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 That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime 14
By 伏濑

Author: Fuse (伏濑)

Illustration: Mitz Vah

Translation: DeepL

Editors: CharVANder, Voxel, gi2000

Special thanks: Apollo, Alexis (Redrawing)

This translation is fan-made and free to access by the public. This is not
to be used in any commercial means. The translators or editors are
not liable to any action of the readers. Please respect the fair use of our
translation as well as Fuse’s work.

All rights reserved - 伏濑 and MICRO MAGAZINE

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We welcome all constructive feedback and suggestions for our work.

1st Edition

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 Dragon and Demon Collide

Table of Contents

Prologue: The Clowns’ Decision

Chapter 1: Rewards and Evolutions

Interlude 1: The Outrageous Victory Celebration

Chapter 2: Future Plans

Interlude 2: The Heavenly Game

Chapter 3: The Capital in Turmoil

Chapter 4: The Purge of the Red Lotus

Epilogue: Rage

Manga

Afterword

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 Prologue

The Clowns’ Decision

The news had not yet reached the Empire, but that was ignorant bliss for the subjects of the
Empire. After all, the Imperial generals who were meant to invade the Western Nations
through the Great Jura Forest—in other words, their beloved family members—were all
helplessly slaughtered. With an army of nearly a million men, defeat had been unthinkable.
No one doubted that they would accomplish their long cherished dream of conquering the
West and establish a completely unified nation under the name of Emperor Rudra. The Great
Jura Forest was a daunting obstacle, but now that the evil dragon Veldora had been weakened,
there was nothing to fear. It was supposed to be that way.

…The invasion campaign of the Imperial Army, considered by many to be the most
powerful of all time under the reign of His Majesty the Emperor, had finally begun.

At least, this was the general impression of the subjects, but no one had expected a tough
fight, let alone defeat. None of them could have ever imagined that they would not reach the
Western Nations or that their invasion army would be destroyed at the Great Jura Forest.
However, the Imperial Army had been annihilated without achieving anything. The
unforeseen impediment that was the Jura Tempest Federation would serve as a reminder to
these subjects of how vast the world truly was. It wouldn’t be long until the subjects of the
Empire knew of these facts.

At the Mixed Corps headquarters in the Imperial City. People gathered in secret in a luxurious
room allocated to the corps commander. Currently present was Yuuki, the room’s owner and
the head of the Moderate Clown Troupe, followed by Kagali, Laplace, Teare, and Footman.
There was also Misha, one of the three heads of Cerberus. Vega was not participating in the
meeting as he was on a mission with his Magic Beast Corps.
In the meantime, Laplace and Misha finished their reports. Upon hearing the reports,
Yuuki couldn’t help but smile bitterly. Although he had thought about the situation and made
various predictions, the result was still unexpected. It was too overwhelming and much
quicker than expected. The results of Rimuru and his men’s military victory were so great that
it was now necessary to rethink the whole plan. What was most astonishing was the extent to
which Demon Lord Rimuru’s power had increased.
“To think…that they would defeat such a large army so easily. I expected that they would
win, but to have zero casualties on Rimuru-san’s side is something else.”
“It’s unbelievable. That army would have been able to go toe-to-toe with the force of

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three demon lords at the same time…”
“Nah, compared to the ten great demon lords, the strength of the ‘Octagram’ is far
superior. Even if Guy is a special case, Luminas and Dagruel have been competing for
supremacy for a long time, haven’t they? Leon’s power is well known to you, and even
Milim, who was famous for not having any subordinates, has Karion and Frey who were both
former demon lords. I think only Ramiris and Dino are the outliers.”
Kagali refuted Yuuki’s words, but as he explained the situation to her, she became
convinced. Indeed, the situation was different from the time when Kagali was a demon lord.
The assumption went without saying for Guy.
Milim was now the ruler of the vast territory south of the Great Jura Forest. Luminas and
Dagruel had always been very powerful, and their might had never been reduced by the war
against the angels. Aside from exceptions like Leon, they were incomparable to the new
demon lords when Kagali was a demon lord. Even for the demon lords who had gathered a
good number of followers, it depended on their luck whether they could survive or not. The
same was true for ‘Curse Lord’ Kazalim, aka Kagali. That was why he had sought to be wise
and form alliances with other demon lords. He had tried everything he could to stay alive.
The ‘Bloody Lord’, Roy Valentin, was only a body double, and the god Luminas was
actually the demon lord. But even that, Luminas has not been able to win the power struggle
with Dagruel. I envied those who have power, unlike us. Karion and Frey are smart. I should
have been smarter. Had I done so, I wouldn’t have caused everyone so much grief and we
wouldn’t have lost Clayman…
In retrospect, there was no point in forcing many majin to be under one’s command. No
matter how many majin you have, that army would be meaningless against those who have a
certain level of strength. This was clearly shown by Clayman’s failure. What Kagali and her
group really should have done was to increase the number of people with whom they could
talk frankly.
Well, that’s all in hindsight now. It’s difficult to trust others when we’ve been repeatedly
deceived.
Yes. If she had not met Yuuki, Kagali would still be resenting the world today.
No use crying over spilled milk, Kagali changed gears and put her regrets behind her.

The conversation continued without regard for Kagali’s internal feelings.

“By the way, I guess you had a tough time, Laplace.”
“You’re tellin’ me… I had a hell of a time once again.” Laplace agreed, looking
exhausted.
“Hahaha. You were fighting for about ten days?”
“Yeah, that Treyni girl has become crazy strong. If I’d lost focus for a second, much
alone let down my guard, I woulda been done for. What’s more, we fought in the woods. The
odds were against me, so I think I did my best there, no?”
Laplace’s gripes went on for a long time. He had brought that on himself for acting so
suspicious, but for once, he seemed to have had a bit of an opinion. Yuuki soothed Laplace
for a moment and continued.
“At any rate, they believed you in the end, didn’t they?”
“They tied me up so tight that I couldn’t even resist. The executives’ of Demon Lord
Rimuru were watchin’ me, and I can’t say that they believed me after goin’ to that length.”
Even so, Laplace deserved credit for being able to negotiate and bring back the
information.
“I’m surprised they let you go in one piece.”
“I heard that Demon Lord Guy gave him the slip. Rather than trustin’ the boss, he was

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trying to take advantage of the situation.”
If they had remained explicitly hostile, there was no way that the captured Laplace would
have been released. Before that, Laplace would never have gotten involved. Laplace finished
his complaints. Yuuki was relieved, but he couldn’t relax just yet.
“I had the same feeling as Laplace-dono. This time was really exhausting. My role was to
agitate the commander of Caligurio’s army and prolong the war. I fully understood that, but in
the middle of the war, I seriously offered to withdraw. When it was rejected, I even thought of
running away, even if I had to kill that man.” Misha continued bitterly.
But by the time she had advised them of this, it was too late. Misha was only able to
escape because Yuuki had been in a cooperative relationship with Rimuru. If not for that, she
would have been killed by Diablo by now.
“Well, we were lucky. I’m glad Rimuru-san is a man of his word.”
“By the way, that Rimuru slime is crazy. From what I remember, there should have been
some fierce fighters among those belonging to the Armored Corps who could rival the Demon
Lords.”
“There were.”
“That’s right, there were. They were taken care of by his subordinates before Demon
Lord Rimuru came out, though.”
Misha explained in dismay that even the dreaded demon peer had joined Rimuru’s crew.
Misha herself was not very realistic in her explanation. How could such a supreme-level
demon, who is unbounded by anything, obey a single demon lord?
“What shocked me was that two ‘Single Digits’ were killed in front of my eyes as if they
were guinea pigs. Frankly speaking, it was foolish to challenge such a monster.”
Although he concluded his speech, everyone was in disbelief. Yuuki switched the topic to
change the mood that was about to become too heavy.
“Bernie and Jiwu’s identities were also a surprise. It was a frustrating experience for me
to see that I have been dancing in the palm of Damrada’s hand up until now.”
Those were Yuuki’s true feelings. This confirmation that Damrada was a traitor came as a
shock to Yuuki and his friends. Damrada had been Yuuki’s confidant, whom he had trusted
for many years. Damrada was a major figure in the core of Yuuki’s group. He had trusted
Damrada so much that he entrusted him with the secret society Cerberus as a foothold in the
Empire. The betrayal of such a person forced them to rethink their entire strategy.
Two of the strongest forces of the Empire were attached to Masayuki, who had been
regarded as a pawn. This fact also proved Damrada’s foresight. Damrada must have
influenced Yuuki’s actions for a higher vision than Yuuki’s. Now that Yuuki realized this, his
pride was in tatters.
“That’s right. I think Clayman’s outburst may have been Damrada’s involvement as
well.”
Kagali, who had been pondering over the situation, also said as such. Yuuki nodded his
head in agreement.
“I can’t deny that. It’s a little strange now that I think about it, that all our plans have
failed. But I don’t think Damrada would have benefited from that. Our power has grown
because of Damrada’s cooperation. If he wanted to take away our power, he should not have
given it to us in the first place.”
“That is the question. Damrada seemed to be fascinated with Yuuki-sama. It did not look
like an act, and his loyalty seemed genuine. We have completed many projects with his help.”
“As a colleague, I can say that Damrada-dono truly worked for the organization. His
achievements were great and his loyalty to the boss was genuine. However, it is also true that
the man has a ruthless and cold-hearted side. His rationalistic side can be seen from the fact

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that he is in charge of Gold. Therefore, he might have betrayed the boss for some reason.”
‘I can’t say for sure that there is no such thing.’ Misha said, however, Yuuki shook his
head and replied to Misha.
“There is no doubt that Damrada betrayed us. But it is not clear if he truly meant it or
not.”
Yuuki smiled bitterly while muttering, ‘or perhaps it was genuine betrayal’.
“I guess I agree with the boss. If it was all an act, Damrada’s behavior would not make
any sense.”
Kagali also seemed to have come to the same conclusion as Yuuki. As soon as she said
so, she started to express her opinion.
“Okay, let me explain. Master Gadra reported to us, and we realized Damrada’s betrayal.
The place where Gadra was killed was Emperor Rudra’s castle, and standing in front of him
was Lieutenant Kondou, the man who lurks in the shadows of the Empire.”
“The Emperor’s castle… I see. So Damrada had the status to get access in there.”
Nodding at Misha’s words, Yuuki added more information.
“That’s right. Incidentally, from the information you brought back, I have also figured out
the identity of Damrada. There are probably only a few people, other than the Emperor, who
can order a ‘Single Digit’.”
Everyone nodded in agreement with Yuuki’s words.
“I see. That’s right. When you think about it, it’s quite natural.”
“Yes. Damrada did not betray us, but only followed the Emperor’s order.”
“Maybe he didn’t mean it, but it doesn’t really matter now, does it?”
They may or may not have been enemies of Yuuki’s group from the beginning. But in this
case, all that mattered was the result that Damrada was a traitor. And it was Laplace’s side
that was not satisfied with the betrayal.
“Surely, the boss must be right. However, if there is the possibility that Damrada
manipulated Clayman, then shouldn’t he be made to pay for it?”
“Right, right! Let’s go over there and kill him!”
“Ho-ho-ho. Trust comes first. We don’t tolerate traitors!”
Laplace aloofly suggested a purge. Teare and Footman agreed. However, Yuuki stopped
them.
“Just wait. Damrada is really a high ranking member of the Imperial Guardians. You can
be sure that he is more dangerous than a normal demon lord. I doubt you can beat him, right?”
“…Yeah, right. I hate to admit it, but I don’t think even I could have beaten Master Gadra
in my prime. If Damrada could kill Master Gadra with a single blow, even if it was a surprise
attack, we should consider Damrada’s ability to be quite strong.”
“That’s true, but…”
“Besides—I think there is a hidden message in Damrada’s actions.”
After a short pondering, Yuuki spoke up. Then, with a hypothetical story in mind, he
began to express his thoughts.
“Damrada is a cautious man. He knows us well, and he has detailed information about
Demon Lord Rimuru. A man like that would have known about the ‘Resurrection Bracelet’ as
well.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, I think Damrada was aware of the possibility of Gadra coming back to life.”
“But then…no way!”
Misha also came up with the possibility that he did not kill Gadra but rather let him go.
“The last person Gadra confronted was the ‘information eating monster’, right? If Gadra
had been left alive, he would have fallen into the hands of Lieutenant Kondou. If that had

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happened, all the information Gadra knew would have been extracted by any means possible.”
“If that had happened, all of our purposes would have been revealed, right?”
“Maybe, yeah. But you know, there’s something I don’t understand. Gadra’s silence kept
Rimuru-san’s information from leaking out. And as a result, the Empire suffered a major
blow. I don’t think Damrada caused the damage to the Empire just out of a sense of duty to
us…”
Yuuki laughed, unable to explain that point. Kagali again made a comment on this point.
“Damrada’s loyalty is more towards Emperor Rudra than to Yuuki-sama. There is no
doubt about this. At the same time, he thinks of us as his friends. No, no. What if he was
thinking that we could be of use to him, or that we could play some role?”
“Mm-hmm, go on.”
“It is also possible that the defeat of the Imperial Army was in accordance with Emperor
Rudra’s wishes.”
“That’s absurd.”
“That’s impossible, isn’t it?”
Misha and Laplace immediately denied it, but Yuuki examined their opinions with
amusement.
“What purpose does Damrada have in deriving this possibility?”
“It’s that simple. Mass death is an essential part of the great ritual. Just as the awakening
of a demon lord requires a lot of souls, didn’t Damrada and Emperor Rudra also sacrifice the
Imperial Army itself?”
“It’s possible. Go on.”
“If so, it is no wonder that he interfered with Lt. Kondou, who was determined to win. At
the same time, the meaning of his missing us is also vaguely apparent…”
Gadra had been going to warn the Emperor. This was interrupted by Damrada. If Gadra’s
information had reached Kondou…
The damage to the Imperial Army would not have been so great. Even before that,
Rimuru’s maneuvers would have taken a different form. A man of Damrada’s stature could
not have been unaware of this, and his actions must have been intentional. In that case, what
was the purpose?
“A touchstone, perhaps?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
Kagali smiled at Yuuki’s answer.
“Numerous sacrifices are tolerated in order to create a true strongman. And they were
going to use us as pawns to create the strong, right?”
“Or perhaps they wanted to bring us in.”
“—?”
“Clayman was not the kind of guy who would take orders from anyone but me and
Kagali.”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“I’m sure of it.”
“If they let Clayman go out of control like that, it seems to me that they must have used
some kind of subterfuge.”
“I guess so. For example, brainwashing?”
Yuuki nodded to Kagali’s point.
“I think it’s possible that he was ‘thought induced’ even if it wasn’t that powerful. They
may have used items like we did, or they may have a hidden Skill like Mariabell, which is a
domination type Skill.”

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 Hearing the reasoning, all of them had a hard look on their faces.
“That’s a problem.”
Everyone nodded at Misha’s words. Yuuki looked around the group and then spoke with
a smile.
“But don’t worry. That kind of power is ineffective against me. I’m going to check each
of you a little bit now, okay?”
They all agreed without issue. To deny it here would be to confess to being manipulated.
No one could refuse Yuuki’s offer to prove their innocence.
“Apparently, no one has been brainwashed. Well, I would have thought that it would be
fine if no one acted alone, since we would have noticed immediately if something was wrong
with their behavior.”
“If you say so, I was in danger.”
Laplace said after getting up from his seat and spinning around. However, Yuuki and
Kagali denied it with perfect breath.
“No, no, no, you’ll be fine.”
“That’s right. You’re the only one who doesn’t need to worry about that.”
Hearing this, Laplace returned to his seat sulkily and began to complain.
“What the hell? You should be more concerned about me, you know.”
Laplace’s antics blew away the heavy air out of the room. Laughter echoed, and
everyone’s thoughts switched. Thankful for this, Yuuki opened his mouth as if he was trying
to rearrange the situation.
“Now then, let’s leave aside what Damrada is thinking. The question is, what should we
do now?”
“Yes, I agree. I would like to ask Damrada how much of what we are up to has been
leaked.”
“Hey, hey, hey! He knows what we’re up to, doesn’t he?”
“I told Damrada all about my plans. It’s not a question of being exposed.”
“Then, shouldn’t we get out of here as soon as possible?”
“But, you know, I can’t say that for sure.”
Currently, Yuuki’s faction was based in the Empire. There were a few hideouts in the
Western Nations, but they were few and far between. They could not hide there, nor could
they easily find a new hiding place. Above all, there was too little time and preparation to let
all of the bottom members escape.
“At the very least, it is impossible for me to run Cerberus by myself. I had to rely heavily
on Damrada’s processing power, and I don’t even know who his subordinates are.”
The other boss, Vega, was a man whose only real talent was violence. He could not be
expected to do much in the way of management of the organization. Misha’s statement had
been based on this fact.
“I know. Cerberus is going to lose its head. Damrada’s men are all gone, but the problem
is the Mixed Corps. I don’t want to give up this force—or rather, I don’t want to lose all my
bases.”
You could cut your losses, but in this case, the losses were too great. There was no place
in the world that would accept a hundred thousand men. They would have to leave their men
behind, but if they did so, those who remained would be purged for sure. In the first place,
Damrada did not seem to intend to tell the secrets of Yuuki’s group.
“There are several reasons why Damrada might have kept Gadra’s mouth shut, one of
them being to keep Kondou from getting information about us. Perhaps Emperor Rudra’s
near-guard are not ironclad. Our plan of a coup d’état in the capital, I think Damrada would
like us to succeed in this, wouldn’t he?”

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 “I don’t know what his intention is, but if Damrada wanted to hide us, it would be the
only way to achieve his goal.”
Yuuki and Kagali exchanged their opinions as if anticipating each other’s thoughts. The
rest of the group looked at them in puzzlement. Then, perhaps unable to hold back any longer,
Laplace interrupted them.
“No, no, no, wait a minute. You know that he let Gadra go on purpose, but that’s just his
guess, right? If so, it’s just a misunderstanding, and it’s more likely that Kondou and Damrada
are good friends, isn’t it?”
Everyone nodded their heads in agreement, but Yuuki answered confidently, “I don’t
think so.”
“Listen to me, okay? Our coup d’état was also the result of our deal with Demon Lord
Guy. Damrada knows that. I guess he thought it was better to create chaos in the capital to
deceive Guy’s eyes than to interfere with our plan.”
“Hmm, that’s one way of thinking about it…or is it?”
“I don’t understand.”
“Hohoho.”
Teare and Footman were already having trouble following the conversation. They had
started to play with a cue ball.
“How could the Emperor’s inner circle allow such chaos in the capital?”
Misha was trying to formulate her own ideas, but failed to see Yuuki and Kagali’s point
of view. In a way, this was just a normal reaction. After all, Yuuki and his colleagues’
mindset was only for those who had absolute rationality and were willing to make any
sacrifices for the sake of the goal. Moreover, it was a madness that even Misha could not
understand, because it pushed Yuuki’s self-interest to the maximum, and it seemed to be full
of contradictions from other people’s point of view. It was absurd to ask one to understand it.
“Misha, it’s not that difficult. What is important is the point of view of who Damrada is
wary of as his enemies. Damrada considers not Yuuki-sama or Demon Lord Rimuru, but
Demon Lord Guy Crimson as his enemy from the beginning to the end. Once you get to that
point, you can understand why they tolerate us running amok in the capital.”
“Kondou is different. He is hostile not only to Guy, but to all those who would take
revenge on the Emperor. He serves Emperor Rudra from a completely different point of view
than Damrada.”
Yuuki concluded that this is why there are conflicts. And Kagali also confirmed it.
“Oh well. If the boss and Kagali-sama say so, I’ll just believe them.”
Laplace was unenthusiastic in his assurances. Teare and Footman nodded in agreement.
Misha then asked a key question.
“So, Yuuki-sama, what are your plans for the future? If Damrada turns out to be an
enemy, we can’t trust him, regardless of his true intentions, which is only natural. So, shall we
cancel the coup d’état and go on a forced escape? Fortunately, 60 percent of the Mixed Corps
is now engaged in the blockade of the Dwarven Kingdom’s East city. If I can provide as much
support as I can, along with the forces remaining in the capital, it will be no problem for me to
take down the provincial cities. If we use that as our base…”
“The disgruntled, annexed nations of the Empire can rise up and form a great anti-
imperial coalition?”
“Yes, yes. Wouldn’t that be the best strategy to secure our forces and have the best
chance of winning the war?”
“Not bad. There are plenty of regions oppressed by the imperial aristocracy, if you look
hard enough. In such places, we can call ourselves the Liberation Army instead of the Rebel
Army.”

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 “Well, then?”
“Unfortunately, the proposal is rejected.”
Misha tried to ask why, but it never came to be.
“The only way for us to survive is to make a coup d’état. Isn’t that right, Damrada?”
Yuuki said so before Misha could open her mouth. Before Misha could understand what
Yuuki meant, the clowns in the room were prepared to fight. Then, the closed door opened
and a man entered.
“Good answer, Boss.”
The man was Damrada. He was dressed as a merchant, as usual. But his presence was that
of a soldier, as if he had no intention of hiding it. The air in the room became tense.
Damrada’s quiet voice stopped Laplace from making a sudden move.
“Don’t do it. This building is already surrounded by my men.”
Yuuki, who had been observing the situation, relaxed his shoulders and sank down on the
sofa.
“Do you have time to talk? If so, why don’t you sit down?”
“But Boss, there’s no time now…”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. You, too. Just stay in your seat.”
After urging a disgruntled Laplace to sit down as well, Yuuki looked at Damrada with a
wry smile.
“So, what are you after?”
“I thought the boss might have misunderstood me. I came here to explain that I have my
own reasons.”
With this reply, Damrada took his seat as indicated. Laplace and the others couldn’t help
but snicker at his determined appearance. And then…
Yuuki and Damrada begin their question-and-answer session, leaving the others behind.
“Difficult circumstances, huh?”
“That’s right. I really want you to succeed in the coup d’état, that’s what I’m thinking.”
“So you let Gadra go too?”
“Kukuku, so he’s safe after all. I took a gamble on that one, but I thought he would
survive, considering how cautious he was.”
“The purpose was to keep Kondou from getting the information, right?”
“Exactly.”
“I thought you were loyal to the Emperor?”
“I swore an oath, yes.”
“So you have, huh? And now?”
“I’ve told you many times, and you may not believe me, but my allegiance is to the boss.”
“But I can’t trust you?”
“Of course not.”
Both of them laughed and fought a battle of tongues.
“The Armored Corps has been destroyed by Gadra’s information. Furthermore, the Magic
Beast Corps has now left the capital. Even if the situation of the Armored Corps is reported, it
will take time for them to come back. At present, the forces defending the capital are greatly
reduced. The time is now, don’t you think?”
“I think so. It’s so convenient for us that it’s almost as if we’re being set up.”
“That’s right. We’ve spent years setting this up.”
“Damrada, you’re…”
“I am, boss. I live to defeat His Majesty Rudra. It’s the only way to save him. The best
way to do that is to have you take the kingdom. I haven’t changed my mind, and I have
arranged the situation. All that remains is for you to decide.”

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 “Hmm.”
Yuuki sniffed in a disinterested manner. Everything was going according to Damrada’s
plan, and he was really not happy about it. However, rejecting him was not an option either.
Damrada was right, and the situation could not be more perfect. The only question was
whether he should trust Damrada or not.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
“Anything.”
“Why did you discard Clayman without consulting me?”
Yuuki and the Moderate Clown Troupe had sworn to each other that they would never
betray each other. They were the few people in this world who could be trusted. Clayman,
who was one of them, had also been a dear friend to Yuuki. Kagali, Laplace, Teare, and
Footman also changed their mindset when they heard Yuuki’s question. They focused their
eyes on Damrada and glared at him as if they would not tolerate any deception. In the midst of
such a deadly atmosphere, Damrada answered calmly.
“I am not involved in the Clayman case. I have an idea of who did it, but I never expected
him to resort to such measures.”
There was a moment of silence until it was broken by Yuuki.
“Is it Tatsuya Kondou?”
“……”
“You seem to know a lot about Kondou. It seems that you have a lot of secrets, and it’s a
little too much to ask us to trust you, don’t you think?”
Yuuki stated his claim to Damrada who was silent. Damrada listened to him with a
distressed expression on his face. After he finished listening without making any rebuttal, he
replied with a few words.
“—I cannot answer all of your questions because it is forbidden. I can only say that I do
not know all of Kondou’s capabilities. Nevertheless, I ask you to believe me. To save his
Majesty Rudra.”
As Damrada spoke those words, the clowns’ cold stares penetrated him. Everyone had a
look of distrust on their faces. The same was true for Yuuki. However, the current situation
was not optimistic, even for Yuuki and his friends. Damrada’s men were waiting outside the
building, and they could not ignore the presence of Damrada’s men from outside the room.
Damrada must have brought with him some of the most powerful Imperial Knights. It was
difficult for even Yuuki and the others to break through such an encirclement and escape.
I can manage on my own, but I don’t think we’ll all make it. In that case, one of the
options is to take the proposal at this moment…
Yuuki calculated. Then he suddenly noticed Damrada’s eyes staring straight at him
without wavering. His eyes had not changed since they had met. Yuuki closed his eyes and
began to think back. Since the time they met, Damrada had been fearless and impudent,
accepting any kind of request as long as it was paid in Gold. Yet, he was a man full of
contradictions, willing to invest his money for the sake of his friends.
‘I am willing to make any sacrifice for the sake of those I believe in.’ Damrada once said.
He wondered who was reflected in Damrada’s eyes at that time…
It wasn’t me. But even so, I liked those eyes…
He called Yuuki ‘boss’ and pledged his loyalty to him. Damrada, however, still had a
somewhat untrustworthy side to him. Thinking back on it now, he must have felt lonely.
Realizing this, Yuuki opened his eyes and looked at Damrada.
“There is a lie in your words. You swore loyalty to Emperor Rudra long before you were
loyal to me. That hasn’t changed. Isn’t that right?”
“Fufu, I’m no match for you, boss.”

15
 That murmur was an affirmation. On the contrary, it motivated Yuuki to trust the man
named Damrada.
“Okay. Instead of fighting you guys here, let’s make the coup d’état a success!”
No one expressed dissatisfaction with Yuuki’s decision.
“I don’t have a choice. If Yuuki-sama so decides, then we will obey.”
“I guess so. Damrada-san, if you betray us, we’ll make it right.”
“I’ll help you too, Laplace!”
“Ho-ho-ho. Don’t forget about me.”
At this moment, the clowns made their decision. They decided to trust their boss, Yuuki.
There was a bond of camaraderie. Damrada was among them.

16
17
 Chapter 1

Rewards and Evolutions

It was the day after the revival of almost 700,000 imperial soldiers. At the Colosseum, the
men who had played an active role in the defense were all lined up. The bleachers were filled
with the last of the soldiers. Today was a victory party. Although the war against the Empire
was still ongoing, it was planned as a necessary morale booster. Bacchus, who had been sent
by the Holy Knight Order, and the ‘Surmounters’ under Luminas were also present. They
were killed by Jiwu, but fortunately they had been in the labyrinth. They were revived and the
apologies were accepted. Although they were unanimous in saying that it was only due to
inexperience, it still happened in our country, and formality is important.
In any case, I was glad that the damage was minimal. We were planning to serve
delicious food in the latter half of the party, so I hoped people would enjoy it to their heart’s
content. In the guest of honor’s seats, there were guests from foreign countries. Not only
Alvis who participated in the defense as a reinforcement, but also Phobio and the two
members of the ‘Two Wings’ arrived later with the elite contingent.
“Milim-sama was worried and restless, so Frey-sama sent us.”
“But, as I said, it was not necessary. We were sure that Rimuru-sama would be the
definitive winner.”
Lucia with blonde hair and Claire with silver hair spoke to me in overlapping beautiful
voices. I feel like I made Milim worried, but I’m sure she will be relieved when I tell her
about this victory. The town is safe thanks to Veldora and Ramiris, and we should be able to
return to our normal lives soon.
“I am the liaison. I was sent here just in case the Magic Communication had gone down.
And—no, I’m sorry, I’m being rude.”
Phobio said he was planning to come back immediately to send reinforcements in case we
were defeated. Considering the possibility that the magicules’ force field would be disturbed
and magic could not be used, Phobio, who was the fastest, was selected. He was about to say
something after that, but stopped halfway. I was concerned about the way he looked at Alvis,
but I decided to ignore it, assuming that he had already finished his business. I thanked the
three of them and showed them to the distinguished guests’ table.
Then, there was another group. There was also a guest of honor from Dwargon. There
was Jaine, an old lady who was the top archwizard in Dwargon. Commander of the Pegasus
Knights, Dolph-san was also there as a guard. This one was mainly here to complain.
‘Don’t use the forbidden spells in the Great Jura Forest,’ she said.
More than that, she was furious with me, her eyes changing as she asked me why I had a
‘primordial’ with me. To be honest, I feel sorry about that too. But it can’t be helped. I was
already there before I could realize it, and it was an irresistible force majeure.
“It is not a matter of force majeure! I’ve never been so surprised and astonished in all the
years I’ve lived!”
“I’m sorry.”

18
 All I could do was apologize. Anyway, I tried to quiet her down, explained things to her
and got her in a good mood, and somehow or other, she agreed. I really wanted Jaine-san to
go home, but we had to have a meeting in the future. Actually, that was the purpose of this
visit.
In front of the eastern city of Dwargon, 60,000 troops under Yuuki’s command were still
deployed. Since they have been told that we are in a tentative alliance with Yuuki, war has not
broken out and tensions have remained high. However, we can’t just leave things as they are.
I wanted to discuss with Yuuki about the future plan. I had released the captured Laplace and
entrusted him with a message from me. Now we were waiting for Yuuki to contact us. So,
Jaine-san and Dolph-san were also invited to the guest of honor’s table. They were invited to
observe the victory celebration.

Well, the victory celebration began with foreign guests watching the event. I was on the
podium, which was one step higher than the others. I was sitting on a chair there, in my slime
form. Behind me, Rigurd and Rigur stood side by side. With these two men at the top, the
civil servants stood on either side of me.

19
20
 Among those lined up below us were the Dungeon’s Elite Ten, whose faces were not
usually seen. It was only natural, since they were the stars of the day. Normally, they were the
bosses of the labyrinth, so it was not good for them to show their faces. But not today. It was
because the townspeople and the adventurers who made up the volunteer soldiers were not
invited.
First to appear was Shuna, standing beside me. She prefaced her speech with my words
and then gave her speech of consolation to the crowd. It was a great speech, but I actually
didn’t come up with it. It was all Shuna. Shuna is a better secretary than the first secretary or
the second secretary. As I am not good at giving speeches, she is very helpful to me.
Shion is not good at giving speeches, and the thought of Diablo doing it is unsettling—the
praises he’d give for me alone would last until the celebration was already over. Grateful to
Shuna for being here, I began to think about the next steps. In this victory celebration, I was
going to reward the others as well as announce their achievements. In other words, I was
going to test the awakening of my subordinates.
………
……
…
According to Wisdom King Raphael-san, by giving my subordinates 100,000 souls, they
will be awakened and evolve to be as strong as a ‘True Demon Lord’. Only those who qualify
are eligible, but surprisingly there were twelve of them. They were Ranga, Benimaru, Shion,
Gabil, Geld, Diablo, Testarossa, Ultima, Carrera, Kumara, Zegion, and Adalmann. It seems
that they needed to have a soul connection with me and also possess the ‘Demon Lord Seed’.
Adalmann was the one I was interested in. In his case, I did not name him, so why did he
qualify for evolution?

«Answer. Individual Adalmann’s faith has broken through a certain threshold and now
the connection with the Master is established!»

Oh, I taught Adalmann the ‘secrets of faith and grace’ that I had learned from Luminas.
Thanks to that, he got a connection as good as a given name. That’s great, Adalmann. He
seems to have a lot of faith in himself to get the qualification by himself. It’s a little bit
awkward for me to be the target of that faith, but I admire him for that. Adalmann’s case
made sense to me.
The next question is, how many people can I evolve? I counted and found that the number
of souls I had in my stock was about a little more than a million. The secret of this is that I
have Wisdom King Raphael-san.

«Proposal. Individual differences were confirmed in the souls obtained. Do you want to
reconstitute uniformly?
YES/NO»

When asked to answer, I said ‘YES’ without even understanding what it meant. Then, the
number of souls swelled up to more than a million. I had returned a number of energies back
to the Imperial officers who were brought back to life. Therefore, I thought that the number
would be a little smaller, but the result was the opposite. There were a large number of
awakened people like Calgurio, and a large number of powerful people who had attacked the
labyrinth. They had more energy than usual, and they took a lot of energy from Jiwu and
Bernie who had the Ultimate Skill, even if it was borrowed. It may be that each individual had
the soul energy of dozens to tens of thousands of people. For this reason, ten people could be

21
awakened.
However, there were some concerns in trying this out. The first was the leakage of
information. Was it safe to do such a showy act in front of guests such as Alvis and Jaine?
However, I decided to trust them on this issue. Not because of our alliance, but because I
thought they would find out anyway. It is impossible to fool Milim, and King Gazel trusted
me during that time with Diablo. Even if Jaine-san was very angry with me, this was nothing
now that everything with the labyrinth was known. In time, there would be unnatural rumors
about the strength of the bosses from the labyrinth group. Those present thought that there
was no point in keeping it a secret.
The second concern was that I was not exactly sure what was going to happen. Since this
was the first time for me to attempt the evolution of awakening, there was a possibility that
something unexpected would happen. Therefore, I had the entire Colosseum isolated by
Ramiris’ ability. This would prevent the damage from spreading to the outside. Besides, it
would also maintain confidentiality, so it was a two birds with one stone solution.
The last concern was the evolutionary Harvest Festival that would occur like when I
awakened as a demon lord. In my case, I fell into a low-level active state (sleep mode) and
was unconscious for three days. In a similar situation, the main executives of our group would
fall asleep during this time of war. I was worried that something might happen to them, since
they would not be able to do anything for two or three days.
Although I was a little worried about this, I thought it would not be a problem either.
There was no Imperial Army now. Calgurio and the others had told me that there was no
immediate strength left in the Armored Corps. Of course, there couldn’t be any left since we
had killed all 940,000 of their generals. Only the Magic Beast Corps and Mixed Corps
remained on the Imperial side.
The Mixed Corps led by Yuuki was in an alliance of sorts, and the Magic Beast Corps
was being carried by the ‘Air Assault Division’, the tiger cubs of the Armored Corps, and was
heading off in a different direction. Since my ‘Argus’ is able to track the movement of the
airship, I calculated that it would take more than three days for them to reach my country even
if it suddenly changed its direction of movement from that point.
The normal speed of the Argus was about 400 kilometers per hour on average. It is said
that the maximum combat speed would exceed the speed of sound, but mana depletion would
be too great and it would last only for a short time. In the first place, it is doubtful if it is even
possible to fly such a long distance continuously. The speeds of ships and trains are
incomparable, but the sky has its own threats. There are points where air currents swirl
violently, points where magicule is disrupted and magic cannot be used at all, and so on.
It is said that there are also zones where troublesome sky monsters dwell, and it is
necessary to think of safe air routes instead of straight ones. In this world, just having a means
to travel at the speed of sound is a threat, but it is not as advantageous as one might think. It
seemed to me that there was no need for us to be alarmed. The only thing that remained was
the possibility of the Imperial Guardians making a move…
This time, we had won hands down, but only because we had the advantage of the
labyrinth. I was able to deal with the situation calmly because I could come back to life even
if I died. I would have been able to handle those near guard knights. Regardless, Benimaru
would have been able to win. But what about Shion and Ranga? Gabil and Geld might have
been in danger too.
If so, we should be able to deal with them as soon as possible. Even if we unexpectedly
encounter a strong enemy, we should be able to at least buy time. The connection between our
souls will be established as ‘Soul Corridor’, and it seems that the connection with me will be
rock solid as well. With this, the ‘Telepathy Net’ will be connected in any situation. They will

22
be able to contact me as soon as they encounter an enemy, and then we will be able to flank
each other and take the enemy out.
I wanted to awaken everyone now in case of an emergency. I wanted to be prepared for
anything. All in all, now was the right time to do so.
………
……
…
So let’s get started right away. The first person I wanted to nominate was, of course,
Benimaru. As the Army General, he had done an excellent job in commanding the entire
army. He seemed to be dissatisfied with Testarossa and the demon girls’ performance, but
yes, it was a kind of accident. It was not Benimaru’s fault, nor mine! In the end, it was all
right, and I can say that it was a great job done.
Shuna finished her speech and called up Benimaru. In response, Benimaru stepped
forward. Then he knelt down in front of me.
“All right! Well, Benimaru-kun, I’m going to reward you right now.”
“Can you stop with the ‘-kun’? You’re definitely—you’re up to something again, aren’t
you?”
I don’t understand. I haven’t even done anything yet, and he’s seeing right through me.
This awakening evolution was actually supposed to be a surprise. I thought that if I told him
about it, he would definitely oppose it, so I decided to do it without telling him. Shuna was
reading out Benimaru’s achievements. Meanwhile, the conversation between Benimaru and
me was still going on.
“Actually, I got a lot of souls in this war. It seems that Testarossa and the others were
offering their souls to me. And, if I use it, I can awaken those who are connected to me.”
“Why haven’t I heard about that?”
“Eh? Because I’m just saying it now?”
Benimaru and I were staring at each other, wide-eyed. It’s because I think he would have
objected if I had told him. Benimaru is more serious than I thought, and he seems to want to
be strong only by himself. When I evolved into a demon lord, he seemed to have some
thoughts about it. I think Diablo and Shion would have been happy to accept this.
“So, what do you mean by awakening?”
That’s a good question. In my case, my magicules and mana increased more than tenfold,
and all the monsters in the soul lineage have been given a gift. I didn’t know what his growth
rate would be, but I was sure it would be a big increase in power.
“Let’s see, to put it simply, I evolved when I became a demon lord, didn’t I? You can
think of it as the same phenomenon, the Harvest Festival to become a demon lord.”
“Huh? Does that mean that not only me, but also my subordinates will be affected?”
“I think maybe they will.”
It was unclear to what extent this would affect the ‘Kurenai’, but at the very least, gifts
would be distributed to them.
“No, no, no…this is so important, but you just said it out of the blue without any
consultation—”
“Wait, wait, hold on. That may be so, but this is not the time for questions and answers.
Now that we don’t know how strong the enemy is, it’s imperative that we strengthen our
forces, isn’t it?”
“I’m sure that’s true, but…”
Benimaru closed his eyes in distress. Then he opened his eyes, looked at me, and sighed
deeply. He appeared to have made up his mind. Or maybe he just gave up, but it didn’t make
much difference.

23
 “So, I’m not the only one you’re awakening, am I? I think it’s dangerous to lose so much
battle strength at this time.”
“Only twelve are qualified to awaken, and currently only nine can be awakened. I am
going to leave Testarossa and the others as escorts, I have decided that a few days will not be
a problem.”
“I see. We have the labyrinth, so I guess it’s not a problem if we just need to stall for
time.”
Benimaru agreed with my explanation. The remaining question was about the possibility
of someone going out of control.
“However, there is one point of concern.”
“What’s that?”
“You are stronger now than you were when I evolved. The rate of growth from
awakening is unknown, so you could become stronger than I am.”
In that case, the ‘Food Chain’ of the Ultimate Skill ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ might
give me some feedback. Still, there was a possibility that he would become stronger than I
am. I mean, Diablo and the others were definitely going to be stronger than me. I don’t think
Benimaru and the others will betray me, but I can’t deny the possibility that they will be
swayed by their power and go out of control. I think they will probably be fine, and the
Isolation space was designed for in case they run out of control, but it was true that I had such
a concern.
“Do you really want to force our awakening, even with such concerns?”
“Well, yeah.”
“We are loved. We must do everything we can to defeat any adversary, right? In that case,
I will certainly meet your expectations.”
I didn’t even need to say anything for Benimaru to understand my thoughts. He even
assured me that he would never go out of control. He’s truly reliable.
“I believe you.”
“Leave it to me.”
Just then, Shuna’s speech was over. So, I awarded him right away.

“Benimaru! Your command in this battle was truly outstanding! From this day forward, you
can call yourself the ‘Flare Lord’!”
“Yes, thank you!”
The ritual began. He was usually friendly, but in front of the soldiers, he was the army
commander. Benimaru was perfect at distinguishing between his private and public life. The
title of ‘Flare Lord’ was given to Benimaru. It was also a substitute for the title of ‘True
Demon Lord’ since he could not call himself a demon lord even if he became a True Demon
Lord. The words used stood for fierce anger. He used to be a bit short-tempered, but now he
always seems to keep his cool. Nevertheless, his nature was still a fiery flame. It’s just that
he’s learned to burn and control his anger quietly. As the first demon lord to serve me, there
could be no more fitting title.

«Question: Using the specified amount of 100,000 souls, will you evolve the individual
Benimaru?
YES/NO»

24
 YES.
As soon as I agreed, a ‘Soul Corridor’ was created between me and Benimaru. It was not
a thin connection as before, but a solid one. Through this, 100,000 souls would flow to
Benimaru. At the same time, the evolution of Benimaru started—actually it didn’t.
No change. Huh, is it a failure? Benimaru answered me with a thoughtful look on his
face.
“Apparently, there is another condition for my evolution.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ah, no, it looks like it’s not Rimuru-sama’s problem, but mine…”
For some reason, Benimaru was being ambiguous about what he was saying. What’s
going on? Something was fishy here.
“What’s the problem?”
I asked Benimaru in a quiet voice. He gave me a surprising answer.
“Actually, I heard the Voice of the World too. Apparently, I can evolve from an oni to a
divine oni, but then I won’t be able to have children.”
Benimaru said that divine oni had no need to have children because they had no life span.
Well, that was true. Oni were also a race that lived quite a long time. It was not surprising that
they would lose their life expectancies if they were a higher race. That means that divine oni
were probably a kind of spiritual life form. It seems that even demons don’t have children,
which is the fate of a species without a lifespan. There was no need for the preservation of the
species, since they could be revived even after death.
“So, what’s the problem with that?”
Sadly, I can’t have children either. But it wasn’t an inconvenience, and I didn’t see it as a
problem…
“—It seems that I still have some unfinished business from when I was an ogre. I forgot
about it myself, but I guess I have to finish my job as patriarch properly.”
“Does that job mean you have to have children in order to evolve?”
“Well, um. It seems that it is necessary to leave a next generation…”
Benimaru and I were staring at each other again. We were currently in the middle of a
celebration. It may look like I’m throwing congratulatory words to Benimaru to the
participants, but if I don’t do something quickly, they will know that there is a problem. A
little impatiently, I looked at Benimaru. Then Benimaru looked at me awkwardly. It was rare
to see Benimaru like this. I was deeply moved by his attitude because he is usually so fearless.
“Prepare yourself, Benimaru.”
“No, but what?”
Ignoring Benimaru’s attempts to make excuses, I raised my voice.
“I see. So you want to marry as a reward? So then, who is it?”
“Hey—Rimuru-sama!”
It was time for him to be a man—it wasn’t any of my business, but I held myself high.
After all this, Benimaru had no choice but to make up his mind. To get the late blooming
Benimaru to act, this kind of rough treatment was necessary.

«…Notice. This action may result in the strangulation of the Master.»

What?
Wisdom King Raphael-san gave no answer to my query.
No, no, no, it’ll be alright.
I said this to myself, and the Colosseum erupted in cheers. It seemed that everyone had

25
heard my voice and understood what I said.
“Brother, so you have finally made up your mind!”
Shuna smiled brightly.
“So, young man, who are you going to nominate as your partner?”
Hakurou asked this question with his hand on his sword. Momiji and Alvis, who were in
the guest of honor’s seats, stood up before Benimaru could answer that question.
“Rimuru-sama! I would like to ask your permission to speak!”
“May I do the same? Like Momiji-sama, I have a request to make.”
I sensed a strong conviction from both of them. It was not an atmosphere in which I could
say ‘no’ anymore.
“Okay, okay. Now then, will you two please come with me?”
We were in the middle of a celebration, but I didn’t think this was the time to talk about
it. Those in the Colosseum were already spectators waiting for a good show. There was
complaining—or rather, it would be more likely to cause dissatisfaction if we stopped now.
The two who came were allowed to speak.
“Rimuru-sama, I would like to ask for permission to marry Benimaru-sama as a reward.”
First, Momiji made a bold statement. And then, Hakurou followed him.
“Rimuru-sama, the reward shall be that which is given. It is impolite to demand
otherwise. However, I beg you to grant my daughter’s wish.”
Hakurou requested Momiji to take over his own orders of merit as well. The way things
were going now, it was difficult for me to refuse. Benimaru was frozen in his seat, unable to
keep up with the situation. He was known for his good judgment, but now it seemed that he
couldn’t think straight. And then, another comment made the situation even more confusing.
“Rimuru-sama, please allow me to be Benimaru-sama’s second wife!”
Even Alvis, who was late to Momiji’s statement, started to say something like that.
Benimaru and I couldn’t help speaking in unison,
“ “Huh?” ”
Momiji and Alvis had been in a fierce battle over Benimaru. It was a well-known story to
the point that it came to be known as an epic of love and war, so when did it end?
“So, Momiji as the first wife and Alvis as the second wife?”
“Yes!”
“That’s right.”
Momiji and Alvis answered with a happy look on their faces. Benimaru’s eyes were
white. I don’t know what happened between them, but it seems that a clear pecking order had
been established.
“It is unbecoming of a wife to annoy Benimaru-sama with such things. I do not ask you to
choose one of us, me or Alvis-san, so please take us both at the same time.”
“Wait, that’s not how it works…”
“It’s okay. I discussed this with Momiji-sama, and we came to the conclusion that
Benimaru-sama’s caliber will not be a problem.”
No, no, no, what kind of conclusion is that?! Benimaru was looking at me as if begging
for my help. Well, I’m puzzled, too. I don’t think I can help him so easily…

«Answer. According to the current rules of the Jura-Tempest Federation, polygamy is

allowed for the purpose of procreation. However, it is limited to widows who wish to have
children. In this case, the second wife would not be allowed.»

Oh, oh! That’s right.

For some reason, I feel that Wisdom King Raphael-san is actively cooperating with me,

26
and now I can help Benimaru.
“Unfortunately, Alvis-san, in our country, only a widow who wishes to have a child can
become a second wife. In the future, we intend to make it a law, and there is a possibility that
the rule will be changed, but right now, we can’t allow…”
Feeling sorry, I tried to deny Alvis’ request. Benimaru nodded his head in relief, but it
was a big mistake to think that this was the end of the story.
“Don’t worry. I’ve been studying the rules of this country. Actually, I got married just a
few days ago—”
Wait, she got married the other day?? With whom? I mean, in that case, it’s impossible
for her to get married to Benimaru, right? I thought so, but what Alvis said after that was
beyond my imagination.
“—and I was sadly separated from my husband by death. Therefore, I fulfill the
conditions to be the second wife of Benimaru-sama.”
Huh? Wait a minute, wait a minute, that’s not because of the war, is it?
If so, that would be a big problem…Alvis’s argument was so cunning that I felt foolish
for worrying about it.
“Wait, wait, wait, what? Who was the husband of yours who you married?”
“That would be Phobio over there in the guest of honor section,” Alvis told me with a
smile.
“……”
Um, Phobio-san, you’re still alive, right? Benimaru and I were confused and looked at
each other.
‹What’s going on?›
‹I don’t know, you’re asking me!›
‹But that…›
We had a conversation only by looking at each other without even having to use the
‘Telepathy Net’. Phobio came up to us and knelt down with an apologetic look on his face.
“I’m really sorry. My Alvis is speaking so self-righteously.”
“No, no, no. You were married? More importantly, are you dead??”
“About that…”
And so the story began. Momiji, Alvis, and Phobio explained to me the whole story of
Alvis’s plan. In a nutshell.
Momiji and Alvis had developed a kind of friendship through many fist fights. Then,
Momiji and Alvis decided to change directions by assisting each other instead of fighting each
other. What should they do so that they could both become Benimaru’s wife? The answer
they came up with was for Alvis to marry Phobio. After marrying Phobio, the two would fight
in the labyrinth until one of them died. Alvis then won and reported herself as a widow. Since
they had only fought a duel in the labyrinth, Phobio was still alive, of course.
“If I won, she said she would marry me. So, can I cry?”
So that’s the reason why Phobio went along with the plan…
The sight of Phobio drooping his head was so pathetic that I couldn’t help but feel sorry
for him. I mean, what should be done in this case?
“Rigurd, is this possible?”
“Ha! It’s a very simple and straightforward theory of power. This is the result of using
wisdom and power to get what you want. If you ask me, this is totally fine!”
I see. Regurd, Rogurd, and Rugurd nodded their heads in agreement with Rigurd’s
statement. Seriously. In the eyes of a monster, Alvis’s action is a good thing.
“Brother. Momiji-sama and Alvis-sama have shown their determination up to this extent.
Please be a man and give them your reply!”

27
 Shuna was also in favor of Alvis’s action? No, Shuna wasn’t the only one.
“If you don’t like it, tell them you don’t like it, if it bothers you, tell them it bothers you,
right? What’s there to worry about?”
In the case of Shion, she doesn’t seem to be thinking much about it, but she still made a
pretty good argument. Still, she does not seem to be against Benimaru taking two wives, and
is simply urging them to answer. Surprisingly, there are no objections. No one seems to have
any thoughts that this is unethical or unclean. Indeed, survival of the fittest is the rule of
monsters. The strong takes everything, and is only limited by the rules I have set. If they want
it, and no one complains about it, I think it’s okay to accept this.
“Benimaru, how long do you intend to keep worrying about this? Your father will laugh
at you in the afterlife if you keep being so indecisive.”
“Souei…you may say so, but my father loved only my mother and brought me and Shuna
into this world. What’s wrong with me wanting to be like him?”
Benimaru seems to be unusually agitated, perhaps because Souei’s words were painful to
his ears. However, Souei did not budge.
“I didn’t say it was bad. You seem to doubt your love, but why don’t you just have
children? If a man and a woman don’t love each other, they can’t have a child. If you don’t
have feelings for them, then just say no from the beginning. But if you have even a little bit of
feelings for them, why don’t you just hold them and show them the result?”
Souei-san, you are too blunt. Although it seemed like harsh sexual harassment, I hated the
fact that it looked so good on him. And the argument appeared to make sense to the monsters.
I forgot that no child could be born without love. Benimaru is troubled because he feels it is
unfaithful to love both of them at the same time. Moreover, choosing one or the other would
cause grief to the one who remains. That is why he has been postponing to give an answer. I
didn’t dislike that kind of thinking. But in this case, if we show the result as Souei says, all the
problems would be solved, wouldn’t they?
“Alvis-san, let’s see who can conceive Benimaru-sama’s child first!”
“I won’t lose, Momiji-sama. My love is real. All that’s left is to win Benimaru-sama’s
heart!”
I think that was the hardest part, but they don’t seem to be bothered by it. It was all up to
Benimaru’s heart.
“Benimaru, we are in the middle of a celebration. It’s a place to honor your deeds. I will
allow you all your selfishness, so please answer me sincerely. Will you respond to Momiji
and Alvis’ courtship or not? Which is it?”
If Benimaru does not like it, we will be done talking about it. But if not…
“Momiji, Alvis, as the ‘Samurai general’ protecting Rimuru-sama, I may not be able to
stay by your side forever. Still, are you willing to choose me?”
Benimaru was sincere to the end. He was worried about the future. When Benimaru has
no more regrets after having children, he will evolve into a divine oni. Then he will no longer
have a life span, and there will come a time when he will forever be separated from Momiji
and Alvis. Of course. Since only he will evolve, his two wives will be left behind…
In a situation like this, it was a bit harsh to ask for an answer so suddenly. Even I, though
I don’t feel it yet, would find it hard to see my loved one leave me before I do. Well, I am not
talking about a specific individual, but about all my friends in general. I could understand
Benimaru’s concern, and I thought that Momiji and Alvis might also be affected, but my fears
were unfounded.
“No problem at all! After I raise my children, I will somehow evolve as well.”
“I agree with you. And even if evolution is impossible, my children will comfort you in
your ennui.”

28
 Women are so strong. These two showed her determination as if unfazed. Hearing their
reply, Benimaru gave a fresh smile.
“Rimuru-sama! May I have your permission to take two wives?”
I could not and would not say no here. It would set an unreasonable precedent, but if they
would be allowed to do so if they perform well, as they have done in this case, it might give
them hope and encourage them to work harder. I decided that it was okay.
Benimaru is a pure-hearted man who pretends to be hard-core. If I had left him alone, he
would have been a bachelor forever, and I would consider this as a good opportunity for him.
If there is a concern, it is if he could love both Momiji and Alvis at the same time, but I
believe that Benimaru will be able to get through this. And I will cheer for him, too. I jumped
out of my chair and changed into human form. Then, I announced loudly:
“Permission granted! In my name, I grant Benimaru, Momiji, and Alvis the right to ‘the
union of souls’!”
In the case of monsters, marriage is like a union of souls. It is obvious from the fact that
no child can be born without love. That is why it is appropriate to call it ‘the union of souls’.
Hearing my declaration, a smile was etched on Benimaru’s mouth. His face was dyed red with
joy, and he was still clutching Momiji and Alvis in his arms, his chest outstretched.

29
30
 “Thank you. I will surely love them both and show them my sincerity!”
Momiji and Alvis were in tears of joy after hearing Benimaru’s magnificent speech. They
seemed to be speechless with emotion. Honestly, I’m so envious of Benimaru. A beautiful girl
and a beautiful woman, they were truly a flower in each hand. But… I guess it will be
difficult for the shy Benimaru from now on. Well, I can’t speak for others either. In my case,
I’m asexual, so there’s no use in thinking about it…

Benimaru’s speech was greeted with loud cheers in the Colosseum. Shuna was happily
congratulating her brother, and Shion was clapping proudly for some reason. Of course, I
heard not only the congratulations but also some jealous and resentful voices, but that much
was still a blessing. Thus, Momiji, Alvis, and Benimaru were celebrating amidst the cheers of
the participants in this festive event.
I would have liked to continue the celebration, but we were in the middle of the event and
I wanted to give priority to the evolutionary rituals. Let’s just announce it now and have
Benimaru’s wedding ceremony slowly after this evolutionary rite called ‘victory celebration’
is over. We were going to have a banquet again today, but the more the merrier. So, for now,
the priority was on the celebration event. I let the happy Benimaru and company move back
and ordered Shuna to just make the arrangements. The incessant cheering finally died down
when I raised my hand. It was indeed an unexpected happening. Out of the corner of my eye, I
saw Gobua breaking down in tears, and for some reason Phobio was comforting them, but
there is no time for that now. We decided to continue the celebration.

I reverted back to my slime form and sat down on the chair. After watching me, Shuna’s
dignified voice echoed in the hall, where the excitement had not yet cooled down.
“The three grand corps commanders, step forward!”
The three corps commanders are the commanders of the First, Second, and Third Corps.
That is, Gobta, Geld, and Gabil knelt before me. Let’s start with Gobta.
“Ahem! Gobta-kun, you will not be rewarded!”
I said this to Gobta, who was looking at me with an expectant expression.
“What? That’s terrible! Then, why did you call me here?”
“That’s a good question. I don’t have a reward for you, but I’m going to give you one
right in return.”
“A right?”
Giving souls to Gobta will not make him evolve. He is a talented guy, but he is not
qualified for it. I considered giving Gobta weapons and armor, but I decided that Gobta could
not handle more than what I am giving him now. Besides, he can ‘Magic Wolf Unification’
with Ranga anyway, so he doesn’t need any half-assed armor. Even if I gave him money, he
would not use it for anything useful. What’s more, the corps commanders are well-paid. He
should be able to make a good living, since he receives a considerable amount of money
points every month. In the case of a human nation, we would have given him a territory, but
our country does not have any territory that can be ceded. Besides, Gobta would not be able to
rule, so this was a meaningless example. And so, I decided to grant Gobta special rights.
Gobta was puzzled by my words. I guess he did not understand what I meant by the word
‘right’ alone. Then, I will just tell him the answer.
“You have the right to treat me ‘casually’, with the same informal tone that you have

31
always been using up until now!”
I flashed a smirk at Gobta, who remained puzzled, and declared as such. Before Gobta
could even comprehend my words, there was a roar of cheers—or rather, shouts of rage—that
was even louder than the one that had just been given to Benimaru. It was a cheer so loud that
it was impossible to hide any jealousy. Even Shion and Shuna were staring at Gobta with
terrifying eyes. They seemed to be very envious.
“Oh, uh, are you serious?”
“After all, you can’t even speak honorifics, can you? I’m afraid you’re going to screw it
up big time one day, so I’ve decided to take this opportunity to recognize it as your right.”
Gobta’s tone of voice was not good at all, though I could also sense his respect. I mean, I
usually tell everyone to talk to me casually, but it seems to be quite difficult. In such a
situation, there have been frequent complaints about Gobta’s informal conversational style.
They wanted me to do something about it because it would affect my external reputation.
Since that was a hassle, I decided to recognize it as a ‘right’. There were many foreign guests
such as Phobio and Jaine-san at this celebration. The idea was that the publicity here would
solve Gobta’s problem.
Well, I guess there are a lot of other troublesome things to worry about, such as
appearance and authority, but we, as monsters, did not need such a formal system. I would
just do what I wanted to do. What is important is not what is on the outside but what is on the
inside. Gobta is a good example.
His tone may have been foul, but his loyalty was real. I could see it in his eyes. Gobta had
a look in his eyes that says he is willing to die for me. That’s why this is his ‘right’.
“Thank you!”
Gobta bowed with a big smile, bending at a ninety-degree angle. He was overjoyed.
Perhaps, he had been trying to correct his tone of voice. It hadn’t worked at all, though. I am
happy for Gobta that it was the best reward for him. Appropriate rewards were really hard to
come up with.

Next, after Gobta, there was Geld.

“Geld, from this day forward, you can call yourself the ‘Barrier Lord’!”
“I, Geld, accept this title! I will strive to live up to the name ‘Barrier Lord’!”
Geld responded strongly. Amidst the loud cheers, I secretly told Geld my message behind
the scenes.
“I will attempt the same evolutionary ritual on you as I did on Benimaru.”
“Just what is that…?”
I didn’t want to explain it every time, so I connected a ‘Telepathy Net’ to those who were
going to be given souls. Then, I explained about the evolutionary ritual to all of them. At this
time, I also remembered to use ‘Thought Acceleration’ in combination with ‘Telepathy Net’.
By doing this, we could have an important conversation in less than a few seconds in real
time. After a brief explanation, Geld responded.
‹I appreciate the offer, but I think there is someone better qualified for this reward.
Carrera-dono, the inspector general, has been a major player in this war. If she is also
qualified, then by all means, please let Carrera-dono take the reward instead of me—›
Hmmm, declining to awaken with a soul’s power?
I did not plan to have Carrera evolve this time. I had no doubt that Carrera was a major

32
player, but I did not want her to go out of control when she gained power, even though she
was already so dangerous at this stage. Because I needed to take a wait-and-see attitude, I
wanted to wait on evolving Carrera in the meantime, choosing to advance the oldest and most
reliable subordinates. I explained as such, but Geld was still hesitating.
‹But I am also…›
So, Geld was worried. He was afraid that he would get too powerful and lose control. And
perhaps he was still trying to make amends. Amends for the great disaster that he had caused
in the Great Jura Forest by his outburst at that time. As the one who bears the responsibility,
he was strictly controlling himself. His eyes were shining with strong will, and he looked at
me with determination. That is why I answered him.
‹Don’t worry, Geld. Even though Geld, the orc disaster, went berserk, it was for the sake
of his friends, wasn’t it?›
Geld would not lose control. If he had that much determination, he would be able to
control whatever power he gained. And…
There was no one left to denigrate Geld because of past events.
‹You still feel responsible, but I believe in you. And I know you will use your newfound
strength to protect us all!›
As Geld evolves, his servants will also receive a gift. That means our country will gain a
strong defense. When I explained this, Geld’s eyes shone brightly.
‹…If that’s the case, I humbly accept!›
He agreed. As expected of Geld. A man who works for the good of his people, not for
himself. By the way, there was no one who refused, except for Geld. Some of them seemed to
be anxious, but I felt that their expectations were higher than their apprehensions. It was my
fault that I did not confirm their intentions beforehand, but momentum was important in this
case. I was relieved that everyone agreed to the plan. I deactivated the ‘Telepathy Net’ and
resumed the festivities.
“Your work has been truly outstanding. As a reward, I give you this.”
Then I signaled to Shuna. Shuna nodded with a smile and handed Geld a set of equipment
she had prepared. The armor and shield were legendary-grade equipment that I had acquired
in this battle, and I modified them myself in consultation with Garm. It was an exclusive
weapon that only Geld could use by reacting to his monstrous aura. The principle was the
same as that of the ‘Holy Spirit Armor’, which could not be reproduced even by Garm.
The difference between mythical-grade and legendary-grade is the maturity level of the
armor itself. The weapons themselves evolved over a long period of time. The evolution
varied from one to another, and the number of years required depended on the materials. In
addition, it was said that the speed of evolution increased dramatically if the owner was
superior. Since Geld had a defensive specialization, I expected that even legendary-grade
equipment would soon have a defensive ability comparable to that of mythical-grade
equipment. On the contrary, Wisdom King Raphael-san said that there was a high possibility
that Geld would gain a gift with his evolution. I am sure that it would reach the mythical-
grade. If that happened, his defense would be much stronger. Geld accepted his prize
reverently and bowed to me.

«Question: Using the specified amount of 100,000 souls, will you evolve the individual
Geld?
YES/NO»

YES—After doing this, I called out to Geld.

“You’ve been giving yourself a hard time, all these years. This is a good time for you to

33
get some rest, and to think about what you wish to do for yourself.”
Geld will not only fight in battles, but will continue to play an active role in the
construction of the city. He has been working hard all his life and rarely takes a proper rest.
He was probably the hardest worker in the country. I hoped that he would take this
opportunity to take a good rest.
“Yes! Thank you very much for this happiness!” Geld replied, smiling happily.
Then he returned to the line in a nonchalant manner, as if resisting the evolutionary
slumber caused by the influence of the Harvest Festival on a demon lord.

How did he overcome that sleepiness? I was so impressed that I turned my attention to the
next person. Gabil. He had led the Third Corps in a brilliant aerial battle. When I
congratulated him, he looked down with a sincere face.
“It wasn’t enough. I am ashamed of my lack of talent.”
…Truth be told, Gabil really deserved it. The idea of having magic endurance training in
the middle of a war is something that no one could imitate. Or rather it’s not that I can’t
imitate it, but that I wouldn’t want to imitate it. After the battle, I received a detailed report
from Ultima, and was appalled at how stupid they had been. She even advised that Gabil-san
should be punished. I didn’t know when he had become such an experiment-loving bastard…
But thanks to that, it seems that Gabil and his team have figured out the secret of
dragonewt’s Intrinsic Skill-’Dragon Body’. I would have a big heart and not get angry this
time. Besides, there were more important things for now. I also switched to ‘Telepathy Net’
and spoke to Gabil. It was a private chat, since it would be counterproductive to scold him in
front of everyone.
‹I’ll speak more about the experiments during the war later, but there is this. Ultima has a
proposal. She is willing to teach you how to control your magicules.›
‹What did you say?›
‹For the demon race, dealing with magicules is as easy as breathing. She is willing to take
care of you guys, so please get along with her and ask her for advice.›
He might only be assuaged if I punish him, but it would be better for him to be treated by
Ultima. As you know, Ultima would understand how to be lenient and only suffer a little
before they could reflect on themselves. That was my decision.
“We are still inexperienced. I, Gabil, am grateful to you for giving us an opportunity to
grow further! We will strive to meet Rimuru-sama’s expectations so that all of us can master
the ‘Dragon Body’!”
The response was surprisingly positive. It seems that they were prepared for it. Gabil, too,
missed the days when he used to be beaten by Gobta. His goofy personality had calmed down
a lot now. He had learned to read the atmosphere around him and had gained the dignity of a
warlord. As he said, he still had some ways to go, but it seems that he had certain qualities to
begin with, and through the bitter defeats and his interactions with Vesta and others, he had
now acquired a thoughtful mindset.
He was now a reliable person. The experiences he had accumulated have helped Gabil to
grow up. Therefore, I could trust him with power.
“I will give you power. Use it well and awaken as the ‘Draco Lord’!”
I gave Gabil the souls and encouraged him to evolve. Unlike Geld, Gabil’s evolution was
dramatic. His blackish-purple scales turned reddish-purple, and fiery magicules ran through

34
his body. Gabil, however, endured the situation admirably. He kept his consciousness only
with his spirit, and controlled himself. The experiment was not in vain, and it had borne fruit.
“Wooooooooooo! I feel full of power! Thank you, Rimuru-sama! From this day forward,
I shall call myself ‘Draco Lord’. And for the sake of Rimuru-sama and this country, I will use
this power to my utmost!”
A purple lightning shot was released from Gabil’s body and roasted himself. However,
Gabil’s body began to heal instantly, transforming into a stronger body. It seems that it was a
success. Perhaps because I told him to call himself a ‘Lord’, but Gabil now had a magnificent
horn sprouting from his forehead. Gabil looked very handsome and well-fitted, even if he was
a bit cocky. But that was all right. It was a magnificent evolution of both dignity and power.
Thus, the ‘Draco Lord’ Gabil was born.

That said, it seems that the evolution into a ‘True Demon Lord’ varies from individual to
individual. I myself had fallen into an irresistible deep sleep, and Geld was currently trying
his best to stay awake. Benimaru needed additional conditions. In Gabil’s case, it was all done
in a moment, without even falling asleep.
“Gabil-sama, I’m feeling full of energy too!”
“Indeed!”
“Me too. Gabil-sama is the best!”
Such voices could be heard from the corner where the Third Corps was lined up. It was
the group of a hundred ‘Hiryuu’. The lizardmen who were members of the Blue Numbers also
seemed to be receiving gifts. All three thousand of them had evolved into dragonewts. The
‘Hiryuu’ had successfully broken through the barrier of A rank, and had gained enough
fighting ability to be called mid-level majin. It was as if their ‘Dragon Body’ was now
normalized and the Skill itself was gone. The ‘Dragon Scaling’ skill, which transformed the
skin into dragon scales, also seemed to have disappeared, and they gained a new skill called
‘Dragon Skin’ in its place.
I would leave the control of power to Ultima, but the problem was the newly acquired
skill. It covered the body with self-repairing armor, taking in the surrounding magicules. In
principle, it was the same as ‘body armor’, but its defense was incomparably higher. Since it
regenerated even small scratches, it was very economical and did not require any protective
gear. Moreover, the strength of the skill varied from person to person, and increased in
proportion to the strength of the user. I was surprised to see that the strength of Gabil’s
‘Dragon Skin’, for example, had jumped up to almost mythical-grade protection.
Naturally, that kind of perfect defense was also reflected in the attack. Although they
were still dragonewts in terms of their race, they had been so strengthened that it would not be
an exaggeration to say that they were different from other dragonewts. In the end, they could
not be humanized, but that was not important because it was a matter of personal will.

And then there were the others. Surprisingly, even Souka and the others were affected by
the evolution of Gabil. Those of this group were humanoid dragonewts. Since they were still
in human form, their defense was inferior. However, their speed and attack power had been
greatly increased. The skill possessed by these dragonewts was the same as that of ‘Dragon
Body’, but while still retaining a human face after the transformation, which was different
from Gabil’s group. It seems that the scales and wings of a dragon can be taken in and out at
will, but after the transformation, they appeared to become majin with the motif of a dragon’s
figure.
Although they were the same species as Gabil and the others, they seemed to follow
completely different evolutionary paths. If they continued to evolve further, they might even

35
become another species. In terms of strength, Souka and her members are superior to those of
the Hiryuu. They had been strengthened to the extent that one could call them ‘greater majin’,
and Souka herself had enough magicules to be comparable to an archdemon. As expected,
they had succeeded in greatly increasing their strength.

Okay, now to get the three corp commanders out of here before calling the next ones in.
“Ranga, Hakurou, Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera. Come forward!”
With Gobta, one could not forget Ranga. And then there was Hakurou, who was the
advisor. And then there were the three demon girls who had been appointed as inspectors and
intelligence officers. When I called Ranga, he appeared quietly from my shadow. Hakurou,
too, appeared without a sign. Testarossa was graceful, Ultima was light, and Carrera was
majestic. They came up to the dais and knelt before me.
Now that they were all here, I would reward them in turn. First was Ranga. He had
assisted Gobta and did a job well done.
“Ranga, you not only fought alongside Gobta, but you protected him as well, so I thank
you.”
“What do you mean, my lord? I merely did what I had to do!”
Hahaha, what a cute guy. Still, I was well aware how happy he was to hear my
compliments by the wagging of his tail.
“Well then, from this day forward, you can call yourself the ‘Star Lord’!”
“Yes!”
Ranga roared and accepted. Immediately, a ‘Soul Corridor’ was established between us.
Ranga, as in my case, began to evolve instantly and the Harvest Festival seems to have
started.
“Gggggh, my lord…”
“Are you sleepy? Then take it easy.”
There was nothing to be patient about. I put Ranga back in my shadow and let him sleep.
By the looks of things, I’m sure the wolves under my command had received the gift as well.
I was very much looking forward to seeing what would happen after the evolution. Ranga did
not run rampant, and fell asleep in my shadow. The four were now done. At this rate, it
seemed like I would have nothing to worry about, but let’s just continue the ritual without
letting up until the end.

Next was Hakurou.

“You have done a great job in your role as Gobta’s advisor. Thank you.”
“It’s nothing. Gobta is growing up, and soon he won’t need my help.”
“No, no, no, there is a big difference between the presence and absence of Hakurou. So,
as for the reward—”
“Wait a moment, Rimuru-sama. For my part, it is enough that you have listened to my
daughter Momiji’s wishes.”
Oh, I remember him saying that earlier. However, I can’t just leave it at that, can I?
‹Those are two different things. I wish Benimaru and Momiji the best. Besides, it must be
complicated for you as a father, now that Alvis-san has intervened, isn’t it?›
I spoke to Hakurou through ‘Telepathy Net’ again. Telepathy Net’ was very useful for me
because I could talk in front of many people without worrying about time.

36
 ‹I thought about that a little. But I believe in young Benimaru-sama. And my daughter’s
eyes are also reliable. So, I am satisfied.›
‹That’s good. I believe Benimaru will make them both happy.›
But God only knows if they will have children or not.
‹So…›
‹Wait a minute. Aren’t awards for merit important? Besides, the prize I prepared for you
is the work I asked Kurobee to do for me. I hope you will accept it so that Kurobee’s efforts
won’t go to waste.›
That’s right. I had prepared Hakurou a newly forged sword. Recently, Kurobee has been
improving his skills rapidly. The quality of his work is excellent, and it was a legendary-grade
sword.
By the way, Benimaru’s ‘Red Lotus’ was also made by Kurobee’s hands. Benimaru was
not able to show his true potential in the previous battle due to the difference in the
performance of his weapons. Kurobee, who heard that, had blamed himself for it and became
inspired by the fact. He shut himself up in his workshop, determined to forge him the best
sword he could. Kurobee’s sword, though not quite as good as the Red Lotus, was a sword
forged with his heart and soul. Hakurou would surely appreciate it.
‹Oh, Kurobee…in that case, I will accept it with gratitude!›
‹Yes, feel free to take it!›
Good, good, good. If he declined, I would have been at a loss as to what to do. I still think
he is a little too modest, though modesty is a virtue. In that case, let’s continue.
“Don’t worry about it. This is for you. Take it!”
“Rimuru-sama’s kindness shall not be wasted. I, Hakurou humbly accept this sword!”
Hakurou smoothly received the sword.

Next, it was time to move on to the three demon girls. Actually, I had a hard time
deciding what to do at first. If I were to consider only increasing our strength, it would be
natural to evolve the three demon peers. But as I explained to Benimaru and Geld, I decided
not to evolve them at this time. One of the reasons was that I did not have enough souls, but
the other reason was that I myself am not sure if I could control them. As long as I do not
know how strong they can become, they’ll have to be put on hold. Since these three were the
same level as Diablo, I decided to let Diablo evolve first and see how it goes.
Frankly, Diablo makes me a little uneasy in another sense, but…well, it’s better not to
think too much about that for now. From my point of view, Diablo seems to be one of the
strongest. Even amongst the ‘primordials’, there seems to be some variation in strength
depending on their personalities. The three demon girls are under my direct control, and I
have them put under Diablo’s care. Therefore, I will think about their evolution after Diablo’s
evolution is completed and settled.
Even so, the souls I have currently are not enough to evolve them. There seems to be
some sort of check and balance formed between these three, so I think it would be
problematic to give them a chance to question superiority or inferiority. If anything, it would
be too dangerous. Unless they all evolve at the same time, there would be trouble. I was
tempted to consider only Carrera, since Geld suggested it, but I decided not to do it for that
very reason.
Besides, Carrera possessed more than Diablo in terms of total magicules. It seemed too
risky to give her power. Uncontrollable power is self-destructive—that’s how I felt. After all,
the nuclear magic that Carrera used—’Gravity Collapse’—was no good. If it had failed, even
Geld and his friends would have been blown away. Though it was completely controlled, the
character of a person who could unleash that kind of magic without hesitation in that situation

37
made me feel a little uneasy. It’s important to check safety in everything. I decided to wait
and see how things would turn out before deciding whether to evolve her or not.
“Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera, you three have done an excellent job as intelligence
officers. We are also making good use of the souls you have gathered for us. There may be
dissatisfaction if I use what you have gathered for people other than yourselves—”
I had thought about keeping quiet about the evolution of the souls, but Testa and the
others had been the main contributors to the collection of souls. I felt that it would be impolite
to remain silent, so I confided in them, but they contradicted me with a force that interrupted
my words.
“Rimuru-sama, what do you mean?! We have no complaints!”
“That’s right! On the contrary, we are the ones who have not repaid you enough!”
“They are both right, milord. We are already content. We’ve been given bodies. And even
a name. That alone is enough to make us strong.”
All three, in unison, denied any possible dissatisfaction. Indeed, they were already more
than strong enough. Even as they are now, they were stronger than the awakened Gabil.
Hearing them say that, I was convinced. But not giving them rewards was another matter.
“I am glad to hear you say that. It makes me feel that my heart will always be with you.
That is why I hope you will accept the reward I have prepared for you.”
“A reward?”
“But…”
“There is no way out of it. If the lord has said so, how can I refuse?”
Right? If they refuse, it will be too much trouble, so I blocked the way out first.
“In recognition of your work this time, I am going to recognize you as executives. You
will continue to work as usual, but in times of war, you will be given a part of the command
authority. I will give you these titles as well.”
‘Killer Lord’ Testarossa.
‘Pain Lord’ Ultima.
‘Menace Lord’ Carrera.
These were the titles I came up with after interviewing a few people. I know the names
sound pretty brutal, but they reflect exactly what had been happening during this war. Their
role as leaders was to fight, and I thought it suited them well.
“From this day forward, I permit you to call yourselves as such. From now on, I expect
you to serve as my confidants, just like the senior executives!”
“ “ “By your will…” ” ”
Upon hearing my words, all three of them bowed their heads in unison. Apparently, they
liked the new titles. I watched the five of them return to the line, feeling glad that I had not
received any complaints.

The evolutionary rituals continued on. Next, I would call up those who had been active in the
labyrinth. Gozer and Mezer were given a new set of equipment. I officially appointed Gadra
as a Guardian of the 60th floor, and entrusted him with the Demon Colossus. Beretta was now
retired as the head of ‘Dungeon’s Elite Ten’. Gadra was now officially a member of the ‘Elite
Ten’. As a reward, he would have access to the research facilities on each floor. From now on,
he would be involved in the research side of things, too, anyway. I decided to trust him. He
was overjoyed, so I guess it was a good reward for him. If he stole my research data, that

38
would be the time to talk. However, I felt that it was a useless worry. He was a lovable old
man, and I hoped he would do his best as an ally from now on.
So far, everything was going well. In that case, it was time to get down to business.
Beretta and the four dragon kings who retired from the Elite Ten were not my subordinates.
They were under Ramiris, so I would leave them aside for now.
Guardian of the 90th floor—’Nine head’ Kumara.
Guardian of the 80th floor—’Insect Kaiser’ Zegion.
Floor Boss of the 79th floor—’Insect Queen’ Apito.
Guardian of the 70th floor—’Immortal King’ Adalmann.
Vanguard of the 70th floor—’Death Paladin’ Albert.
A lineup of eminent figures. At this point, there seemed to be no need to worry about
anyone losing control. So it was time to evolve them one by one.

First up was Kumara. I had given Kumara the title of ‘Chimera Lord’. Kumara seemed to
have grown in stature, perhaps because she had successfully accomplished her revenge in this
battle. Come to think of it, Kumara had been an enemy of mine when we first met. You never
know how things will turn out in this world. Clayman had been manipulating her, but she was
happy and proud to defeat Colonel Kansas who was the cause of the manipulation.
The reason why I entrusted her with the labyrinth was because Ranga told me that she
was good at pioneering forests. I had been advised to entrust Kumara as the Guardian of the
90th floor, so I decided to entrust her with the job. If he had not said that, Kumara might still
be a fox cub. I knew Kumara was a powerful young beast, but I had no idea that she would
eventually become one of the ‘Elite Ten’.
No, perhaps it was destined to happen the moment I gave her the name. In any case, I was
thankful for Ranga’s suggestion. Kumara was now the master of eight magic beasts. Each of
the magic beasts that served as Floor Bosses on the 82-89th floors were so strong that they
were equivalent to Calamity-class. They were the eight parts of Kumara, and they looked
vaguely familiar to me, too.
A few days after naming Kumara, I once went to check on them while taking a walk. At
that time, Kumara asked me to call each of her friends by name. I was introduced to a group
of adorable child magic beasts. I have experienced countless failures in ‘naming’ monsters.
Because I was such a person, I clearly understood the dangers of name-related matters. But all
I had to do in this case was to call out the name of the tailed beast that Kumara had already
decided on. I thought it was a good idea, and I accepted it with a casual feeling. Of course, it’s
not that I did it because a young girl asked me to, or because I had such a strong desire to do
so—anyone can understand without any explanation. I didn’t expect that it would turn out like
this…
Now that I think about it, I suspect that it was actually a ‘Naming’ as well. After all, the
eight animals introduced at that time did not have such a high fighting ability.

«Answer. Yes. A similar phenomenon to ‘naming’ has been confirmed, although strictly
speaking it is different. As a result, the bond between the tailed beasts and the individual
Kumara has been strengthened.»

Oh, I knew it. I didn’t notice it because they didn’t enter a mode of low activity and I
didn’t see any change in the magic beasts at that time, but I had thought as such ever since I
saw their battle. The magic beasts who were once so cute were now the eight members,
possessing a fierce power. It was an amazing before and after. Everyone was surprised. I was
surprised too.

39
 In effect, Kumara had received an equivalent of nine names from me. As a result, the
bond between the eight and Kumara had been strengthened. And even the power that the
tailed beasts had grown by absorbing the dense magicules of the labyrinth had been returned
to the main body Kumara to give her strength overall. Well, there was no point in worrying
about what has already been done. Kumara might have been defeated without it, so I will say
that the result was overall good.
I awarded Kumara the souls. As soon as I did so, she succeeded in evolving into a demon
lord. The eight beasts of Kumara’s body shined and returned to her main body with a glow.
Kumara then grew nine tails. One of the tails, which had originally remained, turned golden.
The remaining eight tails became a shimmering silvery white. They were tails with very
beautiful fur. But even more beautiful than that was Kumara herself.
Kumara’s body turned out so voluptuous and seductive that she was completely
unimaginable from her infantile appearance. She appeared to be even more attractive than
before. Her long hair changed from brown to golden, like ears of rice reflecting the light, and
it ran down her back, silky and shiny. Was it beauty that underwent evolution?
No, of course, the amount of magicules had increased. At this stage, she had already
surpassed the awakened Gabil. I never expected her to reach this level. Kumara herself had a
great deal of fighting power, but it was only when all the eight beasts were combined into a
composite beast form (chimera mode) that she could display her most powerful ability.
Conversely, Kumara becoming more powerful meant that the Eight Beasts would follow suit
and also become more powerful. What’s more, their souls were connected through my
‘Naming’, and a gift was given only to those eight…
And the most foul point was that the power given to them would be returned to Kumara,
making her even stronger. In a sense, this was a monopoly of power. From Kumara, I sensed a
sly, calculating nature that I could not have imagined based on her beautiful appearance. It
was no wonder that Kumara did not get along with an honest and direct person like Apito.
Still, there was no reason why such a drastic evolution should have to be such a burden on
Kumara. Kumara seemed to be doing her best just to stay conscious. If she kept forcing
herself like this, she may lose control, so this had to be stopped.
“Go back and get some rest.” I ordered gently.
Kumara looked a little disappointed, but she obeyed my order honestly. Most likely, she
would sleep like Ranga and get used to her increased strength. In any case, I was looking
forward to seeing her growth. No, even now, she is already a great beauty at this stage of her
life. Anyway, Kumara left and returned to her own guardian realm.

The celebration continued. Zegion and Apito were next. I started with Apito first, leaving
Zegion for later.
“Apito, you did a great job in the last battle. That man Minits was by far the strongest of
the Imperial generals. You fought him on equal terms. Your strength is real. You should be
proud of yourself.”
When all was said and done, it was not power that I desired from Apito. All I was really
looking for was honey, and as long as the honey improved in its productivity and quality,
that’s all I could hope for. It was strange how Apito had become an ‘Insect Queen’ and a
member of the ‘Elite Ten’ before I even realized it.
“Surely you jest. I, for one, was not even close to being ready. After losing all of my

40
compatriots, I only managed to pull out a draw.”
“No, no, nothing like that…”
I tried to deny it, but I couldn’t speak after seeing Apito’s smile.
“I did not achieve a complete victory this time. Therefore, I do not think I am entitled to a
reward.”
“You say that, but…”
“However, if I am allowed to make a wish, will you allow the souls of my brethren who
died in the last battle to dwell in me once again?”
What? What did you say? She doesn’t want any reward, but suddenly she’s asking for
something this crazy! These guys, they are definitely mistaking me for some amazing guy
who can do anything, aren’t they? How can anything like this be—

«Answer. It is possible.»

So you can do it! Myself aside, the Wisdom King Raphael-san is awesome.
“Okay. Then I will let the spirits of the dead board you.”
Apito’s brethren were such demonic bugs that she didn’t even need to give them
‘Resurrection Bracelets’. I wondered whether I could call them ‘Heroic Spirits’ or not, but I
said as such on this occasion.
“I am grateful for this happiness.”
Apito was not qualified to evolve, but perhaps Zegion’s evolution would give her a gift.
That’s why I decided to give her what she wished for. Since Apito was pleased, I decided that
this was the right choice.
Next was Zegion. I thought of putting off Zegion’s reward because he was the strongest,
but I felt that it would be unnecessary to worry about it. After all, just by looking at his
calmness told me that he would have nothing to do, losing control. As expected, he was the
most powerful being in the labyrinth. Wisdom King Raphael-san also recognized his
exceptional fighting sense, and his magicule count was as high as Benimaru’s. After taking
Veldora as a teacher, he had even mastered the dubious fighting techniques of manga. No
wonder he was so strong. In this war as well, he alone had defeated the strongest of the
Imperial Army whom the other ‘Elite Ten’ members would have had a difficult time against.
They would be fools if they lost the battle against them at the same time. Zegion,
however, was able to beat them with a crushing defeat, without letting them get away with it.
He proved that he was a very powerful fighter. Although it was speculation, Zegion was
probably stronger than any normal demon lord now. Even I, an awakened ‘True Demon
Lord’, might lose to him if I let my guard down. But to awaken such a Zegion…
I had heard that even Diablo and his colleagues couldn’t beat him, so I was really getting
worried. However, that was then and this is now. There were already several awakened
demon lords in the making, so it was too late to worry about this now. I had already given
souls to five of them, and the evolution ritual was still underway. As proof, I had been feeling
an influx of power. The Harvest Festival of those who had fallen asleep was being returned to
me through the ‘Food Chain’. It was a lot of power, but my body was taking it in without any
problem as if it were a tank short on fuel.
It shouldn’t be a problem. Momentum was the key for this kind of thing, and I would just
go with it. Don’t be afraid and keep moving forward! That’s basically how I felt. Thinking
about things the other way around. How strong would Zegion become? Thinking of it that
way, I felt excited. There was a possibility that Zegion would surpass me, but as long as the
‘Food Chain’ was there, my advantage would not be reversed. Believing this, I resumed the
ritual without worrying about it.

41
 “You’re really something. To be honest, I didn’t expect you to be this strong.”
“It is all thanks to Rimuru-sama and his guidance!”
No, it was Veldora who taught you, wasn’t it—wait? Wisdom King Raphael-san had been
sneaking around behind my back, too. Then perhaps he thought that was me. It would be too
much trouble to correct him, so I decided to just leave it at that.
“No need to be modest. It’s only due to your untiring efforts. Please continue to hone
your strength for me. And from this day forward, I will allow you to call yourself the ‘Mist
Lord’.”
“Yes, I was moved with awe!”
Zegion was as taciturn as ever, but he was inspired and motivated by my words. What
might have sounded like random words to me, must have sounded like gospel to Zegion. I
guess he had more of a worship filter than I expected, but it’s not too bad to be admired at this
level, is it? I originally thought that I would just be protecting a rare insect, but as it turned
out, I was now the one being protected. Zegion’s growth was not something I deliberately
cultivated, but was rather due to his talent. In addition to that, there was the dense magic
leaking out of Veldora and the training environment in which one can come back to life even
after death. Also, there was a training partner who was so much better than Zegion. One could
not ask for more.
Well, the reasons were still trivial. He got stronger as a result, that’s all that mattered. I
gave Zegion the souls. Zegion trembled for a moment, but he managed to control the flood of
power with his will alone. Unlike Gabil’s case, he was enduring it with sheer perseverance.
Seeing him do that made me feel a bit gutless for falling asleep so easily. I didn’t think that
was something that could be done with just spirit or guts, but I couldn’t deny it now after
seeing the real example in front of my eyes. Zegion evolved into an extremely terrifying
being. According to his will, a part of his outer shell was transformed into hihiirokane. In
addition to being coupled with various laws, Zegion’s exoskeleton was comparable to a
mythical-grade hardness.
This meant that his body itself was a weapon. In terms of combat ability alone, Zegion
was unquestionably the strongest. Although for spiritual life forms, strength in combat did not
affect their superiority…but even so, they were sure to be a threat. Even now, while Zegion
was still in the process of evolution, he seemed to be acquiring various other abilities. It
would be exciting to see how he gradually evolved later on. Despite Zegion’s suppression by
force of will, the Harvest Festival was definitely still taking place. And as expected, Apito
appeared to be the only target of a gift.
Zegion and Apito were the only ones I had helped by giving them my own cells. That is
why Apito was the only blood relative for Zegion. Although there were other dangerous
species in the hierarchy of bugs, they were nearly wiped out in this defense battle. They
would not be resurrected, but would have to wait for natural emergence. The rest were Apito’s
dependents, but all of them had been killed. The souls of these bugs were given to Apito just
now. I wondered what she was going to do with them, but it seemed as if she was going to use
them for her own enhancement. The result of her evolution would prove it. During the
celebration, Apito also did not look distressed in front of me. She remained calm and endured
with the dignity of a queen. Like Zegion, I was impressed by her performance. With
admiration for the both of them, I told them to return to their places.
………
……
…
As soon as the celebration was over, Zegion and Apito returned to their home in the
labyrinth and became cocoons. With that, they would smoothly complete their evolution.

42
Apito consumed the gift from Zegion along with the souls of her dependents and subordinate
bugs. Through that she received an enormous amount of energy in her body. As a result, her
flesh collapsed, and she was reborn with a stronger and more battle-ready body.
Apito was reborn, and with the Unique Skill ‘Queen Worship’ that she had acquired, she
managed to create as many as nine insect-type majins, each with the characteristics of
multiple types of bugs. The Unique Skill ‘Queen Worship’ was the ability to take in the
ecology of the bugs she had eaten and produce them as majin. In the future, a swarming
community of majin would be formed on this floor. Apito would reign as the true queen.
Apito was both a member of the ‘Elite Ten’ and a follower of Zegion. Therefore, Zegion
would not be shy about pouring favor upon Apito. Thus, it was understandable that Apito
evolved abnormally.

Even if Apito, the recipient of the gift, had evolved to such a great extent, Zegion was no
exception. Although his physical strength had evolved, the amount of magicules in his body
surpassed that of an awakened Clayman. However, there was one Skill acquired by evolution
that was even more problematic. While Apito’s ‘Queen Worship’ skill was an amazing power
in its own right, and also possessed such a broken performance that it could be compared to
the great sin skills, Zegion’s power was completely different. He had acquired the Ultimate
Skill ‘Illusion King Mephisto’—a true ultimate power. As a disciple of Veldora, he had
obtained a Skill that was truly worthy of him. With this power, Zegion was the undisputed
king of the labyrinth. A paradise of bugs created by Apito. As king and queen, Zegion and
Apito would establish their absolute position.

With that, the remaining labyrinth group was Adalmann’s group. Adalmann had lots of faith
in me and was a bit of a—well, he was a huge nutcase. If I’m being honest, he was like a
Diablo of sorts. Although, it was because of this that he was able to use ‘holy magic’, so it
wasn’t all bad…
Adalmann was also a good friend of Master Gadra, and it was said that they used to work
together on various studies in the past. That’s probably why he was able to create the Extra
Skill ‘Holy-Demonic Reversal’ to eliminate his weak points. I didn’t think much of it before,
but perhaps he was a kind of genius. It sounds strange for someone without a brain to be so
smart, but if it is a monster you’re talking about, then it makes sense. Some monsters even
possess arithmetic circuits in their astral and spiritual bodies, giving them the ability to think
without their bodies.
And then there were even some psychics who thought not with their brains but with their
hearts. Shion and her group that had acquired ‘perfect memory’ were brought to mind. That
was merely a reproduction of memories, but if they developed and continued to think with
their souls and astral bodies, they would be released from their lifespans and be called mental
organisms. In this case, almost all physical attacks would not cause any fatal injuries, and
even if they lost their bodies, they would be able to regenerate. They were no longer under
any danger unless they were attacked by special attacks or by weapons of legendary-grade or
higher.
In the case of Adalmann, he had not yet reached that point. The wight king was a spiritual
monster, but he was bound by the yoke of his body. Because his spiritual body contained the
thinking circuit, life span had nothing to do with Adalmann. Even so, he could not reach the

43
point where he could continue to exist as long as he had a soul and an astral body. Although
he was as close and existence to a spiritual life form as possible, he was not immortal. Such
was the nature of his existence.
And the same was true for Albert, the ‘death paladin’, along with the death dragon. They
had learned to be prudent enough to fight while covering their weak points. Adalmann’s
specialty was long-range attacks with magic. He supported Albert, who was the vanguard of
the group, while also providing magical support. The Death dragon attacked from the sky, and
when Albert was exhausted or damaged, it immediately took his place as a wall. This
coordination was their winning formula for battle. To defeat this team, a special means of
attack was necessary.

However, this time, the opponent was just too bad. In this world, there was always
someone better.
As was the case with Hinata’s ‘Holy Spirit Armor’, a master who can handle legendary-
grade weapons can cut off any kind of attribute. Even if they were immortal, it did not matter.
Hakurou was an example. Hakurou would be able to freely use the legendary-grade sword
that I gave him as a prize. Doing so would greatly increase his strength. And while such a
person would be good as an ally, this time, the enemy possessed a legendary-grade sword.
Moreover, the user was of the highest military force of the Imperial Guard—the top ranks of
the Imperial Guardians.
Albert’s sword, though a failure forged by Kurobee, was a unique-grade sword. However,
the enemy’s sword was of legendary-grade. The reason why Albert had been able to defeat
the opponent even though he was fighting with inferior quality weapons was because his skill-
level was superior. In the end, Albert’s sword was shattered and his team lost because of it,
but it would be wrong to blame Albert for this. Rather, he should be praised for fighting such
a great battle.
“Although the results were unfortunate, you guys fought very well. Especially you Albert,
your swordsmanship was one of the best I have ever seen!”
“I am deeply honored.”
“Adalmann, you too. Before I knew it, you mastered all of the magic I taught you. I feel
that I have something to learn after witnessing your devotion.”
I was not planning to follow his example though because it would be too much of a pain
in the ass. I had no desire to do research unless it was something that interested me. However,
I had an excellent partner, Wisdom King Raphael-san, in my place, and Adalmann’s research
results would be useful in the future.
“How can that be? I, for one, am not even a whisper close to the fullness of Rimuru-
sama’s wisdom.”
Not mine, but Wisdom King Raphael-san’s, right? Well, I wasn’t going to point out
anything though.
“Don’t be so modest. Adalmann, I will give you greater strength. I hope you will use this
defeat as a springboard towards even greater growth!”
“I am so grateful for your kind words to a defeated person like me, and I will do my
utmost to make it up to you. I, Adalmann, would be willing to die for you, offering my
withered body and broken bones.”
Adalmann said that with tears in his eyes. I wish he would stop talking so much about
unsettling things like ‘breaking his bones’ and ‘offering his flesh and blood’. In fact,
Adalmann had initially refused to accept when I told him that I was going to help him evolve.
‹Rimuru-sama, unlike the rest of you, I am a defeated person. I cannot forgive myself. I
am not sure that I, an incompetent person, could reach the same level of awakening as

44
Rimuru-sama expects… I hope to be given the honor of reaching a higher level once I am
given the next opportunity to make a difference!›
That was Adalmann’s argument. I managed to convince him by persuading and quieting
him down. To be honest, I didn’t even expect too much from him in the first place. Even
when Shinji and his group attacked up to the 60th floor, I had thought that Adalmann and his
group would be defeated. But looking at them now, they have grown far beyond my
expectations.
Krishna and the others were just a bad match for them this time. And so, I awarded the
souls to Adalmann, with the hopes that he would work hard in moderation. This was a big
deviation from the original plan, but the labyrinth would be the last line defense from now on.
It was important to strengthen our defenses, so I asked Adalmann to evolve as well.
All of our important research facilities were located in the labyrinth, and if the time came,
the capital could be isolated in the labyrinth. I had no idea how convenient this would
eventually be when I first invited Ramiris. It was as if the labyrinth that we thought of as our
playground had become a mighty fortress before we even realized it. All of this was thanks to
Ramiris and Veldora. I called out to Adalmann, remembering to thank him as well.
“You lamented that your work was not good enough, but I still appreciate your work.
Prove me right with your future endeavors!”
“Yes! I will surely live up to your expectations!”
Adalmann’s evolution had begun. As it was in my case, he appeared to be suffering from
an irresistible sleepiness. I felt bad to make him endure, so I quickly proceeded with the ritual.

“Yes, I believe you. Then, from this day forth, you shall take the name ‘Gehenna Lord’.
And you will live up to that name from now on!”
“Of course, by you will.”
Whew! It’s really exhausting using such dignified language. By the way, it was also hard
to come up with all these titles. I didn’t sleep all night. Granted, I had been idle with too much
free time and didn’t even need sleep, but…
Anyway, I decided to give Adalmann the title of a ‘Lord’, which was the highest rank
amongst my subordinantes. There may be more of them in the future, but for now he was one
of only twelve lords. As a powerful and influential executive, Adalmann’s presence would
surely increase. If he got the chance to do so, that is.

Adalmann was not the only one who played an active role. Albert was kneeling next to
Adalmann, who was currently trying to resist sleep. Behind him, a death dragon was
crouching down with its huge frame shrunken. Since gifts would be given to both of them, it
was unlikely that I would have much time to talk with them. Albert would be given a weapon
to replace his broken sword. He was already able to use the sword with an overwhelming
skill-level, so it would be a great help to him if he was given the right equipment. Since that
was the case, I thought that it would be better to give him Kurobee’s masterpiece.
Amongst the spoils of war seized from the Imperial Army, there were legendary-grade
weapons. Moreover, the grand general Calgurio had held a very rare mythical-grade weapon.
This mythical-grade was too good to be displayed without being used. I tried to leave it to
Kurobee, but Kurobee refused to accept it.
‹I can now create mythical-grade weapons by myself!›
I was convinced that this was indeed true. Benimaru’s ‘Red Lotus’ was reforged by
Kurobee’s hands to be as good as a mythical-grade. Convinced of this, I did not give him the
weapon that I had now. In that case, who would be the right person to wield it? As one could
see from Calgurio, merely being awakened did not make one a true master of a mythical-

45
grade. Mythical-grade equipment will choose its own owner.
I understood that this was the case without analyzing it. I felt that mythical-grade
equipment was a kind of ‘tsukumogami’1. The magical steel had evolved into hihiirokane over
a long period of time, and so, the owner had to be worthy of it to be able to wield it. This was
exactly the kind of thing that a person with a long lifespan could only dream of. A noble soul
that had become a dead spirit and was exposed to endless hardships, but nevertheless did not
lose his skill-level as a Paladin. He had then evolved into a ‘death paladin’ with an endless
lifespan. Albert had studied hard and gained sword skills comparable to Hakurou’s. Wouldn’t
he be the perfect person to handle this equipment?
That’s what I thought. Besides, all the other executives had their own favorite weapons.
There are even those who had a trusting relationship with Kurobee, and they did not want to
carry any other weapons but those made by Kurobee. Others, like Diablo and the Three
demon girls, used their own ‘Matter Creation’ skill to make their weapons into tangible
objects. The performance of those weapons were proportional to the skill-level of the owner,
and they had at least legendary-grade defense. There was no need for them to own existing
armor. Some, like Shion, had constantly poured mana into their weapons with love and
affection for a long time. Perhaps because of this, Shion’s favorite sword have become
‘Hercules Ex’, a legendary-grade weapon that prioritized destructive power. That said, didn’t
that weapon break?
I thought it was cut in half during the fight with Razul, but now it was back together
again. That right, just like its owner Shion herself, even her beloved sword was revived like a
phoenix. I was more stunned than surprised. And I was also a little scared. Shion seemed to
have a love for cooking, but…what kind of ingredient is that?! Shion said that her so-called
love had such an effect that it could revive even a broken sword. Just thinking about a dish
infused with that kind of love…
I had a dangerous feeling that I was going to have to think more about this in future, but I
decided to just return to the task at hand. Now that I knew that compatibility with the
equipment is also an important factor, there was no need to give the other subordinates new
weapons now. This alone was a good enough reason, but the final push came from Wisdom
King Raphael-san. It assured me that Albert was the best person to give this mythical-grade
weapon to. I nodded my head without any doubts and decided to give it to Albert as a reward.
Thus, Albert’s prize was a set of mythical-grade equipment. It was full-plate armor, including
a longsword and a kite shield.
“Albert, your swordsmanship is excellent. In recognition of your skill, I will give you
these. Keep up the good work and help Adalmann!”
“As you wish!”
At the same time I called out to him, Shuna pushed a wagon with a set of equipment in
front of him. She handed it to Albert. Albert shivered nervously as soon as he saw it.
“Th-This is…”
Albert was astonished, probably because he noticed its performance at first glance. It was
no wonder. It was one of the few remaining pieces remaining in existence which had been
handed down from mythical times. It was the highest honor for a knight to handle the best
armor in the world.
“You’ll be able to use it, won’t you?”
I won’t let you say no. Under the pressure of my gaze, Albert became fired up.
“Of course! I will surely live up to the expectations of Rimuru-sama!”
Albert replied in high spirits. He seemed to be full of enthusiasm, and I felt relieved.
1A Tsukumogami in Japanese folklore is basically a tool that has acquired a god/spirit. Sometimes it is used to
describe items that have become alive and self-aware.

46
Then, as soon as Albert touched it, the mythical-grade equipment wrapped itself around
Albert’s body naturally. He seemed to have been recognized as the master of the armor. There
was only one miscalculation. The performance of the mythical-grade equipment, now freed
by its true master, was far beyond what I had expected. Albert had become as good as an
incarnated spiritual organism whenever he was equipped with the mythical-grade equipment.
The ability to temporarily transform a physical person into a spiritual life form—this was
the true power hidden within mythical-grade equipment. A spiritual life-form was, so to
speak, a god-like existence with no lifespan. Veldora is like that, and I am like that, so to
speak. There was nothing tangible about it, but it was definitely like immortality. Immortality
is definite, and its nature is quite inexorable. Aside from conditions such as the destruction of
the heart core or loss of magicules, it felt as if there was no way someone like that could die.
In other words, a spiritual life form had no life span, was unaffected by any abnormalities,
and could overcome death with just the power of will. I was convinced that mythical-grade
equipment had a tremendous performance because it could raise someone to the same level as
such a supernatural being, even if only temporarily. At the same time, I could understand the
reason why Wisdom King Raphael-san had recommended Albert. Benimaru had evolved into
a spiritual life form on his own, and Ranga and Shion were similar…no, rather, I was pretty
sure that they would be similar. Gabil and Geld were not quite there yet, but I think that
giving them mythical-grade equipment would not change their current conditions. Certainly,
Albert was the right choice. It was like a match made in heaven, that’s how I felt.

Adalmann’s pet dragon couldn’t be forgotten either. Because the death dragon had been
working so hard, I decided that I would reward it in some way. I was wondering what I should
do, but now I had thought of an answer. A name. ‘Naming’ is the best way to make a monster
happy. It is a dangerous thing to do, but now I had Wisdom King Raphael-san with me. I’m
sure it would keep things safe and adjust the outflow of magicules.

«Proposal. In this case, there is already a bond between the individual Adalmann and the
death dragon. Rather than creating a ‘Soul Corridor’, it is recommended to use the method of
‘Naming’ by consumption of souls.»

Hmm? This was an unexpected suggestion from Wisdom King Raphael-san. By the way,
how much soul is consumed in this case?

«Answer. 5,000. Do you want to do it?

YES/NO»

If it’s only 5,000, then that is much more secure and reliable. Wisdom King Raphael-san
said that it had analyzed the souls of ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ to convert them into
magicules. It assured me that I would be safe. Okay, then let’s go with that! I stood in front of
the death dragon and patted its head. It seemed quite nervous, and although it looked quite
scary, it was actually quite a cute guy.
“I must reward you as well. So, from now on, you are Wenti, the ‘Hell Dragon King’!”
After saying that, I consumed the souls and Named it. In that moment, a dramatic change
occurred. The death dragon’s huge frame of more than 20 meters became smaller and smaller
until it transformed into a beautiful woman wearing a dark-colored robe.

47
48
 I wondered what this was, but I still wasn’t letting my guard down. I guess with monsters,
all things are possible. I’ve been there and I’ve learned a lot. The truths I have learned thus far
kept me from panicking in the moment. I maintained my unwavering attitude of ‘of course
this is what should happen’, without showing my panic. I’m still trying very hard.
“Oh, my beautiful, beloved god! I am so moved by your blessings given even to my lowly
self!”
Uh, yeah. Of course I knew she could speak fluently. And all I’ve given her is a name.
Well, there was also the gift from Adalmann. I think she seems to be misunderstanding. I
hope she doesn’t get the wrong idea.
“O-oh, good for you, Death—no, Wenti!”
“Ahhh, my master. God has not forsaken me!”
“Yes, this is the result of our faith.”
“Yes!”
What a beautiful love between lord and slave. It feels like I’m being left on the sidelines,
but I’m happy for them. Thus, the reward ritual given to Adalmann and the others was
successfully completed.

Even so, ‘Naming’ by consuming souls is very convenient. Originally, if I tried naming
upper class monsters of the dragon lord class, I didn’t know how many magicules I would
lose. Even with Wisdom King Raphael-san, there was a limit to the amount of magicules I
had. All of the magicules I had been accumulating through ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ had
been used up by naming Testarossa and others. There was the method of relying on Veldora,
but he seemed to be very reluctant to do so. It was hard to get him to change his mind, so I
decided that would be a last resort.
Naming without any reserves can be a problem if it makes me fall into a low-level active
state (sleep mode). Now that my total amount of magicules had increased, I didn’t know how
much time it would take me to recover. This was wartime. It would have normally been
impossible to take such a risky bet. However, it was not a problem this time. Earlier, I had
been wondering how I should thank Ramiris, but if I did this, I think she would be happy
about it, right?
Basically, I came up with the idea of giving names to the four dragon lords under
Ramiris. Even if they had no connection with me, they could still be named in this way. It was
thanks to Wisdom King Raphael for coming up with this idea. I had enough souls in my
possession, so there should be more than 20,000 souls left. In the first place, I was only able
to secure such a large number of souls thanks to the cooperation of Ramiris.
But Ramiris had told me, “I have no use for souls, so I don’t need them,” and she gave
them all to me. I still felt bad about that, so this seemed to be a good idea. I hope she will be
pleased with it. I would remember to talk to her later.

And just like that, the ceremony of the labyrinth group had come to an end. The celebration
was now at its final stage, and only two problem children remained. Needless to say, they
were the first and second secretaries—Shion and Diablo. From what I had seen so far, I was
convinced that there was no danger of them storming out. However, I still had to be on guard.
After all, this was Shion and Diablo we’re talking about. It was not an understatement to say
that they were the two most dangerous. If both of them began rampaging at the same time, the

49
damage would be enormous. And currently, the leaders were not in a reliable state. For these
reasons, I would start with Shion.
“Shion, you are appointed as the ‘War Lord’. Hopefully from today onwards, you will act
with more composure than ever before.”
“Of course! There is no woman in the world as calm and mature as me!”
Uh, that, just who are you talking about? You seem to be talking about yourself, but your
self-esteem is way too high! I was impressed that Shion had learned to control herself
recently, but she still had a long way to go. I should keep an eye on her for the long haul.
“I’ll take it as is, so don’t lose control. Consult closely with those around you, and protect
us all!”
After I said that, I gave Shion the souls.
—And then, huh? To my surprise, there was no change at all. Shion looked at me with a
puzzled look on her face. We stared at each other for a while, but there was still no sign of
change. Was it a dud? This made me feel like I wasn’t rewarding her, and it was becoming
very awkward. I was suddenly in a crisis.
After all, I had nothing else prepared. I wondered what to do, but then a surprising
phenomenon occurred. The ‘Yomigaeri’ fell asleep, while Shion did not change at all. And
among the members of the mysterious Shion fan club there were a few who seemed to be
having a hard time staying awake. It appeared that all of them were given some kind of gift,
though it differed depending on the individual. Shion herself seemed to be fine, but that in
itself was strange. There was no point in thinking about it too deeply, right? I guess this kind
of thing just happened because they were direct subordinates of Shion. For this reason, it
seemed better to leave this whole Shion ordeal alone.
“Well then, Shion, if you feel something is wrong with your body, please let me know.”
“Yes! By the way, Rimuru-sama, I too, like Gobta, would like a special right…”
Shion began saying something like that, fidgeting. Well, yeah. The ritual was done
properly, but it felt to me that this was nothing more than giving a title. Some would say it is
enough, but in Shion’s case, she didn’t need a new weapon…
Like Gobta, huh?
“Okay. In that case, let’s teach you how to make a special dish!”
“What? So you agree that I am a better cook than Shuna-sama…”
“Absolutely not!”
How on earth can someone come to such an impossible conclusion? Shuna, who had been
listening beside me, was aghast, but then she suddenly got into a good mood when I
immediately denied it. Shion seemed to be dissatisfied with my denial, but when I whispered
to her that I would expand the kitchen as well, she nodded her head in satisfaction and went
back to the line. She was an easy gal to deal with.
However, Shion’s subordinates, the ‘Yomigaeri’, had evolved in an interesting way. They
had become some type of spiritual life form. It was interesting to note that unlike a demon, the
Yomigaeri all had their own bodies. They had physical bodies, but they were similar to the
demon race. More importantly, they had not lost the ability to mate. They had been reborn
into a completely new species. In other words, they were something like a new race of death
oni. It seems that the oni factor of Shion manifested more strongly, and their power greatly
increased. Some of them had even acquired the Extra Skill ‘Divine Force’, which was a
physical enhancement system. However, they did not have horns.
Although their magicule count was lower than that of the Hiryuu, it was difficult to judge
which of the two was stronger considering their immortality. No one would believe me if I
told them that these guys were once hobgoblins. Indeed, monsters have such a mysterious
biology. Shion’s ritual ended in this way, though it was surprising that she did not change.

50
Well, it was finally the turn of the last person. Problematic Diablo. He had been fidgeting with
impatience for a long time now.
‘Is it my turn now? How about now?’—his smile had been giving off that feeling, as if in
anticipation. To be honest, it was more likely for Diablo to go on a rampage if the ceremony
was canceled rather than losing control after awakening. I could say with certainty that if
anybody interrupted this, their lives would be lost. All right then, let’s get started.
“Diablo-kun.”
“Yes, Rimuru-sama!”
I have a bad feeling about this. Without a doubt, this evolution would make him one of
the strongest in the monster country. Not only would he be the most powerful among my
subordinates, but he’d definitely be more powerful than me. He had mentioned himself that he
couldn’t beat Zegion, but he had probably been bound by certain conditions. The proof was
that he had single-handedly conquered Jiwu and Bernie, who were quite strong opponents
themselves. As powerful as Zegion was, Diablo gave off the impression of being the most
superior. In other words, Diablo was still the strongest among my subordinates. If Diablo was
really serious, he could probably be stronger than me even as it is now. In fact, the person I
was when I first awakened was simply no match for the person I am now…
It would be interesting to see how Diablo would evolve.
“You are deserving of the title ‘Magic Lord’. I hope you will continue to lead the demons
as my sword in the future as well!”
Especially those three demon girls.
“Kufufufu, leave it to me, Rimuru-sama!”
Please, I’m serious. I nodded and then performed the ritual on Diablo.

—And then the devil was born.

In an instant, the evolution appeared to be over. I thought it was a dud like with Shion, but
it turned out that wasn’t the case. It was just that he had controlled all of the energy perfectly
and did not show it at all. As expected of Diablo—he was brilliant. Diablo had evolved and
become one of the most powerful beings on earth. A portion of his power also flowed through
the newly created Soul Corridor.
This is bad, this is really bad. I can’t even begin to imagine the upper limit of his power.
Now that Benimaru and Shion had yet to evolve, he had become the most powerful being
under my control. No, on the contrary…
He was on par with myself in terms of total magicule count, and considering his
accumulated skill-level and experience, it felt like I was no longer a match for him. Sure
enough, my bad premonition seemed to be coming true. That said, I had a feeling things
would turn out this way, so I was not at all upset.
“Excellent evolution, Diablo.”
“It is a great honor to receive your compliments, Rimuru-sama.”
So that’s it, huh? His personality was the same as before. It would have been interesting
to see if he had wanted to overcome the situation here. If that had happened, I was planning to
fight seriously, though that was a secret of course. Diablo, however, appeared to be trying to
get a new Skill, even though his evolution was complete.

51
 “What are you doing?”
“No, it’s just that I realized the usefulness of an Ultimate Skill in the last battle. I had
ignored this power in the past because Guy kept bragging about it, but now I’ve changed my
mind and have decided to use whatever I can.”
“O-oh, I see…”
Is this guy an idiot? This is called being a smartass, right? There seem to be a lot of that
type hanging around me.
“I’m going to take this opportunity to learn it so that I can brag about it the next time I see
him. Kufufufu.”
“A-ahhh.”
He hates Guy bragging about it, but doesn’t mind doing it himself…?
Well, whatever. One only has to look at Diablo’s attitude up until now to understand that
he’ll be selfish towards anyone but me. Even I could understand that without relying on
Wisdom King Raphael-san. Anyway, I won’t have to worry about it, since Guy would be the
victim. As long as I don’t get involved in it, I can turn a blind eye. Diablo has maintained the
same attitude as before, and at this rate, it seems that my worries about him were unfounded.
He has completely controlled the evolution, and I would continue to rely on him as a
competent subordinate.

Incidentally, there was another fact that would later come to light. An evolutionary gift
from Diablo was given to Venom, his second-in-command, along with a hundred demons
under his command. However, though this was only my intuition, I had a suspicion that
Diablo focused his energy on the gifts. I didn’t know if such a thing was possible or not, but I
wouldn’t be surprised if Diablo could do it. Diablo would have thought that strength is not
something that is given, but something that is acquired by oneself. But then again, Venom
also seemed to have something to offer. He had evolved properly and become a demon peer.
That said, he was not as good as Testarossa nor was he as intimidating as Moss and
Veyron. It would not be reasonable for a person who had reigned as the strongest for a long
time to be defeated by a newcomer, right? Even though they were the same class of demon
peers, the difference in ‘status’ was quite apparent.
“That’s for sure. I’m just a newcomer, and I haven’t even lived a hundred years. I’m not
even worth being compared to them.” Venom himself had said as such.
Venom appeared to be a special individual, belonging to a late modern species with little
experience. There was a chance he was a reincarnated person with a strange fate, since he was
born with a Unique Skill. He has no memory of his previous life, but sometimes he
remembers words that he should not know. He had said that he often felt a sense of déjà vu
whenever he saw things having to do with Japan. Well, if he really was a ‘reincarnated
person’, it made sense that he was special.
That said, Venom knew his place. He did not get carried away nor did he look down on
his colleagues even if he had evolved to the same level as Testarossa and her colleagues. He
seemed to have realized the difference in his abilities after observing his evolved power. For a
demon, experience was more important than the amount of magicules. While I was in the
midst of thinking that this kid was pretty good, he told me a story.
“Well, actually, I challenged Diablo-sama before, and now I’ve been taught the true
difference between our abilities ever since!”
He said this in such a cheerful way, but he’s just an idiot, isn’t he? This kind of thing is
typical among Diablo’s inner circle, so it seems that there was a reason he liked him. But even
so, it turned out to be a good thing. He learned from his experience and wouldn’t make the
same mistake again. Even if he ever did get carried away, Diablo would definitely take care of

52
it. Diablo had no mercy on those who did not know their place, even if it was those under his
command. Venom seemed to be a man who could learn from his mistakes.

And then there were the others who received gifts. In fact, these guys were originally still
in the process of constructing their bodies in the culture capsules. One hundred such bodies
were born as devil chevaliers. Devil chevaliers were those who had gained power comparable
to that of greater majins, though not as powerful as archdemons. They had become so fierce
that they could slaughter greater demons with a single blow.
To put it simply, they were a super high-spec existence, yet Diablo was not interested in
them in the slightest. He left all of them as Venom’s subordinates. He gave priority to being
able to move freely in protecting his position under my direct control. It was at that moment
that I was convinced that he had not changed after all. Diablo was still Diablo, even if he had
evolved and surpassed me.

And so ended the evolutionary rituals of the executives. I was glad that things ended
peacefully. However, the victory party was still going on. I called out to those who had done
well, and congratulated them for their efforts. And so things continued until only those who
were sober were celebrating. The all-inclusive banquet would be held the next time. While
looking forward to that time, I would enjoy today’s feast.
Unfortunately, Jaine-san and the two members of the ‘Two Wings’ had left. They told me
with apologetic faces that they had some urgent business to attend to and had to hurry back as
soon as the ceremony was over. I hope that they will take their time to join in the celebration
next time. I was also worried about those who were getting drunk at the party.
“—I’m not a good match for Benimaru-sama anyway. I knew that from the beginning!”
“Gobua-dono, you are beautiful too. Just look at me, I was killed by Alvis-sama, my idol.
Beastmen are those who like the strong. They want someone who’s as good as or better than
themselves as a mate. And if someone is strong, he can have as many women as he wants.
That’s how it is supposed to be, yet I…”
“Phobio-dono, you are already strong enough. If I were stronger, I would have been able
to get between those two—”
“You may just call me Phobio. You are also strong enough. It’s just, you know, it’s the
wrong comparison. I can’t beat them either, so there’s nothing to do about it.”
“Phobio-dono…no, Phobio. In that case, please just call me Gobua.”
“Ahhh, Gobua.”
“Phobio…”
Hey, hey, hey, I can’t watch this anymore! Look, I’m an adult, so I won’t get angry, but
this is not the place for you guys to have a lovey-dovey date! That said, I guess it’s not a bad
thing if two rejected people hit it off with each other. Love really is a mysterious thing. I
decided to take things as is. And so, the party continued in full swing, and the night passed
happily…

Thus, new ‘lords’ were born in our country. Although they could not call themselves
demon lords according to the regulations, nine of them were in fact equivalent to awakened
demon lords. In addition, there were three ‘primordials’. Unless something unexpected
happens, we should be able to cope with any unexpected situation. Since I have given the title

53
of ‘lord’ to these twelve, I will call them collectively ‘Twelve Chaos Guardian Lords’.
Although some of them also had titles such as the ‘Four Heavenly Kings’ or the ‘Elite Ten’,
the official title of ‘Lord’ takes precedence over them. This is because, unlike the other
positions, there was no plan to replace its members.
In effect, a ‘Lord’ is a permanent executive since they transcend life span. In the future, it
would be ideal for them to be separated from the day-to-day management and to be active
only in wartime or in emergency situations. Rigurd and Rigur, as well as Gobta and
Myourmiles, and a number of others, were excellent executives, but they had their own life
expectancy. There was still a need to consider generational subordinates and the permanent
subordinates differently. It was not an immediate issue, but it would be an issue to be
discussed in the future. The one I was concerned about was Gobta.
He was still a top executive, and he was surprisingly resourceful and strong in battle. To
be honest, his ‘Magic Wolf Unification’ with Ranga was a cheat move. Ranga would become
stronger after this evolution, but I was sure Gobta would be able to handle it. Gobta really was
a special kind of being. The evolution from naming him had not changed his appearance.
What he said in his sleep about evolution through talent might even hold some weight. And
with his reward, Gobta’s position had officially been established. Gobta’s position of being
closer to me than other executives had brought him much attention. Perhaps by accident, it
was the best reward of all. I thought this as I looked at my friends who were all enjoying the
banquet.

On another note. Apparently, after the world heard about the events of that day, I became
known as ‘Chaos Creator’ Rimuru. Because I was conscious of the many things I had done, I
decided to accept this new nickname.

54
55
 Interlude 1

The Outrageous Victory Celebration

Jaine attended the celebration and witnessed the shocking spectacle. Demon Lord Rimuru had
evolved his majin followers one by one, turning them into ‘True Demon Lords’.
Oh no, this…this can’t be! I’m not dreaming, am I?
Jaine was so surprised she couldn’t even make a sound. She knew that Demon Lord
Rimuru was trouble, but this was so ridiculous and unrealistic that it was far worse than the
worst Jaine could have imagined. Jaine’s purpose in coming here had been to ask Rimuru how
he was going to handle the ‘primordials’. Jaine herself believed in Rimuru. But a ‘primordial’
was not an existence that could just be taken easily. Once unleashed, they could disrupt the
balance of power in the world.
And in fact, this war had proven just that. The elites of the Imperial Army, 940,000 of
them, were annihilated without a trace. It was fortuitous that Rimuru was on their side, but
there was no guarantee that they would be able to maintain that relationship for a long time to
come. Therefore, Jaine came here as a representative, to check on the situation and to see how
things were going. Rimuru’s reaction when she greeted him was natural and he did not seem
to have changed since their previous meeting.
Jaine then complained a little harshly. She intended to find out what Rimuru was thinking
by observing how he reacted to her complaints. The result was a flop. In response to Jaine’s
anger, Rimuru not only showed his remorseful attitude, he even honestly apologized, saying
“I’m sorry.” Then, Rimuru’s explanation of the situation, which could only be called an
excuse, revealed that it was Diablo who had done this all on his own.
“Is this Diablo the same as the Black Primordial (Noir)?”
“Uh, it seems so. I didn’t know that either, but I don’t know why he’s so close to me…”
After saying that, Rimuru nodded his head in baffled agreement. It didn’t look like he was
lying, and she could only understand that he had decided to take in the demons without
knowing what they were. Jaine’s life experience was also telling her that this was not an act.
If so, there was nothing more Rimuru could do, even if she complained further. More
importantly, Rimuru himself was not at fault. There had been a fear that he might become
arrogant with his power, but Jaine was relieved to find out that she had worried too much.
This was not good. At that time, she should have given him more of a stern warning.
Even if the Primordials becoming his followers was a force majeure, it’s just plain
malicious to mass-produce ‘True Demon Lords’!
No, most likely, Rimuru truly had no malicious intent. Perhaps he was convinced that he
could handle any problems on his own if something came up, just did not intend to cause
trouble for Jaine and the others. Normally, such an approach would make one suspect a threat,
but he must have had no intention to do so. Perhaps, he might have even decided that he could
not hide anything more since he had been so much criticized for the ‘primordial’ situation.
The disclosure of information was made with sincerity and based on trust. If so, Jaine was
also partly to blame. She should have taught Rimuru some common sense earlier. Whether

56
that was possible or not, it was too late now.
This world…the balance of power in this world is…
Jaine almost fainted as she thought about what would happen next. The celebration went
on without incident, and one by one, his subordinates were gaining strength. A systematic
influx of power was observed in them. There was no doubt that Tempest’s strength had
increased significantly in just the past few hours. A huge military state was about to be born
in the center of the Great Jura Forest, far beyond the threat of the Empire of the East.
Realizing this, Jaine regretted having not dealt with this problem earlier. However, even if she
had those thoughts…
There’s nothing we can do. Even last time, the conclusion was that ‘There is nothing we
can do, so there is no point in thinking about it.’ King Gazel also decided to put this matter on
hold, but there will be no solution in the future. In that case…
The war with the Empire was not yet over. The Imperial Army was still deployed, and
Rimuru had been in contact with them. The next plan was to conspire to attack the capital of
the Empire at once. Jaine had come here in the first place for the purpose of arranging such a
meeting. And yet…
I’ve never been so confused in my life. At this point, they’re not even an Empire anymore.
I must tell King Gazel that the True Demon Lord has been born!
For a moment, Jaine thought about pretending she hadn’t noticed. It would be an escape
from reality, but it also seemed like a good idea. However, she was the one who had pressed
King Gazel a while ago as to why he had not told her about the ‘primordials’. Therefore, Jaine
had no right to remain silent.
“Dolph, I’m going back first.”
“No, why? The main purpose of coming, the meeting, is scheduled for tomorrow, isn’t
it?”
“We would still save face if just you were to attend. I will return home by magic. I don’t
need an escort.”
“O-okay…”
Dolph, who was unable to read the flow of mana, did not understand what had just
happened in front of him. Jaine was a little envious of Dolph and felt depressed just thinking
about the future.

The ‘Two Wings’ duo, Lucia with blonde hair and Claire with silver hair, were in a state of
intense agitation under their mask-like expressions. Tempest, the land of monsters, was home
to many powerful majins. They knew that, and had been in contact with some of them, Geld
being the first. While acknowledging them as a threat, they were currently allies, so they did
not believe there was a need to be so cautious. No matter how many greater majins there
were, they could still match up. That’s how they felt until now.
What they had been ordered to do was to assess Tempest’s strength. Now that they were
at war with the Nasca Namrium Ulmeria United Eastern Empire, the largest and most
powerful of the human nations, Rimuru’s forces would probably suffer some damage. If this
happened, then the construction of the sky city, which Frey was looking forward to, would be
hampered. It was their mission to assess the damage and make predictions for the future.
Naturally, this included the organization of reinforcements. However, it appeared that this was

57
not necessary.
“Zero casualties?”
“I can’t believe it, but seeing your cheerful faces, I guess it’s true.”
As a result, an unexpected report was given. They had been glad to hear the news and
joined in the victory party, but it was a huge miscalculation being shown an event that took
them by surprise on the spot.
‹That’s impossible. It is impossible that some of the executives have grown up to be as
fierce as Frey-sama in such a short period of time…›
‹No, look over there…Demon Lord Rimuru is about to do something.›
Claire calmly pointed out to Lucia, who was upset to see those who had come up to the
podium. What began next was the most appalling ritual that the two could have ever
imagined. No, this was not the time to be dumbfounded. It was unrealistic to the point of
wanting to give up thinking about it, but this was too serious a situation for them to make any
judgments.
‹We have to report this to Frey-sama ASAP!›
‹Yes, that’s right. Let’s go home right away.›
They communicated and quickly made a decision. And so they returned to report to Frey
what had happened.
………
……
…
The location was the topmost floor of the temporary castle, in a corner of the keep which
had not fully been furnished. Frey let out a long sigh.
“What in the world is that slime thinking?”
One person responded to her mutterings.
“Hey, hey, what’s going on? Your melancholy expression is beautiful, but a sigh doesn’t
suit you, does it?”
It was Karion. The two were now well acquainted with each other as Milim’s assistants.
“I wouldn’t be so sure.”
“What really happened? Are we fighting an uphill battle against the Imperial Army?”
Karion asked anxiously. Frey looked worried as she answered.
“That would have been better. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about things and we
could just send reinforcements right away.”
“Well, then, what is it? Did that Rimuru guy do something terrible again?”
“—Correct.”
After a moment of silence, Frey collected her thoughts and answered. Karion remained
silent.
“Karion, may I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“Calling Rimuru-sama, Milim-sama’s best friend, ‘that Rimuru guy’, is not very nice.”
“Oh, come on, it’s a little too late for that. Besides, you called that kid by his first name
when you were with Milim, and you even called him ‘that slime’ not too long ago!”
“Did you hear me? You’re a bad person too. I won’t say it in front of other people, so
forget about that.”
“That’s fine, but don’t try to cover things up with a story. Just tell me what’s going on.”
Again, Frey let out a helpless sigh. Her fragrant breath tickled Karion’s nostrils. Karion,
who was pleased by this, looked at Frey with an expression saying that he was not going to be
fooled.
“All right, all right. You won’t be sorry you asked, will you?”

58
 “Depends on what it is.”
“You…”
“I won’t regret it. Don’t take it all on yourself. Let me shoulder some of the burden too.”
“That’s fine. I like that about you.”
Frey felt her melancholy mood lift and she smiled. Then she told Karion a portion of the
report she had received from the twins.
“Seriously?”
“I’m serious. It’s impossible for those girls to lie to me.”
“Well, then, what is it? Seven demon lords were just born under Rimuru?!”
“That seems to be the case.”
“So are those guys stronger than us?”
“I don’t know. But…at the very least, they felt stronger than I am in the eyes of those
girls.”
Before they evolved, they seemed to be as strong as Frey. But Demon Lord Rimuru had
now done ‘something’ to them, and the girls had sensed an overwhelming increase in their
power. According to the report, some of them were still in the middle of their evolution, but it
would not be long before their power would stabilize. The contents of the report were
unacceptable, but that seemed acceptable.
“…Are you kidding me?”
Even Karion, who heard the story from Frey, was speechless.
“Karion, do I look like I’m joking?”
“Not at all.”
“Right, those are the facts.”
Karion and Frey had never shown their full strength in front of their subordinates.
However, even close subordinates could see the power of their masters to a certain extent.
Even if it was only an estimate, it was information that could not be ignored. Moreover, there
was no one under Frey who would ever offend her by making jokes or telling lies. Knowing
this, Karion had no choice but to believe what he just heard.
Just what the hell were Phobio and Alvis doing…?
However, Phobio was not originally a man who could recognize his opponent’s strength.
Even if something unusual had happened in front of his eyes, he would not have noticed it.
—No, Alvis would have seen it. So then why didn’t she report this to me?
While Karion was wondering about this, Frey told him something as if she had forgotten
about it.
“Oh, by the way, Alvis-san, the leader of your group, is now engaged to Benimaru-dono,
who is in charge of Rimuru-sama’s group. If this international marriage succeeds, then it will
contribute to the relationship between our two countries. Rimuru-sama has also approved it.
I’m very happy for them.”
“She did it!”
Alvis had approached Karion about this earlier. The advice he gave her was to ‘take it by
force’. As a result, Alvis had won her prize. Karion grinned with pleasure.
“But it looks like she’s going to be the second wife.”
“Che, I thought she would be the first. Still, once she has a baby, it will be for our
people.”
“That’s vulgar.”
“Don’t worry, Frey, you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”
“Don’t be silly. My race is monogamous. We’re the opposite of you, so it’s not gonna
work.”
The harpies were an almost exclusively female species that relied on the rare occurrence

59
of a male form or the acceptance of powerful majin nymphs for diversity to sustain their race.
For queens such as Frey, it was common practice to increase the number of her offspring by
monogenesis. A husband was not a necessity. On the other hand, among the beastmen, it was
common for a strong man to love more than one woman. The weak were weeded out, and the
race became stronger. Both sides had the same purpose, however, they were not compatible
with each other by any stretch of the imagination. That said, both Karion and Frey recognized
each other’s strength. Therefore, they maintained a dangerous relationship, like walking on a
tightrope, tightly holding the last line of defense.
“Well, I can’t seem to get a good answer from you for now, so I’ll let this continue
slowly. The real question is, what did that Rimuru guy do now?”
Putting the Alvis celebration on the back burner, Karion got down to business. Frey
agreed with this sentiment. Although we have a good relationship with Rimuru and the others
now, and we intend to maintain it, no one can be sure of the future. I wanted to know what
happened, and if possible, find a way to achieve a higher level of success.
“Clayman’s ending comes to mind. He had been in a state of extraordinary power at that
time.”
“According to Rimuru, that was an awakening.”
“What do you think caused it?”
“Hmph! It didn’t look like that guy had any hidden power. That means he must have
gotten his power in that moment.”
“How?”
“That’s…”
“Souls.”
“Hmm?”
“…Clayman said, ‘By collecting souls, I will awaken as a ‘True Demon Lord’. If this is
true, there’s no way that Clayman wouldn’t have collected souls beforehand.”
“I see. So he used them to try to awaken.”
“I think so. To be honest, I haven’t killed many humans, so I’ve never cared much about
souls.”
“Me too. Wars are fought with our own kind, other majin, or angels. Our country was
wealthy, so we didn’t care about the humans.”
“Indeed. But this does answer the question. Rimuru-sama apparently gained a lot of souls
in this war. He must have given them to the majin under his control to awaken them.”
“That’s an exaggeration. As much as I hate the fact that a bunch of majin who became
‘Demon Lord Seeds’ like us are under his control, I’m more pissed off that they beat us to it.
In that case, how many souls did Rimuru use?”
Karion scratched his head and asked, and Frey turned her attention to the city under
construction below.
“Hello?”
“Oh, by the way, I didn’t mention the outcome of the war. Surprisingly, Tempest’s army
suffered zero damage. On the other side, the Empire lost 940,000 of their own people.”
“…Huh?”
“Do you think I’m lying?”
“N-no, but…”
“I also hoped that this report had been wrong.”
In other words, Demon Lord Rimuru had obtained as many as 940,000 souls, so it would
have been easy for him to awaken his seven subordinates. There was also the possibility that it
was not just those seven who were awakened. According to the report, Benimaru, who was
the general, did not show any changes, but only married two wives, Momiji and Alvis.

60
However, there was no way Rimuru would not have given souls to Benimaru, his right hand
man. It would be safer to assume that the evolution of Benimaru had been delayed for some
reason.
“Okay, a one-sided victory with zero casualties. That’s not even a war anymore. I would
have raised the white flag long ago, but I wonder how the Empire will act.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I don’t care about the Empire. The real question is, what should we
do now?”
“Exactly. I’m just surrendering to Milim. I was afraid that asking for power might make
her suspect treason, but now I’ve been reminded that I don’t need to worry about that!”
“What do you mean?”
“Rimuru brought his subordinates up to the same level as himself, right? Seeing him that
way, I realized that Milim must be the same way.”
“Indeed. Milim is not such a small being that she would make a fuss over our own
awakenings.”
“Right? Then why don’t we just do as we please? We’ve been a little too relaxed, but it’s
not too late. Let’s aim for even higher things!”
“Yes, you’re right. I like that about you.”
Frey and Karion looked at each other. The atmosphere had just gotten pretty good, when
—
“Wahahaha! Well said, guys! I may not be able to awaken my minions like Rimuru can,
but I can train them! In the labyrinth, you won’t have to worry about dying, so we can do this
with all our might!”
Milim intervened at the perfect moment.

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62
 “Che, you’re in the—Ah Milim! You’re in the way just when the mood was getting
good.”
“I’ve told you many times before, but don’t remove your aura to sneak up on me. That
said, I have no intention to accompany you for your training—”
Karion and Frey complained, but Milim did not listen to them. Milim’s ears had an
excellent function of shutting out any information that might be inconvenient.
“All right then, I’ll go ask Ramiris for help!”
“W-Wait, wait! I didn’t ask you to train me either!!”
“Milim! If you won’t listen to me, I’ll think of my own idea. I will leave all of your meals
up to Midley-dono. Is that alright with you?”
Frey’s comment stimulated Milim’s sense of crisis and succeeded in stopping her. Karion,
who was watching the event, praised Frey.
“I-I get it. If you want to train, you can call me anytime.”
“That’s fine. By the way, did you finish your homework?”
“W-Well, you know, I heard something interesting, so…”
“You haven’t done it yet, have you?”
Frey smiled.
“Ugh, now that the break is over, I’ll go right back.”
“Yes, that’s a good girl.”
Milim returned to her homework, and Frey and Karion also succeeded in overcoming the
crisis. However, their ambition for evolution continued to smolder in their hearts. Whether or
not this ambition would ever be fulfilled was a question that remained to be answered.

63
64
 Chapter 2

Future Plans

Before I forgot, I decided to thank Veldora and Ramiris. The reward for Veldora was clothes.
I thought it might be a little problematic since he was always wearing a cloak and no clothes
on his upper body, but he didn’t seem to mind. Perhaps he liked this kind of clothing so I took
the opportunity to give him some clothes as a gift.
“Oh, Rimuru! My friend and ally! At last, you have noticed my feelings. I have always
wanted to wear something nice.”
“No, no, no, you could have asked Shuna to get it for you right away, couldn’t you? I
mean, there were clothes that you could adjust the size by magic in the clothing store.”
“You fool. The only thing that will fit me is a one-of-a-kind, custom-made piece. And if it
is made by you, my trusted friend, that means it’s the best, right?”
Uh, actually, I don’t have any sense of style…
I think Veldora overestimates me. Even my own clothes are just what people tell me to
wear. Come to think of it, the same was true even in my previous life. I had the worst taste in
everyday clothes. That’s why I always wore suits. The rest of what I wore consisted of
jerseys. Those were really nice. I didn’t have to worry about getting them dirty, and they were
the most relaxing thing in the world. I was surprised that Veldora was more pleased than I had
expected. Veldora quickly and happily began to put on his clothes.

65
66
 “W-Well, I’m glad you’re happy. I look forward to your help again in the future!”
“Mm. Leave it to me. Kuahahaha!”
Considering the profit margin, it turned out to be a ridiculously cheap reward. Well, some
of the clothes were custom-made with luxurious materials, but still, what can I say…
Well, next time I have free time, I’ll think of something else to thank him with. Regarding
Veldora, I would just leave it for the future. Next up was Ramiris.
“Ramiris, you also helped me this time. Thank you.”
“What, you’re being so cynical! I’m indebted to you too! This is what we call mutual
help!”
Ramiris answered a little sheepishly. I was a bit embarrassed too, but it was important to
express my gratitude.
“That’s why, I wanted to give you a gift of gratitude.”
“What’s going on? Did you make clothes for me like you did for Master?”
“You’ll have to talk to Shuna about that. As for me…”
Clothes for girls were out of my league. I’d rely on Shuna for that, so I proposed
‘Naming’.
“Does that mean you can name my cute little dragon lords?”
“Something like that.”
“And I’ll be the parent?”
“That’s right.”
“That’s awesome!”
Well, yeah. Although I was surprised too, it didn’t matter because it actually succeeded.
“At yesterday’s celebration, my colleague Adalmann’s pet, Wenti, was ‘Named’. Then it
evolved and became able to change into a humanoid form and also to speak fluently. So, I was
wondering if your dragon lords would be interested in this too.”
It was a surprise that Wenti turned into a human, but come to think of it, a dragon turning
into a human seems pretty standard in stories. It was not completely unexpected. Therefore,
there is a possibility that the four dragon lords under Ramiris would be able to turn into
human forms, like Wenti. If so, that would increase her manpower, which would make
Beretta’s hardships less heavy.
“If that’s the case, I’m counting on you!” Ramiris nodded happily. After obtaining her
consent, I began the session.
“Do you have any good names in mind?”
“Hmmm, I’ll just leave it all to you.”
Ramiris was not good at coming up with names. If I left it to her, the dragons would end
up like some fantasy game bosses…no wait, wouldn’t that be okay?
Come to think of it, I was the boss, so I didn’t need to worry about that. I asked Ramiris
to gather the dragon lords in the King’s Chamber of the Labyrinth. I looked at the dragon
lords lined up in front of me and thought to myself that they too had suffered many defeats.
However, they did their best, so I wanted to think of good names for them. A dragon lord
possessed more magicules than an archdemon. However, since it hadn’t been very long since
Milim picked them up, the dragon lords here were not as strong in certain respects.
If they could evolve by naming, their intelligence would increase all at once. If so, they
would become smarter and stronger than they are now. I should look at each one of them and
think of a suitable name. Intuition was the key for this kind of thing.
The Fire Dragon Lord was Euros, the ‘Draconic Flamelord’.
The Ice Dragon Lord was Zephyrus, the ‘Draconic Frostlord’.
The Wind Dragon Lord was Notos, the ‘Draconic Skylord’.
The Earth Dragon Lord was Boreas, the ‘Draconic Terralord’.

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 I borrowed these names from Greek mythology. The names of the dragon lords were
originally from the Greek gods who controlled the winds of the east, west, north, and south,
but I thought it was suitable for these dragon lords. Naming the dragon lords was my own
idea, but the soul connection would be formed with Ramiris. I was relieved to see that this
was also a success. Thus, a soul connection was formed between Ramiris and the dragon
lords. I hoped that they would continue to do their best as Ramiris’ official subordinates. So
how was their evolution?
As expected, the dragon lords really could change into human-like forms. They were not
completely humanoid, and they still had the characteristics of dragons remaining.
‘Draconic Flamelord’ Euros was a beautiful woman with red hair. Her auburn skin was
covered with a garb of dragon scales, and her tail appeared to be a whip of flame.
‘Draconic Frostlord’ Zephyrus was a slender, handsome man. His graceful and gentle
appearance combined with his long green hair might almost make one mistake him for a
beautiful woman.
‘Draconic Skylord’ Notos was a petite little girl. She looked pretty from a distance, but
closer inspection revealed jagged teeth and fangs. She was a powerful creature whose strength
was not commensurate with her mass.
‘Draconic Terralord’ Boreas was a large, muscular man. He was covered with dragon
scales and had spines all over his body.
All four of them looked like the leaders of a secret society of evil, and their ‘deformed
beauty’ was a fusion of horror and beauty. Such a form was only a type of state change. They
did not become dragonoids like Milim, but remained as dragon lords like before. In the end, a
dragonoid is a spiritual being with a physical body, like an irregular form of a ‘True Dragon’.
Even if a dragon lord possesses strong power, as long as it is trapped in their own body, their
power would be far from that of a ‘True Dragon’, which was a perfect spiritual life form.
Although there was no change in the race, evolution had succeeded without any problem.
Moreover, they seemed to have succeeded in acquiring a more powerful mana than expected.
Their total magicule counts were several times larger than before the evolution, and they
appeared to have reached the level of an awakened Clayman. While not as good as a ‘True
Demon Lord’, they were a wonderful evolution. I shuddered to think what would have
happened if I had consumed my own magicules, when ‘Naming’ alone showed such an
increased rate. If I had not done what I did, I might have suffered irreparable damage.
‘Naming’ was a terrible system, after all. I had used more than 5,000 souls, and I was
reminded once again that monsters were not logical beings. But, well, it’s only a loss if you
care about it. Thus, the evolution of the dragon lords, which also served as a thank-you to
Ramiris, was successfully completed.

By the way, ‘Dungeon’s Elite Ten’ were almost equal in terms of the amount of
magicules. However, in terms of the unquantifiable fighting power, there appeared to be a big
gap between them. Zegion was the leader, that went without saying. Compared to the other
‘Elite Ten’, the evolved dragon lords were still weaker. They had strong physical strength as
monsters, along with the means to attack. They also possessed various kinds of magic. All of
these alone were undoubtedly a mighty and powerful force. However, that could not be used
against those who were skilled in battle of the same rank. It is because of their lack of combat
experience that they were fundamentally low in skill-level.
The dragon lords must have been defeated many times in this defensive battle, and must
have felt very frustrated. As soon as they evolved and became able to speak human language
fluently, they asked for more training. By transforming into humanoid form, the dragon lords
were able to learn the skills of human combat. Then they realized that a refined art was

68
stronger than the conventional fighting style of monsters. Instead of relying on physical
attacks with their breath, claws, and fangs, they used magic and incorporated it into their
fighting. Then, they learned how to fight as a human being and tried to incorporate it into
actual combat. It was a remarkable development for them to come to this conclusion by their
own thinking. The training offer was accepted.
“Kuahahaha! Leave it to me!”
Veldora, who was in a good mood after raising Zegion, agreed to train the dragon lords.
Thus began the dragon lord cultivation training.

—Later, some of the dragon lords appeared to be stronger in human form than in their
original dragon form. That might seem to be a bit of a reversal, but since they had mastered
the art of transforming their own claws and scales into weapons and armor, the result was
probably justified.
I did not learn about this until much later, but I had the feeling that it was only natural.

Three days had passed since their resurrection, and Calgurio and his team had regained their
composure. They were shocked to know that they had been brought back to life by the demon
lord. It was indescribable, but they somehow succeeded in accepting it. The question was,
what position should they take from now on? They were still living in tents. Food had been
arranged and was brought to them by monsters on a regular basis. No one complained, even if
they were skeletons. The tents were lined up on a hillside where the grass and trees had
withered away. Although the scenery was poor, it was neither hot nor cold, and the space was
surprisingly comfortable. The ruins of the battlefield combined with the air of death and the
rows of graves of the dead were nothing to be concerned about once one got used to them.
That was because it would be strange to be afraid of the graves whose contents were always
out and about.
In short, it was an environment where they did not feel much dissatisfaction in their daily
lives. According to the explanation, this place was located on the 70th floor in the labyrinth.
The person who gave the explanation was a ‘wight king’ named Adalmann, who was in
charge of guarding the labyrinth. Since some of them had actually fought in the labyrinth,
there was no one who doubted him. Adalmann was a good man and treated Calgurio and the
others as proper prisoners of war.
“Since my god Rimuru-sama has brought you back to life, I must do as he wills. He is not
the kind of person who would take away your life once he has given it, so you may take your
time to think about what you should do in the future.”
Adalmann said as such, setting Calgurio and the others free. No one had ever suggested
that they flee this hierarchy. They were already in god’s hands. They realized this and decided
to believe in Demon Lord Rimuru. Calgurio agreed with this decision, and he was also
convinced that they would fail if they tried to escape. That is why he took Adalmann’s words
to heart and decided to call the upper management together for a meeting.

Nearly one hundred officers gathered in the large tent used for military discussions. They
were senior officers and some of the Empire’s leading champions. Of course, they were now
people without power…

69
 “Now, gentlemen. Let me first apologize to you. It is my incompetence that has brought
this upon you. I am deeply sorry.”
Calgurio looked around at those gathered and bowed his head. The response was a
unanimous denial.
“What are you saying? We are just as guilty for not stopping you, sir.”
When the deputy said as such, the chiefs of staff nodded in agreement. The senior officers
also said that Calgurio was not solely responsible. Krishna was the most evident.
“I agree with everyone. We have incurred the wrath of god because of our stupidity. And
by god’s mercy, we have been given the opportunity to atone for our sins.”
He regarded the imperial invasion itself as a sin. Calgurio agreed with him. They had
been so overconfident with their own military power that they did not understand anything
about their enemies. Looking back, Calgurio thought to himself of what a fool he had been.
He also thought that his companions must feel the same way, and gave a smile as if in relief.
“Thank you. I feel a little calmer now that you have said that. I promise to god that I will
remember this feeling for the rest of my life.”
At the mention of the word ‘god’, Calgurio’s mind was filled with the image of the
Demon Lord Rimuru.
Yes, for me, the god of the moment is now His Majesty Rimuru.
Back in the Empire, there was no place for Calgurio. He would be blamed for the defeat
and be executed before even waiting for a court-martial. He had no intention of evading the
responsibility, but Calgurio did not think that he should throw away the life given to him by
Rimuru for nothing.
Well, I can take time to think about it slowly.
He could take care of himself later, Calgurio thought as a matter of course. His face was
no longer the same self-preserving and desire-driven expression it once was.
“Let’s get down to business. The reason I have gathered you all here today is to get a
consensus on how we should move forward. Adalmann-dono has generously given me the
freedom to discuss this with you. Let us not waste his kindness and have a meaningful time!”
Calgurio started the discussion, and those present looked at each other and began to
discuss. This was an unthinkable situation in a military meeting, but for Calgurio, who wanted
everyone’s honest opinions, it was a welcome thing.
The chatting continued for a while. The discussion was narrowed down to roughly two
main opinions. Those who insisted that they should remain subservient. And those who
insisted that they should return to the Empire once and for all. The two sides were in direct
conflict with each other. Both sides had understandable arguments, and it was natural that
those who had families would insist on returning to the Empire. However, whether or not they
could return to their homeland depended on the intentions of Demon Lord Rimuru. There was
a possibility that they would be allowed to do so after further negotiations, but if they made
too much noise, they might cause the demon lord’s displeasure.
“As Adalmann-dono said, I trust that there is no intention to execute us for nothing. But
we must keep in mind that this does not mean that we are pardoned.”
As long as they had been saved, their fate was in the hands of the demon lord. Even
though they were allowed a certain degree of freedom, it was unknown as to what extent their
selfishness would be accepted.
“…In any case, we will be executed even if we do go back. But still, I would like to let
the generals who fought for our country return home safely. I would like to appeal directly to
his Majesty Rimuru and ask for his favor.”
“However, we are basically hostages. Whether the home country will pay compensation
or not, that is the difficult point.”

70
 At that moment, Major General Minits, who had been silently listening to everyone’s
opinions, opened his mouth.
“Impossible. In the first place, we did not even expect to lose. We ourselves had been so
ruthless in our attitude toward our adversaries.”
Everyone was silenced by his words. The Empire had never accepted anything but
unconditional surrender in the first place. It was only because they had been winning that they
had been allowed to be so arrogant. Now that they had fought and been utterly defeated, they
would be on their own if they were not forgiven. Everyone understood this fact and realized
that the future was not bright, even if they did return to the Empire. Even so, they still wanted
to fulfill their responsibility to those with families.
“Major General Minits is right. I wonder what his Majesty will think about this…”
“I hate to say this, but it was an oversight of the intelligence bureau. Did they even realize
how many demon lord class monsters there were out there?”
One of the officers made a statement that should not have been spoken.
“Hey, you! Be careful of what you say. I don’t care what you think of the Bureau of
Intelligence, but you can be sure that the people you’re referring to as monsters are the top
brass of this country!”
“I’m sorry, it was my mistake…”
Free speech was welcome, and no one here was a monster. Calgurio had not seen
Adalmann since yesterday and thought that he must be meeting somewhere. That is why
today’s military meeting was held, but that was not a reason to tolerate all the comments.
They must not forget that they were prisoners of war.
“His Majesty Rimuru may be a generous man, but he will not overlook outbursts against
his men. Please remember that and be careful of what you say.”
Calgurio concluded by saying that he agreed with the officer’s opinion. At the least, one
could understand just how terrifying Demon Lord Rimuru was simply by the fact that he had
someone under his command who could handle an extremely powerful magic like ‘Gravity
Collapse’. Why didn’t the intelligence bureau know about such a dangerous opponent?
I very much understand your desire to scold them for being negligent though. I honestly
wanted to say that lie myself…
Calgurio thought so inwardly. However, someone then made a comment that felt as if ice
cold water was poured on Calgurio and the other officers.
“Are you idiots? Listen up, the intelligence bureau already had a certain amount of
information at that time.”
Bernie, who had been listening to the conversation in silence all this time, suddenly burst
out laughing and said so.
“Nonsense! Then why did they withhold the correct information from His Majesty?”
“Did they betray us?”
Bernie’s words had everyone in a state of fluster. Only Minits and Calgurio remained
calm. Minits was the first to open his mouth.
“Bernie, you say? I believe you were on an undercover mission that we weren’t even
informed about?”
Next was Calgurio.
“Of course. As a Single Digit, it’s no surprise that you had access to top-secret
information that even we didn’t know. So, what were they thinking, and what did they want
us to do?”
The moment the question was posed, everyone’s eyes focused on Bernie. Everyone
wanted to know. The Intelligence Bureau was sworn to His Majesty the Emperor with
absolute loyalty. It was hard to believe that they would betray the Emperor, which meant that

71
Emperor Rudra was also in a position to know of this situation. Bernie snorted and looked
around at Calgurio and the others with pity. Then, without hesitation, he dropped the
bombshell.
“Just as you might have imagined. His Majesty the Emperor also knew everything from
the start. Your defeat was already in the works.”
“H-How could…”
“What do you mean? Did His Majesty send his army knowing we would lose?”
“No way! You insult His Majesty too much!”
The officers were in distress. However, some of them had already begun to understand.
“I guess that makes sense. So, in other words, we were pawns.”
“That’s not an accurate way of putting it, Minits. I’m afraid that the main purpose was—”
“Hmph! Shut up, Calgurio. I’ll take responsibility for this leak of state secrets. You’re all
dead men, including me, so this isn’t a betrayal of His Majesty.”
This was Bernie’s determination. Now that he had lost his power as a ‘Single Digit’ and
had been deprived of the ultimate skill lent to him by the Emperor, he was now the superior
figure to show the way for everyone.
“Bernie…”
“I’m sorry, Jiwu. I, for one, wasn’t that loyal to His Majesty. The only reason I followed
him was because I could never beat him.”
That was also Bernie’s true feelings.
………
……
…
Born forty-five years ago in the United States, Bernie was an ordinary student who loved
freedom. Somehow he had come to this world and was discovered by Gadra. He was taken in
by Damrada and learned the art of fighting. He became confident and even became proud that
he was one of the best in this world. Then Bernie’s confidence was shattered by a woman who
was a close associate of Emperor Rudra. No, rather, she was a monster despite her beautiful
appearance. The supreme being of the world that would never be reached, no matter how the
heavens and the earth were turned upside down, no matter how many times one was
reincarnated. He could not believe that such a being existed, but it was indeed real.
Her name was Velgrynd. She was one of the top secrets of the Empire. One day, Bernie
was escorted by Damrada to the Emperor’s castle. It was a great honor, and it furthered
Bernie’s ambition. As a freedom-loving person, Bernie could not tolerate the Emperor’s
domination over others. Therefore, he had foolishly dreamed of overthrowing the Emperor if
possible. The price of such foolishness was extreme fear. It was there that Bernie met
Velgrynd for the first time. And after understanding true fear, he naturally gave in.
Emperor Rudra approached Bernie from behind the blind.
‹You are qualified. As a vessel, I will lend you my strength, so keep up the good work.›
He thought he heard Emperor Rudra’s voice, devoid of any emotion, coming from far
away. The next time he regained consciousness, he found himself in a body that could not
resist the Emperor.
………
……
…
“His Majesty, you know, doesn’t care if a million of his best men are wiped out. Rather, it
is all part of the plan.”
That was impossible to make sense of for most people just by hearing it, however,
Calgurio understood.

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 “—So that’s it. So they are willing to sacrifice a million soldiers if the result will be that
some of us can be awakened like me.”
Bernie was a bit surprised that he was able to guess the correct answer with such a simple
explanation. However, upon hearing Calgurio say, ‘one who awakened like me’, it all made
sense to him.
“Oh, so you’ve awakened as well. In that case, you understand, and you’re correct. His
Majesty the Emperor wanted to collect the pawns who had been awakened. For that purpose,
even if it cost a million sacrifices, he believed it would be worth it.”
This was a fact that even the senior officers did not know about. From the very beginning,
Emperor Rudra had no expectations of the military itself. The most important thing was how
to gather awakened people.
“Quality over quantity, is it? In that case, why did they fail in defeating Veldora 300 years
ago?”
Minits asked Bernie this with a sharp look in his eyes. Bernie replied aloofly.
“I don’t know what happened back then, but if you think about it, it makes sense, doesn’t
it? I could have killed you all by myself. That’s how far apart in ability we are.”
“I-I see… Is that the reason why our defeat was factored in? A strategy based on the
assumption that there would be casualties. While I’d like to tell His Majesty that it was for a
worthy cause, this time it was nothing but a total failure.”
“That’s how it is. His Majesty the Emperor would not have expected to be defeated after
awakening.”
Minits nodded in agreement. Calgurio, listening to the conversation, had a bitter look on
his face.
“Alas, it is my fault that I wasn’t good enough.”
Bernie denied this.
“Don’t worry. It’s not that you weren’t good enough. It’s just that the opponent was too
strong.”
“Right. That was simply not something we could beat.”
Jiwu nodded in agreement. They, too, had been defeated by Diablo, who had defeated
Calgurio. It was in no way surprising that Calgurio couldn’t win against a monster that they
themselves could not defeat.
“Does this mean that the strength of the forces here is greater than the intelligence bureau
expected?”
“It should be. The plan to use Demon Lord Rimuru as a stepping stone to increase our
leverage here was foiled the moment we misjudged the strength of our opponents.”
Bernie spoke as if he couldn’t help but laugh. It was not a situation that could easily be
laughed at, since a great deal of sacrifice had gone to waste. However, Bernie still felt in his
heart that the Emperor deserved it.
“—So, Bernie-kun, now that your surprise attack while using us as a diversion seems to
have failed, what are you planning to do after this?”
“Huh? I told you. I’ll take responsibility.”
“What do you mean by that?” Minits asked calmly. In the silent tent, everyone waited for
Bernie’s answer.
“Let’s get one thing straight. As I said before, you guys are already dead. I don’t mean
that in a metaphorical sense, but in His Majesty’s sense.”
“Hmm. Are you suggesting that his Majesty doesn’t want us to be alive?”
“That’s a bit of a misnomer. It means that he has no need for soldiers whose power has
been taken from them and whose chances of awakening have been reduced to zero. If you’re
of no value to him, then it means he has no further reason to protect you.”

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 “Well, I suppose that’s true.”
“On that basis, it is very likely that they will not accept the return of prisoners of war. No,
not only that. If the surviving soldiers return home, the anti-war sentiment will spread. Do you
think that would be in accordance with His Majesty’s will?”
“I don’t think so.”
Minits let out a sigh. He understood what Bernie was trying to say.
“In other words, we are nothing more than a distraction to the intelligence bureau now
that we are no longer important to His Majesty, correct?”
“Right.”
“Will he move to deal with those who are trying to return home?”
“Definitely.”
And then they would put the blame on Tempest, inciting anger and vengeance among
their subjects. Bernie explained with certainty that the intelligence bureau would work in that
way.
“700,000? That’s impossible.”
“Those who have undergone the transformative operation have not lost that much power.
If we fought back, we would be fighting amongst ourselves!”
Minits silenced the officers, who began to make a fuss by restraining them with his hand.
“Do you have any idea who could do that?”
Minits remained calm amidst the many who wanted to say that this was absurd. And
Calgurio, remembering his own awakening, remained silent. With that power, it was not
impossible, he decided.
“Is it possible with Single Digits?”
“If you can do it, you can do it, however, that is just an empty theory. Superb individual
strength was good for offense, but not for defense. If one was outnumbered, there would be
areas that couldn’t be defended. Similarly, it was not appropriate to chase a fleeing enemy. If
they spread out and ran away, they would inevitably be missed.”
And in this case, it was necessary to eliminate them without letting any of them live.
Bernie really had no idea who would be able to do that. Except for one person.
“Common sense tells you that such a thing is not possible, right? But there is someone out
there. In the Empire, there is an absolute monster who is able to do it…”
Bernie remembered that figure and trembled with fear. Their beauty and horror could
only be understood by those who have encountered them. Bernie, who understood it, felt a
little unfortunate.
“…Is it really so frightening to you, a Single Digit? It seems I was mistaken.” Minits said,
slumping deeply into his chair and looking up to the heavens.
“Me too. I had dreamed of joining the army and ruling the world in the name of the
Empire. However…”
However, this was all decided long ago in a place that had nothing to do with the military.
From the start, there had been no place for the unawakened in the power game being played
by someone else.
“This was foolish.”
“Ah. I find myself as ridiculous as a clown.”
Calgurio and Minits looked at each other with mournful faces. It was not only Calgurio
and the others, but all the senior officers in attendance, who looked as if they had just woken
up from a dream they were lamenting. Pathetic—Bernie thought. They would have been
happier not knowing the truth, but that would not have satisfied them. That’s why Bernie had
spoken out of turn.
“Now you understand. Do you see the situation? If you go back, nothing but despair

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awaits you. So just stay here as prisoners and wait until the war is over.”
“Bernie-dono, what are you going to do?”
“I’m going back to the Empire. His Majesty Rimuru will try to sit down to negotiate with
the Empire, since the war will not end like this. In that case, they’ll need a guide, won’t
they?”
That guide would probably be wiped out. Bernie, now that he had lost his power, would
surely be assassinated. Sensing Bernie’s resolve, everyone fell silent. They understood that
their destiny was entrusted to the Demon Lord Rimuru.

After expressing my gratitude to Veldora and Ramiris, I decided to go to the 70th floor of the
labyrinth. Adalmann was in a deep sleep from yesterday’s ritual. The Harvest Festival had
begun, but Adalmann’s castle was still destroyed. As such, he had been taken to the guest
room of the main building on the ground floor and put to sleep. Albert and Wenti were also
put in an empty room, so they would wake up soon. The problem was the prisoners of the
Imperial Army. Adalmann had been in charge of them, and it would be bad to leave them
unattended. Besides, I thought I would ask them for information about the Empire, now that
things had calmed down. Since it was a good opportunity, I decided to go and check on them.
I was accompanied by my two secretaries. With these two, I could rest assured that nothing
would happen to me.
“Rimuru-sama shouldn’t have to go on his own…”
“Well then, will you go for me?”
“That’s right, you go and talk to them!”
“Kufufufufu, then we might as well go together!”
Diablo was as consistent as ever. Was that true of Shion as well? She was never one to
leave voluntarily. Well, there was no way I would ever let Shion go alone. I was thinking
about this as I was clutched in Shion’s arms. By the way, these two were still in good spirits,
despite the evolutionary ritual they had gone through yesterday. Shion had not changed at all
after one night. And Diablo was back to his perfectly normal self.
“So, did you gain a new Skill?”
“Kufufufu! Thanks to Rimuru-sama, I have succeeded in acquiring an Ultimate Skill!
Finally, I don’t have to put up with Guy’s annoying boasting!”
From Guy’s point of view, Diablo must be the annoying one. For some reason, I was
absolutely sure of it.
“If you were so annoyed, why didn’t you get one by yourself? I think Diablo would have
been able to gain an Ultimate Skill without my help, right?”
“No, no, that is not how it works. If Guy told me to get it, it would look like I was
copying him, which would be awkward.”
I don’t get it. This is not about imitation. As long as it’s useful, I think it should be fine,
but was I wrong?
“Hmph, Diablo is narrow-minded. Didn’t the saying go—’hearing is a temporary shame,
not hearing is a lifetime shame’? Since Rimuru-sama taught me that, I always listen to what
others have to say. Gobichi-dono also taught me the essence of cooking, and now I am fully
licensed!”
Shion spoke to him with a smug look on her face. But I think…

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 I think that was just because Gobichi ran away from him. Please don’t give Shion a false
sense of confidence. I hope you will take responsibility for Shion and take care of her until the
end.
“Is that the reason? The last time, Gobichi-dono was hospitalized. It is only natural for
him to get sick if he has to deal with Shion’s cooking all the time.”
O-oh, I see…
I can’t blame Gobichi-kun for that. In this case, Diablo had already undergone a painful
experience before, and Shuna would never try to taste it. I knew it had to be Benimaru, after
all. That’s right, it was Benimaru’s responsibility to educate Shion, and I would remind him
of it thoroughly. This was not harassment towards a newlywed. I hope you will not
misunderstand me.
While we were having such a conversation, we finally arrived at our destination. After I
transferred to the hillside of the 70th floor, everyone who saw me immediately stood up and
saluted me. I don’t think that’s the right way to treat a demon lord of an enemy country,
however Diablo and Shion seemed to be satisfied, so I didn’t linger on it.
“His Majesty Rimuru is here! Contact Sir Calgurio immediately!”
And then everyone began to move with a flurry of activity, and a path was formed as the
soldiers lined up towards a single tent. It seemed that Calgurio and his men were currently
holding a military meeting in that tent. We were explained this and were led to the tent. Inside
the tent, there were about a hundred soldiers. They all stood erect and saluted me, welcoming
me.
I was a little surprised to see such a reaction even here. I was, after all, a king of an enemy
country, and I am also a slime. I guess Wisdom King Raphael-san’s plan was more successful
than I had expected, since I was not looked down upon even though I was a slime. Well, it’s
not surprising if you think about it. Perhaps it is wiser to obey the one who can kill you and
bring you back to life. I’m confident that I wouldn’t want to go against such a dangerous
person either. I agreed that this was the case, and took a seat at the head of the table where I
was led.
Of course, in order to look dignified in this place, I took upon a human form. Behind me
were Shion and Diablo. Shion looked a little disappointed after I jumped out of her arms. I
looked around at everyone and then spoke up.
“So, guys. It’s good to see all the top brass here.”
“ “ “Y-Yes!” ” ”
They all bowed their heads at once, but this made it even more difficult for me to talk to
them. I asked them all to be seated and then got down to business.
“All of you relax. I’m here to talk to you guys today.”
I said as such and smiled at them. I hoped that this would ease their minds, and that we
would be able to have a meeting with a friendly atmosphere.
“Adalmann has some business to attend to and may not be able to come for a while. So, I
was wondering if you had any requests.”
“You are too kind to say so. We have been well taken care of, so please do not worry
about the likes of us.”
So stiff! Calgurio answered on behalf of everyone, completely submissive to us. No,
rather, I guess this was a normal attitude. They had lost the war, so this was the right thing to
do.
“Good. So then, about our future plans…”
“Yes! On that point, we have a request for you as well!”
A request? I hoped it would be reasonable, but I asked him just for the sake of asking.
Then Calgurio made a surprising offer.

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 “We would like to ask for your kindness and cooperation to see if your country can
accommodate us for the time being…”
What the…? I listened to the details. According to Calgurio…
They had just now been discussing their future plans. The conclusion they came to was
that even if they returned to the Empire, there was a high probability that all of them would be
killed.
“No, no, no, you, don’t be absurd! What kind of country kills its soldiers who fought for
their country just because they lost!”
I was so surprised that I couldn’t even think about it.
“However, I think for sure that would be the case.”
Look who it is—Bernie. He explained the situation to me in a calm and orderly manner,
as if he was not the same person who had previously targeted us. From what he explained, it
was difficult to say that such a thing wouldn’t happen.
“Hmmm…sacrificing a million people to awaken just one person? You must be
kidding…”
“It’s true.”
“No, wait, wait. If that’s true, it sounds unusual that the military invasion was postponed
for fear of Veldora’s unsealing. Perhaps they were mistaken, and they were actually waiting
for Veldora to come back to life?”
“I do not understand what Emperor Rudra was thinking. However, I am of the opinion
that His Majesty Rimuru’s opinion is correct.”
Is this guy really Bernie? He’s being polite at a level that makes me wonder if he is a
different person. I mean, is he? Emperor Rudra’s true goal was not simply to win the war. He
wanted to select the strong men who would be awakened by pitting the Empire’s soldiers
against a powerful enemy. It was too large of a move, and too far out of the ordinary.

«Answer. A very interesting idea.»

You idiot! Using people as experimental materials is not funny at all. Come to think of it,
Wisdom King Raphael-san has a side like that, too. Zegion was a correct example of success,
but I’m honestly scared that I might be experimented on without my knowledge.

«No. No such fact has been confirmed.»

Really? Well, I’ll believe that part. Anyway, let’s put that on the back burner for now.
The question was whether or not to accept Calgurio’s request.
“But, ah, your meals won’t be free either. We’ll have to get food for 700,000 people from
other countries…”
I hesitated to throw them out when I heard they were going to be killed. However, I really
felt that there was no reason to protect them in my country. I was responsible only for my own
people. As much as I’d like to say that I wanted them to live well, I couldn’t just ignore this,
could I? With the influx of 700,000 professional soldiers, the Kingdom of Blumund and other
western countries would not remain silent. Even if we don’t do anything wrong, there would
be unnecessary bloodshed.
That being said, it would be cruel to ask them to return to the Empire. Once you save a
life, you should be responsible for it until the end. I had no choice but to take care of them.
However, it was impossible to ask me to do so without some sort of compensation.
“In our country, we practice the saying, ‘he who does not work does not eat’. I will ask
you all to earn your own rations, is that okay?”

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 Calgurio and the others, who had been watching my response with bated breath, showed
bright expressions upon hearing my words.
“Of course!”
“At your service!”
They seemed very motivated, even though they had not yet been told what they were
going to be doing. That being the case, I will allow them to stay. In the first place, I had
thought that it would be meaningless to take prisoners of war against the Empire. There was
no wartime agreement, so there was no agreement at all. And from what Bernie told me, it
turned out that they would not be a bargaining chip for the ceasefire. If that was the case, it
was better to accept them as a labor force.
The length of their stay was undecided, but at least until the war with the Empire was
over, they would work for us. If the period of stay is short, they may be useless, so we would
have to wait and see. I could only hope that they would be of some use. Well, Calgurio and
the others didn’t seem to be willing to go against my words, so I’d leave them with Geld and
let him make use of them. However, Geld was currently in an evolutionary slumber. He
wouldn’t wake up for a while, so I’d have to see what they could do before then…
“By the way, are any of you good at civil engineering?”
The military, surprisingly, had a lot of people who were good with technology. In my
previous life, there was a well-known story of a samurai commanding the construction of a
castle. Even in modern times, it was reported in the news that the Self-Defense Forces played
a great role in overseas relief efforts. Similarly, the Dwargon craftsmen were proud of their
advanced technology in this world as well. They were quite fairly normal, but made a huge
difference. And it was no exaggeration to say that the foundation of our country was built
because of Kaijin, the former commander of such a dwarfish craft unit. In such a way, the link
between the military and civil engineering technology were inseparable…
“Of course! We are proud to say that our technology is the best in the Empire!”
Good. In that case, I’ll see your skills firsthand.
“Okay, first order of business. The destroyed castle you see before you, I want you to
restore it beautifully. I’ll get the materials, but I want you to start from the design phase. Can
you do it?”
Since they destroyed it, I want them to fix it with their own hands. Calgurio nodded at my
request.
“As you wish.”
Calgurio nodded confidently, and the men who appeared to be his subordinates began to
move in response. The promptness and control of the men were exactly what one would
expect from those who were capable of doing their jobs. When Adalmann woke up, the
skeletons would also be ready to help, so it seemed that the restoration would be finished in
the not-too-distant future. And just like that, I decided to appoint the Imperial Army to the
job.

Now, the remaining objective was to gather information. Since I needed to make detailed
inquiries, I selected some of Calgurio’s subordinates who were familiar with the situation and
asked them to accompany me to the meeting room. I was planning to hold a meeting to
discuss countermeasures with the executives who were still awake. At this point, the
Imperialists must not be aware of the defeat of Calgurio’s group. Yuuki would have received

78
reports from Misha and Laplace, but it was too much to worry about information leakage
from them. And we, for our part, were aware of the Empire’s moves.
I had also informed Luminas of the movement of about 300 airships over the sea route.
‹Hmph! Let’s just see how they’ll fight back!› She spoke boldly.
I didn’t think Luminas would move on her own, but she still had an agreement with me.
Luminas was supposed to prevent the Imperial Army from coming from the north. The Holy
Empire of Lubelius was the headquarters of their religion and had produced many Holy
Knights. They also had the hidden force of ‘vampires’ and we could trust them with our lives.
In case Luminas was ever in danger, 150,000 Western Reserve Forces would come to her aid.
Testarossa’s men were standing by to respond immediately. Above all, since Hinata was
working with Luminas, we were definitely well-prepared for a crisis. However, we still could
not be too careful. I looked around the gathered people and announced the start of the
meeting.

The following seventeen members gathered.

Secretaries Shion and Diablo. Grand Admiral Benimaru. Those in charge of
administration—Rigurd and Kaijin. Corp Commanders Gabil and Gobta. Advisor Hakurou.
Intelligence officer Souei. Gadra as a key witness. I also called the three demon girls
Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera. From the Imperial side, there was Calgurio himself, Minits,
and the duo of Bernie and Jiwu. Including me, there were eighteen of us here.

We started with self-introductions, and when the imperial side learned that Diablo and the
three demon girls were ‘primordials’, they were absolutely mortified. Their stares were very
painful. I’m sorry. It was all Diablo’s fault, not mine. Sensing the possibility of another
complaint, I decided to proceed as if nothing had happened. Let’s just get on with it.
“Well, just say as much as you can tell me, okay?”
After saying that, I projected an image of the flying boat squadron with my physical
magic : Argus. I ask Calgurio to explain the current situation of the Empire, as I had asked
him to do beforehand. The Imperial side faltered when they saw the images on the large
surveillance screen. Calgurio remained calm and immediately started to explain the situation.
I knew some of the details from Gadra. The old man did not care about the betrayal, but
Calgurio was a soldier. He may not be able to tell me some things, so I needed to follow up
with Gadra. He told me what he knew and I asked him to explain on that basis.
“I see. Then, let me explain.”
Calgurio was more articulate than I had expected. Calgurio’s Armored Corps had a
division called the ‘Air Assault Division’, which had a modern air force of 400 ships, called
airships. Three hundred of them were currently transporting other corps to the northern part of
the Kingdom of Ingracia. Each airship could carry a maximum of 400 passengers. They said
that 50 people were enough to pilot the ships, and that each ship could carry 350 people.
This was exactly what Gadra had told me. The force being transported was the ‘Magic
Beast Corps’ of 30,000 men, led by the imperial general named Gladium. However, it seems
that they were combined with magic beasts, which could be called their partners. In that
aspect, they were actually carrying 60,000 combatants. The rest, it seems, were support
personnel who provided logistical support. The command of them was entrusted to a Major
General named Zamud, but since he seemed to be a non-combatant, he would not be counted
as a force.
“I am ashamed to talk about this here, but most of the men who went to Ingracia were
apprentices. They can operate airships, but in actual combat, their accuracy will be quite poor.
They should only be engaged in research, so please give them mercy somehow…” Calgurio

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said.
This time, the full force was put up against our country, so only non-combatants of their
rival, General Gladium could be lent. There were about 30,000 such support personnel, but
none of them were wizard class, and most of them were sorcerer class. The rest were
technicians to maintain the airships. They asked us to take them as prisoners of war without
killing them if possible.
“You bastard, there’s a limit to what you can do! You invaded our country, and now you
want us to help without killing you just because you are about to lose?”
Shion screamed in rage and Calgurio turned pale and apologized. I tried to calm Shion
down, but I also thought Shion had a point. Calgurio seemed to understand that well enough
and apologized for his mistake…
“It’s not up to us to deal with that. Depending on the situation, we may have to ask them
to give up.”
“Of course, we are aware of that. It will be as Your Majesty Rimuru wills it…”
I’d consider it if I could, but there were no promises. Even my resurrection magic was not
universal, and in some situations it was impossible. Besides, depending on Luminas’ reaction,
I may not be able to do anything. I heard that the threat of the ‘Magic Beast Corps’ led by
Gladium was also considerable, and there was no guarantee that Hinata and the others would
not be significantly damaged. If that happened, there would be no time to show mercy. I
believed that we would not be defeated since our defense capability was also quite strong, but
since there were no absolutes in war, I could not make such a promise so lightly. And that was
the end of the story. Next, I wanted to talk about the Eastern city of Dwargon.

I switched to the Argus display screen. The image displayed an army of 60,000 men. They
were not looking tense, but were all comfortably encamped. I explained the situation to the
Imperials, who were again looking at me with shock.
“Currently, an alliance has been formed between Yuuki and me, albeit reluctantly. The
fact that we are staring at each other here is just a performance.”
As soon as I said this, Minits laughed at himself.
“This is a mess. If a part of the army had been taken from the beginning, there was no
chance for us to win.”
Calgurio nodded in agreement.
“Yes, that’s right. The moment our ‘Armored Corps’ and Gladium’s ‘Magic Beast Corps’
were gone, they would turn their fangs on the Imperial City. Then it would be checkmate.”
The two men’s faces were pained as they realized that they had been defeated not only in
terms of strength, but also in terms of strategy. However, there were some who disagreed with
their statement.
“That’s not true. There are still those who protect the Emperor in the capital. I repeat
again and again, those who have awakened are equal to an army. I am sure he knew the
possibility of Yuuki’s rebellion.”
Bernie’s statement, however, seemed to me to be a different person from Masayuki’s old
follower because of his strong image.
“Are you the real Bernie?”
“Oh, no. I am actually more like the person I was when I was working with Masayuki.”
The question came out of my mouth, and Bernie answered it with a lawful answer. He

80
said that his current attitude was that of a military man, and that he was naturally more open-
minded. He also told me that he used to be an American. By the way, he was forty-five years
old. He used to be an ordinary student, and the current Bernie was the result of his education
after he came here. It was not important information for anyone but him, but I felt a little
closer to him.
“Well, now that you put it that way. I’ve heard that there is someone in the Empire who
could kill me, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a normally deadlocked situation could be easily
overturned.”
When you think about it, quality over quantity is the real problem in this world. No matter
how much power one gathers, if you can’t beat just one person, you will be defeated. Because
we had won the war, I would have to consider the opposite situation as well.
“In that case, I’ll go over there and give them a good beating!”
Shion spoke boldly with the large sword in her hand. Since there was no guarantee that
she could win the fight, of course I rejected it.
“Kufufufu, then I will do it.”
“Rejected.”
I couldn’t imagine a situation where Diablo lost, but I was still going to vote no. My
policy was to wait and see until I can create a situation where we can definitely win. I
reminded everyone once again to be thorough about this. In any case, the important thing was
gathering information. The number of failures due to lack of information was too many to
count. I had to make sure that I would not make the same mistake this time.
“So then, you were sticking to Masayuki in order to get close to me without being
suspected, right? To tell the truth, I didn’t notice it at all, and the timing of the attack was
dangerous.”
I turned to Bernie and Jiwu. It may have been Damrada’s order, but it was a perfect
operation that even Wisdom King Raphael-san did not notice. I had to commend him for his
skills, even though he was my enemy. I think it was not easy for one to keep their best power
hidden until the very moment when they have the chance to kill. This time I had gotten the
upper hand, but if anything had been wrong, the situation could have been reversed. If that
had happened, things would have been exactly what the Emperor wanted. Without me and
Benimaru, Tempest’s army would have been overrun by the Empire in confusion.
“I was too confident and careless. I was under the impression that the labyrinth was safe.
Now I will always remember to be aware of danger at any time during war.”
“Me too. I will make sure that anyone who approaches Rimuru-sama is subjected to a
more thorough background check.”
Although Benimaru and Souei had been concerned about this for a long time now, it was
not their fault alone. They were more alert than I was, expecting every possible eventuality.
My lack of sense of crisis was also something I needed to reflect on.
“Damrada-sama ordered me to protect Masayuki. I was not told the reason, so I thought
that it was to prevent leakage of information.”
“I am the same way. We did not receive the order at the same time, but we were trying to
keep our identities secret from each other through different channels. It was only when the
assassination order for His Majesty Rimuru was issued that I remembered that Bernie was
also a ‘Single Digit’.”
Bernie and Jiwu joined our conversation. Since I recognized their right to remain silent, I
appreciated their willingness to talk. However, I had some concerns about what they said.
“You just ‘remembered’?”
“No, I have never met a ‘Single Digit’ other than myself, so it was only after the order
was issued that I learned that Jiwu was one as well!”

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 “I am the same way. Perhaps, except for the Commander and the Deputy Commander,
nobody knows each other’s identities.”
I was surprised to hear that answer. I was also surprised to hear that the best forces in the
Empire did not know each other’s identities. Why would they do that?

«Answer. The presumed purpose is to prevent betrayal.»

Hmmm.
If they don’t know each other’s identity, they can’t cooperate with each other and try to
overthrow each other. It’s not very thorough, but I guess that’s how careful they are to protect
the Emperor’s safety, huh?
“It’s understandable, but it also seems wasteful and inefficient. If they are comrades, they
should have cooperated with each other from the beginning.”
When I said so, Gadra chuckled as he expressed his opinion.
“Rimuru-sama, may I have permission to speak less respectfully?”
“Of course. You’re more than welcome to do that.”
Now, if you’ll excuse me, Gadra said.
“Rimuru-sama’s idea is excellent, but it is not very prudent. I know Damrada well, and he
is a cunning man. He does not trust his own people, and is very cautious.”
It seems that Wisdom King Raphael-san was correct in its reading that this was to prevent
betrayal. I remembered that he was one of the heads of the secret society Cerberus and that he
only trusted in ‘Gold’. And he was a top member of the ‘Single Digits’.
“I’ve never met him, but he seems like a dangerous guy. I was sure he was Single Digit,
judging from the way he tried to assassinate Gadra. Besides, if he is in a position to give
orders to Bernie and Jiwu, is Damrada the leader of the group?”
When I asked this question, Gadra denied it.
“No, Damrada must be the deputy. I think the leader is definitely Tatsuya Kondou.”
As I recalled, he was the director of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau, and one of the
people Gadra was on the lookout for. Gadra himself said he did not know much about him. So
we did not have much information about him, but I supposed that Gadra was convinced by the
revelation of Damrada’s true identity. The entire Imperial side was in a mood of resignation,
wondering just how much they knew about him. Bernie and Jiwu gave us some useful
information, as if they thought there was no point in hiding it now. Gadra was right, Damrada
was the vice-commander of the Imperial Guardians and ranked second in the hierarchy. I did
not know if Kondou was the leader or not, but I was sure that Damrada was a big shot.
Good job, Gadra, I thought as I listened to him.
“Actually, this attack on His Majesty Rimuru was not an order from Damrada-sama, but a
secret order from the Commander.”
“Same for me. I had a feeling that it was strange because the order to escort Masayuki
was overridden.”
Jiwu told me that he even prepared a story about the rescue of one village so that
Masayuki would trust her. Jiwu says that she finally became one of the guards after Masayuki
saved her life and she was given a position of repayment.
“If they were going to reveal themselves at the same time, it would have been better if
they had worked together from the beginning.”
“I agree with you. I always thought that I was using Masayuki to avoid your suspicion
because it was the best opportunity for him…”
Looking back now there are a few doubts—Bernie concluded with some questions.
Assuming that their stories were true, it is possible that Damrada and the leader of the group

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had different intentions. It was hard to believe that Damrada would give an order to
completely abandon the entire arrangement when he himself had set it all up.
No, it actually might be a sacrifice to increase the success rate, but I also thought that
there could have been a different way to do it. It was natural that Bernie and his colleagues
had doubts, and it was natural to think that there was some underlying reason.
“By the way, have any of you in the Empire ever had an audience with Emperor Rudra’s
face?”
I was curious, so I asked such a question. Only one person, Gadra, raised his hand.
“You’re kidding, right? You don’t even know the faces of the people you serve?”
Benimaru seemed surprised and muttered in a low voice.
“He doesn’t seem like a ruler at all. He is so friendly that he eats from the shops in town
and converses with anyone.”
“Hey, hey, hey.”
“There’s no disrespect. King Gazel has his side too, though he’s stricter than your side.
However, most princes and aristocrats are a little bit more formal. I’m sure there are some
who won’t show their faces to the lower ranks.”
“Well, I guess…”
“I agree with Kaijin-dono’s opinion, but there are some points that I don’t understand.
Hiding your face from those who are supposed to protect you is a bit too much, don’t you
think?”
“Well, yeah. I feel it’s not possible for me to be a part of that.”
Rigurd expressed his opinion to Kaijin, to which he readily agreed.
“I guess it’s strange, isn’t it?”
“It’s not so much strange as it is an anomaly. Bernie, if you don’t mind my asking…”
Hakurou asked Bernie while answering Gobta.
“What is it?”
“How is it that you, the guardians of the Emperor, do not know the face of your lord?
How can you protect your lord?”
Under his sharp eyes, Bernie opens his mouth with renewed spirit.
“It’s very simple. Only those in the first six ranks can see His Majesty’s face. The
Commander and the Vice Commander are often away, and the other four attend His Majesty
at all times.”
They were called the Four Knights, and as far as Bernie and Jiwu knew, they were so
fierce that they had not been replaced for many years.
“In other words, you are not trusted to that extent. Are you inferior to these Four Knights
in terms of ability?”
Hakurou asked the hard questions. Bernie answered a little regretfully.
“You may take it that way. It is true that it is difficult for me to win against those four.
Not only that, His Majesty, has ‘that person’ by his side. The fearful Lord Marshal, whom I
can never defeat. I don’t think we can beat them even if all the Single Digits attack at once.”
Here we go again, another powerful person. At the moment, there is Kondou, Damrada,
the Four Knights, and now the ‘Marshal’. Assuming that there are nine ‘Single Digits’, there
are only seven left, excluding Bernie and Jiwu. The numbers match perfectly—or not. If we
separated them by the sixth rank, then it was natural to consider the ‘Marshal’ as a separate
entry. In that case, we should consider that there is another ‘Single Digit’ who is working
separately. In other words, those are the eight members that we should watch out for. If
Kondou was a different person from the leader, then we would have one more person to watch
out for. This was a very troublesome story. It was good to know about it, but now I wanted to
make sure of something else.

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 “Actually, I heard from Gadra that Masayuki and Emperor Rudra have the same face.”
Gadra nodded at my words. Seeing this, everyone remained silent in thought.
“Damrada’s order was to protect Masayuki, right? He kept everyone in the dark, making
sure that no one would suspect him of anything. And then, the order was given without any
regard to the setup. I’m guessing Damrada and the leader had different purposes, right?”
I thought I was sure by now, so I presented my idea. Presumably, I think Damrada really
wanted to protect Masayuki. I don’t know why, but I am sure it has something to do with the
fact that he is a duplicate of Emperor Rudra.
“You said you were using Masayuki, right?”
“Yes. It was unclear why I needed to protect him. That’s why I agreed to the
Commander’s order.”
“Same for me. Damrada-sama did not give me any reason.”
He was using Masayuki to get close to me. If Damrada had given orders to Bernie and his
group, I would have agreed with that idea. However, the fact that the Commander and others
intervened raised a question that I had to confirm.
“Do you think that the leader of the group knows about Masayuki’s face?”
“Hmmm, that’s a difficult question. If Kondou is the leader of the group, as I believe, he
must have known about it.”
“We don’t know the details, but we do know about Kondou. He is an unpredictable man,
and it is rumored that he has all the information in the Empire.”
“‘The monster who eats information’ is the nickname given to Lieutenant Kondou, the
head of the Intelligence Bureau. We in the military and the Intelligence Bureau have always
had a bitter relationship with him. We have tried several times to initiate hostilities, but each
time we failed. This is proof that he is not a simpleton.”
Calgurio was trying to keep his story under wraps, but Minits had no intention of hiding
it. He even revealed the backstory and explained that Kondou was a dangerous man. If a man
as good as Minits was like this, then Kondou was probably really powerful.
“At the least, he is not an opponent I could beat.”
The old man Gadra was a very strong man. In my opinion, he was as strong as a Saint, if
not stronger. Although his magicule count was low, his magic skill-level was outstandingly
high. Since such Gadra declared that he could not win, Kondou had to be a Saint for sure. In
other words, he was as strong as Hinata and King Gazel. By the way, Bernie and Jiwu were
also saints, and Calgurio was also awakened. I didn’t think Gadra, who could not use Ultimate
Skill, could have won against them. In any case, we know that Kondou is strong. If he was so
well-informed to the point that he is called ‘the monster that eats information’, we should
assume that he knew of Masayuki as well.
“If Kondou knew about Masayuki, he must have had a different agenda from Damrada’s.
Bernie and his group attacked Masayuki with such vigor that they did not care if Masayuki
died. This contradicts Damrada’s order.”
When I said as such, Bernie said something difficult to say.
“…Actually, the Commander had ordered us to ‘get rid of Masayuki because he is no
longer needed’.”
Bernie and Jiwu seemed to have grown attached to Masayuki while traveling with him,
and hesitated to kill him. So they were planning to consider how to dispose of Masayuki after
killing me. It would be all right if they could hide him somewhere. If not, they were going to
use magic to take away his memory. In any case, this confirmed it.
“That means there is something in Masayuki. I feel sorry for him, but we’ll have to escort
him for the time being. Souei, can I count on you?”
“Of course.”

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 Yup. Souei is still as reliable as ever.
“Damrada and the leader have different agendas. One wants to protect Masayuki and the
other wants to eliminate him. The reasons for this are not clear, but it seems certain that they
are at odds.”
“Yes. It would be a good thing if there was an opportunity to take advantage of it.”
“We can’t be that optimistic, however, it is good news that our enemies are not single-
minded.”
Good news, huh? If it was difficult to distinguish friend from foe, we had no choice but to
regard both as enemies. Well, I’d just have to hear more to find out.

Now that we knew more about Bernie’s group, I wanted to understand the factions within the
Empire. That being said, I wanted to keep in mind the movements of those who were not in
the military but in the upper ranks, those who could handle Ultimate Skills.
“So, tell me about the ‘Single Digits’.” I asked, and Bernie nodded.
“Yes. There are only nine of us ‘Single Digits’ at any given time. It is possible that
someone you know is being kicked out of the competition so that a stronger person can take
his/her place.”
In other words, there isn’t much of a difference in strength in the end?
“So it would not be surprising if the ninth and tenth places were swapped?”
Bernie shook his head in denial.
“The eleventh in the pecking order is an assistant for ‘Single Digit’. And the tenth rank is
called ‘Spare Personnel’. But it is only temporary. They are responsible for taking the place of
the ‘Single Digit’ members when there is a dropout from the ‘Single Digits’.”
It is said that there is a big gap between the ninth and the tenth place that cannot be
crossed. It seems that it is probably the existence of Ultimate Skill. In other words, it was only
when a person had awakened and obtained an Ultimate Skill, that he was recognized as a
‘Single Digit’.
By the way, Bernie was ranked 7th and Jiwu was ranked 9th. The correct number to
watch out for is at least eight, including the first through the sixth ranks, the eighth rank, and
‘Marshal’. Bernie and his colleagues did not seem to know about the Damrada faction. Since
they did not even know who the ‘Single Digit’ beside themselves was, it seemed that their
words were not a lie. I wanted to know more information about the other members, so I hoped
that we would find something useful to talk about.
“The spare, the tenth rank, is always on call in the home country. If something happens,
he is ready to move. And Imperial Knights below 11th rank always work in pairs and are
engaged in solving big cases.”
According to Bernie’s description, the tenth rank seemed to be strong as well. They might
even be as strong as an awakened demon lord, just that they had not acquired an Ultimate
Skill. The remaining ninety Imperial Knights up to the 20th rank and below the 30th rank also
seemed to have a higher difference in strength. Even so, even the lowest level of the Imperial
Guardians were of the sage class. Some of the top rankers were even said to be close to the
Saint class. If the total power of the Eastern Empire was raised, they would probably be
strong enough to wage war against several demon lords at the same time.
“What are you talking about? The one who defeated us without suffering a single
casualty…”

85
 It was a push from Minits.
“That’s right, but the fact that a hundred Imperial Guardians are more of a threat than an
army of a million is also a problem to consider.”
“It can’t be helped. The Imperial Army is only a visible form of military might. A visible
instrument of violence was necessary for the fools who did not understand real strength.”
Bernie let out a sigh. This was not only a statement towards the Western countries, but
also to his own country, or rather, to the subjects of the Empire, I suppose. The subjects paid
taxes in order to guarantee their safety, but to be told that the army protecting them amounted
to only a hundred men would make them feel uneasy. It made sense to have a large numbered
army, even if it was wasteful. Besides, it was all good when attacking, but more numbers
were necessary when defending. The more people you have, the more you need to defend
them. In this sense, the policy of the Empire was reasonable.
“In the past, defense was the main purpose of the army’s existence, relying on the elite to
invade other countries and to take away their will to rebel. Then, the army would be
dispatched to rule in the name of the Emperor. However, they later started to send the armies
first. I have always wondered why, but I never realized that the purpose was to create more
awakened people…”
Gadra was also surprised at this, so it seemed that this had been a very important secret.
In this way, one could understand Emperor Rudra’s purpose.
“This expedition itself was probably not about achieving victory. In fact, Calgurio-dono
was actually awakened, and there were a few others who were likely to be awakened. I think
that Emperor Rudra’s real purpose in this battle was to increase the number of his pawns.”
Benimaru also expressed his opinion, as if he had come to the same conclusion as me.
Bernie nodded his head and slipped out a few words.
“There were several subjects on this expedition who were likely to be awakened. Not only
General Calgurio, but also Major General Minits, Colonel Kansas, and Krishna. According to
the order I received, we were to cooperate with the awakened people to escape. This was the
first time I had ever seen the Commander’s plan deviate so drastically.”
Bernie was smiling at that, but was not amusing to me. If that many people had been
awakened, this would have been more than a difficult fight. Besides, now that we knew that
the Empire’s purpose was to create awakened people, it meant that we had been completely
wrong in our judgment. I thought that the Empire had decided to go into this war because they
were sure that they could win the war against Western Nations including us. Wisdom King
Raphael-san’s prediction was the same as mine, and I thought I had not been wrong in my
thinking…

«…Notice. Definitive conclusion has failed due to insufficient intelligence. To ensure

completeness, a new conclusion will be redefined.»

Wisdom King Raphael-san seemed to be a little bit embarrassed. Well, it was too much to
ask it to decipher things to that extent, and I didn’t intend to make outrageous requests either.
Don’t feel sorry about this, and just learn from the experience to improve next time.

«Understood. Information will be reassessed in order to avoid any omissions.»

I’m really counting on you. As for the future of the Empire, I would refer to Wisdom
King Raphael-san’s predictions. For now, I would summarize our opinions on what had been
learned.
“Rudra is gathering powerful awakened beings. I hate to admit it, but I think he is able to

86
give people Ultimate Skills like he did to Bernie and Jiwu. With the ‘Octagram’ including
myself and other famous champions of Western Nations, I think he is trying to gather enough
people in order to defeat us all at the same time and take over the world.”
When I said that, Benimaru and Diablo agreed with me.
“It’s tricky, but I agree. That’s exactly why they don’t care about anyone except for the
awakened ones, isn’t it?”
“Hmm, indeed. It is true that human beings are weak, but with an Ultimate Skill, they will
be able to compete with us.”
“I’m not happy about that.”
“I don’t think it’s funny either.”
“Well, that’s all right. If anything is useful, we can just learn it.”
“But that would make the battle less interesting, wouldn’t it?”
“Kufufufu, that is an old-fashioned way of thinking, Testarossa. If you are dealing with
the have-nots, just don’t use the ability either. I think so, and I have already acquired an
Ultimate Skill!”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Isn’t that cheating?”
“You can’t just leave it out.”
“The feelings of jealousy of the have-nots is truly delicious! I used to ignore Guy because
I didn’t want him to feel that way!”
Diablo was really selfish. Just when I thought he was agreeing with me, the conversation
took a funny turn. It was about time for me to stop Diablo’s rampage because I was starting to
feel a pretty disturbing aura from Testarossa and the girls.
“Back to the main topic, in Rimuru-sama’s opinion, the purpose of the Empire is to select
the strong, right?”
“I also agree with him. There are people who boast of their strength beyond human
beings, such as King Gazel, Lady Hinata, and Her Majesty Elmesia. The balance of power in
the world has been kept by the protection of such high ranking people. I can understand that it
is only after we gather enough numbers to break the balance that the real work begins.”
Rigurd and Kaijin had read my thoughts very well.
“I see…to use the strong to deal with the strong, and surround ourselves with those who
are able to help us. The weak are nothing but a hindrance.”
“It sounds like a terrible story, but it will be easier for the weak.”
“Yes, it would be nice for the weak if wars could be settled only by the strong. However,
it goes against my aesthetics to make sacrifices to create the strong.”
Calgurio and Minits also had bitter expressions on their faces when they heard Gabil and
the others’ reactions. As for the people concerned, it must have been a very outrageous way of
thinking. And I thought Hakurou’s opinion was important, too. In war, those who wanted to
fight should fight hard themselves. Involving those who were weak was outrageous. But in
reality, the world was a difficult place to live in because there were also situations where one
could not say so.
“By the way, Yuuki boy told me that Demon Lord Guy also seemed unhappy about the
increase in the Imperial battle power. I had wondered why Guy, who is said to be the most
powerful man in the world, was so vigilant…”
Gadra spoke, as if suddenly remembering. It is true that if one has an Ultimate Skill, there
is a possibility that the attack will reach Guy. It was natural to be cautious.
“Guy’s goal is the unification of the world by demon lord forces. The Empire that is
trying to oppose Guy’s goal is a conflict of interest. However…”
“It’s funny. Why does that arrogant Guy tolerate the existence of the Empire?”

87
 “The battle would be more interesting if the strong gathered together, but Guy is
surprisingly serious. I have a feeling that if he could, he would just go there personally and
eliminate the fools…”
Diablo, Ultima, and Carrera voiced their doubts. Testarossa answered them.
“It’s simple. Velgrynd-sama is there. If we touch the Empire, we will be provoking
Velgrynd-sama. That is why I’ve been so quiet in the Empire.”
Calgurio, who had been listening, looked surprised, while Minits muttered ‘so quiet?’ in a
small voice. I don’t know what Testarossa has been doing in the Empire, but it has nothing to
do with me. I don’t want to be blamed for something that happened a long time ago, so I just
let that part slide.
What I was interested in was the name ‘Velgrynd’. The name ‘Velgrynd’, could it be—
“What a surprise. I didn’t know that White Primordial Blanc—No, Testarossa-dono had
so much respect for the ‘Scorch Dragon’ who lives in the ‘burning mountain of the gods’.”
Testarossa smiled as if to say, ‘What was that?’ and Minits hastened to change his words.
This convinced me of Velgrynd’s true identity. She is one of only four True Dragons in this
world, and the sister of Veldora. The ruler of the ‘scorch’ and the hidden gem of the Empire…
“‘Respect’ is not the word I would use. My relationship with the True Dragons was
somewhat complicated. However, since our lord Rimuru-sama and Veldora-sama are allies, it
is only natural that I should pay my respects to Veldora-sama’s sister as well, isn’t it?”
In other words, if it weren’t for the relationship between me and Veldora, Testarossa
would never have paid any respects to the ‘True Dragons’, right?
“Does that mean that Testarossa was quiet because she couldn’t win against Velgrynd?
Even so, can’t you beat Guy?”
“If you have to decide whether you can win or not, you cannot win. Not mentioning Guy,
it is impossible for me to win. It is not a question of strength or weakness, but the fact that the
‘True Dragons’ are an incomprehensible and indestructible existence.”
Just what is the ‘True Dragon’ race for Testarossa, the incarnation of ‘incomprehensible’,
to speak of them as being that way…
I could picture Veldora proudly laughing out loud, so I hoped she would never say this in
front of him.
“Yes, the ‘True Dragons’ are not even a threat to Guy, but it is impossible to destroy
them, right?”
“Well, I’m not sure. At least with magic, I don’t think so.”
There is no victory as long as you cannot kill them completely—that seems to be common
sense among demons. If so, it was certainly impossible to win against a True Dragon. As I
recalled, Veldora had also said that. He had mentioned that a ‘True Dragon’ can come back to
life even after death. In the case of demons, you can destroy them by destroying their core,
but in the case of ‘True Dragon’, they would still come back to life. In that case, it seems that
a part of memories and personalities are reset…but it may be possible for ‘True Dragons’ to
be resurrected with their memories intact, like some demons. If so, they would literally be
‘indestructible’.
“Well, if there was such an opponent in the Empire, we couldn’t attack them carelessly,
could we?”
Guy may be a threat to some, but he was no threat to us. Calgurio and the others looked at
each other in confusion. Then, starting with Calgurio, Minits, Jiwu, and Bernie spoke up in
that order.
“With all due respect, I must say something. As far as I know, it is a fact that the Empire
worships Velgrynd-sama as a guardian dragon. Even in the history of the Empire, she has
been protecting us from angelic attacks. However—”

88
 “It is only because the Empire is paying tribute to Velgrynd-sama, begging her to grant it
on a whim.”
“That noble and beautiful crimson dragon is a symbol of the prosperity of the Empire.
We, ‘Single Digits’, are required to have an audience with that dragon after being accepted by
His Majesty Rudra. We must remember her name and face and show her that we will never be
hostile to him.”
“Indeed, I have performed that ritual myself. Hostility is impossible. It’s not an existence
one can win against.”
So there was a connection between the Empire and Velgrynd, but it seems that the
Empire’s side could not ask for anything. Also, I was a bit curious about Bernie’s reaction.
Well, not just a bit, but a lot.
“Hey, if you don’t want to say anything, you can keep it to yourself, but if Velgrynd and
that ‘Marshal’ you were talking about fought, who do you think would win?”
“—What?”
“Let me rephrase that. Perhaps, did you ever feel similar signs coming from both of them,
or did you ever remember something like that?”
“No way…”
Bernie seemed to get my point and tried to laugh it off. But he failed to do so and made a
serious face. Next to Bernie, Jiwu was also pondering with a pale face. I was sure of it now.
The ‘Marshal’ was really the ‘Scorch Dragon’ Velgrynd. The reason why Demon Lord Guy
does not attack the Empire is because of Velgrynd. And perhaps the Empire had some other
threat as well as Velgrynd. Otherwise, I think Guy would have little reason to stay put. I
looked at the big screen and let out a sigh.
“Good grief, A rash move would only provoke Velgrynd, and sending an army against
them could result in being annihilated at once. If this is the case, an invasion operation in
cooperation with Yuuki’s group would only be the height of recklessness.”
Sure enough, information is really important. By becoming aware of Velgrynd’s
existence, we were able to stop before stepping on a landmine. As tempting as it was to win
peace with the Empire, launching a counterattack would only be a fool’s errand.
“If Veldora-sama’s sister is to be our enemy, who among us could win? Shall we ask
Veldora-sama to come?”
That was Benimaru’s statement. As timid as that sounded, this was only the result of calm
judgment. A ‘True Dragon’ is an existence that surpasses even the existence of the gods, and
those deluded into thinking they can win in a fight were blind to the reality.
“Well, I’m not sure about that. I don’t want to involve Veldora in our own affairs.”
I decided that I would not ask Veldora to fight with me, as I would not want to fight with
my own brother and sister. In that case, I was not entirely sure what to do from here.
“I will have to inform Yuuki boy of this information. I am sure that the army he has
deployed will not be able to stay forever.”
“Yes. We need to rethink our strategy and keep in touch with Yuuki.”
Hmmm…my mind was racing with thoughts. Just then, Diablo, the troublemaker,
dropped a metaphorical bomb.
“It seems that Guy is also involved, so I called him up. He should be here soon, so let’s
hear what he has to say!”
…Huh?
I couldn’t help but put on a blank face and stare at Diablo. I was almost ready to kill him
when he showed me his bashful expression. What kind of unnecessary thing is this idiot doing
to me at a time when things are so troublesome…
“You called him?”

89
 “Yes!”
Yes?! No!!
I was so irritated, but this couldn’t be ignored. In any case, I would break up the meeting
for now, and prepare for Guy’s visit.

Guy arrived and seemed to be in a bad mood.

“Hey, I’m here. By the way, it’s a pretty big deal to call me over, isn’t it?”
You’re right. But alas, I wish you’d say that to Diablo, not me. Guy sat down roughly in
his chair. I showed him to the luxurious drawing room of the guest house to avoid offending
him, but I may have been too hasty. The guesthouse was a place where only royalty and
aristocrats were allowed to visit. It would be a great loss if anything went out of control here.
The furnishings in the guesthouse were selected by Myourmiles-kun, who was well known for
his aesthetic sense. There were also some valuable art works from various countries. The
pieces were more modest than showy and were in accordance with my taste. The wabi-sabi
atmosphere of the rooms showed the high sensitivity of Myourmiles. Rigurd and his friends
were not yet old enough to reach this level. Since they did not have a chance to touch art
works, they would not be able to understand the high-end and low-end aesthetics of things so
easily. That said, Rigurd had mentioned ‘feeling a sense of home’ in this place, so we might
have the same taste.
Anyway, let’s leave it at that for now and only worry if Guy actually gets out of control.
As there was no other room suitable for him, I decided to accept a certain amount of damage.
There was no way I could do such a daring thing as to lead Guy, the strongest demon lord, to
a common reception room.

The chair was making a small creaking sound. It was carved from aromatic wood of the
finest quality. Although soft sofas were nice, the wooden chairs that withstood everything
were quite comfortable. They gave off the feeling of being surrounded by the forest and one
with nature. I thought in relief that it would be nice to let everyone else leave and just let
Diablo make amends.
The imperial team was sent back to the 70th floor. Gabil had been assigned as a guide and
would take care of Adalmann in his absence. Souei was to arrange for Masayuki’s escort.
Rigurd was in charge of contacting all the parties concerned to ensure the smooth operation of
the city center that had been evacuated in the labyrinth. Kaijin, after consulting with Vesta,
asked him to inform King Gazel of the meeting we had just had. I would contact him later as
well, since I did not want to hide anything from him. Gadra was to exchange information with
Yuuki. He thought it was necessary to communicate the current situation in order to decide
the future course of action. Gobta and Hakurou were waiting in the other room. In order to
deal with any problems that may arise, the three demon girls were also asked to join the
waiting group. It would be safer to keep them out of Guy’s way because of what they might
do. That was the reason why I took this measure.
And so, four of us moved to the reception room. Me, the culprit Diablo, and then
Benimaru and Shion. Guy, on the other hand, appeared with three women. Sitting next to Guy
was a woman with a face similar to Milim’s. Her lustrous white hair refracted light like a
sparkling lake and her eyes were a deep blue. She was a stunningly beautiful woman, but she
also seemed a bit young and childish depending on how you looked at her. There was no

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hierarchical relationship between Guy and herself seeing as she sat down naturally and
without any concern. In other words, they were of the same rank, and such an existence was
extremely limited. Perhaps she is…
“This is the first time you’ve seen each other. I’ll introduce you. This is Veldora’s sister,
Velzard. Her other name is the Frost Dragon, so you’ll have to remember them both.”
“Nice to meet you, Demon Lord Rimuru-sama. My name is Velzard. I wanted to come
and say hello to you since my brother seems to be in your care.”
I was right. She is Veldora’s sister and one of the most powerful ‘True Dragons’. She was
the Frost Dragon Velzard. Her graceful greeting was beautiful. The elegant way she sat on the
chair was very picturesque. It seems that she was satisfied with the fragrance of the wood.
However…
Although she showed an elegant smile, I could feel a cold sweat running down my spine.
I thought I was familiar with the ‘True Dragon’ race after seeing Veldora every day, but this
girl was something else. She was a dangerous woman who felt like a being from another
dimension. Veldora had finally been able to control his youki with considerable accuracy
pretty recently. I thought it was perfect too, but seeing Velzard-san standing in front of me
made me realize that I had been naive. She was controlling her youki in an extremely natural
way. The fact that she did not give me any sign of her presence showed just how much control
she had over her youki. If I had not been introduced to her, I would never have recognized her
as a ‘True Dragon’. On the contrary, I might have believed her to be a human being.
However, I could never have underestimated her, because her beauty and her power could not
be hidden.
“Ah, hello. My name is Rimuru. I’m a demon lord. Your brother has always been a great
help to me.”
Why do I always greet people like this? And why is the Wisdom King Raphael-san
remaining silent at a time like this? One side tried to be friendly to her, while another was
thinking this was just irrational.
“Oh, dear, you’re so modest. You don’t have to be so defensive of me.”
Velzard-san chuckled, looking pleased. At that moment, her calm and collected aura
faded away, and her image transformed into that of a cute girl. To be honest, she looked just
like a high school girl. Once again, I strongly recognized that she was related to Milim. I was
saved by her smile as the heavy atmosphere was eased. The greetings proceeded, and we
introduced all the respective members.
The other two were Mizeri the Green Primordial (Vert), whom I had met before, and
Raine the Blue Primordial (Bleu), whom I had never met before. They were dressed in dark
red maid uniforms as usual, and stood behind Guy without a moment’s notice. They seemed
to be of the same rank as Diablo and the others, though it didn’t seem that way from the way
they stepped back. Even so, there was no mistaking a ‘primordial’. They were the strongest
among the demons, and they were definitely different from mere demon peers. I would be
very careful not to get a bad response from them. With such determination, I carefully
finished the introductions. Benimaru who sat next to me was fine, but I was nervous when
introducing Shion. I felt like I was handling bombs by the time I got to Diablo. I regretted
choosing this lineup, but it was too late now.

When everyone had taken their seats, I asked Shuna, who was showing people around, to

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prepare some tea. Shuna understood what was needed and did her job without showing any
signs of agitation. No, not just Shuna, but all of the servers were doing their jobs as usual, as
if it didn’t matter who they were serving. They had become professionals. This was all the
result of Vesta’s strict training. After taking a break with a cup of tea brought by Shuna, we
moved on to the main topic.
“The reason I asked you to come today is, of course. I wanted to ask Guy something.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, the Empire attacked us and we fought them off. And now we were thinking of
invading from our side, but then we heard that Velgrynd is—ah, your sister is in the Empire
too. And judging from the information I’ve gathered, I think there might be some kind of a
connection between you and the Empire…”
“Oh, you’ve noticed.”
Guy grinned happily at my explanation. I had a bad feeling about this. I didn’t want to
hear any more about it, but I guess that’s no longer an option…
“You’ve been trying to hinder the Empire from increasing its strength. That was your
purpose for keeping Yuuki alive, wasn’t it? I know that you did not want to destroy Western
Nations, but that’s not the only reason, right? You mentioned a ‘game’ before, so who are you
playing against?”
I was concerned about it, but I pretended not to be. However, if Velgrynd was in the
Empire, or if a threat of equal magnitude was lurking in the shadows, I couldn’t help but ask.
If I invaded without knowing about it, there’s a good chance that my people would be killed. I
looked Guy straight in the eye and asked him the question.
“Kukuku, if you’ve noticed that much, I’ll tell you!”
Guy answered without hesitation. I felt scared about that, but I listened to him quietly.
“Actually, I made a bet with some asshole. That guy talked so much about crazy ideals
that I wanted to show him reality. And so, we decided not to fight each other directly, but to
play a game against each other with only the pawns we have.”
In other words, leaving someone other than yourself to fight and defeating all of your
opponent’s pawns means you win.
“The ‘pawns’ in your hands refers to…?”
I was already aware of it without asking.
“Well, it’s you guys.”
Right. That’s what I thought. I wish people would stop using me as a pawn, but I can’t
start complaining here. Let’s just be reasonable and try to get some useful information.
“So, your opponent is the Emperor of the Empire?”
I’m sure I was right, but I wanted to check. Since Velzard was sitting next to Guy, the one
sitting next to Velgrynd must be the opponent of the game. However, that wasn’t necessarily
the Emperor, so I would have to find out from Guy’s mouth exactly who it was.
“Correct. Emperor Rudra of the Empire is my recognized rival.”
Guy was happy to tell me, as if he had no intention of hiding it. Since he said he was his
rival, does it mean that this Rudra is as strong as Guy? He couldn’t win otherwise, right?
There was nothing worse than participating in a game in which there was no clear path to
victory.
“May I speak?”
Beside me, Benimaru spoke up without fear. While right in the presence of Guy,
Benimaru was amazing.
“Yeah, all right.”
“Then allow me to ask, what are the conditions for winning this game? Do you have to
defeat Emperor Rudra, or do you just have to conquer all of his pawns?”

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 Oh, well, that was certainly important. I was under the impression that we had to defeat
Rudra, but if we could win the game just by neutralizing his pawns—in other words, the
Empire’s forces—then we had a much better chance of winning. There were still some nasty
guys left, but it was better than facing someone on the same level as Guy.
“Kufufufu, one solution here is to get rid of Guy…”
“ “You idiooot!” ”
I couldn’t help yelling at him, and Guy’s angry voice overlapped with mine. It’s
exhausting, really. Guy must have felt the same way as I did, because we both nodded at one
another. I was actually grateful to Diablo for that, because I never expected to relate to Guy in
such a way. That said, I’d have to take away some points for saying something that could
potentially offend Guy. In any case, I told Diablo to keep quiet for a while.
“So, Guy, what about the answer to Benimaru’s question?”
Guy looked at me without answering. The moment his mouth broke into a smirk, my
Danger Detection sense echoed an alarm in full force.
“Rimuru-kun~!”
Whoa, I have a super bad feeling about this. This was more than just a premonition. I
seem to understand why Myourmiles and Veldora always make subtle expressions whenever I
call them with ‘-kun’. I was sure that I had that very same expression on my face right now.
“Actually, I have a favor to ask you.”
“I refuse.”
“Well, just listen.”
‘You listen to me’—is what I wanted to say.
As tempting as it was, this was still Guy. It was not a good idea to make this arrogant
person angry, so I had no choice but to listen to him. Myourmiles-kun, on the other hand,
always seemed to be happy to hear from me even with that subtle expression on his face. In
my case, I was filled with a desire to reject Guy with all my might.
“I want you to stop that bastard Rudra. I won’t ask you to beat him, but just figure out a
way to deal with the pawns and make sure I win!”
Guy spoke, looking as evil as ever. He got up out of his chair and walked behind me.
Giving my shoulders a squeeze, he continued talking.
“You’ll do it, won’t you?”
The hand that rubbed my shoulder grew stronger. Is this a threat?

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94
 “What’s in it for me if I do what you’re asking?”
Since I couldn’t refuse, I wanted to at least get better conditions. It might be reckless with
Guy, but I decided to negotiate as much as I could.
“You know, you’re the one who upset the balance of the world I’ve been managing. What
do you have to say about that?”
“I’m sorry.”
In an instant, I was completely defeated. It’s true that I was the one who took most of
Guy’s forces, even though it was just to build a new balance. To put it more bluntly, it was a
bad idea to bring Testarossa and the others to my side. If I refused Guy’s request, there was
still a danger that I might be regarded as an adversary. There was no way around it. I gave up
and decided to accept Guy’s offer.

Just as Guy was returning to his seat, a knock came from the door. The door opened and
Shuna entered. The smell of tea filled the air, and the tension faded away. There was a cake
on the tray, and we decided to take a break. This was definitely not a postponement of the
problem, as I had decided that there was no escape now. The two secretaries and the two
maids went to the next room, which also had tea prepared. I thought they would be reluctant,
but they moved more easily than I expected.
I took a sip of the tea Shuna made with care. It tasted gentle. The one Testarossa brewed
was perfect and complete, but this one was very tasty and comforting.
“Ho-ho, this is pretty good, isn’t it?”
I was glad to hear that Guy was very satisfied with the meal.
“Oh my, it’s true. This cake is not only sweet, but also has layers of depth. The mellow
aroma is wonderful, and the bitterness complements the sweetness.”
I was relieved that Velzard-san seemed to like it as well.
“Also, this room is furnished in a style that is to my liking.”
Surprisingly, Guy gave me a compliment. I had assumed that he was a tyrant and had no
interest in wabi-sabi2. I needed to reflect on the fact that I should not judge others based on
my preconceptions. Come to think of it, I think Oda Nobunaga3 also had this kind of taste. It
seems that he liked to spend time in a tearoom where he did not have to worry about his
status, and he may have valued that time to reflect on his thoughts. Well, that was just my
own contrivance, but it seems that I was right to show Guy to this place. I was a little relieved,
so I spoke up to elicit his next reaction.
“Ah, is that so? I’m glad you like it. You’re the first person I’ve shown here. This is the
finest parlor we have, and I only show it to people I want to impress.”
“Yeah? Are you trying to impress me?”
“Yes, I am. Without that, one can’t be a demon lord. If I could give up my pride, I’d have
lived happily behind the scenes from the beginning.”
First, a jab. Before Guy’s request was heard, I would show him that I would not be at his
beck and call. Depending on his reaction, I needed to change my response to Guy. But Guy
laughed off my reaction as excessive.
“Ahaha. You’re trying to get to know me, aren’t you? You’re so funny!”

2Wabi-sabi refers to traditional Japanese aesthetics.

3Oda Nobunaga was a famous Daimyo during the Sengoku period of Japan.

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 It wasn’t funny, but I still felt like I was being played in the palm of Guy’s hand.
“Thanks for that.”
“All right, no trouble. Asking for help is not irrelevant to you. I want you to continue the
war and destroy the Empire.”
Having said that, Guy sipped his tea with a graceful motion. He looked good, like some
kind of king. Actually, he’s a demon lord, so I guess he is a king. But, Guy…
He went straight to the point there.
“In other words, reduce Rudra’s pawns to zero without killing Rudra? I had a hunch that
it was when you were reluctant to answer Benimaru’s question.”
“That’s it. As for the conditions for winning the game, they are not that strictly defined.
The only rule we had was that the players must not directly fight each other.”
“The victory condition is that the opponent must admit defeat, die, or the game cannot
continue, whichever comes first, right?”
“Well, that’s the way it’s going to be.”
Guy nodded his head while sipping his tea again. According to him, Emperor Rudra of
the Empire and Guy had been fighting each other for more than 2,000 years. Though they had
been fighting, there had been no direct confrontation. They used to fight each other many
times before, but after Milim was born and Veldanava, the ‘Star King Dragon’, disappeared,
they began to be cautious of each other. The reason for this was that their battles had so much
impact on the world that they could no longer be serious about them. It sounded far-fetched,
but seeing Guy in front of me, I knew that it was not a lie. And so the battle had continued
until now.
Guy had been increasing his pawns while keeping the world in balance. It seems that he
had been waiting for the slow evolution of many long-lived monsters. However, even among
the ‘Octagram’, no one knew about Guy’s true intentions. Even Milim did not know anything
about Guy and Rudra’s game.
“Then why are you telling me?!”
“Ahhh? It’s obvious. You’re the first person to push Rudra this far.”
Needless to say, Guy was aware of the fact that the Imperial Army had been annihilated.
Well, it would be strange if Guy didn’t notice that since so many large magic attacks had been
made…
“But you were right to kill them all. Rudra’s got no pawns awakened.”
Do Guy knew the purpose of Rudra’s actions after all. Guy told me the exact story.
Rudra’s purpose was, after all, to make the survivors awaken by giving them an ordeal of
defeat. Rudra’s basic tactic was to find those who would awaken from among the survivors by
giving a reason to convince the subjects, training the army, and then exposing them to threats.
As proof of this, the last imperial expeditionary force had been swept away by Veldora, and it
was said that some of them had evolved into sages.
Guy had adopted a similar strategy. Those who had not yet awakened were not worth
using as pawns. Guy thought that way and he allowed the demon lords to fight with each
other. The more people who awakened to become true demon lords, the more advantageous
the game became. That was the basic premise of the game, and it was just a matter of timing.
The moment you decide that you are definitely better than your opponent, that is the moment
to bet. This was surprisingly difficult and sometimes interfered with by the opponent. In that
way, the game had continued to be fought without a win until now.
For both Rudra and Guy, it was a long story of patience with a grand long-term plan. It
was a nuisance to those who lived in this world, but I guess it was just a way to pass the time
for both of them…
“In this case, too, if there were even a few dozen survivors against Veldora, it was

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expected that some of them would be awakened.”
In other words, Rudra didn’t care about me. I was just one of Guy’s good pawns. It was a
little frustrating, but this was the reality.
“So, you want me to take this opportunity to attack the Empire?”
“I’ll leave that to you. I don’t need to say it, but fighting in vain is meaningless.”
Indeed, while disheartening, that was the truth. If the show of force was not a threat, it
would only increase the number of casualties and would have no strategic meaning. I rejected
the idea of sending an army.
“If you know, then tell me, do you know of any opponents among Rudra’s forces that we
should be on the lookout for?”
“I don’t know. I was mainly concerned with how well I could play my own cards. If I am
the best, then it doesn’t matter how strong or weak my opponent’s hand is.”
It was an arrogant statement befitting of the strong. This guy, he’s definitely that type
isn’t he? He’s like a mahjong player who doesn’t even look at his opponent’s discarded tiles,
and just when one thinks they’ve got an easy win, he’ll pull a yaku mangan 4 without a care in
the world. Well, Masayuki might get a tenhou5 just with good luck, so I didn’t want to play
with him either since both of them were the same. The game topic was making me use strange
associations, but let’s just get to the point.
“Either way, we need to be clear about the Empire. I’m going to do what I believe in, not
what you want me to do.”
Since we couldn’t postpone the problem, we’d have to talk to Emperor Rudra. It would be
wiser for us to go to Emperor Rudra in a favorable situation.
“Rimuru-sama, are you planning to go there yourself?”
Benimaru looked surprised, but I was not going to give in.
“We don’t have a choice. We can’t abandon Yuuki and the others, so we should join them
and try to make peace on our own terms.”
“Isn’t that dangerous?”
“Either way, it will be dangerous. Suppose, for the sake of argument, that someone goes
out there and does make peace. Would you believe that?”
I wouldn’t. I would be convinced that it was just a ruse to throw us off guard. Then they’d
try to assassinate me in secret when I was out and about. If that happened, I’d have to keep
my guard up all the time, and I wouldn’t be able to achieve my goal of a carefree life. I would
not allow such a thing to happen, so I had to make sure to settle the matter here.
“That’s true. And the escort?”
“Of course, it’s you.”
Benimaru smiled at my words.
“Then that’s fine.”
His attitude was full of confidence that he could and would protect me. Sure enough,
Benimaru was reliable. Guy laughed amusedly at the exchange between me and Benimaru.
“Hahaha. You’re fun to watch, but your subordinate is fun too. There’s something strange
about him, and I think he still has a lot of room to evolve.”
“Well, you know. Benimaru is my most reliable right-hand man.”
“Oh, so it wasn’t Diablo?”
“Ahhh, that guy is strong, but he’s kind of a problem child…”
“I know what you mean.”
I felt that Guy was deeply sympathizing with me. And for some reason, he was even
treating me as one of his friends. I understood from his reaction that Guy was also having a
4Basically, the mahjong player will pull a move to gain a ton of points at once.
5Getting a ton of points, but on the first tile draw.

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hard time.
“So, I just want to confirm one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Rudra can grant Ultimate Skill to others, right?”
Guy’s eyes narrowed in admiration when I asked him this.
“So you noticed. You’re right, Rudra does have an interesting skill, and he can lend his
power to others.”
I knew it.
“So, do you know what the terms of the loaning are?”
This was very important. If Guy knew the conditions, we would be able to narrow down
the list of key members on the imperial side. I was wondering if there were less than ten
people on the list, but one could never be too sure.
“Don’t worry. His Skill is not all-powerful. He can only lend a limited, degraded power.
As for the receiver, one cannot be the recipient of the power unless they have awakened.
There are also conditions that I don’t know about, but they probably aren’t threatening.”
Guy gave me a quick answer when I asked him if he thought it would be a good idea.
Now I had all the information I wanted to know. Or rather…
I wanted to shout at him that he was the only one who could say that an ultimate skill
holder was not a threat. Perhaps Milim was one of Guy’s kind too…
Such a difference of feelings may complicate things. I was indignant when I saw Guy
eating the cake served to him. I was angry at his appearance that didn’t match what he said,
but I was also annoyed at the way he made things become someone else’s problem as soon as
I accepted his request. Wait a minute, we were supposed to be talking about something quite
important right now. I thought so, but it seemed that the secret talk was over. In frustration, I
stabbed a fork into my cake. Sugar was important for thinking. I decided not to be distracted
by Guy, but to calmly sort out the information.

A time of silence. The air is calm. But…

Guy doesn’t seem to be going home, even though his business is over. Shuna deftly
poured a refill into Guy’s empty cup. It seems that she had prepared a separate pot for serving
to prevent the remaining tea leaves from over-brewing.
“You’re good at what you do! My idiots can’t do this much!”
“Thank you very much for the compliment.”
Benimaru looked a little worried, but Shuna was magnificent. She was not intimidated by
Guy and handled him without hesitation.
“My Mizeri and Raine, can I send them to your place for training for a while?”
“Training?”
“Right. I want them to learn how to make this cake.”
Their food at Walpurgis had been quite good, but Shuna’s was a step above the others
when it came to sweets. After all, she has been working hard to develop new dishes
competing with Yoshida-san, and her skills were getting better and better. I thought that this
was only normal, but now I realized that it was quite a luxury. I realized that I had just been
doing whatever I wanted since I came to this world. I tried to reproduce what I liked…I tried
to make good food…
No matter how much passion and skill one has, there are recipes that cannot be

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reproduced without the right ingredients. Even an excellent person like Yoshida-san
succeeded in reproducing this cake only with the good quality alcohol produced in our
country. For this, I should not forget to express my gratitude. In any case, what should I say to
Guy? I thought of telling him to come and buy it, but I guessed there was no need to be so
stingy. And so, I decided to tell him only the recipe we developed, while hiding what
Yoshida-san told me.
“Shuna, can you show the two people in the next room how to make it later?”
“Yes, with pleasure!”
“You’ll need to use good ingredients, so let’s make a deal on that in the future.”
Even the sugar was refined so that there were no impurities in it. The combination of my
dedication to good taste and the technical skills of Kaijin and the others had resulted in a
quality that was as good as what I had in my previous life. Although we did not have enough
to distribute in the market, we had enough for our own enjoyment. I would add a little more
production, and arrange for Guy to have some of it as well.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.”
I meant it. I was not willing to skimp when it came to our products, let alone our
technology. What worried me was that we may have more troubles if Guy went in and out of
our country…but that would not be a problem because he had people like Mizeri who could
handle a ‘portal’. If we prepared the materials, we wouldn’t have to consider the
transportation. And, I had other intentions.
If Guy finds us useful, it will ensure the safety of our country. The deeper our relationship
with foreign countries is, the more it will lead to our security. If there was a mutual need,
there would be no need to use force against each other. An economic circle was equivalent to
a strong military alliance. That was my theory. I didn’t want to get into trouble with Guy, so
the more cards I had in my hand, the better. After all, I had never been so careful about my
opponents before.
Or perhaps it was the second time, after the time I met Veldora. Whether I could win or
not, if we had a fight with them, it would be too much trouble. I was going to respect Guy’s
opinion as long as it was not too much of a problem. There may be times when Guy would
ask me to do something reckless, as he did this time, but I would just have to accept it. But
there was a limit to that…
After several conversations with Guy, I realized that he was not the tyrant that I thought
he was. He was surprisingly rational and understanding. With the way he was dealing with
Diablo, I could see his hard-working side. I trusted that he would realize our usefulness and
would not make any unreasonable demands. And so, I hoped he would go home soon. My
little wish was cruelly scattered by Guy’s words.
“Wait. Before I leave, I need to ask you something.”
What? What else is going on?
“What is it?”
“Why has Diablo evolved?”
Surprise!!! I was hoping it wouldn’t be discovered, but I guess that was a little naive. This
is why I don’t like observant people.
“Well, that’s…”
What should I do? How do I answer Guy’s question?
“Diablo isn’t the only one either, right? It took me a while to find out the signs because
they were in Ramiris’ labyrinth, but why are there so many awakened ‘True Demon Lords’
here?”
Guy asked me this with a smile, but his eyes were not smiling at all. I guess my poor

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attempts at deception were not going to work…

«Answer. It is safe to say that this is the result of experimentation with the ‘Gluttonous
King Beelzebuth’, the Master’s power.»

The voice of heaven is here…!

Okay, let’s go with that. As expected of the Wisdom King Raphael-san. Reliable Wisdom
King Raphael.

“Actually, about that… I’ve been experimenting with my powers to see if I can strengthen
my forces for the decisive battle against the Empire. And it turns out that my powers have an
interesting effect.”
“Oh. What kind of effect?”
What kind of effect does it have? I don’t know. Teach me, Wisdom King-sensei!!!

«Answer. This is an effect that reduces souls into energy and grants them to those who are
qualified for awakening. Guy Crimson will agree if you explain that this is how the forced
evolution is promoted.»

You’re right on the money. Indeed, the evolutionary ritual was not based on the power of
the ‘Wisdom King Raphael’ but on the power of the ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’. So, I was
just telling the truth without hiding anything. Indeed, that may be the right response.
“My power, ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’, can reduce a person’s soul to energy, and I
can give it to others. It is a meaningless act for those who are unqualified…”
“Hmm. Does it mean that a person who has obtained the Demon Lord Seed can attain
awakening? That’s amazing.”
Guy didn’t need to hear all of it to be convinced, probably because the explanation was
not false. All this was thanks to Wisdom King Raphael-san.
“Well, I guess. In this world of warfare, quality triumphs over quantity, right? It’s only
natural that we should improve our individual abilities.”
“That makes sense. By the way, I’ve always wondered about you, but you’re not normal,
are you?”
“Huh? I’m very normal.”
“No, no, no. Ordinary ‘slimes’ don’t even talk. I didn’t think much before, but the way
you got Veldora to go along with the development of this town, whatever it is, it’s not normal.
You’re a reincarnated person, aren’t you?”
“Hmm? Huh, you didn’t know? I died in a different world and was reborn as a slime with
my consciousness.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
Guy and I stared at each other. It turns out he didn’t know. I thought that story had been
known for a long time. It was not a secret, rather, it was public knowledge and was well
known in the Western Nations. I had assumed that Guy knew about it. It might be a good idea
to assume that the other party knows all the information. While not exactly an understatement,
I would pay attention to it from now on. I’d have to be careful not to give away information
by unintentionally offering something unexpected.
“Really?”
“Yes, it’s true.”
“Rimuru-sama is not lying!”

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 Hey, come on, why are you so suspicious? Even confirming with Benimaru and Shuna…
“Ahahahahaha! That’s awesome! I thought you were an odd one for a monster, but I
didn’t expect it to be like that. It’s rare to be reincarnated to this world, let alone reincarnated
as a monster. You’ve got no luck at all, do you?”
Guy was giggling like a gibbering idiot. It’s not that funny.
“But that makes sense. If a soul alone can ‘cross the boundary’ and keep its ego and
memories, then it must be able to train its core. I can also understand why you are so obsessed
with your human form, and it’s possible that you evolved at an abnormally fast pace and
acquired the Ultimate Skill.”
In short, my mind was strong, was it? I guess so. I’m a pretty strong guy, if I do say so
myself. I never give up, I never give in, and I always think positively.
“I hope you can accept it now.”
“Yeah, I always thought you were shady, but now I know I can trust you.”
That’s seriously rude. But I forgive you. Because I can’t beat you. Besides, it’s better than
being treated as an enemy. This is an example of positive thinking.
“Well then, it seems your suspicions are confirmed, and you’ve heard what you wanted to
hear. You probably want to go back…”
“I’ll have another one of these.”
“Yes, of course.”
I was about to ask him to leave quickly. However, Guy interrupted me and brazenly asked
for a second cake. Shuna responded in a nonchalant manner. I had no choice but to also ask
for another piece of cake. The sweetness of the cake soothed me. I thought so, but Guy didn’t
allow me to do that.
“So, Rimuru-kun, let’s get back to the story we were talking about earlier.”
I can see it. This is definitely a bad thing.
“Huh? What story?”
“The story of how you awakened your men. From what you just said, it sounded like you
could share your power with my subordinates. Is that possible?”
This guy…
Is he really just like me? For example, the way he’s always on the lookout to make the
most of everything that’s useful. The way he catches you off guard when you’re done talking,
and then how he just cuts right to the point. No, no, on, I’m not as obvious as this—am I?
Well, the moment I start caring about it, I’ll lose. More importantly, I have to answer Guy’s
question. I’ll tell him…

«Answer. It’s possible.»

Ah, it answered before I could ask the question in my mind. I felt a little sad. It felt like it
was trying to show me how tired it was of dealing with me.

«Answer. No such intention.»

It seems a little, well, angry. I didn’t want to offend them any more than I already had. I
can only put my trust in Wisdom King Raphael-san, and there is nothing I can do if it gives up
on me here. Now then, that leaves the question. Guy’s servants do not have a Soul Corridor
connected to me, is that still okay?

«Answer. Yes. Forced intervention is now possible even for monsters who are not part of
the ‘soul lineage’. There is a condition that the target does not resist, but as long as it qualifies

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for awakening, you can promote its evolution by applying energy to it.»

Got it. Then there’s only one problem left. The number of souls I have. I don’t know how
many men he wanted to awaken, but it would be impossible if I was missing something vital.
“I don’t think there’s a problem. We won’t know for sure until we try, but it should be
fine. However, I don’t have enough energy left to share.”
I answered in such a way that I could refuse Guy without offending him. In fact, I had a
little more than a hundred thousand left, but Guy couldn’t know that. I was sure he’d give up
now.
“Oh. That means you can do it if you have souls, right?”
“Well…”
There’s no sign of giving up?
“As a matter of fact, I once gave Mizeri about 10,000 souls. But since they didn’t react or
show any sign of awakening, I decided that it was all for naught.”
Demons were very dexterous in giving souls, weren’t they? But, wouldn’t this cause them
to awaken?

«Answer. In order to promote evolution, it is necessary to transform the soul into what it
should be and adapt it to the target. It is impossible to make effective use of the soul if you
just give it to the subject. In addition, the effective value of the soul is about 10 percent,
because the energy efficiency is very low when it is given to others.»

I see. In order for the ‘Demon Lord Seed’ to germinate, you need to water it correctly.
Well, even if you know the right way to do it, whether you can do it or not is another story. In
that case, would it be better for my subordinates to awaken voluntarily?

«No. A monster ‘Named’ by a higher being will have its nature changed. Even if it is a
soul acquired by itself, it will not be awakened.»

In other words, the path of evolution is closed when naming occurs. It was hard enough
work just to be qualified, but there were unexpected pitfalls. However, most monsters may not
be able to qualify, and evolution by naming was also quite common, so it was hard to say if
that was a good or bad thing. In any case, a monster who has been named will not be able to
extract the energy suitable for itself from the souls it has acquired, because its nature will be
different. Guy didn’t seem to know that, and I admired Wisdom King Raphael-san’s
knowledge. It is truly a good teacher.

«……»

Oh, no, no, no. I was quite serious in praising it, but it might be taken as more than a
compliment. Now that I knew the answer to Guy’s question, it was time to move on.
“So it was Mizeri-san. Is Raine-san another person you tried it with?”
“I told you to call them whatever you want.”
That wasn’t permission, but an order.
“I’ll do that next time. So, about those two guys, weren’t you the one who ‘named’
them?”
“So you know about that. That’s right.”
“Then that’s the reason why.”
“Huh?”

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 “It seems that one’s nature is changed when they are named by a higher being.”
“…Hmm. So that’s what happened. Then all the souls I gave them were for nothing. So
then, you can adapt your energy to the nature of your opponent?”
Guy understood very quickly even though I struggled to explain it to him. Moreover, he
was correct without any errors.
“That’s about it.”
“Well, then, I have a favor to ask you.”
I just knew it would turn out this way. I was starting to get a feel for Guy’s personality.
Guy was requesting with a purr, but he definitely never thought once that I might refuse…
I wanted to refuse him, but I was too afraid to do so. It was too scary, and I had no choice
but to listen to Guy’s wish.
“Just to let you know, even if you have all the souls needed, you can’t evolve if you don’t
meet the qualifications.”
“No problem, both of them have fulfilled the conditions for awakening. So, please
awaken them.”
Guy described them, saying that they were too useless the way they were. Guy’s criteria
seemed to be somewhat strange. From what I had heard, Mizeri and Raine are ‘primordials’
like Testarossa and the others. Saying that they are useless, to say the least…
The more I thought about it, the more I felt uneasy being so close to a certain idiot who
would actively agitate Guy. Oh well. All that remained was to see if there were enough souls.
“Only two people, Mizeri and Raine, need to be awakened, right?”
“Right. So, how many souls do you need?”
In the case of self-awakening, the number was 10,000, and in the case of evolving a
subordinate through the ‘soul lineage’, it was 10x the amount—100,000. In this case, I had to
consider that it would be even less efficient, since they were an unrelated third party. Now
then, let’s consider the number of necessary—

«Answer. 500,000.»

Five hundred thousand? 250,000 per person?! 25 times as many as usual, and even 2.5
times as many as those evolved through a soul corridor…
It was a lot, but if Wisdom King Raphael-san said so, it must be necessary.
“I think 500,000 souls would be enough.”
“Oh? That’s all you need? In that case, the amount I have stored up should be enough
without killing any more humans.”
You have it?
I mean, what were you going to do if you didn’t have enough??
“Ah, really? W-well, that’s good.”
All I could do was laugh dryly. If it had come to that, I would have had to desperately try
to stop Guy. I was glad that it did not happen, but I had mixed feelings when I thought of the
number of victims so far. It was just a difference in values…
I prayed secretly that there would be no conflicts of interest in the future.

Benimaru and Shuna looked nervous as they listened to the exchange between Guy and me. I
decided that there was no need to hide my conversation with Guy from them.

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 “That’s how it is, so please go get our guests.”
And by the way, there was Shion and Diablo. Guy was in a good mood and eating cake.
This was his third piece of cake. He seemed to like it. As soon as he gave me the 500,000
souls, he acted as if his work was done. I already confirmed with Wisdom King Raphael-san
that all the conditions were satisfied, but I wonder if it’s because I was too narrow-minded to
understand what’s going on. As I was thinking about this, Shuna came back with Mizeri and
Raine.
“It was a very nice cake, Demon Lord Rimuru-sama!”
“We are very happy to hear that you are willing to share your recipes with us!”
It was Mizeri’s gushing praise and Raine’s acknowledgment. It seems that the
conversation was well communicated to Shuna, whom they were also polite to. If you can be
so happy about such a thing, how about not playing a trivial game betting on the world? This
world really is full of surprises. These two appeared to be perfect maids. They didn’t seem to
have the devastating palate of Shion, and they appeared to learn their craft very quickly. But
first, they would have to go through the evolutionary rite of passage.
“The gratitude is received. I hope we can continue to cooperate with each other in the
future.”
Cooperation was the key. I hope they’d understand that one-sidedness was not good
enough.
“You guys, Rimuru is going to give you power. You should be more grateful.”
You should too. I swallowed the words and smiled at Mizeri and Raine.
“As a note on evolution, I think you will be lured into a sleep called the Harvest Festival.
It will be hard to return in that state, so you can stay here for a few days.”
Guy and his friends had come using Mizeri’s ‘portal’ to the outside of the labyrinth. From
there, with Ramiris’ permission, they were invited into the labyrinth. It would be difficult to
return to the labyrinth after the evolution ritual. I didn’t think Guy would be kind enough to
take them back to the labyrinth, so I would make sure to prepare a room for them. Besides—
“Are you sure?”
“Of course. So please send Guy and Velzard-san home first.”
That was the idea. Now that the negotiations had been successfully completed, I would
ask Guy to leave.
“Ahn? It can’t be that much trouble. I’ll take those two back, so don’t mind them and give
them some power.”
Eh?!
Guy’s unexpected reaction almost made me shout in surprise. It was not only me, but
even Mizeri and Raine, who were the ones involved, who had a shocked expression on their
faces. Their expressions told me that Guy was not going to do anything for them. It meant that
Guy had his own agenda. Frankly, it was a pain in the ass. I didn’t want Guy to see my power,
and I wanted him to go home. I mean—at this point, something occurred to me.
I had been thinking that Guy and I have some similarities, but perhaps we really were
alike. If it were me, I’d observe what he was doing and ask Wisdom King Raphael-san to see
if I could reproduce it. Even if I couldn’t reproduce it, I would need the information to plan
countermeasures. From this perspective, there was a high possibility that Guy was planning to
do the same thing. If so, I should avoid revealing my plan to Guy even more. Or, perhaps he
has already found out?

«Answer. No problem. As you ordered, only ‘Gluttonous King Beelzebuth’ is being

revealed, so the rest is hidden.»

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 That was truly great. As long as I leave it to Wisdom King Raphael-san, even Guy can be
fooled. Although, even if that may be the case, I can be too careful. That’s why I hope no
more information will be leaked.
“No, no, no, you’re welcome to stay. We have plenty of rooms available, so don’t
hesitate!”
This was non-negotiable. Guy’s goal, no doubt, was to observe my abilities. He couldn’t
allow me to be the only one to see the cards in his hand. I had to get Guy out of here, no
matter what…
Guy and I smiled at each other, engaging in an intense psychological battle beneath the
surface. Just at that moment, the door to the room opened with a bang.
“I’ve been looking for you, Rimuru! The surveillance footage from the Control Room has
disappeared, so I need you to bring it back up.”
“That’s right! There are people here cooperating with you to monitor the world!”
Veldora and Ramiris sounded like they were having fun. However, we were in the middle
of a very important discussion, so hopefully they would read the atmosphere. Besides, that
was a war strategizing room, not a playroom. Yes, it is still wartime, yet you guys just want to
investigate where to play on the big screen.
…And I could go on and on. But right now I can’t complain because I was the cause. I
had said the other day that we’d have fun after the war. Since then, the two of them had been
discussing where to go. The two have lived long lives, but surprisingly, they have never
traveled around the world. Perhaps it was because they had a longing to travel, but they were
even more enthusiastic about this than I was. And so, using my physical magic ‘Argus’, the
two of them had made it a daily routine to enjoy the scenery of the world in their spare time.
The low-cost surveillance magic could be kept active all the time. Moreover, anyone
could easily change their viewpoint. It was not possible to project an image from anywhere in
the world, but it was possible to project a view over a reasonably large area. However, it was
only natural that the magic effect would disappear if it was used too much.
“I’ll be there later, so please wait quietly until then.”
I would have to instruct them later not to make a fuss when guests were present. This was
the responsibility of a parent or guardian. It was important to scold them for their future—not
that I wanted to join them in checking things out. Anyway, let’s leave it at that. I’m busy
negotiating with Guy right now, so I’m going to have to kick Veldora out for now…
“Hey, isn’t that Guy? What do you want with Rimuru?”
Ramiris recognized Guy. Then there was Veldora.
“Looks like you’re having fun, Veldora-chan.”
“Gaah?! Wha-wha—?! Why are you here, my sister…?!”
“I thought you would have grown up a little, but it seems you are still as noisy as ever.
Even so, it is wonderful that you’ve learned how to take human form. And you also seem to
be in good health for a person who has just been unsealed.”
“O-oh, you look well too, I’m glad to hear that…”
The happy atmosphere had changed completely, and Veldora was tense. Velzard seemed
to be kind, but Veldora appeared to feel differently.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, so I’d like to take the time to talk.”
“N-no… I know you’re very busy and I have work to do, so I don’t have much free
time…”
“Don’t worry about it. Guy and Rimuru-sama’s story is going to be a long one, so let’s
slowly take our time and talk.”
Velzard-san emphasized the word ‘slowly’. She was prepared to completely ignore the
part where Veldora said he had some work to do. Veldora looked at me as if asking for help.

105
So I, with a strong nod of my head, spoke up.
“Good luck.”
“Rimuru-sama, may I borrow the room next door?”
Could I ever refuse Velzard-san’s beautiful smile? No, I can’t!
“Of course. I’m sure you two have a lot to talk about, so please take your time!”
That was all I could say. Farewell, Veldora. I will not forget your bravery! Veldora
looked sad, knowing that he could no longer count on my help. But his hands moved quickly,
grabbing Ramiris swiftly with a firm grip.
“H-Hey, wait, Master! I have nothing to do with this!”
“Please! Don’t leave me alone!”
The sight of his pitiful appearance convinced me—Veldora and his sister must not get
along well. Rather than not getting along, it seemed more like fear…
Speaking of having trouble getting along with sisters, the same was true of my friend
from my previous life.
‘She’s a tyrant…’ He used to complain like that with an enlightened look in his eyes.
I guess even a ‘True Dragon’ could have similarities to a human. Incidentally, he had
been engaged in a fierce match over who was more unfortunate compared to those who were
not fond of their younger siblings, but that’s none of my business as I only had an older
brother. I guess they were both on the same side. Veldora gave off the same feeling as them.
This suddenly reminded me of something. I had been having a casual conversation with
Veldora at that time. We were arguing about where to travel, and Veldora was stubbornly
against the idea of going to the north.
He had made some excuse about how it was cold there, but I knew that was unnatural for
someone who did not even feel the cold. Now I wondered if that was because he knew
Velzard-san was there. As I looked at Veldora, who was gripping the door with a deathly look
on his face and desperately begging not to go, I began to feel more and more sorry for him.
Although I was planning to abandon him because I didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire, I
decided to help him a little. But if that didn’t work, I would just give up and leave things be.
“Guy, you guys live further north than the Kingdom of Ingracia, don’t you?”
“Hmm? Yeah, they call it the ‘Frozen Continent’ over here.”
“There is no longer a habitat for living creatures there because I do not inhibit my mana.
Since Guy dislikes the weak, I try to keep them away.”
Not just Guy, but also Velzard, who stood up and put her hand on Veldora’s shoulder,
turned to me and answered.
Good, I thought to myself, and asked again.
“Is Velzard-san’s power a cold-air type by any chance?”
“—I’m not sure if ‘cold air’ is accurate, but it might seem so if just by looking at the
results.”
I see, in that case, there is no doubt. It is surprising that Veldora, who is confident and
fearless of the world, would have something he cannot cope with.
“Veldora is not very good at dealing with Velzard-san, is he?”
“D-don’t be silly! There is nothing I am not good at!”
Don’t try to be so tough. Not at a time like this. You’ll only cause more damage.
“Isn’t that right? After all, I’ve been taking good care of him.”
Velzard spoke with an impeccable smile. She didn’t have the slightest doubt that she was
not good at what she did.
“When the newborn Veldora-chan was on a rampage, I quickly destroyed and regenerated
him. When he was reborn and was still rampaging, I stopped his movements and made him
quiet, then gave him a gentle sermon. He was a troubled child who couldn’t be humanized, so

106
the damage he caused was too much. If I had not cleaned up the mess, things would have
gotten even more out of control.”
Velzard spoke of many past deeds as if to say she had done a very good job. It was hard
to listen to the story without tears. No doubt, this was because of that.
“Veldora, you’ve been through a lot…”
“Do you understand, Rimuru? Do you finally understand me?!”
That’s right, no wonder he developed a sense of bitterness. It was just too bad that she
didn’t intend to be malicious. If this misunderstanding, or rather Velzard’s assumption, was
not cleared up, Veldora would be frightened for a very long time.
Also, Veldora was Veldora. It would be impossible for him to resist Velzard with his
overweening bravado. If this pretense of strength did not stop, the relationship would not
develop well. This kind of matter is a True Dragon type of relationship, right? Well, that
doesn’t matter.
“Velzard-san, at the risk of sounding like an interloper, I have to say that Veldora is not
very fond of you.”
“Oh, why?”
“In a phrase, it is because you’re overdoing it. Instead of forcing him to listen to you, he
should learn right and wrong on his own by you teaching him what he should do. Even
Veldora understands what is right and wrong if we talk to him. So, please, can we stop using
violence and just say what we mean?”
I offered Velzard-san to stay the night if she wanted. After a brief silence, Velzard-san
sighed and nodded her head. Good. It seems that she has considered my proposal.
“R-Rimuru…”
“Good for you, Master! Now hurry up and let me go.”
“I understand. Come to think of it, I have never heard Veldora-chan’s thoughts. Let’s take
this opportunity to talk about it.”
I guess they would still be talking slowly.
“O-okay, I understand. Please be merciful.”
Veldora seemed to have regained his composure and was now contemplative. Hopefully,
this would eliminate the rift between the two siblings…
This time Veldora did not resist and also went to the next room. However, Ramiris was
still captured in his hand, which I would pretend I did not see.
“H-Hey, wait! I really have nothing to do with this!!”
I thought I heard such a voice, but as soon as the door to the room closed, I couldn’t hear
it anymore. Deciding that I had only imagined it, I turned to Guy who had remained.

After the noisy Veldora group left, the room suddenly became quiet.
“Well then…”
Guy muttered. I gulped and waited for his next words.
“Velzard seems to want to relax, so I guess I’ll stay here today.”
“Okay. I’ll prepare a room for the three of you, so you don’t have to worry.”
“Ahn? Why are there three of us?”
“Uh, well, because you’re going back home, aren’t you?”
I asked him with the hope that he would go home. However, my expectations were
betrayed.

107
 “Don’t be stupid. You and me, we’re friends. I’ll take care of you today.”
So get going with Mizeri and Raine’s evolution—his eyes spoke eloquently to me. Guy
should really get what he deserves.
“No, no, I’d rather give you the best of hospitality next time. So for today—”
“You said earlier that you had extra rooms, right? I’m willing to put up with a little bit, so
any room that’s available is fine by me. I’d also like to try that tempura you were talking
about.”
I lost. Now that he’s said all this, there’s no way to say no. Rather than refusing and
generating displeasure, it would be better to just expose one of the important secrets in my
hand.
“Okay. Then I’ll prepare the best room available. And as for dinner, I’ll prepare tempura
as you requested.”
I nodded my head and looked at Shuna.
“Understood. Then, I will prepare it for you.”
Shuna replied with a smile, bowed politely, and left the room. Haruna-san came in
instead, and without saying a word, she remained in a corner of the room. Haruna-san was as
airy and unobtrusive as a skilled maid herself. Mizeri and Raine also looked impressed, so it
seemed safe to say that she was a first-class maid. Guy seemed to be very satisfied with his
victory in the battle with me. At that moment, Diablo, who had been silent up until now,
opened his mouth.
“Kufufufu, I see. So you are staying the night then, Guy?”
“Ahn? Yes, but…”
“I see. Well then, I guess we have plenty of time.”
“You, what are you talking about…?”
“No, it’s nothing, I just thought it would be just right.”
“Just right? What do you mean?”
“I have many follow-ups to our earlier discussion I’d like to talk about, and I know that
you have also boasted about your Ultimate Skill since a long time ago. So today, I’d like to
ask you about it in detail.”
Ooooh!!!
Nice work, Diablo. The tables have turned and Guy is now on the ropes. I couldn’t let this
chance pass me by.
“In that case, Diablo, show Guy to the inner parlor. You two can spend the rest of the day
talking!”
“Thank you very much, Rimuru-sama. I can only express my gratitude for your
kindness.”
Diablo placed a hand on Guy’s shoulder while saying so.
“Uh, wait, wait!!”
“No more waiting, let’s go.”
Guy was surprisingly weak when he was attacked this way. He was then taken away in a
flash by Diablo, who did not give any indication towards his presence or absence. Diablo
really came in handy in unexpected places. Now that Guy was gone, I could use my power
with peace of mind. I didn’t know when he’d be back, so I would have to finish the ritual
quickly. I immediately poured the souls into Mizeri and Raine, prompting them to evolve.

«Notice. The number of souls required, 100,000, has been achieved. The evolution of
individual Mizeri has started.»

Hmm? That’s strange. I had received 500,000 souls from Guy.

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 «Notice. Evolution of individual Raine has started… Success.»

The total number of souls used was 200,000. Huh? Does that mean I can evolve them
even if they don’t have a soul connection as long as they are qualified?
…Hey! There were more questions before getting to that. Did you, with 300,000 left over,
mean—

«Answer. Due to mastering the procedure, less souls than expected were required.»

Yeah, well, it’s definitely not like that, is it? There’s no way you can use that excuse
when you’ve gotten so many souls!

«Answer. Including the requirements for individuals: Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera, it
is necessary.»

What have you done?! You’re so reckless, Wisdom King Raphael-san. Fearless. It
actually played a trick on Demon Lord Guy Crimson! No, wait! That means I’m the one
who’s gonna bear the grudge if he finds out about this!

«Answer. No problem.»

No, it’s full of problems. Now I’m thinking you’re a little too scary. This is why I’m
afraid of the fearless.

«No. It is just that the level of skill in handling the ‘information particles’ was higher than
expected. The excess is considered to be a reward.»

No, is that okay? It’s a bit of a stretch, but…

This is scarier than committing fraud against the yakuza. If he finds out, I wouldn’t even
be able to complain before being wiped out. Although I didn’t show it on my face, I couldn’t
stop sweating and trembling on the inside. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so thankful
for being a slime.

That night we had a banquet. Guy, though seemingly disgruntled, never complained to
me. On the contrary, he even thanked me.
“I have a lot to say, but I’m already tired today. The evolution seems to have succeeded,
so I would like to thank you for that.”
He looked really, really tired. I wonder why? In contrast to Guy, Diablo appeared very
lively. How strange.
“No, no, you’re welcome.”
It was wiser not to get involved. I pretended not to notice anything and left the subject
unaddressed. He seemed satisfied with the food, and the hot spring also appeared to have put
them in a good mood. Velzard was also in good spirits after talking with Veldora.
“I will come back.”
“I’ll do my best to entertain you then.”
“I’m looking forward to it. It is cold in our country, so the hot springs are very soothing!”
“I’m glad you liked it. I look forward to seeing you again.”
“Oh, you’re a good talker. I hope to see you and Veldora-chan again, and next time, I’ll

109
make sure to take my time visiting you.”
The aforementioned Veldora, however, was nowhere to be seen. It seemed that he had
fought briefly with Velzard in the labyrinth and was now wounded all over, unable to move.
“Kuhaha, kuahahahaha! Tell her that I took it easy on her this time, and I won’t show
mercy the next time.”
“Are you sure you want me to tell her that?”
“…I’m sorry.”
He made some excuse with a very quiet voice, but I was kind enough to ignore it. Then
again, Velzard-san didn’t seem to have fought seriously, so I guess he would recover in a few
days from that kind of injury. On the other hand, it was the first time for me seeing Veldora
injured, and I was reminded of the strength of the existence of ’True Dragons’. The Empire
also had another sister of Veldora. In order to think of a proper countermeasure, I decided I
would ask Wisdom King Raphael-san to show me information on the battles between the True
Dragons later on.

Guy and his colleagues left behind useful information and set off home. We would resume
our discussion on the future plans, referring to the information. I was so enthusiastic, and then
someone came to me in a hurry. It was Myourmiles.
“Oh, Rimuru-sama! There you are. I’ve been looking for you.”
“What’s the matter, why are you in such a hurry?”
“I can be in a hurry if necessary. My elder sister is here. She wants me to call Rimuru-
sama.”
“Big sis?”
I was surprised and rushed out to meet them. The destination was a certain ryokan in a
prime location. It was always there that big sis would come. ‘Big sis’ was a code word,
understood only between me and Myourmiles. That’s right, it was only because calling that
person directly by name would create some problems that we called her ‘sister’. That person,
of course, was Elmesia El-Ru Sarion, the emperor of the Sorcerer’s Dynasty of Sarion.
Another alias for her was ‘El’ from our ‘conspiracy trio’.
I was Rimu. Myourmiles-kun was Gar. Elmesia-san was El. In terms of hierarchy, El was
the top and I was the second. Gar was the third, and we were all excitedly involved in certain
matters. Since it was El who summoned me, there was no choice but to rush over. However,
she should have known that it was wartime…
“We are in the middle of a war right now.”
“Of course I told her. She even mentioned that the next time she would come back would
be after things settled down.”
In fact, Myourmiles-kun spent much more time with Elmesia-san than me. He had been
negotiating with Elmesia-san on my behalf because of my busy schedule. This was both the
front and back side. By ‘front’, I meant the official diplomatic relations with the Sorcerer’s
Dynasty of Sarion. I myself had nothing to do with it and left everything to Myourmiles-kun
and Rigurd. The progress of construction and logistics arrangements, arrangement of tariffs
and other rights, as well as security of each other’s merchants and visitors were all examined.
The process was repeated over and over again until arriving at mutually acceptable terms.
They worked hard and without complaint through such a tedious process of negotiation. On
the other hand, the other side of our relationship (the ‘back’) had to do with our darker deeds,

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in which we, the conspiracy trio, were in our element. It may sound less than savory, but the
contents were indeed true. Just what were our darker deeds? It was our plan to take control of
the newly born giant economic circle.
………
……
…
At first, the three of us had just been drinking buddies. But then we soon began to discuss
business matters, and before we knew it, we were even discussing important matters of
national management. It had been my fault for being so loose with my words, but
Myourmiles-kun was just as guilty for not stopping us. Besides, we were not the only ones at
fault, Elmesia-san also revealed a lot of secrets to us. We couldn’t afford to let our guards
down. The three of us blamed it all on the alcohol.
This relationship was, of course, top secret. A secret between the three of us. Absolutely.
If anybody found out that we had been talking like this, they would be very angry with us.
I would be silently pressured by everyone, and Myourmiles-kun would probably be blamed to
the point of stomach perforation. Elmesia-san would no doubt get some sarcasm from Elalude
and the others as well. And so, the three of us were powerfully united. As a conspiracy trio,
we had formed a friendship that transcended our positions.

Our relationship began in earnest when we won the battle against the Rosso family. At the
time when the Rosso family was in decline, the underground organizations behind the
Western Nations were in a state of collapse. With no one to coordinate them, they began to
appear as a rivalry of rivalries. I had ordered Testarossa to maintain security, so there was not
too much confusion, but it was not a situation that could be left unattended. Only when the
police—or rather, the military—of each country was unable to handle the situation were they
allowed to help secretly.
The problem was how to deal with the criminals. The reason why the military of each
country could not handle them was because of the retaliation from the criminal organizations.
In some cases, the local lords were even the head of the criminal organizations, and they were
hesitant to reveal their crimes to the public. Of course, the crimes could not be allowed to go
unchecked, but if they were pursued, civil war might break out. For fear of such a situation,
the state could not interfere. There were many situations in which the state had no choice but
to tolerate the crimes. I was troubled by this situation and complained to Elmesia-san, who
frequently stayed at the hotel.
“I wish you would consult me on something more pleasant.”
At first, Elmesia-san was reluctant to give me a detailed explanation, but as she listened to
my words, her eyes gradually changed and she leaned forward to give me a detailed
explanation. What I had stated, in other words, was beneficial not only to me but also to
Elmesia-san. Or rather, I had been telling her such dream-like things, trying to get her
interested in it. Economy and crime were inextricably linked. The gap between the rich and
the poor, the widening of the gap would cause envy, and it may even affect the reign of the
government. Criminal organizations would be fattened up as a receptacle for the poor, and
this may be a cause of disturbance of the nation.
Myourmiles-kun used to be a don of such an underworld. He understood what I was
explaining to him. The important thing was to prepare a place for the poor. It was important to
provide a job that anyone could do, so that no matter how many people dropped out, they
would not have to commit crimes. That was usually the military. There were a wide range of
jobs in the military, and they were always looking for people to do them, but if the nation was
poor, they were not able to do them. And so, we were going to support them from the

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shadows.
“First, we create a criminal organization. We have already laid the groundwork by
absorbing the organizations we have destroyed in various countries. We can round up all the
organizations that are currently kept at bay.”
I had spoken in a drunken stupor, but this had succeeded in attracting Elmesia-san’s
interest.
“I see. There is no organization in Western Nations that can compete with the secret
society Cerberus. I guess many of them would be loyal to the organization if they were given
food, clothing, and shelter.”
To Elmesia-san, who had been reluctant to join the meeting so far, the next statement was
the decisive factor.
“Right? In this way, now that the poor are taken care of, the next step would be to deal
with the rich.”
“Oh…?”
“Now that Granbell is gone, there is no doubt that the Rosso family will be in decline.
The organization that is strong now will be weakened in time. My project is going to take its
place.”
“A project? Let’s hear it.”
“That’s it. As previously mentioned, the Kingdom of Blumund could function as an
industrial agglomeration. Fuze-dono is also making preparations and has already secured the
necessary manpower.”
Myourmiles was also consulted about this great idea. It was important to coordinate
interests with neighboring countries in order to achieve co-existence and co-prosperity. The
Dwarven Kingdom’s industry, the Kingdom of Farmenas’ agriculture, and the Sarion
Dynasty’s industry. These industries would flow into the Kingdom of Blumund, although
they’d need to be coordinated so that they would not compete with each other. And then,
through this window, they would spread to the Western Nations.
“Oh, Elalude-chan reported that. Are you really going to implement that plan?”
“Of course, right?”
“So, where are you looking for the benefit, Rimu-chi?”
“The profits are secondary.”
“Hm…?”
“I’m kidding! We are what we are. We’ve got the core technology, and we’re going to
release it. For example, to build a large university campus city and attract the best students
from all over the world. We’re going to make tourism a pillar of our country, but secretly
sneak around behind the scenes!”
“Wahahahaha! Patents, the patents! A dream system that brings in money even if you
don’t work! I understand the concept itself, but it will be difficult to make it known.”
“I see. So you develop products that cannot be made without using the technology, and
secure intellectual property rights!”
“El-tan, you are very perceptive! I appreciate your quick response, but don’t copy me,
okay?”
“First come, first served, right? And no! Rather than copying you, let me have a piece of
the action.”
“Wahahahaha! If you cooperate with us, this project is as good as a success!”
“Oh my, Gar-chan. That’s true, but don’t praise me too much!”
The drinking party was a lot of fun. And then came the next day. The three of us looked at
one another, regretting that we had said too much.
“Well, about yesterday…”

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 “Yes, I remember. Well, you blurted out some things you shouldn’t have said, right?”
“Yeah…”
“Please, please, please keep this a secret. I can’t have this project going down the drain
here…”
“Don’t worry about that now, Gar-chan. I’ll keep my promise, even if it was made in a
drunken stupor.”
And just like that, we were united by a failure of a drinking session.

From there we began pushing the project forward. With two heads of superpowers in the
same room, things moved along swiftly. The domination of the West proceeded under the
radar at a pace that would be surprising to anyone else. In just a few months, the unification of
criminal organizations was completed. The secret society ‘Three Drunk Sages (Riega6)’ was
born.
The members of the society were puzzled about the origin of the name ‘Three Drunk
Sages’, but that was not our concern. That was off topic, so we would leave it at that. The
main issue was the progress of the project. The poor who had been oppressed in various
countries had been taken in by the mysterious secret society ‘Three Drunk Sages’, which was
an emerging force. After a month or so of aptitude tests, the right people for the job were
selected. If they were judged to be particularly talented, they were invited to our country for
formal study.
Glenda Atlee was the one who was imposed with such a troublesome task. She used to be
one of the ‘Three Martial Sages’ and now worked for Souei. She had been playing the role of
a pushy boss, as she had said that she would do anything, even the dirty work. As for
Glenda’s subordinates, there was Girard, the leader of the mercenary group ‘Apostles of
Verte’, and Ayn, a spirit wielder who was his subordinate. These two were also active in the
Western Nations, and they were good at uniting the ruffians. They were well known in the
underground world and supported Glenda.
Everyone seemed to think that ‘Three Drunk Sages’ referred to these three people. The
truth is that it was honestly referring to three drunkards, but since this was misinterpreted as
one with ‘drunken dreams’ or something cool like that, I would let the truth stay buried in my
heart. That was the underworld.
Next, there were the organizations that were active on the surface. If we left things to one
organization, a breeding ground for corruption would inevitably fester. To avoid this, it was
better to have opposing organizations side by side. Because of this, we decided to prepare two
organizations.
The first one was a new organization that Myourmiles-kun was in charge of. It was based
on the employees trained in the Kingdom of Blumund, and was engaged in commercial
activities in cooperation with the council. Its official name was the ‘Four Nations Trade
Federation’. With Tempest as the head, the Kingdom of Blumund, the Kingdom of Farmenas,
and the Dwarven Kingdom were all members of this organization. Because the representative
was Myourmiles-kun, it was known that I was involved.
The second was the Western Nations’ Federation Chamber of Commerce, which Elmesia-
san was working for behind the scenes. With the financing of King Dolan and his kingdom
carrying the banner, the surviving members of the Rosso family had been absorbed. Because
we mainly concentrated on those with strong hostility towards us, a larger force than expected

6 It is a Japanese acronym, but it doesn’t correlate well in English. The ‘Three Drunk Sages’ are called the
‘Sankensui’ or the ‘Riega’ (no kanji) in Japanese, so the ‘Ri’ from Rimuru, the ‘E’ from Elmesia, and the ‘Ga’
from Gard (Myourmiles) combine to create the ‘Riega’. A funny play on words.

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had been born. This organization was officially called the ‘Western General Trading
Company’. The representative was one of the sons of King Dolan who seemed to be an
excellent man who had inherited the Rosso blood. Only King Dolan and his son, Prince
Figaro Ross Dolan, knew about Elmesia-san’s involvement. They agreed to our plan on the
condition that they would be protected by Elmesia-san.
‘In the Rosso family, we must be flexible in our thinking to survive. If the demon lord, who
will be the supreme ruler of this world, and the emperor, who will have a great influence on
the world, have joined forces, the decision not to give in will only mean destruction.’
This was apparently King Dolan’s first words when he was told of the plan. The Rosso
family was a family that valued contracts. It was believed that this relationship would be
maintained as long as both parties fulfilled their covenants. Incidentally, Elmesia-san and my
shares together added up to 61 percent of the Western General Trading Company. Since
Elmesia-san was the largest shareholder, the moment Figaro betrayed me, it would mean the
collapse of the entire trading company. Elmesia-san told me that she did not think Figaro, who
was a good man, would make such a foolish choice. I agreed with her opinion, so I decided to
trust Figaro and let him be the representative director for the time being.

In this way, the two organizations began their activities at the same time. On the surface,
these two organizations were hostile adversaries. They competed with each other for prices
and distribution, but it was a healthy competition under the law, without the need of force or
intervention. Some cowardly people tried to take advantage of the underworld, but they
somehow ended up in a lot of pain. A report from the ‘Three Drunk Sages’ mentioned that
something strange was going on. I didn’t dare to stop them, but I hoped they would
understand that overdoing things could bring misfortune.
As sad as it is that some people used excessive tactics, both parties seemed to be
motivated enough to do so. Both were growing faster than I had expected. In just a few
months, the organizational structure seemed to have stabilized. Each side had been subdivided
into positions, and the ranks had been established. Even now, when we were being attacked
by the Empire, I heard that they were prospering from the special war demands. It was a bit
much to be so business-minded, but the profits would be returned to me, so I should consider
it as a necessary evil. I didn’t think it was right to say that everything should be regulated.
Well, in this case, I had my own interests, so I thought so even more. And so, control of the
economic circle was getting closer and closer to completion.
………
……
…
The fact that Elmesia-san had come first unscheduled undoubtedly meant that there had
been an emergency. If I had to guess, I would say that Prince Figaro had betrayed us. I had
already devised a countermeasure in that case, but I would have to contribute my share to the
fund. No wonder Elmesia-san came to see me.

Upon arriving at the hotel, I was escorted to a separate room where Elmesia-san was waiting
for us.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. What’s up today, El?”
In any case, no speculation was necessary. I decided to hear what she had to say. Elmesia-

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san was in a bad mood. She looked at me with a glare, not even trying to hide the fact that she
was upset.
“H-Huh? What is it? Are you in a bad mood?”
“Of course! You—do you even understand what you’ve done?”
Whoa, whoa! She seems to be very serious, doesn’t she? And apparently, it doesn’t seem
to be related to the ‘Three Drunk Sages’…
“W-what does that mean?”
“Sit down.”
“Uh, yes.”
It was not a good idea to offend Elmesia-san who had a very sharp glare, so I sat down on
the tatami. Myourmiles-kun was also sitting on the tatami next to me. Unlike me, he seemed
to be in a lot of pain.
“Rimu-chi, is it true that you have evolved some of your subordinates?”
Why does she know about that?!
I glanced at Myourmiles-kun with a sideways glance and tried to get an answer from him,
but he gestured that he did not know by frantically shaking his head. In that case, where did
this leak come from?
“I received an urgent message from my boy Gazel. He debated whether to tell me or not,
but in the end, he decided this should be communicated. He’s very disciplined, that boy.”
From Elmesia-san’s point of view, even that old man Gazel was treated like a child. But I
didn’t know about that. I guess it was not surprising that he did not hide it from her, but the
speed of information transmission was unexpected.
“The Eastern Empire was looking worse than I thought, so I wanted to reinforce
everyone. Then, I thought it would be worse to hide it, so I invited Jaine-san too.”
“I see, so it’s true…”
Elmesia-san stood up, turned her back to me, and looked out the window. Her back
seemed melancholy, and she seemed sad for some reason.
“—Why are you nodding your head as if this is none of your business?”
With a snap, Elmesia-san hit my head with her fan that she pulled out.
“N-no, no, I didn’t mean…”
I just wanted to lighten the heavy atmosphere.
“What are you trying to do with such a large force?”
“Well, it’s not anything, really. Just trying to build a country where people can live
happily.”
“My boy Gazel told me that you have another ‘primordial’ in your crew besides Diablo, is
that right?”
“Oh, I didn’t tell you? I was also surprised when I found out recently. You know
Testarossa, don’t you? I had thought she was very strong, but it turned out that she was one of
the ‘primordials’. And there are two more—Carrera and Ultima, the Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court and the Attorney General of our country.”
As I was explaining this, Elmesia-san began to tremble.
“So that is also true…”
After muttering like this, Elmesia-san sat upright in front of me and stared straight at me.
Then she bluntly asked me a question.
“Are you trying to destroy the world?”
“N-no way.”
“That’s the only way people on the outside can see it!”
She yelled at me. I started making excuses in a panic. Myourmiles-kun joined me in
support and then we exchanged words for about 30 minutes.

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 “You mean Guy and Rudra are playing a game with each other’s pawns to decide the
winner?”
“That’s right!”
“Is that right, Gar?”
“Well, I didn’t know the details of the situation. But in any case, this isn’t really
something I should know about.”
“It shouldn’t be, but it can’t be helped, right?”
“It is difficult for me to be satisfied with just ‘it can’t be helped’…”
I know, right? I totally got you into this. Honestly, I’m sorry, okay? But I’m sure that
because Myourmiles-kun and I are good friends he’ll forgive me.
“Hah, well now I know what happened. You can’t say no to Guy if he threatens you…”
Yeah, that’s it! I was threatened by Guy—let’s call it what it is.
“Right? That’s why it’s been hard for me too.”
Myourmiles-kun’s tone had shifted, but I think I can cover it up now. Elmesia-san let out
a sigh. She seems to have recovered her composure, perhaps because her anger has been
lifted.
“So, what are you going to do?”
“W-what do you mean?”
“You’re not someone who will just play as Guy’s pawn, are you?”
“No, I’m going to be nice.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I thought about it, but…”
Elmesia-san didn’t understand what I was thinking so I told her frankly. There would
certainly be powerful men of unknown strength waiting for us in the Empire. Avoiding a
battle at this point was one way, but I thought it would only postpone the problem. I would
have to live constantly alert for a long time, wary of assassins from the Empire. There would
be skirmishes with assassins, and even if I was careful, there would be casualties. In order to
avoid such a situation, I wanted to take the initiative. To begin with, the war for the Empire
was a ritual to create awakened beings. If so, we would have to keep on fighting with them.
Ignoring them would only give them more time.
“That’s my decision. I’m going to go in with just my main force to negotiate for peace
because there’s no point in having the numbers. If we can deal with Rudra’s pawns there, Guy
will take care of the rest.”
The truth is that I don’t trust Guy, and I didn’t expect that much from him. The problem
was who to take with me.
“Rimuru-sama, are you going to be okay?”
“Myourmiles-kun…who do you think I am? I may look like this, but I’m still a part of the
Octagram. Emperor of the Empire or his imperial guard, they won’t be a match!”
“That’s right! As expected of a goddess…”
“Hmm? Goddess?”
He…he still sees me that way? He caught me staring at him and reiterated in a panicked
manner.
“It’s not—you’re a reliable demon lord, Your Majesty!”
“O-oh. Well, you can count on me then! Hahaha!”
“Wahahaha!”
We laughed out loud. As nice as that sounded, I was planning to run away and come back
if things got bad. I was prepared to shut myself in at that time, so it was useless to think about
things too hard.
“Ho…can you tell me about whether you will eliminate Emperor Rudra’s men or murder

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his own lord or father?”
I didn’t like it when people asked questions on the assumption that I was going to win,
but I had already decided on this.
“I’m trying not to kill. Judging from the game’s win condition, Guy wins when all but
Rudra are neutralized. From that point on, it’s not my problem to interfere with.”
Elmesia-san nodded her head in satisfaction.
“Okay, I understand. Do your best not to disappoint us. In the case of an emergency, I
will take care of your country too.”
Stop! Don’t say such ominous things!
“Don’t worry! I hate self-sacrifice! My motto is to live happily together, and I have no
intention of dying!”
Elmesia-san laughed happily when she heard my reply.
“That’s good. Take heart and remember that if you die, this world is doomed. There is no
other monster who could tame Diablo and the other primordials. The demon lords you’ve
created may not all agree with you. If conflicts arise, wars will inevitably break out. Do you
understand? Don’t give up on anything that you plan to do. Don’t ever forget it.”
It was Elmesia-san’s heartfelt advice.
“I know. I really do.”
That is why I also swore to do so with a serious expression on my face.

The battle was in the endgame. A few more moves and we would win. But at this point,
one wrong move could turn everything around. We had to be calm and careful. First, I needed
to contact Yuuki and discuss how to deal with Emperor Rudra. And so, the next day came.
We embarked on a journey to the Empire.

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118
 Interlude 2

The Heavenly Game

This is a record of the war. A heavenly game that had played out over many years. It was a
battle of supremacy on earth between a demon lord and a brave warrior. However—
For ‘Scorch Dragon’ Velgrynd, such games were meaningless. She was not interested, so
it did not matter to her who won. She thought it would be better to fight directly to decide
who was the winner rather than participating in such troublesome games. However, the direct
confrontation between Guy and Rudra was still unsettled, even though they had fought many
times. That is why this game was started, with the only rule being ‘no direct confrontation’.
Although she couldn’t complain about it, Velgrynd was still dissatisfied with the game.
To begin with—if she was being honest—she thought this game was disadvantageous.
Guy’s only chance to beat Rudra was with Velzard, and conversely, if she could manage to
defeat Velzard, they would win the game. The same could be said for Guy. There is no one
who could defeat Guy except for Velgrynd. Nevertheless, Velgrynd thought that it would be
difficult for her to beat Guy. Velzard had a chance to beat Rudra, but she herself would have
trouble defeating Guy. That was the reason why Velgrynd thought this game was
disadvantageous.
Alas, it’s such a pain in the ass.
That was the truth. Velgrynd, who disliked elaborate stratagems, was not good at the
meticulous actions that had taken hundreds of years to prepare. Therefore, she left everything
to Rudra and simply followed his lead. Nevertheless, as long as Rudra wanted to win,
Velgrynd was willing to cooperate. She would fight if she was called upon to do so. He would
take a lot to make sure that Velzard could be taken down.
Guy was undoubtedly the strongest demon lord, and her sister the ‘Frost Dragon’ Velzard,
was the worst type of match-up for Velgrynd. They were like natural enemies, and it would be
difficult to win in a head-to-head match. If Velzard and Velgrynd fought, at best they would
fall together, and at worst Velgrynd would be forced to reincarnate.
No, even that was just an optimistic speculation. Velgrynd’s attribute was heat. In
contrast, Velzard’s attribute was ice. In other words, they represented the opposing factors of
‘acceleration’ and ‘deceleration’. If the two were to fight seriously, the result would be
disastrous. Neither side would survive and both sides would fall. In other words, there was a
strong possibility that both of them would be wiped out. In that case, both would be
reincarnated, but their current selves would be lost. While they would inherit memories, they
would become different people.
Velgrynd was afraid of this. It did not matter if she disappeared, but she did not want to
lose her love for Rudra. Velgrynd couldn’t help but laugh at herself for clinging obsessively
to such a trivial emotion as love. A complete victory was the prerequisite for the safety of
herself and Rudra. That is why she needed insurance. However, this insurance had been
difficult to deal with.
Really, that guy is such a pain in the ass, isn’t he? It seems he was lucky enough to be

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unsealed, but why doesn’t he come to say hello?
Velgrynd, not realizing that she was greatly feared, was frustrated with her ‘insurance’
Veldora. If this was the Veldora that Velgrynd knew, he would have already begun rampaging
all around the world. However, he seemed to have become very close with the new demon
lord. When she heard that he had even joined the Walpurgis, she suspected that he had gone
crazy after being sealed for so long. Still, she did not think that Veldora, who loved chaos,
would remain silent before an army of a million. That is why she was sure he would come
out, but the result was surprising. Even then, he had remained hidden in the depths of the
labyrinth and did not show himself. This was unexpected for Velgrynd.
That kid really does whatever he wants—but why didn’t he come out this time?
As was the case on the last expedition, Veldora did not like to have his territory invaded.
It was believed that an encounter with Veldora would be inevitable after the invasion of the
Great Jura Forest. And that was exactly what Rudra wanted. For Rudra, what’s important was
not a strong army but rather individuals who transcend their limits. Last time, the few who
survived had succeeded in evolving. Surrounded by resentment, fear, and despair—Only
those who did not lose hope under such extreme circumstances could break through the chains
of humanity and reach a higher realm.
Even if an army of a million were to be annihilated, it was still profitable if a few were
awakened. This was Rudra’s opinion, and Velgrynd agreed with it. The reason why he did not
disclose the detailed information from the intelligence was to motivate the corps commanders
by misleading them. From Velgrynd’s point of view, the confidence of the corps commanders
was even comical. The chances of the plan working were slim. Or rather, it could even be said
there wasn’t a chance at all. It was impossible to defeat Veldora with an army that had been
reinforced by science. Therefore, there would be many deaths this time as well. But that is
what gave them hope.
Fufufu, I wonder how many will survive and awaken this time. The more people who will
be on the receiving end of Rudra’s power, the greater the chance of winning. I am looking
forward to it.
Velgrynd thought as such, but was left speechless by the unexpected result of the
expedition.

“All wiped out?”

“Hmph, I was surprised too. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen that look on your face.”
“Please don’t joke. I did not expect such a heavy defeat to the extent that no one survived.
In that case, we have failed in our goal to acquire those who awakened.”
Allowing the generals gain as much experience as possible, and then gain at least one
powerful being into the Imperial Knights. The hidden purpose of the expedition was to bring
out the awakened beings from among them. And yet, there were no survivors.
It was a story on a level even worse than if Veldora had destroyed them. The possibility
of human evolution would increase only if one could survive and taste the despair of touching
a portion of the most powerful force in this world. It was an expedition with a large army just
for that purpose, but it was meaningless if there were no survivors. Moreover, it seemed that
several Imperial Knights who had been embedded in the expedition had all disappeared. This
was just a waste of precious resources and overall a great loss.
“Well, that’s how it is.”

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 Rudra’s reply was curt. Velgrynd was dissatisfied with this, but stopped being angry
when she looked into Rudra’s eyes. There was an intense frustration in his eyes. Velgrynd
realized that Rudra felt the same way. And so, Velgrynd changed her mindset.
The loss of a legion did not matter to Velgrynd. It would have been a great achievement if
an awakened person was born, but it did not matter if they failed, as it was in this case. That
said, they could not ignore the existence that had made this happen. If one million soldiers of
the Imperial Army had been annihilated, the strength of the opponent could not be
underestimated. They had to know who did it.
“So, did that kid (Veldora) do it this time, too?” Velgrynd asked, regaining her
composure.
Velgrynd had been completely oblivious to Veldora’s rampage. However, there had been
a report that Veldora had destroyed the 20,000 troops of Farmus’ army. At that time, the
information bureau had not been able to obtain detailed information, but this time was
different. Everything should be known, and Velgrynd, the ‘Marshal’, would be informed
shortly. The reason why Rudra knew first was because of his power. Therefore, Velgrynd
waited for Rudra’s answer with great confidence.
In Velgrynd’s estimation, it was unlikely that her chaotic brother would miss the
opportunity to go on a rampage. She expected that if she attacked with an army of a million
men, Veldora would surely come out. In that case, she was planning to observe Veldora’s
power. Following those thoughts, she would be able to confirm whether he could control his
youki to a degree that he could make himself imperceptible. Veldora’s growth was a joy for
Velgrynd. Although he was a foolish little brother, Veldora was a lovable presence to
Velgrynd. However, he was also a nuisance.
We cannot let him join Guy’s side, and must make him an ally in any case—Velgrynd
thought as such, and was always thinking of how to do so. It was very important for Velgrynd
to know how Veldora was progressing. However, she had no idea how much Veldora had
grown.
“That is not the case. And, surprisingly, we don’t have a detailed picture of the situation.”
Rudra told Velgrynd everything he knew. He began with the heavy defeats of the first
battle, then continued with the fact that the troops who entered the labyrinth did not return,
and finally he spoke of the great magical sweep of the city. There was also the awakening of
Calgurio and the outcome of the battle. And how the Armored Corps were defeated, exactly
as it had been seen.
“You must be lying, right?”
“It’s true. All four of the remaining ‘primordials’ were helping on Demon Lord Rimuru’s
side. If those demons are going to run rampant, then your brother will have no place in it.”
“The balance of the game has been shifted. Is Guy upset about this? Or is this just what he
wants?”
“Well, perhaps. If this is what Guy wants, we have to admit that the situation has become
overwhelmingly unfavorable.”
Rudra chuckled with a bitter smile. Over the years, they had built up their forces and
prepared for the best timing. Remain patient, do not be reckless, and fight steadily. And yet, in
the blink of an eye, someone had amassed an unimaginable force. It was a small entity that
had not even been considered—the “newbie” Rimuru.
Now there is no choice but to admit it—Velgrynd thought as such, and was secretly
determined to fight.
“So, when you said you didn’t have a detailed picture of the situation, did you mean that
you couldn’t figure out what was going on inside the labyrinth?”
“Fufu, yes, that’s right. It is a pity that even with my power, I am unable to break

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Ramiris’ power.”
Hearing his answer, Velgrynd was convinced. ‘Fairy of the Labyrinth’ Ramiris was an
untouchable being. She was not a referee of the game, and she was definitely not involved on
the board. That is, until now. This time, she was completely in favor of Demon Lord Rimuru.
It had nothing to do with the game with Guy, but she was going to deal with the Empire that
had invaded the Great Jura Forest.
Ramiris herself was not very powerful. Velgrynd also thought that Ramiris herself was
negligible and would have no effect on the game. However, the power of her ‘Labyrinth
Creation’ must have had the effect of blocking information inside and outside. Velgrynd felt
like clicking her tongue at such a troublesome power.
“Ramiris must have lost her ‘mediator’ powers, right?”
“Yes, that’s right. That one’s labyrinth seems to be the best place to hide secrets, though
we had neglected it until now because it was not a threat. Until now, I have been able to see
through the eyes of Bernie and Jiwu…”
“Suddenly you can’t see them anymore?”
Rudra nodded in agreement.
“It was probably a ploy to catch me off guard.”
“So that’s what you’re saying. If that’s true, then this is trickier than I thought…”
Velgrynd also understood the gravity of the situation. In other words, they didn’t know
what had happened in the labyrinth. Normally, one would think that Veldora had done
something, but it felt to Velgrynd that there was more to it than that.
“The problem is that there are several powerful beings hiding in the labyrinth. The most
prominent one is your brother, though I wonder how much he has been tamed by this
newcomer…”
“I don’t think he would follow someone else’s orders quietly, given his personality. Not
to mention, I doubt one would be able to bind him with a Skill, either.”
Although they had heard that he was cooperating with Demon Lord Rimuru, Veldora was
not the kind of person who would do anyone’s bidding. He even defied the words of Velgrynd
and Velzard, his sisters, so she was sure that it would be impossible for him to follow
someone else by force. If that was the case, did this mean that Demon Lord Rimuru had
prepared something that could bend Veldora to his will? Velgrynd thought about this and tried
to imagine what it could be. But nothing came to mind.
If such a thing existed, we wouldn’t have had to go through all this trouble. Perhaps we
should ask Demon Lord Rimuru directly?
In the end, Velgrynd gave up thinking.
“I guess we’ll have to hear it from his own mouth to be sure.”
Hearing Velgrynd’s mutterings, Rudra also laughed.
“I guess so. I’m glad to see that you came to the same conclusion I did.”
The demon lord named Rimuru had become a presence they could not ignore.
Considering the means by which he had taken the ‘primordials’, they could be sure that he
had Veldora at his beck and call somehow. If so, they decided that it was necessary to turn
him away from Guy’s side.
“Now would be a good time to make a move. Now that our plan has failed, Guy may be
caught off guard. I don’t doubt that the long-winded demon lord will wait for the next
opportunity.”
“Indeed. All this time, you’ve been so cautious, taking no chances. It’s not a bad idea to
make a move at once here, putting aside any hesitation.”
Velgrynd was delighted. Rudra was determined to settle the score with Guy. The time for
quiet was over. Velgrynd’s move on this occasion would give her a chance to take control of

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Veldora at once. With this momentum, she would destroy the new demon lord named Rimuru
and head for an all-out confrontation with Guy.
“Fufufu, you can count on me. I’ll go out there and let loose, and then all you’ll have to
do is pick up the pieces. I believe in you, Rudra.”
“Of course. As long as we have Veldora, whatever happens next is out of the question.
Tatsuya seems to have come up with an interesting plan, so that should make up for our
failure this time.”
If she challenged them head on, even the most troublesome primordials would be no
match for Velgrynd, a True Dragon. It would be troublesome if they ran out of control later,
so if they defied them, they would just have to clean them up together.
There might be others that could be a problem, but as long as I’m personally involved, it
doesn’t matter.
Velgrynd exuded confidence.
“Shall I make some fools bleed as a warm-up?”
Those who disobeyed Rudra were arrogantly gathering around. They have kept them at
bay until now, but that would end today. The fools who planned the coup d’état against the
Emperor would have had no choice but to die. Velgrynd thought so and said as such, but
Rudra grinned and shook his head. Then, he gave a surprising answer.
“I want them alive, not dead.”
“Well, that’s unusual. I would have thought you would have given them a quick and
painless death.”
“No, Tatsuya’s plan requires it. He wants to start another big battle to get Guy’s
attention.”
“That’s very much like Kondou. I wouldn’t have imagined he would use a traitor for his
own gain.”
“You don’t like it? Well, Tatsuya’s plan is certainly not humane. But its reasonableness is
unquestionable.”
Velgrynd nodded vaguely to Rudra as he spoke. It didn’t matter to Velgrynd how
outrageous the plan was. She just wanted to bring down heaven’s punishment with her own
hands. Velgrynd loved Rudra, but that did not mean that she loved humans. She did not hate
them, and she did not want to destroy them, but she just could not forgive the fools who
betrayed Rudra.
Well, fine. If it helps Rudra, I’ll let it slide.
Satisfied, Velgrynd urged the conversation to go on.
“So, what is Kondou’s plan?”
“We’ll get to that later, but first, we need to review our current strategy.”
Hearing this, Velgrynd immediately understood Rudra’s intentions.
“Oh, yeah. Now that we are in this situation, there is no point in having a two-sided
strategy.”
“That’s right. Let’s withdraw the operation and put off the attack on Luminas until later.”
“Once you and I convince Veldora, we can take care of the rest. I’ll call Gladium and the
others back so they won’t get in the way.”
“Can you do that for me?”
“Yes, of course. Let’s continue to crush the rebels and take Dwargon as well. That way
we can deceive Guy’s eyes.”
With that conversation, the strategy planning between the two ended. Velgrynd rose to
her feet. It was the first time in thousands of years that she had made a serious move. And so,
the curtain rose on what would become known as ‘The Purge of the Red Lotus’.

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 Chapter 3

Capital in Turmoil

The darkness of the Imperial City ran deep. Thanks to the benefits of scientific civilization,
the streets of the Imperial City were now illuminated by streetlights that used natural gas.
Even so, there still existed backstreets that were hidden from the public eye. Although the
Imperial City continued to develop, it would be a long time before all the darkness was
exterminated.
Misha was quietly walking in the darkness of the capital. This darkness was the place
where Misha had been born and raised. Rather than fear, she felt a sense of comfort and
calmness. This was the woman named Misha. In the days since she reported to Yuuki, Misha
has been busy preparing for the coup d’état while hiding in plain sight.
Currently, the Imperial Army was on an expedition. It was dangerous for Misha to go out
in such a situation. If she was regarded as a fugitive from the enemy, she would be executed,
and in fact, it would not be wrong to do so. Misha, however, was a dignified person, and there
was no trace of fear on her face. Misha’s confidence in her knowledge of the dark side of the
capital was evident in her demeanor. In the first place, Misha was often involved in behind-
the-scenes work, but she was also an excellent fighter. Although she was not as good as Vega
and Damrada, Misha was also a good leader.
She was a master of intelligence gathering, and she was proud of being superior to the
dark side of Dwargon and the intelligence agents of Blumund. Therefore, Misha believed that
she could hide from the Imperial Intelligence Agency. In fact, she had survived in the
Imperial capital until now. Misha was heading to her destination as usual. But she seemed to
have made a mistake. Although Misha had not been careless, a man appeared to block her
way.
His name was Tatsuya Kondou. He belonged to the Imperial Intelligence Agency, and
was called ‘the monster who ate up information’. Although Damrada did not disclose this
man’s name, it was assumed that he was the leader of the Imperial Guardians. At the very
least, Misha was sure that he was an opponent that she could never win against.
“Where do you think you’re going at this time of night?”
Kondou’s cold voice echoed. Misha smiled in reply, though she inwardly clicked her
tongue.
“Oh, isn’t this Lieutenant Kondou? Are you working late at night, Lieutenant Kondou?”
On the surface, Misha made a counterattack without hesitation, but on the inside, the
situation was undoubtedly the worst.
He is definitely a monster to have sniffed me out in such a remote place in this spacious
capital. I don’t think I can win in a fight, and the guards won’t be able to buy much time.
Kondou suddenly appeared in front of her, but it seemed that he was acting alone. Misha
was not optimistic about the situation and tried to find a way to escape from the situation.
“You are Misha, the Chief of Staff to the Commander of the Calgurio Corps, right? Why
are you back in the capital during the war operation?”

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 Kondou asked Misha in a very serious tone.
“I was scared, Lieutenant Kondou! Actually, I have received a secret order from Calgurio
to return to the capital.”
Misha replied, thinking that she could fool him anyway. At the same time, she searched
for any signs around her surroundings without any caution. There was no one in the narrow
alley. That was fine, but the problem was that the guards had disappeared.
He’s already taken care of them? How much of a difference in ability is there that I didn’t
even notice any signs of battle?
In a split second, Misha grasped the situation. Although She and Kondou had not met in
person until now, there was no way that he did not know about Misha. It would be difficult to
get through this situation with words, though it was still unclear as to how he saw her. Now
that the guards had been taken out without question, she should assume that there would be no
room for deception. Misha decided to ask for help from Damrada, whom she was scheduled to
meet. But then, a bad thought came to her mind.
How did they know where I was? Yuuki-sama has decided to trust Damrada, but can I
really trust him?
It was Damrada who had designated the meeting place, and today’s discussion was to
inform the group of the secret meeting with Demon Lord Rimuru scheduled for tomorrow.
Oh, this is not good. A possibility of Damrada’s betrayal—no, I don’t think so. I am also
indebted to Damrada, not to mention Yuuki-sama’s judgment.
Misha and Damrada had known each other for over twenty years. As the leaders of the
secret society Cerberus, she knew more about Damrada than Yuuki did. This was the reason
why Misha was so confused. Damrada was a rational man with a cool-headed side. Judging
from the information he had given, there seemed to be no reason for him to betray Misha and
the others. Not only did Misha want to believe this, but she was convinced by Yuuki’s
explanation. If this was the case, now was not the time to hesitate, but to trust in her
companions to the end. Misha settled her mind and looked at Kondou.
“I thank the great Majesty Rudra for the good fortune of meeting you here.”
“Oh?”
“Lieutenant, right? The one who disposed of my pursuers. I thought it would be tough to
take on that many men by myself.”
“I see, so that’s how you want to play this out.”
“Oh, am I being suspected, by any chance? I have come back from that hell to deliver the
information I have obtained.”
Misha continued to perform with aplomb. She flirtatiously walked up to Kondou and
leaned against his chest. She would use her charm as a ‘Lover’ to her fullest to seduce the
man. This was Misha’s specialty. She used ‘Curse perfume’ and ‘Charm’ to influence the
target’s thoughts. The idea was to make the target captivated by Misha by stimulating their
instincts and inhibiting their ability to think. The deeper the mind and body were in contact
with each other, the more dependent the subject became with Misha. Once this happened, it
would be as if they had been dominated by their partner, just as she had planned.
She had been negotiating with Calgurio, and had almost completed her captivation with
him after having made him near her several times. Not just Calgurio, but many other men had
fallen for Misha’s tricks. For Misha, who had never failed in her career, this was the strongest
trump card she could play. Even if the opponent was superior in strength, they would fall
before her in the face of carnal desire. Misha was convinced of this and put her supple hands
on Kondou’s back. She pressed her ample breasts against Kondou and flaunted her charms.
Then, she looked for his reaction. Suddenly, she could feel Kondou’s attention relax. Misha
giggled.

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 Fufu, thank goodness. He may look serious, but Kondou is still a man after all.
The response was more positive than she had expected, and she figured she could make it
work.
“Hey, let’s go someplace better, okay? Perhaps someplace more private than this…?”
She put her lips close to Kondou’s ear and whispered softly. As if in response, Kondou’s
right hand moved, and a murmur of ‘Okay’ reached Misha’s ear.
It looks like this is going to work. The best thing to do is to meet up with Damrada at the
destination. If that’s not possible, then I can find a way to take Kondou, and then we’ll be
together again…
That was Misha’s last thought. There was a dry thud. Misha crumpled to the ground.
Bright red blood flowed from the left side of her head as it bled into the ground. In Kondou’s
hand was Nambu automatic pistol that he had drawn out without being detected. The smoke
rising from the muzzle of the gun asserted itself as the weapon that had shot Misha in the
temple.
Kondou did not change his expression and put the gun away as if nothing had happened.
The information had already been collected. With his Unique Skill ‘Decipherer’, he could
read the thoughts and feelings of the target he is in contact with. Misha’s purpose, Yuuki’s
plan, and even the fate of the Imperial Army that went on the expedition. It took less than a
second for him to decipher all of this information. And even though he had read such
important information, there was still no change in his expression. He merely looked bored as
he spoke in the darkness.
“—A coup d’état? Foolish. Are you still going to do this and claim that you haven’t
betrayed His Majesty?”
In the darkness that should have gone unanswered, a man emerged. He did not answer
Kondou’s question, but instead walked up to the fallen Misha. It was Damrada.
“Kondou, you didn’t have to kill her, did you? This person, too, could have been of use to
you if you had trained her properly.”
“No, there was no chance of that. This woman would have been about thirty-seventh in
the pecking order, at best. If she were within the tenth rank, she would still have had a chance,
but she wouldn’t have been of any use to His Majesty.”
“I went to all the trouble of leaving myself defenseless, and she couldn’t even get past my
defenses,” Kondou said coldly.
Damrada heard this and shrugged his shoulders. If Kondou said so, then it must be so, and
he agreed without any further rebuttal. He only had mixed feelings about Misha, who had
been his companion. Damrada knelt down next to Misha and held his hand to the left side of
the body. A soft light sealed the wound. He pushed back Misha’s protruding eyeballs and
closed her eyelids. Finally, he wiped the dirt from her face, trying to restore some of her
beauty. Damrada could not bring the dead back to life, but he at least wanted to let her rest in
peace.
“What a waste of time. If we leave her alone, the body will be disposed of before the
night is out. Instead, answer my question.”
“I’m not like you. I can’t separate myself from these things as easily as you.”
“How naive.”
“You’re the one who’s weird. At your young age, how can you be so thorough in
suppressing your emotions?”
“I have no feelings. That’s all there is to it.”
“Stupid…”
“I’ve seen hell. His Majesty Rudra saved me from that hell. If you are planning to be his
enemy, I will not tolerate it.”

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 “I am His Majesty’s loyal servant. I would never betray him.”
“That’s hard to say. Remember, you’ve also fallen in my hands. If you want me to trust
you, then prove it with your actions.”
With that, Kondou left without looking back. Damrada also took one look at Misha’s
corpse before leaving. The night was long in the capital. There was still work to be done.

After that…
Misha’s body was disposed of by the men in the Intelligence Bureau without leaving any
traces. The darkness of the night was deep in the capital, and the whole event was buried as if
it had never happened.

Kagali moved immediately upon receiving Yuuki’s instruction. In order to execute a coup
d’état, careful preparation was essential. A message was sent out that day, and within a few
days, the leading figures from all over the world were assembled.
Nearly 30 executives crowded into Yuuki’s mansion in the capital. The people they had
summoned this time were those who had sworn absolute loyalty to Yuuki. Since some of
them, such as Vega, were undercover in other corps and could not participate in the meeting,
around half of them were present.
The plan for the coup d’état itself had been in the making for quite some time. The
participants in the meeting waited for Yuuki’s words with a feeling that the time had finally
come. All of them were very capable people. They were all making a name for themselves in
the military, relying on their own strength. Their loyalty to Emperor Rudra did not exist from
the beginning. Some of them were even excited to bring about a revolution in this country.
Visitors from another world. Interracial species who had mixed blood with other races.
Experimental subjects who had been repeatedly subjected to atrocious experiments in the
pursuit of strength.
Yuuki had trained them to be first-rate adventurers. There were also slave warriors
collected by Damrada, and majin protected by Misha. They believed in violence and strength.
This was the belief system of the Mixed Corps.

Up a staircase in a large atrium floor, there was a large room designed for meetings.
Yuuki made his entrance n with Kagali just as everyone sat down on chairs.
“Hey, guys. Thank you for coming.”
In his usual cheerful tone, Yuuki greeted them with a smile.
“A meeting with Demon Lord Rimuru is scheduled for tomorrow. I have sent Misha to
call Damrada, so we will discuss the details when Damrada arrives.”
Upon hearing this statement, the audience was in an uproar.
“We aren’t doing this on our own?”
“Demon Lord Rimuru is cunning and tricky. Can we trust him?”
“No, wait. That said, we are still at war, aren’t we? Demon Lord Rimuru is a faction of
the war, so there’s no way he could take the time to come here.”
The voices were heard from various places in the hall. Yuuki’s smile deepened.
“The Imperial Army has been destroyed. It’s said that Rimuru-san killed all the 940,000
Imperial troops that invaded the city.”

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 “Nonsense!”
“That’s too quick. Based on the travel time, it must have been only a few days since they
made contact with the enemy…”
The audience was in an uproar at the unbelievable story. Yuuki laughed and gestured for
everyone to be quiet.
“To overthrow an Empire, combat power is necessary. That is why I decided to join
forces with Rimuru-san.”
Hearing this, some of them begin to understand Yuuki’s statement, even if they did not
agree with it. Shrewdly, they began to shift their attention towards whether the information
was reliable or not.
“Was this information brought back by Misha-sama?”
There were people in the audience who belonged to Cerberus and knew that Misha had
served in the military. That is why they asked the question.
“That’s right. I think Misha would have been killed too if we had not been allies
beforehand.”
“Misha-sama?”
“I didn’t realize it was that bad…”
Misha was often behind the scenes, but she was well known. The name of Cerberus was
not just for looks. Because only meritocrats are present here, they gave due credit to their
colleagues. In a strange sense, they had a lot of trust in Yuuki because they did not value
those who could not meet their expectations.
“I see. In that case, I am in favor of the alliance. Although I am not happy about the
concealment thus far, I’m sure the boss had his own reasons for keeping quiet about it.”
“It’s not so much a theory. It’s just that Guy beat me to it and forced me to make a
promise.”
“Guy? Don’t tell me it’s Guy Crimson?!”
“Did you fight the Lord of Darkness? Boss, you are too reckless!”
“No way. I’m surprised you survived.”
The audience was in an uproar in a different sense, but Yuuki silenced them once again.
“I know you have a lot to say, but I don’t have time to explain it. I’d rather discuss the
arrangements for tomorrow’s meeting and how to proceed with the operation.”
The only official forces remaining in the capital were the Intelligence Bureau and the
New Legion. Although the top-level officials of the Intelligence Bureau might be a threat, the
lowest-level officials need not be counted in the strength of the forces. The New Legion,
though numbering as many as 100,000 men, was too weak to be a threat. They were not
troublesome in terms of strength, but merely troublesome due to their numbers. There were
about 20,000 other guards stationed in the city in place of the police, but they were no match
for the military in terms of equipment. The difference in strength between the military and the
police was so great that it was akin to making adults deal with children. At best, they could
only serve to stall for time. However, the Emperor still had the strongest force in his hand, the
Imperial Guardians.
“The Intelligence Bureau also has a royal guard in its midst. So, strictly speaking, it is
only the near guard that we should really be wary of.”
“Indeed. They’ve been hit with a few rank battles, but the top ones are really strong.”
“Oh, come on, you’re just boasting. There are also traitors like you amongst the royal
guard.”
“Well, I guess so. I believe only in power, and I have no allegiance to the Emperor who
only shows himself off.”
That was where the laughter came in. Three were people of their own among the Imperial

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Guard. By reaffirming this fact, they realized how much of an advantage they were in. The
man who started this trend was a little small but with an arrogant attitude. His name was
Arios. Although he was an otherworlder, he was not a summoner, but a wanderer.
“So, will Demon Lord Rimuru’s reinforcements be ready by tomorrow?”
A dark-haired girl asked Yuuki a question. Mai Furuki—She was also an otherworlder.
She was a Japanese high school girl who had been summoned to this world. Mai had been
picked up by Yuuki, who was the grandmaster, and he had helped her in various ways.
Because of this, she trusted and admired Yuuki.
“That’s right. If they’re coming with an army, it’s going to take them a long time no
matter how fast they go. If they’re flying, they won’t actually come then, will they?”
As if to cover Mai’s question, a large muscular man spoke up. His name was Torneot,
who was once a slave fighter. If Damrada had not found him, he would have been a slave in
the mines to this day. Torneot had been thrown into the army, educated, and soon discovered
the joy of learning. That is why he was apparently well-informed and held the position as a
general staff officer in the Mixed Corps.
“Flight magic is extremely psychologically draining. It may be okay for demon lords, but
it doesn’t necessarily mean that even the other monsters can do it.”
Agreeing with Torneot was a small girl. Her name was Aria, a wizard and a heavy
warrior. Her appearance did not match her age, and she was a unique person who had
undergone remodeling surgery on herself while she was an apprentice of Master Gadra.
Torneot replied to Aria with disgust.
“Not just that. There’s a surveillance net over the capital too. If they come in from the
sky, they’ll be noticed even if they land far away.”
Aria’s face turned red and she felt ashamed of herself when she was told a surprisingly
accurate point. Aria was unusually short-tempered and thoughtless for a wizard.
“All right, all right, it’s important to have different opinions. Analyzing things from
different angles helps us to see things from various perspectives.”
Yuuki quickly interceded and pulled the agenda back on track.
“Rimuru-san has contacted me through old man Gadra and said that only a few people are
coming tomorrow.”
The contact with Rimuru was made through ‘Magic Communication’, which Gadra kept
secret. Even if the Imperial Intelligence Bureau had intercepted the message, it would have
been impossible to decipher it because it was encrypted. Gadra only communicated the gist of
the message, but he had not yet decided who would go to the meeting. If Rimuru was
confirmed, who would be the escort?
It seems that Rimuru-san has decided that there is no point in making a demonstration
against Rudra. They are going to ensure quality rather than quantity, and I am sure that only
the executives will come to Rudra.
Yuuki estimated that there would be at most about ten people.
“That…is that them underestimating the Empire? Or are they mocking us as allies?”
A slender and beautiful woman, twisting her body gracefully, tilted her head and asked a
question. It was not so much a question rather than an expression of her thoughts. The
seemingly natural-looking woman was a warrior named Orca. In contrast to her appearance,
she was an extraordinary person with a number of hidden skills.
“Orca, that’s not true. As I said before, a large army takes time to prepare, and everything
takes time. I think they decided it was better to go with a small elite force.”
Once again, Torneot provided an explanation. Yuuki smiled at him as if he had just saved
him a lot of trouble.
“That’s right. That’s why we need to set up our own plans.”

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 Rimuru would arrive with only the best of the best—the question was, who would deal
with whom?
“We will hear what Rimuru-san thinks at tomorrow’s meeting. That’s why we need to put
our thoughts together. For example, what to do about Emperor Rudra.”
Yuuki’s statement could be seen as arrogant. He was looking only to a future where he
was the winner, not to a future where he had lost. It was unusual for him to be discussing the
treatment of the Emperor before the coup d’état had even started. However, no one pointed
this out. Even Torneot, who has the tendency to poke and prod, smiled and was ready to wait
for Yuuki to speak.
“The Dwarven Kingdom is aware of the situation. That’s why the Mixed Corps forces
that are currently deployed can also launch themselves toward the capital without worrying
about their own backs. If only the forces remaining are in the capital, it should be a piece of
cake, right?”
“Yes, indeed. So the only threat is the Imperial Guard?”
“I suppose so.”
Yuuki responded with a smile. In truth, he knew that the real threat lied elsewhere. There
was an unknown entity known as the Marshal. And if one considered the meaning of Guy’s
decision to let Yuuki live…
Why did Rimuru-san move this time? He is normally a pacifist who hates to initiate
attacks on other countries…
Perhaps it was to avoid any regrets, however, he could not help thinking that this was not
the only reason. Yuuki then put the pieces together one by one. Then, he imagined the shadow
of Guy appearing behind Rimuru. If that was the case, he could only come to the conclusion
that there was a monster in the Empire who could be Guy’s opponent.
“Depending on the circumstances, it is inevitable to kill the Emperor, right?”
“You’re getting ahead of yourself, Arios.”
“That’s right. It’s not good to take all the credit.”
Those gathered were excited, and some of them even began to talk about the Emperor’s
murder, or the murder of his people. Yuuki thought that it was too early to talk about the
Emperor’s fate, but he reminded himself that it was a good thing to be so full of vigor. In fact,
the treatment of Emperor Rudra would be discussed in tomorrow’s meeting. Gadra was
against killing him, and Damrada’s loyalty was to Emperor Rudra. Since these two men were
important collaborators, Yuuki did not want to make a bad impression on them. Before that,
there was a high possibility that Emperor Rudra was the one whom Guy was worried about. If
so, it would be suicidal to make a move against him.
Let’s just wait and see. There’s no need to take the risk of picking up chestnuts from the
fire. I’ll just hand the Emperor over to Rimuru-san.
Yuuki made his conclusion. The details of the meeting would be discussed after
Damrada’s arrival, but they now had a rough outline. The main body of the Mixed Corps
would take control of the Imperial City. The Imperial Guard, who would be in the way, would
be taken care of by those present here. The men Yuuki had selected here were as good as any
Imperial Knight in terms of ability. Although they were not as good as the elites, they had an
advantage in numbers.
If several players were to challenge one person, it was possible to overturn such a gap in
strength. The opponents of monsters such as Rudra and ‘Marshal’ could be left to Rimuru,
who had taken the trouble to participate in the battle. Since Rimuru was probably planning to
do so anyway, this proposal was expected to be accepted. No reinforcements would come
from anywhere to defend the capital.
Of the three major corps, the Armored Corps was destroyed by Rimuru. The Magic Beast

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Corps was far in the sky. Even if they rushed to the defense as soon as they knew the
situation, all the battles would have been settled by then. The last of the legions, the Mixed
Corps, had defected.
Now that the plan had been advanced to this point, they were in a position to win the
game. The victory was close at hand with no need to rush. However, Yuuki could not shake
off the uneasy feeling that he had overlooked something. What was it that he was missing…?
“Thank you for your patience.”
A calm voice echoed in the heated hall. Upon hearing his voice, everyone shrank back as
if they had been doused with cold water.
“At last, Damrada.”
The man—Damrada—had arrived at the venue.

Damrada was not wearing his usual disguised merchant uniform, but rather, unusually, an
imperial military uniform. At that point, Yuuki felt uncomfortable.
“What happened to Misha?”
“She died.”
The hall fell silent. Everyone felt a sense of disquiet and was on the verge of war. Those
of them who were there had been through a number of such situations, so they were sensitive
to such signs.
“What do you mean, Damrada?”
“It’s just like I said. Misha was killed by Kondou.”
Upon hearing this, Yuuki felt the lingering lump in his chest disappear. He had felt
uneasy, as if he had overlooked something. And now he realized that he had finally found out
what it was. The relationship between Yuuki and Damrada, though not long, was very deep.
They had shared a countless number of wrongdoings that could not be revealed to the public.
It was with Damrada’s help that Yuuki had been able to destroy Echidna, which had
controlled the underworld of the Empire. After that, he had established the secret society
Cerberus and kept working for it as its leader.
Yuuki had thought so, but it seems that he had been mistaken. Everything had gone as the
Empire wanted it to go. The secret society Cerberus was an organization led by the people
Damrada had gathered. Its purpose was to sort out the talented from the incompetent. They
had been searching for the best and the brightest by spreading information networks all over
the world. Protecting strays was a part of that.
This was not a recent development. It had been happening for a long time, ever since the
days when Echidna had been on the rampage. In this way, it was possible that Yuuki himself
must have been one of those very people who were discovered by Damrada. They found the
strong and brought them onto their side. It was Yuuki who had caught the eye of Damrada,
who had been moving along with such a goal.
Damrada himself would be too conspicuous if he appeared in the public. Yuuki was
chosen to be nothing more than a stand-in. In other words, he had been used by the people
who he thought he was using. That being said, this did not mean that Damrada had betrayed
them. Damrada’s loyalty was genuine. Someone was manipulating Damrada to make him
trust the naturally suspicious Yuuki, and this answered the doubts that he had been feeling.
Realizing this, Yuuki let out a sigh of disappointment.
“I’ve been fooled. Since when was it?”

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 “—? What are you talking about?”
Damrada replied in an indifferent manner. It was the same tone of voice as usual, but it
made Yuuki feel that something was definitely off. He was not pretending to be confused, but
rather was sincerely unable to understand what was being said. This meant that Damrada
himself was unaware that he was being manipulated.
No wonder I didn’t realize it. If he was unaware of it, there is no way I could detect it.
Thinking this way, Yuuki recalled the last time they had talked. At that time, Damrada
insisted that he had not betrayed them. He felt that he was sincere, and in fact, it was possible
that he might have done something after that. If Yuuki believed his intuition, it felt to him that
Damrada had only been manipulated recently.
That’s right. I am the one who decided to believe in Damrada. I’m not going to say much
about that at this point, but the important thing is the purpose of whoever sent Damrada here.
There was someone controlling Damrada. This was a definite fact in Yuuki’s mind, and if
he took that into consideration, he could guess that their current situation was very severe.
The siege against Yuuki and his group would be completed even as they were dealing with
Damrada. Yuuki became lost in his thoughts. Beside him, Kagali was quietly analyzing the
situation. However, the energetic young people in the hall were agitated by Damrada’s
attitude.
“Damrada, you are being disrespectful to Yuuki-sama!”
Aria condemned him. Torneot then asked him what was going on.
“Damrada-san, what are you thinking? Are you planning to betray us?”
“Betrayal? That’s a curious thing to say,” he replied aloofly. “My allegiance is
unwavering and dedicated to His Majesty Emperor Rudra from beginning to the end.”
“Che, that’s called betrayal!”
Arios spat out fiercely Damrada was famous for being dirty with money and was looked
down upon by some of his friends. Because Damrada was such a person, many of them were
more angry than surprised at this situation. The first to make a move was Torneot. He grabbed
Damrada by the neck with one hand and spoke threateningly.
“Don’t be so damn coy! You got me. You were the one who said I should live for the
cause rather than die a slave in the mines. I was grateful to you. So why are you doing this?”
Torneot’s actions were actually to protect Damrada. He was trying to find a way to get
out of this situation before others made a move. However, for Damrada, this seemed to have
been an afterthought. Damrada gently squeezed Torneot’s wrist back, manipulated the flow of
force, and in turn restrained him.
“Torneot, do you remember what I said?”
Damrada’s eyes were so cold that they chilled the calm Torneot to the core.
“Wh-what?”
Torneot answered while holding his wrist.
“Didn’t I teach you back then to be strong for the cause? Is this all you’ve got?”
Torneot’s wrist crunched as all the forces converged on a single point. And just like that
—it shattered.
“Ah, my wrist, in an instant…”
Groaning and rubbing his wrist, Torneot moved away from Damrada. He took out a
restorative he had on hand and healed himself. Damrada stood calmly, not bothering to attack
Torneot. He was not letting his guard down in the slightest. In this world where some
monsters could heal a broken bone in an instant, one must not let their guard down until they
have neutralized their opponents. Without such an awareness, one could not survive in this
world.
Yuuki’s eyes narrowed as he watched Damrada. He knew Damrada was strong. Since he

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was in the top of the Single Digits, it was no wonder that he was stronger than the others
gathered in this room. The important thing was whether or not he had an Ultimate Skill. And,
also, to what extent he was being manipulated.
In the end, the real question is whether my ‘Anti-Skill’ will be able to disarm it or not.
Depending on that, Damrada would have to be killed. Yuuki deliberately did not stop his
companions in order to find out.
“So you were just the Emperor’s dog. I had thought you were just a money-grubber, but I
was fooled. Even so, to come in here and expose yourself all on your own, it was a foolish
act…unlike your usual cowardice!” Arios shouted, and that was the start of the situation
changing.
“That’s right, Damrada-san. I have been in your debt, so I’m going to kill you myself in a
way you won’t have to suffer.”
Torneot, now in full swing, challenged Damrada with all his might.
“Too slow.”
Torneot swung his mace with both hands, but Damrada dove past the mace with ease.
With a natural movement, he drilled into Torneot’s chest, gently pushing out his left palm. A
heavy impact hit Torneot, not indicative of the lightness of his movements.

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135
 Spiral penetration break—a technique that forces one’s fighting aura into the opponent’s
body. The fighting aura penetrated through armor and muscles and destroyed the target from
the inside. Its power was proportional to the amount of fighting energy, and Damrada’s spiral
penetrating attack would be a killing blow that could surpass the power of a tank gun. Torneot
could not withstand it.
“Goof!”
He vomited blood and cried out, cowering in place. He tried to stand up, but his legs were
weak. Of course they were. Torneot’s internal organs had been destroyed by the blow.
“I-I didn’t know…you were this strong…”
“Well, well, well. To judge a man by his looks is the haughty pride and arrogance of the
strong. Perhaps, because I hired you as my bodyguard, you mistakenly thought that you were
stronger than me?”
“Kuh.”
“I told you to be strong and not look down on people. Even if one does not rely on a Skill,
they can still get stronger with training. Just like me.”
As soon as he said this, Damrada shot backward with a spinning back kick without
looking back. The assailant who had aimed at Damrada from behind was unable to react to the
kick, and was killed instantly with his neck broken. He was killed too easily, but it was still
Arios who had been one of the strongest people whom Yuuki had recognized.
Arios had the Unique Skill ‘Murderer’, and also possessed the ‘Silent Movement’ and
‘Presence Concealment’ abilities—all traits that made him suitable for assassination missions.
It was a skill structure that specialized in killing, and he had been a man worthy of the forty-
fourth rank. It was expected to be a battle favorable to Arios, but Damrada had easily buried
him.
“It is not enough to rely on Skills. The only thing you can rely on in a critical moment is
your own body and spirit that you have trained. In my opinion, you are useless.”
Damrada’s words were harsh. Those who had never been mocked even by their
instructors in the art of war were outraged to hear them. They were furious at Damrada’s
words, which sounded like a warning to the weak. All of them became fretful and unleashed
their murderous intent on Damrada. Under such circumstances, Yuuki was calmly analyzing
the situation. He came to a conclusion.
I knew it. Damrada did not betray us. He’s being manipulated by someone. Arios was an
Imperial Guard, so he may have been on the Emperor’s side. The fact that he did not kill
Torneot and didn’t go easy on Arios is evidence of that. In other words, he still has some of
his free will, but he can’t do anything that is detrimental to his ruler, right?
It must be a very powerful controlling force that was manipulating Damrada. Yet
Damrada was trying to get through to Yuuki somehow. Yuuki followed his judgment and
came up with the optimal solution.
“All right, everyone pay attention! Right now, let’s move to the retreat! I give full
authority to Kagali, and you will join up with the Mixed Corps as fast as you can.”
“Boss? We don’t have to run away. We’ll deal with the traitor, and then we’ll go right
back up…”
“No.”
Yuuki rejected Aria’s proposal in a single word. He smiled with a comfortable expression
as usual, but his eyes looked around all of them seriously.
“Damrada is just trying to buy time. That is why he’s explaining at length, because that is
what’s still allowed, right?”
“‘Allowed’, you say?”
Kagali asked. Nodding his head, Yuuki answered definitively.

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 “That’s right. Damrada is not betraying us. He’s being manipulated. And then he’s going
to exterminate us right here.”
The reactions to Yuuki’s words were varied, but they seemed to have the effect of
restoring calm judgment to his fellow workers. They suppressed their killing intent toward
Damrada and focused their attention on his second-in-command, Kagali. Kagali’s judgment
was similar to that of Yuuki’s. Her instincts were ringing alarm bells, and Kagali knew that
she was in a critical situation. When Yuuki gave her the instructions, Kagali understood what
she had to do. The situation was urgent. Kagali, who had no time to argue with Yuuki’s
instructions, took action.
“We’re abandoning this site and heading for the Mixed Corps encampment.”
“But what about Yuuki-sama?”
“Don’t worry about me. I don’t think Damrada will let me go, so I have to deal with him.”
“So go,” Yuuki said, turning his back on everyone and confronting Damrada.
“Let’s go.”
“ “ “Understood!” ” ”
Everyone knew what they had to do. Whether Damrada was a traitor or not did not matter
anymore. Just by watching Yuuki’s back, they came to an understanding. They, who were
strong, understood that what they needed to do now was not to argue with each other, but to
try their best to survive. Aria carried the fallen Torneot. While it was funny to see a small girl
carrying a big man on her back, no one laughed at her. The wielder of the healing spell healed
Torneot and joined the back of the group. And then, in an orderly fashion, they departed into
the darkness of the night.
A few minutes later. Yuuki and Damrada were the only ones left in the large conference
room.
“Even if you run now, it will be too late. You were always too late. Yuuki-sama
underestimated the intelligence bureau.”
“Maybe. But if you persist, you might be able to find a way out of it, right?”
“Ridiculous. This is not child’s play.”
“Of course. I’m always serious.”
“Along with your dream of world domination?”
“Of course! And you’re the same way too, aren’t you?”
Hearing this, Damrada laughed as well.
‘Yes, that’s right,’ he said with deep satisfaction.

Yuuki Kagurazaka was a good master to Damrada. He had a cool-headed side to him,
even though his thoughts were still childish at times. He was very calculating and never bored
Damrada. That is why Damrada trusted Yuuki. He thought that Yuuki would realize that he
was being manipulated by Kondou.
………
……
…
Damrada’s loyalty to Emperor Rudra was real. He admitted this to Yuuki, but it was
nothing to Rudra. In the first place, the two were not even comparable. Emperor Rudra was
everything to Damrada. And Damrada was acting in accordance with his promise to Rudra.
Fulfilling that promise was the purpose of Damrada’s life. Damrada had known Rudra longer
than Kondou. Therefore, it was undeniable that Kondou would also be careless enough not to
touch Damrada.
He was aware of his suspiciousness, and therefore he was cautious, but Kondou seemed
to be a more dangerous man than Damrada had thought. Soon after he said farewell to Misha,

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Damrada’s will was put under Kondou’s control. The method was unknown, but Damrada
was unable to break it by any means. Damrada’s consciousness remained intact, but Kondou
had taken control of all his actions.
………
……
…
Kondou, I never thought you could manipulate me as well. That guy is very cautious, but I
didn’t think he would go this far. Even so, as expected of Yuuki-sama.
Since he could not disarm this by his own strength, the only hope left was to rely on
Yuuki. This meant that Damrada needed to make him aware of the situation, which was a
very difficult task. It was very difficult for Yuuki to be made aware of Damrada’s situation
because he seemed to be betraying them by all intents and purposes. Damrada himself had
been about to give up, thinking that it would be impossible to make people believe in him.
However, Yuuki recognized it beautifully. Damrada was moved by this fact and said only
what Kondou allowed him to say.
“Yuuki-sama, as Deputy Commander of the Imperial Guardians, I will show you what the
second rank in the pecking order is all about!”
This rule was by permission only, and restrictions were placed on Damrada’s actions.
Despite this situation, Damrada attempted to pass on as much information as possible to
Yuuki. One of them was to give him his title. If Yuuki knew all the information that could be
given to him, he would be able to make use of it as he liked. Damrada was convinced of this
and intended to leave the rest to Yuuki.
All that is left is for Yuuki-sama to kill me. Yuuki-sama will fulfill the promise to His
Majesty Rudra. It is a pity that I cannot see it with my own eyes.
Damrada was sure that Yuuki would succeed in inheriting his will, because in order for
Yuuki to fulfill his ambition, he had to fulfill Damrada’s will as well. Damrada did not hold
out on expectations that were too high.
“Don’t worry. There’s still a lot of work to be done. I will help you.”
“Hah! Saying such naive things won’t help you defeat me.”
The joyful feelings that welled from his heart could not be extinguished, even if he was
being manipulated. Damrada unleashed his emotions to his heart’s content…

More than thirty warriors ran wildly down the main street of the capital. Under Yuuki’s
orders, Kagali and the others attempted to escape from the capital at night to meet up with the
Mixed Corps. The location where the Mixed Corps was encamped was near the border of the
Dwarven Kingdom. It was about 500 kilometers to the southwest of the capital, a distance that
would take a peddler more than ten days to travel.
A person with high mana could use the ‘portals’ that stretched around the capital. It was
the result of a superior magical technology that enabled them to travel between the cities in an
instant. However, it was not something that could be used by a hundred people at once, and
since it was an important facility, it was heavily guarded. It was obvious that barging in at this
late hour of the night would lead to a fight.
Kagali, without any hesitation, chose to go on her own. She decided that the first priority
was to prepare her forces, rather than to start a dispute here. In this group, everyone was a

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superhuman beyond the level of normal human beings. If they keep running without a break,
they could reach the destination in a few hours.
“Is Kagali-sama okay?”
“Yes, there’s no problem. Thanks for your concern, Teare.”
Kagali thanked Teare, the masked girl running beside her. Kagali was an ex-demon lord
who wandered around in a spiritual body for decades after being defeated by Demon Lord
Leon. At that time, Kagali—Demon Lord Kazalim, who was not a spiritual body, had to do
his best just to maintain his own ego. Overcoming such a past, he finally got a homunculus
body thanks to Yuuki. And without any problem, he had been training it powerfully. So now,
he had acquired the fighting ability comparable to that of a greater majin. Even in the midst of
this group of strong men, she was not lagging.
“Yeah? Well, that’s good. I just wish Laplace was here at this point…”
“Yes, Laplace could have won against Damrada.”
“Hohoho. The boss is strong too. He will surely come back to us with a victory!”
“Yes!”
“Yes, you’re right.”
Kagali smiled as she answered, but she was also aware of the growing impatience inside
her. The alarm bells had been ringing nonstop since a few minutes ago, and Kagali’s anxiety
was getting bigger and bigger.
—Not good. This is not good.
It was an instinctive intuition, but she didn’t know how many times it had saved her life.
Therefore, Kagali knew that something had to be done, even if there was no evidence to
support it. She turned her attention to Teare and Footman, the people she trusted the most.
“Call Laplace.”
“What?”
“Tell him to come back.”
Teare and Footman could communicate with Laplace by ‘telepathy’. No matter how far
apart they were, the clowns were connected to each other.
“Laplace is on his way as the messenger…”
“I don’t care. Hurry up!”
The alarm bells that only Kagali could hear were getting louder. There was no time for
explanations. Judging that there was no time to explain, Kagali left Teare alone and tried to
give her next order.
“Everybody, spread out from here! Use your own judgment and put survival first.”
She was not able to say a word until the end, telling them to join the Mixed Corps. She
realized that it was already too late.
“—That’s amazing. I thought I had completely covered my tracks, but I’m surprised you
noticed.”
With these words, a man in military uniform emerged from the darkness. It was
Lieutenant Kondou. Not just Kondou, but also others descended soundlessly from the roofs of
the buildings facing the main street, one after another. There were about fifty of them.
However, they could feel an overwhelming presence from each and every one of them.
“Imperial Guardians…”
“That’s right. Stop your futile resistance and surrender. Then you will have the honor of
dying for the Emperor.”
“Yes, I’ll admit it. Lieutenant Kondou, you are the Commander of the Imperial
Guardians.”
Kondou kept his expression blank even after being pointed out. He neither denied nor
confirmed it, but that was enough for Kagali. Kagali and the others were crowded near the

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knights who stood in a circle around them. Now that the situation had come to this, a battle
was inevitable. The Imperial Knights were fully armed with legendary-grade weapons. Even
though they were equal in strength, there was a big difference in equipment. Although they
were at a huge disadvantage, none of Yuuki’s subordinates would give up at this point.
“Hah, let’s do this! It’ll save us a lot of trouble!”
“That’s right. Let’s see what the Imperial Guardians can do!”
Torneot, who had almost died a few minutes earlier, threw up a flare, and Aria took
advantage of it to make a big show. As if she had supernatural power, she had no intention of
admitting defeat without doing anything. Kagali was trying her best to analyze the situation.
The probability of everyone’s survival was close to zero. The tactical victory goal at this point
was to have as many people join up with the Mixed Corps.
In order to do so, they needed to stall for time. Until Yuuki defeated Damrada. Until
Laplace came back to help. Buying precious time—this was Kagali’s mission.
Well, I hope one of you can make it, but we’ll see what happens.
With this in mind, Kagali stepped forward to Kondou.
“Huh? You’re going to be my opponent?”
“Yes. Let’s see how powerful the head of the Imperial Guard is.”
Kagali replied, but she knew that she was not as good as Kondou. Kagali’s goal was to
use herself as a decoy.
If winning is impossible, then at best, we can buy time…
With this determination, she took a stance towards Kondou. Kondou, on the other hand,
seemed to have no interest in Kagali. He sighed in frustration at the battle that had begun
around him.
“I hate useless work. I’m not going to play along with your stalling tactics, and you
should understand that you can’t win a war with mental will.”
“What do you think? I was hoping that if I prayed, a miracle might happen.”
“Hmph, ridiculous. An ex-demon lord talking in his sleep.”
Hearing this, Kagali also gives a click of her tongue. Only a few of her friends were
supposed to know about her original identity as an ex-demon lord. Kondou had revealed it so
easily. In other words, he had judged that such information was a trivial matter.
“You’re underestimating me.”
“No, I don’t think so. I’ll tell you something else. You’re trying to join up with the Mixed
Corps, but it’s no use. The Emperor himself has already organized a strike force.”
“I beg your pardon?”
It was an unusual situation for the Emperor to go to war. But Kagali’s concern was with
the word ‘strike force’.
“Of course, only the strong matter. In the first place, whether or not people are loyal to
His Majesty Rudra matters, because we have no need for small fry who have no chance to
awaken.”
“What kind of…”
“Don’t you understand? You are alive today only because there remains the possibility of
evolution. Everything is going according to His Majesty Rudra’s plan.”
“What nonsense! Are you trying to say that our plans have all been seen through?!”
Kagali was incensed. Kondou took one look at Kagali as if unamused.
“That’s a foolish question. Did you really think you were deceiving my eyes here in the
capital?”
A faint flame of emotion lit up in Kagali’s heart. The name of that emotion was
humiliation. With the Unique Skill ‘Schemer’, Kagali had been making various plans and
succeeding in them. Despite her continuous failures because of Rimuru, Kagali was proud of

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being Yuuki’s schemer and his strategist. Kondou scoffed at her.
“How could a human…”
“You mean Yuuki Kagurazaka, right?”
With a blood-curdling rage washing over her, Kagali felt as if her eyes had gone blank.
Even so, she also saw that this was part of Kondou’s plan. If she let her emotions get the
better of her in anger, she would lose a battle that could have been won. As proof of this,
Footman, perhaps provoked by Kagali’s anger, attacked Kondou as if he had lost all reason.
Footman, who boasted the greatest offensive power among the clowns, was firing extremely
large mana bullets without any concern about destroying the city.
Kondou dodged the attack, but an alarm sounded in the city, and it seemed as if a big
commotion was about to break out. At this rate, not only Kondou’s group but also other
guards and onlookers would rush to the scene. Now that this had happened, there was no need
for Kagali and the others to be concerned. They should regard anyone who disturbed them as
an enemy and kick them out. However, she was sure that Kondou and the others were well
aware of such a situation. In that case, why were they tolerating the current situation? That
was Kagali’s question.
Settle down, and think calmly. He’s just trying to make me angry…
Since she knew what Kondou was planning to do, she would just have to go along with
Kondou. Thinking of this, Kagali stifled her anger. She suddenly felt uneasy, as if she had
overlooked something serious.
Wait…? Damrada was being manipulated by someone. If it was Kondou—
Not only Footman, but also Teare was taking part in the battle. Around them, the Imperial
Guardians and Yuuki’s companions were fighting each other to a terrible extent. Kondou did
not change his stance even in such a situation. Before she knew it, Kondou was holding a
pistol in his right hand and a sword in his left to deal with the situation. Footman and Teare,
the two majin who were more powerful than demon lords, still maintained their composure.

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142
 Although she had expected him to be strong, this was more than expected. Without a
doubt, he was stronger than Damrada. Kagali felt this way, and realized once again how scary
Kondou was. Kondou only held up his gun and did not show any sign of shooting it. He was
fighting Footman and Teare with only his sword.
The sword was, in Kagali’s eyes, a great sword. In fact, unbeknownst to Kagali, the
sword was made in the style of a naval sword, but the blade was a beautiful work of art with a
lovely blade pattern that fascinated any who saw it. It was a family heirloom that had been
passed down in the Kondou family for generations, and was not a cheap item that an amateur
would be able to own. Naturally, it was not a weapon to be handled with one hand.
Nevertheless, Kondou handled it with only one hand, gripping the lower part of the handle
with his left hand. This was an ordinary style, and it was obvious to onlookers that he had not
been showing his true ability.
This man is dangerous. Taking on those two as opponents, but not fighting seriously… So
why? If he wanted to kill them, he could have taken them more seriously. If he isn’t doing that,
does he think we’ll be of some use to him? I guess that’s…
And then Kagali arrived at the answer. Kagali shouted.
“Watch out! Kondou may be able to manipulate others in some way!”
“Ho, you’re right.”
Kondou did not deny it and instead admitted it honestly. Kagali thought this was strange.
This man revealed his hand? No, there’s no point in denying it, since we already suspect
him. On the other hand, if he affirms it, it will make us more cautious, so I don’t understand.
Why did he...
Kagali was skeptical. She could not understand Kondou’s thoughts and could not see
what the right thing to do was. Since she could not win by fighting, it would be best to follow
the original strategy of stalling for time. That’s what she thought, but she couldn’t understand
why Kondou was going along with this strategy.
—No, this is strange! How can this guy say he doesn’t want to help us stall for time, but—
Ah! Oh, that’s right, that’s right!
Kagali finally realized how scary Kondou truly was. She realized that each conversation
had a meaning, and that he had completely controlled the flow of the conversation by
interweaving lies.
“You’re stalling for time as well…”
“You finally figured it out? I’m the one who’s been playing along with your stupid
stalling games.”
“Kuh.”
“It is easy to decipher what you think.”
Even though she tried to keep her cool, Kondou’s provocations irritated Kagali.
“I’ll tell you what to think…”
“Do you know why they call me ‘the information monster’?”
“……”
“You said it yourself earlier, didn’t you? That I can control others. Then why didn’t it
occur to you that it would be easy for me to gain the knowledge of those I manipulate?”
What is he talking about?—Kagali wondered. It would be too childish if this was a lie,
but if this was true, it would be tantamount to divulging important secrets. It was hard to
believe that this careful man would do such a thing as reveal his own hand.
“What a pain in the ass. It’s not like I have all the answers myself. I was planning on
making contact with you guys when I got out to the city. I’m not happy about the damage to
the capital, and it’s a hassle to deal with you in this way.”
“You’re holding back?”

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 “Hohoho, we’ve been underestimated!”
In response to Kondou’s words, Teare and Footman were enraged. It was just a trick of
their opponents, and in this case, it was a bad move. Kagali was impatient because she
understood this.
“Calm down, you guys! Don’t let his words disturb your emotions!”
She shouted and tried to stop their outburst. Kondou took one look at Kagali, as if
uninterested. Then he glanced at his gun and put it in his pocket.
“It’s too much trouble. Let’s just take away your fighting strength without killing you.
Come on.”
As soon as Kondou held up his military sword with both hands, the air changed
completely. It was an atmosphere that only a master could wield.
“Teare, can I take over here? Let’s do this, human!”
The presence of both sides swelled up, and even those who had been fighting stopped
fighting as if pressured. Kondou assumed the eight-phase posture and quietly waited for his
enemy. Footman, on the other hand, was ready for a suicide attack with no consideration for
defense. He covered his whole body with fighting aura, transformed himself into a huge
bullet, charging at the enemy. He moved with an agility unimaginable for his fat body,
moving as if he were rolling. Footman began to leap around Kondou, accelerating as he
bounced off the ground. He repeated his erratic movements, accelerating faster and faster.
“Hohoho! Try and see this move if you can!”
Convinced that he had accelerated to his full strength, Footman unleashed his final
technique on Kondou. Footman’s power was called the Unique Skill ‘Amplifier’. The essence
of this power was amplification. Whether it was waves or masses, he could increase them at
will. Just by bouncing, he could accelerate, and his weight would keep increasing, making
him heavier than he looked. If someone was hit by this kinetic energy, they would be crushed
to pieces no matter who the opponent was.
“Take this—’Angry Splatter’!”
Footman approached Kondou with absolute confidence and destructive power. Kondou,
however, did not change his expression at all as he unleashed a sword attack.
“You should be honored for me to have used this, ‘Rumbling of Heaven and Earth’7”
It was only after all was said and done that his voice was quietly heard. Footman’s hands
and feet had been severed in that instant. It was an unnoticeably quick operation. It would
have been impossible for him to do such a feat without an overwhelming difference in
strength. Although his neck was still connected to the body, bright red blood was spurting out
of it. Even so, Footman would not die, but it would be difficult to continue the battle.
“Teare, was it? Bind his hands and feet, and stop the bleeding in his neck. We don’t want
him to die yet.”
Kondou told her flatly. In his right hand was a pistol once again, and he reverted to his
initial style. This gesture was a sign that he did not want to play with them any more.
“W-what are you thinking…?”
“I will not kill you. Especially you, Kagali—no, ex-demon lord Kazalim. You still have
use, which is why I can’t kill you.”
“You fool, you think I’m going to cooperate with you after what you’ve done?”
“I don’t need your permission. I told you, didn’t I? I can manipulate others.”
Kagali turned her eyes of hatred towards Kondou, saying he was a hateful man. The way
he said everything was annoying to say the least. It made her feel uneasy that she was wrong,
even though she was sure that she was right. Every word Kondou said irritated Kagali. At that
moment, Kondou’s pistol flashed a red light. Upon seeing this, Kondou’s mouth relaxed. It
7This is one of the sword techniques from the Haze (oboro) style that Hakurou and Gazel used.

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was a small, small smile. At the same time, Kagali wondered if this man could even laugh
while the biggest alarm rang in her head.
Stalling for time…so it was true after all!
It was too late to realize it now. Although she hated herself for being played so much,
Kagali continued to search for the best way forward. What to do, she did not know, but it was
certain that Kondou had all the cards in his hand. It was impossible for her to escape from this
situation, and it seemed difficult for her to gain more time. In that case, there was only one
path to take. Kagali was left with only one option—to nip in the bud any danger that may be
posed to her fellow companions.
In other words, suicide. By choosing death, she made a decision to prevent leakage of
information. However, Kagali, an undead elf, would never be truly destroyed. Although she
would lose her body, she could live on by inhabiting someone else once again. Footman and
Teare would sense Kagali’s intention. They were also undead elves, and like Kagali, they
would never really die. By setting up Kondou at the same time, the three of them would be
able to accomplish their goal without Kagali thoughts being known. Even if they lost their
bodies, they could avoid the worst as long as they escaped. That was Kagali’s decision, and it
was her trump card.
It is an abomination to do this after Yuuki-sama had obtained this body for me. It took
some time to settle into it, but it’s better than losing everything. Footman and Teare will be
dragged into it too, but next time I will prepare a stronger body for them.
Kagali made a decision. Laplace would take care of the rest. Unexpectedly, Kondou was
too strong. In Kagali’s opinion, Kondou and Laplace were evenly matched at this stage. No,
there was a possibility that Kondou was slightly stronger than Laplace. Since victory was not
assured, it would be foolish to risk Laplace’s victory even if Kondou and Laplace were able to
meet each other at this point. Kagali decided as such. What she was worried about was how
Kondou manipulated others. She wanted to find out before escaping, but it was dangerous to
be too greedy. Kagali left her hesitation behind and took immediate action.
“Good grief, how am I always played as a fool by human beings? Footman, Teare, stop
playing around and let’s give them everything we’ve got. We’ll show him the taste of my true
power as a demon lord!”
Kagali spread her youki all over her body and exerted herself beyond her limits. Her
temporary body could not withstand such a reckless act, and she had only a few minutes at
most. On the other hand, she believed that this would prevent people from suspecting that she
committed suicide. Footman and Teare also understood the strategy when they saw Kagali’s
condition.
“Hohoho, losing a limb won’t stop me!”
“I’m ready for this! It’s been a long time since I’ve really put my back into it, so I can’t
stop my excitement!”
As if matching Kagali, Footman also began leaping, curling his body into a circle. And
Teare, like Kagali, began to release her youki. In the center of the capital, a huge youki
swelled up. If Kondou thought that it was a suicide attack to kill with youki, Kagali and her
team’s plan would be successful. However…
Kondou did not even move his eyebrows even though he was in such a situation. He
calmly put away his sword and checked the condition of his gun. Then, in a casual tone, he
made a remark that made Kagali and the others feel as if cold water was dumped on them.
“I’ve heard that undead elves can survive with just a spiritual body.”
It was a statement that could not be ignored. Among those who knew of Kagali’s race,
Yuuki was the only one. Even Damrada did not know this super-secret information, and there
was no way that even Kondou could know of this.

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 “How did you…”
“The battle was all over before it began. The Armored Corps was wiped out because they
underestimated the enemy and neglected to gather information. Running wildly without
knowing the certainty of the situation is like a promise of defeat. Don’t you think so?”
“……”
“Come to think of it, your person was also a disappointment. I let him make a move at the
best time, but then he lost to the new demon lord. I can’t believe he was a demon lord too.”
“What?”
“Well, it was still better that he lost. We now have a better idea of what happened there,
and we have a more interesting person than Clayman.”
“What do you mean?!”
Kagali’s anger exploded. Her thoughts of keeping calm were erased, and she was
overcome by hatred for the man in front of her. Lieutenant Kondou. Kondou’s statement was
an admission that he had been manipulating Clayman. Clayman, as she recalled, had been
running rampant for some time. Laplace reported that this tendency had increased several
decades ago. Kagali had thought that it was due to the stress of becoming a demon lord, and
that she was overthinking things, but if it had been Kondou’s fault, that was a different story.
The fact that every operation they had planned had ended in failure was unforgivable if he had
been disturbed by Kondou’s interference. And above all, with the death of her beloved
Clayman, if Kondou had been manipulating him…
I will not forgive. I will never forgive him.
Kagali’s anger was not something she could control. Footman, who was sensitive to the
emotion of anger, also reacted to Kagali’s anger and amplified it. It was ironic that everything
turned out the way Kondou had wanted. No, this is exactly what Kondou expected.
“How naive. In the middle of a battle, you get emotional. It’s that kind of determination
that makes it so easy for you to fall into a trap like this.”
Kondou told her and pulled the trigger.
“Ah!”
A small ‘pop’ sound was heard, and Kagali jumped. There was no blood. It was a very
special kind of bullet, one that affected the mind, not the body. It was called the Dominion
Bullet. It was a treasure given by Emperor Rudra, and was one of Kondou’s most powerful
tools.
The ‘Dominion Bullet’ contained a part of Rudra’s power, and had the effect of
controlling and manipulating others. However, it could affect only one person at a time, and a
strong-minded person was likely to resist it. Although the number of the bullets was large, it
was necessary to be careful about how to use it. If he failed to do so, he would expose his
hand to the enemy and lose one of his pawns. If he wanted to dominate a demon lord, he had
to aim at his sleeping state or make him overcome by emotion. They could be dazzled by their
desires or overcome by negative emotions such as anger or sorrow. By shooting the
‘Dominion Bullet’ after putting the target in such a state, domination was finally possible.
“It took a while, but it’s all going according to plan. Kagali, tell your men to stand down.
You’re a cautious one, so you’ve already carved a curse on your summoners, haven’t you?”
“Yes, Kondou-sama.”
“Don’t call me that. You can refer to me as a lieutenant.”
“Yes, Lieutenant Kondou. As you command.”
Thus, Kagali fell into Kondou’s hands. And just as Kondou had predicted, the souls of
Yuuki’s companions had been inscribed with a curse, so Teare and Footman were no longer
able to resist Kagali’s words. There were others who did not have a ‘curse’ inscribed on their
souls, but they, too, realized the disadvantage of their situation. Fighting amongst themselves

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was a dog’s death waiting for them, and they decided that it was better to be captured than to
resist.

The silence of darkness returned to the night of the Imperial Capital.

“If you are going to hate, hate your own powerlessness. Justice exists in as many people
as there are people, and it is united by a stronger will. The same is true of ideals. Your
ambitions were lost before the will of His Majesty Rudra, that is all.”
This was the absolute rule, survival of the fittest. Kondou knew it well.
“However, those who are unaware of being trampled on are not even qualified to have
ambitions. Therefore, let me remember your regret.”
Kondou himself lived with determination. That is why Kondou did not make fun of
Kagali and the others. He understood from his own experience that he would suffer the same
fate if he lost.

Yuuki and Damrada clashed their fists and engaged in a fierce battle. For what seemed to be
the umpteenth time, they exchanged their attacks. Yuuki, who was aiming at the vital point of
the face without any hesitation, caught a back fist with his palm. He tried to grip Damrada’s
wrist, but Damrada did not allow him to do so. Damrada tried to get his hands on Yuuki’s
wrists, but Yuuki did not allow him to do so.
Anticipating the hand blows, Yuuki threw a double kick while turning his upper body
backward. Damrada, sensing this, sank down on the spot and executed a foot strike, but
Yuuki, perhaps reading this, leapt up and tried to cut off Damrada’s head with a spinning
kick. However, the kick only pierced the sky.
Damrada had already moved away and was standing up. A sophisticated exchange of
martial arts beyond the human realm repeated over and over again. The movements were now
so regular that it was as if they were in a well choreographed action scene.
However, the speed was too fast for the eyes of ordinary people to follow. It was a pity
that there were no spectators, though it would have been difficult to find a person who was
good enough to appreciate the performance. It was a combat match between masters,
performed only with their own well-trained bodies. But that was not all that was actually
taking place.
Yuuki was trying to communicate with Damrada through ‘telepathic communication’
instead of conversation. Damrada responded to Yuuki’s attempts by assisting Yuuki’s actions.
The reason why there was so much unnecessary physical contact was that they were
exchanging information in that instant.
‹Well, well, well. Damrada, I didn’t expect you to have gained an Ultimate Skill. I didn’t
think it would be this hard to convey my ‘thoughts’ to you. Did you have it since the time you
met me?›
‹I borrowed it. Of course, I have owned it since I met Yuuki-sama.›
Damrada followed up with a simple remark: ‘You probably didn’t notice it because I
don’t use it very often’. As for Yuuki, he could only laugh. Now that he himself had been
awakened to an Ultimate Skill, he was aware of the absolute difference in ‘rank’ between that
and the Unique Skills. In that case, Damrada’s reply contained some words that he could not
ignore.

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 ‹Borrowed? What does that mean?›
By nature, skills were acquired by oneself. There were those who could create them, like
Yuuki, but even then, they could not create something out of nothing. They were merely
changing the form of a ‘soul’s power’ by feeding on their own desires. That is why he could
not ignore the implication that a Skill could be transferred. Damrada replied:
‹It’s just as it sounds. My power was only given to me by the His Majesty the Emperor.›
‹How is that even possible?›
‹I understand your skepticism, but I am a witness. I have no choice but to make you
understand that it is possible.›
‹I see… I guess you’re right.›
Yuuki had no choice but to agree with him. Then, the next question arose.
‹Well, I wonder if it is possible to transfer the Skill to anyone?›
‘No way’, laughed Damrada.
‹No ordinary person can be a vessel of a Unique Skill, let alone an Ultimate Skill. It takes
a lot of energy just to accept the power. Therefore, one must change their body like the
otherworlders.›
‹That’s a relief to hear. I was afraid that Emperor was having a bargain sale on Ultimate
Skills.›
‹Hahaha, that hasn’t happened yet. Though that is what His Majesty intends to do.›
‘I see’, Yuuki understood.
‹So that’s why you’re gathering the strong.›
‹That’s right. Humans, too, evolve through practice. The race itself changes and becomes
a sage. If it is Yuuki-sama who has become a Saint, you must understand this, too, right?›
‹Sort of.›
Yuuki had a real feeling about it. It was impossible to go from a human being to a Sage,
and then to a Saint, by simple ordinary training. Even of the ‘Ten Great Saints’ who had the
title of the strongest in the Western Nations, only two of them, Hinata and Sare, had reached
the level of saint in the truest sense of the word.
‹It is only when people evolve into a Sage that they can break away from the framework
of human beings, who are unable to live without communicating with other human beings.
From there, it is possible to connect with the world while remaining an individual. Those who
have reached this stage are gathered together in the Imperial Guardians, and have passed the
minimum requirements for the selection of His Majesty Rudra.›
‹The minimum passing line is at the Sage level?›
‹Yes, it is. If Yuuki-sama had fought against Guy, he would have understood the strength
of his opponent, right? Even if one is a Saint, there is no chance to win.›
‹Well, that’s true.›
Guy’s strength was extraordinary. He knew that very well, having actually fought him. A
mere mortal would never be able to take on the Demon Lord Guy Crimson.
‹The minimum requirement to beat the Guy is to have awakened to the ultimate power.›
‹So that’s an Ultimate Skill.›
It was a story that made sense to Yuuki. He himself had gained an Ultimate Skill, so he
felt it even more strongly. Someone who has an Ultimate Skill can only be defeated by
another Ultimate Skill.
‹That’s right. His Majesty Rudra knows this very well. That is why he gives trials to those
who have reached the Sage level, to encourage their further awakening, and to train them into
vessels worthy of the ultimate power.›
‹That’s absurd. But I would do the same thing.›
‹Thank you for understanding so quickly.›

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 Yuuki and Damrada laugh at each other. Yuuki saw that the method made sense, even
though it might have been incomprehensible to ordinary people. Once the methodology was
established, they would be able to gather many people who were awakened to the Ultimate
Skill. Although he was annoyed that they were a step ahead, Yuuki was willing to admit what
he should admit. The more important issue was the peculiarity of Rudra, who was
indispensable for this method.
‹The fact that Rudra can give ultimate power to others, though, is a surprise.›
‹Fufufu, that is an example that proves the greatness of His Majesty Rudra. Those who
have reached the Saint level are given the Ultimate Enchantment ‘Alternative’ by His Majesty
Rudra.›
Damrada’s ‘thought’ was proud. Yuuki couldn’t help smiling as he felt his respect for
Emperor Rudra. Damrada may still be loyal to Yuuki, but his feelings for Emperor Rudra
were different. Even though he knew this, Yuuki still thought that he should hide it a little
more. However, since Damrada usually did not make such a mistake, he must have already
known it and done so deliberately.
‹So Rudra started a war to awaken his men?›
‹I suppose so. The last war was also thwarted by Veldora’s interference, but that was a
good thing. Some of us evolved into Sages, and we were able to replenish our forces beyond
what we lost.›
Yuuki was jealous but impressed at the same time thinking that it took a lot of patience.
They exchanged information through ‘telepathic communication’ even as they fought.
Finally, Yuuki’s power broke through Damrada’s psychological barrier.
‹Oh, we did it. I found the core of the power that’s controlling you.›
‹That’s good. So, are you going to be able to disarm it?›
‹Yeah, no problem. But, won’t Kondou find out if I deactivate it?›
‹They will find out, but that’s okay.›
‹In that case, I’ll go for it at once.›
Yuuki and Damrada were not fighting pointlessly. Damrada knew about Yuuki’s ‘Anti-
Skill’ and believed that it could break Kondou’s ‘control’ over him. Yuuki also recognized
Damrada’s idea and had been searching Damrada’s state of mind without being prompted.
Then, Yuuki tried to restore Damrada with his newly awakened power. Yuuki’s Ultimate
Skill ‘Greedy King Mammon’ was specialized in taking. With ‘Steal Life Palm’, he could
steal energy just by making contact with an opponent and he could accumulate damage to an
opponent just by fist-fighting. The nature of the energy, such as mana or physical strength,
that could be taken away depended on the opponent. However, the fact that he could use the
stolen energy remained the same. However, against Damrada, the ‘Steal Life Palm’ did not
work.
Damrada’s strength was excellent, and he maintained his best condition even though he
was controlled by Kondou. He was doing his best to block Yuuki, regardless of his intention.
This was made possible by the power of the Ultimate Enchantment ‘Alternative’ given by the
Emperor. Damrada’s soul was protected by this power. An absolute psychological barrier that
nullified any kind of mental attack. Absolute physical destruction that penetrated all defenses.
With these conflicting forces as its two wings, Damrada had become an undefeatable entity.
Kondou was able to dominate Damrada because the ‘Dominion Bullet’ given to him by
the Emperor was set higher than the ‘Alternative’. That’s right. If ‘Alternative’ had not been a
borrowed power, Damrada would not have been controlled. In order to break such a
troublesome ‘Alternative’, Yuuki has been using ‘Anti-Skill’ to break down Damrada’s
psychological barrier. Finally, he found the ‘Dominion Bullet’ that pierced Damrada’s soul.
As soon as he got the confirmation from Damrada, Yuuki concentrated his power at once.

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‹Steal Life›
Yuuki’s palm strike struck Damrada in the chest.

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151
 The blow was precisely controlled, and it shattered only the bullet. It was a very simple
move, but it set Damrada free.
“Thank you for your help, Yuuki-sama.”
“I wish people would stop relying on others. I’m more worried about Kagali and the
others. I’m going over there, but what are you going to do?”
“I’ll go with you. We’re meeting with Demon Lord Rimuru tomorrow anyway. Since
we’re going to stage a coup d’état with that momentum, it would be more dangerous to go
back down to Kondou.”
“Well, of course, there’s no need to hide things.”
Yuuki laughed, and Damrada laughed back.
“Shall we go then?”
“Yes, I suppose so.”
Yuuki turned on his heel and headed for the door, and Damrada, who nodded, tried to
follow him. But at that moment:
“Why are you playing around with the infidels, Damrada? Are you sure you are not going
to betray Rudra-sama?”
A cold voice was heard, and Yuuki tensed and stopped moving. The real crisis was about
to begin.

Not a sound was made. Before he knew it, she was standing there. The presence of an
overwhelmingly powerful person. An incredibly beautiful woman with blue hair. Although he
had never met her before, Yuuki knew the presence of this beautiful woman. It was the
presence of the one who was on the other side of the curtain. The person who was called
‘Marshal’ and sat next to the Emperor.
“Ve-Velgrynd-sama…”
Damrada’s muttering was heard loudly.
Velgrynd? You don’t mean…?
At that moment, Yuuki became aware that his face was scrunched up. In front of the
‘True Dragon’, the strongest being in the world, he compared his own power with that of the
True Dragon’s.
Oh, no. I didn’t feel it when I saw Veldora before, but this is not on a level of winning or
losing. Fighting head-on against such a thing is nothing but a suicide mission.
Yuuki, however, did not give up. If the front door didn’t work, he could attack through
the back door. Yuuki still had a special card hidden in his bag of tricks. He felt that he could
win the game as long as he could make good use of the cards he had in his hand.
“I never thought that Her Excellency the ‘Marshal’ was really a ‘True Dragon’. Now I
know why Guy doesn’t move on his own.”
“Wow, that’s unusual for a human. I commend you for not being intimidated by me.”
“Thank you. By the way, it would be nice if you left me alone.”
“I don’t care. It’s not me who’s looking for you, but my dear lord.”
As soon as she answered, Velgrynd took a step back. Then, for the first time, Yuuki
noticed the man’s presence. He opened his eyes and stared at him. Standing next to Velgrynd
was a man in very luxurious garments, seemingly to be of astronomical value. His face was
one that Yuuki knew well.
“…Masayuki? No, it can’t be. Perhaps you’re the one who…”

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 Yuuki thought that he was a duplicate of Masayuki, but he noticed some differences. The
most noticeable difference was the color of his hair. This man had shining blonde hair.
Masayuki, on the other hand, usually dyed his hair blonde, but his natural hair was dark
brown like a Japanese. If he looked closely, he could see a difference in their eyes. While
Masayuki’s eyes were somewhat dull and vacant, this man’s eyes were full of a strong and
all-seeing gaze. He could not believe that they were the same person, because of the man’s
spirit, which would consume him if he let his guard down.
It’s a different person, isn’t he?
Convinced of this, Yuuki came to realize the man’s true identity. If Velgrynd called him
her dear lord, it could only be one person.
“—Emperor Rudra?”
“That’s right Yuuki-sama. This is the Emperor, Rudra-sama, the pinnacle of the Empire.”
It was Damrada who answered. He knelt on the spot as if to show that he had no hostility
towards Rudra, not caring if his clothes were soiled. Yuuki could not blame him. He knew
without being told that Rudra was more important to Damrada than he was. The more
important question was why Rudra was here.
“I’m surprised. I had no idea that Your Eminence would travel to a place like this. Are
you that free?”
Yuuki asked as if teasing Rudra. Rudra did not get angry at him and answered normally.
“I’m very busy. The game with Guy is about to be over, so I don’t have time to play
around.”
It was Damrada who surprised him. He had not expected Rudra to talk to someone
inferior, nor had he expected Velgrynd to allow it.
“Well, then, no need to be lazy…”
“I don’t care what you say. Become my subordinate. By doing so, I will not deprive you
of your free will.”
It was an order. From high up above, commanded to those who crawled on the ground. It
was the type of person Yuuki hated the most, but for some reason he could not resist it.
Is this ‘thought guidance’? It’s similar to the ‘domination’ of Mariabell, but much more
powerful than that.
It was an abominable force. However, Yuuki still had ‘Anti-Skill’, so he could ignore the
commands derived from Skill. It was supposed to be that way.
No! This is not such a simple power!
Almost bending at the knees, Yuuki understood with a shudder. This was divinely
inspired charisma8. The unimaginable, overbearing domination of a ruler who could subdue
all things. Yuuki resisted with all his might.
“Phew, you’re good. I didn’t expect you to attack with such a bogus move from the very
first turn.”
Yuuki spat out blood and was indignant. Manipulating others was his specialty, and being
preempted made him angry. But he was right. The feeling of anger was proof that he had
broken Rudra’s hold on him. Yuuki looked at Rudra with a wry smile. Rudra, however,
looked at Yuuki with a curious look on his face.
“What’s wrong? Are you wondering why your power doesn’t work?”
“No, no, no.”

8“カリスマ”—one meaning is divine power and the other meaning is transcendent leadership charisma. But in
the following, it can be seen that Rudra did not use this ability when speaking, and it can be seen that Yuuki took
this innate temperament as a skill and thought of it as a divinely taught ability, i.e., the misunderstanding in
Yuuki’s mind was directly expressed in words. This is a double entendre, so it’s up to you to understand whether
it’s the effect of an ability or natural temperament.

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 Rudra looked back at Velgrynd as if troubled. Velgrynd then smiled and replied to the
puzzled Rudra.
“No, Rudra, this child was exposed to your dominance and mistakenly thought he had
suffered a mental attack. You must be more gentle with him or you will destroy him before he
becomes your subordinate.”
“Don’t tell me this isn’t enough?”
“Yes. It’s because you don’t have many people you can talk to as equals that it can be
difficult for you to control your power.”
Rudra looked puzzled. Velgrynd looked happy. Yuuki shivered in humiliation as he heard
their conversation.
Don’t play with me! You think I’m not important enough for you? In that case, let me take
away that composure!
Yuuki regained his calm and opened his mouth.
“All right, I’ll admit it. You are the rulers of this world. But to have so much power and
still be unable to conquer the world is, in my opinion, the height of incompetence.”
As usual, he would start with a provocation. Velgrynd reacted to this.
“How arrogant. Come on, Rudra, let’s kill him after all. Bringing that brat into the fold
won’t make much difference in our strength against Guy. It’ll just be unpleasant, won’t it?”
In contrast to Velgrynd, Rudra was generous.
“Don’t say that. Even a worthless opponent to you can be a useful pawn if you let him
grow up. And isn’t it pleasant to be treated with defiance? A cat that doesn’t like you is still a
lovely thing. I like it.”
It was a complete lowly dismissal of Yuuki. Yuuki scoffed in an uninterested way. As
long as Rudra was calm, it was pointless to provoke him. If so, he would have to use force.
With Velgrynd in the room, he could not take too much time. He would strike the biggest
attack with his first move, and with the momentum of the attack, he would conquer even
Velgrynd. Deciding as such, Yuuki took a stance.
“As for being a subordinate, I have no taste for surrendering to those who are weaker than
I am. If you want me to follow you, you’ll have to show me that you have what it takes!”
As soon as Yuuki shouted that, he began to take action. No more talking nonsense. There
was no point in acting. The Ultimate Skill ‘Greedy King Mammon’ was a skill that converted
the size of one’s desire into power. Yuuki was proud of his own greed, and he thought it was
natural that the power he took from Mariabell was awakened. Therefore, Yuuki believed that
he was the most powerful being, having obtained the power of ‘Greedy King Mammon’. It
was a power of the great sin system, and he had no doubts about himself. Which one should
Yuuki target?
He had to choose Rudra. He would control Rudra and take him as a hostage to Velgrynd.
If he could get through this critical situation, he would turn this disaster into a blessing. Such
bullish thinking was the driving force of Yuuki, and he had been successful so far. This time,
too, he would win and make great progress. With this in mind, Yuuki ran forward.
In just a few steps, his fists were within reach. In less time than it took to blink, Yuuki’s
hand was about to touch Rudra. In his right hand, he activated ‘Life Sucker’, one of the
powers of the ‘Greedy King Mammon’, and then Anti-Skill’ in his left hand was used in
conjunction. In this way, a vicious attack that penetrated through the opponent’s barriers was
created. This was the original use of ‘Steal Life’. Unlike the case of Damrada, Yuuki attacked
with a force where he did not care if he killed his opponent or not.
If Rudra died, he could concentrate just on Velgrynd. It would be difficult to escape from
two strong opponents, but it would not be so difficult to escape from only one of them. If
Rudra survived, it would be time to use the left hand. The effect of the left hand was

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‘manipulation of the mind’. It was a terrifying power that stimulated the target’s emotion and
even affected their memory. It was a power of domination more vicious and assured than
Mariabell’s ‘desire’. Yuuki was planning to find a way out by using this two-stage sequence.
However, this idea was easily crushed.
“I won’t let Rudra touch you in front of me.”
Velgrynd moved forward with such speed that Yuuki, who had pushed his physical
abilities to the limit, could not follow her with his eyes. Then, Velgrynd caught Yuuki’s right
hand without any difficulty.
Yuuki was astonished. It was a surprise that he had been prevented from striking his right
hand, but what was more shocking was the amount of energy that flowed into his hand from
Velgrynd. It was such a raging torrent that Yuuki was about to vomit blood. In a single
moment of crossing, the magicules had invaded Yuuki’s body beyond the limit. Yuuki
instantly sensed the danger and twisted his body to get away from it. If he had reacted even a
little later, Yuuki’s body would have been completely destroyed.
Velgrynd did not do anything. On the contrary, she did nothing except to catch Yuuki’s
hand. Nevertheless, Yuuki was damaged, which was, in a sense, a self-destruction. It was just
that he had taken uncontrollable energy with his ‘Steel Life Palm’. Yuuki thought to himself
as he vomited blood and shed tears and nosebleeds.
No way, can it be? It easily exceeded my tolerance level! I currently have a limit to accept
a dozen higher spirits. How insane is this ‘True Dragon’ that the limit can be met in an
instant?!
Feeling like complaining to god, Yuuki grumbled. The truly fearful one was Velgrynd.
She was so calm, as if she didn’t even feel an itch, even though she had been deprived of that
much energy. In other words, it meant that she did not even need to defend herself against
Yuuki’s attack. Yuuki realized that there was no way out of this.
Damn, I didn’t expect there to be such a power gap. No wonder they didn’t care about
me.
This was unquestionably Guy’s equal. Seeing this, Yuuki now understood the height of
the world. Because he had awakened the Ultimate Skill, he understood the hopeless disparity
between the two. It was suicidal to attack by himself. Now, he had no other choice but to wait
for the enemy’s move.
“Don’t be tactless. Since I have come all the way here myself, it would be a pleasure to
answer your wish to know my power, wouldn’t it?”
“What a bad habit, Rudra. It’ll be boring to get hurt, so let me help you.”
“Fufu, it doesn’t make sense. Right?”
It was a provocation. Yuuki could not keep silent when someone tried to take away his
own specialty.
“Hahaha, you know what I mean. If I accept reality, that means that I’ll think I’ve already
lost. But you know, I’m not a quitter. Don’t expect me to simply surrender.”
Yuuki, aware of the fact that he was a sore loser, made a grand gesture. Now that he
realized that he could not beat Velgrynd no matter what, the only thing he could do was
protect his pride. Even if it would mean his death, he was determined to follow his selfishness
to the end. Yuuki glared at Rudra with such spirit. Rudra smiled at Yuuki’s glare.
“After all, I’ll deal with him myself. Let me tell you first that I am good at ‘domination’.
If you can withstand this, you win.”
Yuuki’s eyes narrowed when he heard this unexpected offer. Rudra meant what he said.
He truly meant that he did not mind if Yuuki ran away. Although Yuuki could not read
Rudra’s intention, Rudra’s thinking was simple. If Yuuki accumulated more experience, he
would be able to gain more power. On that basis, he would be able to negotiate with Yuuki

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again one day to bring him to his side. Yuuki and Rudra were different beings. Therefore,
Yuuki felt that Rudra was creepy and resented that he was being treated as a fool.
Good at domination, are you? That’s what I’m good at, too. I’ll bet it all on the power of
the ‘Greedy King Mammon’.
Rudra looked at Yuuki with amusement, and his heart was filled with excitement at the
prospect of competing for the first time in a long time. If Yuuki could withstand his
‘domination’, he might be leading a bug into his lion’s den. Despite this possibility, Rudra
chose to play the game.
If it crumbles here, then my supremacy will have been just that.
He did not bother to think about losing. If Yuuki pretended to follow him, that would be a
good thing. He was confident that he was a ruler who would rule the world by taming such
pawns. Velgrynd had known Rudra for a long time. She understood what Rudra was thinking
without being told. Therefore, she understood that there was no use in rebuking him.
“All right. Then, if you lose, I will avenge you.”
With that, Velgrynd stepped back.
“That is a needless worry.”
Rudra stepped forward with a wry smile. Yuuki, too, forced his screaming body to stand
up.
“Funny, you guys. No wonder Guy called you a joker who stirs up the game board.”
“…How did you know that?”
“Hoo, was it the Moderate Clown Troupe? Tatsuya just reported in. We have the
chairman of the Moderate Clown Troupe. I should let you know that I have all the information
about you. You may challenge me with that in mind.”
Tatsuya was Lieutenant Kondou. Rudra must have been in contact with Kondou in some
way who had reported that he had now taken Kagali. Yuuki, realizing this, let out a deep sigh
—it was bad.
In other words, everything about Yuuki’s peculiar constitution and the conversation he
had with Guy was now known to all of them. Yuuki had told those whom he trusted that he
had awakened to his Ultimate Skill. Damrada seemed to have kept the secret, but it was
meaningless in this situation. Kagali was Yuuki’s confidant, and of course he shared the
secret with him.
Oh, man, what a mess. So then they know everything about me…
Yuuki felt like giving up everything. However, his pride would not allow him to retreat at
this point. And more than anything else…
Is Kagali not dead too? It seems that Rudra himself is the one who dominates, and
Kondou can handle the same kind of power. If so, it would be better to just…
Yuuki made a plan in that instant. Although the probability of success was very low, he
felt lighter than if he had simply taken on the challenge without any plan.
“This is very kind of you. But you know, being kind can mean the death of you!”
“No problem. I’m of the disposition to consider myself completely victorious only when I
surpass my opponent’s all-out effort. So, you, too, do your best without any regrets.”
As soon as he said this, Rudra took another step forward. Then he took a unique stance,
unarmed. Rudra was a swordsman by nature. The sword on his waist was proof of this, and he
intended to use only the power of ‘domination’ against Yuuki, as he had declared. Yuuki had
already recognized Rudra’s character. He was honest and sincere in his fight, which was not
typical of a ruler. That was why he was easy to read.
Frankly, it’s impossible to win in any honest sense. Even if I could manage Rudra, there
would still be Velgrynd. Since escape from this place is impossible, all I can do is to nullify
Rudra’s ‘domination’, right?

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 No, Rudra was expecting that. He had overwhelming confidence that he could control
Yuuki. Then, the only thing Yuuki could do was—
“Come on, Rudra!”
Yuuki risked everything on a small chance.
“—Regalia Dominion!”
Rudra moved in a very beautiful motion, and in an instant, the distance between Yuuki
and Rudra became zero. Then he invoked the ‘Domination of the Champion’. This was the
essence of Rudra’s power to subdue anyone—Ultimate Skill ‘Justice King Michael’. Unlike
the counterfeit one lent to Kondou, this one had no limitations and its power was far superior
to any other. There was a difference in the ‘quality’ of Ultimate Skills as well. It was
impossible for the newly awakened Yuuki to resist this power.

Rudra stood tall. Yuuki crumpled to the ground. The winner seemed clear, but the result
was unknown.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to kill him? These guys will just pretend to obey you
and then try to take your head off in your sleep, right?”
“I don’t care. That’s the best part. I’ll let him off the hook as a reward for resisting my
control.”
Despite his words, Rudra’s confidence did not waver. Convinced of his absolute
‘dominance’, he never doubted his victory.
“Okay, then.”
The winner, Rudra, smiled wryly. Then he turned to Damrada, who had melted into a
corner of the room, and spoke to him in a friendly manner.
“Forgive me, Damrada, but I cannot be disturbed by you just yet.”
“Everything will be done according to Your Majesty’s will.”
That was all that was needed for the two of them to communicate.
“When he wakes up, you take care of him.”
“Understood.”
Satisfied with the reply, Rudra left with Velgrynd in tow. The purge had just begun. As
the Emperor moved, the times would change. The capital, too, would not escape the upheaval.
It was on that day. The sky turned red in spite of the midnight hour, and crimson rain poured
down incessantly, enveloping the night.

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 Chapter 4

The Purge of the Red Lotus

The Eastern city of the Armed Nation of Dwargon was now blockaded by 60,000 men.
However, that was just a cover-up. Both sides had made it known behind the scenes that they
were allied with each other. The commanders were worried about the possibility of an
unfortunate accident. In such a situation, the air of the soldiers at the end of the line was light.
Tents were set up for encampment, and chit-chat bloomed in the tents. Even so, everyone
maintained a moderate sense of tension. Every single soldier was in the same state of mind, so
it could be said that the training level of the soldiers was remarkably high. No wonder their
morale was so high.
After all, their superiors were in the midst of their final meeting. Their dreams of
overthrowing the Empire and establishing a new nation would be decided at that meeting.
Everyone was looking forward to it, and everyone’s eyes were filled with expectation toward
the capital. That is why so many people noticed at the same time.
“So red, huh?”
“Is the capital on fire?”
“What happened? No, did they find out our plan?!”
Something was happening in the capital on this important day. No one thought this was a
coincidence. Everyone there realized that something had happened to the executives.
“Should we send out a scouting party?”
“No, it’s better to be organized.”
“You idiot! If we do that, our treachery will be completely exposed!”
The absence of a superior meant that there was no one to command. The Mixed Corps,
which was originally ridiculed as a hodgepodge, had become unmanageable all at once. A big
man, who had kept his eyes closed until then, threatened them. His name was Zero. He was
the man Yuuki had assigned as the deputy corps commander, and he was the supreme
commander of the corps at this moment.
“Quiet! I will not tolerate arbitrary action. We will stay here and wait for Yuuki-sama and
the others to arrive. There will be no change to that policy.”
Zero’s assurance of this calmed down those who had been divided. Since they did not
know what the right answer was, they decided to follow the orders of their superiors. Even so,
however, their uneasiness did not disappear…
Their fears came true in the worst possible way.
“Good evening, you fools. Just because it’s a nice night, doesn’t mean you should get too
excited.”
Leisurely. As easy as taking a walk. The woman came down the street. A very beautiful
woman with blue hair, it was none other than Velgrynd.
“W-who are you?”
Soldiers on the outer edge of the roadside made a commotion and looked at Velgrynd. It
was no ordinary person who would address an encamped army. Even before that, anyone who

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was unaware of Velgrynd’s unusual presence could not have survived in the Mixed Corps. At
the same time as confirming the identity of Velgrynd, a message was also sent to the
superiors. Soldiers moved to surround Velgrynd. In the midst of all this, a man who was
confident in his abilities stepped forward.
“Hey, woman, I don’t know who you are, but you’d better not pick a fight with this many
people. We may look like this, but we’re the Mixed Corps, the most powerful—”
“It’s funny that the weak claim to be the strongest, isn’t it? I would have tolerated it if it
had boosted morale, but I think it would be better not to allow it at the corps level.”
“What?”
Velgrynd’s words were those of an overwhelmingly superior person. A being who could
give orders to an organization called an army from the top. Even the smallest soldier could see
that this was a dangerous being. Naturally, Zero, the deputy corps commander, was also
aware of the situation. When Zero heard that the other party was alone, he moved to confirm
its identity with his own eyes. Upon hearing the report, he rushed to the site. Then, he saw
Velgrynd.
“I’m sorry, Lord Marshal…”
Even Zero had never seen the Marshal’s face. However, the atmosphere was
unmistakably the same as that of the being that always radiated an overwhelming presence on
the other side of the curtain.
“Oh, so some of you are a little smart. Good. I’ve been told not to kill you all. I’ll play
with you until Kondou and the others arrive.”
With these words, the tragedy began.

Gazel was living each day with anxiety. The war was still going on, and that alone was a
headache. But it was more than that. Upon hearing Jaine’s report, he felt his stomach begin to
perforate.
What in the world is Rimuru thinking, letting his men evolve into True Demon Lords?!
He would have taught him a lesson if he’d been there—Gazel sighed heavily. The phrase
‘True Demon Lord’ was loaded with meaning. A ‘demon lord’ was a title, meaning a monster
king who ruled a territory. On the other hand, ‘True Demon Lord’ referred to the state of a
monster. When a ‘Demon Lord Seed’ had awakened and evolved, it was simply called a ‘True
Demon Lord’. Actually, it was more accurate to say that it was just less than Catastrophe-
class and the highest of a Disaster-class.
…No, there are not so many Disaster-class, so it is not the highest rank.
Disaster-class was a classification for demon lord. As such, only eight of them were
applicable to this category now. It was assumed that several subordinates who had the same
power as that of the highest-ranking ones had been born under Rimuru. It was a headache just
to think about it. At any rate, Gazel complained to Elmesia as well.
He couldn’t stand being the only one who suffered from this problem. So, he decided to
share his pain with Elmesia. In conclusion, it was decided to continue the observation of
Rimuru’s group until a problem occurred. This was actually a postponement of the problem,
but it was the best they could do since nothing could actually be done. If they ever decided
that there was a real danger, it would mean the beginning of a battle for the survival of the
human race.

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 “I don’t want that to happen.”
Gazel sighed to himself. Gazel received another piece of bad news.
“Oh my. The Mixed Corps is on the move! It appears that they are engaged in a war with
someone.”
The voice was calm, but Gazel sensed the panic that was typical of the darker side. Before
he could get a more detailed report, he sent out a messenger to summon Dolph and the others.
A few minutes later.
‹I’m sure of it. That is not the work of a mere person. It’s a monster. Not even a demon
lord, but a monster beyond imagination.›
‹A True Dragon, huh?›
‹Ah. I’ve never seen her before, but I’m pretty sure it’s Velgrynd, even though she looks
like a human.›
It was a ‘Magic Communication’ from Admiral Paladin Vaughn, who was on assignment
in the Eastern city. Gazel and the others understood the situation by having the images
transferred to them. The worst thing always happened when they least expected it. Gazel now
understood this fact painfully.
The sky was on fire. A Beautiful woman danced coolly, and powerful men fell to the
ground one by one. The flames were beautiful and awe-inspiring. But the real horror came
later. Velgrynd, who was reflected in the crystal ball for the surveillance magic, turned her
eyes towards Gazel and the others. Just as Gazel was thinking it to be a coincidence, the
crystal ball shattered.
“She was watching us too.”
“I can’t believe it. That’s ridiculous…”
“No way! How far away do you think we are?!”
“It’s the truth. They may have sensed the magic and traced it back to the caster. Even so,
how could they affect the destination of the magic transfer? Such a thing is impossible even
for me…well…for a human being!”
Gazel listened silently to the words of his friends. The current incident made it clear that
the other party was the enemy. But who was…
‘Stop, don’t spy on me’—he thought he heard in his ears, even though he couldn’t hear
anything.
A True Dragon, huh? It’s a true monster.
Gazel now understood the true meaning of the word ‘strongest’. He had heard rumors of a
connection between the Empire and Velgrynd. There had been no way to determine the truth
or falsity of such rumors, but he had made many assumptions so that he would be able to
withstand an attack if one were to occur. However—
Gazel realized that this may have been nothing more than a delusion. It was unclear why
the Empire had chosen now to send Velgrynd. No matter how much Gazel tried to understand
what Emperor Rudra was thinking, he couldn’t comprehend the situation. There was only one
thing Gazel could do.
“I shall go into battle myself.”
“Your Majesty, that’s too dangerous!”
“Even so, he must go. Abandoning Vaughn will not save Dwargon. Dolph, be ready.”
When Jaine spoke, Dolph had no choice but to remain silent. He had no intention of
letting Vaughn die and realized that admonishing Gazel at this point would not change the
situation.
“I will be ready to leave as soon as possible.”
“I’ll leave it to you.”
Gazel nodded gravely and closed his eyes. There was a lot of work to do. The allies had

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to be notified, and instructions had to be given on how to deal with the remaining citizens. If
Gazel and his allies won, that was good, but if they lost, what would they do? There was
nowhere for the people to run. They would have no other means of survival than to submit to
the Empire. That would mean the collapse of the nation of Dwargon, and to prevent that from
happening, Gazel and his people could not afford to lose.
“The eastern cities will not have room for the entire army. Let us leave the rear to march
on the ground and leave the command to the old men. Jaine, it’s up to you to convince them!”
“I understand. So, King Gazel, what are you going to do?”
“I’ll go first. After all, if I show up too late, I won’t be able to have my turn, so plan
accordingly.”
Gazel smiled wryly as he said this. Playing the role of a powerful king, he tried to allay
everyone’s fears. Thus, the army was organized as quickly as possible. Gazel and his men did
not wait long, and set out with only the Pegasus Knights led by Dolph.

As Gazel flew through the sky, he suddenly thought to himself.

Is the reason why Rimuru gave his men power so that they could survive the war? If so, I
have to say that he is being as lenient as ever.
He realized the truth and couldn’t help but laugh. He could not stop the smile from
forming on his lips as he thought of his younger apprentice (Rimuru), who never gave up on
his naive ideals.
“What is it, your majesty?”
“No, it’s just a harmless fantasy.”
“I’m sorry, but what do you mean?”
“Fufu, in spite of such a desperate situation, I suddenly remembered Rimuru. And then,
for some reason, I felt that this time too, I could get through this crisis.”
He was being too optimistic, but Gazel still thought it was better than being pessimistic as
he laughed thoughtfully.
“That’s right. As was the case with Charybdis, His Majesty Rimuru was also quite
guileless. I was quite shocked by his connection with Demon Lord Milim.”
Dolph laughed as he answered.
“If you are going to say that, I might as well mention the hardships those of us had to
endure while monitoring the situation. We were getting tired of being accused of lying about
whatever was reported.”
Even Anrietta, who was usually taciturn and answered only what was asked of her—
though sometimes sarcastic—said so. Gazel and Dolph could not hide their surprise.
“Fufufu, I’m sorry about that. I’ll try to be better next time.”
“So Anrietta-dono had grievances as well.”
“Of course!”
“Wahahahaha! In that case Anrietta, say that to that Rimuru guy directly. I have trouble
on my side too. I trust you guys, but Rimuru’s behavior is just so insane. When I heard Jaine’s
report, I honestly doubted Jaine’s sanity.”
“Haha, that report was outrageous.”
“Since I am usually the one to report, I enjoyed it this time as a spectator.”
Gazel and Dolph erupted in laughter at Anrietta’s sarcasm. The sky was filled with
echoing laughter.
“I would also like to mention something. I had also sent a message to His Majesty Rimuru
with a complaint.”
“So you did.”
Gazel nodded and looked forward. His unease was gone. Gazel flew towards the

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battlefield, radiating the high spirits befitting of a champion.

Time goes back. The day after drinking with Elmesia-san, the sun had already reached its
zenith.
“You’re up early, Rimuru-sama.”
“I’m sorry.”
The smiling Shuna was just so scary. The only option was to apologize, so I took the
initiative. What’s the big deal about getting drunk and sleeping in—that’s what I’ve been
trying to say, but I wondered if I should be scolded for it. Shuna let out a big sigh and looked
at me with a stern stare.
“So, have you reached a conclusion?”
“W-what are you talking about?”
“You were troubled last night, weren’t you? I am afraid that you are going to do
something reckless again, I was also—no, not only me, but all of us were worried.”
I couldn’t help but be touched when she said that. Don’t worry. I’m not going to do
anything reckless. If not, I will run away, and I will complain to Guy and ask him to do
something about it. But before that, I was going to give something a try.
“We’ll figure it out. Safety is the number one priority this time, too.”
I answered cheerfully, but Shuna kept an anxious look on her face. I guess it was
impossible to fool Shuna who had the Unique Skill ‘Analyst’. Or perhaps it would have been
obvious even without it. It was just as well. I really didn’t want to do something dangerous
like this.
Although I said I’d put safety first, we still didn’t fully know the enemy’s strength. In
particular, Lieutenant Kondou, Velgrynd, and Emperor Rudra were all powerful opponents no
matter how you looked at it. Not only was it an unwinnable situation, but there was a
possibility that we might be killed on the spot. I tried to find a way to avoid such a possibility,
but even Wisdom King Raphael-san could not find an answer to this question.
If I don’t know the answer, it was just a matter of guessing. The only thing I could do was
to reduce the danger as much as possible by putting my maximum effort into the project. And
that’s how we got here.
“Actually, I was having a hard time deciding who to take with me. This time, I’m going
with only an elite group. I feel bad saying this, but those who are not strong enough to go
would only be a liability.”
“—Yes. My brother was very determined to go with you since this morning.”
It seems that my thoughts really had been exposed. I had been dealing with Elmesia-san
since yesterday morning, so I hadn’t told everyone about my talk with Guy yet. And yet,
Shuna was smiling at me, as if she understood everything. I smiled, thinking that I was no
match for her. Shuna reported to me in a natural manner.
“Last night, the mysterious Laplace arrived. He said he had a message for Rimuru-sama,
but since he didn’t make a request in advance, we are keeping him waiting.”
This was a sudden change of subject, but it didn’t seem to be of that much importance. If
it really was urgent, Gadra or the others would have contacted us. I guess Yuuki was the
person from whom the message was sent, but I wondered what the message was about.
“It’s a bit of a hassle, but let’s meet.”

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 “Yes, I really wanted to turn him away, but he is still an ally for now. In that case, I will
show you to the reception room.”
Shuna didn’t like Laplace either. Unusually for Shuna, who rarely expressed her likes and
dislikes in her attitude, she was very blunt in her treatment of the clowns. After all, she
couldn’t easily forgive Laplace and the others for causing the death of the ogre village. We
shouldn’t forget that, even if they are our allies.
“While I’m talking to Laplace, gather the executives who are awake in the conference
room.”
I asked Shuna to do so. I had a lot of things to think about, but I would worry about all of
them after the war with the Empire was over. I placed my doubts out of my mind and decided
to take care of the immediate problems first.

Twenty people, including myself, gathered in the conference room. Rigurd and four of the
elders under him—Rugurd, Regurd, Rogurd, and Lilina-san. Kaijin, Vesta, and Myourmiles-
kun were also here. Then there were seven members of the ‘Twelve Chaos Guardian Lords’.
There was also Benimaru, Shion, Diablo, Gabil, and the three demon girls, Testarossa,
Ultima, and Carrera. Finally, there was Souei, Hakurou, Gobta, and Gadra.
I was going to ask Gadra to be our guide in the Empire. To be honest, I thought it was a
little bit too much, but Gadra was the one who would be the least sad if something happened
to me, so I had chosen him for this mission. By the way, Bernie was also asked to be a guide
for the Empire. However, he rejected the offer, because he was a liability to us now that he
had lost his power. Gadra would be enough.
Well, let’s see then. I feel like I’ve only been having meetings all this time, but I can’t
complain about that. Our country has grown too big now to just decide everything by our own
will. Having said that, I would just tell everyone what I had decided this time. Shuna, as
usual, served tea to everyone. After making sure he had left quietly, I opened my mouth.
“The reason I asked you all to gather here is to inform you of the decision regarding the
final battle against the Empire. But before that… Come on in.”
I had already decided who we were taking with us, so there was no need to panic for now.
Instead, I had decided to introduce Laplace, who had come as an emissary, to everyone.
Laplace’s message, as I had expected, was related to the joint struggle. The army blockading
the east entrance of Dwargon was going to attack the capital, and he wanted us to join them. It
was as Guy told me, and I was not planning to deny it. However, I had come to the conclusion
that it would not be a battle of armies, but instead a battle of the elites.
Since I did not want to cause any damage to civilians, I had come to the conclusion that I
needed to discuss the details with Yuuki. And so, I decided to set up a meeting on short
notice. I had already discussed this with Yuuki through Laplace, and the date had been set for
tomorrow afternoon. I would explain the situation to the assembled people. I really wanted to
leave everything to Laplace, but he was too shady and I wouldn’t let him do it. I was once
again reminded of the importance of trust.
“Hello, hello, hello, everybody. I am Laplace. I’m the vice president of the Moderate
Clown Troupe, and Yuuki-san, our boss, sent me this time as an emissary.”
Wow, he’s still such a suspicious-looking guy. I didn’t understand why it was necessary
to dance at a time like this, but, well, he was sent as an emissary, so I couldn’t just ignore him.

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165
 It seems I wasn’t the only one who was annoyed, as Souei was even preparing to make a
dangerous move. I understood his feelings, but I’d have to ask him to hold back here.
“Souei-kun, put away that kunai.”
“—Yes.”
Stay on your guard, Souei. He sat down quietly, but one could never be too careful. Let’s
just finish the introduction quickly.
“Laplace-san here is the contact person for Yuuki.”
“You can just call me Laplace if ya want.”
“Oh, yeah? Well, then I’ll do that.”
Since he said so, I would take his word for it. I was just going to do whatever I wanted to
do, regardless of whether he was a messenger or not.
“Yuuki and I will be having a meeting tomorrow. It’s a bit sudden, but Laplace is going to
take me there, so there’s no need to worry about the travel time. The important thing is who
will go with me.”
And finally, we got to the point.
“I can only bring up to six people at a time. Since myself and His Majesty Rimuru have
already been confirmed, who are the other four people?”
Truthfully, I would have liked to bring the strongest to fight. But currently, we did not
have all of our members anyway. Ranga was sleeping in my shadow. Geld was not yet awake.
Kumara, Zegion, and Adalmann, the labyrinthine group, were also holed up in their own
domains and showed no sign of waking up. Since there were individual differences in
evolutionary sleep, I understood that this was just how things were. For now, I’d just have to
confirm who would go between those who were able.
“Benimaru, I need you to come with me. How are you feeling?”
“What, does he have a cold or something?”
Laplace asked with a puzzled look, but I was not going to tell him about the awakening. I
knew he would find out sooner or later, but I was not kind enough to explain it to him.
“No problem. I’m in excellent condition.”
Benimaru smiled wryly, completely ignoring Laplace and maintaining his cool demeanor.
Unlike me, he had a big heart, and I was impressed at times like this. I looked at Benimaru
carefully and saw that he had somehow changed his race. It seems that Benimaru had evolved
successfully and things were going well with Momiji and Alvis. It was only later that I heard
the following story. Benimaru had to take turns with his new wives over the course of two
nights. I should be saying that I was very proud of him…but I was really just jealous as hell…
After abandoning his physical body, he was reborn and had become a full spiritual life
form. His race was called a ‘flame spirit oni’, a kind of divine spirit. Like the ‘True Dragons’,
he had both the holy and demonic attributes, so he could also be called a holy demonic spirit.
A divine monster spirit was a subordinate existence of the ‘True Dragon’ race. Like the ‘True
Dragons’, they had various attributes, and fire was considered to be a major attribute.
Attributes were the laws that governed the principles of this world, and there were eight kinds
in total.
There were the natural attributes of ‘earth’, ‘water’, ‘fire’, and ‘wind’ and the attribute of
‘space’. These were known as the five major attributes. It was said that fire was strong against
earth, water was strong against fire, wind was strong against water, space was strong against
wind, and earth was strong against space. The earth was consumed by fire, fire was
extinguished by water, water was dissipated by wind, wind was isolated by space, and space
was indexed only by the earth. In such a way, the five major attributes were in a conflicting
relationship.
In addition to these five attributes, there were two opposing attributes, ‘light’ and

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‘darkness’, along with the attribute of ‘time’, which was not bound by anything and reigned
over all attributes. Fire spirits such as Ifrit were also bound by these physical laws. Or rather,
spirits were the embodiment of the laws of the world, and they also had eight attributes. It
seems that ‘light’ and ‘darkness’ were special, and light was derived from angels while
darkness was derived from demons. It seems that angels and demons, which were confirmed
now, could also be called spirits if we traced back their origins.
Diablo and others might be able to say more about this, but it didn’t make much sense to
me, and I was not particularly interested in knowing about it. The important thing was that
there were eight kinds of divine spirits, and they were higher than normal spirits. The highest
among them were the ‘True Dragons’, of which only four had been confirmed as of now.
Veldanava, the ‘Star King Dragon’, I think, had the attributes of space and earth, associated
with stars. Perhaps, there may have been many more attributes.
‘Frost Dragon’ Velzard was likely water-based.
‘Scorch Dragon’ Velgrynd was most certainly fire-based.
And our ‘Veldora-san’, apart from water and wind, could even control space. He was a
surprisingly great guy.
In short, the ‘True Dragon’ race was the pinnacle of the divine spirits. And Benimaru had
evolved into a being similar to that of a ‘True Dragon’. Although a ‘flame spirit oni’ was a
spiritual life form, he had a physical body so that he could influence the material world. It
appeared that his lifespan had no boundaries, so it would not be an exaggeration to call him a
divine oni.
I was impressed by this truly special evolution. As for the total magicule count, it had also
increased greatly. In my opinion, it was several times larger than that of Karion’s. It may not
be as large as Luminas in terms of maximum value, but it seemed to be a good match for it. I
believed he would be able to compete with the ‘Single Digits’ of the Empire.
“Great! Then Benimaru will be the first choice. And now, for the second person…”
Gadra was chosen, so we are left with two more people. Shion and Diablo would also go
with us, so I would have exactly four members.
“Gadra for directions. Shion and Diablo as my secretaries.”
The people who would be taken by Laplace would be me, Gadra, Benimaru, Shion, and
Diablo.
“Leave it to me, Rimuru-sama! You’ll be safe and sound with me!” Shion said with a big
smile.
What are you talking about? I was quite anxious, but I knew I could count on Shion as an
escort. She had defeated Razul, who was a superior fighter, and in terms of combat, Shion
was a force to be reckoned with.
“Kufufufufu. I don’t know what Guy is up to, but it was outrageous of him to bother
Rimuru-sama. I will go with you and see to it that all of your worries are removed!”
He was as confident as ever. But it was not wrong to say that we were in good hands with
Diablo. He was capable of doing his job, and this was the time to rely on him. Although we
were an elite group, we could not rest on our laurels. The rest of those remaining would
follow, and I would ask them to come to the Empire later. I was about to say that, but before I
could, someone expressed their dissatisfaction.
“Please wait, Rimuru-sama. I think I would be better suited to be your guide. Please allow
me to accompany you.”
It was Testarossa. Indeed, Testarossa was from the imperial side and seemed to know the
geography well. She was an active military attaché and also a skilled negotiator. She was a
good fighter too—in fact, she might even be stronger than me. The only advantage of taking
Gadra with us was that he may or may not be able to meet Yuuki. If I thought about it though,

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I’d be able to manage without him.
Gadra was also strong, but not as strong as Testarossa. Besides, there was still a fear of
not knowing if he would defect. Because of that, I felt that I would not have to be sad no
matter what happened, though I also felt a little sorry for him. I would take Testarossa’s
advice here.
“Okay. I’ll swap out Gadra and have Testarossa come in.”
“Thank you very much for your kindness.”
Testarossa smiled beautifully. Oh, how gorgeous. Gadra did not seem to have any
complaints either.
“Well then, it looks like things are decided, so I’m gonna go get ready. Please give me a
call when we leave.”
“That’s great, but what do you mean ‘get ready’?”
When I asked him what he needed to do to get ready, Laplace gave me a bashful look.
“W-Well, that’s…”
“It’s the hot springs. This guy has been going back and forth between the cafeteria and the
hot spring since yesterday, enjoying the recreation facilities like nobody else!”
Souei reported to us in an irritated tone. It’s no wonder we have to keep an eye on him.
“Hahaha, so ya knew. That’s not very nice, Souei-san.”
How could we not know? Laplace had some guts, didn’t he?
“You paid for it, didn’t you?”
“Well, ya see, I’m a guest, right? I’ll repay ya with my future work, so please just pay for
this time.”
How cheeky!
“You know…”
“Well, well, well, isn’t it this country’s fault for being too wonderful? Right now, this
place is the most advanced in the world, no doubt about it! It’s a paradise. Who wouldn’t want
to relax here?”
Laplace then emphasized the advantages of this country. It didn’t feel bad being praised
that much. I think Laplace is a nice guy. My impression of him has changed a bit.
“You’re being deceived, Rimuru-sama!”
“Don’t worry, Benimaru. I will keep an eye on Rimuru-sama even if he lets his guard
down.”
Oops. I’m going to be careful after listening to Benimaru and the others’ conversation.
One cough.
“Just in moderation.”
“I get what ya mean! Well, I’ll leave ya to it.”
As soon as Laplace said this, he walked out of the conference room with a cheerful look
on his face. After seeing him run off like a free spirit, I decided to move on to the next item on
the agenda.

“Isn’t it a bit risky to send just five people into enemy territory?”
“I agree with you. If something happens to Rimuru-sama, no matter how many victories
we have in the war, we will not be able to recover.”
“You’re right. I agree that an army is useless in a battle of the elites, but there must be
someone who can shield Rimuru-sama in case of an emergency.”

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 Souei, Gabil, and Hakurou, in turn, expressed their objections to the previous plan. They
seemed to have been dissatisfied with it, although they had kept silent in front of Laplace.
“Master Hakurou is right. I, too, am prepared to take Rimuru-sama’s place when the time
comes. It’s called a meat shield, isn’t it?”
“Hey, Gobta.”
“Ah!”
Meat shield, huh? While I can imagine what he’s trying to say, I’d really appreciate it if
he didn’t do that.
“Hakurou, please stop educating Gobta about such things.”
“I understand. But please realize that it is important to teach them to be prepared for such
a case.”
Hakurou’s point was understandable. It’s just that my heart could not accept it.
“I’m glad you all care about me, but I care about everyone else, too. I do not want to
make a plan that assumes sacrifice from the start, so let’s just all pool our wisdom in order to
avoid such a situation.”
“That’s right. It seems I may be getting a little ahead of myself.”
Perhaps they were not convinced. On this issue, even Benimaru and the others seemed to
be on Hakurou’s side. I might have felt the same way if I were in a different position. But
even so…
I was happy for everyone’s feelings, but I still didn’t want to see anyone else sacrificed. I
know it’s selfish, but I would put my feelings first here.
“In any case, it’s not okay to have a war strategy that requires sacrifice. With that in
mind, let’s move on to the final stage of the war against the Empire.”
Everyone nodded in agreement with me. Regardless of their sentiments, it should be
possible to calmly formulate a strategy.
“Rimuru-sama, I have an idea.”
“What is it, Souei?”
“I am currently sneaking my ‘Clone’ into the Empire. I haven’t reached the capital yet
because of many obstacles, but it seems that the security network is more relaxed than before.
I am thinking of joining Laplace’s teleportation by using ‘Shadow Step’. Is that okay?”
Well, that was reassuring. Souei’s excellence as a covert agent could be especially felt at
a time like this. His combat ability was also impeccable. And upon closer inspection, I was
able to see that he had evolved. Souei was not just an oni, but a ‘dark spirit oni’. It seemed
that Souei had also received a gift in conjunction with the evolution of Benimaru.
Souei had been raised as a shadow of Benimaru in the ogre village. Benimaru was the
front end and Souei was the back end. Although they were in a hierarchical relationship, they
were still the best of friends. In other words, he was Benimaru’s counterpart. Because they
were such a pair, the influence of Benimaru’s awakening was most strongly felt by him.
Presumably, Souei was being treated like a subordinate to Benimaru.
Well, it seems that his attitude was the same as before, so it did not seem to be a big
problem. A ‘dark spirit oni’ was like a dark demonic spirit, and like Benimaru, he had a
physical body while still being a spiritual life form. Was he being treated as a subordinate
deity of Benimaru? He was not as high-ranking a demon, but he did have a medium amount
of magicules. The total was not as high as Benimaru’s, but it was higher than the half-
awakened Clayman’s had been.
His strength was enough. The current Souei could fight with Karion, Frey, and other ex-
demon lords at least on equal terms. Was it because of this evolution that he was now able to
get through the imperial vigilance? I thought so, but I didn’t care either way. Souei was
welcome to come along, so I had nothing to complain about. But then again, there still

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remained the problem of Masayuki’s escort.
“That’s reassuring. But what about Masayuki?”
“I will continue to monitor with my ‘Clone’. If anything goes wrong, I’m sure I’ll be able
to handle it.” Souei answered confidently.
Diablo also interrupted from the side.
“In that case, why don’t you let Venom mix in as one of Masayuki’s associates? As long
as we do not tell the boy, he can serve as both a protector and a watchdog. Souei-dono’s
burden would be lightened, and it would also serve as an insurance policy.”
Yes, that was a good idea. Venom had a sensible character, unlike most demons, and was
strong in his own way. He and Masayuki seemed to get along well with each other. It would
be interesting to entrust him with this project.
“In that case, your second-in-command will be gone.”
“Kufufufu, no problem. Testarossa and the others are here, so my own work will not be
affected.”
Then we were all set.
“Souei, is that okay with you?”
“I think it is more reliable to go inside than to watch from the shadows. If that can be
arranged, I will also be able to save the power divided amongst the ‘Clones’.”
Then it was decided.
“Well then, please do so.”
“Understood!”
“Leave it to me.”
Venom was now escorting Masayuki, and Souei would join him there. The question that
remained was whether or not to mobilize the army…
“In a joint fight with Dwargon, we need to show our military might against the Empire,
don’t we?”
The First and Third Corps had already returned home together when the bodies were
recovered. In other words, the entire army was staying here, in the capital city of Rimuru. As
long as Geld, the head of the Second Corps, was in an evolutionary sleep, the Second Corps
could not be moved. In which case—
“Rimuru-sama, I think this is where we come in, don’t you?”
“Wait a minute! We should go!”
Aside from Gabil, Gobta was also unusually motivated. But unlike last time, I think it was
dangerous to rely on numbers this time. If they had a large army, it was unlikely they would
attack us with a large-scale mass attack, but this time, they had a small number of elites. They
might use nuclear magic without any hesitation, or they might expose us to more aggressive
means of attack. In a magic battle against an army, one normally relied on the strength of
legion magic. Before the legion magic was broken, the elite forces attacked each other, but if
the opponents were all above a certain level of strength, it was thought that the soldiers on the
bottom would only be a hindrance.
“Hakurou, tell me what you think.”
“Hohoho. I understand what Rimuru-sama is thinking. I am sure you are correct.”
“In other words, apprentices are out of the question, and we shouldn’t take any low-
ranking soldiers with us?”
“I think we should do so in order to avoid casualties as much as possible.”
“In that case…”
“I guess only the Goblin Riders should be the ones to go?”
“From my corps, only the ‘Hiryuu’ will go out to the battlefield!”
It had to be that way. Goblin Riders were ranked A in terms of the combined strength of

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the goblin-wolf duo. They had played the role of decoys very well in this war, and they would
not be killed so easily. They were the best at just running away, so it seemed to me that this
would not be a problem. I had no complaints with the ‘Hiryuu0. With Gabil’s awakening, all
of them were now above A rank. I had some concerns about their power control, but I think
they would be okay.
“So, Gobta and Gabil should prepare to go—no, wait?”
I was about to give the go ahead, but then I remembered something very important.
“Gobta, can you even call out your star wolf partner right now?”
“Eh?”
“I mean, Ranga hasn’t finished waking up yet, and I’m guessing his family members are
still sleeping, too.”
“Ah!!”
Apparently, he couldn’t call them out.
“You’re not going.”
“B-But…”
“Gobta, are you trying to say that you cannot recognize your own strength?”
“I’m sorry.”
Gobta was looking down with a sigh of sadness, but it couldn’t be helped. The superiority
of the Goblin Riders was due to the high mobility of the star wolves. Even if each rider was of
A-plus rank, we could not take them with us.
“It’s not your fault. Help Rigur to keep the peace!”
“I understand!”
Unfortunately, Gobta and the others were not able to go. Then, who else could go out to
the battlefield?
“Is the ‘Kurenai’ all right?”
“No problem. All of them have reached A rank.”
That’s what I’m talking about. Gobua was an excellent commander, and there were
several who had evolved into kijin after receiving the gifts. They should be reliable if they
were allowed to participate in the war.
“What about the ‘Dark Shadows’?”
“They have been dispersed to various places to gather information and search for
enemies. If necessary, I will call them back.”
“No, they should continue to work behind the scenes.”
“Understood.”
There was no need to call them all together. It went without saying that information was
important, so they should continue as they were.
“That left the ‘Yomigaeri’, but…”
“Leave it to us! We are always ready and waiting for the opportunity!”
“Hmmm, well…”
Shion’s awakening showed no change. However, the fighting ability of ‘Yomigaeri’ had
increased significantly, and some of them had even reached A rank. The advantage of the
‘Yomigaeri’ was that they were not prone to death, and I felt that it would be safe to have
them participate in the battle—but the ‘Yomigaeri’ did not show their true value unless they
were paired with Shion. Without a leader, the ‘Yomigaeri’ would be acting without a leader.
In this case, I decided that it would be safer to leave the ‘Yomigaeri’ here, just like Gobta and
his group.
“I see. They should stay at home.”
“Oh, why?”
“The Yomigaeri is more of an escort group than an army, and I feel safer if Shion comes

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with me.”
“I see!”
Shion easily agreed. With that, we had decided on the units to be deployed. There would
be one hundred Hiryuu and three hundred Kurenai. The total number was 400, but all of them
were excellent fighters at Over A rank. Although inferior in number, their combat ability was
excellent. However, this was still not enough to make me feel secure.
“Well then, Ultima, Carrera, I have a mission for you.”
“I’ll do it! Anything you say!”
“What’s the mission, milord?”
“Ultima will continue to accompany Gabil’s unit as an intelligence officer. And Carrera,
this time, assist Gobua, not Geld.”
“Yeah…lizards again?”
“Leave it to me. I’ll help them out discreetly.”
That was a vaguely unsettling response. Ultima seemed to have developed a bad feeling
for Gabil and his crew, and it was hard to believe that Carrera would keep a low profile on her
own.
“Oh my, Ultima-dono is not happy with us?”
“Yes, there’s a lot to be upset about all over the place! Should I say that it’s because
you’re creepy, or that I can’t understand you with my common sense…”
“Hahaha, do not worry! We will take the battle seriously!”
“Experimenting with enemy attacks in the middle of a battle, that’s not taking things
seriously, is it?”
“What do you mean? It is a good idea to try every possible tactic to gain an advantage in a
battle. Experimentation is a part of that and should be taken seriously, right?”
“No, it’s not! That’s something that should be done before the battle starts! I mean, why
do I have to be giving this lecture?!”
Well, it was only natural to have a bad feeling about it. Even as I was listening to this, I
felt that Ultima was in the right.
“I’m sorry, but can you bear with him this one time?”
“If Rimuru-sama orders me to do so, then I’ll do my best. I was thinking that I would
have to teach him a lot of things anyway, so this is a good opportunity for me to look on the
bright side.”
Ultima, who put on an adorable face even with her eyes glazed over, looked at Gabil as if
trying to estimate his value and answered me. I guess I could trust her to take care of Gabil,
even though they didn’t seem to be a good match.
“And you, Carrera, you don’t have to think about keeping a low profile anyway.”
“Oh?”
I think it’s absurd to try to be inconspicuous. Instead, I hope Carrera will try to find the
perfect timing.
“Try to think first and foremost about avoiding damage to your allies. After that, you can
just stay quiet until the battle starts.”
“Simple is good!”
Really? I reminded her that I would not make any more demands, and that she should be
absolutely sure to comply with the ones I had given. I hoped this would help.
“Hakurou, will you accompany Gobua?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll leave to take Carrera’s reins.”
Hakurou nodded his head with a wry smile. I felt temporarily relieved.

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 And with that, we had decided the lineup—but then, Gadra raised his hand and asked to
make a statement.
“Rimuru-sama, at the risk of sounding presumptuous, I have a proposition to make.”
“What is it?”
“In my humble opinion, I think that the Demon Colossus should also participate in this
war.”
I see. Taking it out of the labyrinth was a bit of a problem, but even if it broke, no one
would be harmed. Even though it was operated by a passenger, Gadra would be able to escape
safely. Gadra had the ‘Resurrection Bracelet’ equipped with the emergency return spell. It
was a big advantage for us to be able to observe him safely no matter what kind of fierce
battle zone we threw him into. However, would it be a problem to disclose his fighting
ability?
“Vesta, what do you think?”
When I asked Vesta for his opinion, a wry smile appeared on his face. He raised his
glasses and opened his mouth.
“This is the perfect place for his unveiling. I have already given a detailed report to King
Gazel, and he has been asking to see the real thing for some time now. I would like to receive
the data under all circumstances, and it would be interesting for me to know how it would
perform on the actual battlefield.”
Vesta was a researcher after all. The value of a weapon was determined by how powerful
it was. Even for the purpose of a demonstration, it was meaningless unless it had been used at
least once. Judging from that perspective, this battlefield was a good place for demonstration.
Vesta must have thought so. Indeed, the Demon Colossus, unlike weapons of mass
destruction, was suitable for local warfare. It would be useful for intimidating the opponent
and discouraging their will to fight. Now that I had allowed the three demon girls to go out, it
would be wrong for me to reject this offer due to any moral grounds.
“What if the enemy takes it away from us?”
“I swear I will not make that mistake!”
“If that happens, we will just develop a better golem for next time. There is no end point
to technology. That said, if that were to happen, we have installed a self-destruct mechanism,
so there is no need to worry about the technology leaking out.”
Wait, wait, wait. He said that as if it was a good thing, but all I could hear was a phrase I
couldn’t ignore.
“Self-destruct mechanism?”
“That’s right. It was Veldora-sama’s idea to include it. I had thought it was some kind of
joke, but it’s true that Veldora-sama is a master of the arts, so must have anticipated this kind
of situation.”
No, he didn’t. Definitely not. There was no doubt that it was Veldora who made such a
stupid suggestion. I guessed that the only people who could ever come up with an idea like a
self-destruct mechanism had to be either Ramiris or Veldora—avid manga readers. Really, I
wish people would stop obsessing over such useless things. Still, it was true that it was
something better to have than not.
“Okay. It’s fine if it breaks or falls into enemy hands, but just don’t do anything reckless.”
“So then?”
“Yes, you’re cleared to go. Gadra may not get a chance to join, but he’s welcome to join
us in case of an emergency.”
“Understood. I, for my part, have no desire to be rude to a former colleague. If there is a
new type of weapon that I do not know about, that is where the Demon Colossus will come
in!”

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 In that case, I would leave it to him with peace of mind. Gadra had no deep ties to us, so
he might betray us if we were on the losing end. Perhaps he wanted to stay out of the
labyrinth in case of such a situation. It felt that way, though it was not worth pursuing. I
would like to think positively here and try not to make Gadra feel like having second
thoughts. In other words, all we had to do was to overwhelmingly win the war against the
Empire. Thus, Gadra’s participation in the war had been decided along with all the other
members who would go.

The meeting ended in the evening. As soon as the meeting was dismissed, everyone began to
prepare for the next day. As for me, I was going to enjoy a relaxing time in the cafeteria.
Tomorrow’s schedule would be to start the morning with a moral boost for the departing
group. After that, I would send everyone off with the ‘transfer technique’. From noon, I would
be meeting with Yuuki. Laplace would give me a lift, so I had enough time to spare. It would
be a one-day trip, so I didn’t need to do much preparation. Of course, I didn’t intend to bring
any souvenirs for Yuuki, so I could welcome tomorrow with an easy mind.
“Are you sure you can just take it easy like that?”
“It’ll be fine. What about you? Is it really okay to just leave Momiji and Alvis-san
alone?”
Benimaru had come to the cafeteria with me, but he was a newlywed, so why didn’t he
just stay at home? I was thinking so, to which Benimaru gave a laugh.
“Shuna is going to teach them how to cook today. I heard that they made an agreement
not to run off on each other, though I got kicked out because of it…”
Hey now, are those really the words of a newlywed? I thought it might be a bad idea, but
it wasn’t my place to interfere in other people’s family affairs.
“Well, okay then.”
I nodded my head in agreement. Diablo came hurriedly to bring us our meals. He looked
like a real butler. Well, I’ve always wondered whether it was really okay for a primordial
demon to do such a thing, but since he was so happy, it was not my place to stop him. I’d
gotten used to it, so it was too late now.
“Thank you.”
“No, no, this is my role as well.”
Is that so? Well, there was no problem if he was satisfied with it.
“Rimuru-sama, please use this too.”
Shion poured me a glass of wine. Of course, Shion did not make this wine, so I could
drink it with peace of mind, but it still made me feel a bit suffocated. Today’s menu was just
the familiar pork cutlet, which could be eaten easily without being served this way. And yet,
Diablo and Shion were standing behind me, which instead was mentally exhausting.
“Why don’t you guys just sit down and eat with us?”
“Your sentiments are very kind.”
“Oh, no! I’m already full, so don’t worry about me!”
“After all, Shion was in the kitchen eating a few morsels!”
“Diablo, you—!”
They fought at every opportunity. It was foolish to worry about them, so Benimaru and I
decided to leave them alone and enjoy our meal.
“So, are you going to trust Yuuki?”

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 “It’s difficult to be honest, but I guess I’ll just have to believe. Besides, I want to believe
in him too.”
“Then I will follow Rimuru-sama and will set up all plans on the premise of trusting
Yuuki.”
“What if they betray us?”
“It wouldn’t be good, but there’s always a way to make it.”
“Okay, I’m sorry to be troubling you, but please do so.”
“That’s just what I want.”
Benimaru’s smile was so encouraging. In war, one could only trust their allies or friends.
If even this was in doubt, there would be no maneuver that could succeed. If we were
betrayed, the damage would be so great that I would have to make a difficult choice. Still, I
have decided to trust Yuuki. Now that I have decided so, there is no point in worrying about
it.
“I was wondering, do you have to eat9?”
I asked Benimaru, who was eating a pork cutlet in front of me.
“If I had to answer whether or not it was necessary, I would say no.”
“Oh, I knew it!”
“But Rimuru-sama is the same, right? I’m relieved that I haven’t lost my sense of taste.”
“I understand. When I couldn’t even satisfy my three major desires, I honestly thought
my life was over. Thanks to my hard work, my appetite and desire for sleep came back, so I
am still enjoying every day.”
“I’m sure. I was worried about that, too, but I’m relieved to see that things are back to
normal.”
We nodded to each other. Then, I suddenly felt something strange.
“Huh? You’re still in your original state, so you still have all three desires?”
“Yes. Fortunately, all of them were preserved.”
“And sleep?”
“I don’t need to sleep, but meditating puts me into a state of sleep. Moreover, I will
recover from fatigue if I do so.”
What’s with that? I’ve been able to sleep only after all my hard work, but he was able to
do it from the very beginning? And it’s even better than my results! No, what I’m more
interested in is…
“And your libido?” I asked in a whisper.
Benimaru nodded his head in affirmation, looking a little embarrassed.
“What’s this? I thought you couldn’t evolve because you wouldn’t be able to have
children…”
“That’s right. Momiji and Alvis are also both pregnant.”
“Well then congratulations—no wait, didn’t you lose your sexual desire too?”
“I thought it would disappear, too, but my libido remained even if I couldn’t have
children. I guess I won’t have to give them any grief now.”
I envy him too much. It’s the perfect evolution, with all the features I don’t have
anymore. Damn it, how did I ever…
“Good for you.”
“Thanks…why are you stealing my food?”
“Shut up! You traitor!”
My jealousy flared up as I snatched Benimaru’s pork cutlet away from him.
It was only natural, I thought to myself. What else was I supposed to do when all I had to
look forward to was eating? In any case, we had a good time that night, making a big deal out
9He means, is it even necessary for Benimaru to consume food after evolving into a higher race.

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of things. It was the usual scene as always. However—
This daily routine came to an abrupt end.

“Oh, it’s not good! Something terrible has happened and I have to get back right away!”
Laplace came running into the cafeteria while shouting. And right after that, another
person came in.
“Something is wrong, Rimuru-sama! We just received a message in the name of King
Gazel. Velgrynd has appeared in front of the Mixed Corps that is deploying, and he needs
your help immediately!”
Vesta screamed with bloodshot eyes. I got up from my seat at this surprising content.
“Gather the members who are scheduled to leave as soon as possible!”
“Understood.”
Benimaru moved immediately upon hearing my order. With that, everyone would be here
in no time.
“Laplace, wait a minute before you go back. We’ll go with you.”
“B-But…”
Seeing Laplace’s panic, I initially suspected it was an act. I thought he was up to
something again, trying to trap us. However, when I heard the following report from Vesta, I
understood that this was not the case. Something important was happening in the Empire that
Laplace did not know about. In times like this, it was important to remain calm.
“I know something big is going on, but don’t panic. We’re allies now. It’s more
convenient for you to go back with us rather than to go back alone.”
“Convenient?”
If the enemy’s maximum strength was in front of the Mixed Corps, this could be
considered as an opportunity. Yuuki and the others seemed to have been attacked by
someone, but if we defeated them, we would be able to proceed with the negotiations in a
favorable way. With this in mind, I decided to ask Laplace for more information.
“So, what happened?”
Laplace answered my question after some hesitation.
“I got a call from Teare. The chairman, Kagali-sama, wants me to come back. Apparently,
we are being attacked by Kondou and others.”
Lieutenant Kondou, he seemed to be one of the troublesome ones. I guess it would be a
good idea to cooperate with Laplace and take him out. But what was worrying was that Yuuki
and his group, with their battle strength, was unable to do anything.
“What is Yuuki doing? Did he lose, too?”
“It seems that Damrada is the boss’s opponent.”
“Damrada was one of the heads of Cerberus, who was actually the vice commander of the
Imperial Guardians. Did he betray Yuuki after all?”
He made us think he was Yuuki’s comrade, but was that not the case? Since I had never
met him, I couldn’t read into what he was thinking.
“I don’t know. Both Teare and Footman often go back and forth. Anyway, it seems that
they are fighting against the boss.”
Hmm, I don’t get it. However, what is certain is that there are some nasty enemies
scattered about. In any case, the first thing to do is to check the situation. And so, I invoked
the physical magic: ‘Argus’ on the spot to save time. Since I already knew the coordinates, I

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pinpointed the location of the Mixed Corps garrison. The local situation was projected on the
wall of the cafeteria.
“Th-This is…”
I wondered who had involuntarily muttered that. A beautiful woman with a glamorous
smile. Her distinctive feature was her azure hair tied like a chignon on her head. The woman
was wearing a gorgeous Chinese garb and a military uniform draped over her shoulders. She
was standing before a huge army of 60,000 men as if she were walking through an
uninhabited field. No, not a large army, but rather what used to be a large army. Soaring
overhead were presumably the corpses. A crimson pillar connecting heaven and earth—yes,
that was a hyper-gravity force field. Blood rained down, staining the entire force field a bright
red.
“‘Gravity Collapse’. Good grief, using my best move without my permission!”
Carrera spoke lightly, but her expression was serious. And as it should be. The magic
used by the supposed Velgrynd was more precise than the one used by Carrera. It was
perfectly ranged and controlled without going haywire. The absence of any evidence of
destruction suggested that it affected only gravity.
“Did she control gravity and blow up only the army without affecting the earth?”
“That’s right, milord, and the ugly thing is, not a single grain of sand was involved. She
only blasted those she deemed as enemies into the sky.”
Is such a thing even possible? No, I think she is able. As long as the result was right in
front of me, I couldn’t doubt it.
“Are you going to fight that thing?”
“Kufufufu, so that is the sister of Veldora-sama. Interesting. I’ve always wanted to fight
her seriously.”
Diablo was pretty tough, but Velgrynd honestly seemed like an unbeatable opponent.

«No. If you give it your all, you have a chance.»

That was reassuring, but the problem was that it would take an all-out effort. There would
definitely be casualties, so we should avoid fighting if at all possible. In that case, it would be
better to go for Emperor Rudra rather than Velgrynd. Let Guy and Rudra settle their dispute
and end this war. Then, we could avoid unnecessary sacrifices.
“But I don’t understand. Why not just finish the magic?”
“Maybe it’s because she doesn’t like to destroy nature like we do?”
“No, that shouldn’t be it. Look, the bodies that have been drained of blood are all piled
up.”
Testarossa pointed to a corner of the image. There were, indeed, many bodies piled up
there. I split the screen and zoomed in on the location. There was a man in a military uniform
and a woman whom I had seen before.
“Yuuki’s secretary—Kagali-san?”
“She is our creator and the president of the Moderate Clown Troupe. Damn it! I didn’t
want to believe it, but it’s true. I just got a message from Footman and Teare that Kagali-sama
is being controlled by Kondou.”
“Controlled? As in Mental Control?”
“Yes. And worst of all, Teare and Footman cannot resist Kagali-sama. I guess that’s why
I couldn’t get the ‘telegram’ from them earlier, because they were ordered to stop.”
That sucks. Mental Control. I think taking away a person’s free will is the worst.
—But it was more than that. The current situation was very bad.
“I mean, how far does Kagali-san’s domination affect her? Will you be okay?”

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 Laplace seemed to be seriously frustrated, though it was hard to tell while he was wearing
a mask. If Laplace was unable to disobey orders as well as Teare and Footman, that would be
a big problem.
“I’ll be fine. Kagali-sama has created me, but I’m the only one who does not have to
follow orders. What is more problematic is the fact that most of the members Yuuki-san has
gathered have ‘curses’ engraved on them. Of course, the only ones I’m worried about are the
executives, but the rest of them are in such a state that there’s no point in thinking about it
now.”
Indeed, Yuuki’s army was no more. Even if there were some survivors, they would not be
able to escape from that magic. There were still some survivors outside the influence of the
magic, but they seemed to have lost their will to fight after seeing the tragedy. They were not
going to be a force to be reckoned with, even without the curse engraving. It was good news
that Laplace was unaffected because the situation was so bad.
“Well, I’m glad you’re okay at least.”
“Don’t worry about it. My friends are already done for.”
Laplace spoke in the most matter-of-fact way he could. His voice remained calm and
unaffected, sounding as if he didn’t feel anything, but I didn’t think that was the case. He was
frustrated and remorseful that his friends were being manipulated. There was no doubt that it
was from the heart. Without saying anything, I pat Laplace on the shoulder. Laplace looked at
me in surprise. I spoke to Laplace in a cheerful tone as naturally as possible.
“I think it’s too early to give up, don’t you? Kagali-san is not dead. If Kondou is
controlling her, she’ll go back to normal if we defeat him. Yuuki is probably still fighting, so
let’s go help him and fight back!”
It was an attempt to comfort him, but that was better than being negative. In any case, we
could leave the despair for later. What could be done now? It was important to think about
that.
“You’re a very noble man, saying the same thing as the boss. If it’s human beings who
persecuted and exiled us, and it’s human beings who are helping us…it’s a match made in
heaven.”
Laplace muttered and seemed to smile bitterly under his mask. I may look like a human,
but I’m still a monster…
But then again, even if I’m a slime, I used to be human. Was it too much to correct those
words here?
“I have a question, if ya don’t mind.”
“What is it?”
“What is it you want as a demon lord?”
So that’s what this is about? Nothing I’ve done since the beginning has changed. From
the moment I came into this world, I have had only one ambition.
“I want to live happily together with everyone. That’s why I’ve built towns, created a
country, and communicated with other countries. After that, I want to get along with people
who have similar tastes and interests, while respecting diversity.”
“Haven’t you ever thought about taking over the world?”
“What’s with that? That would be too much trouble.”
“Huh? Once you have the world, you can do whatever you want!”
“So that would definitely get boring. It is only when there are different ideas and thoughts
that there can be a wider range of possibilities. The more possibilities there are, the more fun
you can have with your work!”
As I argued my point, Laplace looked at me with a puzzled look on his face. Then, as if in
a panic, he waved his hand and shouted, ‘Wait, wait, wait!’

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 “That’s crazy! What do you mean by ‘work’? We weren’t talking about that now. We
were talking about what happens after you take over the world!”
You’re the one who doesn’t know what you’re talking about.
“So, you want everything to be your own way. Is that through some kind of thought
control for other people? Or are you saying that you prefer to be under mental control like
Kagali-san?”
“No, I don’t think so…”
“I believe that freedom of thought, speech, and expression should be guaranteed. That is
the respect for fundamental human rights, and it will be the driving force for diversity and
cultural development.”
“Huh? That’s just going to increase the number of selfish, mouth-breathers. They’ll never
be able to come to an agreement and solvable problems will become unsolvable. How can you
run a country like that?!”
He had a point. The greatest weakness of democracy was in how it divided national
interests from personal feelings. But that itself was also part of developing diversity.
“That’s okay. That’s something we’ll all think about overcoming together. I’m essentially
a selfish being, so no amount of talking will move this country in a direction I don’t want it to
go.”
I was fine with being the big-talker. Reign but do not rule. With these words in mind, I
would continue to do what I had always done. Fortunately, there were many role models. I
could learn from Luminas, who used religion as a cover for her rule, and from Elmesia-san,
who used a ruling system that placed her at the top of the country. Well, I still had a long way
to go, so there was no need to decide what to do now.
“So, national policies and such are an afterthought. What’s more important is the
development of culture. Yes, entertainment. Without it, the development of the country is
meaningless.”
This was the most important part. In order to make life interesting, a lot of entertaining
works must be produced. For that reason, there should be no restrictions on thought and
expression. Laplace looked at me puzzled as I explained this.
“I don’t understand. Our family can’t understand. He…the boss, he promised to take over
the world and make it a better place to live. That’s why I chose to believe in him, in Yuuki-
san. But what’s wrong with you?!”
“What?”
“Mocking our ambitions with such a lax resolve!”
“I’m not mocking you. I just think that world domination might not be as fun as you
think, and it might be harder than you think.”
Laplace was silent for a while upon hearing my answer. Then, he spoke.
“…I’ve known for a long time, this kind of thing.”
Laplace sat on the floor without strength. His face was turned to the magically projected
image, and he gazed at the pile of dead bodies with Kagali standing in front of them.
“You asked earlier what they were doing there. I’ll tell you. This is the best-kept secret of
all. You should know that we’re undead elves…so I’ll tell you about how we can increase
their number.”
Hmmm? Wait, wait, wait, this sounds really important.
“Calm down. This is not exactly the kind of thing you can talk about in the cafeteria, is
it?”
“It doesn’t matter. This is not the time for that. Listen, we were all created by Kagali-
sama. That’s what the Curse Lord is all about… creating powerful majin by gathering the
dead and their grudges…a forbidden spell…the forbidden spell: ‘Dead Birthday’.”

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 The cafeteria was also a room for executives. There were no civilians in the dining room,
but Laplace had a lot of guts. I couldn’t believe that he would discuss such a top-secret matter
in a place like this. Those who remained were Benimaru, who had returned after giving
instructions, Souei Diablo, Shion Hakurou, the three demon girls, and Vesta, who had been
watching the video with me after I finished my report. Before I knew it, Gabil had also
returned, perhaps after giving instructions to the others. It was an important story, but it was
fortunate that no one troublesome heard it.
“So that’s it. What a nostalgic spell.”
“You know about it, Diablo?”
Diablo was a magic maniac, so it came in handy at times like these. It would be a big help
if he knew about it.
“The body I received from Rimuru-sama is also an application of the ‘Dead Birthday’. In
my case, I did not have a soul, but it was the best body for incarnation. The original purpose
of using it is to unite more than 10,000 corpses and make its power one’s own.”
It’s true that inhumane, evil, and taboo were the most common words to describe this kind
of forbidden spell. Well, I can’t say anything as someone who also took souls, so I’d leave
that alone for now.
“I wonder if the ‘make its power one’s own’ means to be possessed by a specific person?”
“It depends on the situation, but I think it’s safe to assume so.”
“Diablo-san is right. Footman, Teare, and Clayman are all surviving members of
Kazalim-sama. They lost their homeland, and to remember the humiliation, they turned to the
forbidden spell.”
Laplace agreed. I guess my speculations were correct. That being the case, it would be
bad to let the spell be completed.
“There were about 60,000 Mixed Corps out there. With that much material, they should
be able to produce at least ten undead elves that can rival Clayman.”
“Oh, come on…”
“And the trouble is, there are a lot of strong souls there. Unlike Footman and Teare, they
may be able to control more powerful forces.”
When I asked specifically what that meant, Laplace replied with disgust. This is what he
said.
Footman and Teare were still immature in spirit because they had been engulfed by the
mighty power. When Kazalim had first created the undead elves, he was not mature enough to
distribute his soul and power. This was the reason why he had given them more power than
they could handle. Clayman had used this mistake to his advantage and had succeeded in
creating a successful undead elf.
However, that did not mean that Footman and Teare were failures. Their mental
immaturity had delayed the growth of their intellects, but they still possessed great power. In
fact, even the pre-evolutionary Clayman lagged behind Footman. In that aspect, he was more
successful than Clayman in terms of fighting ability alone. If we consider the case of creating
an undead elf specialized in strength out of 60,000 corpses, one could say that it would be a
greater success story than Clayman. In that case, it would probably be condensed to six to
seven persons. If these people were willing to sacrifice an army of a million for the sake of
creating an awakened person, they were likely to do such a thing without any trouble.
“—We were all just kids then. Teare still is a kid, not to mention Footman. Clayman was
the only one who had grown up. Clayman, too, destroyed himself with his idiotic outbursts.
However, we don’t think of it as your fault. It’s the law of the jungle after all. It’s only natural
to test those we don’t trust, and we don’t mind sacrificing others in order to expand our
power. These are our family’s true feelings. Are you still willing to join hands with us?”

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 Clearly, Laplace had dared to say something that didn’t need to be said. There was no
point in pissing us off here, so it might have even been a bad idea. Still, the fact that Laplace
said what he did was a good thing.
“Don’t underestimate us. I will never forgive you for inciting the orcs and destroying the
ogre village, but since Rimuru-sama has decided to join forces with you, there will be no
opposition from us.”
“Benimaru is right. My heart breaks just thinking about the regrets of everyone in my
village, but even with what was done to everyone, mourning will not make one feel better. I
will be able to forget my regrets only when we realize the world that Rimuru-sama desires, a
world where everyone can live with laughter.”
“Hmph, you may think that you can cut off the root of the scourge by turning everyone’s
hatred against you, but that is naive. That anger is not so easily erased. It is not such a small
thing that can be extinguished just by torturing you.”
“Well, that’s correct. As you said, this world follows survival of the fittest. The worst
thing of all was our own immaturity. You have cried because of your own immaturity as well,
haven’t you? In that case, you can understand how we feel.”
Benimaru, Shion, Souei, and Hakurou. They had decided to fight together, swallowing
their hatred for Laplace and the others in their hearts. It was only natural that they could not
forgive Laplace’s actions, but they were still trying to overcome them. As I thought at the
time of Geld, Benimaru and the others truly had big hearts.
“Look, I haven’t forgiven you guys, and I don’t fully trust you, but you’re my allies now.
Let’s forget our differences and fight together.”
“—I’m counting on you. Please, I just want to help the boss and the chairman, so please
help me.”
Laplace bowed his head deeply, with a sincere attitude that was unlike that of the
normally aloof man. If even this was acting, then I would never be able to trust anyone else.
For the time being, I believed that I could trust him.

At Laplace’s request, Benimaru and the others nodded their heads in approval. The gesture
was so determined and charming.
“Alright. So then, the six of us will infiltrate as planned, and go to Yuuki’s rescue.”
“Yes. Let’s rescue that bastard so he can apologize properly later.”
Benimaru was motivated. Well, it was Yuuki after all. I had a feeling that he would take
down Damrada and then be calm as usual. The real problem was how to deal with Velgrynd.
Just when I was about to give out my instructions, Shion made a surprising remark.
“This man Kondou is the mastermind, isn’t he? Since he is the one who manipulated
Kagali and the others, Clayman might have been manipulated too.”
“ “ “……” ” ”
We were all silent. Benimaru was frozen with a surprised look on his face, and Laplace
muttered a ‘what?’ to himself.
“Kufufu. The first secretary sure says some interesting things.”
Diablo tried to laugh it off, but then he seemed to recall all the previous situations and
realized that there was no denying Shion’s statement.
“It’s possible…”
Hakurou even said the same thing. No, rather, it was only natural to think so. Laplace had

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said that Yuuki ordered Clayman to keep quiet. Even if the orc riot was unintentional, the
subsequent outburst would have gotten him nowhere.

«Notice. The situation was redefined based on the newly obtained information. A portion
of individual Clayman’s actions were unclear, but if Kondou and others intervened, it makes
sense. The conclusion is that the Empire is the one that can gain the most profit.»

Yes, that’s how it should be.

“—What does that mean? So we got into trouble because of Kondou’s plan?”
“Fuck this.”
“You’re being vulgar, Benimaru. Change your ways, or I’ll tell Shuna-sama.”
“Don’t do that. I’ll change it.”
The exchange between Benimaru and Shion went ignored.
“It is frustrating, but I guess I have to agree with Shion’s opinion. I also did some
criminal psychology analysis for profiling, and there were a few unclear points in Clayman’s
behavior. He seemed to have been in a hurry to move his army when he should have been
more careful. I had overlooked it because of his stupidity, but it would make sense if a third
party intervened.”
Wow, Diablo’s opinion was the same as Wisdom King Raphael-san. Now I had no reason
to doubt him.
“Although we don’t know the truth, let’s assume that Clayman was also manipulated by
Kondou. In other words, when you are in contact with Kondou, make sure to be alert to the
possibility that you can be manipulated!”
“ “ “Yes!” ” ”
Being careful may not even help, but it was better than nothing. Anyway, this Kondou
guy was one to watch out for. If we were not careful, he may even be more troublesome than
Velgrynd. I made sure that everyone remembered Kondou’s face as a common knowledge.
Now then, to summarize the strategy…
“Gabil and his men will respond to King Gazel’s request for help. But do not fight
Velgrynd seriously. Even the leaders will be in danger and the soldiers will die for nothing.”
“Yes, sir. Even I would not challenge a great True Dragon.”
“Hohoho, we would be no match.”
Gabil and Hakurou understood this well enough. The purpose of the reinforcements was
to buy time. After we rescued Yuuki, we would deal with Velgrynd.
“But is it okay to leave that ritual alone?” Ultima asked.
By ‘ritual’, she meant Kagali’s ‘Dead Birthday’ ceremony.
“Don’t worry about that. That spell takes a long time to work. It takes at least two hours
to produce one. If you try to condense the energy, you will need more time.”
Diablo said as such. Less than an hour had passed since the ceremony began. If we met up
with Yuuki, defeated Emperor Rudra, and then hurried back…
“That’s not the case. Diablo-san is right according to the original method, but Kagali-
sama is bein’ helped.”
“Helped—Oh my. So that’s why Velgrynd-sama is cooperating.”
Diablo seemed to have understood, but I was not sure what was going on. Still, we didn’t
have time to listen to the details here.
“So then, how much time do we have?”
“Worst case scenario, a couple of undead elves could be created in two hours.”
Two hours, huh? Can we defeat Emperor Rudra in just that much time? No, there was no
point in worrying. We just had to do it. I looked at Laplace.

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 “You’re the strongest, right? At the least, you’re stronger than Clayman, and you seem to
be stronger than the other two guys who specialize in strength.”
“Well, I was specially made.”
“In that case, let’s ignore Kagali’s spell.”
“Is that okay?” Gabil wondered.
“Yeah. Think about it, Gabil. Laplace is pretty strong, but he’s not insurmountable. As for
the other two, I think you can beat them, right?”
That was how I saw it. Laplace hid his power, but my eyes could not be deceived. In other
words, I sensed that he had not awakened to his Ultimate Skill. Gabil was tough, but Souei
should be able to fight him to a tie. In other words, if an undead elf as strong as Laplace was
created, it would be troublesome, but if it was weaker than Laplace, it would be no problem.
If it grew, they would be a nuisance that couldn’t be left unattended. However, I judged that it
was not so much of a threat that we had to immediately interfere with them.
“If Velgrynd is assisting with the spell, that’s a good thing. If possible, hinder her so that
she cannot concentrate. If not, just leave Velgrynd alone. Or rather, we should not actively
step on the tiger’s tail.”
When I said so, Gabil and Hakurou looked at each other and nodded. It seemed that they
were in agreement. And then, in case of any emergency…
“If she turns on you or King Gazel, then Ultima and Carrera will just have to deal with
her.”
They were the strongest of my subordinates, and they would buy us some time against
Velgrynd. I could ignore Kagali’s ritual, but if Velgrynd made a move, the army would be
destroyed. To avoid that, I gave a ruthless order.
“Thanks for relying on me! Even if it’s Veldora-sama’s sister, I’ll show her no mercy!”
“Yeah, we’ll see if we can win if we try. I still have an undefeated record, so I’ll enjoy it
as much as I can.”
Ultima and Carrera responded in kind. I would just pretend I never heard about their loss
to Zegion. I had finally thought that the plan was decided when something else came up.
“One moment, please. It is not enough for Ultima and Carrera to deal with Velgrynd-
sama. I know it’s rude of me to offer to show you the way, but I too would like to volunteer to
take on Velgrynd-sama.”
It was Testarossa’s proposal. When I heard this, I felt troubled. The proposal sounded
attractive, but if we were to invade the center of the capital, I thought it would be better to
attack with our maximum strength. Not only were there powerful opponents whom Guy
recognized as strong, there would also be more than four ‘Single Digits’ as guards. If we were
to face such strong opponents, I didn’t really want to miss out on Testarossa’s battle strength.
However, if this would buy time against Velgrynd, it seemed like a good idea. If that was the
case, then Gadra would be the best choice…
“I will accompany you instead. It will save time and increase the success rate of the
operation.”
Souei’s offer was a reasonable one. At the very least, it was better than taking Gadra with
us. Benimaru, Shion, Souei, and Diablo. With these four, I don’t feel like we would lose to
any opponent.
“Let’s go with that. Then please come with us, Souei.”
“Understood!”
Gabil and his team’s main objective was to buy time. If possible, they would move to
eliminate the enemy forces, including Kondou. In case of emergency, Testarossa and the
others would come in. This was the best that could be done at this point.
“Then it’s settled. Gabil and the others, take it easy until we get back.”

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 “ “ “Yes!” ” ”
Thus, the plan was decided in a hurry.

At that moment, Vesta, who had been watching the video for a long time, shouted in a
hoarse voice, “O-oh! King Gazel has arrived on the scene!”
Hearing him say so, I turned my eyes to the image and saw the Pegasus Knights soaring
in the sky.
“Let’s hurry. Join up with Gazel and tell him about the plan before they are harmed!”
“Leave it to me! I, Gabil, will take on this great responsibility!”
“Now then, let’s get moving!”
I gave the order. And so began the long, long night.

After sending Gabil and the others off with the ‘transfer technique’, my group transported to
the capital with Laplace. I had been in human form from the beginning so that I could be
ready for anything that may happen.
“We’re here. This is our secret base… Hey, where is this?”
We had come here by magic, but there was something wrong with Laplace. It was at that
point that I had a bad sense of foreboding. Looking around, I could see a vast hall that did not
exist in our country. It was lined with carved pillars, and a luxurious-looking carpet was
spread out. It looked like an audience hall of some imperial castle, though I could not help
feeling that there was a distorted sense of space.
“Hey.”
“N-No, it’s not me! I usually only transport to fixed locations. This has never happened
before!”
I looked at Laplace impatiently as he answered. It didn’t look like he was lying, but if that
was the case, what was the meaning of this? I looked around in contemplation and saw a place
about fifty meters ahead of us where the ground was elevated with several steps. I could see
what looked like a throne, so it appeared to be an audience room. A person of high rank was
sitting on a chair, and next to him was a beautiful woman with blue hair. The distinctive
chignon was prominent, and Velgrynd herself could not be mistaken.
“Velgrynd! No, she was in the war zone just now, so she can’t really be here, right?”
“If they transferred, they could make it in time, but it doesn’t look like that.”
Benimaru answered my question. He looked puzzled along with Souei and Shion.
“We’re surrounded. It seems that this was a trap.”
It was Diablo who calmly spoke out. I sensed it too, that there were dozens of people in
this hall. They seemed to be quite strong as well.
“Laplace, you bastard. So you really wanted to set us up…”
Despite Souei’s sharp tone, Laplace’s mind wasn’t on it.
“This is ridiculous. Are you saying you interfered with my technique? No way, that’s
impossible…”
Indeed, he was completely bewildered. Apparently, Laplace had not seen this coming. In
my opinion, Laplace did not set up this trap. A man then approached us, making us more
cautious.
“Hey, nice work Laplace, I’m glad you managed to fool Demon Lord Rimuru’s group.”
It was Yuuki. He was dressed in an imperial uniform with a smile on his face.

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 “B-Boss? W-Wait, wait. What’s this all about?”
“Hahaha. You can stop acting. If we can get rid of Demon Lord Rimuru right now…we’ll
win.”
Upon hearing Yuuki’s comment, Shion and Souei became furious. However, Benimaru
and, surprisingly, Diablo also remained calm and listened to the conversation between Yuuki
and Laplace. Seeing this, I was impressed.
‹You guys believe in Laplace, too.›
‹Ah, no. I was just thinking of a quick way to kill them when they let their guard down.›
‹Hey!›
‹Kufufufufu, as expected of Benimaru-dono. Kill them before they kill you. It’s a
fundamental rule.›
What kind of mafioso are you trying to be, you idiots! We don’t have those fundamental
rules in our country! I was so exasperated that I convinced them to just wait and watch. I also
calmed down Shion and Souei, who were in a murderous mood. Meanwhile, Yuuki and
Laplace’s argument was heating up. Laplace was desperately trying to convince us of his
innocence.
“Trust me! I didn’t do anything wrong this time!”
Yuuki’s move was nothing short of brilliant, because the more desperate he got, the more
suspicious he became. I felt sorry for Laplace and decided to end this farce. I patted Laplace
on the shoulder and spoke.
“Calm down. That guy is Yuuki, but he’s also not Yuuki.”
“Huh?”
“Unfortunately, Kondou must be controlling him.”
Either Damrada defeated him and manipulated him, or he took him by surprise in the
middle of the fight. Whatever the case may be, the fact that there was someone who would
control the mind of their enemy was a complication. If I didn’t really believe in it, I would
have been brought into a fight immediately.
“Oh, so that’s it! I mean, it’s fun to fool others, but it’s really annoying when it happens
to me.”
Laplace had a good personality. He was cheered up now that he knew I believed him. But
that didn’t make things any better. We were still surrounded, and we were still in a crisis.
“Damn it, I didn’t expect you to see through it so easily. I was hoping to make you more
suspicious and let you take it out on your own comrades.”
Yuuki too, even when being manipulated, was still a bad character. I guess this was just
his nature, so I’d let it slide with a mature attitude.
“Your Majesty, I’m afraid my mission has failed.”
“It was a poor sideshow. But oh well. I also wanted to have a few words with them before
we began fighting.”
When Yuuki spoke to the person sitting on the dais, he got up and started walking. Yuuki
quietly moved to the side and gave way. I could conclude from this that Yuuki was now a
vassal of Emperor Rudra. Although I could not rule out the possibility that this was an act, I
could not be too optimistic. Velgrynd followed behind Rudra. With the exception of her
beauty, she looked like an ordinary human being, which was obviously hiding the real
information. I could see it. Velgrynd had a thin ‘Barrier’ around her body and the man
walking in front of her. The Barrier was blocking off all signs of aura.
“A great sense of intimidation. I do not believe that this is a fake.”
“I agree. It’s amazing to see up close.”
Benimaru nodded at my words. However, the others reacted differently.
“Is that so? I have also accompanied Veldora-sama in his training, so I feel the same way.

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Of course, I cannot win.”
Shion…so you trained with Veldora too? That means actual combat in the labyrinth. It’s
the same as fighting for your life, so the results were not to be underestimated. However, if
we couldn’t win, what was the point? It was neither arrogance nor a sigh of defeat.
“It is indeed a brilliant ‘Barrier’. But as Shion says, it doesn’t seem to be that much
different from Veldora-sama.”
Diablo’s opinion was also similar to Shion’s. Was Velgrynd’s evaluation too low or was
Veldora’s evaluation too high? I was also at a loss to decide. However, even the confident
Diablo did not assert that Shion could win. This was important. Diablo, surprisingly, did not
lie, and he did not say things that he could not do. That was what I understood.
“I know this wasn’t on your agenda, but it would be interesting to have an elite meeting.”
Rudra smiled just like Masayuki. His hair color was a shining blonde, and his hairstyle
was slightly different. Rudra’s eyes were also blue while Masayuki’s eyes were brown. There
were many differences between them, but for some reason, I got the same impression that
they were one in the same. On that note, Masayuki did say something strange.
‘Lately, my hair has been…’
‘Balding?’
‘Yes, yes, I’ve been under a lot of stress—how can that be?! It’s just that my hair color
has been getting lighter. It was black but now it seems more brownish?’
‘Hmm. Perhaps you lost melanin pigment, or something like that?’
‘Is that so? Then I won’t be too worried about it.’
He was just a boy with the usual teenage angst. I had thought so, but now, for some
reason, it all came to mind. I was honestly curious, but now was not the time to dwell on it.
Rudra was walking right in front of me.
“You’re right, we weren’t planning on this. However, I did want to talk to you about
something.”
“That’s good. Well then, have a seat.”
Rudra waved his hand and two chairs appeared. Was it a magic trick? I didn’t know the
principle of it at all, but it didn’t seem like a trap or anything. This was the kind of time to just
focus on the atmosphere. I sat down without hesitation. Benimaru stood to my right, and
Diablo took the left side of the table. Shion quickly stood right behind me, and Souei was
right next to her. Laplace, who seemed to be out of place, wandered for a moment and then
slid in next to Shion’s left. Velgrynd’s teasing voice came to us after we had settled in our
spots.
“Oh, it’s not very good etiquette to sit down first!”
Etiquette? I don’t know anything about that. I just sat down when you told me to sit
down.
“No, Velgrynd, they didn’t do anything wrong. As a demon lord, he’s in the same
position as a leader of a nation. I think we are equals.”
His Majesty the Emperor seemed to be speaking from his heart, quite a large vessel.
“If it’s okay with you, then I don’t have a problem with it either.”
Velgrynd was easily convinced. If she really didn’t care, then I wish she could have
stopped threatening me. Rudra sat proudly in the chair opposite. Velgrynd sat naturally at his
right side. One step behind them were Four Knights armed with mythical-grade weapons.
These Four Knights must have been the four that Bernie mentioned. Finally, a man in a black
military uniform stood on the left side of Rudra. Since he did not look Japanese, I guessed that
he was Damrada. Yuuki was standing next to Damrada, making his position clear. I decided
to regard him as an enemy.
That said, all of the top officials of the Empire except for Kondou were present here. We

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had also brought our top leaders, but we were overwhelmingly outnumbered. On the imperial
side, there were dozens of top-ranking Imperial Guardians. Moreover, there were even five
‘Single Digit’ members of the highest rank. In addition, there was Velgrynd, so it was
doubtful that we could ever win. On top of that, there was Yuuki.
It was no exaggeration to say that we were in a crisis like never before. From Rudra’s
words, it seemed that this situation was not Laplace’s fault, but rather had been set up from
the beginning. Is it always this unsettling to be at the other party’s mercy? I put on a fearless
attitude and opened my mouth so as not to let them know how I really felt.
“Did I get it this time? We had considered the possibility that you were expecting us, but I
didn’t expect the situation to turn out like this.”
That was a lie. I had thought we were in a position to take the lead, since we had initially
been aiming for a surprise attack with an elite force.
“Hahaha, don’t be so modest. I didn’t expect this either. I had expected that the Armored
Corps that I had sent out would be defeated, but I did not calculate that there would be no
survivors, and that no one would be awakened.”
They had been, but Diablo had beaten them down. I wouldn’t tell him this, but I thought
that the person who made that plan was pretty good. That being said, it was an outrageous
heresy from a human perspective.
“And who planned it?”
I asked him lightly, assuming he wouldn’t tell me anyway. Surprisingly, Rudra happily
told me himself. According to him…
The plan had been drawn up by Lieutenant Kondou. I was going to say it was as I
expected, but the plan was worse than I had imagined.

● Awaken a few people from the invading army. Then make it look like they’ve lost.
● Intercept the pursuing army with the Mixed Corps. However, since there is a
possibility that this corps may betray the enemy, it is to be treated as an enemy force.
● When it is confirmed that they have betrayed the enemy, eliminate them together. The
‘Marshal’ will be in charge of this task.

At this point in the second phase, the plan had gone awry. Kondou seemed to have made a
drastic change in his plan:

● Yuuki’s faction, which had been kept in hiding, was to be intercepted. From the
information he had obtained from Demon Lord Clayman, Kondou concluded that
Yuuki and his group had definitely betrayed them.
● Defeat Yuuki’s group. Confirm what he was scheming and make final adjustments
based on that.
● The number of Mixed Corps gathered is about 60,000. They will be used as sacrifices
to mass-produce majin.
● At this time, the ‘Marshal’ will go out to the battlefield and make a showy
performance to attract the attention of the Guy and his men.
● Gather the troublesome ones and beat them at once. For this purpose, the forces should
be concentrated in one point.
● The advantage of a flashy move is that the Imperial City will look thin. There will
surely be attackers, and they will surely be elite. We should hit them with our
maximum force.
● Most importantly, it can be assumed that the monster kingdom is also thin, so we
should attack with our maximum force, the ‘Marshal’. While Guy’s eyes are looking

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 in the other direction, we must capture the most powerful piece, the ‘Storm Dragon’.
That was the entire plan.
The fact that he had been getting information from Demon Lord Clayman was a sure sign
that Clayman had also been under Kondou’s control. This clarified what was once only a
suspicion. However, that was not the important point. I was surprised that he had disclosed so
much information, but I would leave that aside. There was a more important point in what
was just said.
A shiver ran down my spine. H-hey, wait a minute. Just how many Marshals—or
Velgrynd’s—were in that plan? It seems that she was in more than one place at a time. I had
been thinking it was strange, but Velgrynd should have been rampaging in the Eastern cities
of the Dwarven Kingdom, the current battlefield, by now. So then, who the hell is this person
in front of me?

«Ah! There is a power of an Ultimate Skill that allows one to create a being identical to
yourself. That is…»

“…‘Parallel Existence’?”
I was the one who spoke out Wisdom King Raphael-san’s thoughts, hoping that I was
wrong. But the reality was very ruthless.
“Oh, so you knew. You’re so smart.”
Velgrynd’s smile was so beautiful and so terrifying. The more one wanted something to
go wrong, the more those bad premonitions would come true. We can’t win, you know!
That’s just how I felt. No wonder Testarossa had said she couldn’t win by herself. I had been
keeping my composure because I had thought I could call Veldora to even the game. Now,
however, I realized that I could no longer say such a thing.
According to Wisdom King Raphael-san, ‘Parallel Existence’ was a very dangerous
power. Thinking about it simply, it did not seem to be much different from the ‘Clone’ which
Souei was good at. In Souei’s case, he could control multiple ‘Clones’ at the same time. The
‘Clones’ were indistinguishable from the main body, and it did not matter how many ‘Clones’
were destroyed, as long as the main body was safe.
Another foul feature was that the ‘Clone’ could be split again and again as long as the
‘mana’ was not exhausted. After all, there was no difference in the physical ability between
the main body and the ‘Clones’, so it was as if there were multiple Souei’s. However, I would
reveal something here.
This ‘Clone’ was a tricky thing to control at the same time. It was not a splitting of the
consciousness, but rather a ‘Telepathy Net’ that eliminated the time difference between the
two. By adjusting the reaction through ‘Thought Acceleration’, it only looks like they are
moving at the same time without any discomfort. The reason why I didn’t use ‘Clone’ so
often was that it was a rather difficult trick. In other words, Souei was a master of the art and
had extraordinary senses. I, an amateur, could handle it so well.
And there was one more thing. Although ‘Clones’ were equal in physical ability, mana
was ontological. Therefore, there was a disadvantage in that they could not use all the skills
one possessed. This was the reason why Souei’s ‘Clones’ only used the skills with less mana.
Therefore, by mastering this condition well, one can discern which one is the main body of
the clone. The characteristic of this Skill was that it was not invincible, since the ‘Clone’
would disappear when the main body was defeated.
However, the following was a very important point. Velgrynd’s use of ‘Parallel
Existence’ allowed one to completely split one’s consciousness. It could be thought of as the
simultaneous existence of multiple entities. In other words, this was a ‘Split Body’, and even

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if it was defeated, if any one of the ‘Split Bodies’ remained, they could then become the main
body.
Moreover, there was no need to split the mana. It was as if all ‘Split Bodies’ were
connected to the main body, so they could replenish each other’s mana as much as they
wanted. That said, since there was a limit to the maximum amount of mana, the total mana of
the other ‘Split Bodies’ including the main body was also reduced by the mana divided. This
may be the key to a strategy, but the opponent was a ‘True Dragon’, which was a race famous
for their huge magicule counts. I should have realized that it would be meaningless to use up
magicules halfheartedly, since the recovery rate was faster than the consumption rate. To be
honest, I didn’t know how to beat them. Although I was not Testarossa, I was now being
tempted to assert that ‘it’s impossible to win’. I looked back at Velgrynd and dared to smile
arrogantly.
“Well, thank you. I have a great partner. And when it comes to strategy, I won’t lose. So,
it seems that you think you’re leading us into a trap, but can you tell us what you’re after?”
In times like these, bluffing was the only way to go. I would show them that I saw
through their attempts, and proceed as usual. If I could make them upset and put them on their
guard, it would be a win-win situation. However, it did not work out that way.
“How arrogant. You’re just like my foolish brother, never admitting defeat.”
By ‘foolish brother’, she was referring to Veldora. With a sister like this, Veldora must
have had a hard time. Do you understand Rimuru?—I thought I heard someone say that, but
Rudra opened his mouth, so I turned my attention to him.
“Our objective. If you are confident of your intelligence, there’s no need to tell you what
that is.”
Even if you say that, I’m afraid I’m at a bit of a loss. If they wanted to get rid of us,
they’d have done it by now. But the fact that we were having this meeting meant that there
was room for negotiation. I think the answer we’d get was that they were trying to bribe us.

«Answer. Yes. Thinking in that direction is correct. However, there is a possibility that
they are stalling for time, in which case, it is assumed that they intend to defeat the individual
Veldora Tempest, and welcome him into their side.»

I’m not so bad either. I was half right. Indeed, in Kondou’s plan, the ‘Marshal’ Velgrynd
had been planning to take Veldora into possession. I had been listening to it because I thought
it was impossible, but if there was ‘Parallel Existence’, wouldn’t Velgrynd be heading for the
labyrinth right now? Curious, I contacted Veldora via the ‘Soul Corridor’.
‹Hey…how are you?›
‹Idiot, this is not the time! We’re in big trouble! Sister…my sister is coming after me. She
is currently outside the labyrinth, but if things continue like this, she’ll invade!!›
He seemed to be in the middle of a rave.
‹Are you gonna be okay?›
‹I have no choice but to go out myself. It’s better than being attacked inside the
labyrinth.›
Veldora would not be defeated by ‘Parallel Existence’. I thought as such and gave
Veldora permission to fight with all his might.
‹I will take full responsibility, so I want you to take care of Velgrynd. Can I ask this of
you?›
‹Is that all? If that’s the case, then just leave it to me! Kuahhahahaha!!!›
‹You got it!›
I felt relieved and ended the call. Handing it over to Veldora would be reassuring. I

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grasped what Rudra was planning. Negotiations resumed.
“Your objective is to win us over. And one more thing. You’re meeting with us to stall for
time so that we don’t interfere with your fight against Veldora, right?”
I answered with a smug look on my face as if to say, ‘Well?’ Velgrynd looked a little
surprised. Then, Rudra smiled happily.
“What a delightful guy. It would be fun to let him compare wits with Tatsuya, but I don’t
have time to be amused at the moment. If you understand me that well, then we’ll talk soon.
Come be under my command. I will guarantee that your territory remains untouched and give
you the status of Grand Duke.”
“Rudra! Appointing an unrelated person as Grand Duke will cause resentment from the
other nobles, don’t you think?”
“I don’t care. If he’s willing to cooperate with me, it will be worth it.”
The rank above a duke, that was the Grand Duke. Normally, it was a position that only an
Emperor’s bloodline may or may not be able to hold for one generation, yet Rudra had
promised to offer it. From an Imperial point of view, this was an unprecedented favor. I heard
that they never allowed the warring nations to surrender, and never even allowed them to be
annexed in order to increase their territory.
An Empire that had always expanded their territory through wars of aggression had
offered me the highest position in the world. I think it was safe to say that the Empire thought
higher of me than I thought. However, even so…
Unfortunately, my answer had long since been determined.
“I can understand that it’s a great offer, but the answer is ‘no’. Instead, I have a proposal.
Why don’t we just call it quits and make peace here? I am not asking for compensation or
anything like that, but I’d like you to conclude a treaty of mutual non-aggression.”
It was nothing but a suicidal desire to give a hand to those who didn’t care about how
many sacrifices would be made by those who served them. Having such naive thinking that
one might be an exception was a straight path to ruin. Therefore, I refused Rudra’s offer. But
more importantly…
I took this opportunity to express my request. As far as I was concerned, no damage had
been done, so I wasn’t going to ask for an apology. I was willing to let this invasion go as
long as they promised not to bother us anymore. I know some people would complain about
it, but I thought it would be best if this could be settled without any more bloodshed. I know I
am naive, and I understand that promises are unreliable. As long as the other party was
untrustworthy, they would break the treaty at some point. But the important thing was to buy
time.
By making peace here, we could give each other time to get to know each other. There
was a hope that time to deepen mutual understanding would lead to a future in which war
could be avoided. If we continued the war in this way, we would only end up where we were
currently going. If that was the case, I wanted to take a chance on a small possibility.
However, Rudra’s answer was cynical.
“After all, you are not meant to be a ruler. You do not understand my mercy, and continue
to spin nonsense.”
“How arrogant. Rudra just made the biggest concession and you passed it by!”
He had lost an army of a million, but his manner was still that of someone superior. Deep
down, he did not actually believe that he had been defeated. He considered the lives of the
soldiers lost by his orders as no great loss to him. Rudra was very frightening to me.
“I believe that human beings are creatures that can understand each other. I believe that
we can eventually unite into one will and create a better world. For this purpose, it is essential
to unify the world by overwhelming force.”

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 Rudra’s words sounded similar to the ideals I spoke of. And yet, there was a huge gap that
could not be filled. It was very frustrating. The fact that he had come to the opposite
conclusion from mine, even though we had started from the same starting point, was proof of
this. I was expecting him to be more of an idealist, but that was not the case. Rudra was an
autocrat who insisted that his own self-righteousness was absolute justice, with a dictatorial
mindset that would not accept any ideas from others. Sure enough, he and I were
incompatible. If our arguments were this far apart, it would be impossible to find a solution
through discussion.
“We are creatures of free will. There is no such thing as an unchanging justice in the
world, and there are many different ways of thinking, aren’t there? To refuse to accept that is
simply to sow the seeds of conflict.”
“Foolish. Only my idea is supreme and just. You must know that you will never reach the
ideal world if you continue catering to the selfish whims of fools.”
“No matter who it is, there will always be times to make mistakes!”
“I will not deny it. I, too, listen to the voices of my trusted advisors. But it is impossible to
hear all the voices of the people. Such an action would only bring disaster to the world.”
Well, that may be true, however…
I felt like I could lose in an argument. As much as I hated to admit it, Rudra was much
older than me as a ruler.
“Now then, there’s no point in arguing here. What I want is your loyalty. Demon Lord
Rimuru, give up on Guy and join me.”
Recruitment, once again. They’re really planning to take on Guy, aren’t they? If I chose
Rudra here, it would tip the balance, that’s for sure. That is why we were being kept alive. But
my answer was still the same as before. Now that the negotiations had broken down, it
seemed that a fight was inevitable. Velgrynd, perhaps reading my thoughts, smiled coldly and
waved her index finger gracefully.
Twice gently. And then, an image appeared in the empty space. It was the same principle
as my Argus. The image showed the current battlefield. The image on the screen was…
Testarossa, Ultima, and Carrera were lying on the ground before Velgrynd. It was an
astonishing sight. Those three girls, who could be considered one of the best fighting forces in
our nation, had been defeated by a single being.
“No way!” I muttered to myself.
In the video, Testarossa and the others were standing up again. They seemed to have not
lost their fighting spirit yet, but they were still struggling against an insurmountable difference
in strength. They can’t hold out much longer, I had to admit.
“The primordials you rely on are in such a state before me. Think carefully. I’m going
easy on you, as I’m sure you’re smart enough to understand.”
I knew it was a threat, even if she didn’t say so. If Velgrynd wanted to, the others would
not be safe either, except for the three demon girls. I didn’t know whose intention it was, but
Rudra and the others had made the utmost concession to us. After all, Gabil and the others had
no time to help the three demon girls. Before they knew it, airships had appeared in the sky
over the battlefield, from which the Imperial Army forces had entered the war one after
another. On the ground, too, Kondou’s forces were present. Yuuki’s former comrades, except
for Kagali performing the ceremony, were fighting against the army of dwarves.
“Teare! And Footman, too!”
Laplace’s shout made me realize that even those nasty masked majins were on the enemy
side. It was a close battle, but the situation did not look good. The situation was bad.
Benimaru was also worried about me, I could sense it. However, I could not give in at this
point.

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 “I know what you’re trying to do. It will be easier to get Veldora to join you if you can
get me to go along with it. That guy is a free spirit, and he never obeys the orders of his
superiors.”
Although, he listens to me pretty well. He gets angry a lot though, so maybe he’s just not
very good at dealing with me. In any case, that was probably why they wanted me to join.
And so, I decided to reject Rudra’s invitation. Then, I tried to find another way to look for
other compromises—
“We do not wish to negotiate. Take it or leave it. Be clear.”
I was suddenly confronted with a choice. If I refused, we would be plunged into a battle
in which I had little chance of winning. If I accepted, however, I would be thrown into a battle
I did not want to fight. That is, I would be following the will of others instead of my own,
which may end up resulting in greater sacrifice.
“You talk about uniting into one will and creating a better world, but is that a world
where everyone can live with a smile on their face?”
“What?”
“Even if there is no war, even if there is no starvation, if we are deprived of our free will,
what’s the point of living? What you are trying to do is to deprive people of their potential!
Have you really thought about this properly?”
“Potential? We don’t need that kind of thing. If we allow people to be free, they will only
go down the path to extinction. It is an act not only against my thoughts, but also against
Guy’s wish. In that case, isn’t it only natural that we need someone to control others so that
they do not deviate from the right path?”
“I can understand to a certain extent, and I don’t deny it. But is that a world where you
can smile?”
What I want to do, in the grand scheme of things, is also to try and manage the human
race. But to a certain extent, I also believe that things should be left to the will of man.
Overprotection deprives people of the opportunity to grow. I believe that people are stronger
than we think, and we don’t need to control them from beginning to end.
“Smile? How naive. Whatever the sacrifice, it must be done for the sake of lasting peace.
There is no need to ask permission to guide those who do not understand. For the sake of the
great happiness to come, some patience will be necessary.”
It’s not that he wasn’t understandable, but that he was incompatible with me. What Rudra
was trying to do was not looking at the individual. No matter how I thought about it, it
seemed to go against my principles.
“I knew it. Following you will be impossible. I feel that what you’re trying to do will only
spread more misery. I can’t allow you to do that.”
“You will be a fool if you do not take the hand I extend to you.”
“Then being a fool is fine. Why did you become king? To look like a big shot? Or did you
just want to live in luxury?”
“What nonsense. Of course it was for the good of the people.”
“You’re a liar! I also consider myself a demon lord for the good of all, but I want more
people to smile and live. There will be sacrifices, but I’m taking pains to make them as few as
possible. I can’t think like you!”
I wanted to make the world a better place without any sacrifice, but that was impossible.
In the first place, when I became a demon lord, I had sacrificed many people. From my point
of view, the other side got what they deserved, and I had no regrets, but the victims’ relatives
would probably not be satisfied with such an explanation. That was the crime that I would
have to bear. Likewise, Rudra should be guilty of a sin that should not be taken lightly. Upon
hearing my words, Rudra looked at me with a fiery gaze for a moment. But then, he regained

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his composure immediately and looked at me while muttering to himself, ‘He is young and
naive.’.
“Rudra?”
“Don’t worry, Velgrynd. It’s really been a long time since I’ve been fervent. I failed to
persuade him, but I am convinced that he is too good to be destroyed.”
“That’s a bad habit, Rudra. Yuuki is there too… I just don’t understand your collection
addiction!”
“Don’t talk about us like we’re toys,”—I wanted to complain, but decided not to.
Instead, now that the negotiations had broken down, it was time to prepare for a fight. As
I looked around, all of my companions looked ready to go. They seemed to be doing their
preparations while I had been speaking with Rudra. I would defeat Rudra here. I was about to
open my mouth, having made up my mind. However:
“But it’s truly a pity that we failed to persuade Demon Lord Rimuru. And that kid, he’s
been getting stronger. I was going to punish him a little for not listening to me. But if I’m
maintaining ‘Parallel Existence’, I’m going to give it my all for the first time in a long time.”
“Oh? He couldn’t be convinced?”
“He won’t even listen to me. Well, that’s also just like his character.”
Unintentionally, I couldn’t help but turn my attention to Velgrynd. Veldora was on my
mind. I didn’t think the invincible ‘Storm Dragon’ could be defeated, but his opponent was
also an unimaginable monster. I was suddenly worried because anything could happen.
“Oh, you’re worried about that kid? Then I hope you’ll take Rudra’s hand. If that’s the
case, I won’t have to torment my cute little brother.”
Velgrynd brought up another image. It showed a wounded Veldora fighting against her in
dragon form
“I’ve been meaning to ask you, how did you manage to tame that one?”
“Huh?”
“I’m asking how you got Veldora to obey you.”
No, he doesn’t obey me.
“Veldora and I are friends. That’s all.”
“So then you’re not going to tell me. That’s too bad.”
Velgrynd exhaled, looking genuinely disappointed.
“In that case, I’ll show no mercy. That boy, the only thing he has above me is the amount
of magicules.”
As soon as she said that, Velgrynd disappeared. I was surprised and upset. I knew that
Rudra and the others were trying to buy time to defeat and tame Veldora. I understood that,
and we were just going along with them because we were also trying to buy time. Velgrynd’s
‘Parallel Existence’ was nearly invincible, but it had its drawbacks. That was the depletion of
energy. By eliminating them one by one, you could deplete the divided magicules. Since
magicules do not recover immediately, it was possible to weaken the opponent in general.
If the number of divided magicules was small, the user could not perform big moves.
Therefore, I thought that Veldora would have an advantage. Judging from the video, Veldora
did not seem to be able to defeat Velgrynd’s ‘Parallel Existence’ alone. On the contrary,
through ‘Soul Corridor’, Veldora’s impatience could be felt. On the screen floating in the air,
Velgrynd, who had been fighting against Testarossa and the others, disappeared. The three
demon girls had been trying their best to stall for time, but it all ended in vain. I knew that this
was a bad thing. Velgrynd’s power was beyond my expectation. She had seen through our
intentions and used them in a mocking way…
“Do you mind? Well, I’ll give you one more chance after this battle is over. You’ll
change your mind once you see how foolish you are.”

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 Rudra’s voice sounded distant. I felt sorry, but there was nothing I could do about it now.
Now that Velgrynd was gone, perhaps it was time to take Rudra down, but for some reason I
have a bad feeling about that. And so, I decided to watch Veldora’s battle to the end.

In the second image screen Velgrynd left behind, a crimson dragon roared. The clash of
the century between the ‘True Dragons’ would only intensify.

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 Epilogue

Rage

It was a scene that could only be described as a monster Armageddon. No, that was no joke.
Because it could only be described that way. Two dragons were fighting in a fierce battle.
Although not the same shape, they were both the same size.
‘Scorch Dragon’ Velgrynd’s true nature was a very refined and beautiful form. It was
more agile than Veldora, and its silhouette seemed to be suitable for flying in the sky. I
wondered what kind of battle would be fought…
Even though it was late at night, the sky was unusually bright. The Great Jura Forest was
all ablaze, the curtain of night reflecting a hazy red. The capital ‘Rimuru’ had been evacuated
inside the labyrinth, so it was not damaged, but if it had been left outside, it would have been
obliterated without a trace. As proof of this, the great gate connecting the labyrinth to the
outside world was also destroyed. Most likely, the upper floors of the labyrinth were
devastated. The battle had reached a stalemate.
Velgrynd had to cancel the ‘Parallel Existence’. It was difficult to realize based on the
devastation of the forest, but the forces of the two sides were actually well-controlled. Despite
the fact that this was a clash of extreme energies, it was a very sophisticated battle. In terms of
speed, the two were evenly matched. Veldora had also grown remarkably well, and his highly
controlled powers enabled him to fly at very high speeds. He was holding his own against
Velgrynd.
It seemed that Veldora had been training secretly, and the results were evident. From
what I could see, Veldora was slightly ahead of Velgrynd. If we compared only the total
amount of magicules, Veldora was superior. The amount of power had increased since his
time of being sealed, and he had also acquired some Skills. This was the reason for the result.
Even so, I could not shake off my anxiety. Because Velgrynd still had the advantage when it
came to mana control. Now that Velgrynd was concentrating on Veldora, the battle was just
beginning. Even so…
Rudra’s calm demeanor was worrisome. How could he be so calm without Velgrynd, who
was supposed to be his absolute shield? In my case, the fact that I could call Veldora at any
time had been my source of comfort. I knew that I could overcome any crisis situation with
Veldora. Rudra was certainly strong. He was a person whom Guy acknowledged, and his
domination of Yuuki was also a threat. However, I also still had an Ultimate Skill. And as I
had done with Benimaru, there was still a secret technique to give power to others under my
control.
To be honest, the Imperial Guardians were not a threat to us. Only five members of the
‘Single Digits’ and Yuuki, who were the highest ranks, were the ones we had to be wary of.
Damrada especially seemed dangerous…
However, I didn’t think he would be impossible to defeat. Even if Laplace was not
counted in our strength, it seemed that we would be able to fight to our advantage. That was
my opinion, but that only made me even more worried. I wondered why Rudra was so calm.

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Did he think that he had an overwhelming advantage even without relying on Velgrynd? But
still, there was no reason to take that risk here. What made him so confident?
This was also of interest to me, but I was also curious about how the battle between
Veldora and the others was turning out. Velgrynd launched a flame attack, which Veldora
blocked with his Barrier. Then, Veldora fired a storm attack in return, but Velgrynd avoided
it. It was a tremendous battle. Even I shuddered as I watched it, as if it were a mythological
battle. I had never seen Veldora fight seriously before, but it was more than I expected. I
never thought that Veldora could go toe-to-toe with Velgrynd, who had overwhelmed
Testarossa and the others. But it was also not too surprising when you thought about it.
Veldora had mastered his Ultimate Skill, ‘Investigation King Faust’. That is why he was
able to compete with Velgrynd. In terms of skill-level, Velgrynd was superior. However,
Veldora’s ‘Investigation King Faust’ was a cheat-level ability. Wisdom King Raphael-san
told me that his power was ‘Probability Manipulation’. He also had ‘Investigation of Truth’,
which was the highest authority of the analysis system. With this, it was possible to recognize
the enemy’s power immediately and to take appropriate measures.
It was even a little confusing. What was the point of combat-specialization in that case?
Truth be told, I was wondering who could beat Veldora who could use his ‘Investigation King
Faust’. That is why I firmly believed in Veldora’s victory. Even now, an invisible attack had
been unleashed on Velgrynd. It was impossible to discern from the images, but it looked as if
Velgrynd had suddenly been damaged.
But I knew. This was one of Veldora’s special moves, called ‘Storm Blast’. He had
boasted about it a lot, but now that I actually saw it, I was impressed. At a glance, Veldora
released multiple types of waves that seemed meaningless, and then made them intersect at
expected coordinates. This was the point where the effect finally came into play. By the time
one realized it, it would already be too late. After all, if you have already been hit, there is no
way to avoid or defend against it. Well, he seems to have developed a crazy technique.
Each wave seemed to have no meaning, which was why they were subconsciously
ignored. If one didn’t know it, they would definitely be hit, and it was a deadly attack.
Velgrynd was also hit by a direct attack of Storm Blast. Veldora was fighting masterfully and
I felt relieved. However…
Just when I was sure that Veldora would win, things began to change rapidly. And then
things took a turn for the worse…

Suddenly, a flying ship appeared in the combat airspace. A man in a different military
uniform stood at the bow of the ship. It was Lieutenant Kondou. I turned my eyes to the other
image in a hurry, but Kondou and his crew were not there anymore. The ritual had ended
when Velgrynd had released ‘Parallel Existence’. I had lost my composure to the extent that I
did not notice it.

«Report. Forbidden spell Dead Birthday completed approximately one minute ago.»

It was only a minute, however, it was still a whole minute. In that time, Kondou had come
to the area where Veldora and Velgrynd were fighting. I had a bad feeling about this. Not
knowing what they were up to made my heart beat faster than it should. At that moment,
another figure appeared on the bow of the airship. He looked exactly the same as the man who
was sitting in front of me right now. Masayuki…? No, not that!
“Parallel Existence?”
By the time I realized it, it was too late. What happened next occurred in the blink of an
eye, before I could do anything to stop it. Kondou shot Veldora with the pistol in his right

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hand. There was no way that a bullet would work against Veldora, a ‘True Dragon’ which
was the strongest race in the world. Yet before such a thought could even flash through my
mind, the bullet pierced Veldora at an unbelievable speed. It exceeded the speed of sound and
reached sub-light speed. The bullet pierced Veldora’s body, but did not penetrate. And then, it
released the evil power. Veldora began to suffer pain. Normally, his wounds would recover
immediately, but this moment was fatal. Rudra, in the image screen, held out his hand towards
Veldora.
“Let me tell you something. This is called the Regalia Dominion. An absolute power over
all who possess a will. Not even the True Dragon race can escape my dominion.”
As soon as he said this, Rudra stood up from his seat. He was about to leave, as if he had
achieved his goal.
“Hey, wait…”
“Huh, I thought we had an agreement. I’m no longer interested in you, but if you decide
to join me, I will show you a new world.”
Rudra didn’t care about me. And it seemed that the Rudra here was an imposter created
by Velgrynd’s ‘Parallel Existence’. They shared the same consciousness, but it meant that
defeating him was meaningless. From the beginning to the end, I had been rolling in the palm
of Rudra’s hand. It was my complete defeat.
“Don’t underestimate Veldora.”
I said so, feeling like a sore loser. Rudra told me a cruel fact, uncaring about what was
going on in my mind.
“As expected of the True Dragon. It took me longer than I thought to get a grip on him,
but he is finally under my complete control!”
Rudra was telling the truth. Soon after, I felt a pain in my chest. A pain so intense that
even my Pain Nullification was ineffective. It was as if something was trying to pull my very
soul out of me.

«Notice. Master and the individual Veldora’s ‘Soul Corridor’ has been destroyed. This
means that the ‘Storm Dragon Summon’ and ‘Storm Dragon Restoration’ abilities of the
Ultimate Skill ‘Storm King Veldora’ will no longer be available.»

I was appalled at being told the cause of the pain. What? Taking Veldora from me? To
take…Veldora…from me…?
“Don’t joke around, damn it!”
I shouted and lashed out at Rudra. Godspeed—the fastest I could go right now. But Rudra
didn’t even try to avoid me. He didn’t have to. My fist sailed through the air. Rudra had
deactivated ‘Parallel Existence’, and eliminated the now-useless Rudra.
“So that’s your answer? Well, what a shame. I’d have liked to have you under my
command, but it seems that won’t be the case. My ability is not all-powerful, so I’m afraid it
will be hard to ‘dominate’ again.”
“What…?”
“In exchange for quality time, I will give you a little more time to think. In any case, you
were trapped the moment we called you to this place known as the fortress of dreams. Let us
hope that you will voluntarily surrender.”
With these words, Rudra disappeared. As if on cue, Rudra’s men also ‘transferred’ away.
I was unable to pursue them, feeling a fierce sense of loss and intense rage.
“Don’t fuck with me…”
This was all the result of my own carelessness. I had meant to take them by surprise, but
instead I fell into their trap. I had been wary of Laplace, but my opponent had already

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anticipated that, and had devised an insidious scheme. As Rudra’s words suggested, they had
been aware of this as soon as we had entered this place. This distorted and isolated space.
Just getting out of here would have been enough, but there should always be something I
could do. Such thoughts must have led me to be careless without knowing it. I had thought I
was being careful…but the enemy was just one step ahead of me. This was a war. I couldn’t
win every time. I knew that without being told.
“Damn it!”
I screamed and punched myself in the face. No pain. Only the pain in my heart, which
was tearing apart and becoming even more intense.
“Please stop, Rimuru-sama!”
Shion’s words fell on deaf ears. A second hit, a third.
And just when I was about to strike a fourth time…
Shion, who was standing behind me, stopped me. Not just Shion, but Benimaru, Souei,
and Diablo had all rushed to hold me down in a panic.
“—I’m sorry. My head was spinning and I got a little carried away. Impatience is a bad
habit of mine. Thanks to you guys I was able to regain my composure.”
I was lying. Rising up one by one, rage poured out of me. Still, I stood up, forcing myself
to calm my raging thoughts. Even after indulging my anger and beating myself as hard as I
could, my face remained clean. Before even Shion and Benimaru could react, Wisdom King
Raphael-san had activated self-defense.
I was reminded once again that everyone was watching over me. That is why I just
couldn’t forgive myself. To make up for this sense of loss, I was filled with an unceasing
torrent of rage. I didn’t know where to direct this anger. Ah, I remember now. This was a war.
In that case, it would be wrong to show mercy. So I, too, would do everything in my
power to fight the enemy. Was this taking my anger out on them? Perhaps. But so what? The
Empire pissed me off. If this is what they desired, then I would give it to them. A blessing in
the name of destruction. Those fools had touched my reverse scale. I allowed my rage to
unleash the power I had always suppressed.

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 Afterword

Long time no see, Fuse here.

I got the flu at the end of last year and my body was going through a lot. The deadline
was originally set at the end of last year, but it was missed by quite a few days. I can only
express my gratitude to I-san (Editor) for extending the deadline. I will try to be a little more
careful in the future so that I can have more time.

I can almost hear I-san’s voice saying, “Only a little more careful?” The development of
this volume was a little different from that of the web novel. You can see for yourself how
things have changed, but the full story of the Eastern Empire has finally been revealed. Who
is the beautiful woman on the cover?
…Well, most of you have probably guessed that. She is beautiful, isn’t she, Dora’s sister?
I asked Mitz Vah-sensei to give her a charming and sexy look. In the words of the main
character of a certain cartoon, ‘breasts, buttocks and thighs’, these are the three elements of a
man’s eternal dream. It is nice to show only a glimpse of them without showing too much.
This is called shady aestheticism—but I digress. It’s difficult to calm my heightened emotions
after a deadline, so please forgive me if I digress.

And so, thank you Mitz Vah, for all of your wonderful illustrations! And to all the fans
who support us. I’ve received your fan letters, and they have been a great encouragement to
me. I would love to respond to them, but I don’t think I’ll have the time due to my lazy nature.
I have read through all of them and will keep them in a safe place. And thanks to all the
people who have been involved in this work!

As a result of your support, we have decided to produce a second season of the anime. As
the author of this work, I deeply feel the anticipation for ‘That Time I Got Reincarnated as a
Slime’. In response to your gratitude, I will continue to do my best to make this work even
better!
See you next time!

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