The surprise assault operation to eliminate Yuki had failed.
But, determined to make the most of that failure, I immediately set about reorganizing the Free Guild—whose structure was on the verge of collapse—by rallying its branch chiefs through their respective leaders.
The fact that the units dispatched to eliminate Yuki's supervising officials had also managed to thoroughly lay the groundwork with each branch chief was one of the reasons the organizational restructuring went so smoothly.
As a result, it was decided that one Holy Knight would be stationed at each branch as an advisor, and the Western Holy Church would coordinate cooperation between all the guild branches—a new system was established.
Since the word "Church" carried heavy overtones of the Holy Spirit faith, a simultaneous change of the organization's name was carried out.
The Free Mediation Committee.
A new organization formed from the merger of the Western Holy Church and the Free Guild.
The Council—formally called the National Coalition Council—was operated by countries electing their own representatives, whereas the Committee—the abbreviated name for the Free Mediation Committee—was a league of the former Free Guild's branch chief-level leaders.
By its very founding, it had the authority to negotiate as equals with nations.
The first chairperson was: Sakaguchi Hinata.
She had resigned from her position as Holy Knight Commander in the Western Holy Church, so it worked out perfectly. It was also convenient for overseeing the Holy Knights stationed at each branch, and the decision was made without any objections. Of course, with the Demon Lords—me and Lumina(s)—backing the arrangement, very few people would be foolish enough to voice complaints to their faces.
And so, the construction of the new organization proceeded without issue, and the nations surrounding the Great Forest of Jura came to build cooperative relations on the twin pillars of the Council and the Committee.
A bloc of nations bound together by what could only be called a grand alliance.
That was the state of the nations around the Great Forest of Jura, one month after the failed campaign to eliminate Yuki.
And while the surroundings were bustling with activity to establish the new organization, it wasn't as though I'd been sitting around idle.
Three days after the battle to eliminate Yuki, he showed up out of the blue.
Clad head to toe in gleaming silver armor, he appeared before me while I was in the Kingdom of Ingrasia rebuilding barriers and the like.
The Silver Knight Lord, Arlos.
The man who introduced himself as a subordinate of "the Golden-Haired Demon,"
It was an invitation.
True to the promise he had made with Leon before, he had come to invite me.
However, why now?—That question of mine was largely answered by Arlos's words: "My master apparently has something he wishes to ask you regarding the 'Hero.'"
This was an invitation timed precisely with the Hero's full awakening. In terms of topics to discuss, there really was nothing else it could be.
Perhaps Leon knew something about Chloe. He had apparently been attacked before, so it was highly likely he possessed information that we didn't.
I decided to accept the offer. After all, I had only lodged a single complaint about
Depending on how Leon handled this, I might need to give him an appropriate response in return.
"I understand. I'll accept the offer."
"Thank you very much. My master will surely be pleased. Then, if you'll excuse me—"
The Silver Knight Lord Arlos, still wearing his silver helm so his expression was unreadable, spoke with a hint of pleasure in his voice before vanishing as if he'd been erased, returning via Instant Teleportation.
Instant Teleportation without any time lag was a feat few even among powerful demons could manage. He had likely designated his coordinates from the start, but it was still impressive nonetheless.
Incidentally, being able to use Instant Teleportation to any arbitrary location without pre-specifying coordinates was something only the overwhelmingly superior could accomplish. Among my subordinates, perhaps only
Shadow Movement → Spatial Movement → Instant Movement—the highest tier among teleportation-type magic and abilities.
Teleportation was the magic-type that used magic circles, while Movement was the ability-type based on innate powers—roughly speaking.
Until now, I had unconsciously used both magic and abilities, treating them as the same, but apparently the underlying rules differed in subtle ways. Hinata had explained it to me, so there was no mistake.
With Spatial Teleportation, a gate would appear in space, and you'd pass through it to move. That's why it was often impractical in combat. Instant Teleportation magic, on the other hand, activated a magic circle in an instant, allowing you to designate spatial coordinates and teleport. It could even be used to evade enemy attacks—so simply being able to use instant movement or teleportation was enough to be considered a formidable force.
Well, there were also basic forms of instant movement or teleportation that only required you to register a starting point and return to it, so you couldn't always judge an opponent's strength based on that alone.
But even in that case, they should at least be able to perform Spatial Teleportation at will, so you certainly couldn't let your guard down.
When the Silver Knight Lord Arlos vanished, I caught sight of a magic circle. That meant this was magic-based teleportation.
He was a magic knight who had mastered Spatial Teleportation, and depending on his level, he might even be capable of using Instant Teleportation.
Leon had assembled some rather capable subordinates.
I thought that maybe it was about time I granted the ability of instant movement to
Apparently, with my current level, I could impart abilities to those who already possessed a certain degree of power, so it might be worth considering as a way to bolster our fighting strength.
Watching the Silver Knight Lord Arlos disappear, I found myself thinking these thoughts.
Incidentally, Hinata was also apparently capable of using Instant Teleportation magic. However, given that her magic power had been drastically reduced, she couldn't afford to use it freely.
Still, the fact that she could perform teleportation without incantation at all should make her strength clear to everyone.
Even if she could no longer use the Unique Skill "Usurper," she was a natural-born magical genius.
She had certainly grown weaker, but I didn't think her combat power had declined as much as she herself claimed... though I'd keep that observation to myself.
——— ——— ——— ——— And so, here I was.
The territory governed by Leon—more of a continent than an island, really. Stretching across a staggeringly vast expanse of land were neatly organized townscapes.
Forests, plains, lakes, rivers, and mountain ranges.
All of it had been shaped by great magic, forcibly optimized.
An artificial magic city, conceived with the harmony of nature in mind.
This was the domain in which the Demon Lord Leon Cromwell resided— Eldorado.
"Wh-This is incredible..."
My involuntary murmur drew a response: "Haha, thank you very much. My master will be most pleased."
Arlos, who had come again in the capacity of guide, answered cheerfully.
He was no longer wearing his helm, and beautiful silver hair flowed gracefully down his back.
His refined features could easily be mistaken for a beautiful woman's, but he was a man.
He had introduced himself as Vice-Commander of the Order of Magic Knights.
He was likely one of Leon's inner circle, possessing formidable power.
And truly, this nation was a magnificent creation. In the basin-like depression at its center, resplendent golden buildings stood in formation.
Their arrangement had been calculated to perfection, spiraling upward in gradually increasing height from the entrance. And at the very center, a tower soared to pierce the sky.
If viewed from above, one would see that the city itself formed a massive magic circle. Conversely, without an aerial perspective, no one would notice the magic circle drawn by the city.
It was a defensive barrier depicted through the city's layout, maintained by the inhabitants' magic power. That flawlessly calculated structure stirred the pride of my former construction-worker self.
The Monster Nation was undoubtedly a wonderful country as well. But while prioritizing functionality, it had never occurred to us to incorporate a magic circle into the design.
For the first time in a while, I felt a twinge of envy.
"Lord Rimuru, what's so incredible about it?"
Shion, who had accompanied me, asked.
Even with an aerial perspective, you wouldn't notice it unless you were specifically looking for it. The arrangement was that clever.
"This city itself functions as a massive magic circle. Its effects are 'Interception Defense' and 'Intrusion Detection.' If anyone enters without authorization, they're detected immediately. And any magical attacks launched at it would be completely deflected.
At this scale, it could probably deflect even city-level attack magic with ease, don't you think?
When we get back, maybe we could try replicating it?"
"Oh? That does sound impressive. I don't really understand it, though."
"Haha, as expected of you. Even without seeing it from above, you grasped that much.
There's no point hiding it—you're correct. This city is protected by absolute magical defense."
Arlos answered with a hint of pride.
Shion didn't seem to grasp the full extent of its impressiveness. In her case, magic wasn't her forte. It was hardly surprising she didn't understand.
Do you have any idea how difficult it is to create a single magic circle that yields two effects through a city's layout?
Even achieving a single effect required an enormous budget and exhaustive calculation of future expansion as the city's functions grew. This was two effects. The level of achievement was immeasurable.
But at least now I had something to look forward to once I returned. I definitely wanted to incorporate this functionality into my own nation.
Guided from the teleportation magic circle at the city's anchor point, I proceeded along a spiraling glass corridor.
In the distance, a waterfall cascaded down a cliff face. Its waters flowed through the canals crisscrossing the city, tracing beautiful patterns.
Man. This townscape was unquestionably beautiful.
It was a reality I had no choice but to acknowledge, but the excitement outweighed any frustration, warming my heart all the more.
After about ten minutes of walking, we passed through the entrance of the palace and were led to a room.
It was lavishly decorated yet tasteful—the furnishings were elegant. The color scheme was predominantly white with gold trim.
The ornamentation was restrained enough to avoid gaudiness, and the sense of taste shone through.
Perhaps you'd call it luxurious without being suffocating. The exterior gave the impression of a golden tower, yet it wasn't flashy—and the interior was similarly beautiful yet calming.
With this, even someone of common birth like me could relax without feeling oddly tense.
Beside me, Shion was brazenly asking for a refill of tea and munching away at the crackers laid out on the table—but tension was simply not something she was familiar with.
Wait, wasn't I supposed to be the one of higher standing? Shouldn't the difference in our reactions be the other way around?
No, overthinking it meant I'd already lost.
"Lord Rimuru, these sweets are delicious! I've already tested them for poison, so please, help yourself!"
She held one out to me, and I popped it into my mouth, savoring the sweetness.
Having Shion—a disaster in the kitchen—test for poison sounded like the most absurd joke I'd ever heard, but whatever. Poison didn't work on me anyway, and testing was entirely unnecessary.
And so, we waited for about ten minutes.
The master of this nation, Leon Cromwell, finally appeared.
"Kept you waiting, did I? Thank you for accepting the invitation this time."
Saying this, he settled into the chair before me.
His attire was more casual than I'd expected, and he addressed me with easy familiarity.
Sitting there with his long legs crossed, he cut the figure of a painting come to life.
I'd thought Arlos, standing behind Leon, was strikingly handsome, but in comparison, Leon made him fade into the background.
As always, Leon was annoyingly good-looking.
Setting Leon's attractiveness aside, it was time to get down to business.
When I told him about Shizu's final moments: "I see. She lived longer than I expected, didn't she?"
Leon replied as if it were nothing.
But no anger welled up in me. Perhaps it was because I'd somehow sensed the truth.
"Hey—did you, by chance, help Shizu by summoning the Flame Giant to possess her?"
"Who knows. Maybe I did something on a whim, but I don't remember."
Without averting his gaze, Leon declared flatly.
But my instincts whispered that this man was merely playing the villain.
"Hmm. Fair enough. I think I understand, more or less.
Oh, and
At my words, Leon's expression turned bitter for the first time.
"Tell that little brat that the next time I see her, I'm going to pluck her wings clean off."
Leon spoke with undisguised distaste.
So Ramiris's words hadn't been entirely lies after all.
"I'll pass that along.
Now—you said you wanted to summon a specific person. Was that true?"
Silence enveloped the room.
After a moment, Leon spoke heavily.
"That's right.
And what I want to ask you is related to that matter."
Then, Leon cast a glance toward Shion.
I nodded.
"Shion, I'm going to have a somewhat sensitive discussion. Would you wait outside for a bit? If you like, maybe you could spar with Arlos."
I guided Shion toward the exit.
"Understood. Shion, the training grounds are this way."
Leon gave a subtle signal with his eyes, and Arlos responded to it.
Shion nodded to me without a word, stood from her seat, and followed Arlos out of the room.
And so, only Leon and I remained.
Having confirmed this, Leon turned to me and asked quietly: "Do you know of a girl named Chloe?"
Just as I'd suspected—it was all connected.
An unexpected name to hear from Leon's mouth, yet I felt no surprise.
Perhaps it was because I'd already sensed a premonition when I heard the story from Hinata and Lumina(s). Regarding the client who had hired Yuki, given that it was a request related to summoning, I had already considered that possibility.
After all, the question of why only children had been targeted for summoning made perfect sense if the person of interest was a girl.
The target had been the girl from the very start. Shizu and the other children were all collateral damage from that failed attempt.
And the tale Leon told would serve to confirm everything I had imagined.