Barthomeloi frowned and glanced around. No one from the Wandering Sea had come. Instead, several famous alchemists from Atlas Academy in Egypt had arrived.
Just then, the doors opened again. Liddell Achelotte, a Lord, quietly followed an aged woman with a weathered face into the room. Everyone's gaze sharpened slightly, while Kayneth raised an eyebrow and Yuri Phis's expression darkened further.
Inorai looked at the stooped old woman and greeted her familiarly. "It's been a long time, Lady Achelotte."
"Inorai. Ha! You're still as full of energy as ever." The old woman called Lady Achelotte smiled and returned the greeting. Her gaze swept across the room, bringing a faint, unspoken pressure to countless people.
The young mages all lowered their heads. Even Aozaki Touko couldn't help baring her teeth... Tsk. All these old monsters were coming out of the woodwork.
Liddell's teacher, the first head of the family, and the first Lord of the Department of Botany, who had held the position for over four hundred years before stepping down. A terrifying woman who had struck fear into the hearts of people in the industrial age, known as... the Witch of Coal, Achelotte.
If she'd retired, she should've stayed home, enjoying her old age until she died, damn it!
While most of the mages were thinking along those lines, several Executors suddenly approached the Popes beside Aozaki Touko and whispered among themselves. Then one of the Popes abruptly stood with a bang, exclaiming in disbelief, "What!? A Grand Resolution among the Dead Apostles!?"
In an instant, the important figures who had been greeting one another and catching up fell silent. They all turned their eyes toward the Pope, who slumped back into his seat and stammered:
"E-everyone... We've just received word..."
"White Winged Duke and White Knight Leviathan... are about to negotiate over Austria and Cornwall. And they... they..."
"On behalf of Princess of the Black, Altrouge, they've invited most of the surviving Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors to attend as witnesses and... participants in the negotiations."
"..." Everyone fell silent for a moment. The Pope took a deep breath and continued, "At this... time, at this stage... it's obviously..."
"A Grand Resolution held by the Dead Apostles!!"
At the Far East, 756365104
P.S. Why is everyone guessing that the Second Owner's family is involved!? Ah, it's so annoying! I said I meant the character design, not that it had to be someone from the Nasuverse. You're making me want to change his hair color to blue and just make him part of the Matou family...
If not for you guys, I'd have forgotten that the Matou family's element is water. All I remembered was that they only knew how to control bugs...
Although the Matou family's element is water, their system revolves around restraining and binding things and manipulating fluids. They aren't very good at direct combat...
Hmm, I'll think about it. Should I copy the comments...
Chapter 048: The Dead Apostle Ancestors' Bizarre Kinks—Black Winged Duke!
The sudden announcement of the negotiations gave a time and location, and the manner and timing were identical to those of the Grand Resolution. The fact that they'd scheduled it right when the Grand Resolution was due to begin and advertised it so brazenly made their intentions obvious to everyone.
As the two announcements collided, all the mages looked up at the ever-shifting clouds in the sky.
"Europe... The winds are changing."
In the distant Far East, a gentleman in a red suit set down his teacup. Looking at the declaration printed on a newspaper bearing the Dead Apostle insignia, which resembled a flyer, he suddenly realized just how terrifying an enemy the Magic Association was facing this time.
They hadn't even left out the Dead Apostles in the Far East. Since when had the Dead Apostles cared about publicity?
He fell into thought, considering whether or not to report this matter to the Magic Association. It wasn't a major issue, but it wasn't insignificant either. Just then, his wife came downstairs. In her arms, a baby of about eight or nine months struggled to stretch out both hands and smiled happily.
"D-Dada!"
Meanwhile, Rimuru had also set foot on German soil. The land was already steeped in solemn quiet, and black, high-collared coats seemed to be the latest fashion in Germany. But it was clear that when the mysterious could sense the mysterious, Rimuru easily noticed the gazes and salutes hidden among the crowd, some full of respect, others of hostility.
When countless Dead Apostles took to the streets and black clouds gathered in the sky, shadows would completely swallow the land, and even the light would retreat.
Berlin, the capital of Germany.
Just as all the Dead Apostles and fallen mages had disappeared without a trace from London during the Grand Resolution, so too, during this period when countless Dead Apostles flooded into Berlin, the Church's last vestige of "justice" finally buckled under the pressure. Under the countless Dead Apostles' watchful eyes, the Popes chose to evacuate and sealed the doors of the Church.
The Magic Association shut its doors, while the mage families turned a blind eye to the changes across Germany. It was only a matter of a few days. Once those days passed, the Dead Apostles would eventually disperse.
No one believed the Dead Apostles could truly reach an agreement. They were a savage, expansionist lot. Take Zelretch, the Jewel Mage, for example. Even among Dead Apostles, their goals, interests, and positions...
Had never aligned.
Never.
At the same time, Rimuru knew that even though Berlin was now teeming with Dead Apostles, countless Executors and mages had quietly gathered throughout the rest of the country and the surrounding regions.
Just like in Cornwall, UK.
Once the Grand Resolution ended and the Magic Association and the Church reached an agreement, a single order would send the surrounding cities surging in like a flood, surrounding and engulfing the area. Even if the Dead Apostles truly wanted to establish territory of their own, it couldn't be in Germany.
Even if Germany was White Winged Duke's territory, it was a territory maintained underground. The Church and the Magic Association had still firmly entrenched themselves in the open. And the other side couldn't simply let the Dead Apostles take control of a major nation's capital without doing anything.
Germany, England, and France were, after all, the face of Europe.
Oh, perhaps Italy should be added to the list?
But this didn't seem to have anything to do with Rimuru. It wasn't his territory, after all.
With that thought, Rimuru ended his musings and turned to look at Altrouge, who was sulking beside him. He chuckled. "Don't look so gloomy. Doesn't walking through a city like this make you feel a little proud?"
"When you take to the streets, the whole city will fly black flags."
"This city will be painted black for you, Your Highness."
"But it's only temporary," Altrouge replied, unmoved. "A fleeting dream."
"Tsk."
White Winged Duke's palace—or rather, his castle—was quite magnificent. Unfortunately, like Einzbern, it was hidden behind a bounded field, where only its owner could admire it.
Whether it was out of the little respect he had for Altrouge, respect for Rimuru, or simply because he took this meeting seriously, White Winged Duke had unexpectedly left his throne. He came out of the castle and personally led a group to welcome Rimuru and the others.
Compared with White Winged Duke's imposing entourage, with dozens of administrators behind him, Altrouge's retinue of Black and White Knights and one dog seemed rather small.
Long white hair with a slight curl fell around a resolute, weathered face. His blood-red eyes brimmed with authority, and beside him stood a gleaming silver greatsword as tall as Rimuru, a lavish symbol of his royal power. This was White Winged Duke.
More than seventy percent of Dead Apostles regarded White Winged Duke as the ideal king. He had broken through their rigid hierarchy despite being a Dead Apostle, led them in rebelling against the True Ancestors, and earned a name that rivaled Altrouge's.
The titles of King of the Dead Apostles and White Winged Duke both highlighted his strength and... the authority and charisma that made his followers submit willingly. Compared with the other Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors, who had become detached and indifferent, concerned only with themselves because of their immortality, White Winged Duke was also one of the few who recognized that Dead Apostles had their own worth—as beings who were already exceptional in their own right. Making their protection and expansion his ambition, he had taken on the role of their champion.
Watching him stride toward them with such authority, Rimuru furrowed his brow slightly. The personal welcome showed ample respect, but his stance made it clear that he was asserting himself as the host.
"With all this fanfare, anyone who didn't know better would think Crimson Moon had been reborn."
Rimuru tilted his head and, as the other man's aura stirred, adjusted the mask on his face. The dozen or so administrators who had come out with White Winged Duke weren't the only ones there. Several others Rimuru didn't recognize, all with auras no weaker than his own, leaned against different parts of the palace entrance, watching them with either schadenfreude or cold indifference.
Faced with Rimuru's jibe, White Winged Duke merely lowered his eyes and replied in a deep, resonant voice, "If this were Brunestud, she'd probably prefer to go alone, like Her Highness."
"Is that so? Then it seems my princess's personality fits her surname quite well."
"...Princess of the Black did inherit the Brunestud name. I've never denied her title as King of the Dead Apostles." White Winged Duke paused, then continued in a low voice. "But Crimson Moon's power belongs to Arcueid, not Altrouge."
"But Arcueid isn't a Dead Apostle. She's a True Ancestor through and through. Hasn't hunting True Ancestors always been White Winged Duke's proposal?"
"That's why I support neither side. Besides, my disagreement with Princess of the Black is mainly ideological." White Winged Duke cut him off. "It's not appropriate to discuss this out here. Let's save it for inside."
With that, White Winged Duke's red-lit eyes fixed on the golden eyes visible through Rimuru's mask. After studying him for a moment, he said, "As the newest Dead Apostle to inherit the title of 'Ancestor,' I don't know how much we understand about one another. But as the one who initiated this meeting, I should at least meet the person you've invited—"
He then turned his gaze back to Altrouge, the little princess glaring at him and grinding her teeth. "Princess of the Black, I'm pleased to see that after all these centuries, your forces have finally grown by a visible—if very small—amount..."
"At least you've finally learned what kind of person is worth choosing."
Having completed his daily task of mocking Princess of the Black, White Winged Duke turned around with satisfaction. "Come. I'll show you inside. Most of the others probably know the way—"
"..." Altrouge froze. Her already irritated face clouded over, and black smoke seemed to rise from her. She flailed and cried out, ready to launch herself at White Winged Duke's back—
Rimuru and Black Knight exchanged helpless glances and hurriedly held her back.
Just then, the sky suddenly darkened. The shadow blotting out the sun made White Winged Duke frown and look up. Altrouge's anger was instantly forgotten as she, too, looked skyward. Feeling the air fill with the presence of the dead, all the Dead Apostles knew at once who had arrived.
Wherever the Bird of Death went, elegant death followed.
"Damn it, I didn't invite him—" For the first time, White Winged Duke's impassive face creased with a frown. He muttered under his breath, then shouted at the sky, "Don't let your damned feathers dirty my castle, Blackmore!!"
Rimuru looked up. A gigantic black bird, tens of kilometers long—or rather... a crow.
It blotted out the sky like a roc, covering all of Berlin. As it flew toward White Winged Duke's castle, it gradually shrank, transforming at speed into a strange creature with a human body and a bird's head—
This was the being who rivaled White Winged Duke in power, but had the exact opposite kind of reputation, and was mocked by everyone as Black Winged Duke: Gransurg Blackmore.
If White Winged Duke was recognized by seventy percent of Dead Apostles, with over forty percent willing to follow him, then Black Winged Duke was followed by almost none of them, save for the monsters he had personally transformed.
Although the other Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors all accepted that he was one of the "Twenty-Seven," almost none of them liked him. Yet despite his terrible reputation, Black Winged Duke unexpectedly enjoyed socializing. He was enthusiastic about nearly every major gathering and would join in uninvited.
With almost no followers, Black Winged Duke was also one of the Ancestors who created the most minions. However, the minions he drank from all turned into monsters with human bodies and bird heads—Chimeras. His nearly obsessive love of birds was probably one reason why so many vampires couldn't understand his peculiar kink.
Well... at least if he'd kept that fearsome bird's head under control, Rimuru would probably have been happy to make friends and win him over. But now...
Rimuru glanced at the look of disgust in Altrouge's eyes and decisively abandoned the idea of taking Princess of the Black over to ingratiate himself with Black Winged Duke. It was true that a human body with a bird's head was a rather peculiar taste.
As if he'd seen what Rimuru was thinking, Altrouge unexpectedly explained in a quiet voice, "Actually, most Dead Apostles don't hate his appearance. They hate him because, in most Dead Apostles' eyes, Black Winged Duke has always been nothing more than one of Crimson Moon's familiars."
"A familiar who abandoned his human body as a mage and willingly became a Chimera."
Rimuru raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing. As Princess of the Black had said, that was how most Dead Apostles saw Black Winged Duke. Even after Crimson Moon's death had freed him from servitude, his appearance as a Chimera still shaped the way most Dead Apostles—including the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors—viewed him, despite his power now rivaling White Winged Duke's.
Never Again, a Reality Marble comparable to the realm of the god of death. Even Rimuru found it tempting. But considering that marginal figures were often the easiest to make use of, and that Black Winged Duke's bizarre Reality Marble might even trip him up, Rimuru suppressed his greed, resolved to stick to the plan, and decided to find an opportunity to win him over—
However, Black Winged Duke landed slowly, entirely unfazed by the disgusted looks around him. He simply laughed heartily. "How could I miss such a grand ball, when the birds who dance in the sky are invited?"
"Hmm... I hate him because he can't go three sentences without mentioning birds."
Altrouge didn't bother hiding her feelings. She turned to Rimuru, who looked thoughtful, and said, "If you want to win him over, it's actually very simple. Just compliment birds a few times. He'll treat you like a close friend."
"But... none of the Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors would go against their conscience and lower themselves to do that."
"My knight, I know you're willing to do anything to help me rise to power. But I don't want you to abandon your own dignity for my sake—"
Altrouge hadn't spoken loudly, but since she hadn't used any special Magecraft, even her whispered words were no secret to those present. Naturally, the other Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors heard her as well. They shifted their gazes from Black Winged Duke back to one of the meeting's main figures, White Knight Leviathan.
A complex look flashed through White Winged Duke's eyes. Altrouge's growth was obvious to him. She had finally learned to do more than act on a whim; she now considered her subordinates' feelings and adjusted her words accordingly. And when reminding a subordinate, she had also subtly vouched for him. This way, even if White Knight really did lower himself to earn her support, it could be framed as a noble sacrifice made for his princess.
To the Dead Apostles, who had betrayed the True Ancestors, such loyalty was hardly something worth flaunting. It was even the subject of mockery. But that didn't prevent him from proving that he wanted to contribute to the rise of the Dead Apostles.
At least, in White Winged Duke's eyes, it was a bargaining chip worth putting on the table.
Black Winged Duke, on the other hand, fixed his scarlet bird eyes on Rimuru after hearing Altrouge's words. Then, after a moment of silence, he laughed. "My ideals have no need for the flattery of those who don't mean it."
"But since the princess of the one I serve has spoken thus, I will once again make my intentions known."
"If, as the princess says, you are truly willing to give up your dignity for the one you serve, then I am willing to regard you as one of my kind."
"But I will give you only this one chance. Will you publicly abandon your dignity, or have me continue to stand apart? Make your choice, mage who inherited the title of White Knight. I see in you the shadow of who I once was."
At once, one of the unknown Ancestors, who had been watching from the entrance, raised an eyebrow and smiled with interest. After turning and saying something to the empty air—
A ripple spread through the air, and a golden-haired girl stepped out of it. She held a cup of thick blood and watched the scene with interest—
By a second-floor window of the castle, a plump, amiable-looking Earl also paused, then smiled and lowered his eyes.
"Things... are getting more and more interesting."
The Dead Apostle Ancestors couldn't unite because, over the long, immortal years, they had all become increasingly detached and... developed stranger and stranger kinks and hobbies. With so many bizarre ideals gathered together, they could never share the same position.
So... if anyone wanted to bring them together, they could only make themselves the one and only central pivot, uniting the others around them.
Can you do it, White Knight Leviathan?
Or...
Rimuru Tempest.
Chapter 049: I Prefer the Choice Crimson Moon Made—Challenge You and Beat You into Submission!
Choose, White Knight. Will you bow your head and accept my help while everyone looks down on you, or maintain your pride and reject me with everyone's approval?
Black Winged Duke's words made the air grow tense. It was as if the resolution, though it hadn't even begun, was already fraught with undercurrents.
Rimuru looked at the fearsome bird's head and furrowed his brow slightly.
Clearly, Black Winged Duke had shown Altrouge no respect. Her brazen public remarks had drawn an apparently petulant but, in truth, haughty retort from him in an instant.
If Rimuru didn't handle this well, neither accepting nor rejecting Black Winged Duke would lead to a good outcome. As someone who valued practical interests, Rimuru might have swallowed his pride and secured the other man's support if they'd been speaking in private. But in public, if he actually did that, winning the support of the other Twenty-Seven Dead Apostle Ancestors would become several times more difficult.
Seeing her subordinate caught in a dilemma, Altrouge instantly unleashed an overwhelming killing intent at Black Winged Duke. The Dead Apostles around them and behind White Winged Duke couldn't help but retreat a few steps.
Black Winged Duke, however, met that killing intent with an air of calm defiance.
"What a headache..." After a long moment, Rimuru suddenly scratched his head, looking a little helpless. He stepped forward slightly, blocking Altrouge's murderous glare, then asked, "Dead Apostles seem to like reducing everything to two choices."
"I will give you only these two paths, White Knight."
"But I don't want either one, Blackmore." Rimuru calmly held out a hand. His golden eyes flashed red, and a trace of Altrouge's True Ancestor aura burst forth. Beneath the blood moon overhead, even the air turned dark red.
"I've heard about you. They say you used to be just as arrogant, giving everyone who looked down on birds two paths to choose from... Either you die, or I do."
Before you continue