Three days had passed since Rimuru's escape.
On the second day, they had thrown themselves into gathering intelligence from all relevant quarters, and had already gotten a firm grasp of the situation.
In just a single day, they had spoken with virtually every influential figure in the country. It was an extraordinary pace that would normally be unthinkable.
The truth of the matter was that, the moment the name of the "Demon God King" under the Demon Lord Rimuru was invoked, not a single person dared refuse an audience.
No matter how haughtily a gatekeeper or guard might try to turn them away, the moment they faced Diablo's smile — the kind that froze you to the marrow — they had no choice but to capitulate utterly.
Rather, capitulating was the only correct response. Putting up a strange show of resistance would not have yielded a single favorable outcome for them.
And so, without the slightest interference, they smoothly confirmed every piece of necessary information they needed.
And today — Diablo and Souei were about to undertake the most critical interview of all: a meeting with the former Prince Elric, who was being held in confinement by the Shadow Division of the Kingdom of Englassia.
The Kingdom of Englassia had, amid the chaos of the Great War, ceased to be a monarchy despite still carrying the title of kingdom.
The royal family had temporarily lost its position, and all of its remaining assets had been placed under the custody of the Free Mediation Committee.
Even after the war ended, a council of nobles had been established under the supervision of the Committee's overseers, and no member of the royal family was permitted to participate in the governance of the nation.
Or rather, they were not allowed to take part in politics at all.
Not only the royal family, but also the powerful noble houses had been treated as a form of aristocracy — a model case of abolished class hierarchy and the rise of democracy — drawing attention from nations across the world.
Of course, had the Committee not intervened, the royal family would likely have perished entirely in the chaos of the war.
After all, the late King had been assassinated by his own son, Prince Elric, and the Captain of the Royal Guard, Lainer, in a bid to seize the throne.
It was the Hero Masayuki who quelled that chaos, calming the anger and confusion of the populace.
Thanks to him, the fury of the people never turned against the royal family or the nobles.
In the end, Prince Elric was stripped of his succession rights and placed under house arrest after renouncing all claims to the throne.
The nobles who had sided with Elric were quietly dealt with behind the scenes, resulting in a thorough purge of the most powerful houses.
Given all of this, the Kingdom of Englassia had no choice but to continue accepting the Committee's intervention.
A decade had passed, and it was true that some among the former nobility had begun to grow content with the status quo.
However, the reality of being unable to make decisions without foreign interference was simply unacceptable to the people.
For this reason, the restoration of the royal family's status and the achievement of true independence had become the cherished aspiration of everyone living in the Kingdom of Englassia.
It was precisely because of this situation that meeting Elric — the very figure who could be called the root cause of it all — was no easy task, even for Diablo.
Normally, identifying his place of confinement would have been difficult enough, let alone arranging an actual meeting.
Yet Diablo had accomplished it in a single day — and not through violence, but by following proper official procedures to secure an appointment. It was a feat of negotiation that left even Souei speechless.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Elric."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Elric. My name is Diablo."
"——Souei. Pleased to make your acquaintance."
They exchanged brief introductions.
Only these three were present in the room.
The chamber was perfectly soundproofed, and on top of that, Diablo had layered his own Magic Barrier around it, creating a space so thoroughly isolated from the outside world that it might as well have existed in a separate dimension entirely.
With the utmost care taken to ensure absolute confidentiality, Diablo finally broached the main subject.
"So then. The reason I requested this meeting today is that I wished to ask you about your younger brother."
Receiving such a direct question, Elric actually appeared relieved.
Rather than having his spirit ground down by roundabout talk and evasions, having a clear purpose laid bare before him was apparently far easier to bear.
Having spent ten years in confinement, the ability to gauge what others truly wanted from him had long since rusted shut, Diablo inferred. After all, even casual conversation with strangers would have been a rare occurrence.
Elric seemed to believe he had been saved by Masayuki, and since then he had lived without harboring any particular ambition.
Though confined, his daily life was not without its comforts — any necessity could be obtained through his attendants. He simply could not move about freely outside, but he was permitted to walk the gardens of the estate — one of the royal family's former villas — so long as he was accompanied by guards.
Perhaps because of this lifestyle, even the sophisticated negotiation skills expected of a nobleman had grown rusty.
This too confirmed that Elric had indeed spent the past decade living in isolation from others.
"Julius is an exceptional young man. He bears the full weight of the nobility's expectations, and he works earnestly to meet them. As his elder brother, I believe he will serve splendidly as the next king."
Elric answered without a trace of hesitation.
Diablo murmured his acknowledgment.
After carefully observing Elric, he determined that there was no falsehood in those words.
And he was correct. Diablo's perceptive eye was never mistaken.
With the casual ease of idle chitchat, Diablo proceeded with several more questions.
"What is the current state of the royal family's assets?"
"They are frozen, I'm afraid. The royal family's inherited wealth has been passed down through the generations, but it is all under the Committee's management and beyond my control. Moreover, that money cannot be used —"
"Why not?"
"The Kingdom of Englassia's sole and greatest export had always been its safety. But that is now a thing of the past. If the nation hopes to develop going forward, it must invest in human capital — so I was advised by a certain individual."
"Oh? And who might this individual be?"
"Lord Demon Rimuru."
"I see."
"Come to think of it, Lord Rimuru did once come to inspect the state of the Kingdom of Englassia."
"Ah, yes. There was a period when I was swamped with administrative matters."
Normally, Diablo was perpetually attached to Rimuru's side, but when the Great War ended, the executives had surrounded him en masse.
Their fury at being deceived by Rimuru was directed not at Rimuru himself, but at Diablo.
Even Diablo could not defy the entire executive council when they were united in their complaints, so he had reluctantly scrambled to handle the aftermath.
"Yes, that was the time. I was also being held accountable, but Lord Hero Masayuki had come along with Lord Rimuru, and they saved us from our predicament. And it was on that occasion that I was given the opportunity to meet him. Once you have laid eyes on that man directly —"
Perhaps recalling that time, Elric let out a small laugh. "You would never dream of opposing him again," he said, meeting Diablo's gaze directly.
Elric continued, recalling the content of that conversation.
What Elric described was as follows: The Kingdom of Englassia had originally been founded in the plains farthest from the Great Forest of Jura, where monster incursions were minimal. Thanks to its favorable geographic position, it had become a gathering place for the leaders of various nations — a center of politics and culture that prospered as a result.
But now — thanks to the coexistence-and-co-prosperity policy established by the Demon Lord Rimuru, the danger level of the Great Forest of Jura had dropped dramatically.
Furthermore, with the development of railway networks and enhanced transportation to other nations, the Monster Nation was now demonstrating development so impressive that it could be called the center of the world.
The headquarters of the Free Mediation Committee had also relocated to the Monster Nation.
Now, safety alone no longer served as a distinguishing national trait, and the centers of politics, culture, and economics were all shifting away from the Kingdom of Englassia.
For precisely this reason, the country needed a unique characteristic that only it could offer.
"That was what I was told ten years ago, and within a few years, it became reality. Those who were able to reform their thinking have managed to adapt to some degree, but there are still those who clung to the arrogance that they were the center of the world, and these old nobles remain divided into two factions — that is the current state of affairs."
Those who had once sat at the pinnacle of glory, he explained, find it exceedingly difficult to relinquish their seat.
Had the nation not been under the Committee's management, a civil war could very well have erupted.
"Julius serves as the figurehead for the conservative faction among the former nobles. He absorbs their discontent and skillfully channels it. At the same time, he restrains the progressive faction that seeks to force democracy through, ensuring that change remains gradual. Even as his older brother, I can only say it is a truly admirable display of skill. I believe even his arrogant behavior is all part of the calculation. A king must never bow his head — and those who intend to restore the royal family would not accept it otherwise."
And with that, Elric concluded his account.
Diablo nodded in understanding, thinking to himself: So Prince Julius was fully aware of everything and deliberately choosing to act the part of an aristocrat. That was precisely why, when he enrolled as a student, nothing could be done to stop him.
"Then, in order to maintain that lifestyle, wouldn't the money currently available to the royal family be insufficient? Is he perhaps receiving financial assistance from somewhere?"
To Diablo's question, Elric replied firmly: "No — that fellow's pride is too great. I don't believe that's the case."
Diablo nodded with satisfaction.
"You've been most helpful. I appreciate the information you've provided."
"Then, we shall take our leave —"
Diablo and Souei offered their thanks and stood to depart.
"Wait — has my brother... has he done something?"
Elric called out to them with a look of anguish.
Diablo turned back with a reassuring smile.
"Not at all. There is nothing to worry about. And moreover — hypothetically speaking, if a student were to do something, the ones who should bear that responsibility are their parents, their teachers, and the nation. If you were to ask Lord Rimuru, I believe that is precisely what he would say."
"But —"
"Status such as noble or commoner has no bearing on this whatsoever. No — it should have no bearing. Your brother's actions are wrong, but the ones who allowed them are the teachers, and the responsibility must fall on the institution of the school itself. And since the school was established as a special project of Lord Rimuru, all students must be considered under his protection — that is how it must be viewed. Your brother's actions will be punished, but I give you my word: the student known as Julius will not bear any personal罪 guilt."
"I see... that is a relief. Unlike me, he doesn't think highly of Lord Rimuru. He does seem to admire the Hero Masayuki, though..."
Elric continued, explaining that he had been worried his brother might do something disrespectful to Lord Rimuru, to whom they owed an immense debt of gratitude. He then saw Diablo and Souei off, and for a final time, bowed his head and said, "Please look after my brother."
◇◇◇ Diablo and Souei departed from the estate where Elric was confined and made their way toward the airfield.
Their intelligence gathering in this country was complete following that interview, and they had no intention of lingering.
To avoid drawing attention, they chose to travel by air once more rather than using a teleportation magic circle.
As previously mentioned, Spatial Transfer was completely out of the question.
On the way to the airport, the two exchanged their thoughts without wasting a moment.
"It does appear certain that someone has made contact. However, I don't believe Julius is an accomplice of those people."
"Agreed. If Julius is being used as the figurehead for the nobles, he cannot afford to appear to have received aid from anyone."
"He seems to have more backbone than expected. Interesting. Truly interesting."
" — Indeed."
Souei concurred with Diablo's conclusion.
In truth, their investigation the previous day had already yielded a complete picture of each noble house's financial situation — including hidden ledgers. Every unnatural flow of funds had been accounted for.
It was abundantly clear that Elric's words were true.
No one existed clever enough to hide evidence of financial assistance to Julius from the eyes of both Diablo and Souei.
That left only one conclusion.
Julius was operating entirely on his own, without assistance from anyone.
And as Elric had said — no, he was even more clever than that. Alongside his studies, Julius had quietly and skillfully set up a student-run enterprise without the surrounding nobles ever catching on.
He recruited people from other worlds at high salaries and put them to work on a wide variety of research — intending the venture to become the foundation for an entirely new cultural movement.
It was nothing more than gambling, but Julius appeared to have won his bet. He had amassed hidden assets and earned enough money to stand against hostile forces that sought to absorb him and the nobility.
This was made possible with the occasional cooperation of the Hero Masayuki's party when they visited.
Luck was certainly on his side.
Because the people from other worlds that Julius had recruited were, in fact, individuals whom Masayuki had rescued and brought along.
Having thoroughly investigated these hidden circumstances before the interview, Diablo and Souei had met with Elric.
They had learned about Julius's character, and had become convinced that there was a significant gap between the face he showed the world and his true feelings.
And given Julius's personality, even if he became the figurehead unifying the Kingdom of Englassia, he would never be so incompetent as to become a mere puppet king.
They understood that he was a person who was strict with others — but even more so with himself.
"Julius seems to be a serious and capable individual. If a person like that were to become king of this country, I imagine there would be quite a few people who would find it difficult to operate."
"The Council, you mean? I can't imagine those lot would be able to scheme much at this point..."
Since the nation was still under the Committee's supervision, the multinational legislative body known as the Council was beyond their reach. Moreover, the previous great purge had rooted out all those skilled at such machinations.
"Perhaps. But then again, there may be those types outside the Council as well."
"Hmm. I can't rule out that possibility."
"Precisely."
Souei took Diablo's words seriously.
In other words, they needed to consider the possibility that the Kingdom of Englassia was also being targeted by someone.
(Indeed, indeed. So this is the kind of economic warfare that Lord Rimuru had predicted —) In a war of armed force, the enemy stood no chance against them. But within the realm of economic exchange, it was possible to gain the upper hand even over an opponent with superior military might.
If those who harbored such thoughts had launched an economic war, then this entire chain of events could be connected along a single thread.
Because this was the very scenario that had been anticipated as unavoidable when pursuing coexistence and prosperity through dialogue.
However, such methods would not work against the Monster Nation — Yet when democracy was the banner, numbers became justice.
Within a single nation, it might still be manageable. But when a multinational body like the Council made decisions — if those decisions were made by majority vote, dressed up in the lofty rhetoric of equality, proportional neither to total population nor to national power — The decision made by the three academies was a perfect example. Majority rule was, by no means, an equitable system.
As a nation, having one's will dictated by other countries was impermissible.
That was why Tempest had adopted a bicameral system — a unique political structure that could be called imperial democracy.
There was no gap to exploit.
So what was left?
If one wanted to strike, it would have to be through economic activity.
Using economic ties as leverage to force compliance — that was the only remaining method.
It was a remarkably long-term plan. The enemy was far more patient than expected.
And more deeply rooted than imagined, with traces of their reach extending not only into Tempest but into other nations as well.
They were an adversary who could not be taken lightly.
(An opponent worth enjoying, for the first time in a while —) Diablo neither understood economics nor had any interest in doing so.
He simply didn't care.
For someone who believed that anything he wanted could simply be taken by force, money held no meaning. Gold, silver, treasures — Diablo considered such things to be nothing more than bait designed to drown humans in desire.
What Diablo truly desired could never be procured through material goods.
Even in negotiation — laying all manner of conditions upon a table and discussing points of mutual compromise — the act itself struck him as utterly pointless.
If you were dealing with someone powerful enough to overturn the table, you needed matching power. Without it, no negotiation could stand.
Expecting reason or conscience from an opponent — Diablo simply could not comprehend that way of thinking.
Diablo believed that once a promise was made, it must be honored. But more fundamentally, it was impossible to form agreements with those who were not one's equals.
It was precisely because of this that the idea of humanity waging economic war against the Demon Lord Rimuru seemed to him an exercise in utter futility.
(But how foolish. To attempt to conquer the world through economics while leaving Lord Rimuru aside... As if I would ever permit such a thing.)
How incredibly stupid these humans were, Diablo thought.
"Hey. You're not thinking about slaughtering the masterminds, are you?"
"I'm wounded by the accusation... The day before yesterday I was unsettled from being separated from Lord Rimuru, but I'm perfectly calm now. I would never entertain such thoughts."
Souei cut in with impeccable timing, as though reading Diablo's mind.
Diablo was briefly startled but waved the accusation away lightly.
"As long as that's the case. Lord Rimuru has forbidden us from subjugating others through violence."
As Souei said, the lord whom Diablo revered — Rimuru — appeared to hold humanity in genuine regard.
This was not to say that Rimuru never wielded force at all, but he refrained from exerting his power upon other nations beyond what was strictly necessary.
Diablo, who had always watched from his master's side, knew this well — it went without saying.
For that reason, Diablo resolved to attempt dealing with opponents through intellect rather than force — if only half in jest.
What was a war to humans was nothing more than a game to Diablo.
Humans — weak, foolish, greedy, and yet possessing souls of tremendous strength and dignity, some even wielding wisdom that surpassed that of demons.
He had no interest in economic activity, but he had plenty of interest in humans.
Kuhahahaha — Diablo let out a cold laugh.
He could already sense it — the beginning of an entertaining game.
An economic war.
And so, the third day came to an end.
And then — the turbulent fourth day began.