Achievement Report

Emilina had come to the King to report the successful completion of her mission, but the response she received left her simmering with indignation.

"Why won't you acknowledge the Demon Lord’s subjugation?!"

"Because there isn't a single shred of evidence to prove it, apparently," the official replied. "They claim that a report without proof can be fabricated as easily as breathing."

"It was a brutal, blood-soaked struggle to the death! There’s no way evidence of the kill could have survived that!"

In reality, it had been an accidental death caused by the Sage’s Tower falling on him. Furthermore, that Demon Lord had merely been a Body Double; the real one was currently back at the dining hall, nonchalantly stuffing his face with snacks. Emilina chose to put those inconvenient facts out of her mind.

Somewhere along the way, her memories had shifted, replaced by a mental image of Yuri barely clinching a narrow victory against the Demon Lord’s Body Double.

"I’m sure that’s true, but even so—"

"I understand," Emilina cut him off. "If you require proper evidence, I shall bring it to you when it is eventually found."

There was no point in arguing. The person in front of her was just a middleman sent to deliver a message; yelling at him was a waste of breath.

However, Emilina had a reason to be impatient.

If I let things drift along at this pace, Lord Yuri will be snatched up by the Holy Principality of Ames. If they offer him the seat of a God-King in a major power, he would likely...

The Holy Principality might technically be capable of forming the kind of multi-racial nation Emilina envisioned, but they had a deep-seated tendency to loathe anything of the Demon Race. Even if a divine decree solved the problem on the surface, the Demon Race would never willingly approach the Principality in the first place.

As long as they remained in opposition, true peace was a distant fantasy.

If Lord Yuri had founded his own country first and then ascended as a God, I could have brought it in as a Subordinate State...

The complications didn't end there. Negotiations to hand over an entire country would naturally take a long time, so she still had some breathing room on that front. The other problem, however, was far more pressing.

"The visit to the Beast Kingdom... It seems I should go after all."

If the Beast King took a liking to Yuri, he might try to adopt him into the family as a son-in-law. Even if he didn't, Elu already seemed quite fond of him. An engagement during this upcoming visit was a very real possibility.

Every gear in her plan had ground to a halt because of this one unexpected development: the refusal to recognize their independence despite the mission’s success. Had that gone smoothly, everything would have been perfect.

"This petty, persistent interference... I know exactly who's behind this."

It was the same person who had fought tooth and nail against Emilina’s appointment as the Saint. Yuri’s own older sister, Miranda Lousouth.

She was undoubtedly pulling the strings from the shadows. Emilina only recognized the handiwork because she had been the target of Miranda's relentless harassment in the past. True to form, the woman wasn't getting her own hands dirty. She had likely whispered a single sentence to her inner circle, and her entourage had scurried to do the rest.

"Is it quite alright to proceed without evidence?"—that was exactly the sort of thing she would say.

"If she’s making a move, it might be too much for me to handle alone. This territory needs talented people anyway... perhaps I should call her in as well."

Emilina flashed a bright, sharp smile and immediately began to pen a letter.

◇　◆　◇

To the north of Alf Town, beyond a range of jagged mountains, lay the Dragunov Empire. Surrounded on all sides by mountains, this natural fortress had spent years focused entirely on internal growth without the threat of invasion, ballooning into a major power in the blink of an eye.

Their military might far eclipsed the Kingdom of Inraku; they were the only nation capable of standing against the Demon Kingdom entirely on their own. They were also the only nation that had ignored Balan’s call to arms.

Inside an office within the castle of the Imperial Capital Greedos, Emperor Alberude Dragunov V let out a boisterous laugh as he listened to the report on the failed raid.

"Hahaha! To think a backwater village of insects didn't just endure a three-nation assault, but actually repelled it?"

"Do you think the invaders grew careless, Sire?"

"Carelessness doesn't explain a rout like that. No, there's likely someone there with power that defies logic."

Emperor Alberude grinned. The Empire’s strength wasn't just due to its geography; it was because the Emperor was obsessed with headhunting elite talent. As a result, the country boasted a staggering number of individuals with extraordinary abilities.

"I want them. That person."

"Shall we dispatch an investigation team as usual?"

"Exactly. Summon Lark and Gale!"

"At once, Sire."

The aide bowed and hurried out. He returned a few hours later, accompanied by a young man and an elderly man.

"Yeah, yeah, what do you want?" the youth asked.

"This had better be worth interrupting my research," the old man added.

The two were borderline insolent in the presence of the Emperor, but Alberude didn't seem to mind.

"I'm glad you're here. I have a job for you."

"Ho. If you’re calling us out, that means—"

"...A recruitment mission, I take it?"

"Precisely. And if anyone’s going, it ought to be you two."

"Tch, just some grunt work!" Lark spat.

"Now, now. The Emperor will be increasing our research budget for the trouble, won't he?"

"Naturally. And if the recruitment is successful, I'll add a bonus on top of that."

Gale, the old man, let out a predatory grin. "Understood. We'll bring them back, even if we have to use force."

"If the old man’s going, I guess I'm in too. As long as the body’s still intact, we're good, right?" Lark asked.

"That's plenty. If they can't survive the trip, I have no use for them."

"True," Gale chuckled. "It's only natural that our target should be able to brush off an Attack from the Ninth Rank."

"Oh? You want to test that theory right now, Gale? You're only the Sixth Rank, you old fossil!"

"If you're going to brawl, do it elsewhere," the Emperor interrupted. "Other factions may already be moving to secure this asset. Get moving."

"So, where are we heading?"

"The Lord of a rural village in the neighboring Kingdom of Inraku."

"...A place like that has someone on our level?" Lark asked, his bravado wavering for a split second.

Gale’s voice dropped, turning uncharacteristically grim. "...Are you sure the two of us will be enough?"

"What’s that supposed to mean?" Lark snapped.

"You really don't know a thing, do you? That's why you're stuck at Ninth."

"That's it, old man! I'm gonna kill you!"

"Knock it off," the Emperor barked. "We have zero intel right now. Focus on information gathering first, then make contact and attempt the recruitment."

"Fine. But the moment it feels like we're stepping on a tiger's tail, we're pulling out. Got it?"

"I’ll leave that to your discretion. I have intel that the target is heading for the Beast Kingdom. Just keep this in mind: if the rumors are true, this person possesses power equivalent to the Third Rank or higher."

"Wh-What?! You're talking about a total monster!"

"That's what I've been telling you," Gale sighed. "Push too hard, and we're the ones who'll be screaming."

Lark’s eyes lit up with a manic glint. "Now that sounds interesting! I’ll carve him up!"

"...Is it too late to ask for someone with a bit more composure?" Gale asked the Emperor.

"You know the rest of the Single Digits. You two are the most stable ones I've got."

"Point taken. Fine. Let's go, Ninth."

"Hey! Don't you give me orders!" Lark shouted, chasing after the older man.

The Emperor watched them go, a shadow crossing his face. "I hope this works, but I have a bad feeling. They're prone to going off the rails... I'd better put the Third Rank, the Puppeteer, in motion just in case."

The Empire, silent until now, had finally begun to move. Yuri was now faced with the looming pressure of five neighboring nations all closing in at once.

This concludes Chapter 2.