Strategy Meeting

The Holy Principality of Ames had no King or Emperor to call a leader. Instead, we were guided by the High Priest—a Duke and the head of our clergy—who developed our nation by acting as the mouthpiece for the voice of God.

In this land, the word of God was absolute.

To defy God was to brand oneself an enemy. It was as simple as that.

And now, a new enemy had emerged.

"Ah... this is truly divine. It’s a tool fit for the gods..."

I, Marina Ames, daughter of the current High Priest, lay sprawled across my bed. I had several Mock Refrigerator units positioned around my room, their doors standing wide open to let the cold spill out.

Our country had a natural affinity for fire Magic Power, which meant the temperature remained stiflingly high year-round. Because of this, calling the Mock Refrigerator a "divine tool" wasn't an exaggeration—even if my current way of using them was a far cry from their intended purpose.

"To think he would send such precious items... I really must be grateful to Duke Lousouth."

Usually, I maintained a sharp, dignified poise, but here in the privacy of my room, I was a total mess. My long, lustrous platinum-blonde hair, typically kept in perfect order, was currently a disheveled nest.

I sat up, hugging a nearby cushion as I felt a scowl cross my face.

"Honestly, to think someone would try to attack the Muller Company—the very source of these divine tools. This Yuri Lousouth is an utter deviant. A true Holy Enemy."

The letter from the Duke that had accompanied the gifts was quite clear:

The Muller Company in the Gessru Viscounty is the distributor of these Magic Tools. My son, Yuri, has forced that company—an institution equal to God—into closure. I wish to impose sanctions to ensure the Muller Company can resume business. I intend to avoid an all-out war, so I ask: will you lend me your aid?

The moment I read those words, a shock ran through me.

He destroyed God? Is he a... a Demon?

Of course, I couldn't just take one man's word for it, even a Duke's. My father, the High Priest, had immediately dispatched messengers to the Gessru Viscounty and Alf Village.

In Gessru, we confirmed the Muller Company building was a hollow shell, abandoned in haste. The Gessru Lord and local merchants confirmed the Alan family had vanished without a trace. In Alf Village, our scouts witnessed Yuri Lousouth firsthand—a man who sheltered Beastmen and had ruthlessly crushed the Demon Race without a second thought.

The evidence was damning. The letter was true.

Still, it was strange. Why would the Staff Officer of the Kingdom of Inraku ask for outside help with his own son? Normally, a country handles its own filth.

But if the target was his own blood, perhaps he wanted to settle it quietly, keeping his own hands clean while we did the dirty work. Geographically, it was also faster for us to strike that land than for the Royal Capital to send a force. These "divine tools" were clearly hush money.

Alf Village was a "blank space" on the map—a patch of dirt no nation truly wanted. Formally, it was part of the Kingdom of Inraku, but they had neglected it for years. Losing it wouldn't hurt them.

Father confirmed once more that this wouldn't spark a war with the Duke. Lousouth gave his word. Since the Holy Principality was currently reeling from heat-induced crop failures, we signed a secret contract: we would invade Alf Village in exchange for food supplies.

Everything would go according to the Duke's script.

"There is no room for debate. Yuri Lousouth is a Demon reborn. He is the Holy Enemy of our God!"

I stood before my believers, my voice ringing with conviction. Behind me stood a statue of the Divine, flanked by several Mock Refrigerator units.

"We cannot permit such blasphemy against the heavens!"

"Ohh!" the crowd roared.

"Furthermore, he has turned that land into a den where Humans, Beastman Race, Kijin Race, and Dwarf Race coexist in filth. To disregard the racial boundaries ordained by God is an unforgivable sin!"

It was pure sophistry, of course. Deep down, my motivation was much simpler: Yuri, you dared to threaten the supply of these divine refrigerators. For that, you must die.

And so, I began the march toward Alf Village, a crusade to "liberate" the company of the Mock Refrigerator.

---

Back in the Huge Beast Kingdom, I, Guiche, couldn't stand the thought of Elu living peacefully in some foreign land.

"How is that pathetic brat still breathing?!" I roared.

"W-we don't know, my Prince. Someone must have intervened on Elu-sama's behalf—"

"Tch. I don't give a damn who it was. And my old man... 'Don't lay a hand on Elu,' he says. Well, I haven't laid a finger on them myself, have I?"

I slammed my fist into the table. It split down the middle like kindling. The Beastman standing before me turned pale, trembling as if he expected my next strike to land on his head.

"Exactly so, Prince. The King is... well, he’s a bit soft when it comes to Elu-sama..."

"You think so too?"

The soldier nodded frantically. I let out a satisfied grunt.

"Right? The old man has gone soft. A weakling has no business being royalty. It’s time for a change."

"Precisely," a voice drifted from the shadows behind my men.

"Who’s there?!"

I stood up, pinning the intruder with a predatory glare. It was a man of the Demon Race I’d never seen before.

"Forgive the intrusion. I am Satana. I have been sent by a certain individual to offer you my strength."

"I don't need help from—"

Before I could finish, Satana’s claws were at my throat. If he’d had the killing intent to match his speed, I’d be a corpse. A bead of sweat rolled down my face.

"I trust you understand my utility now," he said smoothly.

"Tch. If you’re that strong, why play servant? You should just take over your own kind."

"You joke. My master is the only one I serve, now and forever."

"Which means your boss is even scarier than you." I raised my hands in a mock gesture of surrender. "Fine. What does this guy want from me?"

"Nothing, really. I was simply told to be your sword."

"That makes even less sense. What does he get out of this?"

"Nothing in particular. He simply wishes for things to be as they should be. That is his desire."

"I see. A King making sure the world stays in order, eh? Fine. I’ll bite. But once this is over, you’re taking me to meet this 'master' of yours."

"I shall relay your request when the time comes."

I felt a dark grin spread across my face as I mapped out my path to the throne.

"First things first. I’m going to crush Elu—that fawning little bitch—into the dirt."

Driven by the whispers of a stranger, I began gathering my forces to march on Alf Town.

---

Inside the main inn of Alf Town, the leadership had gathered for an emergency meeting. I, Sasha, looked around the room at the grim faces of our allies.

"We’re opening the emergency strategy meeting," I announced, trying to keep my voice steady. "Totto-san, please give us the situation report."

Totto stood up, his expression hard. "The Demon Race is mobilizing to wipe us out. The commander is Dibro—the man known as the Demon Lord's Body Double."

"Leave that one to me," Lucille interrupted, a cold smile on her lips. "The failures of my subordinates are my responsibility."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Who do you think I am? I am a Demon Lord in a world where power is the only law."

She stopped suppressing her Magic Power. The sheer pressure of it began to leak out, filling the room with an agonizing weight. I felt like I was being crushed, but I forced myself to take a deep breath. Yuri wasn't here. I had to be strong.

"Understood. We’ll leave him to you, Lucille-san. But just in case, Ren-san, I want you to head there as well once you've finished messaging my brother."

"Wait, me?" Ren blinked in surprise.

"Yes. Lucille-san is famous among the Demon Race. If they're still attacking despite knowing she’s here, they must have a trump card. I need you there to scout it. Your magic is the fastest way to get word back to us."

"Fair enough. I'm on it."

"A 'trump card' will be meaningless before my might," Lucille scoffed.

"I hope so," I replied. "Truly."

I turned to our next guest. "Kamil-san, your turn."

"Right. Guiche, the First Prince of the Beast Kingdom, is moving to eliminate Elu. My scouts confirmed that weapons and supplies are funneling toward his camp as we speak."

"Wait," Totto interjected. "Prince Guiche is a monster in combat. Do we actually have anyone who can go toe-to-toe with him?"

Silence followed.

"I guess that’s my cue," Emma said, breaking the tension. "I know I’m still training, but with the Hero title and this Stone Sword, Ishino-calibur, I should be able to hold him off."

She raised the stone blade high. It was just a hunk of rock Fritz had made, identical to his own, but the way she held it gave the room a glimmer of hope.

"Um... we want to go too," Elu said, raising a small hand.

"We're in as well," Kamil added. "It’s our fight."

"Very well," I said. "The defense against the Beast Kingdom will be handled by Emma-san, Elu-san, and the Beastman volunteers. But please—don't try to win a head-on war. This is a stalling action. We just need to buy time until Big Brother gets back."

"But I can still take him out if the chance pops up, right?" Emma chirped with a dangerous smile.

"Don't push it. Please." I gave her a firm look before turning to the rest of the room. "The rest of us will prepare for the Holy Principality of Ames. We’ll distribute the Mercenary units evenly across all fronts."

The plan was set. Ren immediately began casting his teleportation magic to find Yuri.

---

"Wait... what?"

I, Ren, stared at the horizon. I had teleported to the coordinates for the Sage's Tower, but all I found was a flat, empty wasteland. There wasn't even a pebble out of place.

Did I mess up the coordinates? Or is there a Barrier hiding the place?

I looked around, but there was no sign of a structure for miles. Teleportation failure was possible, but I was usually more precise than this.

"Guess I’ll have to scout the area on foot."

I didn't realize that my coordinates were actually perfect. The Sage's Tower had been standing exactly where I was a few hours ago. Oblivious to the fact that Yuri had literally blown the entire building away, I began my long, lonely trek through the dirt.