by Fuse
“Did you travel down this highway?”
“Yes. I wanted to see it for myself, so I disguised myself as a traveler. There are peacekeeping sentry posts at regular intervals along the road. When I reached town, I found it to be far more advanced than I expected. The concentration of magicules in the air was understandably higher than normal, but it was still below levels that would affect average people. It gave me the impression that Rimuru, true to his word, really does seek amicable relations with humankind.”
“…I see. And what about Veldora?”
“Well, yes, about that…”
“What is it?”
“…I was unable to confirm his presence. Entry into the Sealed Cave was forbidden, and I failed to find any other spots the dragon might be lurking in.”
“Hmm.”
Hinata gave a placid nod to Litus as she finished her report.
“If we can’t confirm Veldora’s existence,” Fritz asked, “could the news of his revival be a mistake—?”
Hinata shot him a look to silence him. “Luminus’s divine missives are never wrong. At least we are surer of Rimuru’s activity now. Let us move on.”
She kept the meeting going, having each attendee report on what they saw and heard, ensuring everyone had all available information at hand before they began to debate.
“So things were tranquil from start to finish during my time in Englesia. If their rivals at Farmus were to fall, I believe they would take the opportunity to expand upon their current power.”
The briefings continued. Master Rooks members had free rein to visit the Western Nations, as well the right to give orders to the Temple Knights stationed within their borders. They outranked even the local Temple captains, after all, and while they customarily acted only on orders from Lubelius (for the sake of maintaining a simple chain of command), the Master Rooks could command them directly in emergency cases. This allowed them to operate practically above the law in the west, obtaining even some classified information with ease.
This was one difference between them and the paladins. The latter enjoyed similar unfettered travel access to foreign countries, but they were barred from giving orders to the Temple Knights. The organizations were two different entities, although some Temple Knights later moved on to become paladins. It was up to Hinata to utilize the pluses and minuses of both groups, deploying them where they would help the most.
Saare’s turn came at the very end.
“Listening to all these reports,” he said, “I think I’m starting to see what Hinata is trying to find out. My turn’s next, and I’m guessing my report’s supposed to be the clincher, huh?”
“That’s right. I gave that job to you because it’s the most important one. I’d appreciate it if you got on with it.”
“Ah-ha. Well, the current news from Farmus… King Edmaris has abdicated the throne, and on the surface, it appears that the transfer of power has taken place peacefully. But Edward, the new king, is busy assembling an army of talented mercenaries, and in response, the nobility is starting to get frantic, too. It looked to me like the signs of a looming civil war.”
Despite reports of Rimuru’s ascension being all over the news in the Western Nations, Blumund’s trade with Tempest was giving that whole nation a shot in the arm. Meanwhile, things couldn’t be more chaotic in Farmus. The nobles were working in a hundred different directions, many of them trying to shore up their military might in a hurry. Some had even made inroads with the Western Holy Church and the elders that led the Council. It wouldn’t be long before the swords came out. The impact on the people was already enormous—prices rising, distribution falling behind. Losing twenty thousand troops had even led to a government-mandated conscription. Amateur soldiers wouldn’t be much help in battle, but Farmus was so cornered that they had no other choice.
It all pointed in the same direction: civil war. The surrounding small kingdoms had no consensus on how to respond to this, but all of them were on high alert against Farmus, smelling the tension in the air and fortifying their borders to ensure they didn’t get involved. They all expected the fateful day to come before long.
“…That alone, of course, isn’t enough information to make a conclusion on whether the demon lord Rimuru is involved with this.”
“True. So?”
“So I went down the list of everyone King Edward made contact with. Important Council leaders; Free Guild management; some merchants from the East; even our own soldiers. He’s been busy.”
“Is he trying to shore up his military?”
“Bingo. That’s exactly it, Hinata.”
“Well, it’s settled, then. This new king has no interest in paying war reparations of any kind. No demon lord would let that slap in the face go unchallenged, and I doubt Rimuru is foolish enough not to expect that from him.”
“Hmm. So do you think this is all part of our new demon lord’s plans?”
“Yeah.” Hinata nodded.
It’s almost funny how all the pieces are falling into place. Based on what we can infer from this, it all seems to be gearing toward some kind of predestined conclusion… Someone’s definitely pulling the strings from the sidelines.
The more she heard, the more convinced she became. Who was it? There could be just one answer—Clayman, that swindler who skulked around the Western Nations for years, was gone, and the only one who could even begin to imitate him was Rimuru, this new member of the cast.
I don’t like this. You can’t let your guard down around him. He’s intelligent enough to lay out these thoroughly prepared strategies. Maybe he really was Japanese once…
Looking back, as she calmly reevaluated Rimuru, this was all caused by her believing those Eastern merchants in the first place. They had built a relationship of trust over several years, and she completely fell for the line she was given. It was a fatal mistake, and she regretted it—and the worst part was that most of the intelligence the merchants gave her was accurate. Only when the topic turned to Rimuru did the truth start to bend a bit. These little lies that were impossible to independently confirm, and Hinata had let them trick her. If she had believed Rimuru, back when the two of them were at the same location, maybe things would have developed differently. But, she reasoned, she couldn’t dwell on the past.
Then she noticed something about Saare’s report that interested her.
“Saare, you said Edward made contact with merchants as well? What did they tell him?”
“Mm? Why do you care about the merchants? The demon lord painted a picture for us to fall for, and that’s that, right? I think what we need to talk about is our future direction. What steps should we be taking right now?”
“We do need that, but I still want to know. Tell me.”
“Pfft. I thought money was the only thing those merchants ever talked about.”
“Not so. They just have an instinctive habit of turning the conversation toward whatever will make them money. One of them got me, too, so you all need to watch yourselves. So what did you learn from them?”
“Huh. That’s pretty impressive, if they managed to use a woman as calculating as yourself. Hmm… I can’t really think of anything in particular they said. Oh, hang on… There’s a commercial zone in the area you covered, right, Glenda? Merchants from the East and West intermingle in there. Did you hear anything interesting?”
Saare may not have liked Hinata much, but he was still loyal to his mission. He knew and acknowledged her talents—the leadership that helped her craft the Crusaders out of a ragtag bunch of knights. She was merciless against the monsters; she put everything on the line to keep people safe. Somewhere in his heart, he appreciated that. That was why he followed all of Hinata’s orders to the letter, never hiding anything he learned from her. He may have had a few ideas on how to seize his position back from her, but he had no intention of dragging her down. He believed in the meritocracy, and for better or worse, he was earnest in everything he did. Hinata knew that as well.
> Glenda, meanwhile…
“Well, as far as I know, there wasn’t anything suspicious going on.”
…had no problems telling barefaced lies. As a mercenary, she was well versed in navigating the underworld, experiencing untold amounts of mortal danger. Something about the tension in the air smelled like good money to her. Faith was one thing; making a profit was another. That was how Glenda worked, and while people saw her as a devout Luminist, that wasn’t the whole truth. What Glenda really wanted was the power that Luminism had across the world. Sometimes it was money, sometimes intelligence, sometimes war power; but Glenda needed it all. Her current position gave her open access, and she never, ever wanted to lose it.
This was why she was hiding things from Hinata, including a meeting with merchants from the East in the very commercial zone Saare mentioned. She had also made secret inroads with one of the Council elders. She paid them money, and in exchange, they would spread false rumors around for her. Not now, but when the time was right for her.
For the time being, she couldn’t afford to have Hinata questioning her motives. Hinata was cold, unforgiving, and merciless to her enemies. She never left herself open to attack at any moment. But at the same time, she was open-minded, almost soft on her allies—or, to be more exact, Luminists. To her, fellow followers in her chosen faith were like family. That was extensively clear to Glenda. That softness let Hinata forgive Saare’s back talk; that softness made her fail to notice the people trying to betray her. And soon, Glenda thought, that softness was going to cost her the position she had worked so hard to achieve.
“If you’re that interested, though, I could give it a more thorough look through, Captain.”
“Will you? Thanks. Just don’t let the merchants fool you, all right? Don’t let your guard down.”
“Sure thing. I got a few connections, so I should be able to get some details.”
Glenda had the bad habit of making promises to Hinata without giving them much real thought. She had no idea her ready agreement let Hinata read fairly deeply into her mind.
Taking a moment to carefully observe Glenda, Hinata sighed to herself.
She must really think I’m that stupid. Perhaps she’s under the mistaken impression that I’m soft on my people?
If that was true, she thought, then it really was a pity.
Glenda had one thing wrong—Hinata wasn’t one to think of her companions as that important. She considered them pawns to play for the sake of Luminus, and that was why she treated them so preciously. They all belonged to Luminus, and she wasn’t allowed to waste them.
The Crusaders she had raised to serve as her arms and legs had absolute faith in her; they were basically Hinata’s personal militia, and she trusted in that faith. The knights of the Imperial Guard, on the other hand, often engaged in intolerably selfish activity. She let it slide only because they, too, had faith in Luminus.
Saare was the epitome of that, mouthing off at Hinata and trying to rebel any way he could. But both she and Saare knew this was just a front. He was a whiner, but he always followed orders—which, in a way, made him a breeze to handle. Plus the fact that Saare didn’t know who Luminus was. Not just him, either. Nobody besides Hinata was aware that the god Luminus was an actual person.
…I almost feel bad for them. They have no idea, just as I didn’t…
Glenda had real ambitions. She had looks, talent, and an abundance of confidence. She must really believe she has what it takes to topple me, Hinata thought. She might even be trying to curry favor with Louis, the Holy Emperor, for the cause. She didn’t know he was a vampire, so it was only natural that she’d try buttering him up for the sake of pushing Hinata away.
Well, she’s free to do what she wants…but…
But if she was betraying the cause, that was another matter.
Hinata never voiced a word of complaint about what the divisions she oversaw did—as long as they never crossed her or Luminus. But with a suspected traitor in their midst, Glenda’s behavior was turning problematic. Hinata didn’t intend to hold a purge right this moment—for all she knew, someone might be taking advantage of her—but she needed to be on her guard.
…I’m starting to see a breakdown in discipline. Maybe it’s time to teach them a lesson and set them back in line.
The thought depressed Hinata. But there were more urgent issues. She mentally switched gears and spoke.
“All right. Everyone has given their reports. I trust that everyone understands the current situation now.”
“Yes,” his assistant Renard said. “The resurrection of the Storm Dragon has had less of an impact than expected, the only casualties so far being the deployed Farmus military. However, since this is likely a cover story spread by Rimuru, the real number could be zero.”
“If that’s how it is,” added Saare, “I want to hear from Archbishop Reyhiem, who survived it. We know Veldora’s back, and I’m intensely curious about what happened on the battlefield.”
“I thought so, too. I’ve already called for him. He should be here soon…”
Hinata had already contacted Cardinal Nicolaus, directing him to bring Reyhiem to her. He was there for the defeat and probably saw Rimuru with his own eyes. Besides, given the several days’ worth of apparent time between the advent of Veldora and Farmus’s defeat, the rumors going around the neighboring states about Veldora destroying all those forces were pretty unlikely. As a survivor, Reyhiem’s testimony should be extremely useful. He was supposed to arrive this morning but was apparently behind schedule.
“I look forward to it. I can’t wait to hear what he has to say.”
“Maybe he knows something about Veldora, too.”
“There were rumors of the demon lord Rimuru negotiating with Veldora and calming his rage,” Arnaud added, “but I’m not sure what to make of that one, either. He’s revived, yes, and he’s been lying low so far, yes. With that in mind, it seems rather plausible.”
Everyone nodded at this. Silently, they had all concluded that the Storm Dragon and the demon lord were involved with each other. In that case, Hinata saw no reason to hide what Luminus already told her.
“…Yes. That much is true. I can say to you now that among the missives I received from our lord Luminus, there was one about how Rimuru is controlling the Storm Dragon. As a result,” she said, “we must not lay hands on the demon lord Rimuru at the moment. Please bear that in mind.”
“Y-you mean…?”
Hinata stood up. “I’ll be blunt,” she said in her most authoritative voice. “In this instance, we must remain undercover. None of our dealings with this demon lord must come out to the public.”
This was, in essence, an order for everyone to keep their hands off Rimuru. It surprised them all.
“What?! You want us to simply ignore all the theatrics he’s pulling over in Farmus?!”
“Demon lords are untouchable as a rule, yes, but only in the public eye, if you recall. They’re no match for any of the Ten Great Saints!”
Saare had a point. Humanity wasn’t totally helpless against the S-class threat of the demon lords. They had built up enough force to fight back with, if necessary, and those were the Enlightened classes, the Ten Great Saints being among them. Arnaud, Renard, and Grigori could each defeat a Special A-ranked foe, Hinata thought, and even among the Ten Great Saints, Saare was outclassed only by Hinata in force. Against a demon lord, Saare wouldn’t be that much of an underdog. You almost never saw storybook-style one-on-one duels in real life anyway, but if it turned out that way, she figured it’d be a close battle. If it was Clayman, that Western Nations sneak, the odds were even in Saare’s favor.
However, that only applied to the would-be demon lords, those strong enough for the role but not yet ascendant. Against a real demon lord, none of the Ten Great Saints had a chance in the end. To Hinata, who knew Luminus intimately, that much was obvious.
And Rimuru, too…
Farmus, and other nations its size, were
home to extensive systems that summoned large crowds of otherworlders and raised them to be fighters. Many criticized it as a violation of human rights, but when faced with the common threat of human-destroying monsters, real needs tended to get in the way of noble intentions. Their numbers included Razen, the royal sorcerer who reincarnated himself all the way to magic-born status, and the late commander of the Farmus Royal Knight Corps, Folgen. That mammoth amount of force was directed straight at the demon lord Rimuru, and they lost. Between that and Luminus telling Hinata the tale of how Rimuru killed Clayman instantly, nobody—Ten Great Saints or not—held a candle to him. Not unless they evolved further, in the real meaning of the term, and became true Saints. Like Hinata had.
Right now, if all ten took on Rimuru at once, everyone except Hinata would lose. She didn’t want to see them waste their lives on the effort. Plus…
“You know, though… We have both this demon lord and the Storm Dragon to deal with now. There is no doubting that any wrong move might lead to further chaos.”
As Renard calmly pointed out, Veldora was cooperating with Tempest. Lubelius could plunge all its forces into Tempest, and there was still no telling who would win.
“But we cannot allow the demon lords to do whatever they please in the domain of humans!”
Grigori’s shouting brought the heated debate back to silence. It was, in a way, a summary of what every attendee was thinking to themselves. All eyes turned to Hinata. She remained calm, unaffected, as she looked back at them.
“The missives of Luminus are absolute. We are not allowed to defy them.”
“Come on! Is she telling us to let Farmus be razed to the ground?”
“No, Litus. That nation’s main problem is the upcoming civil war. Its people, not its nobility, must be protected. You need to pay close attention to the area, ensuring none of the sparks affect the people of Farmus or its neighbors.”
“Meaning?”
“We may see some changes in heads of state, but interfering with that would be meddling in internal affairs. That’s the excuse they always used whenever we tried putting an end to their otherworlder summoning projects, as I’m sure you remember. It’s worked before for them, and they all but assume it’ll work again.”
