"Guy... Crimson...?!!"
Leon had lived many long years as a Hero, so like Chronoa, he knew exactly what the name Guy Crimson meant.
One of the [Primordial Demons], Rouge, and the strongest Demon Lord—the undisputed apex of this world.
There was no way he wouldn’t know him. Guy had reached [Catastrophe], a rank attained by only two Demon Lords.
He wasn’t merely more dangerous than the other [Primordial Demons]. He was a monster among monsters, more dangerous even than a True Dragon.
'How is a demon from the continent of ice and earth involved in this...? Don’t tell me... making a Contract with Ermesia, learning about my plan, approaching me afterward... was all of that arranged by the [Heavenly Emperor]?'
Leon’s eyes shifted again in an instant, seized by the bizarre misconception that if it was that Demon Lord, reading his thoughts wouldn’t even be surprising.
The shock vanished, replaced by a gaze as sharp as a blue-honed blade.
Cooling his head in an instant, he wrapped his whole body in golden magic power as if he might draw the sword at his waist at any moment.
He had already ordered his subordinates to wait outside. That meant this was his only chance—there was nothing holding him back.
"...Why are you making me an offer like that?"
Now fully in a combat stance, Leon Cromwell spoke as though delivering his final warning.
If he didn’t hear an answer he could accept, then he meant to fight with his life on the line.
Even knowing that Ria was Blanc, he still stood ready to oppose us. It was a boldness worthy of the title [Hero].
"I was going to explain anyway, so calm down a little."
Swallowing a dry laugh at how much this resembled my conversation with Ermesia, I thought, 'They really are like siblings. They even react the same way,' and opened my mouth.
"First, let me make one thing absolutely clear. We have no intention of becoming hostile to [Eldorado]. Naturally, the same goes for [Sarion] and Ermesia."
"..."
"And the reason we want to help you is because your plan could work in our favor too."
If someone started calling himself a Demon Lord, eventually another Demon Lord would rise up against him. And if he defeated that Demon Lord, then he’d become a true Demon Lord instead of just one in name.
That was exactly how it had happened in the novel, so there was a high chance it would happen this time too.
'That’s why I deliberately let Kazaream walk away before.'
The only reason I had let Kazaream go quietly after Walpurgis was because he would make perfect material for forging an alliance with Leon.
"Well, things got a little off track, but now that it’s come to this, how about forming an alliance in advance? If [Eldorado] becomes our ally, you’ll gain powerful backing and be able to carry out that plan. It’d be like gambling on a game you can’t possibly lose."
"An alliance..."
Guy would definitely accept Leon. And if Guy, who was all but the leader of the Demon Lords, secretly became Leon’s backer before Kazaream noticed, it would be a tremendous benefit for Leon—and for us.
And after grasping that scheme, Leon...
"...Can you prove that you won’t betray [Eldorado]?"
For the moment, the violently surging magic power around him settled down.
He had judged that, for the future of [Eldorado], this was worth hearing out.
After all, the reason he had never put his plan into action and had only kept it in his head until now was because the odds of failure were too high.
"Of course. Like I said before, if Jonne appears again, I intend to step in personally then too. So if, when that happens, I restrain her as an ally of [Eldorado], wouldn’t that prove it?"
"..."
At my confident answer, Leon fell silent again.
The sharpness vanished from his eyes, and all signs that he might draw on his magic power disappeared completely.
In other words, he had already made his choice.
"...All right. I’ll trust you once."
He was accepting the gamble.
**
After that,
To prove that we had no intention of betraying [Eldorado], Ria and I remained there for a while, until Jonne appeared.
Fortunately, Leon gave orders to treat us as honored guests, so we were able to stay inside the castle without any real inconvenience.
And then...
About four days passed.
"Adelio. She’s here."
Rumble...!!!
Just like last time, a vivid yellow streak of light tore through the silence and descended upon the golden land.
Comments (0)
Please log in to leave a comment. Login or Register