The blonde woman who had introduced herself as Shaltier... She was a slight figure, not much different in stature from Illness herself, and she wore a gentle smile. Yet, as Illness faced her, her heart was far from calm.
(I cannot believe this... What an overwhelming presence she is. I knew she was far above me, but even so, my estimation was too naive. Simply by standing there, she dominates everything. Her magic power is immense, and its flow is so beautiful it sends chills down my spine... Could she be the one rumored to be the strongest in the Demon Realm? No, the name is different. Though, it could easily be a pseudonym.)
Illness didn't even need her special eyes to understand that Shaltier possessed power on a completely different level. Illness was among the Demon Realm's elite, and because of that, she was usually able to gauge an opponent's strength simply by facing them.
Yet, she couldn't grasp the true depth of Shaltier’s power. She knew the woman was far superior to her, but she couldn't read just how deep that well went.
This was proof of the staggering disparity between them. Consequently, Illness concluded that escape was out of the question. In this moment, Shaltier held her life in the palm of her hand, and Illness had no means to resist her will.
"Now then, I’d like to know your name as well, if you don't mind?"
"...I am called Illness."
"Illness-san, is it? A pleasure to meet you. Now, I must apologize for suddenly setting a doll on you like that. I had heard rumors of your skill, and I wanted to see it for myself. My, my, what a brilliant performance. You fought masterfully."
"And for what purpose... was I tested?"
Illness understood that Shaltier had been gauging her strength. Given the way the woman had intentionally let her presence be felt at the start, Illness had already suspected as much, so the revelation didn't surprise her.
However, the ultimate goal behind the test remained unclear, and Illness’s expression remained guarded. Seeing this, Shaltier gave a wry smile and got straight to the point.
"Well then, let’s get down to business. Illness-san, would you be interested in becoming my subordinate?"
"...A subordinate, you say?"
"Yes. You see, I’m currently in the middle of trying to establish order in the Demon Realm, but I’m still quite short-handed. Looking ahead, I'm going to need a lot more followers, but there's been so much to do that recruitment fell to the bottom of the list. Even now, I really only have one subordinate, so I’m out scouting for talented people. So, what do you think? If you join now, I can guarantee you executive status."
"...Who exactly... are you?"
The question slipped out before she could stop it. The woman before her was undoubtedly the strongest being Illness had ever encountered, and she was speaking of an undertaking as grand as bringing order to the entire Demon Realm.
Yet, Illness didn't recognize the name Shaltier. Having traveled the Demon Realm for a long time, Illness had heard rumors of those who possessed such transcendent power.
Kuromueina, the so-called strongest of the Demon Realm; Megiddo, the Crimson Tyrant; Isis Remnant of the Absolute Death Domain; Lilliwood Yggdrasil of the Sanctuary of Protection; Magnawell of the Roaring Mountain Range; and Ozma of the Tempest... Kuromueina and her camp were legendary for their world-shaking strength.
She had also heard that Kuromueina was served by formidable warriors of extraordinary power who called themselves her attendants. Honestly, if this woman had been any of those individuals, Illness wouldn't have been so bewildered.
But Shaltier didn't match the descriptions of any of those rumored figures. She was an unknown entity—someone who possessed such overwhelming power that it was a mystery why Illness had never even heard a whisper of her name.
"I called myself Shaltier a moment ago, but to the outside world, I usually go by the name 'Phantasm King No Face'."
"The Phantasm King...?! You are one of those six... the 'Six Kings' I have heard of lately? I see... You certainly possess the terrifying power one would expect of a King. Judging by the names of the others, are you also an associate of Kuromueina-sama?"
"Yes, you could say that. Not bad at all... Word shouldn't have spread through the Demon Realm yet, so I’m impressed by how well-informed you are. It makes the trip out here to scout you feel worth the effort."
Illness had heard the whispers that had recently begun to circulate alongside the implementation of the Peerage-class system—rumors that the demons living in the Forbidden Land had declared themselves Kings who would rule the Demon Realm.
At first, she had thought it was little more than a tall tale. Kuromueina was recognized as the strongest by everyone, yet she had never sought to conquer, and the others were said to rarely venture beyond the Forbidden Land.
However, over the last century, the High-ranking Demons who had built their legacies of infamy across the realm had been all but annihilated. Recently, the idea that these six demons stood at the pinnacle of the world was becoming impossible to ignore.
"...I see. It is a great honor that you would seek me out personally, but... what exactly do you want from me?"
"Well, that’s naturally the part you’d be most curious about. Let’s sit down and discuss the job and the benefits, shall we?"
Though questions about Shaltier’s true nature remained, Illness understood why the woman had come. She decided to listen to the details.
Since escape was impossible, she didn't really have a choice in the matter... but as Illness signaled her assent, Shaltier began to explain the role with an air of high spirits.