Traveler from Type-Moon, Demon Lord Rimuru!

Before the person even arrived, a hearty voice echoed from the halo. Then, as the light slowly dissipated, a man in a black standard-issue trench coat with a firm, chiseled face appeared before everyone—

He had appeared!

The last invited Ancestor.

The Fourth Ancestor, the Kaleidoscope! Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg!

He stood in the center, his sharp gaze instantly sweeping over everyone's reactions as if through a kaleidoscope. Suddenly, he chuckled: "Let's get this straight. Although I accepted the invitation, my stance is one of absolute neutrality. I am here as a Magician to witness your negotiations—"

"Of course, Lord Zelretch, what we require..." Rimuru suddenly spoke up, interrupting him, his eyes meeting the other's sharp, hawk-like gaze: "...is precisely your stance as a Magician."

"Oh?" Zelretch let out a sound of surprise. In an instant, he saw through Rimuru's identity, or rather—after observing parallel worlds and finding traces of Rimuru in other realities, he felt a hint of astonishment.

"How interesting. There are quite a few existences who bear your name across the endless parallel spaces, yet rarely... no, I should say, not a single one has reached the position you currently hold."

He paused there, then smiled: "I am referring to the position of an Ancestor."

That was because they did not possess the soul I have now.

Rimuru did not doubt that there were versions of himself in parallel worlds. After all, the moment he transmigrated, according to the theory of parallel worlds, his world would have birthed countless branch points, thereby creating countless parallel worlds containing his shadow.

But Rimuru was not worried, because world lines tend to converge. The stronger an existence is, the greater its convergence, eventually culminating in a singular state. Just like Zelretch. Rimuru believed that the moment he became a Magician, or grew strong enough, all parallel worlds concerning him would converge, instantly returning to the moment he became strong enough, completely merging into one world—a world that belonged only to him.

But for now, his task was to shut this old man's mouth so that this meddlesome, voyeuristic fellow wouldn't expose his identity too much.

"As expected of the Magician known as the Kaleidoscope, you really are a master at peeking into other people's pasts."

"Hahahaha." To everyone's surprise, after hearing Rimuru's mockery, Zelretch was not angry or restrained. Instead, he laughed even more heartily and said without a hint of shame: "Just a small hobby of mine, not worth mentioning."

Suddenly, everyone around, even Altrouge, felt a thought arise...

This old man is truly shameless.

"Alright, since everyone has arrived, let us officially begin."

The White Winged Duke looked calmly at Altrouge and issued the invitation to negotiate, but Altrouge ignored him entirely, looking at Rimuru with slight concern: "Did he see through your identity?"

"Yes, but it shouldn't be much of a problem." Rimuru nodded: "After all, his stance is clear; he probably just finds it interesting."

"Princess Altrouge?" Seeing the two whispering to each other, the White Winged Duke couldn't help but deepen his tone.

"Eh?! Ah, ahem..." Altrouge was slightly stunned, her mouth agape, suddenly at a loss!

No, I'm just here to back Rimuru up, what do you want me to say?!

"Austria." Rimuru reminded her with a wry smile. Seeing her still-confused expression, he simply raised his head and spoke up: "Since the invitation was issued by the White Winged Duke, why don't you start by stating your own views, Duke?"

Rimuru's interjection caused the White Winged Duke's eyes to narrow slightly. This confirmed that everyone's suspicions were correct: all of Altrouge's current actions and decision-making were essentially led by the White Knight.

But to hand over all the bargaining power like this... the Princess of the Black was... perhaps too trusting of him?

"Regarding this invitation, it is because your side saw our intentions in Cornwall and realized the possibility of cooperation, right?" Having entered the zone, Rimuru unconsciously adopted the tone and attitude of his past life, his presence instantly becoming imposing.

"Since that is the case, with everyone here as witnesses, why not lay your conditions out on the table? It would make it easier for us to revise and coordinate, wouldn't it?"

"Straight to the point, then. Very well." The White Winged Duke nodded and said cleanly: "Then allow me to confirm first: since the Princess has declared her protection of Cornwall, does she intend to hold it against the coming east wind?"

"Of course we will hold it." Altrouge spoke up: "My dignity will not be challenged."

Beside her, Rimuru also nodded: "That is indeed the case."

"In that case, given that you are spread thin, can I assume you lack the ability to resist my offensive against Austria? So, since you cannot abandon Cornwall, do you intend to give up some benefits in exchange for me stopping my attack on Austria, or will you abandon Austria entirely in exchange for my aid in Cornwall?"

Altrouge: ???

She looked at Rimuru, who had no intention of speaking, and gnashed her teeth, suddenly not knowing how to refute him.

"...You are taking advantage of a crisis!"

Hearing this, Altrouge immediately bristled—she grabbed one of Rimuru's arms, locked eyes with him, and said with seven parts annoyance and three parts grievance: "Say something!!"

"Haha." Seeing the Princess of the Black's reaction, Rimuru couldn't help but laugh: "If you know you can't handle it, don't agree so quickly next time. Who jumps into a pit just because someone else dug it?"

Looking at the fierce Altrouge, who looked like she was about to bite someone, Rimuru dropped the act and smiled: "White Winged Duke, Cornwall must be defended because it concerns the dignity of my Princess, but we do not care about the result of whether it can be held or not."

"You don't need to use such words to test our Princess. After all, there is no need to mention the principle of 'when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold.' Not to mention that after losing Cornwall, we could simply turn around and counterattack Austria, consider what happened after the Dead Apostle city of Cornwall and this incident where Dead Apostles occupied Berlin to hold a Dead Apostle resolution."

"Can the Church still tolerate you continuing to use Germany as your base of operations?"

"The Church's reach does not extend to Germany; their control over it is limited."

"True, but the Mage's Association can." Rimuru chuckled: "Three of the Twelve Lords are related to Germany, and countless noble mage families also originate from Germany. You cannot deny that, can you?"

In reality, the fact that the mage forces in Germany were so weak was likely due to its history as a defeated nation, Rimuru guessed. Not only did many mage families migrate away, but more of it came from the influence of the light of science.

But precisely because of this, the White Winged Duke's forces were able to control the dark side of this nation—one of the faces of Europe—so thoroughly.

"Hmph, I admit you are right—but since you do not agree to my proposal, what is your intention?"

"White Knight Leviathan?"

Please vote, woo woo.

Chapter 054, Rimuru the Bewitcher (4,000 words)

If we really look at it, from every angle, our side doesn't seem to have the advantage, right?

Hearing the White Winged Duke's questioning, Rimuru sighed with a light laugh. After all, having become the one sticking his neck out, it was Altrouge, not the other party, who faced the pressure from the Church and the Mage's Association—

However, the short-term pros and cons were not the focus of this negotiation, and both sides were well aware of that... In this conflict, if the Dead Apostles lost, then they lost; neither he nor Altrouge would have a winner.

Therefore, rather than saying facing the Mage's Association and the Church was a disadvantage for Altrouge, it was more like a strong card to drag the White Winged Duke into the fray—

"My suggestion is this..." Rimuru smiled, his eyes curving. Although he still wore his mask, everyone present could hear the overflowing pleasure in his tone: "Since the White Winged Duke wants Austria so badly, it's not like we can't grant you a portion of it..."

"Joint rule?" The White Winged Duke nodded slightly; this was within his expectations.

"Joint rule? No, no, no..." Rimuru shook his head and laughed: "It is to be brought under the command of our Princess, and to re-declare loyalty to the one and only King of Dead Apostles, Altrouge."

"Pfft." As the words fell, the White Winged Duke frowned, but Roa let out a direct snort of laughter, mocking: "Are you still dreaming? Leviathan?"

"At the same time, as part of your duties under her command, the White Winged Duke must help us hold Cornwall."

"Is that a problem?" Rimuru ignored Roa's mockery and calmly met the White Winged Duke's gaze, asking softly.

"..." On the throne, the White Winged Duke gently rotated the greatsword in his hand, his tone deepening: "I am curious, who gave you... the courage to make such a request?"

"Austria belongs to the center of Europe, bordering Germany, Italy, and Switzerland..." Rimuru pointed out lightly, but did not continue.

The reason the White Winged Duke spent decades establishing a base-like operation in Germany was not just because Germany was a defeated nation in World War II and easy to invade; more importantly, it was Germany's strategic position. To the west lay the strongholds of the Mage's Association, such as the Netherlands, the UK, and Ireland; to the south were the largest neutral country, Switzerland, and Italy, the base of the Church and Clonia.

When the light of Eastern technology was prevalent, it also blocked the path to Nordic countries like Denmark, Sweden, and Norway—the Germany in the middle had mixed forces and could quickly understand and prevent the expansion of the Church.

In Northern Europe, a free atmosphere ran rampant, and the boundary between mages and Dead Apostles was thin, whereas Southern Europe was the domain of the Mage's Association and the Church, where the concept that Dead Apostles were heretics was deeply ingrained. Although many countries like Germany and Austria were divided into the territories of the White Winged Duke and Altrouge respectively, it was precisely because they could shelter the Dead Apostles in these regions.

The White Winged Duke's ambition was to liberate parts of Southern Europe, such as Austria—a region second only to Germany but naturally a "no-man's-land"—and to invade central areas like Germany and Austria to let the vampires rise and gain recognition from the world.

Rimuru, however, wanted to go a step further. He wanted to turn Austria and Germany into a bridgehead for a Dead Apostle stronghold, and after invading the North, establish a nation and world for the Dead Apostles.

The two had different goals, but in reality, they coincided regarding Austria. Because Germany's status was too important, the Mage's Association would inevitably fight to reclaim it. If not for the fact that this matter had caused such a huge stir, the Mage's Association would not have been in the same boat as the Church. Unlike the Church's inherent rejection of heretics, the Mage's Association had always been ambiguous toward Dead Apostles since ancient times. Although they rejected them, because many Dead Apostles were mages who had transformed voluntarily, and because the Crimson Moon had died and the Dead Apostles had betrayed the True Ancestors and were no longer targeting humanity, the Association's attitude had always been to strike but not to kill. This made handing Germany over to the Mage's Association a non-fatal option.

Therefore, as a substitute, Austria had to become a nation of Dead Apostles. This was the ultimate goal of their negotiation.

Rimuru did not explicitly state his demands, but by pointing out Germany's strategic position, he had effectively told the White Winged Duke the intent behind their shared goal.

But this intent did not mean that just because the two of them agreed, others would accept it, especially the Mage's Association and the Church. So, the next problem arose.

That is...

"Have you ever thought that even if I truly agreed... this would not be a good signal, but would instead invite a catastrophic disaster." The White Winged Duke looked coldly at Rimuru and said in a deep voice: "There cannot be only one King among the Dead Apostles."

"But blind avoidance cannot solve the problem." Rimuru stood up. He knew this was the core issue: the clash of their philosophies: "My view is the exact opposite of yours. I believe there should only be one King of Dead Apostles."

"Since ancient times, resistance has required war. The basic condition for negotiation is the equality of status." Rimuru scanned the Ancestors of the Dead Apostles: "Whether you admit it or not, our Ancestors have been decreasing. Of the Twenty-Seven Ancestors, how many have actually come to participate in this negotiation?"

"Every time the Church takes a step forward, must we take three steps back?"

"I have not retreated." The White Winged Duke suddenly said coldly: "You stand there speaking so grandly, have you forgotten who has been sheltering them for hundreds of years? Is it this Altrouge you speak of?"

"I do not deny your achievements, Lord White Winged Duke." Hearing this, Rimuru turned to look at him, lowering his eyes slightly: "But you cannot deny Altrouge's contributions either, White Winged Duke."

"You look down on her because she has no ambition and lacks the mindset of a King of Dead Apostles."

"But among the Twenty-Seven Ancestors of the Dead Apostles, those immortal existences, how many possess that kind of resolve?" Rimuru narrowed his eyes without hesitation, saying word by word: "The only one you respect is that Crimson Moon Brunestud, isn't it?"

"Throughout the ages, so many Dead Apostle Ancestors have come and gone, yet how many have been like you, White Winged Duke? You cannot demand the ambition of the Crimson Moon from her just because she is his daughter. Even if you demand it, you should give her time to grow, rather than betraying her!"

Rimuru's voice was resonant and powerful, causing the other Ancestors to look at the White Winged Duke one after another—

And Altrouge was slightly stunned, staring blankly at Rimuru beside her.

"That is her responsibility." Facing the accusation of betrayal in Rimuru's words, the White Winged Duke laughed in anger: "Most Ancestors are immortal existences, and because of that, each has already developed their own deep-rooted nature. To unify all the Ancestors, one must understand them."

"Since that is the case, why should I set aside my own experience and ability, and instead pin my hopes on someone who understands none of the Ancestors, someone who has absolutely no will in this regard?!"

"We acknowledge the Crimson Moon and admit he was the undisputed King, but that ability stemmed from his strength."

"Leviathan, the seat of a Dead Apostle Ancestor is not inherited by blood, but by strength. Similarly, there is no such thing as a hereditary system among Dead Apostles. The Crimson Moon is dead, and only those with the ability can succeed his position—furthermore, even if there were a hereditary system, the successor left behind by the Crimson Moon was not Altrouge."

"But that one is still in slumber and once committed an irreparable mistake."

"Leviathan!" At this point, Merem Solomon raised an eyebrow slightly—"Don't forget what you promised me."

"I haven't promised anything yet; the premise of an agreement is your loyalty." Rimuru turned his head to respond: "I don't want to talk much about Arcueid, White Winged Duke."

"On the contrary, what I want to refute is... you say Altrouge lacks the resolve you expect. On that point, I completely, completely disagree."

"Oh? She hasn't grown at all in hundreds of years—doesn't that say everything?"

"White Winged Duke, the way people express their resolve is different." Rimuru raised his head and looked seriously into the White Winged Duke's eyes, saying softly: "Perhaps compared to Altrouge, in your eyes, you and I are the same kind of person. But have you ever thought that precisely because I am the same kind of existence as you, why would I be willing to submit to Altrouge?"

He turned his head, glanced gently at the somewhat dejected black-haired princess, and said softly: "Because Altrouge truly does not have the ambition you speak of. She has never known what ambition is, but her resolve is to desperately protect what she wants to protect and pursue what she desires."

"In this regard, you two are not different. No, I cannot say you are different."

"White Winged Duke, your initial pursuit stemmed from ambition. You wanted to ascend to the throne and gradually came to want to protect your people. Your resolve was gradually replaced by responsibility, and you truly wanted to find a sky for the Dead Apostles."

"But Altrouge started out just wanting to protect those who were willing to believe in her. In the end, as the number of people she wanted to protect grew, she had no choice but to take the seat of the King of Dead Apostles and grit her teeth to shoulder this responsibility."

"Rimuru..." Altrouge looked up blankly at the petite figure who was standing up to the pressure of the White Winged Duke for her...

"I haven't been with her long, but I can see this resolve, this heart of hers."

"I once thought about betraying her, because I was forced to be under her name. But in the end, I am willing to carry out this resolve for her. She has no ambition, no schemes, no cruel or cold-blooded plans, none of the things you see as necessary for a King—but I do."

"I have that ambition, I have those means, and I have that coldness and cruelty."

"And she, as the King, having me is enough, isn't it?"

As the voice faded, the entire hall fell into a heavy silence. After a long while, the White Winged Duke finally tore his gaze away from Rimuru and looked toward Altrouge: "Tsk... your confidence is truly brazen."

"That is because I have only done what you should have done from the beginning, White Winged Duke."

"Ridiculous. Do you intend to use morality to coerce me?" the White Winged Duke said coldly: "To this day, I have never felt a shred of regret for my initial choice."

"Admittedly, as you say, Altrouge has tried her utmost to protect her subordinates, but what has that ever changed?"

Hearing this, Rimuru spoke up calmly and directly:

"You gaining her full support—that is the change, Your Excellency."

"..." For a moment, the White Winged Duke fell silent.

"If the two of you do not struggle, the Dead Apostles will have no divisions, the factions will be unified, and you will have the authority to command the other Ancestors. That is the change, Your Excellency."

"What Altrouge lacks is precisely everything you possess. It is precisely because of this that she is well aware of it; that is why she has traveled everywhere seeking mages to sign contracts, yearning for an existence just like you."

"White Knight..." Altrouge looked at Rimuru, her eyes filled with a complex gaze.

"She never said it, but I could see it." Rimuru turned his head to glance at her, gently patted her head to soothe her, and continued: "Just as she followed me here despite her every reluctance, just as she was willing to bear the pressure of conquering Cornwall for me even though we have only known each other for a month."

"She simply believes, because of the last words of the previous White Knight, that I am the person she has been searching for, and so, she chose to believe in me."

"You say she has no ambition, then why would she seek me out?" Rimuru chuckled and shook his head: "She does have it. She has only one kind of ambition, an ambition named the protection of all Dead Apostles. She has struggled forward on the path of bearing responsibility and becoming the King of Dead Apostles, right up until this day."

"White Winged Duke, you may not have regrets, but you are wrong. Because, if you had not chosen to betray her back then, perhaps, as her subordinate, she would have supported you with all her might, wouldn't she? Even if it were a usurpation, she would have supported you with all her might, wouldn't she?"

"Tsk..." Merem Solomon let out a seemingly disdainful click of his tongue and shifted his eyes away from Rimuru, his gaze becoming complex and unfocused—Rosetta fell silent, the Water Demon was uncharacteristically sober, his sharp gaze fixed intently on Altrouge, while Zelretch stroked his beard with a hint of an amused smile.

Fim sat in his seat, an unknown light flickering in his eyes as he stroked the ring on his pinky finger—what was supposed to be a negotiation had, before anyone realized it, turned into a debate and a speech.

It was supposed to be a question of why I should serve you, yet it had been forcibly twisted by this White Knight into a question of whether Altrouge was qualified to have you serve her. And the answer to that was clearly affirmative; in other words, once you admitted that Altrouge was qualified, then subconsciously, you would feel that serving her was justified.

A classic case of shifting the premise.