The Wanderer Starting from Type-Moon, Demon Lord Rimuru!

"If I go all out with my magecraft, I'm confident I can pull them into a Reality Marble in an instant."

"Yeah, but it doesn't seem like the other person wants to fight either—" Suddenly, Rimuru raised an eyebrow as he watched the other person deliberately avert their eyes.

Merem Solomon lowered her head, her petite figure slowly moving forward—until she passed over the tower where Rimuru stood. She paused slightly, and, realizing that he didn't seem inclined to attack either, quickly picked up her pace.

Their first encounter had ended with them passing each other by in perfect unspoken understanding!

Chapter 41: Thinking of the Girls on the First, Second, and Third Levels.

Rimuru stood quietly atop the tower, watching the shadow disappear at the end of the street. From beginning to end, the Rat King on Merem Solomon's shoulder never let its guard down, keeping a close eye on his every move. But in the end, Rimuru lowered his gaze and turned around. "Give the order. Search for every trace of the Einzbern Family's Homunculi having operated in Cornwall, along with all the ruins, tourist sites, and historic landmarks!"

"Then—dig! Before the Magecraft Association and the Holy Church realize what's happening, make sure you find the scabbard."

"Everyone else, you may withdraw for now."

"As you command." In the shadows, countless dark presences slowly receded. Princess of the Black sat in midair atop a wisp of black mist, looking rather displeased, and floated over to Rimuru. "You just let him go? His target is definitely the scabbard too."

"If we fight, the Church will become wary ahead of time—it'll make it look like we care too much about the scabbard," Rimuru said softly. "Tomorrow, I'll have the Duke of Cornwall publicly declare that all of Cornwall is your territory. You'll need to step forward and protect it then."

"...You want to use the appearance of a city of Dead Apostles to draw their attention? Make them think you're going to help me build up my forces and challenge the Magecraft Associations across the world?" Altrouge raised an eyebrow, looking intrigued. "You'd sacrifice an entire city of Dead Apostles to cover your acquisition of a scabbard... What is it about that scabbard that makes you value it so much?"

As expected, Altrouge was very clever. But the reason she hadn't accomplished much wasn't that she didn't think things through, or couldn't be bothered to. It was simply that... she wasn't interested.

This time, however, she was mistaken.

"It's nothing special, and it's not something I particularly value." Rimuru glanced sideways at her. When he saw Altrouge look at him contemptuously, as if to say, "You think I'll believe that?", he gave a helpless little laugh and continued softly, "Just wait and see, Your Highness. It's true that Cornwall will be sacrificed, but my real goal isn't what you think."

"Quite the opposite."

Rimuru murmured softly. Only children had to choose. He... wanted it all!

Time turned back, returning to London two days later—

After Rimuru angrily tossed Eler out the door and told her to go play by herself, he ignored her utterly aggrieved look, which seemed to say, "You care more about your lover than your baby!" When he returned to Liddell, he helplessly realized that the atmosphere between them had once again become as warm and harmonious as it had been between close friends and family—but the stirring, romantic tension was gone.

With no other choice, he saw Liddell off and sent her to keep Eler company. Then he leaned back against his desk, his thoughts racing as he considered whether there were any flaws in the entire plan, and whether... it would unfold according to his script.

Liddell could only see the most superficial layer of the plan. Mm, that suited her personality perfectly. That was exactly why he'd said she didn't need to worry at all—after all, it would be downright cruel to make someone whose little brain couldn't even see through his first layer worry about him.

Altrouge had managed to figure out one of his goals. So what about Aoko?

Suddenly, Rimuru thought of the girl who had only needed to look at him quietly to make him feel as if he had nowhere to hide—as if she could see through everything, and even help him fill in the finer details of his plans.

Kuonji Alice... If it's you, you've probably already figured out exactly what I want.

"Sure looks like you're eyeing what's in the pot while thinking about what's in the pan. Is that just a man's nature?"

Rimuru: "...???"

"You should be thinking about how to carry out the plan, not about women."

Unless something went wrong... Rimuru looked at his reflection in the window... it would definitely go smoothly.

But something was bound to go wrong, too. Neither the Magecraft Association nor the Church would sit idly by, and no one could predict which card he would play. Merem Solomon's appearance... honestly, that was already an unexpected complication in itself.

"But that's precisely what you need to do, isn't it?" Great Sage spoke up, sensing the worry in Rimuru's heart. "Eliminate or deal with most unexpected complications before they can affect the final outcome."

"Right." Rimuru felt a little more at ease and smiled softly.

Dusk in the West was nightfall in the Far East.

The night was beautiful, but as the greatest enforcer of order in the city, Kuonji Alice had to shoulder some of the responsibility for dealing with the city's unruly Mages and other threats that could expose the supernatural.

Normally, that responsibility should have fallen to the Aozaki Family, but... ever since her good friend Aozaki Aoko had inherited the family and made her first move by abandoning the old estate and setting off to tour Japan, the duty had fallen to Alice.

Her black dress seemed to blend into the night. Against it, her snow-white skin looked almost unnaturally pale, matching the thick, white fog that surrounded her.

Hidden in the fog were countless terrible monsters: clawed beasts, creatures with gaping maws, headless hounds, and more—

They hunted down their enemies, then tore them... completely apart.

This was the way the fairy tales fought.

Kuonji Alice lowered her eyes coldly and glanced at the Dead Apostle Mage cornered in the fog, on the verge of madness. She was just about to turn away when she seemed to remember something. With a casual wave of her hand, the monsters vanished, and she emerged from the fog, looking at him with detached indifference...

He was trembling in the corner, almost on the verge of breaking down. The instant he saw the Witch of Fairy Tales, he grabbed at her like a drowning man clutching a lifeline, dropped to his knees with a thud, and begged through his tears. "M-My lady, please... Please spare me! I swear I'll never set foot in this city again, I really will!!"

"..." Kuonji Alice watched him beg without the slightest change in expression. But she didn't send the monsters after him again, instead falling into thought, her mind elsewhere.

Seeing how unmoved she was, the Dead Apostle gritted his teeth resentfully. A flash of ruthless desperation crossed his eyes. He bared his teeth and, while she was distracted, lunged at her with a whoosh. At the same time, he cast pale green wind Magecraft, reinforcing his body with it.

"Bang!" With a loud crash, Kuonji Alice furrowed her brow and looked displeasedly at the half-witted Mage her guardian monster had sent flying. Her lips parted, and her cool voice drifted through the fog.

"Which faction do you belong to?"

The Dead Apostle had been sent flying by an irresistible force the instant he launched himself forward. He crashed off the wall with a thud, utterly hopeless now. The gap in strength was too great, and after attacking her, he had no chance of surviving. So he shut his eyes and waited for death. But when he heard her question, he froze. A spark of hope appeared in his eyes, only to immediately dim again.

He gave a weak, self-mocking smile. "If I had anyone to protect me... why would I risk breaking into your territory just to... drink a little blood...?"

"No faction...?"

"Faction... What a distant word." Hearing her, the Dead Apostle let his head fall back in despair. All the light had vanished from his eyes. "What right do people like us have to pursue those great figures? We betrayed our blood relatives, or became Dead Apostles through our own research..."

Most Mages became Dead Apostles for simple reasons: to gain a longer lifespan, or even immortality, so they could continue researching Magecraft. But just as Mages had their own hierarchy and noble families, Dead Apostles weren't all nobodies either. Even low-ranking Dead Apostles could attract the attention of powerful figures who wanted to expand their forces.

"Is that so? Then are there many Dead Apostles like you in the Far East?" Kuonji Alice murmured. Without waiting for the Dead Apostle Mage to answer, she turned away and left him behind. Her figure faded into the fog once more, leaving only her faint voice.

"Then you may go. Go to Germany and tell the other Dead Apostles."

"From this day on, you have a protector you can turn to..."

"Far away in the West, a nation belonging to you is being born."

"Y-You're letting me go?" The Dead Apostle jerked his head up, staring in disbelief as the fog began to recede. According to the tales, he'd never heard of a Dead Apostle who had survived after being discovered by the Witch of Fairy Tales. Was she really that terrifying witch?!

"If telling you this message can reduce the number of Dead Apostles in the Far East, then I see no reason not to."

Her cold voice came from the fog. "You have one day to inform your companions and leave this city."

"Y-Yes, all right. Then..." The Mage swallowed nervously, afraid that he'd misheard her and would pay for it with his life. He thought about the witch's words, and for some reason, a tiny spark of hope flared in his heart, like a bonfire seen far away through a winter blizzard...

"P-Please... who... is willing to protect us?"

Germany was said to be White Winged Duke's territory... but White Winged Duke was one of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors. He had forces everywhere. Why would he agree to protect them?

Unfortunately, by the time he looked up to ask for a definite answer, she had already vanished from sight along with the fog.

He was left alone, his body covered in wounds where the monsters had torn at him. He struggled to heal himself, cautiously using what little Magecraft he had left, bit by bit. The witch hadn't said it outright, but even an idiot could tell that if he dared hunt humans for blood to replenish his strength within the next day, he'd be dead the instant he did.

And the sale of bodily fluids was tightly controlled. Blood sold through underground markets was so expensive that he couldn't even dream of affording it—

Five minutes later, he struggled to brace himself against the wall and limped away down the street. Nearby, Kuonji Alice's figure slowly reappeared as the fog spread. She glanced at the disordered scene of the fight, then quietly lowered her eyes and began to clean it up.

She repaired the walls and roads, and washed away the bloodstains.

These duties had never been hers, and the Magecraft involved wasn't something she was good at, but she was growing more and more practiced at it.

Above her, the chattering Blue Robin finally found its chance. It flapped down and landed on Kuonji Alice's shoulder.

"You've broken with tradition, you rebellious witch! Caw, caw, caw!"

"..."

"Looks like you've been led astray by that fellow of yours. You're getting more and more wayward, and I'm really worried about you!"

"..."

"By the way, why did you send him to Germany? Isn't your sweetheart in Cornwall, UK?"

At that, Kuonji Alice's hands finally paused for a moment. After a brief silence, she spoke quietly. "Cornwall is just a pawn... It can't stand against the Magecraft Association and the Church."

The Einzbern Family in Germany had sparked a purge across the whole country, and White Winged Duke was being relentlessly suppressed by the Church. Yet Rimuru had reached out to the UK again, slapping the Magecraft Association—who had been watching from the sidelines—right in the face.

At this point, the Magecraft Association was bound to act.

She'd heard that the Grand Resolution was about to convene, and that the Church would send Mages who had later joined them and become affiliated with them.

That meant the two sides would definitely fight together. But Rimuru had managed to anger both major powers at once. What was he after?

Taking into account the ideas and opinions Rimuru had often let slip when they were children, Kuonji Alice could practically tell what he was about to do just by watching him lift his backside.

Come to think of it... Kuonji Alice quietly raised her head and looked up at the sky—

The Magecraft Association and the Holy Church had seen how human forces could utterly repel Dead Apostles and crush them. But they'd forgotten... when a spring is compressed too far, what inevitably follows is...

The rebound.

"Caw? Hmph, I'd already figured that out. I just wanted to test you, little Alice. You ignore everything else I say, but the moment I mention that fellow, you can't help explaining yourself... I'm really worried!"

"...Could you be quiet for a while?"

"No! I! Can't! Little Alice, I'm not just one of your mother's keepsakes. I also promised her I'd take care of you in her place. As your guardian, I have to make sure your future son-in-law is up to snuff—caw?"

Before Blue Robin could finish speaking, Kuonji Alice grabbed it by the neck.

Crack!

Kuonji Alice cleanly snapped the bird's neck. As a result, her familiar was once again forced to transform into a strangely shaped blue statue—

Blue Robin Robin was one of the keepsakes Alice's mother had left her, and her closest, most trusted familiar and companion. Its only flaw was that...

It was too talkative, and far too stupid.

"Am I breaking with tradition for his sake?"

Kuonji Alice quietly put the statue back in her handbag and sighed.

If she could, she would have liked to help him. But since he wasn't doing all this under Rimuru's identity, her presence would only cause him a lot of trouble.

Meanwhile, far away in Cornwall, Rimuru was waiting for his subordinates to begin excavating the entire region. Early that morning, Princess of the Black showed up, rubbing her eyes and wearing a gauzy princess nightgown.

Looking as if she hadn't slept enough, she yawned as soon as she came in, tossed Rimuru a report delivered by a familiar, and complained angrily, "Damn White Winged Duke didn't listen to my advice after all. Not only did he refuse to give up control of Austria, he actually increased his assault on it!"

"Damn it, is he retaliating against me for what I did in Germany?"

"Oh? So soon? I thought he'd wait a little longer—at least until Cornwall had been destroyed—"

At Rimuru's words, Altrouge's puffed-up cheeks went blank for a moment. "???"

"He's not retaliating against you, Your Highness. Quite the opposite." Rimuru took the report and flipped through a few pages, smiling faintly. "He's inviting you. Austria is where your forces are deeply intertwined and where your dispute is greatest—it's the perfect place for negotiations, and... to become a nation of Dead Apostles, isn't it?"

Chapter 42: The Reason to Swear Allegiance to You.

"A nation of... Dead Apostles?"

Altrouge froze slightly, her dazed expression turning cold at once. "What... exactly are you trying to do?"

"When you met me before, you were on your way to negotiate with White Winged Duke, right?"

"..."

"Although the negotiations failed, your aim was simply to make White Winged Duke withdraw from the dispute over Austria." Rimuru looked through the report, seemingly oblivious to Altrouge's displeasure as he spoke softly. "So let me ask you: what would happen if you succeeded?"

"What?"

"If you succeeded in negotiating, what would that achieve?" Rimuru continued. "You thought White Winged Duke's invasion of Austria was an insult to you, but you ignored why he fell out with you in the first place, and why he invaded Austria."

"That's why I said you weren't good at negotiating. If you don't even understand the most basic elements of negotiation—each side's position and interests—you can't possibly persuade the other party—"

"How could I not know?!" Altrouge's crimson eyes widened, cutting Rimuru off. She spoke proudly. "He did it for that bottomless ambition of his, nothing more."

"Yes, ambition." Rimuru put down the documents and stood up, meeting the Black Princess's gaze. "So what gives you the right to ask him to give up his ambition?"

"Austria in your hands can only remain as it is: a nation that hasn't been infiltrated by the Church, but has no goal or ambition of its own."

"Negotiation means continually putting forward things you're willing to offer—whether it's cooperation or compromise."

"First, you didn't set an example. You relied on the pride and authority that came with being the de facto leader of the Dead Apostles. But everyone knows that the only True Ancestor White Winged Duke respects is... the one whose name you inherited."

"And so, conflict began. You fought him, and it ended in a draw. Do you consider that humiliating?"

"Isn't it?" Altrouge wrinkled her nose slightly. She understood what Rimuru was trying to say, but still replied, "I'm not interested in ambition or anything like that. That doesn't give him the right to offend me."

"Then you need to give him a reason to hand over his own bargaining chips." Rimuru looked at Altrouge's scrunched-up face and suddenly smiled. "Just like when you came to recruit me by force. Did you ever ask what I thought?"

"But I did promise to help you. For instance, you seem perfectly comfortable using my forces..." Altrouge muttered indignantly. "And that detestable old man just took over half of Austria without even telling me!!!"

"That's true, but you can't deny that when you recruited me, you still thought deep down that I should consider it an honor that you'd taken an interest in me, right?"