Lord Ains, I'm off to make the Re-Estize Kingdom fully recognize the Sorcerer Kingdom.
Yes.
I'm sure the people of Re-Estize will understand
the power of the Sorcerer Kingdom just by looking at the size of this diplomatic mission.
Still, be careful.
We still haven't come across the people who brainwashed Shalltear.
Yes, I will be sure to hold the Ginnungagap in my hands at all times.
As long as you have that,
you shouldn't be affected by the brainwashing of another world item...
This is your first time going out alone.
Retreat immediately if you sense any danger.
Do you have a teleportation item on you?
There might be enemies that'll stop you from teleporting when they attack.
Have you thought of countermeasures?
And...
I guess that's enough nagging.
Also, about Demiurge...
Never mind. It's nothing.
Are you sure?
Yeah.
I want to know what Demiurge is thinking,
but it'd look bad for an overlord to ask others to explain...
One last thing.
They say it's easier to get sick during the change of seasons.
Even though you're immune to all known illnesses,
there could be an unknown disease in this world that catches you unaware.
Be careful.
Lord Ains! I know of an amazing preventative for such things!
Oh?
A kiss!
A kiss?
Yes! A kiss reduces stress and revitalizes the parasympathetic nervous system,
which in turn increases the activity of the immune system.
In other words, a kiss can prevent illness!
So a kiss is best!
Huh?!
A kiss on the mouth seemed too much, so one on the cheek will have to do.
I thought you'd completely disregard my request!
Huh? Wait, what?
Albedo, don't cry.
Albedo. Stop crying.
Are you all right?
Yes, Lord Ains.
I'm sorry for showing such an embarrassing side of myself.
I see. Well, you should go now.
Understood, Lord Momonga!
Forget everything you saw just now.
Understood.
Deep Within the Slane Theocracy
We thank the Lords that we humans have continued to live another day.
We thank the Lords.
The first topic of discussion is regarding the Sorcerer Kingdom Ains Ooal Gown.
Cardinal of Earth Raymond Zarg Laurenson
During the war on the Katze Plains with the Baharuth Empire,
the army of the Re-Estize Kingdom suffered a devastating attack from Ains Ooal Gown.
Gown has taken the fortress city of E-Rantel from the kingdom
and proclaimed the founding of the Sorcerer Kingdom Ains Ooal Gown.
Emperor Jircniv has announced to neighboring countries
that the Empire acknowledges this claim.
Cardinal of Wind Dominic Ihre Partouche
A kingdom ruled by an undead creature. It's truly hell on earth.
Cardinal of Light Yvon Jasna Delacroix
Should we have intervened before the information was confirmed?
We previously agreed that it was too dangerous to go against Gown.
Cardinal of Fire Bernice Nagua Santini
What is the Empire planning?
Cardinal of Darkness Maximilian Oleyo Lagier
Is the Empire being controlled by magic?
Unlikely. They have that paladin there.
Cardinal of Water Zinedine Delan Guelfi
The Black Scripture's Thousand Leagues Astrologer observed the recent war.
However, the final report was delayed due to various issues. My apologies.
The document in your hands contains the exact words of the Thousand Leagues Astrologer.
Raymond. Is this true?
Yes. As long as everyone believes the words of the Thousand Leagues Astrologer.
No one at this table would doubt her words.
However...
The number of Death Knights...
She reported over 500 undead estimated to surpass the difficulty of 100?
Perhaps he used illusion magic?
The Thousand Leagues Astrologer would not make such a mistake.
She has also confirmed the presence of
Death Knights in the Sorcerer Kingdom's capital city.
Then, what action can we take to protect the people?
Perhaps the Black Scripture could go against him.
Impossible.
As the former third seat of the Black Scripture,
I say it's sheer madness to think a human can go against a few hundred Death Knights.
But...
God-kin are a different story.
Two God-kin would be enough to fight against an army of Death Knights.
That is reassuring.
Raymond, what are you hiding?
What do you mean, Zinedine?
There is one thing I'd like to ask.
Why did the Thousand Leagues Astrologer go into seclusion?
Was she afraid of the large army of undead?
No, she must have felt despair...
She witnessed a power that even God-kin cannot defeat.
Is this truly her full report?
I was hoping to find a solution first, but...
This is everything that the Thousand Leagues Astrologer has seen.
I see.
No one could easily believe a sight like this.
I still don't want to believe it.
A single spell that can kill over 130,000 people...
This magic is in the realm of the gods.
Was this spell eleventh-tier magic?
If so...
The descent of a god?
Has the time finally come?
It seems so. Has it been 200 years?
If the legends are true, that is.
But the national strength of the Re-Estize Kingdom is far behind the others.
Those fools.
We gave them support and a large and safe region for their development.
All in hopes they would cultivate heroes to fight against and invade other non-humans.
Who would have thought that their peace and prosperity would cause rotting from within?
They even produced drugs and began spreading them through the Empire.
Their level of incompetence is unsalvageable.
We must change our plans.
We'll have the Empire take over the Kingdom.
That seems to be the best course of action.
Let's return to the topic at hand.
The one who destroyed the Sunlit Scripture sent to the Kingdom
must have been the Sorcerer King.
Could he be an ally of Honyopnyoko, the vampire that the Black Scripture encountered?
They're both undead creatures, too.
Jaldabaoth is another powerful monster that wreaked havoc in the Kingdom
around the same time.
Sorcerer King, Honyopnyoko, and Jaldabaoth...
Why did so many powerful inhuman monsters appear in the Kingdom at the same time?
It hardly seems a coincidence.
Perhaps they are working together?
What about the adventurer, Momon?
Where did he come from?
He defeated the vampire and fought against Jaldabaoth,
but became an ally of the Sorcerer King.
So maybe the vampire and Jaldabaoth
are a separate group from the Sorcerer King and Momon.
The worst case scenario would be the four of them working together.
That scenario is highly unlikely.
Momon fought and destroyed the vampire.
Shouldn't we try to get the Sorcerer King and Momon to turn against each other first?
We should avoid involving ourselves directly.
I agree.
We have suffered heavy losses.
When Windstrider betrayed us, we lost the Crown of Wisdom and the shaman princess.
We also lost the Sunlit Scripture to the Sorcerer King.
Though the Black Scripture managed to survive, the loss of Kaire has greatly weakened it.
There is no need to roast meat in front of a sleeping dragon at a time like this.
First, we should get in contact with the Empire and gather some information.
I hope that Emperor isn't truly wagging his tail for the Sorcerer King.
Damn! You bastard! Die! Die and rot away!
No, he's an undead.
Should I curse him to live?
I've heard from a priest that you can destroy the undead with holy magic.
It's all that Sorcerer King's fault...
Come in.
Your Highness.
This mountain of paperwork... Is this all from the knights?
Yeah. The elites of the Empire all want to resign.
It seems they've lost their will to fight after the war on the Katze Plains,
spending their sleepless nights shaking in fear.
Would you like the secretaries to handle this paperwork from now on?
No.
I'm the one who allowed the knights to voice their opinions directly to me.
I can't afford to lose their support right now.
What do you need?
Yes, the merchants you hoped to hear from have contacted us.
They have?!
They have some very valuable merchandise
and would like to have an audience with you soon.
Very valuable merchandise...
So the Slane Theocracy is also wary of
the Sorcerer Kingdom and wants to cooperate with the Empire.
I'd have to ally with the Theocracy to have any chance against Ains Ooal Gown.
But it would be too dangerous to invite their messenger here.
These plans must be kept secret at all costs.
Your Highness,
you will meet the adventurers from the Silver Thread Bird in front of the colosseum?
Yes.
I'll have them guard our perimeter while I speak with the merchants.
I want them to prevent any sort of eavesdropping,
both physically and magically.
It's true that adamantite adventurers are the strongest force of mankind.
But they cannot surpass mankind's limits.
I heard that the Kingdom's adventurer, Momon, protected the people from the Sorcerer King.
The Silver Thread Bird are also adamantite adventurers.
I need them to pull this off.
Your Highness, please don't make that kind of face.
He's right. You should show your usual confident expression.
Sorry.
Can I complain just a bit, since we're alone here?
Seriously, what should I do?
Why'd a monster like that even appear?
The knights can only tremble in fear
and my strongest trump card, Fluder, defected to that side!
It's true that I asked him to cast some magic for us.
But that was because I needed to know what he was capable of
before considering any countermeasures!
Is that my fault?!
Is everything that goes wrong my fault?!
Everyone is against me!
But I don't plan to give up yet.
There must be something we can do.
Your Highness, I was next to the Sorcerer King in that battle.
He is not an entity that man can hope to defeat.
Isn't going against the Sorcerer Kingdom a foolish thing to do?
You're absolutely right.
But think about it.
If Sorcerer King wishes to destroy the Empire,
there is no guarantee of mercy, even if we surrender willingly.
That's...
That's why.
That's why I have to talk with the Slane Theocracy.
They have a longer history than our Empire.
If they have some weapon or knowledge that can give us an upper hand,
I can still put up a fight.
It is an honor to meet you.
We are the adamantite adventurer team, Silver Thread Bird.
I have heard a lot of stories about the strongest team in our Empire.
Thank you very much, Your Highness.
I am the leader and bard of our team, Freivalds.
Allow me to introduce you to the others...
Please don't sing, Leader.
It gives me goosebumps.
My apologies, Your Highness.
This is the eyes and ears of our team, Soder.
Fan Long.
He is our warrior.
And next is the one who heals our wounds...
I am called Unkei.
I see. Then he must be Powapon.
That is correct.
We will protect you, Your Highness. Please be at ease.
I'm depending on all of you today.
Your Highness, there are no magic items nearby.
I do not sense any active magic, either.
Do you have countermeasures for other kinds of eavesdropping?
I think this is already more than enough.
I see.
Good job.
I will begin a very important discussion now,
and would like all of you to stand guard outside.
It would be extremely difficult to protect Your Highness while standing outside...
I understand your worries.
But as the ruler of the Empire, this point is not negotiable.
It can't be helped.
We'll stand guard outside, then.
What kind of people will be visiting?
The head priests of the fire and wind temples, and four of their attendants.
I see. May we break the lock of the door as a safety measure?
Do it if you think it's necessary.
Oh, you can't destroy the door.
Why?
Wasn't the plan to break the door instead of the lock on accident
and end up joining them in the meeting anyway?
We won't do that this time.
I don't want to get involved in the muddy waters of politics.
Got it.
Should I drag all of you into these muddy waters with me?
As expected of adamantite adventurers...
After Fluder's betrayal,
I no longer have anyone highly skilled and knowledgeable by my side.
Help from adventurers like the Silver Thread Bird will continue to be an absolute necessity.
Things are getting exciting.
I've heard that the Warrior King will be making a rare appearance.
What a peaceful scene.
You think so?
They don't know the situation the Empire is in.
They don't know that a monster exists so close to them.
What is it?
The priests have arrived.
Fire Temple of the Empire Head Priest
Wind Temple of the Empire Head Priest
Thank you very much for your invitation.
Thank you for coming. Please come this way.
The main match is about to begin.
A inquiry from the Theocracy.
The fact that they handed me the letter personally shows how cautious they are.
Or shows how much they don't trust the Empire.
Even His Imperial Highness El Nix is in attendance for this grand match!
Everyone, please take a look at the VIP room!
Excuse me.
Thank you very much, Your Imperial Highness!
Now, everyone! We will begin the Warrior King's match!
Warrior King?
The king of warriors. It's a title given to the strongest swordsman.
The current eighth title holder is considered the strongest in history.
To the point where there haven't been many challengers lately.
Then who is fighting him today?
The match was suddenly decided, so even I don't know who it is.
It seems they've kept it a secret to garner more excitement as well.
The Warrior King is a war troll and the strongest entity in the Empire.
Is it possible to get him under the Empire's control?
I'm surprised to hear that from you, who thinks mankind is the chosen race.
Please consider it a personal opinion.
Enough talk. Please answer the questions, Your Highness.
Yes, of course.
Thank you all for waiting!
The challenger is about to enter the ring!
I'm sure everyone knows the challenger's name.
King of the Sorcerer Kingdom, His Majesty Ains Ooal Gown!
Huh?!
Ains Ooal Gown?
N-No way.
That's impossible.
Wait. This is a trap!
The Sorcerer Kingdom's trap? Or...?
No!
You decided on the meeting place, Your Highness.
That's true.
But do you think I would be in such a panic if I knew?!
You expect us to believe that?
You planned to force our involvement? Or perhaps sell us out?
No! This is a huge misunderstanding.
How did the information leak?
Maybe he knew everything from the start?
He scattered the bait and waited for me to bite.
This is bad. I need to escape!
Master Jircniv Rune Farlord El Nix.
Long time no see.
L-Long time no see, Master Gown.
I would have never expected to see you in a place like this...
I feel the same way.
Coincidence is such a scary thing.
I'm sure of it.
He's been in control of everything.
He discovered my meeting with the Theocracy and came to prevent our alliance!
On top of that, he's managed to pressure both countries...
Are these your acquaintances, Your Highness?
How nefarious!
This is a test of loyalty.
He wants to see if I'll protect the Theocracy
or ally with the Sorcerer Kingdom and sell them out!
Excuse me. I should normally introduce myself,
but a sudden emergency requires our leave.
Please ask His Highness about us at a later time.
I see. How unfortunate.
I'm sure we'll meet again.
Until then, I hope you stay in good health.
What's wrong? El Nix...
No, I should call you Master Jircniv.
You seem a bit pale? Are you feeling unwell?
No. I'm fine.
I see. The body is a treasure.
You have to take care of it.
Well, I have a match to fight, so I'll take my leave.
You tricked us.
You're wrong!
How do you explain this, then?
What have you told him?
How much did you tell him to protect your country?
Please believe me.
I really didn't give him any information!
How truly unfortunate, Your Imperial Highness.
Wait!
Please tell me the temple's opinion on the Sorcerer King!
The Sorcerer King is an evil undead.
It's unforgivable to accept that creature as a king.
That is the reason we are currently looking for a way to destroy him.
Sell us out if you must, Your Imperial Highness.
You've already fallen to the powerful demon's charm.
His wisdom greatly surpasses my own.
I'm sure that he planned for this result.
I would be extremely suspicious of this whole situation if I were in your shoes as well...
Also, the Sorcerer King has been a benevolent ruler.
The people of E-Rantel are living in peace.
Who knows how long that will last?
You may be right.
But that is why I want to warn you against any hasty actions.
And lastly, I want you to watch him fight from somewhere in the colosseum.
Please tell me if you find any way to defeat him.
May we meet again someday.
Thank you for waiting, everyone!
The strongest warrior in the Empire!
The hero of the colosseum!
Here comes the Warrior King!
I can't win against his cunning.
I can only rely on the possibilities of the human heart.
Warrior King! Try your best!