Looking around, the situation was a complete disaster.
But honestly, I never expected things to turn out like this.
I felt like I'd been outplayed by
Well, it was nothing new.
Still, this mysterious organization that had somehow latched onto us — the "Humanity Liberation Alliance" — they had some nerve targeting my own backyard.
The Monster Nation.
I would have thought our foundations were rock solid, but after several decades, a few spies may have slipped through the cracks.
Talented individuals occupying key positions in economics, technology, and culture would time the generational shift to elevate their "Humanity Liberation Alliance" allies. Gradually, they'd erode our foundations until they had the nation in the palm of their hand.
It seemed like a plan devised by someone with an extremely long-term perspective.
Even if I hadn't noticed the organization's existence, it wouldn't have worked on me since I'm immortal — but correcting course and methodically crushing each scheme one by one would have been an incredibly tedious process.
Now that I knew about it, I could simply assign someone capable to handle it.
It seemed easy enough to crush.
If they wanted to pick a fight with me, I could just demolish them on the same playing field.
But I'd think about that later…
Still, there was the matter of Magnus.
The guy had enough to spare while fighting a Semi-Demon-Lord-class Poison Green Tiger. Was that abnormal strength or what?
A Semi-Demon-Lord class meant, to put it simply, strength on par with an Upper-class Demon General.
From what I'd seen watching the fight firsthand, he was slightly weaker than a freshly born Upper-class Demon General, but his overall strength was roughly equivalent.
That was probably because the Poison Green Tiger had been at the top of this island's ecosystem and rarely fought seriously. Combined with its lack of experience fighting beings of comparable rank, that explained the outcome.
But even so, the threat was real.
Few individuals could defeat that class of monster single-handedly.
Among humans, only the very top echelon of Holy Knights could manage it.
If Magnus had strength comparable to the upper ranks of Holy Knights, then for a student, that was absurdly strong.
Well, if he was an operative, his age could be faked…
But regardless, it was undeniable that Magnus possessed a solid, unshakable strength that could never be surpassed by equipment performance alone.
My current self — with abilities on par with a human — could I actually win?
Just kidding.
Winning would be a breeze.
I only had human-level strength, and my Magicules were few, but my technique was still intact.
Whether it was an Upper-class Demon General or a diminished Demon Lord, I'd predict and analyze every attack, dodge with teleportation, and finish it with a Strike of Nothingness that ignored all attributes and defenses.
But if I did that, my location would be exposed.
Without teleporting, taking him down with minimal power — no, I should hold back.
I wanted to enjoy a normal life, which was why I'd escaped in the first place.
There was no need to blow my cover and show off my omnipotent powers.
Right — I didn't have to be the one to beat Magnus.
Julius, Karma, and their classmates.
I should give them the opportunity for revenge too.
But in their current state, they couldn't beat Magnus.
They couldn't even match Clad, Julius's guard knight, or the combat instructors from Ingracia.
This was where I, Teacher Rimuru, needed to step in.
I grinned to myself and gazed at the exhausted students who had fallen asleep.
◇◇◇ First, I'd prepare meals.
A hungry belly couldn't fight. Meals were essential for restoring one's spirits.
So while everyone was asleep, I started cooking.
Today, prey was in no short supply.
After last night's fierce battle, monsters were scattered everywhere.
I sorted through them, picking out the ones with the freshest meat suitable for eating, and laid them out.
Times like these were when "Appraisal and Analysis" really came in handy.
I then processed enough food to satisfy everyone remaining here and set about preparing a large pot for stewing.
Today I was going for a simple soup, throwing in all the leftover wild herbs and vegetables from the day before.
I chopped everything into small pieces for easier digestion, boiled the tougher ones until soft, then shredded them — sparing no effort and following the optimal method Ciel had guided me toward.
You might wonder how I knew those cooking methods, but that didn't really matter.
As long as I finished before everyone woke up, I could come up with some excuse.
Once the soup prep was done, I lit the fire.
I set the large pot on low heat.
While the soup was finishing, I mashed something potato-like, kneaded it with salt and chopped nuts, and shaped it flat like a pancake.
Then I'd just need to stick it on a stick and grill it — a decent substitute for bread.
We did have a kiln, so I could also bake them on the grill I'd used for roasting meat.
With that, preparations were done.
After that, it was just simmering the soup and waiting for everyone to wake up.
By late morning, the soup was nearly complete.
A rich, appetizing aroma — like simmering chicken stock — began drifting through the air.
Given the smell, it wouldn't be long before the more alert students started stirring.
I'd been using Heat Manipulation to perfectly control the temperature, but it was probably time to let things run naturally. Otherwise, it would seem suspicious.
Just as I was about to add more firewood to boost the heat, the first student woke up.
"Satoru! Did you prepare meals for everyone?!"
Masha called out to me in surprise.
The delicious aroma had apparently wafted all the way into the tents.
"Yeah, more or less. Last night was rough, and everyone's exhausted. I couldn't really help in the fight, so… this is the least I could do."
"No! I think everyone will be so happy!"
Masha beamed with a bright smile.
Before long, one by one, the students began to stir.
The teachers, who should have been in critical condition, also woke up and looked puzzled that their injuries had fully healed. But the moment they spotted me, they nodded as if it suddenly made sense.
Good for them — they kept their mouths shut and didn't say anything unnecessary.
"I'll have it ready soon. Could you handle the bath preparations in the meantime?"
When I asked Masha, she nodded enthusiastically — "Got it!" — and ran off happily toward the bath tent.
She'd seemed shaken by last night's events, but the prospect of a delicious meal and having a task she could contribute to had restored her spirits.
When things were tough, it was best to stay busy and shift your focus.
First, a meal.
Then a bath to wash off the grime from battle.
Some had apparently fallen asleep still drenched in blood, so a good cleansing was in order.
After that — Once Masha left and I was alone — "Is it alright, Lord Rimuru?"
Teacher William approached me, speaking on behalf of the faculty.
I nodded and, while pretending to adjust the fire with magic, we held a discussion about what came next.
"Are all the injured recovered?"
"Yes. Thanks to the Recovery
"Good to hear. You know what I'm about to say—"
"Naturally, we shall explain that this Recovery Potion was prepared by Puri, the school nurse."
"Right, that works."
"But… why are we still alive?"
"Well, that's because
I called Moss over to introduce him to William.
*"A pleasure to make your acquaintance. I am Moss, adjutant and direct subordinate of the great
William, far from being offended, returned the bow.
"A-Ah, thank you. We are deeply grateful for your aid."
Indeed, while Moss was often treated as a jack-of-all-trades, his actual standing was that of a high-ranking executive in Tempest. To someone like William, regarded as an elder of the academy, Moss was a being beyond the clouds.
Moreover, despite appearances, Moss was a powerhouse for whom even an Upper-class Demon General was nothing to write home about.
It was no wonder William's face stiffened in the presence of someone who could single-handedly destroy even a great nation.
"So, shall we have Moss-sama deal with the 'Humanity Liberation Alliance'?"
William recovered his composure and posed the question.
He was probably worried about the students and teachers who belonged to the Alliance.
"No, we won't do that."
"Why not? I assumed all who stood against us would be destroyed…"
It seemed my reputation had been distorted, which was unfortunate.
Sure, I'd destroy a clear enemy — but a mass slaughter just because they were opposed? What kind of barbarian did they think I was?
"Look, there are different kinds of enemies, right? If someone's destroying towns and killing people, I'll take them out. But the 'Humanity Liberation Alliance' isn't like that. We'll fight them on the same playing field, carve the defeat into their hearts and minds, and make sure they never defy us again."
Exactly.
The real problem this time was that it was hard to pin down actual charges.
What the "Humanity Liberation Alliance" had done was recruit students and teachers and gain their support for their ideology — breaking free from my rule as Demon Lord.
Even if money was involved, it was hard to classify that as a crime.
Their hostility toward me was obvious, but legally, they were innocent.
That was the tricky part.
Imperial democracy sounded impressive, but ultimately, politics was driven by the people.
I held absolute authority, certainly, but being the one in power didn't mean I could freely manipulate the law.
I could propose a bill to the council, but whether it passed would be decided by majority vote. It would probably pass in most cases, but more fundamentally, I rarely submitted legislation in the first place.
Ever since leading the goblins, I'd been consistent in keeping my hands off politics.
I'd establish the legal framework and then simply oversee its implementation.
The lower house could reject unreasonable bills, and even if one passed, it could be repealed later — but creating new legislation still required following proper procedures, even for me.
I wasn't about to declare "That guy annoyed me — execute him!" or make any such outrageous demands. Besides, it wouldn't have passed anyway.
That was exactly what they'd exploited this time.
Even the island's actions, while morally questionable, had no clear crime attached.
They'd hidden their identities until teachers and capable students were out of the way.
But claiming that was a crime was difficult.
They'd certainly tried to leave people to die, but failing to help someone didn't automatically constitute a crime.
In fact, they'd driven off the Poison Green Tiger and protected the remaining students.
They probably intended to leave behind the students and teachers who wouldn't cooperate, then depart the island and let the monsters deal with them — but at this point, they couldn't be charged for that.
As long as they hadn't directly intervened, they couldn't be held accountable unless caught in the act.
As things stood, they hadn't committed any clear crime, and their anticipated actions upon leaving the island were still speculation.
It was frustrating, but without charges to arrest them on, there was nothing I could do.
"So, what do you plan to do?"
"It's simple, William. The students who feel betrayed will take revenge on Magnus. And they'll do it through legitimate means — a duel."
"Surely you don't mean Julius and Karma? But the gap in power between them and Magnus…"
"There's no problem. We still have three days. Once everyone's finished eating, I'm going to put the survivors through a Spartan training regimen."
"O-Oh… How should I put that…"
"I'll need your help too. And when we win, we'll make our triumphant return. They probably intended to leave behind everyone who didn't agree with their ideology and escape on their own. But if everyone on this island makes it out alive, that's our victory at that point. Right?"
"That is correct! Quite right indeed!"
William grasped my intent, and his enthusiasm was palpable.
The uncertainty in his expression vanished, replaced by a fierce gleam in his eyes.
"If there is anything this old man can do, I will cooperate with all my strength!"
William nodded firmly.
◇◇◇ Now, even the students who had been wearing expressions of despair had regained their vitality by the time they finished the freshly baked bread substitute and the richly flavored soup.
Delicious food was the finest medicine of all.
It was a recipe from Ciel-sensei's personal cookbook — something I rarely got to eat myself.
Since I'd cooked it using Automatic Control, to be honest, I couldn't have recreated it by my own will.
If I wanted to eat it again, I'd need to ask Ciel.
Having tasted divine cooking, the students' reaction was unanimous.
"SO GOOD!!!"
"For real, what is this?!"
"Wait, last night's stew was amazing too, but this is even better!"
"Satoru, you're a genius at cooking!"
"I want you to marry me!"
Praises erupted from every direction.
There were some ridiculous comments about marriage mixed in, but I took that as a sign of their renewed spirits and let it slide.
Just like that, the dark atmosphere was blown away in an instant, replaced by the bright energy of youth.
Sensing the right moment, I stood up.
"So, what are you going to do? Lie here and cry about it? Go beg Magnus for help?"
"Well… even if you say that, Satoru…"
Karma answered on behalf of the students.
The teachers simply watched the scene unfold, just as William and I had arranged.
"Hey, Karma, was it? What about you? You going to take the loss and call it a day? Doesn't it sting to be called a loser?"
"What did you say?!"
Karma looked at me with eyes burning with anger — nothing like the model student he usually appeared to be.
That was exactly what I wanted.
Anger was the emotion that gave one the greatest will to live.
"And you, Julius. Same goes for you. You walk around acting all high and mighty, but you're not all that impressive, are you? Protecting the people, royal duties, the obligations of those in power — all that big talk is only for people who actually have the strength to back it up. You couldn't even see through Magnus's true intentions. Some leader you are."
"True intentions? He deceived us. He invited me to join his side, then casually abandoned me. Clad, who was my guard knight — I trusted him because Magnus vouched for him… I thought he was my friend… my true friend, who connected me with Karma and the rest, with my classmates, because as a royal I couldn't live honestly…"
Julius seemed to have been hit the hardest.
After being knocked down by monsters, Moss had protected his life. Even in his dazed state, he'd probably overheard Magnus and the others talking.
And after recovering, he'd learned of Magnus's hidden power and realized he'd been abandoned.
More than anything, the fact that Clad — his guard knight — hadn't moved had made it unmistakably clear.
The Alliance's actions spoke volumes: if you wouldn't be an ally, then anyone with even a little strength was nothing but an obstacle.
Julius had been the prime example and likely the first target they'd intended to eliminate.
"Then why didn't you have an honest conversation with him?"
"What?!"
"Before it came to this, shouldn't you have opened up and talked with Magnus? Heart to heart?"
"That's—"
"Was it because of your royal title? Your position got in the way? But that's just an excuse!"
"Kuh—"
Julius grimaced in frustration but didn't argue back.
Without making excuses, he seemed to be reflecting on his own actions.
"So, what are you going to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Are you going to lie there and take it, just like Karma?"
"But — Magnus is stronger than me…"
"What? You're going to give up just because you think you can't win? Masayuki's bastard never gave up, did he?"
"…Masayuki's bastard?"
Oops.
I'd gone and used my usual casual tone.
"N-No no no! Hero Masayuki-sama! What I meant was, you need to have the kind of spirit that calls even a Hero 'that bastard'!!"
The teachers watched me scramble to cover my slip with warm, knowing expressions.
I glanced their way, considering whether to cut their pay, and they quickly looked away.
Then — "Listen, Satoru is right. If you students stay defeated like this, you won't be worthy of being students at this prestigious academy. The combat instructors will be training hard too, so you'd better do the same! Even if you get hurt, I'll heal every last wound. The academy's founder, the Great Demon Lord Rimuru, is surely watching over us from the homeland. Show the pride you have as students of this academy!"
School nurse Puri adjusted her glasses with a glint and stepped in to support me.
Her flowing silver hair caught the sunlight, and her beauty was that of a goddess of victory.
The simple-minded male students seemed to have their motivation doubled just from that.
"Indeed! The blessings of Hero Masayuki-sama shall surely protect us!"
I didn't think there was a shred of truth to that, but I nodded along with William's words all the same.
"What's it going to be, Julius? You're supposed to lead everyone forward, aren't you? Make a decision!"
At my words, Julius looked back at me with eyes that had shed all hesitation.
And then he spoke.
"I'll do it. I've got my own grievances with Magnus, and I won't rest until I've settled them. Next time — whether it's monsters or Magnus himself — I'll make sure I come out victorious!"
Julius had found his motivation too, and he spoke with conviction.
Exactly as I'd planned.
"Alright! Let's all give it our all and show them what we're made of! If we win, maybe I'll think up some kind of reward for everyone!"
I flashed a satisfied grin and made the proclamation to the crowd.
And immediately — "YEAHHH!! Let's do this!"
"Leave it to me, Satoru-chan!"
"Aaaah, Satoru-kun! Big sis will protect you, okay?"
"Does this reward… perhaps extend to us as well?"
Thunderous cheers erupted around me.
It was so intense that I was momentarily taken aback.
Even the chubby middle-aged teacher had made a comment about claiming the reward, but one of the other teachers dragged him away, so I'll pretend I didn't notice.
In any case, I had successfully ignited everyone's motivation.
And so began the days of intense training in preparation for the day of counterattack.
My satisfied smile = a divine, beatific expression.
Completely unrelated, but that competitive swimmer Tomita always looks like he's being framed, doesn't he?
I'll presume innocence until the allegedly decisive video footage is released.
If he really didn't do it, that would be devastatingly unfair.