by Fuse
“Given the timing,” Shuna asked as she traced my line of thought, “isn’t it clear Hinata is connected to this other person?”
That only strengthened my suspicion.
“Well, honestly, I really don’t think Hinata was taking orders from someone, but what do you think? Even if she was connected to that someone, d’you think she’d take orders from him?”
“““?!”””
I heard a couple gasps from the audience.
That woman didn’t bother listening to a word I said. Why would she listen to a request, or especially an order, from anyone else?
“Good point, pal,” Kaijin replied. “She’s captain of the Crusaders; who would she ever take orders from? The only one she’d ever listen to is the god Luminus herself. I mean, everybody knows that not even the Church leader can corral her; am I right?”
If Hinata answered to nothing but divinity, that put her at the top of the Church ladder. That eliminated the “operating on orders” idea.
“Yeah, you see? She sure didn’t listen to me at all. I really can’t imagine her taking orders.”
Which meant, if you looked at it the other way, if we could convince Hinata fighting was a bad idea, we didn’t have to clash with the Church at all.
“Orders from no one, huh?” mused Benimaru.
“So,” added Shuna, “the attack timing was just a coincidence?”
“Or something the Church took very keen advantage of,” Diablo muttered—a very demon-like theory, but it made sense. I couldn’t imagine Hinata being taken advantage of, but it was still a possibility.
“Perhaps Diablo is right, and someone was inspiring Hinata to do what she did. The mystery mastermind may be involved, too. But…”
“But you doubt said mastermind was in a position to order her around?”
“Exactly,” I said, nodding at Diablo.
Benimaru closed his eyes, considering my suggestion. “So this mastermind drove Farmus to action, manipulated Clayman, and tried to destroy our nation. But he didn’t have that kind of free control over Hinata, then…?”
“Does that mean, Sir Rimuru, you don’t expect any moves from the Western Holy Church at this time?”
“That’s the thing, Diablo…”
I couldn’t answer his question.
From her point of view, it should’ve been clear to Hinata that we, and the Church, should avoid being enemies. I clearly stated that in my message to her—I didn’t want to oppose them at all, and since we had a disaster-class threat in me and a catastrophe-class one in Veldora, Hinata couldn’t be stupid enough to take on Tempest. Just look at the stakes; she would accomplish nothing. Even if she won, all she’d earn from it was more fame, and that wouldn’t nearly make up for the massive losses the Church would face. It just wasn’t sane to wage war if you had nothing to gain from it. Hinata didn’t like listening to people, but she had to see that, at least.
But I still had my concerns. There was this certain annoying dragon thing next to me mumbling “Luminus… This god’s name was Luminus? I feel like I’ve heard that before” and so on, which kept interrupting my train of thought, but I still had my concerns.
“Hinata told me that we were a ‘bother’ to her. That’s because the teachings of the Holy Church—of Luminism—dictate that life alongside monsters is impossible. But that might not be the whole story…”
Why did Hinata call us a bother? Because Luminism refused to acknowledge us. But if that was the only reason, it just didn’t seem rational of her—or to put it another way, it wasn’t like Hinata at all. There had to be something else. And while this is the exact opposite of what I just said, what if there was some mastermind behind it all? Someone besides Hinata, who also sees us as a bother to their plans? What would that someone want?
Report. There is an increased possibility that multiple motives are at place. All these events are interconnected. However, it is estimated that they are not all occurring by the will of a single entity.
Um, meaning…?
Understood. Considering the nations, people, factions, and other factors involved, several goals can be categorized. These goals may seem to match one another at first glance, but several contradictions are present as well. It would be unnatural to unify everything under the banner of a single mastermind.
So it’s not just one mastermind. That’s the core of it, and hearing it that way, it made sense.
Clayman was being controlled by another part of the cabal, then? Ah yes. That did make sense, if you thought about it. They simply worked together for a common goal; Clayman wasn’t following any specific orders or anything. Maybe they were just giving each other little suggestions or shoves in the right direction. In fact, Hinata might not have been involved with him at all.
It did seem more natural to assume more than one player was running around. Plus, if these factions changed, some players may no longer want to put up a fight. That’s how international politics worked; it wasn’t something that operated on passing emotions.
So…
To Clayman, we were nothing but a bother—but at the same time, he tried to take advantage of us. He would’ve loved it if Hinata and I knocked each other out.
To Farmus, I, as overseer of Tempest, was a bother. They didn’t want to destroy us; they wanted us to fall under their rule. They hoped Hinata would take me out and would’ve loved it if she had.
So where does Hinata’s heart lie? In terms of being a Luminism adherent, she wasn’t about to ignore a monster nation.
These were the three frames of mind that drove the whole situation—and in the end, I fled from Hinata, Farmus retreated, and Clayman died. Which brings us to now.
The situation that attracted these masterminds in the first place had changed. Clayman was gone, and the “person” behind him must’ve been busy reconstructing what little fighting force he had left.
Would this guy still want to directly fight me?
Understood. The possibility of taking such action is likely low. If the mastermind’s powers exceeded Clayman’s, he would have become involved well ahead of when he did. Even if he was preserving his own powers this entire time, involvement would mean little by now, after such a grave strategic defeat.
So there’s no reason to come after me. Not like this guy in the shadows would decide to go reveal himself now, long after the fact. Whether he wanted to make a comeback or not, he knew a frontal assault on me definitely wasn’t the way to do it.
What about the other factions?
King Edmaris was off the throne, his ambitions crushed. The new king was doing…something, and there were those among the administration who certainly wished us harm. We were a bother to them, no doubt, and there was a good chance they hadn’t given up on taking us out of the picture. But Diablo was watching them. If they were trying to become a new mastermind, they were sure taking their time with it. I doubted they were a threat, although you couldn’t declare them down for the count. Maybe someone among them was hiding a darker, more sinister aspect. This is why dealing with human beings is such a pain sometimes.
The Western Holy Church was being completely opaque. Judging by Reyhiem’s missing-in-action status, things must’ve been pretty chaotic in there. Was Hinata struggling to cope with this, too? If she didn’t have a clear and present reason to oppose us, there wasn’t much reason to take action. But what if she does take action? It’d mean something was forcing her hand.
Report. It must not be forgotten that there is a high possibility of multiple people working in the background.
Yeah. Good point. And if there were, whether Hinata wanted it or not, things could keep on moving forward. Guess optimism right now wasn’t such a good idea.
“Perhaps, because there are multiple interests at stake here, we should work on the assumption that it is not solely Hinata’s decision to make?”
Diablo must’ve arrived at largely the same conclusion I had.
“Well said, Diablo. I was just about to say th
at myself.”
It was Raphael who saved my ass, of course, but no need to reveal that much. Maybe Diablo’s a hell of a lot smarter than I thought? I was using Mind Accelerate to rev up my brain a million times ahead of normal, and Diablo had arrived at the same conclusion at roughly the same time. Without Raphael, I’d be eating his dust.
“Heh-heh-heh-heh… In that case, we had best keep a close eye on the Western Holy Church’s meddling this time, as well.”
He pretty much was already, I knew, so maybe the warning I was about to make didn’t really matter. Still, the rest of my team deserved to hear it.
“We might just be making a big mistake, though.”
“How so?” Benimaru asked. The rest of my cabinet was watching me closely, too. I definitely needed us all on the same page here.
“Like Diablo just said, there might be more than one ‘man upstairs.’ Chances are that the current status quo is the result of multiple interests working on the same playing field. This time, too, different players are after different goals, so we shouldn’t assume our opposition is all gonna act the same way, you know?”
My team nodded their approval. If that explanation was enough to get my point across, they’re pretty damn quick on the uptake, too. Except for Gobta, given how he was napping at the moment. That was almost a relief to see. He’s still getting punished later, though.
“And you think these multiple interests are linked with the one Clayman spoke of?”
“I don’t know, Benimaru. But we can’t decide on anything yet. Working on unfounded assumptions when there’s not enough data is dangerous, I think.”
I shrugged. Being in my slime state, it just looked like a few ripples pulsing across my body.
“That’d make sense, though,” Kaijin added, convinced. “Like, if Hinata was moving based on obligations, not necessarily orders.”
“Heh-heh-heh-heh… In that case, I will investigate further. It was the merchants who provided Edmaris and his ministers with their information, but thinking about it, that should have raised my suspicions.”
That struck a chord.
“Hang on. The merchants…?”
“Is something bothering you, Sir Rimuru?”
“Well, I mean, Farmus invaded us to boost their coffers. War has a way of moving money around, and you always have people trying to profit off it. Maybe some of the merchants are working behind the scenes to get a piece of that action?”
“I see…”
That was another point we’d overlooked. Our enemies might not be vast nations with huge armies at their control. Ultimately, both now and in the distant past, it was greed that led to animosity between peoples. And as long as money could be exchanged for power, the merchants needed to be monitored as well.
I leaped off my seat, taking human form and surveying the audience. Then I began to hand out orders.
“Shuna, examine the account books we recovered from Clayman’s castle and see which merchants were frequent visitors.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Diablo, pin down some of Farmus’s civil servants and figure out which merchants they have the closest ties with.”
“At once, my master.”
“Benimaru, I want you to double-check your selections for the force we’re sending as Yohm’s reinforcements. They’ll need to be prepared for anything.”
“Not a problem.”
“Rigurd, I’m leaving you in charge of town. We’re going to hold a festival for the ages, so get the place prepared for it.”
“No need to tell me twice!”
“Geld, don’t worry about any of what we just talked about. Just focus on your own work. If we get in serious trouble, we’ll come to you then, so just trust me for the time being, okay?”
“Of course. Nobody in this realm would ever distrust you.”
“Hakuro, you assist Benimaru. Gabil, work with Rigurd. Rigur, shake down our entire security system. We need to be prepared for all the races we’ll be hosting soon!”
“On it!”
“Yes sir!”
“All set!”
“And, Shion, um… You be my guard! Yeah, that!”
“Absolutely!”
Clearly, I was on a roll. I gave Ranga a pat on the head as I smiled, satisfied. This should work; everyone can handle their own business now.
“And what of myself?”
“Oh yeah, uh, Veldora, stay out of everyone’s way.”
“It shall be done!”
I doubted it. Him, I’ll need to keep a personal eye on. Oh, and…
“Gobta, I know you’re tired out, but come see me in my office.”
“Gahh!”
Seeing my smile first thing after I shook him awake must’ve spooked him a little.
Ah well. Even after becoming a demon lord, these meetings never seemed to change very much.
CHAPTER 3
THE SAINT’S ANTICIPATION
On that day, the world knew true terror once more. Veldora, the Storm Dragon, was reborn.
It had been formally revealed by the Western Holy Church, not long after the Guild announced the most recent missive from the demon lords. They had gone from ten to eight, forming an Octagram, and this alone was enough to spread chaos worldwide. It wasn’t long before the kings of all nations were faced with vast, headache-inducing changes in the world situation—changes that would continue for days on end.
The Western Holy Church itself was experiencing unrest like none in recent memory.
Several days after Hinata Sakaguchi’s battle with Rimuru, contact with Archbishop Reyhiem was cut off as he accompanied his kingdom’s military deployment. He was required to submit regular reports, and if those reports were missing, something must have been going wrong with the Tempest invasion.
When informed of this, Hinata immediately decided that a personal visit to Tempest was in order. But just as she did, she received a divine missive to guard the cathedral instead. Veldora, the Storm Dragon, was the reason. Thus, despite expecting her Crusader forces to assemble before her shortly, she was prevented from deploying when she wanted to.
Exactly who this proved to benefit the most was a question worthy of debate. An unprepared Hinata challenging Veldora to a duel would surely result in defeat. If she was aware of the dragon’s presence, however, and could devise a lucid strategy for invading Tempest, that nation could very well be taken while Rimuru was still absent.
Tempest was Hinata’s ultimate goal, not Veldora, and with the powers she had on tap, she could have made simple work of it. The ball was in her court—but only if she gave due consideration to Veldora’s subsequent moves and Rimuru’s own reactions to them. Either way, though, both sides managed to avoid the worst for themselves.
It was a city enveloped in a calming light, a holy metropolis protected by a divine barrier.
This barrier had been the subject of research over many years, adjusted and perfected until it boasted the highest level of protection in the land. It prevented all outside enemies from invading, dutifully fulfilling that obligation for the past thousand years. It was, in a way, the personification of the prayers of everyone who lived inside it. It could even block out the sun itself, automatically adjusting the light levels inside the bubble as needed—brighter by day, dimmer by night. The temperature inside was kept at a near constant all year, producing cooler summers and warmer winters, while the compartmentalized farmlands inside could produce seasonal crops at almost any time.
It was a utopia, one whose residents never had to worry about starvation. Every child received a level of compulsory education, and every adult was provided with a job. Its society had achieved complete harmony, its paradise monitored by the law and order that ruled over it.
This was Lune, the Holy City, capital of the Holy Empire of Lubelius. The day after the last Walpurgis, Hinata was walking the path toward its main cathedral. The surrounding air was pleasantly warm, tempered by the solemnity of the atmosphere. This land was a bountiful one. No on
e starved; there were no beggars at the side of the streets. Everyone was provided a suitable role, carrying it out to the fullest. They all awoke to the same bells and slept at the same time. The more capable of the laborers assisted the less able. And all was managed in perfect harmony, guaranteeing the happiness of every citizen that lived and breathed inside.
It was an ideal, equal society, one granted under the name of their god, and the city spread out before her eyes was the completed, physical form of that ideal.
Hinata observed the faces of the people passing by. They were all smiles, each looking calm and serene. But something concerned her.
To her, this holy land was truly the ideal city. It was her lofty goal to make the Western Nations, and eventually the whole world, a peaceful, war-free society. She craved a land where the strong no longer had to prey upon the weak to survive. Reality, however, was all too bleak. The Kingdom of Englesia and the Holy Empire of Lubelius were far, far too different from each other. It made Hinata doubt herself every time. The freedom of Englesia, the harmony of Lubelius. Two nations that seemed to contradict each other in every way, from their political systems to their core principles.
And nothing made the difference as stark as the looks on the children in each land. She could hear some of them near the educational facilities built adjacent to the cathedral. A few of them, perhaps late for class, were running down the pathway toward the building, the faster ones pulling the arms of the laggards. It was a common sight, certainly not cause for alarm. But Hinata could spot the disparity present in the picture.
What was Englesia like? She recalled what she saw there. It was morning at the time when she spotted children smiling as they wriggled past the school gate just before the morning bell. Anyone caught dawdling before it was closed would no doubt face a lecture from their instructors shortly. Here, though, those who made it in time taunted the stragglers, beaming proudly. Now what would have happened if they tried running hand in hand, like in Lubelius? The answer was clear—they’d all wind up late, facing the headmaster’s wrath. She knew this was a silly yardstick to make comparisons with. The kids could avoid all this if they just woke up a few minutes earlier. But she couldn’t stop thinking about it.