Chapter 179

The split second the Demon King departed, the emperors, kings, and other key figures of various nations immediately erected a temporary building on the spot and urgently initiated a council.

Dracos Idsil Olfen, the Emperor of the Empire who presided over the council, addressed the court mage Elraim with a pale face.

“…Sir Elraim. What do you think?”

An elderly elf male with a somewhat detached expression let out a sigh as he removed his pointed hat.

“For now, I have taken every single measure within my power… but strictly for this occasion, please do not place too much trust in me. If that man truly intends to peer into the happenings here… blocking it with my level of capability is simply impossible. No matter how much I am called an Archmage, in the end, it is merely an empty title that only holds weight among mortals, after all.”

As the Emperor displayed an anxious expression, the Prime Minister, Octavian, offered a low consolation.

“Your Imperial Majesty. You do not need to harbor such worries.”

“Prime Minister… why do you think so?”

“As you know, I engaged in a brief conversation with him two days ago. And… judging by the nature of his disposition that I grasped, he would not bother to resort to such crude acts.”

“How can you be so certain?”

“Did you not witness it? That overwhelming arrogance that looked down upon the entire world—no, even the celestial gods themselves—beneath his feet.”

At her words, the Emperor shuddered despite himself.

The overwhelming, chilling gaze that had looked down upon him while calling him a grand insect had newly constricted his heart.

At first, he had merely tried to maintain his pride, but toward the end, he had found himself grateful that the modifier ‘grand’ was attached before the word insect…

Nodding her head as if she understood the Emperor’s feelings, she continued.

“Your Imperial Majesty likely knows better than anyone else in the world. Such arrogance is not something created through effort, nor can it be mimicked simply by trying to mimic it. It is something that only entities fated to be transcendents and rulers can dare to possess.”

“…….”

“…Would such an entity truly bother to take interest in a assembly of those he openly dubbed insects with his own mouth?”

“…….”

“And even if that were not the case. If there was something he desired from us, rather than resorting to a crude act like eavesdropping, he would have extorted everything right above that throne moments ago. We were in a position where we had to offer whatever he desired, after all. Is that not so?”

Emperor Dracos was about to say something for an instant but ultimately closed his mouth.

It was because he had never seen her utter a wrong word throughout her tenure as the Prime Minister of the Empire since the reign of his grandfather.

“…Then, it means we do not have to worry about the conversation in this room leaking out.”

“At least, that is what I believe, Your Imperial Majesty.”

“Is that so. Yes. Indeed.”

After performing a dry wipe of his face, the Emperor eventually looked around at the people and declared the opening of the council.

“Then… let us all speak regarding today’s matters. Once today passes, it will likely be difficult to gather like this again, after all.”

Cassias Lucon Tubilan, the Emperor of the Tubilan Empire who held an equal status to Emperor Dracos, spoke next.

“Emperor Dracos. From this point onward, it seems better for this body to proceed. What do you think?”

Emperor Dracos pondered for a brief moment before nodding his head.

“Come to think of it… most of the majesties gathered here are closer to Your Imperial Majesty Cassias than to this sovereign. Let us do so.”

Emperor Cassias gave a slight tilt of his head, then spoke in a low voice toward the kings sitting one tier below them.

“First, we must decide on this. Shall we follow the Demon King’s demands, or shall we continue to collide? …Frankly speaking, I believe the conclusion has already been reached without even needing to ask, but still.”

At his question, everyone silenced themselves simultaneously.

Seeing that, Emperor Cassias let out a bitter smile.

“Well, I suppose that would be the case. Since time is short, let us decide simply by a show of hands. Deciding the fate of the Western Continent with a few raised hands feels somewhat improper… but given the situation, what else can we do?”

“…….”

“Very well. Prime Minister Leclerc. When the Demon King first descended, did you not create a vo, vo… whatever it was, a voting system applicable to these situations?”

“It is the Koinoite Treaty. The Emperors of the Empire and the Tubilan Empire can exercise three votes, while the kings of the remaining kingdoms hold one vote of decision.”

“Ah. Right. The Koinoite Treaty. I never imagined a day would come where we would pull out and utilize such an antiquated rule… Now. This sovereign and Emperor Dracos hold three votes. Your Majesties hold one vote. Is there anyone here dissatisfied with this?”

“…….”

“None. Then, those who believe we must reject the Demon King’s demands and continue sending forces into the Demon Territory, raise your hands.”

“…….”

“Those who believe we must grant the Demon King’s demands. Raise your hands.”

Rustle.

Looking at the result of the show of hands, Emperor Cassias burst into a hollow laugh.

“Forty-three. As expected, it is a unanimous vote. Well… I myself have no desire to see that gentleman’s face ever again. Haha. Very well. Then this time, we must decide on something far more difficult. …To what extent must we grant that Demon King’s demands?”

At that, unlike before, as many as fifteen out of the thirty-seven monarchs raised their heads sharply and lifted their hands.

All of them were kings of kingdoms belonging to the Union of the Scales and Scythe.

At that sight, Emperor Cassias pressed his hand to his forehead.

“As expected, it turns out like this… Your Majesties likely hold the stance that while you can accept everything else, you absolutely cannot accept the first demand, correct?”

Yeah. That was the case.

Among the three conditions demanded by the Demon King, the one most difficult to accept was precisely the demand to [exclude the Equos and Morta cults from the Western Continent].

Complaints erupted like mushrooms after rain from the mouths of the monarchs belonging to the alliance.

“That is correct! In other words, it means every single kingdom belonging to the alliance must abandon its state religion, so how can we possibly accept that!”

“We can accommodate any other condition as much as you like! If he tells us not to enter, we simply won’t enter! We can even enact laws to make it so people can’t even urinate toward the Demon Territory!”

“Tributes!? If we lack money, we will even resort to human sacrifice! We can offer it even if it means raising taxes and raiding the royal treasury!!”

“However, the demand to ‘exclude the Equos and Morta cults’ is something we absolutely cannot accept! Smaller scale, this is an act of demanding apostasy from our kingdom’s citizens, and larger scale, it is an act that shakes the very foundation of our kingdoms which hold both cults as state religions!”

The two emperors knew very well why they were protesting so desperately.

Fundamentally, nations that worshiped a single god often formed a semi-theocratic state.

Therefore, their power derived from the divine right of kings—that is, from the gods…

‘The probability of a royal family that abandoned its god in a theocratic state functioning normally isn’t all that high.’

Ultimately, accepting that condition meant a high probability that the royal families would collapse. Thus, they had no choice but to leap around furiously like that.

Hoping for a breakthrough, Emperor Cassias asked once more.

“…The Tubilan Empire and the Empire are overflowing with gold, silver, and treasures. The wealth accumulated internally over the past 200 years while barely spending any military budget is immense. We shall also bear the burden of the tributes your kingdoms must pay. Furthermore, the damage your majesties suffered from this incident will also be fully compensated by the Tubilan Empire and the Empire.”

“…….”

“If, by some remote chance, an issue arises regarding your majesties’ personal safety… exile yourselves to the Tubilan Empire or the Empire. I shall promise at least the title of count. Along with wealth and power, of course.”

“…….”

None among them were convinced by Emperor Cassias’s proposal. They merely gripped their fists tightly with eyes full of dissatisfaction.

The two emperors exchanged glances and quietly lamented.

‘Damn it. He left us with quite a vexing task before he went. …It must be intentional, without a doubt.’

At that moment, Octavian, the Prime Minister of the Empire, raised her hand to request the floor.

“Emperor Cassias. May I attempt to persuade their majesties, the kings of the Union of the Scales and Scythe?”

At that, Cassias smiled and nodded his head.

“Oh… Grand Sage of the Empire. If we do not listen intently to your words, whose words would we listen to? Please speak. Their Majesties will also listen closely.”

“Your Majesties, kings of the Alliance. Before you so resolutely shout your opposition… I believe you must first grasp the background and the reasoning as to why the Demon King mouthed such an unreasonable demand.”

At that, Emperor Cassias added a prompt in place of the monarchs.

“The reasoning?”

“Let us first consider this.”

“The Demon King’s actions have clearly departed from common sense. What exactly is a Demon King? The celestial gods have stated that they are the adversaries of this world, entities that descended in order to burn this world to the ground.”

“That is… true.”

“However, think about what the Demon King has done until now. Is that truly the movement of a Demon King?”

“Please continue.”

“Despite our repeated invasions, the Demon King sent the people back alive every single time. Compared to the loss rate of airships exceeding 70% every time, the casualties didn’t even reach 20%. It means he strained with all his might to avoid killing them.”

“…….”

“Even when he stepped outside the Demon Territory to hunt angels and tear down temples and royal palaces, the evacuation of the citizens always preceded his actions.”

“…….”

“And, as you already know from the reports… he even saved us first when we were on the verge of being massacred by the hands of the angels. At this point, it would be acceptable to call him a guardian deity rather than a Demon King.”

“Therefore, even right up until I met him again today, I secretly hoped that he was merely sharp on the outside while harboring at least a slight bit of goodwill toward the citizens of the Western Continent on the inside.”

“…….”

“However, that was not the case. The Demon King we met today… as Your Imperial Majesties and Your Majesties witnessed, harbored a dense, unhidable hatred and contempt toward humanity.”

“If the Demon King had moved according to his own emotions, everyone in this exact spot would have already become a handful of dust.”

“…….”

“Here lies the question. Why did an entity so arrogant have to suppress his killing intent and endure?”

“…Did something enforce the Demon King’s actions?”

Octavian nodded her head.

“Precisely that. And… there is only one category of existence in this world of Kion that can enforce a Demon King’s actions.”

“…Could it be?”

“Yes. I am certain that the celestial gods are involved in that background. To be more precise, I am convinced that there was a piece of transaction between the Demon King and the celestial gods.”

An exclamation erupted simultaneously from the mouths of the two emperors.

“…Huh.”

“I shall shift the topic slightly. Many scriptures state that the celestial gods also sing of joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure just like the citizens of the lower world. It means there are parts that resemble our own lives.”

“…….”

“And, looking at this divine revelation incident… anyone can see that Equos, Morta, and the other gods were in opposition. And it is already clear which side mouthed a falsehood.”

“…The Demon King was alive.”

“Yes. And unlike the other gods who strictly restrain themselves from intervening in the earthly realm, it was them who sent angels to intimidate us. They pushed themselves unreasonably.”

“…….”

“We cannot know what occurred in the heavens. However, at the very least, it is certain that those two gods and the remaining gods stood in opposition.”

“And in that process, Equos and Morta tried to make us do something through the falsehood that the Demon King was dead. And the other gods tried to obstruct this.”

“…….”

“However, as Your Majesties know very well, divine revelations alone were insufficient.”

“…Mmm.”

“Some might ask why they couldn’t simply send angels in the same manner… but to those individuals, I would like to advise them to study their doctrines a bit more diligently.”

“Because it means they do not know how deeply the celestial gods value the main Governing God Yuel’s promise that ‘the world belongs to you.’”

“…….”

“I revere the gods. Because despite possessing power, they are entities who choose not to exercise it. Because they leave the world of man as something belonging to man. Because they acknowledge the fact that we are ‘human beings’ with souls and free will, rather than mere dolls.”

“…….”

“Therefore, the gods look for a secondary option. An entity capable of clearing away the angels sent by Equos and Morta without the gods having to lift a hand themselves.”

“…The Demon King.”

“Yes. Though it is a mere assumption… if you look at it that way, everything falls perfectly into place.”

“…….”

“I do not know what kind of transaction occurred between the gods and the Demon King. At any rate, the Demon King accepted that transaction… and because of that, he restrains himself from slaughter in the process of defending the Demon Territory and handling the angels. It was likely one of the transaction conditions.”

“Indeed… that makes sense.”

“We have taken a long detour. At any rate, what I wish to say is that this current movement of the Demon King is entirely the result of a transaction with the celestial gods. Both the restraint on slaughter and the clearing away of the angels.”

“And… the three conditions he presented as well.”

“Ah! In other words, the demand to designate the Equos and Morta cults as ‘heresies’ and exclude them from the Western Continent…”

“Is not the Demon King’s intent, but in truth, signifies that it is the intent and command of the gods!”

“Yes. And this also means the celestial gods have defined Equos and Morta not as fellow gods, but as ‘sinners who rightfully must be cleared away.’”

“……!”

“Therefore, ‘Equos and Morta’ are now no longer celestial gods, nor are they entities to be revered.”

“……!!”

“Your Majesties of the Union of the Scales and Scythe. The gods you are trying to believe in are now ‘evil.’ They are entities no different from outer gods or false gods. Even so, do you truly intend to continue serving them?”

“……!!!”

Because the provided information was so scarce, a significant portion of her deduction was completely missing the mark…

However, her reputation and her distinctive, sage-like aura were more than enough to make her words sound like absolute truth.

“Therefore, Your Majesties.”

She continued her words as if soothing the monarchs whose eyes were wide with shock.

“Please accept our Imperial Majesty’s proposal. Our Empire will actively cooperate.”

“We will fully mobilize our heralds to actively assist in persuading the citizens.”

“Even if there is some noise… we will do our absolute best to ensure that the events Your Majesties worry about do not transpire.”

Yet at that exact split second, one of the monarchs of the alliance jumped out of his seat and shouted loudly.

“I! I do not believe your words! Is it not all a mere assumption!!”

As if that remark acted as a detonator, the other kings consecutively stood up like mushrooms after rain, raising their voices.

“Our Osram Kingdom has served only Lord Equos for over 500 years! Do you think a thing like that will work!?”

“My royal father as well! And numerous late kings as well! We have served only Lord Morta!”

“Apostasy! Prime Minister Octavian, what do you think it would be like if this king told you to abandon Lord Noina!?”

“Rather, kill this king! Kill us! Before that, you will absolutely never obtain what you desire!”

Having endured the immense wave of criticism entirely on her own, Octavian eventually let out a faint smile.

“Sigh, it cannot be helped, then.”

The moment she gave a sharp snap of her fingers, dozens of knights burst into the council chamber.

Every single one of them was a powerhouse at or above the Blaster tier.

While everyone—even the two emperors—widened their eyes at the completely unexpected situation, Octavian commanded in a chilling tone.

“Those standing over there are the monarchs of the Union of the Scales and Scythe. Do not leave out a single one, and arrest them all.”

“Wh-What!?”