The venue had been thrown into chaos for a while, but order was eventually restored.
Those who had fainted were tended to, and those desperately trying to placate Veldora were calmed down.
There was a whole string of commotion like that, but things settled down eventually.
The panic was even worse than I'd expected. It was total pandemonium.
As expected of Veldora.
Being feared as the "Storm Dragon" wasn't just for show.
Well, I suppose it's only natural that people would lose their composure when a "Disaster-Class" monster suddenly showed up.
But either way, there was going to be chaos, so wouldn't it have been better to introduce him from the start?
When you think about future moves, you can't consider anything without factoring in Veldora's actions.
Fuse, Elen, Youm, the dwarves, and the others all looked pale and exhausted.
Even if they were holding it in, they might have been affected by Veldora's Demon Aura.
I'd already told the executives to suppress their Demon Aura, and they were fairly practiced at it.
We'd also activated a simplified version of the barrier we'd developed through analysis in the rooms.
After all, even while sealed, Veldora radiated enough Demon Aura to keep even ordinary monsters ranked B at bay.
But he'd confidently said he could suppress his Demon Aura now.
Apparently, it had finally become possible thanks to his evolved abilities.
So I thought everything would be fine...
"Are you okay? How are you feeling?"
I asked, and got responses like: "...You didn't tell us. About any of that."
"Hey now... Veldora-san, you could've at least told us we were friends?"
"...What am I supposed to report to my superiors... Wait, I'm not Gilmus!"
All sorts of complaints and resentful stares stabbed into me.
What do you want me to say about that?
That I'm suppressing it? I can't exactly say that, and even if I did, nobody would believe me.
There was no way I could say something like that.
It turned out they hadn't been affected by the Demon Aura at all — they'd just been plain scared out of their wits.
Fuse, for instance, might have wet himself if I hadn't warned him to go to the bathroom when I did.
I gave him a cheerful pat on the shoulder saying "Good thing, right?" and got a glare for it.
You'd think he'd be grateful since my warning saved him, but apparently that wasn't the point.
Anyway.
"Hm? Did I not mention it? I think I did... or maybe I didn't.
Well, what's done is done, right?
More importantly — let's get this summit going!"
I said with a bright smile, but that didn't fly.
"Don't you just casually brush that off!!!"
I got hit with that from all directions at once.
After managing to cajole and sweet-talk them, the summit finally resumed over an hour later.
......
...
...
Now then — the summit finally begins in earnest.
A lot had happened, but giving detailed explanations to everyone simultaneously would save effort.
So, at everyone's request, I started with a briefing of the situation.
It was a hassle, but I went over it once more as a recap, starting from my encounter with Veldora.
I also mentioned that I had been a "person from another world."
I figured there was no more point in hiding it.
There was no telling where it might leak, and there was nothing left to be embarrassed about knowing.
Even if the Demon Lord turned out to be a former "person from another world," it wasn't like anyone could do anything about it.
After all, Demon Lord Leon had also been a former "person from another world."
So I gave a brief explanation of the battle with the Orc Lord as well, and described how we'd decided to build a town in this location.
Sharing information was important.
Even if different reactions emerged depending on how that information was received.
From there, I moved on to how I'd visited the town after it was built, at my own request.
I skipped over daily life in the town itself, but I made sure to mention the fight with Hinata.
That woman was dangerous.
If anyone other than me had fought her, they probably would have killed.
In particular, the Holy Purification Barrier was a dangerous skill.
There might be partial barrier versions designed for use against individuals.
I shared my perception of this with the executives and made sure to convey the image to them.
"
But according to the intelligence we've gathered...
For instance, she always extends a hand to those who seek her help.
Those who grasp that hand are saved, but those who ignore or refuse her advice are never given the time of day again.
So I find it hard to believe that she would treat children the way was described,"
Fuse interjected.
This old man was surprisingly well-informed.
Refusing to help those who ignored her — that did sound like her.
There were plenty of people who needed her assistance, so it made sense that she'd ignore the fools.
If that was her rationalist personality, it wasn't strange at all.
As I was thinking this, "Hmph. As expected of the Blumund Free Guild branch chief, skilled in information management.
The accuracy of your intelligence rivals our nation's Shadow Division.
I testify that the information you've gathered matches what I know to be true,"
King Gazel of the dwarves nodded as well.
What did that mean?
"But she completely refused to listen to anything I had to say?"
"That would be because the Western Holy Church's doctrine includes a prohibition on dealing with monsters.
She's known for her cold demeanor and ruthless actions, but in truth she has never once violated doctrine.
She is the most exemplary knight of all.
That is precisely why she is called the 'Head Knight of the Papal Imperial Guard Division.' The epithet of cold-blooded killer doesn't represent her true nature.
That is the portrait of her I've assembled from my intelligence,"
Fuse answered my question, and the Dwarf King nodded.
Her reputation had apparently spread far and wide — even to places I hadn't expected.
No, wait — gathering intelligence on the strongest knight of the Western Holy Church was simply something a nation ought to do.
But if that was the case...
Raphael produced an answer.
Who had carried out the summoning of the children?
Someone who knew about me and was in a position to convey that information to Hinata.
There was only one person who fit.
I didn't want to believe it, and I didn't want to accept it... but There was probably no mistake in Raphael's answer.
Anyway, I'd set that matter aside for now and move on.
From the fight with Hinata, I explained the attack on the town.
Here I hesitated over whether to mention the information about demon lord transformation that Elen had brought...
But Elen exposed it herself.
"Papa already figured it out anyway, right?"
She asked Duke Elalude with an upward glance.
"Elen...
It's fine if Papa knows, but there's no need for people from other nations to find out..."
Duke Elalude let out a resigned sigh.
I understood how he felt.
Elen was the one who had disregarded adult politics entirely. But at least now we didn't have to dance around the issue.
I picked up where she left off and reported that she had transformed into a demon lord based on that information.
Now, the preliminary explanations were done.
Just as I was about to move on to discussing future actions — "Let me state this upfront.
As the Sorcerous Dynasty Sarion, we had originally intended to observe this situation quietly.
However, I cannot very well leave my daughter's mess unattended.
Therefore, if I judge your actions to be detrimental to my nation, I will move to crush you.
With that in mind, I ask that you consider your future actions accordingly."
He spoke not with the face of a doting father, but with the face of a great noble of the dynasty — a statesman.
The gravitas was impressive.
The executives stirred at his words.
That girl really was hot-blooded.
The other party was taking this seriously. I nodded seriously in return and resolved to match that energy.
First, I revealed that we had captured the Farmus king and the Western Holy Church's envoy.
Then I explained our plan for the future: to install Youm as king and establish a new kingdom.
Hearing this explanation, Fuse groaned.
He fell silent for a while, apparently gathering his thoughts.
King Gazel sat in silence with his eyes closed.
Around the king, his ministers were actively debating among themselves, but their voices didn't carry over to us.
Duke Elalude said nothing.
Should I continue the explanation?
First, we would release the current king and compel him to pay reparations for the invasion of Tempest.
This was only nominal, but we would use the reparations issue to plunge the Farmus Kingdom into civil war.
In reality, if the king rallied the nobles to resist again, his life would be forfeit at that point.
Even if he kept his promise and abdicated voluntarily, the reparations issue would drag on. It was unthinkable that the nobles would pay willingly.
The current king's son was still a minor — it was easy to imagine him becoming a puppet of the nobles.
With the factions lacking cohesion and the king's influence gone, a succession dispute was inevitable.
So if the reparations were paid in good faith, the push to install Youm would be shelved — but that was extremely unlikely.
They would surely come up with all manner of excuses and logic to try to avoid paying.
If that happened, Youm would push back against them, citing the breach of faith, and launch a coup.
Once the king broke his promise, that was when Youm would rise.
The only difference was at which stage Youm would make his move.
After Youm established the new kingdom, we — the nation of Tempest — would formally establish diplomatic relations.
This would serve as a deterrent against the expected rebellion of the noble coalition.
Over a period of time, we would implement policies to win the trust of the people, and once Youm's popularity had risen sufficiently, we would strike and annihilate the nobles in one decisive blow.
Building a nation was not something to be done quickly.
I was thinking of a timeline of two to three years.
Though if the king foolishly considered rebelling again, Youm would rise to power immediately.
When I had explained all of that, "I see. Very well — we shall also join this plan.
Baron Müller and Count Hermann are on good terms with our Blumund.
If we bring them into the plan, they should prove reliable.
We shall negotiate to have them serve as backing when Lord Youm makes his move,"
said Fuse.
Did the Free Guild branch chief have that kind of authority?
Sensing my question, he explained.
Apparently, Baron Müller was a distant relative of the King of Blumund, and the two were actually on good terms. Count Hermann was Baron Müller's protégé and would never betray him.
On the surface, as a great nation's baron, he showed no signs of closeness, but behind the scenes they had a friendly relationship.
Was it okay to reveal such secrets?
"Hahaha. As for secrets — the Shadow Division under King Gazel probably knows all about it already.
Our nation, Blumund, is an information state. We sell intelligence for a living.
Being a small nation, we must control information or we'll be destroyed immediately.
But the Shadow Division under King Gazel — we still haven't been able to grasp its full picture.
Isn't that right, Your Majesty Gazel?"
King Gazel merely raised one eyebrow slightly, showing no further reaction.
But that alone confirmed that he did know about that intelligence.
Even so, "But Fuse — is it really okay for you to casually spill information like that? It might not be state-secret level, but it's important intelligence, isn't it?"
"Hmm? It's fine. I'm the one who investigated it, and moreover, I had them prepare a full-power proxy authorization."
Incredibly, during the break just now, he had explained the situation and had it prepared.
There was probably some of that small-nation agility at work, but it also showed just how much trust Fuse had earned.
According to him, he held numerous pieces of information that would destroy Blumund if he ever talked.
I'll admit — for a fleeting moment, I considered kidnapping him and seizing that intelligence.
Duke Elalude, who had been listening to our conversation, said: "Are you people idiots?! Spilling important national secrets just like that!
Even our nation hadn't gathered intelligence to that level. And yet...
Now I look ridiculous, the one who's been so cautious!"
He was indignant.
To which Fuse replied: "Honestly, Duke Elalude.
If our nation went to war with Lord Rimuru's nation of Tempest, we would be annihilated immediately.
The conclusion is that resistance is futile. So what do we do?
We have no choice but to avoid war. To that end — spare no effort in providing every possible form of cooperation!
That is the conclusion reached by our nation's upper echelons.
It may seem strange that I, a guild member not officially part of the nation, am sitting here...
Well, I suppose taking a seat in the intelligence bureau alongside my guild duties was just my lot in life..."
He muttered about why he'd accepted such a role as he said all of this.
He was being too honest, but... well, when you put it that way, there wasn't really any other option.
I single-handedly rivaled an entire army. They took the threat of a Demon Lord seriously. Rather than opposing me, they chose to ally.
The logic held.
For a small nation that lived in the shadow of great powers, gathering intelligence and choosing this strategy was perhaps the right call.
"Besides — When word spread that Lord Rimuru had become a Demon Lord, our upper echelons panicked. If they learned that the 'Storm Dragon' had revived...
You don't need to hear it to predict what they'd say next."
Fuse explained this to Duke Elalude.
In short, even if he'd shown his hand, it wouldn't cost him anything.
Rather, he'd probably calculated that laying everything on the table and earning our trust was the greater benefit.
Good or bad. Right or wrong.
None of that mattered — this was a reckless gamble staked entirely on Fuse's intuition from the years he'd known me.
Even if it backfired and his nation was destroyed, he'd concluded that this was the only way to survive.
I thought he might be overestimating me, but I was the kind of opponent who could destroy 15,000 elite troops. He'd realized a small nation had no recourse.
It was certainly reckless, but in a sense, it might have been an effective move.
Effective, at least against me.
The explanation continued.
"Simultaneously, we will also negotiate with the Western Holy Church.
We will issue a statement declaring that we have determined our own national defense to be impossible and officially recognize the monster nation 'Tempest' as a legitimate state.
This would be an unacceptable proposition under the Western Holy Church's doctrine.
However, it is clear that a small nation possesses no forces capable of subduing a Demon Lord.
The Western Holy Church would have no grounds to condemn us — if anything, they would bear an obligation to provide salvation.
While we would recognize the monster nation 'Tempest' as a legitimate state, we would not establish diplomatic relations.
We would emphasize this point and use it to keep the Holy Church and the council in check.
Even if the Western Holy Church were to move against the Demon Lord...
Our nation — regardless of being called cowardly — would remain neutral and observe how events unfold.
We would side with whoever wins.
That, in summary, is our upper echelons' thinking. Please don't think ill of us."
I see.
No problems there.
On the surface they'd remain neutral, while behind the scenes they'd move to support Youm.
A small nation's way of navigating the world.
"Very well.
But as the Dwarf Kingdom, we have decided to adopt a bold policy.
Our nation will officially establish diplomatic relations with 'Tempest.'"
The room erupted at those words.
If the Armed Nation Dwargon — a great power — were to officially recognize Tempest as a nation, the shockwaves would be felt across the world.
"Are you serious..."
Even Fuse was rendered speechless.
He'd apparently believed the dwarves would maintain their neutrality.
I'd thought so too.
"Hmph. We have judged that Tempest is worth it.
The Farmus Kingdom was nothing more than a nation that resold our products on the side.
They imposed heavy taxes and couldn't even be called good customers.
On the other hand, Tempest and our nation already have a well-maintained highway connecting us.
What used to take one to two months on foot can now be done in two weeks by carriage.
A new trade route has been completed.
It would be foolish not to utilize it.
Furthermore, when considering military strength, Tempest doesn't fall short even compared to the Eastern Empire.
The threat of monsters has been eliminated entirely.
And most importantly...
This is my judgment as king.
Demon Lord Rimuru is trustworthy. That is all."
O-oh.
The shock hit me even harder than when Fuse had spoken.
The wide venue fell into silence, with only the sound of Veldora flipping pages as he read his manga.
Hey! Old man, what are you doing?!
Well, whatever. He wasn't listening to anyone anyway.
As long as he was being quiet, I had no complaints.
"That's... quite the bold policy, King Gazel,"
Fuse ventured cautiously.
"Hmph. Playing it safe would accomplish nothing,"
the dwarf king cut him off flatly.
But now, what did this mean for the bigger picture?
The Dwarf Kingdom and we would establish diplomatic relations.
Tempest would take the spotlight as a trade relay point.
The fact that the townspeople were monsters was a concern, but people could form bonds with them and communicate just fine.
In fact, it was already proven that we could coexist peacefully.
The real question was...
"Heh heh heh. The issue, then, is the Western Holy Church?
I've also returned with some important items to report to His Majesty.
There's a new nation we should establish diplomatic relations with!
It's not terribly far away, but there is a troublesome forest in between.
Naturally, you wouldn't mind taking care of the tree clearing and highway construction on your end, would you?"
Duke Elalude had calculated shrewdly before saying that.
If we built a highway...
It would mean establishing diplomatic relations with the Sorcerous Dynasty Sarion as well.
And that highway would connect to the Dwarf Kingdom too.
Products that had been arriving via roundabout routes could now come through directly — a clear advantage.
But more important than that was the convergence of two different technological lineages — sorcerous engineering and Spirit Engineering — here in Tempest.
If we could realize that, highway construction was a trivial expense.
And it seemed this calculation had immediately flashed through Fuse's mind as well.
"You bastard!
You made me show my hand first, and now you're swooping in to extract even greater profit!"
he shouted, but both the king and the duke wore expressions of innocence.
If anything, "Hmph. That's what happens when you spout half-hearted drivel about staying neutral,"
"Precis. In diplomacy, decisive action takes priority over everything."
They had him cornered.
"Well, sure, you two are great nations with the authority to back it up, but still..."
Fuse lamented, looking thoroughly pitiful.
"Fine! I understand!
I'll go convince my upper echelons too. Why do I always get stuck with roles like this..."
he wailed, half in tears.
In other words, Tempest would be recognized as a nation and diplomatic relations would be established simultaneously.
However, taking the lead was apparently not something they could manage — that role would fall to King Gazel as the first to make the declaration.
And so, with the remaining time, we held detailed discussions on the finer points.
The situation was moving faster than I'd anticipated.
As the meeting drew to a close and it was time for each party to finalize details back home — BAAAAM!!!
The doors burst open and someone strode in.
And then, "I've heard everything!
This nation shall be destroyed!!!"
The speaker was a small girl.
One of the Ten Great Demon Lords —