The moderator of the meeting, Testarossa, stood up and everyone's eyes turned to her.

She stepped to the center and began the introductory remarks.

"Okay, the time has come. We're all here, so let’s get started."

After a salute, Testarossa returned to the south.

There are chairs put there to sit and rest when it's not her turn to come out.

I had asked her before the meeting to come and assist me in my distress, and Testarossa will respond to
my expectations.

"First of all, let me explain the main purpose of this meeting. Because this is a high priority meeting
without prior coordination, there may be some involuntary remarks, at which time I would please ask you
not to get upset, but to listen calmly to what the other side has to say.”

At this time, Testarossa paused first and looked at the reactions of everyone.

My country's representative in the Western Council is well equipped to deal with such occasions.

Hoping that this would go on smoothly until the end of the meeting, I continued to watch Testarossa
with that desire.

"Let us begin by confirming the objectives of this meeting, which we hope will lead to the declaration
of the end of the war with the Eastern Empire, along with an end-of-war final agreement, and the creation
of a new treaty in the future on the basis of the relations concluded between our country and the East.
What do you think?”

"No objections.”

Masayuki looked as if he wanted to say something, but Velgrynd spoke first.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with that.”

At the same time, Gazel nodded heavily.

Though a little late, I hastened to add.

"In that case, let's examine the status quo first, shall we?”

The tone of speech became slightly odd, but who cares?

Checking the reaction of both sides, while maintaining a natural expression.

Masayuki looked at me with respect.

Oh, cute guy.

Yes, I think I'm really amazing too.

 Because the people gathered here now are super great people of great countries. In my previous life,
there was never an event that a one could meet a member of Parliament, not to mention the Prime
Minister.

At most, when an order was received, the staff from the Ministry of International Trade and
Communications met occasionally when they came to inspect the site. They were not in charge of the
reception, but just brought the people to the site and then disappeared.

Back then, I was nervous just to talk lightly outside of my job.

And now I'm playing the role of a king. It’s emotional just to think about it.

"As there seems to be no objection, I shall leave it to Testarossa to make her clarifications, after which I
shall give the floor to the speakers, who may then raise questions and correct errors. So, please start
explaining.”

The talks are proceeding as planned.

“Let me start by asking you not to interrupt, and then we'll leave it to Testarossa, and the meeting will
proceed in an orderly fashion.”

King Gazel, who is on my level, and Velgrynd, the plenipotentiary agent of the tentative emperor, are
also allowed to speak. It would seem that those other than that would be punished as an insult to the king.

I feel a little indifferent about this, but if it would make things easier then I'm okay with it.

Testarossa began to explain.

She started with the battle on the airship that Gazel didn't know about, with a bit of false talk mixed in.

And then, immediately afterwards, explained that the Imperial Emperor Rudra had in fact become a
boarding-skill-conscious individual, just as I had been victorious over Velgrynd…

“Wait.”

Gazel objected first.

"Huh? If you want to speak, please do so afterwards…”

“Now is not the time to think about things like that!?”

Did I do something strange?

“So, King Gazel, is there something wrong?”

I couldn't help but become meek and ask, and Gazel pressed his head against mine and stared at me,
then without saying anything the gaze turned back to Velgrynd and spoke solemnly.

“I know it's rude, but can Lord Velgrynd accept what King Rimuru has just said?”

A rarity, Gazel was actually using honorifics.

And called her Lord Velgrynd.

 Does it matter that this attitude is not in keeping with the style of kings of great powers?

I am watching the developments while I have my doubts about it. Instead of getting angry, Velgrynd
flashed a smile.

"No problem, Dwarf King. You're a shrewd and thoughtful man, better than King Rimuru over there,
and Rudra has a high opinion of you, having said he wanted to take you in as a subordinate when you
were a Sword Saint. So I'm also well aware of you and don't dislike you. No need to be so formal, just
talk lightly.”

"Yes, yes! But you, who are one of the strongest True Dragon Race and the Guardian of the Empire in
public, this—”

"Don't worry about it. It doesn't matter. Aren't you a friend of Rimuru's? Then I won't fight, after all,
what Rimuru said earlier was true. I lost to him.”

Well that's a surprise.

I was expecting Velgrynd to be like Veldora and die to save face and say she didn't lose. I was not
expecting her to admit defeat so dryly.

I was surprised, but the others didn't seem to be able to just be surprised.

“Gee-eh!? Wh—Lord Velgrynd lost!?”

"Unbelievable, the undefeated myth…”

The Imperial congregation that had been cultivated in the territory of Velgrynd’s became shaken, the
previous silence completely thrown behind them.

“What…?”

"Hey hey, are you serious? In the face of that god-like existence who could not be defeated no matter
what, although you’re probably not lying, it is so unbelievable, I can’t believe it…”

Dorf was dumbfounded and the Ben seemed unable to recognize reality.

Looking at the duo and King Gazel, Anrietta somehow managed to smile.

"I don't need to report this time, so it's really refreshing. If I were to report such things, I'd be
considered mentally ill.”

Is it disrespectful of her to say that?

Well, that’s all a matter of other countries, and it feels like it's not the time to talk about it, but I'm not
going to stand in the way either.

Taking another step back and continuing observation, I saw Jane speak to Gazel, who was holding his
head in thought.

"Calm down, Gazel, and you too. I won't be surprised anymore. I'm still tired from being shocked about
the primordials, and I had already understood by the time I saw the evolutionary ritual.”

Granny Jane seemed to be enlightened.

 So this time, she survived the occasion alone and calmly.

The people of Dwargon snapped back at these words of hers.

Then one by one, the embarrassed people re-positioned themselves.

By the way, the reaction from our side is…

“What? So Lord Rimuru has triumphed in the face of Lord Velgrynd. Are we having a feast tonight?”

It's true that Rigurd has to throw a party whenever he finds the opportunity.

I never doubted that I would win.

“Well, I knew it was coming. I saw it all.”

This guy, Benimaru, actually peeked, but someone seemed to hear that and couldn't sit still first.

"Benimaru, what's going on? Could it be that you are the only one who has seen Rimuru-sama's
dignified fighting stance?”

"No, it's not like that. I'm obliged to confirm the status of the battle, so just a little…"

Benimaru desperately pondered the reason, but he just wasn't sophisticated enough in this area.

In contrast, Diablo was…

“Kufufufufu! Oh, yes, Shion, did you not see it? That's a shame. It's quite a shame that such a
wonderful battle wasn't seen!”

Don't agitate her, don't agitate her!

I guess no one is better at finding fault with irony, right?

Testarossa sighed helplessly as she stepped aside, estimating that nothing could be more troublesome
than making an enemy of Diablo.

"Everyone, silence, please.”

But Testarossa didn't forget her duty and still saw the time for everyone to gradually calm down and
control the scene to quiet down.

If she had done so any later, I'm afraid Shion and Diablo would have gotten into a fight.

Well done, I gave her silent praise.

The crowd also calmed down, and the meeting continued.

Taking a cue from the moderator, I continued.

“—As mentioned above, after defeating Velgrynd, I inquired about the situation in detail, at which
point I discovered the discrepancies. I felt that Emperor Rudra did not seem like himself, so I tried to
observe Velgrynd and found the shocking truth. Omitting details, I found out that the culprit was indeed
"dominated" by the consciousness of Michael, who had been boarding the Emperor Rudra's skill…!”

Speaking of which, I put on a smug look with all my might.

Now comes the good part.

And just as I smiled wryly and prepared to continue…

“Wait.”

Oops, seems there is another opinion.

And it's still Gazel.

"Well, after the question, please…”

Not knowing if it was to interrupt me or to settle himself, Gazel sighed heavily.

Then stared at me tightly and spoke heavily.

"Listen, Rimuru, it's true, this attitude of mine is inappropriate, but, well, this is really not the time to
talk about that.”

"How so?"

“How can details be omitted!? A vicious skill that even Lord Velgrynd could be ‘dominated,’—how
could it be allowed to exist!? And, what's that!? A consciousness that resides in skills? This kind of thing,
I’ve never heard of it! Jane, do you know anything about this?”

“…No, I've never heard of it either.”

As much as Gazel wanted to weigh himself down, he still couldn't hide his inner exuberance, and Jane
seemed to be thinking about something too, appearing unresponsive when answering Gazel's question.

That said, it's amazing that no one else commented on the way Gazel phrased it.

Velgrynd kept a smile on her face, seeming to enjoy the situation quite a bit. It seemed that as long as
Masayuki was around, nothing else was needed or interested her.

As for Masayuki, he seems to have given up on understanding this.

He was not in a position to act in a dignified manner because of his behavior, but his opinion seems to
have risen again in the presence of those such as Calgurio. But he himself probably did not notice…

Hey, I'm glad you're here too, so don't mind.

Benimaru and the others were also interested.

If I didn't want to say it, they wouldn't have pursued it, but in their hearts they actually wanted to hear it
from me anyway.

That's why Testarossa didn't go to stop Gazel.

 But she seemed to sense her lapse immediately and prepared to preside over the scene by pretending as
if nothing had happened again.

"Silence, gentlemen, regarding King Gazel's question…"

Although she recovered quickly enough, trying to remedy it was a bit harder. No, in fact, I’ll just go
with the flow. Anyway, there's nothing wrong with even telling it.

"I see, then I’ll explain."

"Lord Rimuru, is this all right?”

“Well, since only important people from various countries are present, I don't think it's a big deal if
something like this does happen.”

That's right.

Even if the existence of the Theosophy Nucleus (Manas) was known by others, there was nothing
particularly troubling about it, and for me, the only secret that needed to be strictly guarded was the
existence of Ciel.

“I'm sorry, Rimuru. I'm so grateful for this.”

Gazel bowed his head in gratitude.

The tone of speech changed back to that of a senior brother, as if he had given up covering up.

Then I can take it easy, too, and proceed with the explanation as such.

I then explained the birth of Emperor Rudra, who was physically and mentally exhausted, and whose
ultimate skill, Justice King Michael, became the ego Michael, the Theosophy Nucleus. I made public as
much as I knew of his fierce power.

“The ultimate skill…? With such skills, unique skills will not work…”

“Strictly speaking, it's not completely true. Skills change depending on the strength of the will, and
even unique ones have the ability to reach the ultimate skill strength, but usually they don't. In addition,
the strength of the will is directly reflected in the skill, which may result in an attack that is extremely
effective, and in my opinion, King Gazel should be able to do it.”

"Is that so…”

“Also, magic is the same. Magic is both a skill and a technique, so depending on the strength of the
user's will, it may be able to defeat a holder of an ultimate skill. I think Jiu and Bonnie will understand
what I'm saying, right?”

The duo who had lost to Diablo should be able to understand what I said, and they both nodded hard.

As for Diablo, who had a sickeningly intoxicated expression, I didn't know what he was thinking.

He definitely wasn’t thinking anything good, and though it was tempting to say something to him, he
was standing honestly for now, so let's just ignore it.

Shion and others muttered, “then I should acquire an ultimate skill as well…”
 Well, it's because it's not easy to get, that it’s ultimate, right?

But for some reason, I always felt that Shion could do it.

That seems a little scary, so it's better not to think about it.

"That's pretty much how it it. Michael has a special power that can absolutely dominate the powers of
the Angelic System of skills, so even Velgrynd couldn't resist and became obedient without even noticing
it herself. In addition, Lieutenant Kondo seems to have been at the mercy of the others as well, though in
the end, he seems to have broken free from the spell and entrusted his will to our Carrera."

"What, that "information-feeding weirdo" was also…”

"I can't believe it, but I'm not stupid enough to doubt His Majesty Rimuru.”

"Is that so? Then Lord Damrada…”

"Well, he must have noticed that the Emperor Rudra was acting a little strange."

Though not enough to interrupt what I was saying, there was a commotion on the Imperial side. It was
an act that should not have been done, but now it's too late to care about it, so I’ll just ignore it.

"As for Michael's purpose, it is now clear. It is to resurrect the master who created him, Veldanava."

"How can that be!?”

The shouts overlapped, and there was no telling who was shouting.

No, actually knowing is knowing, just not deliberately pointing it out.

"Knowing that it is all due to the domination of Michael, I do not intend to hold the Empire responsible
for the war, and if they wish to continue the war against us in the future, it will not be just that—”

Speaking of which, I glanced at Masayuki and the others.

Masayuki was completely unfazed.

It's really not my business at all.

Calgurio and Minute smiled bitterly.

Win or lose, the reason for the war is gone, and they are reacting this way because they understand it.

Looks like it seems okay.

“—It does not seem to me that you have any such intention, and I have been reconciled with Velgrynd,
so it is necessary to establish a new guide now that Michael, who played Rudra, has disappeared, is it
not? That's what we're talking about today, so can we shed some light on that?”

I dropped the topic to Masayuki and others.

 Since there is a consensus on the status quo, it is necessary to understand how the empire will develop
in the future, and this is what Gazel’s group is most concerned about, so I think we should let it go and
talk about it.

It's actually a gamble.

Usually, when conducting such a meeting, in addition to presenting your own ideas, you should also
confirm what the other party has to say.

It is difficult to predict what conclusions will be reached, and this is not usually a good thing to do in
the context of the country-to-country meetings.

But Testarossa didn't stop me, and was just as usual. She smiled at me and she said it was okay, so I
could just say what was on my mind like that.

Well, the result is—

“Minute.”

“Yes! It has been left to my humble self to say that the Empire has now lost more than two-thirds of its
battle strength, that continuing war is impossible, and that we are willing to accept full and unconditional
surrender. But there is also problem here. The most critical person of supreme responsibility is now
absent, and this is the key point that His Majesty Rimuru has pointed out, so we must first embrace a new
emperor. So today is the perfect opportunity to make sure that all of you present recognize our new
Emperor.”

Minute droned on, finished, and gave a salute, looking at me and Gazel.

"Hmm, is that so? Then Rimuru, isn’t this exactly why you expected me to come here today?”

Huh?

I don’t think so.

"It's not just a question of the Empire and the Jura Tempest Federation joining forces. Because Tempest
is going to be the backbone of the new Emperor and build a rock-solid system for the Empire, then of
course…”

“Well, needless to say, I have to get involved with Dwargon, so I guess I can expect something in
return, can't I?”

Hey, hey.

Why has acknowledging the new emperor turned into something that doesn't make sense?

“King Gazel's words are reliable, but we will do our best to respond to your expectations within the
limits of both countries' acceptance.”

Minute—no, let me call him Sir Minute, is, unlike in battle, a good politician, with a graceful demeanor
and a feeling that he can handle anything with ease.

In contrast, I was trying my best to understand the situation, and even began to worry if anyone would
see me sweating and panicking inside.
 Okay, okay. Gazel seems to approve, and it's me next. Benimaru and Rigurd glance at my expression,
so I nod my head gently in response and speak up.

"I also agree, and can agree to provide full support depending on the situation.”

I also took advantage of the situation.

I’m finally keeping up with understanding.

I had intended to help Masayuki from the beginning, but if you think about it carefully, this is already
something that will lead to support as a nation, so I'm selling a favor here. If you build a better
relationship in the future by giving favors here, then there will not be another war in the future.

Even if things don't go so smoothly, there should be no problems at the moment. The future can be left
to future generations, so the most important thing is the “now."

"Thank you very much. Our Emperor will be very happy to hear this.”

Sir Minute made another salute.

You're being too stiff, get on with it.

“Then, the new emperor is Masayuki, right? Ah, then is it bad for me to call you that?”

“King Rimuru—”

"Ah, no problem at all. So it's okay for me to call Rimuru as I did before, right?”

Ah, Masayuki, a friend of my heart!

"Of course, Masayuki-kun! It's hard to understand, what words to use on such occasions, isn’t it?”

“Rimuru-san! I haven’t been able to relax until now because Rimuru-san is so reliable!!! It's been so
suffocating these past few days…”

Yeah, I get it.

You were lacking an ally and struggling alone, right?

Velgrynd guessed that she couldn't understand how her subordinates were feeling, and wondered why
she was upset over such trivial matters. She shouldn't have been able to.

The big men of the Empire, who took great pains just to think about their own problems, had no energy
left to worry about Masayuki's mood, and Masayuki was left to worry alone.

That's why they wanted to discuss it with me, but it was a failure for Shion to send the message.

I really wanted to have a personal interview and think about what to do. I think so, and Masayuki feels
the same.

But that's not going to work anymore.

Although I don't know what to do with my manners, I'm just going to do it with my nature.
 "Guys, may I have your attention, please?”

The one who hit the nail on the head was Testarossa.

"Our Lord Rimuru would like the meeting to be more relaxed and casual. We may have our own
positions, but could you please continue the meeting more informally?

Testarossa looked at everyone present with a smile and said so.

Nothing could be more reliable than that!

Masayuki seems happy too.

Gazel just smiled and didn't retort.

Since the king had no problem, the subordinates are even less likely to object. The formal talk ended
here, and the real talk from the heart then started.

***

“Geez, that's a big help. I thought I'd have to keep quiet.”

“Yeah, I wanted to do that too, actually.”

“The idiots. The lord of a country will do what it is!”

“Heh, heh, heh, heh.”

“Jane, don't talk about it now.”

This is the moment when the tension loosens up.

It's probably because Masayuki is the new emperor and has decided to support us. It's only when we've
established our own policy as backbone that we'll be able to do so, and after that, there's only details to
discuss, so there's no need to be so intense and stereotypical.

So, in a lighthearted tone, I asked about what I cared most about.

“So, it's okay for Masayuki to be an emperor, but will the Empire agree? No problems on our side, but
the people? Or are they subjects? Anyway, if the people don’t approve, it’s useless.”

Hearing that, Masayuki nodded his head as drastically as I would have liked.

“Yes! It's definitely weird, right!?”

“Ahem! Your Majesty, please calm down.”

Although Calgurio stepped forward to admonish him, Masayuki wasn't about to just leave it at that.

The one who reached out to help at this point was Gazel.

“What about the bloodline problem? He does not share a single bit of Emperor Rudra's blood, right? If
we don't keep the royal title, I'm afraid the nobles won't approve.”
 Velgrynd answered the question.

"No problem, it is written in the imperial canon that 'the guardian of the empire, the man recognized by
the dragon Velgrynd, is both Rudra and emperor,’ and although many people think this is just a formality,
it is true and most important.”

Sir Minute came forward to endorse that statement.

“It is true that His Majesty Rudra has always been reborn as the wife's first son, but in the long history
of the empire, there have been arrogant people who have sought to replace their successors, and it was
Her Excellency, Lord Velgrynd, who punished them as the ‘Marshal.’"

Like that, it's bound to be exposed.

There was no way for anyone who knew the Rudra reincarnation mechanism to get the truth wrong.

I can't imagine the punishment. It must have been horrible.

“After all, His Majesty Rudra has inherited his ego, and even if Lord Velgrynd doesn't point it out,
when he grows up he will naturally know his true self…”

Well, if you grow up into your ego, then you’ll be able to easily identify yourself.

“Well, how about calling Masayuki a bastard?”

“That's not possible, Lord Rimuru. The Senate has recorded the blood and DNA information of Lord
Rudra, so it's impossible to say that Masayuki-sama is Rudra's child if it doesn’t match up.”

Oops, so the empire's technology has come this far. I thought it was a good proposal, but Sir Minute
has rejected it.

“By the way, there are DNA tests in this world too…”

“What's DNA?”

“Well…”

Since Gazel asked, I'll clarify.

Next to him were Calgurio and the others chatting.

“In the past, there were no sophisticated methods of inspection. I heard it was difficult.”

“Yeah, it's a pain in the ass to have to listen to my judgment every time.”

Well, wouldn't that be worse?

Now that the real person has disappeared, and the only reincarnated body whose memory has
disappeared is Masayuki, it can be quite difficult to prove that the "soul" is real. That is to say, there is no
way for others to recognize Masayuki as the Emperor.

“In that case, isn’t it easier for Masayuki to imitate Rudra, since he looks the same?”

It is only necessary to emulate the emperor’s privileges, such as inspection.

 Then find an opportunity to replace Emperor Rudra's record and you're done.

“No.”

I thought that was a good way to go, but was rejected by Velgrynd.

“May I ask why?”

"You, have not forgotten the power of Michael? The loyalty of his subjects and subordinates to Rudra is
the source of Michael's energy. So, wouldn't it be better to create the fact that Emperor Rudra is dead to
take away his power?”

Oops?

This I certainly remember…

<<Correct. It doesn’t make sense to just die, but a new object of loyalty will block Michael’s power.
However, Michael should have thought of that too, and might have transferred the subject of authority
from Rudra to another person.>>

Something like that, after all I said before about killing all the subjects.

If that countermeasure is taken, he would surely be to make those characters that I can't outwit into a
source of power.

Or he’d choose the kind of over-the-top strongman.

“Michael would have taken a countermeasure, and it would have been better to do it than not to do it,
so that I would have had no reason to do it to my subjects.”

“That's right, so don't worry about the details. Just announce that Masayuki is Rudra in my name, so no
one will dare to resist.”

Velgrynd is so confident.

But then again, that's certainly true.

After all, she's the Empire's guardian dragon, the Scorch Dragon.

What's more, it makes sense that the imperial paradigm records that 'Velgrynd recognized the man as
Emperor'.

The approach is tough, but as long as it's Velgrynd’s true statement, it can't be ignored.

“Does Masayuki-kun think this is okay?”

“Should be fine?”

“...oohhhh, how shall I put it…”

I also feel in my heart that there should be no problem, and here it seems we can only go with the flow.

“If Masayuki doesn't like it, then don't force it.”

 Wow, Velgrynd's smile is super gentle—gentle to the point of being scary. While that description is
somewhat contradictory, it's my honest opinion.

“…I'll do it, I'm being hailed as a hero anyway, so it won't hurt to add another title.”

With an already enlightened, empty look, Masayuki declared.

The people like Minute and Calgurio listened with pleasure, and in their opinion, a new symbol as well
as a mentor was absolutely necessary for the future survival of the empire.

I also think Masayuki fits the bill. He also has an effective skill and will definitely get popular support.

"Then the way forward is to consolidate the empire with a new emperor, right?"

Everyone other than Masayuki nodded sharply in agreement with my words.

Masayuki also had to nod reluctantly.

Don't look at Masayuki like this, he's actually a very responsible person and will make it to the end if
he accepts it.

“Understood, we will also make an announcement acknowledging this. By the way, the Imperial
generals who are now stranded in our country as captives will be released immediately, and although they
will not be held accountable, we will put compensation discussions on temporary reservation. What do
you think? We'll negotiate this with the new emperor afterwards.”

“I'd like to hear more about that.”

“Thank you for your generosity. I'm grateful.”

Though everyone approved, Gazel seemed to have something to say again.

"I has no objection to this approach either, just a question. It is fortunate, Your Excellency, that you, as
the “Hero,” have to be emperor, so I would like to ask, what is your idea of governing the people—the
subjects?”

Gazel stared at Masayuki with a sharp stare that seemed to see through everything.

Masayuki, who was somewhat frightened by that aura, looked at me troubled and said.

“…uhh…hmm? A world where people can live with laughter…something like that, right?”

I laughed when I heard that.

Because he thinks the same way I do.

“Yeah, that's the most important thing!”

“That’s right! knew Rimuru would say that!!”

"Of course, Masayuki-kun. Alas, I told Rudra that thought too, only to be called naive and foolish, so
that I thought I was mistaken and felt uneasy inside. I'm so relieved. I was right.”
 “Great! I can't do politics or anything, and I'm not confident, but now I can stand up and be king.”

“Well, let's do our best together!”

“Yes, I'd like to hear more from you in the future, too!”

After saying that, Masayuki and I laughed loudly together.

Others watched us each react differently.

Diablo and Shion had a look of intoxication on their faces.

Velgrynd smiled tenderly.

For their part, Calgurio and Sir Minute smiled bitterly as they gave up in the middle.

Gazel looked up helplessly at the sky.

“That's enough!”

“I understand Gazel's concern, but they have no ambition, and they're new to the world, so they must be
guided to the right path.”

“I know how difficult it is to guide these people who talk about politics with their childish ideals, and
that's what's bothering me.”

Gazel sighed again after saying that. After all, Gazel was always worried about us.

“Okay, okay, don't worry so much, I'm studying too, so it's okay!”

“It shouldn't matter that it's not just Gazel, it's Vesta and El Carbon (***Elmesia?) who are teaching
me.”

“…really?”

It's just in their spare time, so it’s true.

If that's still unsettling, let's put him at ease a little.

“I didn't intend to get too involved in politics, but I'm glad I did. I'll just leave the substance to Sir
Minute.”

“You're right! I was just wondering if I should do it, and was a little uneasy, but now I can feel a little
lighter.”

Masayuki and I once again looked at each other and laughed.

“…just try it, you're not alone, share the burden with your peers, grow together, I'll help if possible.”

Gazel held his head high once again, finally approving. Alas, there may not be an endorsement, but it
should all be in a supportive mood for a long time to come.

And so the meeting proceeded.

 “I have no objection to the approach just decided at the meeting. If the East is settled, so is our country,
and we will do our best to assist in the revival near the national border.”

"Thank you!”

"Thank you, King Gazel.”

And just like that, things are beautifully finished.

In later history books, this day would be recorded as the day of the appearance of the redeeming
emperor, Masayuki Rudra Namur Nasca…

***

Thus, the policy was set.

Now we take a break in between and have lunch first.

Now that the atmosphere is less tense, everyone eats with joy.

Today’s lunch is Kaiseki cuisine (***a traditional multi-course Japanese dinner).

Even though we were taking a break, we were still in the middle of the meeting, so we chose a menu
that could be used to entertain the bigwigs, which was carefully arranged by Shuna-chan.

Everyone uses chopsticks.

Gazel has mastered it for a long time now, and the spread of chopstick culture throughout the Empire
has made it possible to offer Japanese style cuisine with peace of mind.

“The food here still tastes so good.”

“A little bit of a drinking problem.”

“Be restrained, Ben! Even if it's informal, the important meeting is not over.”

“You're serious Dorf, aren't you? Sir Rimuru?”

“Yeah, I'd like some sake, too, but…”

I nodded and glanced at Shuna.

Shuna smiled sweetly.

Yeah, it’s impossible.

"Let's hold back for now, and keep working on the rest of the meeting. Mr. Ben must learn more from
Mr. Dorf, and be more serious!”

"Hahaha, that's harsh. Then isn't tonight something to look forward to?”

“Hey…”

"Sure, right, Benimaru?”

 "Well, just offer up my secret stash of magic black wine, and it’s party time!”

"Oh, this is good! I'm glad you're here.”

"Hahahaha, it's famous that monsters like wine, isn't it, Shuna?”

“Huh? Does Shuna drink too?”

I didn't expect to hear about it while gossiping, but I'm surprised Shuna also drinks.

The truth is…

“Brother, I only try it occasionally. Don't confuse me with Shion.”

I'm still drinking.

By the way, isn't Shuna still underage—ah, it doesn't matter how old a magic creature is.

“Ha ha ha, sorry sorry sorry.”

“Lady Shuna! I'm not that into it!”

That's a lie.

As far as I know, Shion drinks and even competes with Albis.

Benimaru also knew about this, so he smiled bitterly over there.

Although Benimaru didn't look like he loved to drink, Albis was his wife and he presumably
accompanied her to drink occasionally, so the alcohol should be quite strong.

Wine is something that only feels good when you get used to it.

Be moderate.

To drink, don't let the booze get to you and drink moderately.

Properly enjoy the tasting. I exhort people in my heart, including me.

The luncheon would have been light and pleasant, but suddenly someone burst into tears.

All eyes were drawn there.

At first glance, it turns out to be Calgurio.

"What's going on? Is the meal not to your liking?"

Shuna rushed over to comfort Calgurio.

Calgurio replied.
 “No, I’m sorry. I just remembered it. It might be funny to say this as a soldier, but I just followed my
stupid plan and sacrificed so many subordinates. Yet I am sharing this delicious meal. I’m sorry, blame
me…Faraga, Samdor, Gaster…”

This guy, he'll cry when he drinks.

Although there is no alcohol distribution at the moment, he seems to be infected with the atmosphere
and had gotten drunk.

But this is just a good opportunity.

“Testarossa.”

“Yes, I've asked Moss to call those men.”

As expected of her.

Before I could give the order, Testarossa had already understood my intentions.

In less than five minutes, dozens of people arrived at the venue.

"Your Majesty Rimuru, Samdor (***might be Xam’d or Zamud, or Sander, but I’m not sure) has been
summoned to meet you!”

The people who came were the same people that Calgurio had just read about, such as Samdor.

They seemed to come running quickly, their faces red with sweat, but still trying desperately to
organize the language and come to greet me.

Samdor and these people, have actually died once.

As they boarded the Emperor's flagship, they were swept up in Testarossa’s nuclear strike magic: the
blessing of death, which wiped out the flesh along with it.

Testarossa was good at was remembering that I had accepted Calgurio's plea for mercy and had
recovered the souls before the magic could be unleashed.

“It all became possible because I am allowed to evolve by Lord Rimuru”—Testarossa is so humble, she
is so understanding.

Therefore, Testarossa boarded the "souls" of Samdor and others into the "soul-orb" and let them settle
down in the artificial human body.

“You—aren't you Samdor!? I heard Lord Velgrynd say you're all dead, are you still alive?”

“Geez really, they couldn’t handle the ‘blessing of death,’ can they, it was Testarossa who saved them?”

“Yes, Lord Velgrynd, Lord Rimuru is merciful.”

“Yeah, I don't doubt that.”

“It’s wise.”

Woo hoo, oh hoo hoo—the two are laughing and talking.

 But it felt a little scary and I hurriedly moved out of sight.

Samdor and the others celebrated their safe survival after rendezvous with Calgurio.

As for Faraga, unfortunately, I am not omnipotent either and can only ask you to ignore it. If you know
that mourning for the dead will be a good thing, then I ask you to stay away from such foolishness as war.

It would be foolish to launch an invasion if the defenses were okay, and I know there's not only good in
the world, but I can't help but think so.

Those in power should put their families on the scales and consider whether there is a real need to wage
war and to resolve unnecessary disputes through dialogue whenever possible.

This I did not say aloud, but prayed for it in my heart.

***

After a lunch break, the meeting resumed again at 3 p.m.

The general policy was set in the morning, and the intention was to discuss reconfirmation and the
sharing of responsibilities in the afternoon

"Let me reconfirm, then, starting with the armed state of Dwargon."

Testarossa began the topic.

The list of confirmations then begins.

The Jura Tempest Federation and Dwargon jointly recognized the new Emperor as the first step, before
declaring the end of the war and the establishment of the Tripartite Alliance in the name of the new
Emperor, Masayuki.

As a result, a different framework of the Western Nations Council is created.

Dwargon's duty was to revive the Empire and its borders, including the streets and adjacent buildings,
which also included rescue missions for the few victims caught up in the war.

Credit comes after credit is earned.

After the rescue was completed, the railway to the Imperial Capital would be laid, and this difficult
project would be completed by renovating the road opened by the Imperial Chariot Division in the Canaat
Mountains.

Our country will also send a steering team to work with the Dwarf Corps of Engineers to complete the
project.

After the opening of the "Magic Train,” logistics will be smoothed out, and the movement of people
will become active and will certainly usher in new developments.

I can't help but feel a little excited when I dream about this kind of thing, and I'm sure I still like to do
construction planning, as I realize it again.

So what are the duties of our Jura Tempest Federation?

 Mainly the responsibility for the full support to Masayuki.

The purpose of arranging an embassy within the Empire and sending Testarossa was to dispel the
obsolete ideas of the Empire and allow the people of the Empire to feel the arrival of a new era.

The imperial subjects had no memory of losing the war, and although they had suffered a bit because of
Veldora, they had no experience of giving thanks to other nations.

Perhaps this speaks to Rudra's greatness, but it also happens to make defeat unacceptable to the those
imperial subjects.

For those who have lost loved ones, one should be able to understand the pain, yet those who are
comfortable in a safe position are likely to offer to go to war again.

They have only profit in their eyes and a lack of feeling for the pain that others endure.

It was up to Minute to convince the nobles, and Calgurio to take charge of the military, only to be
pitted against the cunning old underbelly of society. However, they were worried that the two of them
would underpowered.

Velgrynd said, "Just kill them all." That's easy for her to say, but he couldn't do it. The Empire had
already lost a lot of talent, and it wasn't okay to continue reducing the number of key officials.

These tricky people have to be used alive, and the road ahead is bumpy, but they have to be done too,
that's the conclusion that has come out of these days.

That's when it's Testarossa's turn to step in.

By using an intelligence agent with a hellish ear like Moss, he should be able to sabotage the attempts
of the underworlders in one fell swoop. It's a pain in the ass to get them together, but if you grab hold of
them and then threaten—er, no, persuade them—they should become willing to assist.

The Senate of the Western States is now settled, and they alone are enough, so I’ll let Testarossa go to
the Empire now.

Still, Venom will continue to accompany Masayuki and be his escort.

"I'll have to borrow your dependent. Is that okay?”

"Kufufufu, no problem. It's for Lord Rimuru, so feel free to use him.

Hearing such a thing was tiring, but I don't want to say anything about Diablo to add to it.

***

Unlike the morning discussion, the afternoons are full of lively topics.

After the summary of the problems on the Empire's side was announced, the group then discussed the
response strategy together.

Time really does pass when its meaningful.

"We, the members of the Empire, will never forget this kindnesses.”
 "Hey, hey, it's still just the planning stage. Are you going to start working on it? If you are saying
thanks, please wait until the business is completed.”

“Hahahaha…business…? I'm no match for you, Your Majesty Rimuru…This national problem can be
summed up in one word.

Minute smiled.

But there was a gleam in his eyes that seemed to light up the fight because of my words.

It's good to be motivated.

While the guidelines are clear, there are still problems that must not be forgotten.

Gazel opened his mouth to ask the question.

“So, Rimuru, the most important thing to ask is, can you win?”

It’s true…Michael and Feldway and their men, the very threatening enemy, are still watching us.

"Honestly, I can't guarantee that I'm going to win, but I’m definitely not going to lose.”

“Well it’s you after all, so no matter what method is used, your words will be true, right?”

“Even overestimated.”

“Hmm! In fact, when I saw Lord Velgrynd so powerful, I was ready to lose the battle and die. I knew
she was strong, but I didn't think her to be that strong.”

Gazel confided frankly, and Ben and Dorf nodded in agreement.

Yeah, I almost thought it was over too when I saw Testarossa and the others fall to the ground.

Afterwards, because I was so angry, I forgot my fear—I should say, when I came back, it was all over,
and now I look back on it, it's still an incredible win.

But now, I have Ciel.

And Veldora and Diablo and the others.

I am not alone and that is encouraging.

“I didn't think I'd lose to a Slime, but—and I'm grateful now—I don't think even Sister Velzado can
beat Rimuru.”

Velgrynd didn't get angry at Gazel's words, her tone was calm.

It's not clear that I can beat Velzado who has one-sidedly beaten Veldora, but it does seem that Velgrynd
was speaking from the heart.

“It’s embarrassing to hear such a high opinion.”

 “Don't be modest, it's not luck that you beat me, it's pure strength. It was an overwhelming victory,
what are you talking about?”

There was shame in winning or losing because it was all in the past for Velgrynd. Now she had
overcome that and honestly accepted reality.

This type of person is terrifying, and I've secretly raised my alert level on Velgrynd.

Next, to get serious about your thoughts.

“The reality is that the enemy's strength is not known, and it is impossible to predict how they will act,
regardless of their aims or attempts—and what they will use to make people care.”

As the words were spoken, several people appeared on the huge screen.

“These people are the "enemies" that entered the labyrinth this time. Their strength is estimated to be
around three million, and even compared to our executives, they are still in the upper echelon.”

I will disclose all the information I know.

At this point, Velgrynd spoke up as if to add.

“I've eliminated this one, but I have a word of advice. These people once helped Brother Veldanava in
ancient times, and were a match for the Primordials. Their bodies are currently sealed, and those that
appeared in the labyrinth were just weakened ‘parallel bodies.’”

Hearing that makes one wonder how to react.

Because Velgrynd wiped out the other side so easily.

<<Velgrynd's power has the effect of the ‘dimensional jump,’ which is the ability Velgrynd uses to
jump towards the landmark of Rudra’s soul. There should be no problem using the skill towards the
landmark>>

I see…

In other words, Velgrynd's attack knocked down the essence connected to Cornu’s 'Parallel Body',
causing them to be wiped out together.

<<That’s right. By combining attacks that transcend time and space to create a 'continuous attack of
time and space,' even a 'parallel existence' cannot escape.>>

Really, it's outrageous.

Velgrynd was also too powerful to know exactly how much experience she had accumulated and was
now in full control of her own powers.

She was already powerful before, and now is even better.

Veldora was still happy about learning about 'parallel existence', and it turned out to be completely
pointless… I'd feel a little sorry for Veldora if he knew about it.

It wasn't just me who didn't know how to react.

 The Imperial congregation, as well as Gazel and the others, pondered carefully over what Velgrynd had
said.

The Empire can at least still rely Velgrynd as a trump card, but the problem is Dwargon.

“Can't we win?”

“Indeed, unfortunately, there's no way to fight back.”

“Ben!”

“It’s true. There’s no use trying to be strong. It's time to tell the truth and think about countermeasures,
isn't it?”

“Mmm, although what you said is correct…”

“Ben is right. Since we are against an invincible opponent, we have to think about what to do in case of
an encounter. Sir Rimuru, on the basis of what Michael and the Demon King are up to, will we Dwargon
be implicated?”

Woo-hoo, the probability should be lower.

“It probably doesn't matter. It's not that it's safe, it's just that it's a lower priority.”

“Hmm, so because the enemy's aim is to resurrect Lord Veldanava, there is no Dwargon in their eyes
anyway, is that right?”

“It sounds rude, but I suppose.”

“It's okay. I'm embarrassed as a warrior, but I feel at ease as a king.”

Gazel finished and smiled bitterly.

"So, speaking of means, is the enemy serious?"

“Kufufufufu, do they think that by gaining the power of Lord Veldora and Lord Velzado they can
resurrect Lord Veldanava? All I can say is it's a stupid idea.”

“Lord Veldanava is immortal. It's arrogant to try to resurrect him by human power.”

Diablo scoffed, and Benimaru was indignant.

It's still a mystery as to why Veldanava hasn’t come back to life, but it's still true that the True Dragon
Race is indestructible. I was in favor of the opinion that we should be relieved because it could not be
described.

“If that's the case, will the Dragon Empress be targeted as well?” Calgurio pointed out sharply.

Indeed, it would not be surprising at all if Miilim, who had inherited the power of Veldanava, would be
targeted.

Velgrynd answered the question.

 “That possibility cannot be denied, but to strike at my brother's beloved would be to put the cart before
the horse. It's possible for them to want power simply because they want it, but if they really want him to
be resurrected, I hope they don't do something that offends him.”

However, because Milim was strong and didn't have an Angelic System's Skill, and Carrion and Frey
had also awakened, they shouldn't need to worry too much.

Since Velgrynd didn't think it mattered either, it would probably be enough to just warn them.

However, there is one more thing that concerns people.

“In that way, doesn’t it sounds like Veldanava didn’t care about his siblings?”

“You're a very rude man.”

Velgrynd was a little speechless at what I said, but not angry.

“Uh, I'm sorry, I'm an honest person. I was just…”

“It doesn't matter.”

Lucky.

Saved by Velgrynd's forbearance.

I’ll reflect on this and be careful on what is said in the future.

“It doesn’t matter. A “True Dragon" is not the same as people who have an end in sight, and the same is
true of Sister Velzado who did not care how many times she destroyed Veldora in the name of education.
So, perhaps we are to wait for the resurrection of Brother Veldanava before liberating our forces.”

Ah, I understand.

I think he’ll be resurrected after eating, just like the steps I took.

In doing so, memories will be inherited, so whether or not the personality will change is simply not a
matter of concern.

“This means Milim is not indestructible because she is not a true dragon species. If you kill Milim-
sama, you will incur the wrath of the resurrected Veldanava-sama, right?”

Testarossa sums up Velgrynd's words as I do, presumably to that effect.

“Well, in that case, let's warn Milim to be on guard.”

Hearing my words, Velgrynd nodded.

Then, her eyes turned to Masayuki.

“I look like someone else, but…Masayuki, you’re definitely being targeted, so you have to be very
careful.”

“Huh? Haven't you given up yet?”

 "Your Majesty…unlike in the Labyrinth, you cannot be revived on Imperial soil! Please take care of
yourself.”

"We will do our utmost to protect His Majesty, but after all, His Majesty needs to act on the basis of
His Majesty's consciousness.”

“Okay…uh, I mean, got it.”

After Masayuki's uninspiring reply, the afternoon's discussion was over.

***

Dinner was luxurious.

A full Western-style meal of Italian cuisine.

Beets—a vegetable somewhat similar to this—starting with soup, followed by casseroles and a confit
of gizzards.

This was followed by a slightly grilled gun head armored fish belly sashimi.

Each one is an absolute gem, but it doesn't end there.

The restaurant serves a variety of fine dishes such as shrimp wanna cotta, battleship fish noodles,
fortune crab spaghetti, and more.

When the mushroom risotto was finished and the chopsticks were stopped, a seafood soup was served.

The soup from which all the seafood acquisitions of the day are extracted, is a wonderful dish that
changes the flavor of dinner in each sip. A multi-ingredient blend that takes half a day to brew.

It's no exaggeration to say that it's the chefs’ rare masterpiece, and is a hidden gem that you can't even
always eat once a year.

And finally, the main course of the day.

A veal deer fillet steak.

Gently cut with a knife and served in the mouth, the tender, tender meat melts in your mouth.

Delicious.

It's delicious.

After eating, Benimaru and I gave each other a high five.

No words are needed to communicate, and that is enough.

Today, everyone is eating in silence, and this attitude is proof of satisfaction.

It was when the white wine and yogurt was served as dessert, that everyone finally said what they felt.

“What is this deliciousness!? As an imperial aristocrat, I consider myself to have tasted countless
cuisines, but this is something else!!!”
 “I know, as a captive, I've always enjoyed the food here, but I've never enjoyed it as much as I have
today. Thank you, Your Majesty Rimuru!”

“Honestly, if you can eat this, you can be emperor.”

“I've also learned to cook, but I can't really make these things. I can tell from the food that I still must
do my best.”

The Imperial congregation was highly appreciative.

Dwargon's side was not to be outdone.

“Rimuru, you've improved your cooking here. Is this you, Lady Shuna? I'd love to invite you to our
country to teach us a few recipes.”

"Yes, I'm more of a wine lover, but these things are so different. It's a shame that the portion is smaller,
but it makes you want to eat more. A very calculated arrangement.”

“Geez, I don't think it's been calculated, but I agree with you that every dish makes you want to eat it.”

“Hah! It's so delicious, it makes me think I'm leaving for the next world.”

"What are you talking about, Lady Jane? You’ve eaten it all up.”

"Anrietta, you're a real talker. Look at you. You're eating the same amount!”

"What? It's only polite not to point this out even if you know about it!”

They were basically satisfied with everything, but they just wanted to make rave about their food, and
this time, the goal was achieved.

By the way, even at times like this, Shion and Diablo were as usual.

Diablo dedicated himself to serving and pouring wine, and Shion stood perfectly still as an escort.

But, I know.

Shuna whispered to me that Shion always sneaks food in the name of testing for poison. This time, she
even tried the poison with an extra bowl. There is absolutely no need to worry about her going hungry.

***

We take a break after the meal.

The location changed to the meeting room and the big guys enjoyed coffee while chatting.

Just as the group was chatting about the food, Gazel suddenly spoke to them.

"On the other hand, Rimuru, there's something that bothers me.”

"What is it?”

“It's something you did.”

 “Um…?”

“The executives headed by Lord Benimaru over there—you’re the one who made them evolve, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

Ah, that's a sign towards being reprimanded.

Don't just come out of the blue like that.

Just give me a moment to think about it.

Just as I tensed my body, Gazel continued with a bitter smile.

“Don't be so nervous, I won't be angry. It did scare me when I first heard Jane talk about it, but now
I've come to understand that it was a necessary thing to do.”

“That's right. That's right.”

Whew.

He didn't seem to be angry, so I was relieved.

“It's just that it’ll be a lot of trouble to explain to other countries, won’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“What, didn't you think of that? The Western Nations, the Western Saints Church, and Sarion are all
watching this war closely, and the final declaration must be made and the process must be explained.”

“I was just going to muddle through properly…”

As for my companions evolving to the level of an awakened demon lord, as long as they shut up and
don't say anything, no one should understand.

It shouldn't be a problem if the deception went well.

“That should be okay with the West. Blumund may be a little suspicious, along with some other
countries, but the rest of the world is blurred. There may be some doubt, but the Jura Tempest Federation
will be an ally. You will not be bullish, right?”

“In that case, there's nothing wrong…”

"However! ‘That woman’ can't be fooled, and will definitely ask for a formal explanation, what are you
going to do?”

Um, ‘that woman?’

Ah, you mean her!

“What, you mean El-chan? It doesn't matter. I already told her.”

 Elmesia was so worried about this war that she said so in conversation with me and Myourmiles.
Elmesia said that in the worst case scenario she would take in the refugees from our area.

Myourmiles, Elmesia, and I had an emergency contact as a conspiracy trio (Three Drunken Sages).

It is a high performance magic prop that looks like a small folding type, which is actually a "mobile
phone.”

This was based on the idea generated by Clayman's skill, using electrical wave signals to form a cipher
with geomagnetic gas, a quality product that could make usual business calls without being interrupted
by magic.

However, the materials used are so scarce and the production price is so high that even the executives
can’t easily get them. This is an indication of how expensive it is.

With this, I was able to talk directly to Elmesia. So before the banquet had started, I gave a notice
saying “I won” along with a victory report.

El-chan’s reply was "OK, I'm relieved. I'm going to listen to it properly next time, and I'm going to play
it again haha," so there was absolutely nothing for Gazel to worry about.

But…

“El-chan!?”

Gazel shouted.

Then stared at me with a look of disbelief.

Huh?

“Was there anything surprising in what I just said?”

“Don't be stupid! How did you get so close to that Emperor!?”

Ah, that.

Well, I'm pretty good at this kind of thing.

No matter how tricky the person, start with a conversation and, most importantly, a good understanding
of what exactly the other person is asking for.

In the past, when I was a supervisor at the construction site, there were outrageous complaints from
nearby residents, but if you just calm down and listen to the other party's statements, you can easily solve
any unexpected problems.

Of course, there are times when there is a lack of approach.

In those cases, the short answer is to listen first.

Always listen.

Just by doing this, the other person will gradually feel a sense of closeness, think that you understand,
and slowly accept you.
 Or rather, it's buying time to wait for the problem to be solved.

There's no need to do anything about the situation, just listen to the narrative and work with him, and
that's all it takes to develop intimacy—well, back to that.

So, the most important thing in my outlook on life is how I get along with others and how I interact
with them.

The same is true with Elmesia, who was already a close friend by the time I noticed.

Could it be the alcohol?

I've forgotten that kind of thing.

Forgetting what is against you is excellent worldly practice. Of course, it's important to remember to
reflect and avoid repeated failures.

It's a hard thing to do, and I'm still practicing.

“How it's done is a secret. We're all getting along now, anyway.”

There's no need to be honest about the experience of failure at the wine table.

But Gazel couldn't seem to take it.

"Rimuru, for the Celestial Emperor of Sarion, it is difficult to meet with her, and waiting for an
audience normally takes a few months. Even if I apply from Dwargon, it takes half a year. That woman
has a long life, so a month is like a day in her eyes…and yet you're in easy contact with her!”

“Well.”

“Yes, yes, Your Majesty, Rimuru! The Empire also values Sarion, not expecting this level of
connection…”

Even Calgurio and others joined in.

According to these people, the Empire saw Sarion as the biggest threat, and it was said that there were
many unheard of magical guides over there that were originally intended to be the last to attack.

After listening to the instructions from Calgurio and Minute, Gazel nodded as well.

After all, it was a military power that could devour the entire western economic circle by itself, and it
was normal for them to react in this way.

And the ease with which we can contact the heads of such great powers without an appointment, even
if I don't know much about it, is really a bit incredible.

But after all, it is a fact.

“Ahahaha, huh, well, this? Guess I was lucky.”

“Well, for Lord Rimuru, it's a matter of course.”

 “Yes! Rather, it is the other party who is lucky!”

Diablo and Shion praised me from the sidelines. At this kind of time I wish you guys would keep your
mouths shut.

Seeing Gazel sigh heavily, I thought even more so.

Minute, however, unexpectedly agreed with Shion and others.

“Indeed, it is understandable that the Heavenly Emperor would react in such a way as to discover the
true value of His Majesty Rimuru.”

Calgurio nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, if it's that terrifying Heavenly Emperor, something of this magnitude should be within easy
reach. Our empire has always thought that the country's magical warriors would not move, which is
exactly what the emperor thought. Then it would be dangerous to target our country when the situation is
not good for His Majesty Rimuru."

It seems they are more wary of Sarion than I thought.

Although I didn't feel it was a dangerous country, it was reassuring to be friendly.

El-chan had invited us to play at her place and to be sure to visit and learn about it then.

"This information must have been hidden, but our intelligence service considers us to be…"

"No, unfortunately, I haven't heard of it either. Still, it's so long ago for me, it's possible to just forget.”

Minute's statement, which was dismissed with a cheerful face by Velgrynd, struck me as a rather
stubborn person who definitely remembers even if it was a long time ago.

"Geez, do you have something you want to say to me?”

"No, no…”

Scary, as if she was reading my heart.

These types of people are usually difficult to deal with and it's best not to piss her off.

You have to be careful about what you say about the "Three Drunk Sages.”

I secretly swore that as the night passed.

***

The next morning, Gazel and his entourage went back.

For their part, Calgurio and others followed the well-developed guidelines and began to make
preparations for their return home.

The work was still underway, and the construction was taken over by Adalman's men, some of whom
wanted to stay in the country, but also had to give priority to settling the empire before thinking about
immigration.
 They are expected to leave within a week after preparation.

In this way, we discover the problem, think about the countermeasures, and confirm the status quo.

There's basically no problem on the Empire's side.

I just have to wait for Testarossa's contact and watch and see before the situation changes.

There was a slight concern on the Dwarf Kingdom's side.

In case the Killing Angel-class enemies appeared, Gazel’s side should be in a bitter fight.

However, with Dwargon as a natural fortress and the metropolitan area equipped with multiple defense
structures, it will not be easy to break through, so they’ll just contact us while the defense is on.

I gave Gazel a "cell phone,” to let him use it as he sees fit.

One more thing.

I decided to send Agera forward to Gazel's side.

Gazel had told me he wanted to continue training and rebuilding himself.

Agera had also said that he wanted to calm his (her) debauched mind.

Said there was a lot to worry about.

Carrera didn't say anything, just went with the whatever Agera liked.

I knew what was going on in Agera, but I was still having trouble answering, and everyone needed
some time at the moment, so I accepted the proposal.

This way, even Dwargon can withstand a protracted war.

Of course, it's best not to have a problem, and in case something happens, it should be manageable.

The kingdom of Farmenas, where Youm and the others were, also took care of it.

Diablo sent Gedora over to account for these circumstances, and I did not arrange for a personal
interview with Gedora, who seemed to have left two days earlier.

While Gedora had the duties of a Labyrinth Guardian, the key Floor Guardian Colossus was gone.

Even the wreckage wasn't there and it had to be made from scratch.

The researchers seemed to rejoice that they wanted to test the new function with the new shaft.

It made my wallet a little nervous, but luckily it would be the treasury that would be burdened this
time. I just tell them to produce something that would satisfy.

It will take time until the day it's done, so we’ll let Gedora stay in Farmenas for now.

As for the Kingdom of Blumund and the Western States,

 Shion was dealing with this aspect, and Zonda had sent over support. The demons are basically able to
'space transfer', and most of the situation should be handled.

Honestly, these places have little strategic value, so I'm not going to go any stronger than that either.

If the enemy commits acts of genocide, Guy would not sit idly by.

Guy doesn't want the human race to perish and is sure to make a move.

Plus, there's Ruminas over there too.

If the situation hadn't been so serious as to require Guy to step in, Ruminas and the Paladins should
have responded.

The Three Drunk Sages have also been informed of the incident, so that Glenda and the others will act
in secret to buy time in case of any situation, which should be close.

By the way, I also gave Glenda a "cell phone.”

It's not for her personally, it's to serve as a means of communication between the Three Drunk Sages.

With this, we'll be able to take countermeasures at any time, so we'll just have to wait for contact from
the western countries.

Well, so be it.

The rest of the question is what happens when some unexpected betrayer shows up.

<<About that I think it’s probably a waste of time to think about it…>>

No, no, no, it’s not so much a waste as to not think about.

Being prepared can affect your ability to cope with unexpected situations.

So, after looking at the damage in various areas in the office, I started thinking about the important
things that mattered most. I told Gazel to warn anyone who was awakened, about the ultimate skills of the
Angelic System…but I was staring at his face which was as if his expression had fallen off.

Then, quietly to me—

"Listen, Rimuru, the ultimate skill is a secret—a secret that is said to have been acquired by the first
Dwarven hero, Gran Dwargon, and yet it is still considered an important matter of unknown truth that few
people know about, not even Ben and Dorf! And you guys…don’t talk like it's a common thing to have
ultimate skills!”

—yeah right.

He ended up being drunk on the head, but he spoke as if it was common sense in this world.

That is to say, there are very few people who know about the existence of ultimate skills, and there is
currently no way to find out who has it in the angelic system.

Worrying about this is purely a matter of finding guilt, so I'm going to ignore it.
 At that time.

However, when I calmed down and reconsidered, it seemed surprisingly discernable.

At least, Guy and Ruminas are reliable.

Leon’s strength is also unusual, and feels like it he has it.

Dagruel is still unknown, but since Dino has it, it's better to act as if he has it too, so it doesn't feel like
a failure.

That's right, speaking of Dagruel…

I recall that Ruminas, from what she had heard of the future from Chloe, had said that Dagruel would
ride the Empire to war and start a war. However, it doesn't seem to have developed this time.

There should be some sort of a reason for this, or compulsion by whom.

If it was Michael's doing, then there is a way to formulate a response, and there is also a need to talk
about it.

What's the situation on Milim's side?

Maybe it's just that I don't know, and it's not surprising that there's even one on her.

Just talking to Milim should tell us what's going on with Carrion and Frey.

Just as I was thinking about all this…

"Can you hear me? A Walpurgis is now being held, and although it is unexpected, everybody must
attend. Over.”

Suddenly there was a voice in my head.

Rather…this is—

My line of sight turned to the forgotten ring I was wearing on the pinky finger of my right hand.

This is the Demon Lord Ring that you receive when you became a Demon Lord.

That is to say, it was from Guy's voice coming out.

I've never been able to use this function, so I had forgotten about it.

No, this is not the time for me to think about these things.

“Shion, go get Shuna.”

“Yes!”

Watching Shion rush out happily, I looked to Diablo.

“It’s from Guy. It looks like we're having a Walpurgis.”

 “Oh, it's not in Guy's style not to contact in advance. It's a bit incomprehensible that Guy personally
contacted in the first place.”

I feel the same way.

Guy is so self-respecting and arrogant, and is so calm in his ways.

It was said that even his subordinates were not allowed to speak to Guy on their own initiative…there
was a nasty feeling about that.

“I heard you called me.”

“Rimuru, it's a big deal! Guy actually came to us in person, something must have happened!!!”

Shuna came in, but even Ramiris, who hadn't been called, came along with Beretta and Treyni.

This guy is also a demon lord, and if he is a demon lord, he naturally wears a demon ring.

According to Ramiris, it was very rare for Guy to host a Walpurgis himself.

There seemed to have been times in the past when there were only these three Demon Lord, Ramiris,
Milim, and Guy, and nothing of the sort seemed to have happened in the last thousand years.

When it’s all said and done, it must be an emergency.

“That's it. Shuna, there's no time to go into detail now, but I'm taking Shion and Diablo to the
Walpurgis. Tell Benimaru of my absence and leave everything to him.”

Shuna nodded shrewdly.

"Understood. Good luck, Lord Rimuru!"

I finished nodding my head and prepared myself.

Then waited quietly for the pick-up.

Not a moment later, a blue-haired Rhein in a dark red maid outfit jumped space and appeared.

Granted, Ramiris had given permission to enter and exit the maze, but it was odd that she'd come out of
nowhere like this.

Only there's no time to care about that right now.

Because, Rhein is covered in wounds.

That means my premonition was spot on.

“Rhein, are you okay?”

“What the hell…?”

Faced with Ramiris' and my surprised questions, Rhein shook her head silently.
 “Don't worry about me. We'll explain when we're all together. Please move first.”

It's not like I can say anything more when she says that.

The only thing to do is move along with Rhein.

Arriving at our destination, we will face new problems head-on.

Epilogue: Guy Crimson

He was born very far back in the ages, before the creation of heaven and earth.

His birth was a mere coincidence.

The seven original angels were created by Veldanava, the God of creation, out of the Divine Spirit of
"light", and the people who were their shadows were born.

Those were the original seven primordials, the demon kings, which were born out of the Great Spirit of
"darkness".

He is the original primordial that ruled the dark world, representing the roots—the underworld.

Since his birth, he had been an absolute powerhouse, the embodiment of darkness.

An arrogant king, leading the demon race as he pleased.

Even the other primordial who belonged to the same darkness were, in his view, only equal to the many
dependents.

Once in a bid for supremacy, when two of the primordials teamed up to challenge him, he subdued the
two to the ground without a second thought.

These things seemed to him no more than child's play, but at the time he understood one thing.

That is, the "primordials" were indestructible. However, if the nucleus of the heart is crushed, they will
be resurrected in the form of becoming a subordinate of the victor.

As spiritual beings, they are subordinate to each other once defeated.

When this fact was revealed, the remaining four primordials fell into a state of deadlock.

Nope.

One particular primordial troubled him, but even this, because he had been summoned to the earth,
parted from his fate.

Was it a coincidence that he was summoned to the ground…

There is no way to confirm it now.

But it is a fact that his fate was thus greatly altered.

Having been summoned, he looked around.

 He who lived peacefully in the Underworld had nothing to do with the time flowing on the earth.

What was thought to be a newly formed world has given birth to civilization.

He realized in an instant that he had been summoned.

That is, by the power that can rewrite even the laws of the world—magic.

The power originally possessed in the Underworld had come to be limited here, and now he could only
exert the level of power of a mere new Upper Demon General. Even then, in his opinion, it was enough,
but it was just inconvenient to not have a physical body.

He thought about why this was so and immediately understood.

This was a semi-material world, not part of the realm of activity of spiritual beings, and in a space that
was not filled with magical elements, just staying here would consume a lot.

He, who has nothing to do with the God of creation, cannot understand how the world has changed.

It's really funny, he thought.

However, the loud and noisy guy in front of him made him feel a little uncomfortable.

In front of him, the strongest of the Underworld, no one dared to do such reckless and stupid things.

It was also because of this that he was slightly in the mood to deal with this summoner.

The wizard who had summoned him out spoke in a particularly remarkable tone.

It was the original language, and the language of magic, so it didn't take much effort for him to
understand.

Patiently listening to the conversation across the room, he discovered something very interesting.

There are nations in this world competing with each other for supremacy.

Elves, dwarves, beastmen, vampires, and humans, all sorts of races seem to be competing for survival.

The wizard was truly a human. A high human?

"You have become my servant. Follow my orders in accordance with the principles of the world.”

The man said arrogantly.

In order to unify the world and eliminate the rivals vying for supremacy, this country called the Super
Magic Empire gave the order.

It was a very simple thing for him to do.

The war, which had lasted for a hundred years, came to an end with his appearance.

All he did was use one spell.

It was a forbidden magic—nuclear strike magic: the blessing of death.

 With the power of mass destruction magic that can even destroy “souls,” the largest nation with a
population of over a million became the capital of death.

They were all taken for granted and irrelevant to him.

But there was an interesting change.

After acquiring a large number of human “souls," he perceived that he was awakening, and as a result,
he successfully completed the fleshing with millions of corpses.

The sleepiness he experienced for the first time made him feel comfortable, and it was a pleasure to
fight it.

This was the birth of the world's first "true demon lord".

After gaining the power, he realized that he had broken free from the magic that bound him.

It would have been easy to break the spell, but it would have been too much of a bummer to just pop it
off without doing anything.

It seems that his awakening began when he harvested the "souls" of 10,000 humans and the restrictions
of the race were lifted and he evolved into a demon lord.

Even so, it didn't reach a fraction of his strength when he was in the Underworld, but it was enough to
make him an unmatched presence on earth.

What would happen if more "souls" were collected? He wondered with interest.

There were some who were just the right people to experiment with.

Those who threw all the chores at him should return the favor accordingly.

Returning to the original city, one by one, killing those who appeared in sight. The mass destruction
magic was unused in order to avoid involving the targeted man.

At this point, I felt the cries of those who were going to die engraved on the "soul".

Giiyaa!

Screams like this.

Hearing this, he suddenly thought.

Yes, perhaps that is my “name."

That's it.

The changes are dramatic.

He, Guy, had evolved again.

Becoming a demon lord regained all the power he had when he was in the Underworld.
 The acquired "souls" gave Guy power.

The maximized vessel was filled to the brim, fully restoring his mana amount.

But the changes stopped there.

Any further action by Guy would have lost its meaning.

He summoned the two primordials that follow him and gives the order.

Quickly wipe out the Super-Magic Empire from the ground.

Guy also gained a name by becoming an Awakened Demon Lord, so his mood became very generous.

The insignificant wizard wasn't even worth his trouble to torment, and was even wiped from his
memory.

"How, how!? How did you escape from my secret arts…!?”

There was a fool who barked like that, but Guy's consciousness didn't pay any attention to that, and it
was lucky for the wizard that he was killed by the demons without understanding anything.

On that day tens of thousands of years ago, the largest nation in the history of mankind, caught in a
divisive struggle, was wiped out in this very simple manner.

The two primordials that Guy had summoned were also degraded into upper demon general level.

That's the law of this world, transitioning from the underworld to the semi-material world would make
one lose most of its power.

Just crossing different realms was a breeze for spiritual beings, but staying in this world, just
maintaining existence, consumed a lot.

That's why a body is needed.

It is through fleshly evolution that one begins to be able to settle down in this world.

Understanding this, Guy waited for the evolution of his followers.

However, no matter how many human "souls" are gathered, the two primordials have not evolved.

So he gave them the honor of the corpses, the flesh.

It's this thing that can serve as evidence that Guy is in a good mood.

Those two primordials are, the original green and the original blue.

Their human form is a beautiful woman.

Looking at the women kneeling in front of him, Guy suddenly thought.

There is no point in even receiving flesh if there is no way to further strengthen them.

Just chores could be given to them, but their power was too fragile.
 So Guy graciously bestowed them names.

Thinking about the name evolution he got, he thought the two primordials would evolve similarly.

"Let your name be given to you. You who belong to me are too weak for my dignity to allow.”

Guy so declared.

To the Green Primordial, 'Mizari' was selected from the cries of grief the mourner had given to her.

To Blue Primordial, he gave her the name "Rhein" because of the rain on that day.

As Guy had thought, they evolved into demon lords.

That's the beginning.

This is what happened the day Guy first left footprints in human history.

***

The happy and uneventful days went on.

Guy usually takes pleasure in wandering around.

The occasional annoyance didn't bother Guy.

Mizari and Rhein are always around to take care of Guy's daily routine.

"You two, can’t you live as you please?”

Guy told them so, but their answers never changed.

"No, my mission is to serve Lord Guy.”

"That's right. You are the king and we are the subjects. This is the eternal truth.”

And just like that, the trip of the three continued.

Meanwhile, Mizari and Rhein summoned their own dependents and quietly built up a sphere of
influence.

To provide all the riches and pleasures of this world to the dominant Guy.

Unlike in the past, when life in the underworld was all about fighting and spending time refining the
intensity of ones "soul" for themselves, this world is full of excitement.

There's no stagnation, and they are always evolving.

Cooking, music, acting, dancing, fine arts, and all sorts of other things that keep Guy’s and their
interests endless.

"Hey, hey, isn't this fun too?”

 The dancing Guy, who was attending the festivities in the minority colony, smiled at the girls.

Faced with the rare smile of their hosts, Mizari and Rhein’s glee reached their peak.

"It's great. I thought human beings who are fragile and worthless, but there is something useful.”

"Everything in this world is Lord Guy's property. Tools are meaningful if they are used skillfully.”

In this way, they have changed the perception of humanity.

Mizari and Rhein learned a variety of skills on the trip to keep Guy happy. Using the experience of
time, cooking and laundry, singing and dancing, and even playing musical instruments, these are the
foundations of being a maid of honor.

It's also a growth.

In the Underworld, the weak are eliminated. Races other than the Demon Race are banished, and only
slaves who can find exploitation value can be enlisted.

But in this world, the weak also have some value.

Understanding this, one would think it would be a pity to destroy this world.

Guy put it this way.

"It's so cute, a human being. It's stupid, but not obnoxious.”

There are stupid people, and there are excellent people.

Ugly emotions are disgusting, beautiful emotions are delicious—and the best food for Guy and them.

In Guy's view, there are too many individual differences in the creature known as a “human" to make a
generalization about them.

The Guy of this period was very gentle with humans.

The actions of the evil sorcerers, who banished the horrible magical beasts that threatened villages
everywhere, and eliminated the suspected survivors of the Super-Magical Empire, were praised and
passed on to the later generations, becoming myths and legends.

And then he met…

The Creator of this world, the Supreme and Most Powerful Being.

Guy, who enjoyed the calm days, was still always keenly aware.

So it was immediately obvious.

It was the Star King Dragon, Veldanava, who created this world.

"If you are the true God, show me your power!”

Guy smiled fearlessly.

 Not in the slightest doubt that he was the strongest, he rightfully challenged Veldanava.

The result is a defeat.

Guy just sank to the ground, completely unable to mount any more strikes.

His great pride, which he never doubted, was shattered at this point.

Following the law that failure is subordination to the other side, Guy should have become an attendant
of Veldanava.

However, Guy's pride prevented him from doing so.

"Kill me. I am content. I understand that there are people outside of people and mountains outside of
mountains. My existence, indeed, is included in that endless and continuous theory. O great being, I am
proud to have lost to you.”

The defeated Guy said proudly.

Veldanava laughed bitterly.

"Little one, I love these existences that I have created, and the world that used to be boring is becoming
more and more colorful and full of wisdom as people are born and evolve to be able to communicate with
me. Now, there are even strong men like you who can withstand fighting with me."

"Ha, that's nice to say! My attacks didn't hit once, and you just attacked once and this is how I've
become.”

"Oh, but didn't you still take it? No one could have challenged me, but you did. Just that alone makes
me very happy.”

"Let's call it that."

"Well, that's it. And there's something I'd like to ask you.”

"Ask me?:

A euphoric sense of satisfaction filled Guy's heart.

That is why he listened to what Veldanava said.

"Ahhh, if this rate of growth continues, the world will be destroyed in a few thousand years. Because
humans are creatures who make mistakes, right actions are not righteous, and sometimes evil actions will
save the world. But it's this imperfection that makes it so lovely… If the world is going to end, it's not my
intention.”

To help keep the world from falling apart, Veldanava said so.

Guy thought back to the super-magical empire that had been wiped out in the past.

Seduced by the lust for dominance and power, the scandal of kin fighting each other.

Well certainly, that was indeed ugly. If left unchecked, maybe the world will end.
 Although Guy understood it that way, he still had a doubt.

"Mmm. That preconception is the same as mine, but a bit incomprehensible.”

"What is it?"

"Aren't you the Creator? As the God who created us should be able to lead the world to its desired
outcome. What need is there to rely on me?”

"Hahahaha, that's because I'm not omniscient and omnipotent. At the time of birth, there was only my
own consciousness, which was complete and lacking nothing. The whole thing, the whole one—that is to
say, there's only me in the world, isn't that boring?”

I see, Guy thought.

He understood.

That is to say, Veldanava, by his own will, gave up the "omniscience and omnipotence.”

Indeed, it would be boring to see all the results.

In comparison to one's own experience, it's also boring to just win and not lose.

In the Underworld, everyone except for one person was afraid of Guy.

The demons that dared to challenge Guy hadn't been around for a long time.

It is not impossible that God would give up "omniscience and omnipotence" when even a Guy who is
no better than Veldanava is like that.

"I don't hate this world, so let me help you.”

There's nothing to hesitate about.

Guy also loves this world.

Unrelated to subordination, Guy was genuinely trying to help.

Veldanava nodded happily.

"Thank you. I want you to be my agent, as a "mediator" to watch over the world.”

"Huh? An agent? Is it okay not to give me an order?"

"Of course. I told you, didn't I? Whatever happens, it's not meant to be forced.”

"Yeah, well, what should I do?"

"Go on and wander the world as before, and establish a stronghold as king. Anything to keep humans
from becoming prideful, anything to tell them there's a threat to the world.”

Pride.

Hearing that word, Guy felt really suited to his role.

 "Yeah. In that case, I will come to earth as the "demon lord" that mankind fears. If there are ‘absolute
enemies,’ there will be no time for humans to fight each other.”

“It’s funny, that’s it! Well, it'll make you play a nasty character, so be it.”

"Leave it to me.”

Just then.

Guy's heart form became concrete and gained the unique skill 'Prideful One'.

Guy declared.

"I will be the Demon Lord of this world, and if men become prideful, I will judge them for you."

Guy's mind became more profound because of the crushing glory.

This led to the birth of the Demon Lord, who had the power to rival the gods.

Veldanava smiled.

"You're so reliable. Let’s do our best together, my friend!”

"Ahhh, let me enjoy myself.”

In this way, Guy and Veldanava recognized each other and crossed the barriers of position to become
equal friends.

***

As promised, Guy began to live his life as a demon lord.

In an effort to relieve boredom, the large villages that sprang up everywhere were monitored and soon
became villages, which in turn gathered together and grew into a nation.

Although it seems a bit crude compared to the super-civilization of the past, the magic and technology
that was quietly inherited has been reproduced at a fairly fast pace.

It's interesting to watch humans operate.

Unknowingly several countries were born, and small-scale skirmishes began again…

Shouldn't have done it - Guy doesn't like to be bothered and practices activism.

As a warning, he wiped out the country he had his eye on.

The people feared the threat that was visible to the naked eye—the demon lord Guy.

In response to such a threat, a heart of unity began to be cultivated.

That's good, as long as they don't touch my scales, I won't destroy you.

As a "mediator", Guy is quite content with his job.

 Just as Guy was getting busy, Mizari and Rhein drove the troops to bring a large force into domination,
crushing the local gods, evil spirits, and monsters, gradually raising awareness.

Mizari even infiltrates human society and conducts espionage as a means of obtaining information for
detailed investigation and picking out those who need to be purged.

The aim is to create a sense of tension in human society by giving a moderate amount of terror.

The "Demon Lord" was established as a system.

In this way, Guy had nothing special to do.

Just wandering the world and enjoying the battles at will.

Even the legions of giants, who could make even Veldanava’s entourage, the Seven Seraphims, difficult
to deal with, were ravaged and subdued on their own.

It was also a pleasure to receive the commission from Veldanava to fight with the Dragon Ivaraj, whose
instinct to fight was very strong, much to Guy's satisfaction.

Only, there were problems.

His strength was too comparable, and the battle lasted for three months. Moreover, he eventually
escaped to another world.

And because of this great battle of Guy’s rampage, the earth became barren and a vast wilderness.

Next time he wanted to get serious, it was necessary to consider the location—Guy learned a very
useful lesson.

Guy looked out at the continent from the sky.

Then he found a castle to be used to make an impression.

It was the place where Guy had been summoned to this world—the Imperial City of the Super-Magic
Empire.

Sensing that it was some kind of destiny, Guy decided to make it his castle.

Rhein quickly summoned her men, improved the living environment, used magic, and the castle was
rebuilt in no time.

Just then.

A white dragon challenged Guy.

It was a beautiful dragon with a pair of deep sea-colored eyes.

He didn’t know what she misunderstood, but the moment she opened her mouth it was a quarrel.

"I don't approve of you even if brother approves!"

After saying that, she charged at Guy in a furious manner.

 His previous lesson had made Guy understand that one had to choose the place to fight based on the
strength of the opponent, but this dragon had blown ice and snow directly from above the castle.

There's no time to think about destruction now.

The survivors had long since been evacuated and the castle would have to be rebuilt again, and while it
might be hard for Rhein and her minions, it didn't matter to Guy.

Guy was in a state of displeasure ever since Dragon Ivaraj had escaped, so his mood was high with the
appearance of a new enemy.

Enjoying it all the way, Guy took it seriously and made opponents with her.

But…

Even though they gave it their all, they couldn’t decide who was winning or losing.

The dragon is the sister of the Star King Dragon, Veldanava. The eldest daughter of the True Dragon
Race, White Ice Dragon Velzado.

The amount of mana she possessed was second only to Veldanava's, and even Guy couldn't knock her
down.

But according to Velzado, it's Guy who is the anomaly.

After all, Guy only had a unique skill, and in the opinion of Veldanava, who had transferred the
ultimate skill ‘Patience King Gabriel' to Velzado, a draw was definitely not possible.

"Why is it that you’re an even match for me even though you only have a unique skill?”

"Hah! That's because, I'm strong.”

"Don't be ridiculous! My brother gave me this power, not you. That’s proof that I’ve been
acknowledged as more useful than you!”

"That's not quite right. He said he would give me strength, but I refused. I'd accept it if I chose to work
under him, but I'm in a reciprocal relationship with the guy, so I—”

In order to gain her brother's approval, Velzado had challenged Guy with jealousy.

And it was right there in front of her that Guy demonstrated the evolution of his power.

The opportunity was given because of seeing the power of Veldanava. And also now, by fighting with
Velzado, he saw the capacity of what the ultimate skill is like to exist.

"I'm going to go to the top of the world in my own strength.”

And at that moment.

The unique skill “Prideful One" had evolved into the ultimate skill "Pride King Lucifer".

Velzado was speechless at the sight.

 “Then I'll keep watching to see how far you go with it.”

Velzado's real purpose seemed to be to test Guy, and it wasn't clear if he passed or not. In short, the two
had been moving forward together ever since.

That was how Guy and Velzado met.

After three days and three nights of fighting, even the earth’s axis had changed.

But this time, Guy had done a wonderful job, and the permafrost, which had been uninhabited until
now, had been turned into evergreen earth. In its place, the continent designated as a stronghold by Guy
had become uninhabitable frozen earth.

"I think that's as far as it goes.”

"That's great, it's Guy-sama!"

"There should be no problem. Mankind has suffered some losses, but the nations have responded to the
changes in the heavens and the earth in unison, and sacrifices have been kept to a minimum.”

To the occupants, it was a catastrophe, but to Guy it was nothing more than a laughing matter.

For Rhein and Mizari, as long as Guy was happy, they were content.

Guy's castle had instead become more beautiful due to the fallout from this battle, which was covered
in ice.

"It's good. As a memento, let's keep it that way.”

"Then I'll take care of it. I'll help you with that little matter.”

It was easy to assist. Because of the demon qi leaking from Velzado, the temperature around the area
dropped to the limit, and from then on, the castle became too frigid for it to be invaded by the weak.

Since she has to live in the castle, Velzado's dragon form is an inconvenience.

When Guy pointed this out, Velzado assumed a human appearance.

If Velzado had maintained an adult form, she would have controlled her demon aura perfectly, but
instead she chose to maintain a slightly younger form. This way, the leaking demon qi would turn cold
and the castle's defense would be perfect.

Many magical creatures, not to mention humans, cannot survive these frigid conditions, so there is
absolutely no one to attack…

"How about this?”

"Yes, it's not bad, but it's not my interest.”

"Really! You've got a bad heart.”

Velzado, though she complained about it outwardly, was actually very fond of Guy in her heart.

Whispering in her heart, she vowed to one day use her charm to make Guy turn to her.
 ***

Another few hundred years passed.

The days without wind or waves went on and on, but one day was different than usual.

The bored and unbearable Guy, had a visitor.

It was a small team of three.

They breezed into the harsh cold where no one could enter.

Guy was interested, watching them closely.

At this point, the blonde youth standing at the front shouted.

"This is Rudra, the prince of the Nazca kingdom. The "hero" who carries the hopes of the people—
Rudra Nazca! You evil demon lord, I’ll use my sword to destroy you! By the way, give me all the
treasures of your legendary collection!”

This declaration doesn't sound at all like something a nobleman would say.

But this unabashed desire satisfied Guy.

 "Brother Rudra, I can't tell who’s in the wrong between you and the Demon Lord when you’re being
like this!”

"Yeah, Rudra's not good enough. He’s already overwhelmed by greed. If he wants money, I can just
earn it for him.

"Really! Sister-in-law, please don't pamper Brother Rudra. If this continues, he will surely suffer the
consequences of his failure.”

In front of Guy, the three were still chatting like this.

Is this bravery, or is it stupidity?

Only one thing is certain.

For them to be able to stand in front of Guy would mean beating Mizari and Rhein.

This suggests that this ridiculous trio possesses a considerable level of strength.

And, Guy found that one of the three had the same presence as his friend, his partner, and for that very
reason he was not prepared to blame Mizari and Rhein for their failure.

This, like the laws of nature, was only the expected ending.

What's more important now is…

“Hero? What's that?

Those words, when he heard for the first time, sounded very sweet.

That word gave Guy the feeling that his boredom would be blown away.

Guy was happy to confront the youth who called himself Rudra.

“Funny. The power of the Hero—let’s see what it's like!"

So Guy accepted the challenge of the youth, Rudra.

"Hmph! I'm the strongest and don’t need help at all. Demon, let's go one on one!”

Rudra was handsome, but that smile he had now was slightly nasty.

His purpose was less to defeat Guy and more to seize Guy's treasure.

But Guy thinks that's what makes him truly human.

Without desire, people do not work.

Because they want a better life, they work hard.

Rudra is a solid human being.

A man with the type of sweet emotions that Guy loves.

 "Hah! Try hard to resist!”

And the battle began.

Guy watched as Rudra approached.

Although this blow was sharp and swift, it was not a serious blow, and the fact that he was using
himself as an opponent to make a trial was irritating to Guy.

Rudra wore a finely crafted full-body magical armor.

It felt like something that was quite expensive, so Guy decided to break it first.

Seems like he's pretty money hungry and should hate having his stuff broken.

In any case, he’ll make it difficult on purpose.

After dodging Rudra's sword with ease, a knee strike—actually a feint, really a cross kick—is thrown.

Rudra was just in time to avoid the attack, but failed to deal with the change and was completely kicked
in the right direction, resulting in shattered armor.

“Ahhhhhh!! Armor worth a year's worth of the national budget…!”

"Are you all right, brother?”

"Rudra is such a fool. If we all went together in the first place, the armor wouldn’t have broken.”

"Shut up! This—this is a necessary expense!”

Rudra became teary-eyed, and Guy felt a sly smile that had a better effect than he had imagined.

Next, I’ll break his sword, so he’ll cry.

Guy observes the three of them while thinking so.

But then.

"Brother! At least use support magic—Holy Blade Unleashed!”

The girl with the golden cherry blossom (platinum pink) hair, who he had initially thought was the
most harmless, exercised a ridiculous magic.

The sword Rudra was holding began to glow.

It was a jaw-dropping divine aura that destroyed the evil breaking light.

This is not good. That light, it seems, has enough power to cut through my "barrier."

He should have been stopped before it was launched, but Guy was enjoying the fight. In that case, it
was less interesting to get in the way.
 "Well, If I just think of it as my sister giving cheering me on, then it’s acceptable—but Lucia, stay out
of this!

Rudra is more focused on results than glory.

Even with the help of his sister, he accepts it completely unashamedly.

This guy, what a character.

While not yet in crisis, the situation has certainly worsened.

Despite this, Guy was somehow happier.

"It's not a problem at all, so why don't you two fight together?"

"You're not ashamed to say that? I'm going to be serious now, prepare yourself!

Rudra frankly confessed, as he had said, that he did indeed hide his strength, and now he raised his
sword speed to force his way towards Guy.

Guy had expected that.

That's why he was so happy, he snickered and picked up his sword, the "Heavenly Demon".

"Ah! How shameless of him to use a weapon!”

"Ah? I don't know about your values, but I'd like to praise you for making me draw my sword.”

In fact, Rudra was so skilled with the sword, that even Guy could get hurt whenever he touched it. sing
the sword was a matter of course.

Guy is self-respecting and pridefuul, but has no interest in showing mercy that leads to failure.

"Ha! Even if the Demon Lord compliments me, I won't be happy!”

"Well, then, let's just say there's no praise.”

“…wait, you can still stay it.”

Rudra was actually very happy to be commended.

"I can count on one hand the number of people who can draw a sword and fight with me. Is your name
Rudra? I’ll remembere your name, so you can be proud.”

Because Guy was in a good mood, he responded to Rudra's request.

Rudra listened, smiling happily and telling Guy.

You're pretty good, too. I didn't expect the Demon Lord to catch this sword, which is a sword of evil.
As a reward for being remembered, before I destroy you, I'll hear your name too.

"Just a human being, but so arrogant. But I like you, so I’ll tell you. If you ever go to the underworld,
just say my name. I'm Guy, because any man in front of me will scream Giiyaa! so it'll be my name.”
 Hearing Guy's answer, Rudra froze, then reverted to his usual expression and called out in panic.

“…Wait a minute! That's not a name! How is that a name? If I defeat such a st rangy named Demon
Lord, it wouldn’t look good. It's better to write down the story of my bravery with a more handsome
name!”

"Ahn? The name doesn't matter!”

"How can it not matter!? Okay I got it, wait a minute, the fight is on hold. I'll think of a better name for
you first.”

Rudra spoke up and stopped fighting without permission.

Guy didn't have a reason to do as he was told, but there was no need to wipe out a rare fun time with a
sneak attack. He wanted to have some fun himself anyway, so he accepted Rudra's offer.

Besides, I'm somewhat interested.

Rudra and his entourage formed in a circle and began to discuss.

"That guy's hair is pretty red…"

"Wait a minute, speaking of crimson, that’s like me, yet it doesn’t look like it, right?”

"I know! It's strange that your hair is blue.”

"That's not what you called me.”

"Oh, oh, oh, I remember."

"You don't understand women's hearts. You'll just be abandoned by Sister-in-law, won't you?”

“Huh? no way!”

"Hoo-hoo, it's okay, Rudra. I will never abandon you.”

"Right? Then I won’t worry. Anyway, that guy's another red…a real ‘crimson!’ So, is that all right?”

"Well, I think so."

"I don't have a problem with that either, but is this okay? People might be upset that you actually
named the Demon Lord and have such a close relationship, right?”

"It's okay! No one will see it anyway. As long as we don't say anything, it won't get out!”

It wasn't supposed to be Guy's turn to interject, but the young man Rudra’s character was truly sloppy.

Guy, who was listening to their conversation, was worried about Rudra.

"Are we done?”

"Oh, long time no see! As of today, your name will be Guy Crimson!”
 The moment the name was said, Rudra went unconscious. It is obviously taboo to name a magical
creature, but Rudra is capricious in that he judged the other party to be a demon lord so it would be fine.
This is the result.

Rudra didn't consume magical essence, and as a substitute, what was consumed was a great deal of
divine power, and his small life hovered on the line of life and death.

After waking up, Rudra is faced with wrath of his sister Lucia, and lover Scorch Dragon Velgrynd.He
feel’s as if he's been given another life.

And so it was that the showdown between Rudra and Guy passed…At that time, a strange connection
between Guy and Rudra was born.

***

He waited for Rudra to recover and resume the duel as promised.

However, the outcome could not be decided.

Thus, after this, Guy and Rudra dueled many more times.

Worthy of being the self-proclaimed hero, Rudra was strong.

Rudra the Awakened Hero, and Guy the Awakened Demon Lord.

The technically brilliant Rudra, and the Guy who fights with power and talent.

Although it's difficult to win or lose when you're evenly matched, it's only natural that Guy would
gradually gain the upper hand.

There were three women, staring blankly at the battle between the two males.

Lucia and Velgrynd, and Velzado "The White Ice Dragon".

At first Velzado was not very interested, but as the duels became more and more heated, she gradually
became interested in watching them.

"Geez, Guy seems to be getting stronger again."

"Yes, sister, but Rudra isn't behind either.”

"Yeah, it makes you wonder if he's human or not.”

“I’m sure. He’s strong. Of course, Rudra is a disciple of elder brother, and has been given the ultimate
skill, and will get stronger.”

"Oh? That makes sense. Then I’m convinced.”

"For me, it's best if no one gets hurt…"

Like this, there was great harmony among the onlookers.

"The tea is ready.”

 "The winner will be decided soon, so Lord Guy and Lord Rudra's share is ready."

Mizari and Rhein are in charge of serving everyone.

It wasn’t clear when this had become a daily thing.

On another day, there was a quarrel between sisters that even made one forget about the duel.

Velzado was on good terms with Velgrynd, but occasionally disagreed about the direction of education.

Their newly born brother, Veldora, the Storm Dragon, seems to be very capricious and goes around
uncontrollably.

As for the reason for the march…

"Sister is too strict! Why can't he be pampered more?”

"What are you talking about? I value little Veldora and dote on him! To make him more mature and
stable, I've had to clean him up a few times.”

The phrase ‘clean him up' by Velzado is a ridiculous method of physical removing Veldora and forcing
reincarnation.

Velgrynd didn't like that.

“I’m saying that you are wrong about this! Do not use violence, and use words to teach him. I can't
help it if I can't control the situation, so this is the way to make the kid understand us better.”

"Really! As always, the little Velgrynd is too mild. In that case, why don't we just beat him half to death
from now on so he can become more knowledgeable?”

"Not that! I mean, caress him more gently, teach him hand on hand how to live in the city in human
form, and how to fight.”

“Little Velgrynd…I think it's better to say you’re too spoiled rather tan sweet. This practice will spoil
the child too much and make him a loser, and if this continues, the young man named Rudra will become
a loser too.”

"No way! Rudra is my best partner. Therefore, as long as I educate Veldora, he will grow into a good
brother who knows how to respect his sister, so leave it to me this time.”

"Hey, no, I can’t do that. I can educate him better. Instead, I should have been doing it all along.”

"Don't be ridiculous! You're saying it’s too much for me, aren't you? This time it's my turn!”

On one side, Velzado was too harsh, and on the other, Velgrynd was too soft, so they shifted blame on
each other.

Guy didn't think either side was doing too well.

Relaxation is the best. The Dragon sisters don't even understand the word "relaxation."

The unspoken, dumbfounded Guy.

 "Hey, hey, that’s not our duel.”

"Well, it's better not to get involved with the girls who are fighting for Veldora.”

Guy and Rudra, fled for refuge to stay out of it.

When Guy and Rudra dueled, Velzado and the girls would come to maintain the 'barriers', and when
they quarreled, Guy and them would have to maintain the barriers themselves.

If not, the continent would sink.

Even though they were used to it, Guy and Rudra still wanted to fight where they didn't get themselves
into trouble.

"The man who looks into the mirror can see what is good and what is bad”—it should be said that Guy
was treating them as if they had nothing to do with him.”

But one day.

"Damn it, you're doing it again!"

"Shut up! The duel will not end until my lord wins!"

Nowadays, a duel between two people is as usual as a greeting.

The battle began as usual and ended when the pair were exhausted.

Because it's always a draw, as is customary, the bickering starts again…

"You're a dirty man who talks about being a good man, but you're a dirty man!”

Like Guy said, Rudra was dirty.

Take for granted the nasty trick of using the sand puzzler's eye.

It's not unusual to set up the "Holy Barrier" to reduce Guy's power to an abnormal state at the moment
you start a duel.

Guy would not identify any traps until the duel began, and it was this character of Guy's that Rudra saw
through to exploit.

Also, the words that come out of his mouth are outrageous.

"As long as it's won, it's justice! Nope, as long as it doesn't win, it's not righteous! Therefore, I will win
no matter what!”

In any form, just win, Rudra boasted thus.

"You're kidding! I don't care if you do, but at least don't say it out loud!"

What Guy says is quite reasonable.

However, Rudra snickered in response.

 "Are you kidding me? You're the one who's kidding! Isn't that the same trick you used just now that I
used before? How many years do you think it took me to learn that trick?”

Secret technique to change the subject.

Avoiding accountability by subtly deflecting the topic like this is one of Rudra's must-kill techniques.

Rudra had always been educated by the kings and so excelled at such ingenious speaking skills.

"Remember it was three weeks?”

"Yes, even Lord Veldanava complimented him.”

The outsider's conversation came over, and Guy couldn't help but froze at what he said. It seemed that
he had learned the difficult technique quite easily.”

Guy squinted his eyes at Rudra and sighed heavily.

It is you who is despicable for stealing other people's tricks—Rudra keeps saying this, actually for a
reason.

This was due to Rudra's anxiety.

SHis ability is still good, but recently he’s been feeling a bit squeezed down lately. This was something
Rudra felt more clearly than anyone else, and he felt in his heart that it would not be good if this
continued.

I would have done the same if I had fought in a straightforward manner and won!

Rudra was tempted to say it out loud.

What I said at first seems to have nothing to do with me now, and the status quo is that we have to use
all means to win.

Although Guy was a bit speechless, Rudra's mood was actually apparent in his eyes, and in Guy's mind,
he even found it very enjoyable to quarrel with Rudra.

So no matter what tactics Rudra used, Guy would tolerate it.

It's also because Guy subscribes to Rudra's belief that just winning is justice.

Long before that, Guy had identified with Rudra.

Just the mere fact that someone could duel with him without discrimination made Guy happy.

And…

As Rudra said, the more you fight, the stronger you get. It's not just about acquiring the ultimate skill,
it's about being skilled enough to use it to its true value.

Guy learned this by fighting Rudra.

Now he was using the sword to fight with Rudra, and even then Guy was beginning to gain the upper
hand, and on that basis there was no doubt that Guy could win with skill and magic.
 Yet Guy did not do so.

Not knowing when, he became expecting the duel to end in a tie.

It was for this reason that Guy welcomed Rudra's little gimmick.

But nowadays, even that is only a matter of time.

Thus, Guy asked out of the mouth.

“Hey...why didn't you guys kill me in the first place? Why didn’t you decide not to name me at that
time, and instead make a serious attempt to strike me down. Then it would have been possible for you to
win too, right?”

This is exactly the point of puzzlement that Guy couldn't understand.

Guy is self-respecting and prideful, and usually would never agree that there is a possibility of losing,
and for a spiritual being, agreement is tantamount to losing.

So all this time, Guy didn't want to think about it.

He didn't think he was being sympathetically discharged, nor did he want to be.

Guy has the 'King of Pride' and Rudra has the 'King of Justice'. If Rudra doesn't skimp on using the
power to attack at full strength in the first place, it's not clear where the win or loss goes to.

To the earnestly inquiring Guy, Rudra smiled and said, "Oh, that's it.”

"You're such an idiot, there's no point in beating you! You have to recognize my greatness and become
a companion!”

“Huh?"

Unable to understand, Guy couldn't help but ask rhetorically.

"I am the man who will conquer the world one day. This was my pact with the Star Dragon, Veldanava,
who was also my mentor and friend."

Guy knew that Rudra was a disciple of Veldanava, himself, and he had not the slightest doubt about it.

But he hadn't really expected that Rudra would have ambitions to conquer the world.

"I say, from Veldanava, it's my job to stop fools like you from conquering the world."

"I know. It is for this reason that Veldanava made me find a way to get your approval.

Hearing that, Guy thought to himself.

Veldanava, he's in trouble, so he pushed it on me.

That's the answer.

Tell him what is reality—Guy seemed to hear Veldanava speak so.

 Rudra, who boasts of showing off with Guy, came here after being wiped out by Veldanava

In fact, Guy was already in the middle of Veldanava's ploy as well.

Guy had no choice to to stay with him until he realized he liked Rudra.

It’s more of a story, because if he didn’t like him, he would have killed him from the start.

Yeah this guy is a real jerk.

To Guy, who was thinking in a good mood, Rudra spoke up.

"Well, the truth is... I couldn’t control the King of Justice with all my might in the first battle, and in
fact, I can only do it for a few dozen seconds now.”

This surprising confession made it impossible for Guy to hide the flush of surprise.

"Huh? It can't be just that, can it?”

"No, it's true. For this power is something I have borrowed from Veldanava.”

Rudra shrugged and began to recount the cause.

Guy listened to Rudra's recounting, and though he felt it was irrelevant, he now understood how
powerful Rudra was.

It’s not surprising that Veldanava’s power was a part of his power.

However, after listening to Rudra's narration, he realized there was a misunderstanding.

"It's actually a secret, just for you to know. My skill is the ‘Covenant King Uriel', and I have found the
ultimate skill through my beliefs, my vow to unify the world, and the thoughts of my partners who have
responded.

In spite of his ability, Veldanava actually helped. Even so, it is quite amazing that the 'King of
Covenant' that arises from the concretization of Rudra's heart is of a higher power in the angelic system.

"Next came the 'King of Justice' borrowed in the form of an exchange, and this too was difficult to deal
with. I have the king of covenant, and have the power to break evil and protect it. But what the King of
Justice has is the inexorable power of "domination."

It is not too much to say that the one who can control the skill and borrow the power from the one who
is controlled is the most suitable power for the king to rule.

However, with no one under domination at the moment, the threat is not so great, and with such a state
to be able to compete evenly with Guy, Rudra was really strong.

"That's pretty awesome.”

Guy said so.

As the number of dominators increases and the powers available to use increase, then Rudra will also
become more powerful.
 What the heck. I thought the continuation of mutual strength would create a grade difference that
would be sure to be a victory for me—looks like it can still be enjoyed!

Looks like the fun will continue.

Realizing this, Guy became very happy.

Rudra, however, said.

"I am not interested in dominating others, but if I were a man, I should have won by my own strength
alone. But sometimes, there are circumstances that make it impossible to say that…”

“Circumstances?"

"Ahh, you are also a friend of Veldanava and should have the right to know.”

Hearing him say that made Guy feel uneasy.

He hadn't cared because he was a long-lived dragon, but he hadn't seen Veldanava lately.

"Did something happen to that guy?"

"It was supposed to be a happy thing.’

“Hmm?"

"That man and my sister were united. It's called marriage. Lucia was pregnant with Veldanava's child,
and thus became real family.”

"You said child? The True Dragon?"

It is truly quite a story.

But it is indeed possible to do such a thing if one possesses the whimsy of getting rid of the
incompleteness of the quest of ‘all become one.’

"Anything can happen.”

"Well, if that's all, then a blessing is enough. But the problem is from here.”

After Rudra had finished the premise, the facts laid out next made it impossible to stop with mere
consternation, and even Guy couldn't help but stand up and keep asking Rudra “Really?"

Veldanava now, had become almost indistinguishable from human beings.

He is also said to have laughed and told Rudra that he was bound by a 'lifespan' that kept him from
getting involved.

It was too much of a truth to keep in Rudra’s mind.

So now, he told this to Guy.

"It's really that guy's style, so what should we do now?”

"I don't know. So I was worried, but I’m sure I can’t just play with you.”

“Yeah……”

The two couldn't help but look at each other and let out a sigh at the same time.
 ***

"Stop it! Anyway, I think you're too good to kill, and I'm not going to fight any more. But I'll continue
to be the Demon Lord so that the world doesn't fall apart, because that's my agreement with him.”

Guy looked favorably upon Rudra, and since Rudra was a friend of Veldanava's, he was also a friend of
his own.

It was inevitable that he couldn’t get serious from the beginning.

But the work of the Demon Lord had to be done, and that was what Veldanava had asked him to do.

As a “mediator," the scales of the world must not be tilted.

Guy looked Rudra in the eye so to speak, and Rudra looked straight back to inform Guy.

"Well, do you want to have a different duel?”

"A different kind of duel?”

Rudra nodded in response.

No longer smiling coyly as before, but beginning to speak in earnest.

"Yes, don't let me fight you directly. This time, use the pawns in your hand to fight for world
supremacy.”

“Hmm.”

"To be honest, I didn't want to use the King of Justice either, but I can't say that now. For this is the
power that Veldanava has given me in support of my dream of a unified world. So, after that, I'll add more
men and I'll get stronger.”

"I guess.”

That understanding was correct, and Guy nodded.

“I like you, so I don't want to kill you either. Didn't I tell you? I believe that humans can be united.
Veldanava seeks diversity, but does not ask them to hate each other. People with different ideas can just
get along on the basis of mutual respect, and if they can't accept each other's opinions, just pull away. The
indiscriminate use of force by different races and nations will lead to war, but as long as we can become a
unified nation, won't we be able to make a decision through consultation?”

"It's hard to say? As far as I know, humans are stupid, aren't they?”

"I know. But I'm on good terms with you, aren't I? If the Demon Lord and the Hero, who are supposed
to be natural enemies, can get along, it will be easier for the same race to understand each other!”

There is no need for a “mediator," Rudra stressed.

Guy, however, could not agree.

 "That's a naive idea. So-called humans are creatures with strong desires. It is not “evil." Desire is
necessary in order to pursue greater possibilities. As long as the interests are relevant, even close people
will frankly start fighting each other. In this regard, a magical creature without wisdom knows better,
right?”

The magical creatures that evolved from animals into magical beasts would not kill again as long as
their appetite was satisfied, being cunning and resourceful enough.

They don't think about tomorrow's food, they just enjoy the day.

But humans are different.

Humans often think about the future and become restless as a result, accumulating wealth in order to be
able to cope with situations, which is instinctive, so Rudra's thoughts can only be a dream.

It is extremely difficult to guide people by words.

In the first place, one has no idea how difficult it would have been to get one's true meaning across
through words, and to keep others from misunderstanding…

It was because Guy understood this that he felt that Rudra's dream would not come true.

"Perhaps, and I understand, Veldanava also laughed at me that this could only be ideal… Even so I
convinced him, and now he's cheering me on. ‘Although the probability is infinitely close to zero, just do
what you want,' those are his words. There is a secret that the 'King of Justice' has the power to summon
the legions of angels that will destroy everything, and I will use this power skillfully for the relief of
mankind, only to destroy military power and civilization, and to suppress the expansion of people's
desires, while unifying the world and making sure that an ideal world is created!”

So, cheer me on—Rudra asks Guy.

Stop killing all humans and value their potential.

"Hah! I don't have a penchant for torture and murder! Just kill the guy who I don’t like. Whether they
are good or bad has nothing to do with me. I'll let them live if it suits me, and I'll kill them if they don’t,
that's all.”

"So I told you to stop for a second!”

"Hah I don't have the patience to wait for a guy who endangered the world to realize the error of his
ways. ‘Hate the sin not the sinner’? Asshole, to be guilty is to be punished. It's only reasonable to hold
yourself accountable for what you do!”

"That's what I thought! But I want you to give them a chance to change their ways.”

"Huh! You can rest assured, I will send the souls of these sinners to the underworld and give them a
taste of the pain.”

"That's not what I meant!"

Rudra stopped narrating and once again spoke cautiously from the heart.

"I'm not trying to be a great king, I just want to put a smile on everyone's face. Wouldn't crime be
reduced as long as one could live comfortably and have a partner to talk to? Eliminating poverty and
inequality and creating a world where anyone can live with a smile is what I'm looking forward to! Of
course, there will be hopelessly stupid people, but I intend to minimize the sacrifices.”

Rudra now spoke of the ideal in such a way that he did not expect, in the distant future, similar words
to be uttered from a population hostile to himself.

Hearing this, Guy shook his head left and right as if stunned.

"No wonder Veldanava is laughing. I didn't expect you to be so naive. But…all right? I'll just hear what
this duel is about."

“So?"

"It's boring anyway. It must be fun to enjoy the game.”

It wasn't that Guy accepted Rudra's point of view.

He did not deny Rudra’s ideals, but he just only saw the consequences. A stubborn friend will never be
persuaded by words alone.

Despite being that type of person, Rudra is trying to convince others simply by words. It was, in a
sense, a contradiction and it was natural to fail.

By then, Rudra would wake up, he supposes.

If he succeeds—it’s nothing, but it will reduce Guy’s work.

No matter how it turned out there was no loss, Guy so judged.

Nor was there any particular benefit, as long as Rudra could abandon his outrageous plans.

"Is my ambition a game to you?”

Rudra laughed.

This was followed by an intimate and meticulous explanation of the rules.

The rules are simple.

"Just the players don't fight, their men will fight.”

That's all.

That is, a showdown between Guy and Rudra is forbidden.

If he beats all of Guy's partners, Rudra will win, in which case Guy will obey Rudra.

But until he succeeds, Guy is free to move about as he pleases, following the agreement with
Veldanava and freely performing the duties of a “mediator."

There's hardly any restriction on Guy, but from Rudra's standpoint, just that's useful enough.

It was the original responsibility of the "hero" to prevent the "demon lord,” who acted as a mediator in
a way that threatened humanity, from leaving.
 Even if Guy thought calmly, his power was too strong, and just one strike would cause great damage.

Rudra had been clinging to Guy in order to avoid such a thing, but at this rate Rudra's dream would not
come true, and sealing Guy's move was necessary in order to be able to launch an operation to unify the
world.

Reading Rudra's mind, Guy said.

"Yeah. It will agree not to do anything, I collect demon lords who would replace me and give them the
responsibility for the direct punishment of humanity.”

"It's up to me to stop it. I will use my own hands to unify the world before the society that the Demon
Lord is in charge of is born!"

"You're walking the path of misery, aren't you? It's some kind of ideal that even that good old
Veldanava gave up.”

Veldanava was a dreamer and a perfectionist, but he was able to distinguish between ideal and reality
and to think dispassionately about whether it could be achieved.”

Veldanava gave up omniscience and omnipotence in pursuit of change, and as a result, it was no longer
possible for him to realize the ideal society he had in mind.”

But to Veldanava, this is the right solution. A world that all works as he wants. He finds it not
interesting at all.

It was because of understanding Veldanava's mood that Rudra exclaimed.

"But even so! I wanted to reassure him that not only was he bound by life expectancy, but he was even
left with a fighting power that was not even close to that of an ordinary human. Still, the guy was happy
to be walking to the end with Lucia…But, I was worried about where the world was going! More than
anything else, I am worried about the future of the children…”

“Mm?”

"That's why I need to give him peace of mind and create a world where everyone can live happily, so
that he won't feel uneasy at the end of his life. And then, the world that guy creates will mature into a
wonderful world of relational harmony—I just want him to be satisfied!”

Rudra had sworn to Veldanava to "establish a united nation.”

With the desire to make the sister happy, he was determined to get rid of all the misfortune in the world.

"Let us, the parties, decide the affairs of this world with our own hands, and you, who are not bound by
life, witness the final end as the judge.”

“Well…”

To Rudra's words, Guy didn't come out with an answer.

In Guy's mind, it had been determined that it could not be done, but because of the understanding
Rudra's mood, hesitated whether or not the words of denial should be spoken.
 What the hell, asshole? Doesn't that make you the one who has to carry everything…?

But it was at this time that the emotions were so sharp that Guy hated his own mind.

Guy, though prideful, was gentle with those he liked, and this tenderness instead became a bondage that
even made it impossible for him to stop the reckless Rudra.

To this dear and foolish friend, Guy lost his words.

Your challenge, surely, will fail.

Guy's mind, calmly calculated the result.

With a success rate so low that it can't even be expressed in terms of probability, Rudra, who is
regarded as Guy's best friend, will never give up.

A hero is one who has an unyielding heart. Rudra is undoubtedly a true "hero" who shoulders all the
hardships and carries the goal of achieving the ideal world.

That's why, if it was this guy, maybe—Guy thought so.

It was Rudra who made Guy think like that, and Guy bet on that tiny possibility.

However, as a result…

***

Several tragedies have occurred during the constant and repeated duel between Guy and Rudra.

The initial misfortune occurred immediately after the birth of Veldanava and Lucia's child.

Taking advantage of Rudra expedition, there was a terrorist attack in the Nazca kingdom, the work of a
warring enemy, which resulted in the death of both Lucia and Veldanava.

At that moment, Rudra's dream collapsed with a bang.

“I, I just want, just to reassure Veldanava, to make him agree with us…”

Ruddra killed his heart, saying that he can no longer cry.

All that remains is an ideal that has lost its purpose.

"Ahhh, all I have left is a duel with you, and the only thing I want is for you to agree with me.”

"Yeah. I'll be your opponent."

The game goes on…

The next misfortune, happened to Milim, the child of Veldanava.

Milim was raised without knowing what her parents looked like.

Didn't even know there was a blood relationship between herself and Rudra.
 Milim's pet, who was both the only family member and an escort at the same time, had died as a result
of some state ploy.

Milim lamented her grief and burst into rage, and to calm down Milim, Guy went into full action.

If Milim was not stopped, several countries would have perished.

"Even so, do you want to continue? If only I had struck sooner, Milim wouldn't have been sad, would
she?”

"It is my responsibility, and even so, if I stops here, all the previous sacrifices will be meaningless. As
emperor, it is my duty not to stop halfway.”

"I don't think that's necessary. Well, I'll be with you until you approve."

If he stops here, Rudra believes he’s going to break.

Guy also had to delay his conclusion.

An unfortunate future awaited him, and as much as Guy thought so in his heart, he hadn’t fully decided
it was going to be that way.

Just like that, the game goes on…

The constant repetition of suffering.

The ugliness of the world at hand.

Each reincarnation depleted the holy power, and Rudra gradually lost his "hero" status.

Rudra's ability to remain a "saint" is probably the result of his dedication to his ideals.

Even so, the limits come down.

Unknown to him, Rudra's heart has also eroded, losing his original ideals.

Not knowing if it was the fate of the man who lost his purpose, Rudra began to become unscrupulous
in order to win over Guy…

Cold and cruel.

The win over Guy became everything, and as a result, caused even more bloodshed.

These, all of them, were the same as Guy's judgment.

Finally, the day has come.

Guy followed the rules and bet on the last possibility.

To the most unknown of his own pawns, and the most promising of all existences (Rimuru), he pins the
final judgment.

In all honesty, he had wanted to move himself.

 But until the end, Guy followed the rules.

As a result…

In the distance, the breath of his friend has vanished.

I'm sure it's not just Rimuru who could do it—Guy couldn't help but sigh.

There is no bitterness, no remorse.

Just simply the mourning of a dear friend.

“That’s why I told you, asshole. Like this, it's only right for us as demons, for us who have never been
emotionally shaken…”

Guy whispered, not noticing the thing running down his cheek.

Just quietly, praying for Rudra’s happiness.

And just like that, the millennia-long game between Guy and Rudra was over.

Guy facetiously maintained the same fearless smile as usual, his heart inwardly sinking to the bottom
of a sad lake.

The eyes of a deep sea blue diamond color stared coldly at Guy.

A small, twisted smile appeared on the edge of his mouth…

Even when the game is over, the fires of strife remain entangled.

Thus, the smoke of the world-scale war, the "Battle of the Demons (Tenma),” was ignited.

End Credits
I've finally made it to sixteen volumes.

I guess it's been a long time coming.

I was able to write one volume in five months, but now it takes six months to complete one volume.

The days go by so fast.

In the future, I'll also try to keep to this pace, aiming to write two volumes a year.

A brief explanation of the content follows.

There are dramas.

...........

........
 ...

In this volume, the combat power of forbidden break has finally been numerically loaded.

In fact, I wanted to numerate it earlier, but I was strongly against it, and I understood I's idea, so I didn't
do it... I just felt it was a bit reluctant to use Clayman as a unit.

Alas, what an effort by Mr. Clayman, to assist each other with Gaylemude and Carrion, to sustain the
duty that had always been the warlike description.

It's been so long since the characters have been in lunches, and the names have come up a lot.

So I think the scale is pretty much at its limit, too.

Even to say that there are a hundred Clayman that strong, it feels completely unconvincing how
powerful they are.

You've worked hard! This should result in a drastic reduction in Clayman's plate appearances.

The existence values used in this volume are also available in the WEB version as an EP.

Existence Point (Value) is also introduced in the main text, and is actually used as an energy value, not
directly related to combat power, but only for reference.

Okay, well, without further ado, let's move on to the arrangements that followed.

This volume is the aftermath of the Empire, and the next volume is arranged to include some short
stories from a perspective other than Rimuru's, before moving on to the final chapter.

Depending on the number of pages and the mood, maybe some light-hearted content will also be
written, and as usual in this area, write wherever you want!

The next volume, still in serial number, is set at seventeen.

The 18 volumes are expected to begin their final chapter, so stay tuned.

The idea of the battle of the devils - the birth, the battle, the end - is roughly the same, but of course
that could change depending on my mood. It may not be worth much, but the general direction is this,
please understand!

Also, after the end, I would like to write some outlines, the WEB version has written two outlines, and I
would like to write other stories as well.

So, the 'reincarnation into Slime thing' will continue, and I hope everyone will continue to support it!!!

Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who participated in the production of this work.

Also, a big thank you to all the fans who supported this work!

I will continue to work on it so that everyone can continue to have fun watching.

So I'll see you next time.