop.
| |
| After beating the hell out of them, we'll attack the capital of the Jura Tempest Federation."
| |
| "Don't worry, I have a plan to follow. As you know, we in the Hybrid Legion are better at individual
| |
| combat than group combat. So, traits like ours are best suited for investigating mazes. As mentioned
| |
| earlier, it was heard that the underground one hundredth floor was guarded by Veldora. To find out if it's
| |
| true or not, it's necessary to investigate, right?”
| |
| So that's what you're going to do—Calgurio snickered inwardly.
| |
| He didn't think Yuuki would part with the benefits he was able to get, so he had long thought the other
| |
| party would say that.
| |
| "Then don't. If you ignore the hotel town and go to the capital of the Jura Tempest Federation, you risk
| |
| being attacked from both sides. That being the case, I should let my legion advance to the west and open a
| |
| path to the underground labyrinth of something. After all, it's still hard to believe that a city disappears
| |
| without seeing it with your own eyes. It must be assumed that Demon Lord's main army is waiting right
| |
| there, it makes more sense tactically.”
| |
| When Calgurio so retorted, though only for a moment, Yuuki showed a chagrined expression.
| |
| Calgurio didn't miss it.
| |
| huh huh, you're still too young. Thought everything was going to work out the way it was supposed to,
| |
| this smug brat!
| |
| | |
| Thinking about this side, he reveled in the pleasure.
| |
| Immediately following...
| |
| "This military conference is finally getting more decent. Just as well, Calgurio seems to have a lot of
| |
| confidence, Demon Lord Rimuru is in your hands.”
| |
| Because of the "Marshal's" words, they decided to let the Mecha Legion carry out the Jura Grand
| |
| Forest Invasion Battle.
| |
| The words of the "Marshal" were not finished.
| |
| "The light is too weak just like that. Since it's going to be an attack on Dwargon, it's best to put
| |
| pressure on Easter as well. This task was left to the Hybrid Legion. You will be the chief of the army, and
| |
| you will be responsible for protecting the capital.
| |
| “...yes.
| |
| Yuuki originally wanted to retort, but he put his mind to it. Because from the tone of the 'marshal', it
| |
| sounded like there was no room for a turnaround in this matter.
| |
| Instead, someone had something to say, and that was the remaining army chief, Gladim.
| |
| "Please, please wait! Does it sound like we're supposed to stay in the Warcraft Legion? My Legion
| |
| promises to do something about it. I beg you..."
| |
| Gladim, with an anxious face, shouted towards the opposite side of the curtain. If the other side ordered
| |
| them to stay here, the numerically disadvantaged Warcraft Legion would have no room to play. With all
| |
| the key vacancies taken away, Gladim will lose the chance to build up the war effort.
| |
| He definitely didn't want that, which is why Gladim was so desperate.
| |
| "Don't panic, fool. I have indeed prepared the stage for you as well."
| |
| “What!? So, then, what am I responsible for doing?”
| |
| "You will lead the legions of beasts and attack northward with your whole army.”
| |
| Gladim asked in passing, and was astonished by the mindlessness of the answer given by the
| |
| "Marshal".
| |
| Both the demon lord Rimuru and King Gazel will concentrate on defending their country. They could
| |
| take the opportunity to invade at the same time and kill the West before they are caught off guard.
| |
| Then they quickly set up their marching positions before the Western Convocations could respond.
| |
| "Want us to attack north? Is it to go over the Great Canaat Mountains?”
| |
| Seeing the meaning behind the "marshal's" words, Gladim was shaken by them.
| |
| He understands the reasoning. It wasn't just a frontal attack from two directions, but a frontal battle
| |
| from three directions simultaneously, with the Empire having the corresponding combat power.
| |
| | |
| However, strategy aside, it would be difficult to implement this operational plan from a tactical
| |
| perspective. The idea of sending 10,000 troops to attack the Great Mountains of Canaat makes one
| |
| wonder if the other side is crazy.
| |
| Gladim hesitated to point that out, and at such a him, the "marshal" smiled out.
| |
| "That's it, Gladim. You're going to take the sea route to attack the kingdom of Ingracia. As for the
| |
| rejuvenating kingdom of Farmenas, it will be exterminated no matter what time it takes to bring down
| |
| Dwargon.”
| |
| "What, what? By sea? No, but our country has no naval warships for mass transportation at all...”
| |
| "We do. Isn't that right, Calgurio?”
| |
| Called by name, Calgurio now knew he couldn't afford to be fooled. The rudeness of calling them by
| |
| their first names is even more so now. Under the circumstances, he didn't even have the strength to
| |
| complain.
| |
| That's how oppressive the "marshal" felt to him.
| |
| "The marshal is right. Our military has developed the latest weapon, the "Airship". The Air Combat
| |
| Flying Corps is using this latest type of weapon, they should be able to transport the Beast Legion.”
| |
| The words of Calgurio brought the atmosphere in the venue to a boil.
| |
| I did not realize that there were other ways to attack the Western countries without going through the
| |
| great forest of Jura.
| |
| No wonder they were so excited.
| |
| "But if we're going to fight the Storm Dragon, it's a necessary killer weapon, and we'll only help deliver
| |
| it, okay?"
| |
| These words of Calgurio were addressed to Gladim.
| |
| He would keep a hundred blimps at his disposal for maximum arming. Even with the other 300 left, the
| |
| maximum number of troops that could be transported would be at least 100,000. As for the number of
| |
| people the blimps can transport, one can carry four hundred people. Even minus the personnel who had to
| |
| come to pilot the ship, a ship could still carry three hundred and fifty people.
| |
| The Legion of Beasts—there were thirty thousand heroes inside, and thirty thousand demonic beasts
| |
| they rode. Adding up to 60,000 in total, there were support troops in the rear, plus supplies to add to the
| |
| mix in order for them to be at full strength. If one were to transport these things, three hundred blimps
| |
| should be enough.
| |
| Although one couldn't expect the combat power of the hovercraft itself, it was relatively easy to
| |
| transport the Warcraft Legion.
| |
| Calgurio immediately showed Gladim the absolute no-good bottom.
| |
| Gladim knew this too, and he was in deep thought as he whispered.
| |
| | |
| It's a great honor for a warrior to fight against the demon lord Rimuru or the "Storm Dragon" Veldora.
| |
| It's certainly a shame to miss out on this glory, but the battle plan proposed by the "Marshal" is also
| |
| charming.
| |
| That electrifying battle plan breaks down established concepts.
| |
| The Western countries had been so careless that they must not have been able to deal with Gladim’s
| |
| Warcraft Legion.
| |
| They amount to winning, and such a combat plan makes perfect sense.
| |
| To top it off, there seems to be a group of heroes on the western side called the Paladins. Not only are
| |
| they good at individual combat, they are also said to be the strongest at fighting group warfare.
| |
| It was said that the Imperial Kaiser's direct division was also very powerful, and the Holy Imperial
| |
| Kingdom of Ruberios had a Hinata Sakaguchi.
| |
| She was the chief knight of the Imperial Close Guard Division under the direct authority of the
| |
| Emperor, and was also the head of the Paladin Order, and was truly the strongest knight in name. Fame
| |
| even spread to the Empire's side, but it was recently heard that she had fought a draw with the Demon
| |
| Lord Rimuru.
| |
| That being the case, the best dressed knight of that kind was no match for Gladim at all.
| |
| He would expel the heroes led by Hinata and ravage the sacred city.
| |
| The beastly blood that was flowing in Gladim's body began to heat up.
| |
| "Well, then! If I can get us to the battlefield, I'll follow this battle plan!”
| |
| The Beast Lord Gladim roared his agreement, and the atmosphere in the large conference room grew
| |
| more heated.
| |
| "We'll win, we'll win!"
| |
| "Victory is ours, victory belongs to the Empire!"
| |
| "Long live the Emperor...!'
| |
| The situation is such that some people have even begun to indulge in the imagination of victory.
| |
| Echoing such enthusiasm, Calgurio packed his ticket to Gladim.
| |
| "If you take the sea route, then you can avoid fighting dragons. You may as well leave it to me,
| |
| Calgurio.
| |
| In fact, this was originally one of the schemes that Calgurio came up with.
| |
| Considering the distance that the dragons can fly, taking the sea route can be far away from the
| |
| Dragon's Nest. In addition, you don't have to worry about the big sea beasts, which are so tricky, you will
| |
| be able to travel to the West by relatively safe means.
| |
| It was just that it would not be possible to join forces with the Chariot Force at all, so Calgurio thought
| |
| it was too early to present this option.
| |
| | |
| Because of this, he also did thorough prior research.
| |
| The new weapons had been put to use in an unexpected way this time, but Calgurio thought it would be
| |
| good.
| |
| Interesting. The Legion of Warcraft was transported by blimps, after which it was thoroughly supported
| |
| and resupplied. It may be possible to create such an illusion and to plunder the profits to their heart's
| |
| content. On top of that...if a large army emerges in the north, the Western coalition will be caught off
| |
| guard by us as well. That way they become a rabble. There is simply no room to send reinforcements to
| |
| support the demon lord Rimuru, and there will definitely be chaos by then.
| |
| The countries of the Western countries were currently only on the alert for the Great Forest of Jura, and
| |
| it would certainly be confusing to encounter an unexpected situation. In this way, Calgurio's plans for
| |
| their battle would run smoothly.
| |
| That's what Calgurio thought.
| |
| He had to concentrate on the underground maze and the "storm dragon". That way he would be able to
| |
| produce more fruitful combat results, as Calgurio calculates.
| |
| "Is there a problem?”
| |
| "No. Then I will discuss an outcome with Lord Gladim and come up with a plan of battle that is
| |
| possible.”
| |
| "Good. As long as it gets us there without a hitch, we'll make a big splash then!”
| |
| "In that case, then I'll make an effort to demonstrate against the Dwarven Kingdom.”
| |
| "Once the battle begins at St. Doran’s, there will be no movement on Esther's side. But..."
| |
| "It's hard to guarantee that red-eyed dwarves won't come and attack our army—is that right? I know.”
| |
| Even in the face of the "marshal", Yuuki's attitude is still the same as usual.
| |
| Everyone present, including the other army chiefs, looked at such a Yuuki with a different look.
| |
| It's time to say he's too retarded or has a bad head. Everyone's eyes looked like they were saying that,
| |
| but Yuuki didn't care at all.
| |
| "Good. Then go and prepare yourselves at once!"
| |
| “Yes...!"
| |
| The higher-ups have ordered it.
| |
| | |
| Emperor Rudra did not even say a word, and the empire was simultaneously engaged in a three-
| |
| pronged war of aggression.
| |
| | |
| On this day an edict of war was issued in the name of the Emperor.
| |
| Blood was feverish up and down the country of the Empire.
| |
| | |
| Having lurked for a long time, the Empire will once again show their majestic majesty.
| |
| ***
| |
| It was a relief to Yuuki that the meeting was over.
| |
| In previous meetings, the "marshal" had never intervened, yet this time he actively intervened. Because
| |
| of this, Yuuki's plan also more or less needed to be changed in some places...
| |
| Never mind, there's nothing wrong with that. As expected, my army seemed to be able to be placed next
| |
| to the Empire. The Mecha Legion forces were the biggest and most in the way, but most of them were
| |
| going to execute the Jura Grand Forest invasion. I didn't expect to see even the Warlord Legion I sent
| |
| Vega to infiltrate in to strike, but the Hybrid Legion alone should be able to pull off a coup.
| |
| Following the original plan, the mainstay of this coup was placed on Vega, who intended to lay all the
| |
| blame on him in case of failure.
| |
| Of course Yuuki's troops would also be secretly supporting them. It should be said that Vega is in
| |
| charge of the fake action, and the main action is actually Yuuki's.
| |
| Now to be forced to dispel that thought, but he thought it was generally okay.
| |
| Because as much as he thought, the dumbass Calgurio seemed to be going to act.
| |
| It would be better to say that Calgurio was a military general than to say that the man was a soldier.
| |
| Fighting was indeed strong, but the man was not willing to take risks, too obsessed with strategy and
| |
| winning 100 percent. And he was greedy enough to not count the loss at this time if there was a reason
| |
| worthy of his presence.
| |
| Simply put, just create the motivation to give it to him.
| |
| The Jura Tempest Federation is rich, and has new technology worth taking.
| |
| Just tell Calgurio that the underground maze hides these things...
| |
| Of course talking to him directly would make the other person suspicious, so it was better to make the
| |
| other person think that Yuuki was trying to get those things.
| |
| Using the information and items that Gedora had brought back, Yuuki smoothly got Calgurio up and
| |
| dancing.
| |
| But, then again...
| |
| "Look at that look on your face. What's wrong?”
| |
| Yuuki questioned the man sitting across from him, Gedora.
| |
| "Mmm. About the ‘marshal’..."
| |
| “Marshal?"
| |
| "Right. She was so anxious, I thought there should be some reason behind it.”
| |
| "Anxious? Does it look like it?"
| |
| | |
| Gedora's face was frozen for that little reason. It seemed to Yuuki that he didn't need to care so much
| |
| about these things, but Gedora seemed to be hung up on something.
| |
| "But then, at today's meeting, I was thinking that the man was also a terrible monster. Seriously, I don't
| |
| know if I would have won if I hadn't actually fought her—it’s pretty awesome.”
| |
| Even without having to fight each other, Yuuki could see how much strength most people had.
| |
| Nowadays, with his awakening of extreme skills, he can even see through the hidden strengths of his
| |
| opponents.
| |
| Even such a Yuuki couldn't tell how much the other party was capable of, and it must be possible to
| |
| know how dangerous that person was without much explanation.
| |
| "Whenever His Majesty Rudra is about to change generations, he will name the 'Marshal'. This time
| |
| was no exception, and both the previous and previous generations were included, always guarding His
| |
| Majesty the Emperor's safety. It is because of the power of the king at the pinnacle of the empire that he is
| |
| called 'marshal'. But even so. To the best of my knowledge, no record has been kept of the 'marshal's'
| |
| comments on the military. But this time it's why..."
| |
| "Marshal" is a tough guy, which is a big miscalculation in Yuuki's opinion.
| |
| But those are to be expected.
| |
| This is because that most powerful demon lord, Guy Crimson, seems to have a particular problem with
| |
| the Empire. Even if it wasn't Yuuki would rightfully think there was a ghost behind it.
| |
| Why would Guy Crimson leave the Empire alone when he’s clearly so strong?
| |
| The arrogant demon lord did not act for some reason.
| |
| Was it because someone on this side of the Empire had made him so wary that Yuuki was so suspicious.
| |
| If that person is the "marshal", then he can accept that possibility without saying a word.
| |
| Anyway, when this war expands and the world goes into chaos, there should be a huge shift by then. In
| |
| this way, we may see what's been hidden behind all this time!
| |
| Yuuki began to think about the aftermath, forcing himself to suppress a surge of pleasure and snicker
| |
| there.
| |
| Seeing Yuuki like this, Gedora sighed, but he really couldn't keep worrying. Gedora regained his
| |
| composure and began to discuss future plans with Yuuki.
| |
| "By the way, Yuuki, I'll follow the plan. Nowadays, it is not necessary to take revenge on the West and
| |
| hope to avoid war if you can.”
| |
| "This kind of capricious request doesn't work, does it? So far, they have clearly been inciting others to
| |
| war.”
| |
| "Yes, there's no denying that.
| |
| Gedora is also a very egoistic man who doesn't care what anyone says about him. As long as both
| |
| himself and his beloved partner are safe and sound, nothing else matters at all.
| |
| | |
| He is the great wizard, but not a god.
| |
| He didn't get cocky and feel like he could do nothing, making a clear distinction between what he could
| |
| and couldn't do.
| |
| It was because Gedora was such a man, and this was the last time he would serve the Empire, that he
| |
| desperately advocated avoiding war.
| |
| Everyone says that Demon Lord is the enemy of humanity.
| |
| There is absolutely no resistance to the demon lord, and it would be wise to essentially abstain from
| |
| each other from the beginning to the end.
| |
| Not wanting to be hostile to the Demon Lord, Gedora also had contact with the now long-dead Demon
| |
| Lord Clayman. It was through him that even Yuuki knew him.
| |
| It is all about defeating the West and defeating Ruminism.
| |
| The reason for allowing the demon lord to dominate the rich territories was so that the demon lord
| |
| would not covet the territories of other nations—so that they would not develop such ambitions—and
| |
| there was nothing wrong with Gedora's approach.
| |
| While all of this eventually became meaningless, it was also because of this that Gedora, in turn,
| |
| wanted to stop the Empire from continuing on the wrong path.
| |
| Plus Gedora had already seen the demon lord Rimuru first hand.
| |
| He was a very gentle man, and Gedora thought it wise to live with him with an ordinary heart. And the
| |
| friend who was there, Adalman, looked like he was living a very happy life, even though he looked
| |
| nothing like he did when he was alive.
| |
| What surprised him even more was the fighting strength of that country.
| |
| As a matter of fact, Adalman's strength should be on a par with Gedora's, and even his mission was
| |
| only to guard the 60th floor of the underground maze. He seems to have been assigned to the seventy
| |
| levels, and even so, there are still people outside of him and people outside of him.
| |
| Of course, the real subordinates are everyone else.
| |
| It's stupid to be an enemy of such a country.
| |
| Gedora was so convinced.
| |
| That's why he had an idea.
| |
| It was thought that the empire would be defeated in this war.
| |
| I don't know what Shinji thought of them, but for Demon Lord Rimuru, Gedora always felt that this
| |
| person was deep and unpredictable. Partly because of this, too, he was particularly opposed to going to
| |
| war.
| |
| Although the result was regrettable, he fulfilled his pact with the demon lord Rimuru.
| |
| | |
| Successfully getting the Imperial's attention to the underground labyrinth, again he just had to figure
| |
| out how to handle himself.
| |
| "Those who do not listen to me, what will happen if they do not do what this one says. This old man
| |
| will apply for a final audience with His Majesty, after which he will travel to the Monster Realm.”
| |
| "This declaration of betrayal speaks volumes.”
| |
| "This is not betrayal. I just live my life as I wish. Yuuki, I won't break up with you because of this. If
| |
| you are in trouble, please come to me."
| |
| Gedora is a man who, though I am a man of my own accord, is still very kind to those close to him. He
| |
| seemed to like Yuuki so much that he said that to him.
| |
| "Ahahaha, please teach me more then!”
| |
| With a bitter smile on his face, Yuuki nodded.
| |
| "But I became a newcomer when I arrived in that country. The trust of the other party must be
| |
| accumulated in the future. Even if you want to use the old man, it's useless, you have to remember that."
| |
| "This is outrageous! Even if you think so, you can't say such things!”
| |
| "Cut the crap. A neurotic guy like you who doesn't speak so clearly can't convey it to you at all. By the
| |
| way, speaking of nerve-rackers, I was too late to say hello to the clowns. Now you're sending them off
| |
| somewhere to do something weird?”
| |
| "Sort of. If I tell it to you now, you'll probably tell it to Mr. Rimuru, so I'll leave it at that.”
| |
| "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! That's right. Then I won't ask, you go and tell them, if you get into trouble
| |
| come to me.”
| |
| "Thanks, I'll have them do that.”
| |
| After answering that, Yuuki smiled along with it.
| |
| He was also very fond of Gedora. This loyalty to one's self, this way of being, looks a little flashy.
| |
| The two smiled at each other for a moment, then shook each other's hands.
| |
| "Then I'll be going. Yuuki, you want a big coup or whatever But—!”
| |
| "I got it. You just can't kill the Emperor, right?”
| |
| "Mmm. Since you know, that's fine. Farewell then!”
| |
| With that, Yuuki said goodbye to Gedora.
| |
| ***
| |
| Gedora's request to see the Emperor has been accepted.
| |
| Should the emperor be admonished?—wondered Gedora nervously.
| |
| | |
| Even if he went up, he wasn't sure His Majesty was listening. Even so, the other party is at least the
| |
| object of his loyalty so far and has a share of love, so he wants to do his loyalty while he can for the last
| |
| time.
| |
| "His Majesty is already waiting for you.”
| |
| The man in charge of leading the way said so to Gedora, and he followed the close attendant who
| |
| covered his face down the passage.
| |
| The corridor connected to the upper part of the building was rubbed until it glowed and a light red
| |
| cherry blossom could be seen.
| |
| That's Manen Sakura.
| |
| These petals never wither and are used as symbols of imperial prosperity.
| |
| "Still as beautiful as ever. But the Japanese from the other world don't seem to like it very much."
| |
| “So?"
| |
| "Mmm. He said there should be 'the beauty of desolation', that is 'the beauty of destruction'. It's because
| |
| the cherry blossoms fade that they look beautiful and dreamy. That's one way to look at it. Isn't that right,
| |
| Kondo-sama?”
| |
| “.......”
| |
| Under the cherry blossom tree, a well-featured man appeared.
| |
| "I should have been invisible.”
| |
| "Yeah. I didn't find a single trace of it either. Only, it's supposed to be a hunch, right? There was a sense
| |
| of vagueness, as if anticipating the danger ahead.”
| |
| In response, Gedora pulled out the staff he loved to use.
| |
| Unknowingly, the near-servant had disappeared.
| |
| "I can't let you see His Majesty."
| |
| “Why?"
| |
| "I'm not going to tell you why, and even if you did, there's no point.”
| |
| Lieutenant Kondo replied with a side, still holding the blackened iron in his hand.
| |
| Southern-style large automatic pistol—the first automatic pistol in Japan.
| |
| "Are you going to kill me?”
| |
| Even as Gedora questioned with a sharp gaze, Lieutenant Kondo was indifferent.
| |
| “Kondo...you...!"
| |
| | |
| Gedora was about to raise his voice further and shout, when just then his chest hurt and the man fell
| |
| backwards.
| |
| He wasn't careless, and Gedora was familiar with guns, had been paying attention to the movement of
| |
| Lieutenant Kondo's fingers, and hadn't heard the shots.
| |
| Beyond that, the point is...
| |
| The pain in his chest was coming from behind, it wasn't from a gunshot, it was from being stabbed by a
| |
| short knife, and as consciousness blurred, Gedora made the judgment as above.
| |
| That means it wasn't Lt. Kondo who did it, but someone else...
| |
| "Why did you do it?”
| |
| "Because this man is dangerous. If we let the traitor go, it will be a hindrance to His Majesty's future
| |
| rule.”
| |
| The man's voice struck Gedora as a former acquaintance. But what makes people unbelievable, and
| |
| even suspect, is that they have hallucinations before they die.
| |
| "However, this man is also a friend of His Majesty..."
| |
| Gedora's consciousness drifted away, and Lt. Kondo's voice grew smaller and smaller.
| |
| This time Gedora is really going to die.
| |
| Is it poison? It's been done flawlessly. It's all about punishing me for betraying His Majesty Rudra...
| |
| but...
| |
| It does kill you to go on like this.
| |
| Petals of cherry blossoms that would never wither fluttered, and in the midst of that beauty, Gedora
| |
| made his final bet.
| |
| He unleashes pre-placed magic...
| |
| Gedora's realization interrupted this side.
| |
| Chapter 5: Before the War
| |
| After sending Gedora to the Empire, interrogation time followed.
| |
| It's Shinji and the others...no, it's Ramiris.
| |
| There were a few things in there that were concerning.
| |
| She's going to bully me, and there must be something else she's keeping from me.
| |
| "Huh, how come...I'm not hiding anything...?”
| |
| Behaving distinctly suspiciously, Ramiris had a flushed look on her face.
| |
| It's obvious at first glance that something is being held back.
| |
| | |
| No cake from now on—just after the threat was made, Ramiris answered with a speed as fast as a
| |
| machine gun.
| |
| "You, you said you had something to ask. What is it, Captain?”
| |
| And call me captain...never mind.
| |
| Go spit and lose, so I started questioning.
| |
| "That being said, Adalman has become stronger than I know, so let's leave that aside. What about the
| |
| others? Didn't think that Albert alone could repel Shinji and the rest, and hadn't heard that there was still a
| |
| Necromantic Dragon. Something strange isn't happening on the other floors too, is it?”
| |
| Speaking of which, Albert is no longer just a slightly stronger demon.
| |
| He has become a Paladin of the Dead, and in addition to his physical abilities, he also possesses
| |
| excellent skills and is able to make the most of them. In the past when he was still a Death Spirit Knight,
| |
| he was evenly matched against Hakurou when he fought, and now Albert had no idea how strong he was.
| |
| "Albert, he's been mentoring that young man Arnaud, hasn't he? And then this time, to try his hand at it,
| |
| he challenged the bottom floor again..."
| |
| “Pause!!!”
| |
| I hurried to get Ramiris to stop explaining for a moment.
| |
| Albert instructed Arnaud, which I didn't understand.
| |
| Arnaud is the captain of the Order of the Paladins and is quite a handful. Yet still he is not in the
| |
| position of a guide, but rather is being guided?
| |
| I didn't understand a word of what Ramiris was saying.
| |
| "That is to say, after Arnaud and the others were scolded by Hinata, they got up and challenged the
| |
| underground maze once again. This time, it was because the Floor Guardian Colossus was still under
| |
| development, so they broke through the seventy levels.”
| |
| "Hmmmmm, then what?"
| |
| "And then those guys lost again!"
| |
| "Kuahahaha! That was fun!”
| |
| Ramiris explained happily.
| |
| Veldora nodded along, watching him laugh as if he found it amusing.
| |
| It should be really fun then, I guess.
| |
| <<Answer. There are record-keeping battles.>>
| |
| Really?
| |
| | |
| Master Raphael, King of Wisdom you are awesome!
| |
| Come back later to enjoy the record, and for now, focus on Ramiris’ instructions.
| |
| "So where did they hit Arnaud?”
| |
| “Most came to the Dragon Pass on the ninety-sixth to ninety-ninth floor. There are additional terrain
| |
| effects there that should be harsh on flesh-and-blood humans.”
| |
| "When I think about it, it seems to me that..."
| |
| "They lost the next level to the next floor guardian in one fell swoop. The look of running away while
| |
| crying can only be described as a joy.”
| |
| Hey, hey, hey, that's too evil, right?
| |
| Hey, the next floor guardian?
| |
| "Weird? Is the eighty level barrier demon lord that strong?"
| |
| "Huh, why do you say that?”
| |
| "It's nothing. I'm just saying that Arnaud is at least one of the Ten Saints, and his strength should be
| |
| comparable to that of the old demon lord like Clayman, right?”
| |
| I realized one thing when I asked the question myself.
| |
| Come to think of it, even Adalman and Albert seem to be able to defeat the pre-Awakening Clayman.
| |
| With that undetermined Necromancer, even facing the awakened Clayman, he should be able to defeat it.
| |
| "This, this......”
| |
| Under the impression that I seem to have assigned Zegion to be the floor guardian of the 80th floor.
| |
| Could it be that he feathered himself from his chrysalis state and evolved into a full body?
| |
| I hear that Veldora has been working him out, but that also seems a bit puzzling to me.
| |
| Because Zegion is an insect-like creature.
| |
| What he teaches about something as dubious as the "Veldora Style Killing Arts" is how to live it. I left
| |
| it alone because it was a pleasure to watch Veldora, but I probably should have thought about it more
| |
| seriously.
| |
| I used my cells to allow the wounds on Zegion to heal, and the shell was repaired with "magic steel".
| |
| Perhaps because of this, he was able to move quickly and seemingly summon dependents.
| |
| Miss Treyni had already endorsed him, so I was okay with that.
| |
| But this arrangement is like having a worm-like beast that can move at high speed after a slow-moving
| |
| puppet, and playing with people in this way.
| |
| "Hey, how's Zegion now?"
| |
| | |
| I was about to further question the seemingly suspicious response of Ramiris, but Veldora jumped in
| |
| first.
| |
| "My apprentice Zegion has been completely converted. Now a warrior of the world, inheriting the
| |
| skills I taught you!
| |
| “.......”
| |
| "Not only that! Arnaud, and a few of them are simply not enough to see without my apprentice Zegion.
| |
| Someone who slaughtered them to death was the seventy-ninth layer of Domain Guardians!”
| |
| I've got the situation.
| |
| Arnaud and the others lost to the Seventy-Nine Tiered Realm Guardians, the Queen Bee Apito.
| |
| Not only is she capable of super-fast action, but she also possesses the ultimate toxins.
| |
| Arnaud and his fellow Paladins had especially honed their swordsmanship, and even with this kind of
| |
| skill, there seemed to be no way to run into her.
| |
| Later Arnaud they were stabbed all over the head by Apito's dependents and heard that a line of people
| |
| were running away in tears...
| |
| How ridiculous is that—I want to scream.
| |
| "Say it clearly. Say it clearly! I've been busy with work these days!”
| |
| "Because because! I'm not the only one, even Master says it's cultivation, to exercise that bug!”
| |
| "Stupid, stupid! You betrayed me!"
| |
| "Because it's not fair that only Master is acting like he's not doing anything!”
| |
| “Coo-woo-woo......”
| |
| I guess Veldora had a hand in that.
| |
| Running into something so interesting, everyone will want to join in.
| |
| But I had a feeling of being betrayed.
| |
| They hid it from me, only they were playing by themselves......
| |
| No, handing it to these two was the wrong decision.
| |
| It's something to reflect on, but one thing concerns me.
| |
| "I say, I’m curious from a moment ago, what do you mean by training Zegion?”
| |
| He's a bug, isn't he?
| |
| Could it be that Zegion's complete metamorphosis is capable of turning into a humanoid?
| |
| Turns out I was correct in my speculation.
| |
| | |
| "So, you finally noticed? I've already figured out you're going in the wrong direction, but it's funny that
| |
| way, so I'm not telling!”
| |
| Well, it's not surprising how arrogant Veldora can be...
| |
| Looks like I was completely screwed this time.
| |
| I began flipping through the records of the underground maze, asking Master Raphael, the King of
| |
| Wisdom, to show the images. The next thing you know, Zegion has turned into a slender humanoid form.
| |
| That's it.
| |
| Shion once defeated the worm-like beast, Razul, at Ruberios.
| |
| Zegion had the look of the strong to messy Razul, exuding the air of a strongman.
| |
| Because he evolved into a humanoid form, he was heard to have learned combat skills as well. This is
| |
| the gift of anomalous evolution.
| |
| The same is true of Apito on this point.
| |
| She had a beautiful figure, like a woman, and one thing only occurred to me as I watched. One should
| |
| be alert if Hinata is guiding her.
| |
| I thought they were just doing mock battles over and over again, looks like they were really taking
| |
| instruction. She did learn combat skills, and Apito's movements were pure.
| |
| It seems that there is also combat training with Zegion to learn high strength combat skills.
| |
| The proof is that Arnaud and the rest were flopped.
| |
| | |
| "Then Arnaud seemed to have re-examined himself...”
| |
| They let the mood return and began to walk through the underground maze from the beginning.
| |
| But lost to a knight at the 60th level.
| |
| It was Albert, the Paladin of the Dead, who was the strongest Knights of the Templars hundreds of
| |
| years ago, and who was the confidant of the "Immortal King" Adalman.
| |
| "Then they were completely repaired by Albert, that's what happened.”
| |
| Albert beat the hell out of Arnaud and the rest of them on his own, and later asked, “You seem to have
| |
| changed your name to Paladin lately, and even your quality has deteriorated?”
| |
| After hearing that, Arnaud was angry and took out the Watcher's Skill to fight, but even the Must Kill
| |
| Five Color Spirit Sword couldn't hurt Albert.
| |
| Albert manipulated the swordsmanship of his life with physical abilities only found in magical things,
| |
| and it was said that even Arnaud was no match for him.
| |
| Immortal bodies do not tire and can recover even from attacks that cause physical damage. Seriously
| |
| it's foul, there's no way to beat an opponent if you can't take advantage of his weak attributes to attack.
| |
| And with the Holy Demon Reversal of Adalman, the level of invincibility increases a bit more.
| |
| There's nothing they can do about it—I think so.
| |
| Because of the absorption of the magical elements inside the labyrinth, Adalman and the others evolved
| |
| into higher-order magical creatures. Arnaud and the others came over just in time for the challenge,
| |
| thinking that this man was very unpicky about timing.
| |
| But you can actually think the other way around.
| |
| It would be lucky to be here to learn from scratch with the strongest knights of hundreds of years ago.
| |
| Time comes now.
| |
| The members of the Order of the Paladins under Arnaud all came to be mentored by Albert, and they
| |
| alternated in groups, cultivating on one side.
| |
| ***
| |
| That's about it. The 60th floor turned into a danger zone...
| |
| "What about the other floors?”
| |
| When I hear this side, I know it in my heart too.
| |
| Adalman and Zegion are not the only ones who must have evolved abnormally.
| |
| The result was just what I expected.
| |
| From the Underground Maze, was born the masters known as the Ten Lords of the Labyrinth
| |
| (Labyrinth Ten).
| |
| | |
| Maybe their fighting ability is comparable to the main subordinates, too.
| |
| Adalman needs no further explanation, his subordinate Albert being one of them.
| |
| As for Apito, who completes the abnormal evolution, she also seems to have turned into a Labyrinth
| |
| Ten and is titled "Bug Queen".
| |
| As for Zegion, he even became the most powerful of the ten.
| |
| There was also the Nine-Tailed Beast Kumara, who could become an adult by absorbing the demon
| |
| beasts that her tails turned into, and that was her true form.
| |
| "Then allow me to speak next!”
| |
| With that said, Ramiris informed the Labyrinth of the current distribution of forces within the Labyrinth
| |
| and an update.
| |
| Start from the ground up, in that order.
| |
| Following Milim's instructions, Ramiris carefully cultivated four dragons with only attributes, and
| |
| these guys beautifully evolved into Dragon Kings.
| |
| It's all because of the daily absorption of a large pile of magical elements from Veldora.
| |
| There were four in total: the Flame Dragon King, the Ice and Snow Dragon King, the Gale Dragon
| |
| King, and the Earth Shattering Dragon King.
| |
| I really don't want to know this, but it's reality.
| |
| This isn't over.
| |
| The floor guardian of the ninetieth floor was the Nine-Tailed Kumara of the Nine Beasts.
| |
| The guardian of the eightieth floor is the "Bug Emperor" Zegion.
| |
| Apito, the "Bug Queen" of the Seventy-ninth Level, the Guardian of the Realm.
| |
| The floor guardian of the 70th floor - Adalman, the "Immortal King".
| |
| The vanguard of the 70th level - Albert "Paladin of the Dead".
| |
| Plus the fiftieth floor guardians Gozu and Mezu.
| |
| Actually, Gozu and Mezu are not part of the Labyrinth Ten. As for the last of the Labyrinth Ten, it was
| |
| Beretta who was responsible for being the administrator.
| |
| "Personally, I don't want to get involved in this kind of trouble—ahem, this honor should be given to
| |
| someone else...”
| |
| While talking, Beretta looked over to Treyni and the Flame Giant—wrong, it should be Charys.
| |
| "Alas, I have to take care of Lord Ramiris, and there's this big job to do.”
| |
| "So do I. I'm Lord Veldora's only confidant. It's a lot of work just to take care of the master.
| |
| | |
| With a beautiful smile, Miss Treyni said so.
| |
| Charys seems to have been played by Veldora, but he himself seems content. It doesn't look like there is
| |
| any intention of taking on any other work.
| |
| I sighed inwardly, thinking that the two men's thinking patterns resembled a certain housekeeper.
| |
| "You seem to be having a hard time, Beretta."
| |
| "You can understand, Lord Rimuru!”
| |
| I kept nodding my head.
| |
| In addition to re-affirming how deep my bond with Beretta runs, I confirmed a few things in passing.
| |
| First of all, who should be in charge of the Labyrinth Ten?
| |
| The Underground Maze balances interests and substantive interests and is a facility that several of us
| |
| operate together. In fact most of it had to rely on the power of Ramiris, but what was certain was that it
| |
| couldn't be messed with without Veldora's mana.
| |
| In this way, the question arises, which is who the Labyrinth Ten should obey.
| |
| As far as the chain of command was concerned, it should have been attributed to Ramiris, but...
| |
| "On that note, we have interviewed each of them, in the form they wish!”
| |
| Speaking of which, Ramiris began to explain.
| |
| Beretta followed Ramiris, unchanged.
| |
| Each of the dragon kings were under Ramiris and did seem to enter into contracts.
| |
| The Dragon Kings are self-aware and has their own consent to this.
| |
| Then there are the other members.
| |
| Not only did Kumara become good friends with the children, but life in this land was satisfying to her,
| |
| and her gratitude to me seemed to break through the skies. She also boasted about replacing Ranga as my
| |
| pet.
| |
| Zegion and Apito liked me very much and expressed their desire to honor me as their lord.
| |
| Not to mention Adalman. He seemed to have gotten something wrong and even worshipped me as a
| |
| "god".
| |
| Albert, too, was indoctrinated by such an Adalman and looked as if he was going to offer his loyalty to
| |
| me through Adalman.
| |
| That's about it, these five men became my minions.
| |
| Both Gozu and Mezu seem to stay in the labyrinth to work, I think it would actually be possible to turn
| |
| them into Ramiris's minions, but...
| |
| | |
| They themselves politely declined to become a part of Ramiris' men, wishing to take orders from me.
| |
| Also true. They used to be a race of believers in power and might judge Ramiris by her appearance.
| |
| "Not so! Didn't you name them Rimuru? It seems to make them happier than paying them, so they say
| |
| it's the only thing they can't compromise on.”
| |
| Well, so it turns out.
| |
| It felt good to hear them say that.
| |
| Next time I encounter them, I’ll be kind to these two as well.
| |
| In this way, while observing the three previous intruders in action, I found the situation inside the
| |
| underground maze to be surprising.
| |
| This is what I mean by astonished to the point of dumbfoundedness, and it's certainly a good thing that
| |
| the guardians have become stronger. Yet they've evolved beyond belief, which is a bit disturbing.
| |
| The faint-hearted have this bad habit, I guess.
| |
| Those aside, with the Labyrinth Ten, even if the Empire fought over, they could still rest assured.
| |
| Only in the face of general challengers, I ordered them to release mana appropriately. Otherwise, it
| |
| would be impossible for the average person to breach the maze.
| |
| It always felt sad that everyone had to challenge a maze that had several Demon Lord level opponents.
| |
| There were only a hundred layers to guard to the end anyway, but that was all that needed to be handed
| |
| over there to Veldora.
| |
| The other floors—hopefully everyone will attack at least as far as near the 80th floor.
| |
| Since we've been building it so hard, I hope you can see what a maze can do—presumably based on
| |
| this mood.
| |
| But those will have to wait for the day when peace is restored.
| |
| ***
| |
| After confirming the current situation inside the maze, I looked around at the various guardians.
| |
| I wanted to be sure and see for myself how far they had evolved—grown.
| |
| The results exceeded expectations.
| |
| With such a huge amount of battle power, even if the Empire attacked, I felt that I wouldn't lose as long
| |
| as I was inside the maze.
| |
| The next few days passed.
| |
| The surveillance magic is finally complete, so I'm going to experiment.
| |
| | |
| It is located at the "Strategic Military Control Combat Command Post", commonly known as the
| |
| "Control Room".
| |
| It felt cool to read it smoothly and imposingly—that’s probably how it felt, after consulting with
| |
| Veldora and deciding on the name...but after calming down and reflecting a little, it felt too long.
| |
| Honestly, I think we're talking to the wrong person.
| |
| Benimaru and the others only knew it as the control room, and there were very few people who knew
| |
| what the original name was.
| |
| Veldora's private room was located on the hundredth floor of the labyrinth, and the control room was
| |
| located next to his room, with access from the usual combat conference room.
| |
| If the metropolis on the ground was isolated in the labyrinth, we would be using this control room alive
| |
| as a base camp.
| |
| The preparations for the war were flawless.
| |
| If it was a day job, that would actually make me personally happier.
| |
| Surveillance magic brings good results.
| |
| We set up several large screens that are also useful at martial arts conventions, and let those screens
| |
| shine out in different places separately.
| |
| There were various areas within the Great Forest of Jura, as well as trade routes to the Dwarven Realm
| |
| that became available to begin monitoring in various key areas.
| |
| Even the seaway connecting the Kingdom of Farmenas, the top of the Great Mountain of Canaat, was
| |
| smoothly reflected.
| |
| The principle is simple.
| |
| That said, the physical magic I developed, "Megiddo", is also useful for allowing spirits to manipulate
| |
| lens-shaped water droplets.
| |
| Huge mirrors unfolded high in the air to find the expanded image of the destination. We let these
| |
| images reflect and then transmitted the informative images.
| |
| Referring to what Moss did, I sent my "doppelgänger" slimes to various places as a medium to unleash
| |
| magic. Therefore, it will be connected to the "space domination" launched by me, so that data can be
| |
| transmitted directly without the slightest error.
| |
| Those clones are all very small and not self-conscious, and as long as I'm not focusing on that side,
| |
| they don't drain energy. It wouldn't be easy to ship them near the location you wanted to see, but Souei
| |
| and Moss said they would try to help.
| |
| It's an excellent system with very low energy costs.
| |
| A name for the system was also given to the physical magic—“Argos (God’s Eye)“.
| |
| The high resolution image is shown on the screen with the "King of Wisdom" processing.
| |
| | |
| You can stay in the warm control room to confirm the status of the scene. Everyone was so happy when
| |
| I finished this wonderful spell.
| |
| Diablo, in particular, was particularly excited, so let's just pretend he didn't see it.
| |
| Next, as this surveillance system is completed, there is actually one more benefit.
| |
| You can stay in this control room and unleash the "Megiddo" at the location shown on the screen.
| |
| I was surprised when I actually finished the experiment. Aiming at the feet of Gobta, who had been
| |
| training in the plaza, and hit a shot to try it, not expecting it to work.
| |
| Gobta startled the entire crowd into a jump, and his face was unforgettable.
| |
| "You idiot! It's your fault!”
| |
| Instead, I preached to him, when in fact Gobta was not wrong.
| |
| On top of that, the performance of "Megiddo" had gone up.
| |
| This was originally magic that Great Sage had made the best adjustments to produce, but it didn't seem
| |
| acceptable enough to Master Raphael, the current King of Wisdom...
| |
| We made further precision modifications, resulting in a system that allows several satellite lenses to
| |
| float in mid-air at any time.
| |
| Because of the connection with “Argos”, the “Megiddo” can be unleashed at night. The power was
| |
| more or less low, but I managed to get the light to reflect between the satellites, causing the light to gather
| |
| into a beam.
| |
| Seriously, my efforts seem to be misplaced.
| |
| What actually created the satellites were big spirits, and I was just supplying the mana. The complex
| |
| arithmetic is handed over to Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, and is very simple to operate.
| |
| Of course there is no energy dissipation during the day, and the power is greater.
| |
| The amount of light and heat that can be operated has increased and can be used like a hot-wire cannon.
| |
| If the opponent is a human army, maybe I can get them all killed without even moving a step.
| |
| All the previous magical transformations couldn't help but make one feel this way.
| |
| ***
| |
| After confirming the success of the experiment, I returned to the office.
| |
| At this time, Shuna happened to come over and told me that there was a visitor.
| |
| Don't look at our country, it's actually a lot of guests.
| |
| Anyway, it's not too much to say that most of my work is in entertaining guests.
| |
| | |
| All that's left is to develop the magic, or to conceive of interesting merchandise and then distribute it to
| |
| the right people to do it. After that comes the management of the labyrinth operation, or being the subject
| |
| of Myormile's consultation...all sorts of things.
| |
| Play is also part of the job.
| |
| That's probably the case, but hosting guests is paramount. I'll do it all seriously.
| |
| Led by Shuna, I went to the reception room, only to see Shinji and the others waiting with nervous
| |
| faces.
| |
| They fled to this country and I've been able to ask all the things I've been able to ask these last few
| |
| days.
| |
| Of course it wasn't torture, they had a choice, and the three of them were being questioned in a peaceful
| |
| manner in separate rooms.
| |
| I have told them that they can do whatever they want with their free time and they should have time to
| |
| figure out how to conduct themselves.
| |
| The reason they are coming over today is to tell me what they have decided.
| |
| "So you've decided on what you want to do?”
| |
| Shinji and the others were confused and didn't know whether they should take office in our country or
| |
| become free-spirited adventurers.
| |
| If they continue to be adventurers, these people can go and challenge the maze and live a privileged
| |
| life.
| |
| The downside is that now they know how strong the lineup is in the maze and can't see the future.
| |
| I have the Floor Guardian Colossus Statue set up on the 60th floor, but it should be a struggle to really
| |
| cure them to deal with something like this.
| |
| Plus even if they broke through this layer, there was still an Adalman line waiting for them on the
| |
| seventieth floor. No matter how you think about it, it's a dead end. If you ask them if they're going to
| |
| spend their whole life there, they're going to feel very annoyed.
| |
| Because it's been seen, they'll feel very unfulfilled doing the job. Even if you can make money, life will
| |
| become monotonous and boring.
| |
| But Adalman and the rest have gotten stronger than I expected, so I don't have much left to laugh at
| |
| people now.
| |
| Thinking logically in general, one doesn't expect to grow so much—evolution, I should say—so that's
| |
| something that can't be helped.
| |
| Forget about that. Forget it.
| |
| What will happen to the other challengers, and I'll leave that out of my mind.
| |
| So what happens when you come to work in our country?
| |
| | |
| At best, the appointment is only a temporary assignment, but a secure life is guaranteed. Only we're
| |
| about to go to war with the Empire, and Shinji and them seem to be worried about whether they'll be
| |
| forced into battle.
| |
| Personally, I don't want to force them, but I also can't assert that they won't suffer the ripple effects. I'd
| |
| better not mind my own business and talk nonsense and wait and see how Shinji and the others judge.
| |
| "Report. I, the three of us rather, as a result of our discussions, came to the conclusion that we wanted
| |
| to be able to work in His Majesty's country of Rimuru. After all, Master Gedora is also going to serve this
| |
| country, and we would love for this country to hire us. I wonder if that's convenient?”
| |
| Shinji said this with a nervous face.
| |
| The other two also nodded with serious expressions, looking like they didn't object.
| |
| "Got it. In that case, you are welcome to join.”
| |
| "Yes, thank you!"
| |
| "I'll try my best!"
| |
| “...I'll work my ass off."
| |
| Just like that, Shinji and the rest became part of this country.
| |
| Then things are moving in that direction, come and see what work to get them to do.
| |
| "I'm going to let Grandpa Gedora manage the 60th floor. Ask him to study the Floor Guardian Colossus
| |
| Statue and expect to have him possess it in the future.”
| |
| The old grandfather had a keen curiosity and seemed to have a keen interest in the matter. As soon as I
| |
| showed him the Floor Guardian Colossus Statue, he yelled with excitement.
| |
| It's just sent to Adalman's side first for now, but it should be nice to have him as a floor guardian on the
| |
| 60th floor in the future.
| |
| "So you guys don't want to go to this war, right?”
| |
| "Ah, yes. There are people we know over there, if that's okay..."
| |
| The way Shinji replied, it didn't look like he wanted to do that very much.
| |
| That being the case, instead of coming over to be my men, it would be better to have them go to the
| |
| labyrinth as researchers.
| |
| Thinking about this side, I decided to introduce Shinji and them to Ramiris.
| |
| ***
| |
| I bounced forward through the maze and came to the Institute of Ramiris.
| |
| "Ramiris, should we try to get Shinji and the others to work on your side?”
| |
| "Ah, Rimuru! They're the ones from before, right?”
| |
| | |
| "Yeah, that's them.”
| |
| Ramiris had been looking for assistants, but could not find any decent talent.
| |
| A researcher from another country could not have been casually sent by Ramiris. Having said that, a
| |
| | |
| magical creature with not enough intelligence was not strong enough, and could not understand the pie-in-
| |
| the-sky ideas of Ramiris.
| |
| | |
| It's a good thing there's Dino, but he's not reliable enough alone.
| |
| Shinji and the rest happened to show up at this time, and were arguably just the right talent for the job.
| |
| "Yoo-hoo! I'm Ramiris. You guys want to be new assistants and come work with me?”
| |
| “This......”
| |
| Shinji didn't know how to answer, and looked as if he hadn't realized what kind of person Ramiris was.
| |
| "Fantastic! Hey, Shinji! There are real fairies here!”
| |
| Mark was there yelling in surprise. Was it his first time seeing one? I don't know how long he's been in
| |
| this world, but if seeing the fairies surprised him like this, then that guy was more innocent than I thought.
| |
| "I've been looking for an assistant. How about for a paycheck? We're short-staffed, and we've earned it
| |
| by finding decent educated visitors to the Otherworld—that’s what Rimuru said before!”
| |
| Ah, I can't believe that Ramiris is so talkative.
| |
| Although that's true.
| |
| The "otherworldly visitor" is highly skilled and flexible in its ideas. They'll be on the field soon, and I
| |
| hope Shinji accepts them if he can.
| |
| “...I agree. It's more peaceful to do research."
| |
| Zhen was direct. Presumably, Zhen was just like that, and Shinji seemed to have made up his mind.
| |
| "Thank you very much, then!”
| |
| Hearing such a response from the other, Ramiris flew around happily.
| |
| And then held up a flat chest while looking like she was the best...
| |
| "Hmph! You guys seem to be that good. Good, you're all qualified. But you must obey my orders when
| |
| you work!”
| |
| She gave an ultimatum to Shinji and the others.
| |
| Turning your face is like flipping a book, even I was surprised to read it. That floppy look just now was
| |
| like a hallucination.
| |
| To say that this is very much in the style of Ramiris, is very true.
| |
| | |
| Regardless of Shinji's shocked face, Ramiris straightened out the working conditions in a flash.
| |
| The monthly salary is three gold coins.
| |
| That translates to thirty-six a year, plus dividends.
| |
| That said, both me and Ramiris are in the mood to give money, and it's best not to expect too much
| |
| from the dividends.
| |
| Instead, the burden of food and clothing would seem to be placed on the shoulders of the woman. She
| |
| was probably trying to use our canteen, but that part was fine.
| |
| That's how it was. Shinji's relocation was settled in one fell swoop.
| |
| ***
| |
| A few more days passed after that.
| |
| It seems that the three of them are also used to the workplace and now work as both right and left hands
| |
| of Ramiris.
| |
| That part is fine, I'm more worried about Gedora.
| |
| As soon as he returned to the Empire, he cut off contact with us.
| |
| The old grandfather was very shrewd, I think he's fine, but...
| |
| I'm starting to worry now and hope he contacts us.
| |
| While thinking about it, I went to the control room today to discuss it with Benimaru.
| |
| On the screen for surveillance, the image I got with the "Argos" was reflected there.
| |
| The images came from various locations, but today was no different.
| |
| I would also like to gather intelligence within the Empire's territory, but it would be satisfying to have
| |
| images of the military borders for now.
| |
| A large number of soldiers were gathered there, around the perimeter of the security base. It's the only
| |
| area that's always in a hurry.
| |
| "There doesn't seem to be any movement today either."
| |
| "Yeah. That said. This magic is really convenient. This is the magic Lord Rimuru has been working on
| |
| lately, right?”
| |
| There were only a few of us today, so Benimaru's tone was less preachy.
| |
| I personally prefer it this way, it feels more relaxed. It was only unfortunate that in front of the others,
| |
| Benimaru would revert back to a polite attitude.
| |
| But there were exceptions, and that was when Souei or Diablo were present.
| |
| | |
| It felt a lot like a group of loser friends, and I loved it so much that sometimes the four of us would go
| |
| to Ingracia Kingdom for a drink together.
| |
| "Yes! What makes this magic so great is that it all starts with the softness of thinking. The energy cost
| |
| to spend is low and the effect is great. In order to unleash this magic, the complexity of the calculations is
| |
| as beautiful as a work of art, and it does not drag on at all. So...”
| |
| “Pause...! That's it. You'll never stop bragging about it, just wait until I'm gone and tell someone else,
| |
| okay?”
| |
| A slight oversight turns into this.
| |
| It bothers me that Diablo will start bragging about it.
| |
| This magic is indeed powerful, but only with Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, can it be practiced.
| |
| It's a little embarrassing that it's not entirely out of my league.
| |
| "Shut it, Diablo. If you don't act a little more restrained, you will cause trouble for Lord Rimuru.”
| |
| "That's not possible. What the hell are you talking about, Benimaru? Nothing of the sort, right Lord
| |
| Rimuru?”
| |
| "No, Benimaru is right. You're always talking too much about the long way and the short way.”
| |
| Diablo must be warned indeed this time.
| |
| | |
| He put on a greatly distressed expression, became well depressed and must have been acting anyway.
| |
| It's no big deal.
| |
| I had heard that Diablo was a very dangerous demon, and I was worried about what to do. But after
| |
| thinking it over and over, it turns out that this guy was always a weirdo.
| |
| Even that Guy kept getting caught up in him, and coping was seriously downright foolish.
| |
| As I found out about this, I'm not going to be able to cut corners anymore.
| |
| "Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,
| |
| blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,
| |
| blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,
| |
| blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.......”
| |
| "I told you to stop it!”
| |
| I told you so, didn't I?
| |
| This guy is not reflecting at all.
| |
| Slightly in a sterner tone he said exactly.
| |
| A sudden report interrupted our relaxing time.
| |
| "Rimuru, someone teleported directly into the maze! Based on this reaction, I think it's our newest
| |
| grandfather!”
| |
| "Got it. I'll be on the 70th floor in a minute.”
| |
| I stood up, and this action alone seemed to make Benimaru and Diablo sense that something was up.
| |
| They were so good that, in addition to being impressed, I briefly informed them of the main points.
| |
| "Gedora seems to be back, but it sounds like something must have happened. I'm going to make sure.”
| |
| "Got it. Then I will continue to be on guard here.”
| |
| "In that case, let me be Lord Rimuru's escort."
| |
| “Please."
| |
| It's times like these that Diablo feels particularly reliable.
| |
| If only this was his usual attitude...no, better not think about it.
| |
| Diablo is excellent, but the difference is too great. With regret, I headed for the living room that had
| |
| been allocated to Gedora.
| |
| Turns out Gedora was really there.
| |
| There was no need to worry about whether he was safe or not, he was alive and well.
| |
| | |
| "Oops, I thought I was going to die.”
| |
| It didn't look anything like the dying Gedora said so.
| |
| The only people gathered there, except for us, were the Adalman group.
| |
| After a while, Ramiris and Veldora also rushed over, knowing that Gedora was okay and went back.
| |
| "What happened to the result?”
| |
| "Back to your word, here's the thing. This old man advocated anti-war at the Imperial Council,
| |
| following Lord Rimuru's orders. In the end, however, there was a tendency to go to war. But this is all to
| |
| be expected, so considering it a final act of loyalty, I intended to go directly to His Majesty Rudra to make
| |
| a petition.”
| |
| Then Gedora applied for a meeting with the Emperor, and the application was accepted.
| |
| The day of the appointment came and it was today.
| |
| Gedora said that in the emperor's chambers he was assassinated by someone. Those things happened
| |
| just minutes ago, less than ten minutes apart.
| |
| Ask him if he's all right. It's not a good way to see the occasion.
| |
| "Yes, I have the Resurrection Bracelet for you."
| |
| "Yes, Lord Ramiris is quite powerful, and it was thanks to something like that that I was able to save
| |
| my life. I thought that something like this might happen, so I set the return magic first.”
| |
| Seeing that he was safe and sound, I figured that might be the case.
| |
| His brain was moving really fast. As long as you return to the labyrinth, no matter how badly injured
| |
| you are, even if you are about to die, you can still be safe with the "Resurrection Bracelet".
| |
| After witnessing real-life cases like this, I re-affirmed that the power of Ramiris was practical.
| |
| Having said that, to be able to set up magic beforehand, Gedora really has a way with that. He seems to
| |
| have taught this move to Razen, so I'll practice it next time.
| |
| I have "thought acceleration" on me, and perhaps even more powerful magic can be created through
| |
| alignment combinations.
| |
| "Then who attacked you?”
| |
| Even if one were to find someone in our country who could defeat Gedora, there shouldn't be that
| |
| many. Gedora was always on guard, and seemed to be thoroughly defended through magic, so even if he
| |
| was sneakily attacked, he shouldn't lose to his opponent...
| |
| "In this regard, the other party is able to keep me out of sight, even if it is too late to confirm the other
| |
| party's true identity. But the thought of who the other party might be just makes it a little hard to
| |
| believe...”
| |
| Speaking of which, Gedora turned his back to me and showed me the torn cloak.
| |
| | |
| The injuries to the body have healed, but the equipment has not recovered. The cloak left marks that
| |
| looked very much like it had been corroded, and at a glance you could tell it wasn't just a physical attack.
| |
| "A stab in the heart from the back, huh?”
| |
| ''The defensive spells built with magic have also been broken. It looks like there are people there who
| |
| use very interesting moves.”
| |
| Diablo also had a look of admiration on his face, the opponent seemed to have come from no small
| |
| place.
| |
| There should also be people on the Imperial side who are strong enough to kill me. Maybe it was the
| |
| same guy who assassinated Gedora, and it's best to assume there are other masters around.
| |
| Gedora didn't seem quite sure who the enemy was. He wanted to investigate a little, so the matter was
| |
| left to Gedora.
| |
| It didn't sound like Gedora was lying, it looked like he was really confused. It seems too early to trust
| |
| Gedora, so I decided to observe the situation first this time.
| |
| "Anyway, it's really good that you're okay. Now that it has been reaffirmed that the Empire is an
| |
| opponent that cannot be taken lightly, we will be more careful in the future.”
| |
| "The words of Lord Rimuru are sufficient. Even if we investigate further, we won't be able to get any
| |
| information that will be refreshing.”
| |
| It seems Diablo thought so too.
| |
| Gedora nearly died trying to get that information, now it's time to be satisfied with having that.
| |
| Thinking about this side, I comforted Gedora while listening to him explain the situation.
| |
| ***
| |
| According to Old Grandfather Gedora, the Empire was preparing for war.
| |
| Once an empire wants to go to war with another country, none of them will declare war first.
| |
| Because they think the emperor is unique and does not recognize other nations.
| |
| That being said, it was at best an outwardly created image. In fact, they also have bonded with the
| |
| Dwarven Kingdom and have not interfered with them ruling their own country.
| |
| When it comes to invading other countries, the Empire is ready for anything. So they will not declare
| |
| war, but rather persuade other nations to surrender.
| |
| That too is limited to one time.
| |
| If they obeyed, then so be it; if they did not, there would be war and then the Empire would attack
| |
| without mercy.
| |
| How self-righteous and arrogant is this country?
| |
| You can't make friends in the international community in such a difficult country!
| |
| | |
| I began to worry about it, but the Empire was never part of the international community.
| |
| Thus, international law, as laid down by the Western consultative councils, has not been ratified, and
| |
| once war is waged it is not a matter of right and wrong.
| |
| What agreements to make in case of defeat, what to do with prisoners, what acts to forbid in case of
| |
| war—that sort of thing, the empire did not make any agreements at all in that regard, so the Western
| |
| countries were very afraid of them.
| |
| No wonder it's scary. This is really scary.
| |
| Maybe even killing people would be justified, and losing to the Empire in a war would be the same as
| |
| losing everything.
| |
| I don't think there's even a chance to talk about compensation.
| |
| For everything belongs to the Empire, and the defeated nations have no right to speak of.
| |
| If you want to negotiate with the Empire, you should at least fight them to a draw.
| |
| That being the case, there's no need for us to drain the water.
| |
| It must be won and lost in one fell swoop and the root of the scourge must be cut off.
| |
| Now that the empire's movements have been determined, it's time to think about what to do when the
| |
| war begins.
| |
| The first step is to set up an operational integration headquarters in the control room. While that just
| |
| sets the mood, this kind of thing is important.
| |
| Benimaru and Souei would stay here from time to time.
| |
| When Souei is able to send the clones around the world to conduct reconnaissance operations, it's not
| |
| just my Argos that he can rely on. He will work with Moss and can gather very accurate intelligence.
| |
| That way we're a few steps ahead of our opponents.
| |
| Honestly, in this world of warfare, wait for the two armies to meet before they really start fighting.
| |
| They would put out scouts and use long-range magic to monitor the enemy's movements, but it was
| |
| generally assumed that this was something that would be done soon after an encounter with an opponent.
| |
| We all have the idea of intelligence warfare, but I don't think any other country will be able to find an
| |
| army that has so thoroughly intensified its surveillance of enemy forces.
| |
| Hinata and Gedora have also told me about this, and it shouldn't be my own imagination, but the fact
| |
| that it's true.
| |
| “These...these images are from the air...?"
| |
| "Kufufufufu. It was generated through the magic of Lord Rimuru. All it took was a little bit of magical
| |
| essence, and the magical reaction had gone to the outside of the atmosphere. The number of people who
| |
| can sense these reactions must be very small. It probably takes a super intuitive ability just to sense it."
| |
| | |
| "Yes, indeed. I'm also confident in my magical senses, but this magic is so natural that it's hard to
| |
| imagine someone manipulating it behind the scenes..."
| |
| | |
| "Exactly! Even high-ranking magicians who were good at using magic would be fine, if only three-
| |
| legged cats probably couldn't detect it. It's really impressive. You think so, don't you?”
| |
| | |
| "That's what I thought! It's really quite a bit of magic!”
| |
| Somehow, Diablo put on a smug look and began to show off to Gedora. Gedora agreed with him, with
| |
| a look of excitement.
| |
| “Shion."
| |
| "Yes, sir!”
| |
| This was really in the way, so I ordered Shion to take them to another room to isolate them.
| |
| When the scene regains its tranquility, we cut to the chase.
| |
| Returning the surveillance image from high in the air was a foul move.
| |
| Think about it, people.
| |
| It wasn't long ago that it bothered them which route they would attack from and things are now like a
| |
| joke.
| |
| This was because not only the suspicious routes, but even the vicinity of the border with the Empire
| |
| could be watched, and once they were out and about, they would be able to see clearly.
| |
| We can see all the situations on the board, but the opponent seems to be playing blind chess.
| |
| They can only see their pieces. As long as we're not too young, we can't lose even if our opponent is a
| |
| good chess player.
| |
| There was no need to send high commanders to check their male soldiers, we had an absolute
| |
| advantage.
| |
| Besides, there are no rules to fight.
| |
| The people who win say everything is right.
| |
| The other side's unilateral aggression, that's beyond horrifying. Apart from the fact that there is no
| |
| convention to fall back on, anything can happen in war.
| |
| But I made a rule anyway.
| |
| "Do not shoot at the general public!”
| |
| The rule is this.
| |
| Of course, it is strictly forbidden for us to take the lead. And once I declare the war over, no attacks can
| |
| be launched after that.
| |
| I'm sure no one will go against my will to disobey this order.
| |
| | |
| Today, in this control room, our subordinates are gathered together.
| |
| The commander was Benimaru, with Hakurou as an advisor.
| |
| Souei is the head of the intelligence service.
| |
| Plus Rigurd, and the three heads of power who supported him on the side—Rugurd, Regurd, and
| |
| Rogurd.
| |
| On this side of the female lineup, there are Shuna and Lilina.
| |
| As well as Rigur, Kaijin and Kurobee, who silently supported everyone behind them.
| |
| Vesta and Myourmile serve as consultants.
| |
| On the side of the chiefs of the various armies were Gobta and Gabil, plus Geld, who I had asked to
| |
| interrupt his work.
| |
| I also called in the three female demons—Testarossa, Carrera, and Ultima.
| |
| Diablo looked like he was reflecting, so I allowed him to participate. He got along well with Shion,
| |
| standing in his usual fixed position.
| |
| To find a reference, I also had Gedora and the Shinji trio take their seats together.
| |
| Someone came late, and he is the one who is now the spiritual pillar of the people.
| |
| "Wait a minute. How did I become a pillar of the people's hearts? Please don't talk nonsense, for
| |
| goodness’ sake!”
| |
| Oops, accidentally speaking your mind?
| |
| Masayuki snapped at me.
| |
| Watching Masayuki and I interact like this, somehow Gedora didn't even look away.
| |
| Maybe there was something that mattered to him, it was possible to ask him when the meeting was
| |
| over.
| |
| The last remaining members were two more.
| |
| That's Veldora and Ramiris who came to help.
| |
| Beretta, Miss Treyni, and Charys were also all waiting in the corner of the room.
| |
| These are the full members of the above.
| |
| I nudged Ranga, who was sitting next to me, and looked around at everyone sitting in the chair.
| |
| "I thought it would not be necessary to say much about the meeting that brought you here today to
| |
| discuss how to fight the Empire. Benimaru and I had already thought about the approximate combat plan,
| |
| but we also wanted to hear from everyone. Please take the floor.”
| |
| | |
| “Yes!"
| |
| That's the thing, the meeting is about to begin.
| |
| ***
| |
| We began to look at the images, which reflected the gathering of the Imperial army.
| |
| Something made of steel rumbled and moved against the track.
| |
| That's a chariot.
| |
| We observed from above that the number of war vehicles was two thousand.
| |
| "Wait, no! Why are there chariots there?"
| |
| As soon as I saw those things, the thought immediately came to me.
| |
| I hastened to ask Shinji about it, and found out that there are modern weapons in the Empire that use
| |
| the knowledge of the "otherworldly visitors" to develop modern weapons using science and technology.
| |
| Using an internal combustion engine, which is an alternative to petroleum, mana is equipped with an
| |
| internal combustion engine that replenishes energy by circulating the atmosphere. It's a well thought out
| |
| system with both heat dissipation and magicule supply.
| |
| This chariot is capable of a wide range of applications, if only to compare performance, slightly
| |
| surpassing the highest performance chariot in the native world.
| |
| According to Gedora, the Imperial side analyzed the magic center-controlled power furnace excavated
| |
| from the ancient ruins and then modernized it. It seems that the magic stones will also be replenished and
| |
| used as fuel.
| |
| If only for general use, they would harvest from nature, and I've heard that magic stones are used in
| |
| battle.
| |
| Not only is it possible to travel at more than 100 km/h, but it seems to be fine even when it encounters
| |
| treacherous roads.
| |
| I've heard that it's also possible to float slightly off the ground and float in mid-air, although this will
| |
| consume energy.
| |
| Seriously, I found out we were a step late.
| |
| If only we had developed it too, that chagrins me. There was no thought of developing chariots in a
| |
| world full of knights.
| |
| We've built the train, but it's one step away from being a chariot.
| |
| But we don't even have a car here, so we build chariots. In addition, it is important to think a little bit
| |
| about this.
| |
| It's convenient, but it's dangerous.
| |
| | |
| Everyone will want one by then, but asking me if I could have one for everyone, I don't think I can.
| |
| There is also the problem of energy depletion, and no matter what one thinks, there will be car owners
| |
| and carless people.
| |
| I think the goal is to build cities that don't need cars.
| |
| When all this construction is tidied up, I’m thinking of developing cars that rich people will be
| |
| interested in.
| |
| Making access to these cars their goal—that’s probably how it will feel. Let everyone have a dream,
| |
| and for the sake of status, it's not too bad to buy something fancy.
| |
| But all this will have to wait until after the war is over.
| |
| Because it's not just the chariots that are surprising.
| |
| And boats flying through the air.
| |
| Really—it took a lot of work just to swallow that scream.
| |
| With something like that, it's a lot easier to transport. If used in war, the problem of supplies can be
| |
| solved as well.
| |
| Also, I found myself being too self-righteous.
| |
| There was always optimism that we were the only ones who could take over the airspace.
| |
| We'd like to develop something like that too—it’s been thought of before, but in reality it's not possible.
| |
| To build a ship that can fly through the air, that's not something that can be done overnight.
| |
| I think it should take a while, but developing something isn't that simple. All of the merchandise was
| |
| wrongly thought out and finally corrected to the point where it could actually be used.
| |
| This time I should compliment the developers on the Empire side in good conscience.
| |
| So you can't blame me for wanting to grab a developer unharmed.
| |
| If I were to think more flexibly, more freely, and then ask people to develop those things, then we
| |
| would now—no, don't think.
| |
| It's useless to be chagrined here, so let's make that a topic for the future.
| |
| When this war is over, I want to try to develop all sorts of things in a more liberal way.
| |
| ***
| |
| The current state of the empire is just as it’s seen.
| |
| I've known this kind of thing in the world before, but some people are seeing it for the first time.
| |
| Those people could hardly hide their surprise, staring at the images with dazzled eyes.
| |
| "The total number of invaders is estimated to be in the millions! Anyway, as we've seen, the military
| |
| weapons on the Imperial side are also intimidating, but we still retain superiority. Everyone rest assured.”
| |
| | |
| The most important element in warfare is how much mastery you have of the enemy's fighting power. It
| |
| is at this point that we have equated the enemy's unreserved presence.
| |
| According to the calculations of Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, the total number of the enemy's
| |
| army was in the millions. The turnout was a real mess, but I still don't think we'll lose.
| |
| Because that's how we're doing right now.
| |
| "I've heard from Gedora's side that there seem to be three major legions within the Empire. One of the
| |
| legions is called the Mecha Legion, and they have the chariot unit that just appeared in the picture.
| |
| They're called the Magic Chariot Division, and they're the main force of the enemy.”
| |
| Speaking of which, I began to explain the inside story of the Chariot Force.
| |
| Gedora gave more information than that. He had gone to a war meeting on the Imperial side and told us
| |
| everything he heard.
| |
| The story of Gedora's escape must have been passed back, and it's possible they could change the battle
| |
| plan, but I don't think the outline will change.
| |
| After all, there was still Yuuki on the Imperial side, and it seemed like his goal was to stage a coup.
| |
| In order to disrupt the other legionnaires, the guy would surely assert that Gedora was dead, using no
| |
| need to keep an eye on him.
| |
| And Gedora also said that Calgurio, the Mecha Legion's army chief, had fallen for the bait I had sown.
| |
| The underground labyrinth is full of resources and treasures, trying to get ahead of the competition.
| |
| That being the case, he shouldn't want to see a drastic change in the battle plan and is likely to accept
| |
| Yuuki's proposal. It is dangerous to operate according to one's own speculations, but it is easier to
| |
| speculate on the enemy's purpose of action by watching how Calgurio arranges his army.
| |
| I have just finished my statement, and Gobta has taken the lead.
| |
| "May I ask, will my regiment stay in the hotel town and fight those chariots?"
| |
| That's a great entry point. It should be said that he himself has been assigned to the post of chief of the
| |
| army, so it is a matter of life and death, and it must be asked.
| |
| Gobta always slept during meetings and I now thought that he had grown. You have to be responsible
| |
| to grow up...
| |
| "What's the point of asking such a question as a matter of course? You are to lead the First Corps in
| |
| slaughtering this chariot corps.”
| |
| I was still deep in emotion when Benimaru said just that.
| |
| Gobta was greatly shaken, and the whole people were shaken.
| |
| "Why haven't I heard...”
| |
| He was there alone to shred his thoughts.
| |
| | |
| Well, I know exactly how you feel.
| |
| "You don't think we're going to have to hold down a hotel town, do you?"
| |
| Gobta asked the question with a deadpan face and I smiled at him.
| |
| "How can...! Based on the performance of the chariots I just heard, you should be able to win if you
| |
| use the right method, but I don't know how much damage will be done. Basically it's more difficult to
| |
| defend than offense, and the Green Legion has no real-world combat experience and will probably just
| |
| become a dartboard for chariots. So we can't fight at all by just holding on.”
| |
| To reassure him, I explained it thus.
| |
| I asked Hakurou to back up Gobta, and he seemed to see what I was thinking from the start, nodding
| |
| his head frequently as he listened to me.
| |
| "What's to be done?”
| |
| "It's the chief's job to think about things like this, but it's hard to do at first. Benimaru, you explain.”
| |
| This time I ordered in high spirits.
| |
| In fact, I'm like Gobta in that I don't know anything about the military side of things. The details were
| |
| left to Benimaru.
| |
| The good thing about me is that I'm forgiving of myself.
| |
| If Gobta is working hard and growing, I can make it easier.
| |
| So I'd love to see Gobta make more of an effort, while listening to the Benimaru instructions with him.
| |
| "Listen up, Gobta. The hotel town is an important stronghold, but there's nothing to worry about losing
| |
| it. If it's broken and rebuilt, it's a good idea to take it away and take it back. The only problem is that it
| |
| hurts the residents. But in this regard, Rimuru-sama has already thought of a countermeasure. An order
| |
| has been issued for the residents to evacuate to the capital ‘Rimuru'."
| |
| Hmmm.
| |
| Knowing that the Empire would be in action, I began to have them evacuated. The evacuation will take
| |
| some time, but it should be done before the Imperials arrive.
| |
| "Ah, so there really are fewer people.”
| |
| "I guess so. Your job is to keep those remaining residents safe and sheltered as well. Come back here
| |
| afterwards.”
| |
| When Benimaru finished, he pointed to a certain location, which came from the large map spread out
| |
| on the table.
| |
| The official name is the armed power, Dwargon. It's their central city.
| |
| “Huh?"
| |
| | |
| "Look at this image. It looked like the Imperial Army would let their forces spread out, launching
| |
| invasions from several routes. Some troops have entered the Great Forest of Jura, but the chariot units
| |
| have not moved. One can tell by the direction of this troop's march that they intend to move along the
| |
| foothills of Canaat’s great mountain. The trees are less dense there and the army is less affected when
| |
| marching.”
| |
| "Hmm, that's right..."
| |
| "You don't get it, do you? Never mind. All you have to do is defend the Dwarven Kingdom.”
| |
| While speaking, Benimaru picked up the pawn representing the Gobta Legion and placed it in front of
| |
| the Dwarven Kingdom. Next, take out the Dwarven Legion's pawn and place it with the Gobta Legion's
| |
| pawn.
| |
| "You will fight with them.”
| |
| “Oooohhhhh......!"
| |
| It looked like Gobta had finally figured it out, looking both surprised and excited.
| |
| This battle plan was based on information given by Gedora.
| |
| I've made a deal with Gazel.
| |
| The Empire's target was the Dwarven Kingdom, and according to the alliance pact, I revealed this
| |
| matter to Gazel. At the same time, it said it would send reinforcements as agreed.
| |
| And of course, Gazel found the Empire's actions to be haunted. The opponent repeatedly asked for
| |
| permission to march, and Gazel seems to have refused to the point of annoyance.
| |
| And he seemed to have seen that the impatient empire that would soon be waiting would act.
| |
| My offer is also cause for celebration for Gazel and is good for both of us.
| |
| I decided to give up the hotel town and would rebuild if it was destroyed. However, as long as we don't
| |
| use it as a battlefield, the Empire shouldn't be destroying that place recklessly.
| |
| We'll get the hotel town back soon, even if we give up.
| |
| "The reason why the Empire chose to pass through in a conspicuous place was to let us know that they
| |
| would march in from this side. A big action move like this would have caught anyone's eye.”
| |
| "That is to say—is this a demonstration?”
| |
| Gobta this guy, he actually knows these tough words.
| |
| You're learning, you little brat...I'm a little impressed.
| |
| "That's right. This route is located right on the border between Dwargon and the Jura Tempest
| |
| Federation. Both countries will indeed notice that it is most appropriate to test the other's movements in
| |
| this way. If the other side casually comes over to pick a fight, they can use that as an excuse to go to war
| |
| immediately. Of course, we have strictly forbidden our personnel to strike, so they will be warned first.
| |
| Do you understand me?”
| |
| | |
| “Yes."
| |
| "If we hadn't made our move, the Imperial Army would have crossed the great river of Ameld and
| |
| come to a place that overlooks the front entrance to the Dwarven Kingdom. There is a large plain without
| |
| trees, perfect for laying out an army.”
| |
| "So that's it...”
| |
| "It is impossible for King Gazel to remain silent in such a state. They will send troops to confront them
| |
| and deal with each other. On that point, as do we, the Empire will be an enemy to our two nations, the
| |
| Jura Tempest Federation and Dwargon.”
| |
| Benimaru moves the pawns on the map and illustrates them in a way that seems shallow and easy to
| |
| understand.
| |
| "According to Mr. Gedora, it seems that the Empire is on guard to avoid being encircled by the Dwarf
| |
| Kingdom and the Jura Tempest Federation, but if this location is suppressed by them, there is no way to
| |
| do it. The opponent has been waiting for a long time, so it makes no tactical sense to sneak up on that
| |
| place.”
| |
| The so-called sneak attack, this tactic is to pick when the opponent is careless.
| |
| Now that the other side has figured out our strategy, there's no point in doing so, and that's where it
| |
| works against us.
| |
| "So we're going to meet it from the start. Then attack from the front and completely crush their army!"
| |
| Speaking of this side, Benimaru let Gobta's chess piece go against the one representing the Empire.
| |
| "Oh, oh, oh...!"
| |
| Gobta looked on in admiration.
| |
| The other subordinates didn't seem to have a problem with it either, but I wonder what they think about
| |
| the war power gap?
| |
| "Third Army Commander Gabil!”
| |
| “Yes!"
| |
| "Your job is to keep a vigil over the people who took refuge in the past. Watch from the air to see if
| |
| anyone is running too slow or in distress, and lend a helping hand when you can.”
| |
| "Yes, sir!”
| |
| "Also, after successfully leading everyone to shelter, you go directly to help Gobta. If the timing is
| |
| captured well, we should be able to meet him before the Imperials arrive.”
| |
| "My legions move the fastest in the Jura Tempest Federation. We will definitely catch up!”
| |
| Gabil responded confidently to Benimaru.
| |
| But it really shouldn't be easy to do.
| |
| | |
| While those residents are relocating, I plan to put the full speed train to use. However, even out of the
| |
| train, it still takes a while for tens of thousands of broken people to move.
| |
| Conversely, the Imperial Army was moving at an abnormally fast pace.
| |
| Even taking into account the effects of the legion's magic, the calculations were astounding, speculating
| |
| that they could advance eighty kilometers a day.
| |
| The Reichs are still near the national border. It was about 1,500 kilometers from the intended site of the
| |
| war. At this rate, it would take about twenty days for the Imperial Army to arrive at the site of the
| |
| scheduled war.
| |
| The reason for this marching speed is that every soldier has undergone reconstructive surgery. I've
| |
| heard that even if you don't eat or drink for a week, you'll still be able to move, and your maximum
| |
| combat speed will definitely be faster.
| |
| It is said that without supplies, the chariots can move at an average speed of ten kilometers per hour.
| |
| Even at night they could absorb magical elements that could be paired with the chariot's energy
| |
| replenishment intervals to rest.
| |
| It is indeed a bad idea to wear yourself out before the war has even begun.
| |
| Gedora's instructions cut to the chase, and I had these in mind when I did my calculations with
| |
| Benimaru.
| |
| “—that's just the way it is, the Imperial Army may be arriving here faster than one might think.
| |
| Everyone, be careful!”
| |
| Benimaru concludes with this sentence, and then proceeds to the next stage of the narration.
| |
| "The main army of the Reichs would have been here, as Gobta just said, it was a demonstration. It's
| |
| also known as a fake move. Their main army will actually aim their operations directly here!”
| |
| Benimaru said as he pulled out another Imperial chess piece of the same color. Several pieces of this
| |
| color were then placed in various parts of the great forest of Jura.
| |
| Pretend the chariots are their main force, the real main force is actually configured somewhere else is
| |
| it?
| |
| We were able to see the enemy's movements clearly, and honestly, I just thought, “Yes...”
| |
| "In case things go beyond our expectations, there's Geld guarding this place! Geld, you need to get all
| |
| your minions back from all places as soon as possible.”
| |
| "I know. I've already communicated it using the "Thought Communication". It won't be long before
| |
| everyone comes to my side to rally.”
| |
| Benimaru and Geld seemed to have a tacit understanding and didn't need to say much to reach a
| |
| consensus. Not bad for a Geld, really reliable enough.
| |
| After that, Benimaru's gaze returned to the map.
| |
| | |
| "The main force here should continue to operate on a hidden trail. It was a pity that with Lord Rimuru's
| |
| spying magic, 'Argos' couldn't even see what was going on inside the forest. This is the time to switch to
| |
| Souei.”
| |
| As soon as Benimaru's words were finished, Souei nodded and stood up.
| |
| "The forest is dense with grass and trees, so it's difficult to watch from high above. Even trying to get
| |
| my men to lurk in there, the area is too large and there is a risk of being discovered. So I went to ask
| |
| Moss. This guy put out many 'clones' of extremely small size that could receive information. They
| |
| couldn't be expected to exert their fighting abilities in such a situation, but ''Divergent'' seemed to have no
| |
| problem even if they were knocked down. The eastern part of the Great Forest of Jura is currently under
| |
| Moss' surveillance. He already has the relevant information and knows that the Imperial Army is divided
| |
| into several squads and is marching in the area, so it is our intention to break them up individually.”
| |
| Souei revealed a cold smile when he finished.
| |
| It felt a little scary, and thankfully he was on our side.
| |
| It is possible to break through individually, but it will be a problem if the main force runs out
| |
| afterwards. So the battle plan that Benimaru came up with was to wait for the other side to gather to a
| |
| certain point.
| |
| "Since the purpose of the Imperial Army is the underground labyrinth, let's bring them in and clean up
| |
| again. If there were any other troops left on the ground, the Second Corps led by Geld and my main force
| |
| would slaughter them from above.”
| |
| The battle plan is simple and straightforward.
| |
| But what is most puzzling is the battle power gap.
| |
| No one has been picking on that since just now. I wonder what people think about this?
| |
| Shouldn't it be my turn to ask at a time like this—I was confused for a moment, when the control room
| |
| was surrounded by a shout.
| |
| "I see! It’s a relief to have Gabil-kun come over as well. We're going to win this one!”
| |
| "It's so good to hear you say that! I'll make a big splash when I get there, and I won't lose to Mr.
| |
| Gobta!”
| |
| "Originally, I was worried that I wouldn't get a chance to play this time, so I'm sure it's Shogun
| |
| Benimaru-san. Leave me the greatest honor of guarding my country. I'll definitely put this power to good
| |
| use!”
| |
| It was because Benimaru had just assigned those three army chiefs to do those things that they had that
| |
| reaction.
| |
| Not only that, but every civil servant was also excitedly exchanging words. There wasn't a hint of
| |
| sadness, even the three female demons were chatting happily.
| |
| I also think it will be us who win in this war.
| |
| The inner feeling is easy, but that doesn't mean it's all unnerving.
| |
| | |
| Yet everyone doesn't seem worried at all, it's amazing. Even Gobta, who at first seemed to be in a state
| |
| of delusion, was now full of energy.
| |
| I felt uneasy despite having Hakurou as an advisor to follow him.
| |
| "After listening to Benimaru's explanation, is there anything you don't understand?”
| |
| I tried to ask, but no one came forward to question it.
| |
| Instead, Benimaru jumped out to speak for everyone.
| |
| "Rest assured, Lord Rimuru. We are not worried about losing the war. But that doesn't mean we think
| |
| we won't lose, but because we will fight to the best of our ability. We have enough to overcome, and a
| |
| magnificent battlefield. If we lose the war in this way, we ourselves are too incompetent to follow the law
| |
| of the weak and the strong.”
| |
| He smiled brightly when he finished.
| |
| The other monsters reacted in the same way, even Shuna, who was a female, and others.
| |
| They weren't afraid to lose to each other, afraid to run away from the matchup. even more...
| |
| I always felt like I could relate to their mood.
| |
| In that case, I'm going to do my best.
| |
| "Testarossa, Ultima, Carrera!”
| |
| “Yes!"
| |
| The three female demons stood up without coincidence at their names being called and bowed to me.
| |
| It was here that I gave the order to the three of them.
| |
| "You will follow the generals of the various legions and support them in their operations!"
| |
| "Understood, Lord Rimuru. The council side will be handed over to Cien. Until this war is over, I will
| |
| also join the war.”
| |
| "Finally, it's my turn! I'll take care of it, Lord Rimuru!”
| |
| "My Lord, please look forward to it. I will show you all my strength!”
| |
| The three demons raised their faces and spoke happily.
| |
| I nodded and introduced the three of them to the generals.
| |
| "Testarossa, you go with Gobta."
| |
| "Yes, I'd love to.”
| |
| Seeing Testarossa respond in such a way, Gobta looked dubious.
| |
| | |
| "No problem? It's hard for a woman who hasn't fought in a war like this to come to the First Legion,
| |
| right?”
| |
| He uttered words that were frightening.
| |
| Several of them are very vicious "primordials", and I didn't understand this until recently, so I don't
| |
| seem to be in a position to say anything about anyone else, but seeing the hobgobs who don't know what
| |
| to fear makes me feel so scared.
| |
| You...will be slaughtered—-though I thought so, I didn't say so.
| |
| Because it seems more fun that way.
| |
| "Gee, I'm counting on you."
| |
| Testarossa finished and smiled, but the person who didn't dare to look straight into those eyes should
| |
| not be just me.
| |
| Even if the other party is Testarossa, an apology should still be given, goblin-kun. So much so, I am
| |
| looking forward to seeing the day that Gobta discovers the true identity of Testarossa.
| |
| By contrast, Gabil has grown.
| |
| "I still have a lot to live up to. Please tell me more!”
| |
| He gave a low bow to Ultima.
| |
| According to Diablo and the various people involved, the most brutal of the three demonesses seems to
| |
| be this Ultima. The easiest to get out of control is heard to be Carrera, but the scariest is Ultima.
| |
| Although she will obey my orders, she will also drill holes to get revenge on the other side. There is a
| |
| good chance that Ultima will do something like this.
| |
| Gabil's correspondence is correct.
| |
| Ultima seemed to like Gabil a lot, and she returned the greeting with an adorable mimicry and a
| |
| mouthful of, "Mmm! I'm going to ask you to teach me a lot!”
| |
| Gabil often admonished himself in his day-to-day life not to get carried away. This worked, and it looks
| |
| like he was saved. Makes me feel like I have to pay more attention to the usual, which is important.
| |
| There was no problem on Geld's side. He was shaking hands with Carrera.
| |
| Both have a similar temperament and a martial arts flair, and I think they would be a one-two punch.
| |
| That said, the combination I arranged was really good.
| |
| If Gobta and Gabil’s counterparts switched with each other, Gobta would be in danger, right?
| |
| That's great, I thought to myself, followed by some words to inspire the three groups.
| |
| Only a few people know the true faces of these three women.
| |
| | |
| When Guy came over earlier, some of the people who had been at the meeting at the time had been
| |
| gagged by me. It doesn't help to make people feel afraid, and I want those three female demons to
| |
| discipline themselves.
| |
| The order that they must never reveal their true identity and must obey the orders of the army
| |
| commander, but they seemed to meet and do something without changing their colors, scared me. If I
| |
| didn't know who these three girls really were, I would have been happier...
| |
| No, I’ll trust them.
| |
| If it hadn't been for my order, those three would have watched peacefully from the sidelines.
| |
| All in all, that sets up three groups. With the three of them following, they can help out in case of any
| |
| unexpected situation.
| |
| The thought of this put me at ease.
| |
| ***
| |
| "So that's all there is to it, is there anything else to discuss?"
| |
| Then it depends on how the Imperial side will act, we just have to improvise.
| |
| The matter of working with King Gazel is also important and must be discussed in detail. But these are
| |
| the things that the Operational Integration Headquarters should be doing. Those army chiefs all had their
| |
| own assignments, and if there was nothing going on, they should be allowed to disband first.
| |
| I personally thought so, but at this point someone quickly raised their hand.
| |
| It is Masayuki.
| |
| “That...may I interrupt?”
| |
| "What's up, Masayuki?"
| |
| "Actually, I have a question...”
| |
| “Hmm?”
| |
| "Leaving aside the question of why I was made chief of the army, there seems to be no indication as to
| |
| when you will give my regiment, the Volunteer Corps, to take up and what part of it you will be
| |
| responsible for...?"
| |
| Well, turns out to be asking this.
| |
| There should have been a lot of things that left him wondering.
| |
| Seeing that he was only a high school student at his current age and was suddenly asked to be a military
| |
| chief, of course he was confused.
| |
| If it was Japan a long time ago, this might be normal, but after Japan entered the era of peace, this kind
| |
| of thing can be a bit confusing for the young people who live there.
| |
| But I'm having a hard time of it too.
| |
| | |
| Once you're back, you become a demon lord, and you have no boss to rely on.
| |
| Thinking about it this way, I think that Masayuki is really lucky.
| |
| "Don't you think so?"
| |
| "That's it, I hope you explain!"
| |
| Ah, yes.
| |
| Even though I said a bunch of things in my head, unfortunately it still didn't seem to get through to the
| |
| other person.
| |
| It's a lot like making excuses when you say it, but there's no way around it.
| |
| "All right. I'm sorry to suddenly put a heavy burden on you.”
| |
| "Huh, no..."
| |
| "But to stabilize the town's population, I think it's better for you to do it than for me.”
| |
| If there were only magic creatures in town, even if war was about to start, that would be fine.
| |
| Because they will only have high morale and no one will come out and disturb the peace.
| |
| But those immigrants are a different story. Fear and anxiety can put them out of order, and it's possible
| |
| that someone will come out and do something bad.
| |
| "So at this time, I hope to use your power to ease everyone's anxiety.”
| |
| "So that's it...it sounds like my ability should be able to do something."
| |
| Hearing me explain it like that, Masayuki seemed to be able to accept it.
| |
| "Waahahaha, you're so modest! I'm sure you don't want to be tied down to a particular country, as little
| |
| me and the people underneath know! But this time, for the sake of the powerless people, I hope to borrow
| |
| your power!”
| |
| At this time, Myourmile looked at Masayuki with bright eyes and spoke those words. He still has a
| |
| misunderstanding of Masayuki's strength, but I don't think it's necessary to correct it.
| |
| That being said, it's surprising that even Hinata misunderstood Masayuki.
| |
| Good thing. You're scary! Although I think so, I think it's best to keep waiting for the legend of
| |
| Masayuki at a time like this.
| |
| “...yeah.”
| |
| Masayuki replied with a reluctant face. Seeing him make that face, it was obvious he was already
| |
| annoyed by the whole thing.
| |
| That's a bit pathetic, but hopefully he'll make an effort this time.
| |
| | |
| "Then I'll leave it to my volunteer corps to keep the peace.”
| |
| "Please. I think you already know that, thanks to the help of Ramiris, it should be possible to keep the
| |
| damage to the town to a minimum. Once the war starts, the metropolis on the ground will also be isolated
| |
| into the maze.”
| |
| This information has been communicated to the subordinates and all concerned.
| |
| We didn't deliberately outlaw it, and while we were doing evacuation training, some people were too
| |
| late to escape, and some rumors probably got out from their side. On the one hand, it is thought that in
| |
| this way, we can more or less relieve everyone's anxiety.
| |
| "Yeah! It's true that my strength is very powerful, but I was able to reach that level thanks to Master!”
| |
| "Mmm. I divided the overly powerful magical element on my body to give to Ramiris in order to
| |
| complete this great spell. To put it bluntly, it's friendship that wins.”
| |
| It was thanks to Ramiris that she was able to isolate all the construction on the ground in the maze, but
| |
| that too would have taken a little help from Veldora. This is the time when I should be frank in my thanks.
| |
| "Thank you both, you've been a great help.”
| |
| "Hey, is that so? Yeah, that's right! Can you say a few more words?”
| |
| "Kuahahahaha! You can compliment us a little more!”
| |
| "All right, all right. Thanks for the help!”
| |
| A slight exaggeration and it becomes this.
| |
| But this time they really helped a lot.
| |
| Although it was isolated in the maze, everyone could see the sky and some residents didn't even notice
| |
| that anything was wrong.
| |
| That way they wouldn't be ravaged by the Imperial Army either, which is really impressive from that
| |
| point of view.
| |
| "But Rimuru, you must remember one thing.”
| |
| “Hmm?"
| |
| "Now let's just say that if something does happen—if Master is knocked down and the 100th floor is
| |
| breached, the town will run out into the maze. It's called the opposite effect.
| |
| "So that's the part that does worry me, too. But the premise for that to happen is that Veldora was
| |
| defeated, right? If things do turn out that way, there shouldn't be time to care about what happens to the
| |
| town.”
| |
| If this kind of thing does happen, then we'll all be fighting as hard as we can too. There's simply no left
| |
| over for what's going on in the town.
| |
| "I can't lose anyway.”
| |
| | |
| "Yeah. And there's also the Labyrinth Ten, I personally don't think there's any need to worry about
| |
| that!”
| |
| Indeed, as Ramiris said, there would be basically no chance of Veldora making an appearance at all.
| |
| However, if anything...
| |
| "If something really happens, we're still lucky.”
| |
| “What!? First, wait a minute! It's just that policing is okay, so what can I do if things do turn out that
| |
| way?”
| |
| Masayuki yelled that he didn't even have military command experience, and the rest of us thought that
| |
| made sense. Even Myormile, who thought of Masayuki as a hero, kept nodding his head with an
| |
| expression of ‘that's right.’
| |
| "Don't worry, Masayuki. I don't think you can command an army. I’m currently talking to Hinata and
| |
| want to ask her to send someone from the Paladin Order to be your Auxiliary Officer. I think she would
| |
| have agreed, intending to find someone to be your second-in-command and help you out.”
| |
| "So that's it, then I'm relieved.”
| |
| "One more thing! I will let the children be your guards, so that your personal safety—wrongly said, you
| |
| will protect them.”
| |
| "Whoa, whoa, whoa! If you can let the Hero guard them, those children will be safe!”
| |
| "When, of course.”
| |
| Sweating like rain, Masayuki agreed.
| |
| Masayuki also knew how much strength the children had and knew that the one being protected would
| |
| be himself.
| |
| Besides, Chloe was there. If something really happened, she would protect Masayuki and the others.
| |
| With that, the necessary topics were discussed.
| |
| Everything has been thought out, but no one knows what will happen until the last minute.
| |
| Besides that...
| |
| Still something about it is unsettling.
| |
| In Chloe's memory, I would die.
| |
| There are currently masters in the Empire who can kill me—that is an undeniable fact.
| |
| If that guy showed up, even the Labyrinth Ten couldn't resist. No, the other way around...
| |
| <<Answer. In order to get to the bottom of the enemy, our side will set up the Labyrinth Ten.>>
| |
| I think so.
| |
| | |
| It seems that Master Raphael, the King of Wisdom, put my personal safety first from start to finish in
| |
| his arrangements.
| |
| This made me happy and at the same time I made an awakening.
| |
| No matter what happens, I will guard those partners.
| |
| I don't want to hurt anyone for a stupid act like war.
| |
| It is with this determination that we close this day's meeting.
| |
| ***
| |
| Things seem to be going well for Masayuki to convince the residents.
| |
| Eventually things seem to evolve into ‘he convinced the demon lord that he had made an appointment
| |
| to protect the town.'
| |
| "You're a hero!”
| |
| "So reliable!”
| |
| Both the adventurers and the immigrants praised Masayuki, and some saw him with a complicated
| |
| expression at the time.
| |
| But even that look...
| |
| "You're so adorable.”
| |
| "It seems that the Hero still isn't satisfied with such a big concession from the Demon Lord.”
| |
| "Exactly. It exudes solemnity and is very attractive.”
| |
| "This town is guarded by the hero. And there's also the Demon Lord Rimuru, so even if the Empire
| |
| fights over, there's nothing to be afraid of!”
| |
| "Yes! Leave it all to them, that's a relief to us!”
| |
| In the end, people's explanations turned out to be this way, and as a result, people spoke more highly of
| |
| Masayuki.
| |
| No one else found Masayuki very distressed.
| |
| In this way, the town's residents still live a peaceful life. And then the day finally came. The Imperial
| |
| Army showed up.
| |
| The days of peace are marked with a hiatus.
| |
| It was like a midsummer night's dream that ended abruptly.
| |
| Immediately thereafter, the war began...
| |
| Epilogue: Emperor’s Overlord
| |
| "You're awake, Rudra."
| |
| | |
| To a man in a fancy garb in a wheelchair, a beautiful woman with blue hair asked him.
| |
| This beauty was the one who held the reigns in the large conference room. She is the “Marshal".
| |
| "Right. How did the meeting go?”
| |
| "It has been decided that the Great March will commence.
| |
| "Hard work. Gedora was against it, right?”
| |
| "Yes, the old man is realistic. There was no way that the weapon of the Otherworldly Visitor could be
| |
| used against the True Dragon Race—it was a matter of course, he couldn't have missed it.”
| |
| "That's true. But even so, there is still a big long march. To let everyone know that I am the king of this
| |
| world.”
| |
| It was a pact with Guy—Emperor Rudra whispered. The next moment his thoughts turned, a peaceful
| |
| smile appeared on his face.
| |
| "That's right, Velgrynd. How do you see it going this time?”
| |
| Velgrynd—there are only four "dragon races" in this world, and that is the name of one of them.
| |
| The red dragon's palm, which symbolizes the flame, "burns".
| |
| It is an individual even older than the "storm dragon" Veldora, the eternal and indestructible dragon. Its
| |
| name is the "Scorch Dragon" Velgrynd.
| |
| There's only one person in the world who can bear that name...
| |
| Hearing Rudra ask this, the beautiful woman gave an answer.
| |
| "We will win. Definitely. I'll force the dwarves out of their lair, crush the arrogance of the rookie
| |
| demon lord, bring my lazy, stupid brother to his senses, and make Guy admit that the ruler of this world is
| |
| Rudra—you!”
| |
| There was absolutely no semblance of unnaturalness about being called by that name, the other person.
| |
| That's right.
| |
| She is Velgrynd.
| |
| One of the strongest “true dragon species”—the "Scorch Dragon" Velgrynd.
| |
| | |
| Faced with this great Velgrynd, Emperor Rudra continued to speak in an intmate tone.
| |
| "Yeah? That's great. So do you think your brother will be out in force?”
| |
| Hearing that, Velgrynd answered directly without even thinking about it.
| |
| “He will, Rudra. He'll show up. Because that kid loves to get together. However, it seems that although
| |
| his seal had been lifted, he has not been restored to his original state. The violent magic storm that hadn't
| |
| detected the madness raging, the demonic aura that has been sensed in all corners of the earth, has now
| |
| completely disappeared. Perhaps his resurrection is not complete?”
| |
| “...In that case, perhaps my army can defeat him.”
| |
| "That's a lot of fun, too. Just bribing my stupid little brother was too much, and this demon lord even
| |
| screwed over my lovely brother to make him suffer a bit.”
| |
| Talking over to this side, the two looked at each other and smiled.
| |
| For Rudra and Velgrynd, the success of the combat plan was simply not important.
| |
| He plays a game with Guy, betting on the dominance of the world.
| |
| There are no complicated rules for this game. Just use the "pawns" to suppress the opponent's position
| |
| and you've won.
| |
| The board is the whole world.
| |
| Monsters and humans are their pawns.
| |
| At first the pawns in Guy's hands were magical creatures and demons, and Rudra was the human who
| |
| held part of it. Yet the long years of constant shifting alternated and now both sides were in disarray.
| |
| Even taking away the enemy's pawns is not a problem from a rules standpoint.
| |
| In addition to that...
| |
| For Guy and Rudra, the strongest pawn is their respective partners, the True Dragons.
| |
| Only the pieces mentioned above can be used—that’s the only rule that must be followed in this game.
| |
| On the flip side, as long as Guy and Rudra don't go head-to-head, they can do whatever they want.
| |
| But if the world ends, of course the game will end. This goes against their will and needs to be properly
| |
| held so that it doesn't happen.
| |
| It's just that there's an element of uncertainty about this game.
| |
| It is the last of the True Dragons, Veldora, and the Primordial Demons.
| |
| These uncertainties are not part of the game. It's all up to players Guy and Rudra to make them their
| |
| own, or to make them the enemy.
| |
| One of Guy's pawns—his helper, Demon Lord Leon’s domain has been threatened by the Yellow
| |
| Primordial.
| |
| | |
| There is still Purple Primordial in the West, and a rash move could lead to great disasters.
| |
| And on the eastern side, there is the White Primordial.
| |
| Those demons have immense power and will never die. It is not impossible to exterminate them from
| |
| the source, but you need to be prepared for everything.
| |
| Rather than sacrifice so much, it's best to deal with them and make them their own. In order for his
| |
| game with Guy to progress in his favor, it was the best thing to do, or so Rudra and Velgrynd thought.
| |
| If Velgrynd stepped up to the plate, she could bury even the White Primordial. But in this way, the
| |
| damage to the local area will be beyond imagination.
| |
| The conclusion is that it is not feasible in reality.
| |
| And they also misjudged one thing, which is that the Western powers began to emerge with their own
| |
| set of ways of playing.
| |
| In that land of the West, the local god Ruminas was born and unwittingly grew into a monotheistic
| |
| religion. Its system of domination is quite solid and unites the peoples of the West.
| |
| They had already discovered that Ruminas' true identity was the Demon Lord, but it had become a
| |
| deeply entrenched religion and it was too late to do anything about it.
| |
| When Rudra completely dominated the East, the West also formed a circle of power and united. Here's
| |
| why Guy and Rudra's game is in a state of glue.
| |
| "Because Chronoa and Granbell were very active, it became more difficult to attack the West, which
| |
| was a major drawback. If those people hadn't shown up, you would have won by now.”
| |
| "It's too early to make a decision. There will be those who will hinder the oligarch's domination of the
| |
| world, presumably as a test for the oligarch given by Veldanava. Because that man used to love pranks.”
| |
| "Yeah, it does. Brother really...”
| |
| That said, this side, Rudra and Velgrynd were like reminiscing about the past with smiles on their faces.
| |
| "But the time has come. All the pieces have appeared, and soon I will win.”
| |
| "This time, we're going to take Guy and my sister, Velzado, into the army.”
| |
| "Oh, Guy's been waiting for an opportunity. If you fight with Veldora, he'll take advantage of it.”
| |
| "That's right, it's annoying. If it hadn't been for that, I'd have taken care of that child Veldora myself by
| |
| then..."
| |
| This is talking about the failure of the last great march.
| |
| Once Velgrynd stepped in, not even Veldora counted as a threat. But doing so will likely bring Guy to
| |
| the fisherman's bag.
| |
| If you want to move your strongest pawn, “True Dragon", you must be prepared.
| |
| | |
| And now is the best time to do it.
| |
| Rudra sent spies all over the world, and they brought back all kinds of reports.
| |
| "It was long, but the wait was worth it. The biggest obstacle to the West is gone.”
| |
| The true face of the god, Ruminas, was actually the Demon Lord Ruminas. Now that the true face is
| |
| known, it's conceivable how much the opponent's fighting power is.
| |
| And the demon lord who had previously represented Ruminas was also destroyed, along with the loss
| |
| of the "Seven Celestial Sages".
| |
| Not only that...
| |
| "The threat from the Western nations is much less.”
| |
| "Indeed. Those who stand in the way of my dominion over the world need not have my hand; they have
| |
| taken it upon themselves to perish.”
| |
| It was an apocalypse, and in saying that Rudra should rule the world—Rudra and Velgrynd were
| |
| convinced of that.
| |
| "By the way, Rudra, how are you doing?”
| |
| "No problem at all. The power of the oligarchs—the army of angels (Armageddon)—is available at all
| |
| times.”
| |
| The Army of Angels is the ultimate power that Rudra has. The starting conditions are harsh, and after
| |
| one use, the next one can only be used after long intervals.
| |
| There is only one reason why the Empire has not acted so far.
| |
| For they had been waiting until the day when Rudra would be able to use the "angel army" again.
| |
| As a result, Granbell, who they took as their biggest obstacle, also disappeared. In a way, Rudra would
| |
| certainly believe they were on the verge of winning this time.
| |
| As for Guy, he didn't have complete control over those Demon Lords.
| |
| It's hard to say that they'll work with each other, each Demon Lord does what he or she loves. Each of
| |
| them had a large sphere of influence, but in Rudra's view they were not even a threat.
| |
| "The situation is too good for us this time.”
| |
| "But there's not enough time, is there? I really want to force my stupid brother to our side. This will
| |
| also be used against Guy. If I could find a way to get rid of my sister Velzado as well, Rhein and Mizari
| |
| would be nothing. That's why I need to talk to you. Is your power of domination okay?"
| |
| "Don't worry. As long as we keep Veldora's consciousness focused on the battlefield, I will be able to
| |
| take advantage of the opportunity to unleash 'kingly domination' and completely manipulate that guy.”
| |
| Hearing these words, a soft smile spread across Velgrynd's beautiful and cold face.
| |
| "Gee, then we're gonna win this one.”
| |
| | |
| "That's for sure. Everything is going according to my arrangement.”
| |
| "That's good. I'm more worried about you..."
| |
| "Then don't say it. It is also a natural philosophy. The human flesh is really inconvenient..."
| |
| “Rudra......”
| |
| "After inheriting self-will and reincarnating memory several times, the 'soul' will be consumed. If, like
| |
| Gedora, there was a period of rest, that would be fine, but it was an impermissible luxury for the widow.
| |
| If I do that, my 'power' will be sealed again.”
| |
| That way, Rudra would have to start all over again if he wanted to free his power. If he did this every
| |
| time he was reincarnated, then he would have no chance of defeating Guy.
| |
| This time Rudra had been waiting, waiting until his powers were fully developed. Thus his power was
| |
| completely liberated and could be said to be in a state of perfection.
| |
| But...
| |
| To maintain this state, Rudra was very reluctant.
| |
| This life's Rudra is not even a side consort, not even a crown princess. Although the imperial consort
| |
| was merely an ornament, this situation was not normal.
| |
| This means that they did not even give birth to the vessel that was expected to be used by Rudra—the
| |
| prince.
| |
| To give birth to a prince does not mean that his powers will separate. Rudra's reincarnation is special in
| |
| that the prince born will inherit all power and knowledge.
| |
| It's a complete hereditary system—it’s no longer an heir, and it can be said that the prince is an emperor
| |
| in the truest sense of the word.
| |
| But in this life he has not done so.
| |
| The reason is related to the period during which the "Angel Army" was used.
| |
| If the royal son is allowed to inherit power, skills will be limited until he grows to manhood. The
| |
| reason for this was that an overpowering force would have a countervailing force, and he was unable to
| |
| suppress this force, a trait that even Rudra could not reverse.
| |
| And today, the best conditions of this life come together. It would be a waste of more than ten years to
| |
| let these good conditions go and reincarnate as a prince.
| |
| Rudra didn't want that.
| |
| There was something else that also bothered Velgrynd.
| |
| Because of accumulating power to the limit, Rudra's mental fatigue seemed to be approaching a critical
| |
| mass.
| |
| | |
| The intervals between going to sleep were getting shorter and shorter and he often felt tired. This state
| |
| accelerates the depletion of Rudra's "soul".
| |
| Those symptoms would be more alleviated if the power was ceded to the prince and the "angel army"
| |
| was allowed to start later. Yet Rudra just didn't want to do it.
| |
| To this day.
| |
| He was going to share the spoils with Guy this time.
| |
| Such a Rudra made Velgrynd look uncomfortable.
| |
| "How much time do you have left, Rudra...?"
| |
| "You don't have to worry about that. At least I can promise you that I won't fall down until I conquer
| |
| the world."
| |
| "Yeah, yeah. If it had been you, you would have said so...”
| |
| "Don't give me such a sad look, Velgrynd. This time I want to win and put an end to it all. You don't
| |
| have to worry about it, just see how I rule the world.”
| |
| Once that was said, Rudra smiled proudly.
| |
| That's what it's like to be a dominant person.
| |
| He will rule over all, and I will be the only one in heaven and earth. This is the heroic Emperor Rudra.
| |
| Seeing such a Rudra, Velgrynd also made up her mind.
| |
| "That's right—after all this time, let me have a rain of mercy. Let the people die in peace, and kill all
| |
| who stand in the way of your world domination!”
| |
| Velgrynd finished and gently hugged Rudra.
| |
| And then the two of them continued to talk...
| |
| Time came to the next day.
| |
| The unprecedented army left the Empire and marched towards the Jura Tempest Federation.
| |
