The Greatest Demon Lord Is Reborn as a Typical Nobody - Volume 5 - Chapter 66

CHAPTER 66

The Ex-Demon Lord and the Assembly of the Five Powers

“…So the day has come,” Queen Rosa murmured, frowning in the dining hall over breakfast.

Even though it had been a while since we sat down, the plate before her remained largely untouched. Maybe she wasn’t feeling well. Her face was looking a little pale.

“You must eat something. Otherwise, you won’t be able to get through the day,” warned Prime Minister Valdr, but he looked worried about the queen’s welfare. “I’m certain Your Majesty knows…this meeting is a gathering of world leaders. If you arrive looking as fragile as you do now…”

“I know. I shall do my best to play the role of a hardened queen that none shall dare look down upon. There is nothing to fear.”

…Observing this exchange took me back to my old life. I always had to act like a confident king around everyone, even though I sorely lacked ambition and looked more like a little girl. I frequently failed to meet expectations and found myself scolded by Olivia and others in my inner circle.

Well, that was back in my early days. By the end, even I had adjusted to my kingly role.

…Ironically enough, I had decided to reincarnate because I’d become what other people envisioned for me.

I continued eating as I thought about this.

Hardly anything was left on my plate, yet Rosa hadn’t eaten even half of hers. She really didn’t look very well, and it didn’t seem like she had much of an appetite. The gravity of the upcoming meeting might have been weighing on her. It was like looking at my former self…

So I naturally tossed her a lifeline.

“Your Majesty. If you are feeling unwell, it is best if you do not force yourself to eat. It is crucial to nourish yourself before a critical event, but any more than this might do more harm than good.”

Rosa and Valdr looked at me, and I went on.

“I hope you’ll forgive this simple commoner…but I believe it’s important to stand my ground on occasion. This meeting is a momentous occasion. However, the fate of the nation is not at risk here. You ought to treat it as a get together and act irresponsibly to a reasonable degree.”

The two said absolutely nothing.

Rosa’s silence was one thing. I tilted my head to the side when Valdr refused to talk more. I was expecting him to blow up in my face and bark that he’d never forgive me for my lowly commoner attitude or something. All he did was wordlessly close his eyes. A frown creased across his brow. Rosa stared at the table, clearly intent on saying nothing. Their reactions were undeniably odd.

I felt a tinge of confusion…when finally, Rosa broke the silence.

“…I am worried about Ireena,” she admitted quietly.

So that explained her poor health. It wasn’t just the pressure of the meeting that was getting to her. She was concerned about her friend.

Not that it made it any easier to comment. If I had to say anything, I’d say…

“We can only trust that she will find her way.”

“…Yes.”

“Ireena is strong. I’m certain she will appear any moment—”

I was just about to vocalize some wishful thinking…when my dreams became reality.

The door to the dining hall creaked open, and my dear friend stood before us.

“Ireena!” I shouted on reflex.

She didn’t look quite back to her usual self, but…

“Sorry for worrying you. I’m okay now.”

Life had returned to her eyes.

I imagined she had come across some kind of answer. My heart rejoiced at her recovery.

Rosa seemed to feel the same way.

“Thou hast come. Breakfast is thy favorite, Ireena.”

“Oh, you’re right. Hee-hee, this is just what I was in the mood for.”

Rosa looked at her and smiled. However…the queen still looked terrible. In fact, she seemed to be getting worse. Could she attend the meeting at this rate?

…Well, that was neither here nor there. After all, our focus was on Ireena. Sitting at my side, she looked at me and whispered quietly.

“I will live life to the fullest. For his sake and mine…. I will believe in the beauty of humanity.”

She sounded certain of herself. I couldn’t help but smile.

Yes. That’s the spirit.

I celebrated my friend’s recovery and took a bite of my breakfast.

It was delicious, even though it had grown cold…

Now that Ireena had made a comeback, we could continue the task at hand. Rosa had arranged for a replacement guard in the event that Ireena couldn’t leave her room…but now everything was back on schedule.

The clock continued to tick forward. The bell signaled the time. To the citizens, this indicated that it was almost noon, but for us, it held one other meaning.

The meeting of the Five Powers.

It was a huge event that was likely to go down in history. The stage was set in Megatholium’s greatest house of worship, the Var Felte Cathedral. It was in a block near the heart of the city known as the Holy Sector.

Var Felte was different from the other houses of worship in the world.

Most churches were just places to offer prayers, while Var Felte served multiple purposes. Its edifice took up almost half the Holy Sector and served as the heart of the holy nation of Megatholium. At the center of the world’s greatest cathedral was an array of necessary facilities—the courthouse and parliament, including a small building used for holding discussions. Though the structure was simple, it was surrounded by the other facilities and protected by defense magic. Furthermore, the perimeter was guarded by Holy Knights, and the risk of something going awry was slim to none.

…As we listened to our guide explain these facts, we entered the facility, where we were led down the hallway to a designated room.

“Phew. Well then, let us start this decisive battle.”

“You can do it, Rosie!”

“Yes, so I shall… Now, then…”

Looking ready, Rosa turned the knob and opened the door.

The room was spacious with a round table at its center. The other leaders were already seated in place.

“Ah, so you finally cared to join us. Lavillians are such sloths,” a man cursed, looking us up and down.

He was a dwarf. He looked to be about sixty, but dwarves appeared older than their actual age, so I imagined he was a few years younger. His name was Buffer Zelanon.

Since his real name was so long, he almost always used an alias. The Republic of Goldenia was one of Laville’s powerful neighbors, and Buffer served as its head of state.

“As the one guiding this continent, I bear the weight of mine authority, which slows my pace. Thou cannot quell thy jealousy, Buffer. The life as a small-time ruler from a shitty, backwoods nation? That must be easy, indeed. I wish I could take this load off.”

“…I see. In that case, why don’t I chop off those hands and feet? You’ll feel lighter then.”

Rosa and Buffer shot daggers at each other.

It wasn’t unusual for there to be bad blood between neighboring nations. Laville and Goldenia were no exception, and they had clashed in the past for various reasons. If the pope hadn’t called them together, and Lars al Ghul wasn’t on the move, these two nations would have never considered a peace treaty. Not in a million years.

…There was one other such pair.

“Ho-ho. You two are getting along as well as ever. Till death do you part, Laville, Goldenia,” wished a woman who spoke the continent’s lingua franca with a unique lilt.

She was an elf rumored to be past her seventies. Since elves remained forever young, she appeared to be the very picture of a lovely maiden.

She was Eljuna Vyheim, empress of the Vyheim Empire. Her eyes seemed to be frozen in a perpetual smile, and she hid her mouth behind a fan as she focused on the man sitting across from her.

“It would be a fine thing if our nations could live in harmony. Don’t you agree, Sir Zelos?”

“……Hmph,” replied the provoked beast person.

This handsome figure in the prime of his life was more soldier than national leader. He gave off an aura not unlike Olivia, and I remembered I’d heard they shared an ancestor. Maybe that was why he wasn’t a follower of the United Creed himself. He apparently adhered to the Black Wolf Order that worshipped Olivia instead.

His name was Zelos vel Zine. He was president of the Federal States of Saphiria.

“Well…I believe it is about time I took my seat.” Rosa plopped down. Prime Minister Valdr drew the seat next to her.

Ireena and I remained standing behind them as guards.

“…It appears someone is not here yet,” the queen commented.

“Hah. Might as well just do us a favor and stay home. I ain’t in the mood to see that mug. Give me a Lavillian any day,” Buffer replied.

“Rude. That person has one or two positive qualities… Though I must admit, none come to mind,” Eljuna added.

“…I would agree with Sir Buffer. If His Eminence were here, I would have proposed beginning without him.”

Everyone looked uncomfortable. Even though they had rocky relationships with one another, this was something they could all agree on.

The ruler of a certain nation was infamously detested across the continent, but…I never imagined it was this bad.

There used to be people like that, back in ancient times. And by that, I mean me.

…It seemed our situations were similar, but…was he a revolutionary like me…or a barbaric king as rumored?

I figured that out the moment he walked in without warning.

“Whew.”

I thought I heard a voice from the hallway. That was followed by a small-scale blast. Our eyes snapped toward the door, which now had a gaping hole…and rising from the ashes was a man with an excited voice that was woefully out of place.

“Hey, guys! Did I getcha? I bet I did! Heh-heh-heh! I just wanted to treat you to a surprise!”

He flapped his arms to clear the smoke as he stepped into the room. The most beautiful women of every race waited upon him.

“…Thou never change.”

“Ugh. You’re so annoying.”

“I’m pleased to see you on cloud nine… Wish you would blast off to the heavens.”

“……Tch.”

It wasn’t just the leaders. Everyone present, even their aides and guards, looked at him with disdain.

Even so…the man didn’t show the least bit of concern, flashing a cocky grin at us.

He was apparently in his late thirties, but his appearance and behavior weren’t very adult. He was an orc…maybe even half elf. His skin was dark green, but he lacked tusks. His facial features were more androgynous and refined than a typical orc.

His name was Dread Ben Hurr, the man who united countless tribes into one nation and reigned as leader of the Asylas Federation.

“Sorry for being late, guys! I kiiinda had to answer nature’s call! Gotta prep mind and body before a big shindig, y’know? Don’t be shy! Hee-hee-hee-hee!”

His immature speech and innocent malevolence reminded me of Verda.

But…while the mad scientist was born as a pervert, I was having some suspicions about this Dread fellow.

On the one hand, it looked like he was putting on a show to seem crazy. On the other, he could actually be a mad despot.

…He must have noticed I was appraising him, because he zeroed in on me.

“Hmm? My, my, my! Look what the cat brought in! This pretty boy must be the rumored Ard Meteor?”

“…That’s me.”

“Aha! I knew it! I’ve heard tales of your heroism!”

“…You’re too kind.”

“I bet the ladies are all over you! I mean, you’re a catch! You look good! And you’re born to a good family! I bet you think my sex servants are human garbage. Right? No quality! No quantity! Right? Right? Right? Right? Right? Riiiiight?”

He was pressing me with his interrogation. Dread rolled his head around and around.

And around and around and around and around…

His eyes rolled back. It was seriously creepy. It was making everyone nauseous.

Meanwhile, I was still sizing up the man before me.

Was he a madman? Maybe he was only pretending to be one—

“Aaaaaah. Your eyes are pissing me off. Enough. You’re goin’ down.”

At that very moment…Dread struck with his right hand.

“You’re joking!” barked Buffer, eyes wide.

Dread had unleashed attack magic, a magic circle forming at his fingertips. A beat later, a giant ball of flame whizzed toward us.

“How violent,” I observed, shrugging as I faced Dread and our agitated audience.

I had cast defense magic—spawning a transparent barrier over us and providing protection. Dread’s fireball crashed into it, detonating…but it didn’t even scratch our shield.

“Casting high-level defense magic without chanting anything? Not bad.”

It was actually a low-level spell, but I wasn’t about to correct him.

Dread and I faced each other, squinting through the billowing smoke. He was still raring to go, with no regard about destroying the place.

“In that case, I’ll get a li’l more serious with this next one—”

The other four leaders exploded in rage.

“Hey, quit messing around, asshole…!”

“We shall not allow thee to continue thy savagery.”

“If you do not take a seat quietly, I’ll employ a few ideas of my own.”

“…Go ahead and keep at it—if you have a death wish.”

Buffer shouldered his mallet. Eljuna held her staff at the ready. Rosa and Zelos unsheathed their treasured swords. The guards surrounded them protectively.

Even when faced with the wrath of the four leaders, Dread wasn’t the least bit cowed. He spun his head around.

“Huuuh? Are you guys siding with Ard? Fine… Be that way…” Dread’s mouth twisted into a wide smile. “I think it would be wonderful if you all died!”

With basically a declaration of war, he went to cast another technique—

“That is far enough,” boomed a dignified voice.

The temperature in the room instantly dropped, which was an illusion, of course.

The newcomer radiated murder. That stopped everyone in their tracks. Even Dread.

“Aw! Time’s up?” He pouted in disappointment and looked at our most recent arrival.

It was the pope, Lizer Bellphoenix. He was in his formal regalia. His presence made everyone break out in a cold sweat, except me. They silently waited for his next words.

Having gained their full attention, he sighed.

“…I apologize for my tardiness. If only I had arrived a bit earlier, this uproar would have never occurred,” he said, walking farther into the room.

He sat at the head of the table.

“We shall let bygones be bygones…and commence the meeting immediately.”

It didn’t matter if you disagreed. Once this man took control, there was no room for argument. As the pope and a Legendary Apostle, Lizer’s word was law.

Buffer, Eljuna, Rosa, Zelos. The leaders of four major powers reluctantly laid down their arms and slumped back in their seats. Dread did a complete about-face and nonchalantly plunked himself down, whistling a merry tune. Then, he looked over at me.

“I’ll remember your name and face. In return…I’d love it if you did the same for me.”

He gave a disturbing, self-satisfied smile. There was not an ounce of comradery. In fact, it was…downright deadly. His expression told me he’d kill me someday.

“…That certainly is something.”

There was always at least one like him in every era. In the old days, idiots had picked fights with me over stupid things. That’s why I didn’t spare Dread a second thought.

What mattered here was the meeting. What sort of particulars would go down?

I observed the proceedings, deeply interested in their affairs…

The meeting of the Five Powers may have started off with a literal bang, but the discussion was exceptionally uneventful…

It was over without fanfare. Nothing happened. At all.

First, they outlined the conditions of the treaty, but the contents were so satisfactory that no one had anything to say about them… What followed was a cookie-cutter exchange like any other.

“Let us be vigilant of Lars al Ghul.”

“Yes.”

“We mustn’t break the treaty.”

“Agreed.”

After a few hours of this…the bell rang noon.

“Sigh. Well then, that concludes our meeting.”

It was anticlimactic by all accounts.

“…That was…different than I expected,” Ireena offered somewhat disappointedly.

I nodded. It was a good thing we got through it without running into any problems.

…Well, I guess you could say it wasn’t over yet.

“Well then. A ceremony will be held in the central plaza as discussed.”

We would be done after we went through with the ceremony. We stood up and exited the room to head to the finale.

Then, as we were walking along in succession…

“……Ard Meteor. Ireena Litz de Olhyde.”

Someone called out to us. Flanked by male bodyguards was the president of the Federal States of Saphiria himself, Zelos.

“Wh-wh-wh-wh-what may we do for you?!” Ireena squeaked, inexperienced in dealing with foreign dignitaries.

Zelos’s face was blank. “…Relay a message to Lady Olivia for me: I am your ladyship’s ally.”

There seemed to be a lot packed into that sentence. However, before I could ask for the true meaning, he stalked away.

“Wh-what was that about?”

“…Who knows? In any case, we’ll deliver his message to Lady Olivia.”

After that, we left the cathedral and made our way to the central plaza without having to deal with anyone else.

Since it was a considerable distance away, each nation had decided to go by carriage as a safety precaution. We set about boarding our own vehicle as citizens of Laville. Ireena got in first, followed by Valdr and me, with Rosa last.

…What an odd order to board. The monarch normally took the lead.

I questioned this as I was about to climb in when…

“…Ard, listen up.” Rosa tugged my sleeve and whispered close to my ear. “…Dost thou remember my words the night we arrived?”

“…I believe you said to protect Ireena no matter what.”

Why was she asking me this now?

“Listen closely. Do not break that promise. It is Ireena thou must protect. I do not mind if thou cast me aside. Protect Ireena.”

Then she stuffed me into the carriage, thereby ending this conversation.

…There was no question we were heading toward the end game. I prayed the proceedings would be peaceful.

And…I wished my prediction would be proven wrong.

I slammed the carriage door shut.