【The Monster Attack That Plunged the Empire into Chaos—Was the Demon King of Hellfire Responsible?】

【Duke Osrian: “The Demon King of Hellfire Is Evil. He Must Be Killed...”】

【The Rain of Monsters That Engulfed Britan—Is Someone Else Behind It?】

【Heroes: “A Demon King Who Descended Less Than Two Years Ago Could Not Possibly Have Done This Alone...”】

【A Night of Nightmares: Briant, the Black Toad Trading Company, Monsters, and the Demon King of Hellfire】

【What Is the Expedition Sent to Erjest Doing...?】

【Hillen Cargill Raises Doubts: “Was It Really the Demon King of Hellfire? Keeping Hostages Somewhere Other Than the Summit Means He Has Compromised. Why Would Someone Like That Suddenly Resort to Such Extreme Measures?”】

【“No Demon King Can Be Trusted. Hellfire Is Nothing Special—They Are All the Same.” Growing Calls to Subjugate All Demon Kings, Not Just Hellfire...】

The incident Berge had caused made banner headlines day after day.

He smiled as he looked through the newspapers. Thanks to Ernyan, public hostility that had been focused on him was gradually spreading.

【Jespine Empire Proposes Temporary Alliance to Subjugate the Demon King of Hellfire】

Some articles displeased him, but this was only to be expected.

'Just as I thought. Jason's connections are the First Prince and House Osrian.'

Since the Black Toad Trading Company also served under Osrian, he could now be absolutely certain.

'I'd like nothing better than to wreak havoc again, but...'

Once he decided to fight an opponent, he had to press the attack without pause. That was Berge's way.

But not right now. If he did something else now, it would only fuel the anger toward him.

The demonic energy points that would bring were welcome, but he did not want that anger to swallow up the suspicions that would fall on Jason.

Yes, that could wait until later. For now, the best he could do was use a little wind magic to fan the flames among the humans.

Above all...

'There it is.'

He had an immediate problem to deal with, too.

Berge brushed his hand over the vibrating communication orb. He felt a faint chill.

『Berge Deias!』

The Demon King of Bitter Cold, who had unwittingly lent a hand in Berge's rampage, roared.

* * *

“This is madness. Utter, absolute madness!”

“Calm down first.”

“How can you expect me to be calm!”

CRAAACK!

She slammed her hand onto the table. White frost enveloped it.

“No one saw the monsters frozen. The humans don't know you helped.”

“That is not the problem! The hatred and anger toward you reach even here. Across the continent, voices are calling for your death—and for the subjugation of every Demon King after you.”

“I know.”

“What, what possessed you to do this? Was it a mistake to trust you?”

Surely he had not done it simply to gather vast amounts of negative emotion?

Reina regretted it. She should never have given him those magic orbs. Had she known what would happen, she would never have cooperated.

Her gaze turned cold.

“So this is how you repay my hopes and my mercy.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Sorry? The flames you have kindled will spread beyond you and engulf me and every other Demon King.”

“I can't promise you won't suffer any harm at all. But I can assure you it won't develop into a major problem.”

“What does that mean?”

“Their anger will focus on Jason and me.”

Reina closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. After calming her emotions, she opened them again.

“Explain in detail. Convince me.”

“There is a trading company I've been sponsoring.”

“A trading company?”

“Yes. You know Jason involves himself in human affairs. I was taking a similar approach.”

“... And?”

“That company was attacked recently.”

“What does that have to do with this?”

“Apparently, some of the Beast's demons were among the attackers.”

“... Drakson is dead.”

“Yes, he is. But can you be certain every last beastman was wiped out then?”

“... Ugar...”

“Even if Ugar took beastmen as servants, he's keeping quiet in his tower now. He doesn't have the nerve to send beastmen out to cause trouble for no reason.”

“... Jason.”

“Yes, Jason. At least, that's what I think.”

Berge's explanation did not end there.

“To return to the company, it suffered losses, but somehow repelled the attack. Soon afterward, though, another trading company picked a fight with it and brought it to the brink of ruin.”

“Another trading company?”

“That company had ties to House Osrian in the Empire. And beyond them, to the First Prince.”

And...

“That First Prince is Jason's ultimate connection among humans.”

“... The First Prince? Then that means...”

“You could say Jason was scheming to destroy my company.”

“That is a stretch. Even if you sponsored the company, how would Jason know it was yours...?”

“What money did I have to sponsor a trading company? Jason was the one who lent me money in exchange for demonic energy points.”

“... Are you certain the First Prince has ties to Jason?”

“I, for one, was convinced. So I borrowed your power to attack the company's headquarters.”

That was the attack now setting the continent ablaze.

“Even so...”

“Jason reacted not long afterward. Very strongly, too. It was the first time I'd ever seen that constant smile disappear from his face.”

“... What?”

“He said he'd kill me. He said he'd concentrate all the anger that had spread to every Demon King on me alone and make me a scapegoat. That was how he would save the others.”

“...!”

“Do you understand? This isn't a war between humans and Demon Kings.”

It was between him, Berge Deias, and Jason Cockmundo.

“It's war.”

* * *

NEIGH!

A horse snorted violently. A knight following behind opened the carriage door.

“We have arrived, Your Highness.”

“My first visit to Traparta.”

Rufus stepped out of the carriage.

“Allow me to escort you.”

“Thank you.”

Rufus surveyed his surroundings briefly. Dozens of carriages stood in orderly rows. The crests adorning them belonged to the peoples who had built civilizations on this continent.

“It seems everyone has arrived.”

“I greet Your Highness, the First Prince of the Jespine Empire. I am Doris, deputy commander of the Lotus Knights.”

“A pleasure.”

“I will show you to the banquet hall.”

“Lead on.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Doris bowed, swallowing hard. Perhaps from nerves, cold sweat trickled down.

'Damn... The Black Dragon Knights?'

The crest engraved on the armor of the carriage's escorts was a black dragon, so vivid it seemed ready to spring to life.

It was too famous not to recognize: the Black Dragon Knights, one of the Empire's five swords.

Sending the First Prince and a symbol of the Empire to a mere conference showed just how much importance the Empire placed on this matter.

'I hope my people don't cause any trouble.'

Doris had warned them beforehand, but the presence of the Black Dragon Knights, honed as sharp as a blade, still set nerves on edge.

Fortunately, no trouble arose, and the First Prince reached the prepared conference hall without incident.

Just before the doors opened, Doris fulfilled the duty at hand.

“You may bring only two knights into the banquet hall.”

“...”

Doris met the First Prince's eyes and felt the gaze of the Black Dragon Knights' commander behind him.

Cold sweat broke out unbidden. Doris nearly reached for a sword.

“Very well.”

Fortunately, the First Prince readily agreed. Then the doors opened.

“His Highness Rufus Jespine, First Prince of the Jespine Empire, has arrived!”

The chief chamberlain announced his entrance.

Every eye turned toward him. The envoys seated around the enormous round table stared wide-eyed.

“... The First Prince?”

“Good heavens, the First Prince came in person?”

Enjoying their attention, Rufus took his seat with effortless ease.

“Greetings, everyone. I am Rufus Jespine, First Prince of the Jespine Empire.”

The envoys assembled here were all distinguished diplomats and nobles in their respective countries.

Yet none pointed out Rufus's discourtesy. His position as the Empire's First Prince—the man closest to becoming its next emperor—and the intimidating presence he naturally exuded kept them silent.

“... Please observe proper courtesy, Your Highness.”

None except Marquis Perian of the Kingdom of Akan, known as the Empire's rival.

“Courtesy? My apologies. I am in a rather foul mood at present. It was not intentional.”

He shrugged at the nobles.

“I have made a poor showing.”

His words were utterly at odds with his demeanor.

“Recently, disaster struck Britan, one of the Empire's magnificent cities. It came suddenly, without the slightest warning.”

He launched straight into the matter at hand. No one had given him the floor, making this an unacceptable breach of conference procedure, but he already controlled the atmosphere. The breach was overlooked.

“Have any of you ever imagined enormous monsters falling from the sky?”

Citizens trampled by monsters, crushed beyond recognition. Roofs collapsing. Thoroughfares shattered. Ordinary daily life falling apart.

“You probably cannot even imagine it. Monsters falling from the sky? What could be more absurd?”

Flying monsters such as harpies, wyverns, and griffins certainly existed. But their numbers were small, and even had they been numerous, they had their own territories.

This was not something that could happen in a city in the heart of the Empire, where every monster in the surrounding area had already been exterminated.

“But I, we, the Empire...”

Rufus spoke softly, enunciating each word.

“...saw it, lived through it, and suffered it.”

The unimaginable had become reality.

“Buildings collapsed.”

Hundreds of buildings had fallen.

“Our people screamed.”

Casualties numbered in the thousands.

“The lord died.”

Count Briant, lord of Briant, had lost his life.

“The Empire has suffered immense damage, and our people tremble in fear.”

And so the Empire had willingly risen to act—to avenge this disgrace and humiliation.

“I find myself regretting that we may have become...”

Far too...

“...lenient.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The diplomat from the Kingdom of Horton asked.

“Think back to the past. When Demon Kings first descended and kidnapped royal and imperial family members.”

They had fought bloody battles. Their mutual hostility had risen without end, and there had been no concessions or compromises.

“In fact, we need not look far back. It was that way just a hundred years ago.”

Yes, only a little over a hundred years had passed. But that was enough for two generations to change, and Demon Kings had gradually become familiar, insignificant figures.

Thus, humans had brought the Demon Kings beneath their feet. Or thought they had.

“When Demon Kings caused a little trouble, we showed mercy and stood aside.”

Even when they kidnapped royalty, humans did not always kill them. When they caused minor trouble, humans stopped at a reasonable point.

And then they had dared to kidnap imperial family members and send succubi to seduce nobles. They had planted dark mages in the heart of the Empire and kidnapped dwarven craftsmen.

Recently, they had even kidnapped four princesses from a single kingdom at once.

And now they were trying to sink their teeth into humanity's throat.

“... Surely you do not intend to repeat the extermination of a hundred years ago?”

“Not to that extent. The Demon Kings of then and now are different.”

A hundred years ago, humans had killed no fewer than four Demon Kings. All but the Demon King called Lies had fallen beneath heroes' swords. That was when humans had begun to look down on Demon Kings.

But all four had been in this world for less than fifty years, unlike Bitter Cold and Adamant, who were both approaching a century.

“One. Just one will suffice. A clear example.”

“The Demon King of Hellfire.”

“Exactly. Conferences? Discussions? None of this is necessary.”

The First Prince smiled.

“This is a declaration. Whatever happens, the Empire will take the Demon King of Hellfire's head. We will sever it and display it in Britan for ten years to console the souls of our dead.”

Therefore...

“Those who wish to stand with the Empire, join us. You are free to refuse.”

Even if not a single other nation joined, the Empire would proceed.

“But anyone who interferes...”

Rufus's eyes turned cold. The nobles who met that chilling gaze caught their breath.

“...will face the Empire's blade before even the Demon King of Hellfire does.”

“Are you threatening us?”

Rufus shrugged at Akan's protest.

“A threat? If you call it a threat, then it is one. But do you know something?”

Rufus leaned closer to the Akan noble.

“A dragon has a reverse scale. Touch it, and the dragon goes mad.”

And the Empire's symbol was also a dragon.

“Britan is the Empire's reverse scale.”

The Black Toad Trading Company was Rufus's reverse scale.

“And so the Empire...”

And so he...

“...is blind with rage right now.”

He was blind with rage.

* * *

Rufus's remarks were outrageously extreme.

But although Akan criticized aspects of his conduct, no one opposed his proposal itself.

That was how alarmed the nations were by what the Demon King of Hellfire had done.

“Why have we been unable to find the tower? Because of the unwritten rule that we cannot cross another nation's borders using a tower or a Demon King as an excuse. What if that no longer applied? If we sent tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of people out to search, no matter how well he hid his tower, it would still be somewhere in Erjest!”

Rufus Jespine's proposal met with unanimous acclaim, and thus the coalition was formed.

It would last until the moment the Demon King of Hellfire was killed.

* * *

Having made an outstanding contribution to forming the coalition, Rufus returned to the imperial capital.

“Long live His Highness Rufus!”

“Long live the Jespine Empire!”

“Long live the Continental Coalition!”

The people's cheers and the nobles' warm welcome made it a triumphant homecoming in every sense.

'If this succeeds, no one will be able to challenge my position again.'

He had formed an allied army uniting the entire continent, and he had led the effort from beginning to end.

Now, provided they succeeded in subjugating the Demon King, he was certain the balance would tip decisively in his favor.

'And there's no chance the subjugation will fail.'

Failure was impossible.

'I wonder.'

He suddenly wanted to see the expressions on Floyan, who openly coveted the Crown Prince's position, and Martin, who had interfered with his plans by abruptly investing in the Golden Moon Trading Company.

“... What?”

But a piece of news that would swallow up all his achievements struck the imperial capital.

“... Well...”

Count Kanhil, delivering the report, looked just as discomfited.

“They brought back a dragon's wings and tail. They say they hunted a dragon.”

“...”

The expedition that had set out to subjugate the Demon King of Hellfire had unexpectedly returned after slaying a dragon instead.

With enormous wings and a tail as trophies.