Traveler Starting from Type-Moon, Demon Lord Rimuru! Chapter 40

He laughed. After all, that is how negotiations always go—whether it's shifting the goalposts or taking things out of context, as long as you fall into my rhythm, then things should proceed as expected. Fim, who understood this well, never bothered with trivialities during negotiations; after all, you only need to focus on one point.

That is: I work for you, what's in it for me?

Focusing on interests is the only way to ensure you aren't distracted.

White Winged Duke, do you think he is the same kind of person as you?

Hahaha, you are wrong... this guy...

He is clearly... exactly like me.

Bewitching the hearts of others is what this guy... is best at.

Chapter 055, Rimuru is a... big liar!

The reactions of the Ancestors of the Dead Apostles varied. Whether they were moved, indifferent, or disdainful, they were all swept into the gaze of Rimuru's eyes. A few old foxes like Fim and Zelretch were not affected by him, but that didn't matter, because the most important thing right now was undoubtedly the thoughts of the White Winged Duke.

Thus, Rimuru's gaze fell back onto the White Winged Duke. The other party lowered his eyelids, deep in thought, yet showed no intention of nodding in agreement.

For Rimuru, this was not good news, but it was within his expectations.

The White Winged Duke might not be able to point out the little tricks Rimuru used inadvertently as easily as Fim, but as a hegemon, as a powerful existence capable of leading a faction, they naturally possessed the most resolute of hearts.

They are as firm as boulders.

They will acknowledge, they will understand, and they might even admit that what you say makes perfect sense, admitting that you are right, but... they rarely change their own minds because of it.

That's fine too... Rimuru lowered his eyes slightly and chuckled.

After all, he is the White Winged Duke; if he were too easy to persuade, Rimuru would instead have to weigh whether the other party had some hidden agenda, and besides, it would be far too lacking in challenge.

The White Winged Duke's period of contemplation was not long. Within a very short time, he had organized his thoughts, and after a brief pause, he responded: "Perhaps there is some truth to what you say, but a hypothesis is, after all, just a hypothesis."

"Furthermore, Altrouge, who has not experienced my betrayal, might not support you so readily, and if she had experienced my betrayal, she would not trust me again after my return."

"Just as you said, if she has you, then my status will be challenged, which is actually disadvantageous to me. Why then should I agree to your proposal and abandon my ambition to compete for the pinnacle?"

"Leviathan, as an Ancestor of the Dead Apostles, I have never believed in so-called hope, nor will I place expectations on others. I have no intention of continuing to argue with you about Altrouge's qualifications. Past choices cannot be changed, but now that we are sitting on equal footing, if you want me to do as you wish, you must provide a reason that can convince me."

The White Winged Duke's own intention was also for the two sides to unite; otherwise, he would not have taken the initiative to extend an invitation. However, their philosophies clearly diverged. The White Winged Duke hoped for co-governance—a mutual defense pact where they would not interfere with each other's affairs, with Altrouge making concessions in certain areas.

But Rimuru was clearly unwilling to accept this, because if they co-governed, the White Winged Duke's Dead Apostles would never develop a sense of belonging to Altrouge, which would greatly increase the difficulty of assimilation. This would mean that once external threats disappeared, a civil war could break out at any moment!

Much like... well, those two political parties that once formed a coalition.

Altrouge must be able to suppress, or even eliminate, the White Winged Duke; this was the most basic element for Rimuru to be willing to help the Dead Apostles rise. The Princess of the Black did not harbor hostility toward humans, and neither did the White Winged Duke, but he, like The Church, belonged to the Dead Apostles—or rather, he was a supporter of Vampire Supremacy.

Thus, he spoke up and first proposed a central red line, confirming: "Regardless of anything else, the Dead Apostles should not continue to be divided, should they?"

"Indeed, but the threat of a union is no less than that of division." The White Winged Duke countered, attempting to persuade him: "Leviathan, returning to the original disagreement, you said you believe there can only be one King of the Dead Apostles, but on this point, you are the one who is wrong."

"The immortal Ancestors are certainly powerful, but since ancient times, there have been no shortage of existences capable of contending with the Ancestors. The sheer number of primates has become a vast base; even if only one Zelretch appears in a million, the power accumulated over a thousand years cannot be underestimated."

As the White Winged Duke spoke, he glanced at Zelretch and added: "If our two sides cease hostilities and unite temporarily, it might still be within their tolerance. But if I were to truly submit—once a real war begins, have you thought about the consequences?"

The White Winged Duke's remarks sounded like defeatist talk that bolstered the enemy's morale while diminishing his own, but Rimuru knew this was merely a card the other party was playing to persuade him to agree to co-governance.

"I have never underestimated humans, but you overestimate them too much, White Winged Duke."

Hearing this, Rimuru chuckled: "If even the Dead Apostles, who are at a numerical disadvantage, cannot be unified, why do you bother worrying about the numerous humans uniting?"

"The Mage's Association will never truly put aside their hatred for The Church, and humans will never truly unite, Excellency."

"The division of the Dead Apostles is partly caused by them, but since humans can divide us, we can turn around and divide them."

"On the contrary, White Winged Duke, I am standing here negotiating with you because Altrouge possesses the corresponding qualifications and power, and the reason I challenged the Black Winged Duke, besides wanting to gain his support, was also to demonstrate power."

"As I said before, negotiation requires equal status." Rimuru reached out, gesturing as if balancing the two factions, and said softly: "A disadvantaged race must be united as one to contend with the mainstream. If you want vampires to gain recognition from the world, it is not enough to just be powerful."

"You must have the ability to make your own voice heard, the ability to tell the ordinary people who are being deceived by their superiors, and the ability to change their perceptions."

"And this ability can only be gained through struggle." Rimuru scanned all the Ancestors and suddenly smiled: "Admittedly, there are no shortage of mages capable of contending with the Ancestors, but they are just as scattered as the Ancestors, and even... their mutual hatred and differing stances are far more complex than ours."

"Then what if we cannot contend with them?" The White Winged Duke asked in a deep voice.

"If two Ancestors cannot contend with them, then three, four." Rimuru said in a low voice: "The kingdom of Dead Apostles I envision is one where all Ancestors can unite and have a common goal, not a rabble held together by a piece of paper, united on the surface while fighting each other in private."

"Heh, what you are thinking is no different from what I thought back then, but I have already..."

"Just because you couldn't do it doesn't mean I can't."

"Arrogant!"

"Perhaps, White Winged Duke. I am not looking down on you, but whether you admit it or not, give me a hundred years, and I am confident I can reach your height and stand on equal footing with you." Rimuru met the White Winged Duke's gaze without flinching and smiled: "You might say I have no time, or you might say I am overestimating myself."

"But White Winged Duke, open your eyes and look at the world today; the times are changing."

"You say humans cannot be underestimated, but you have ignored that humans themselves have now embarked on two different paths."

"The mages you fear are heading toward decline, but what truly makes me feel afraid is the light of technology coming from North America."

"You have focused your gaze on Europe, but ignored the changes in the entire world—the Mage's Association and The Church? Heh, in another dozen years or so, I suspect they will barely be able to protect themselves." Rimuru gave a disdainful laugh, looked at the frowning White Winged Duke, and suddenly changed his tone, becoming calm.

"But it is precisely because of the rise of ordinary people that I see an opportunity. Ordinary people, a group we once looked down upon, are gradually gaining the right to speak in the world, and their pursuit of power, their longing for power, is unparalleled."

A strange, bloody glow slowly leaked from the eye holes of Rimuru's mask, and all the Ancestors could not help but raise their heads.

"In the Cornwall region, everyone was turned into vampires by me, but can you imagine?"

"They are all volunteers, a spectacle of people rushing headlong into hell despite knowing exactly what lies ahead."

"That is the very proof of the noble bloodline of the Dead Apostle!"

As he said this, the corners of Rimuru's mouth hidden beneath his mask curled upward, and he began a new round of performance.

Since ancient times, nothing has been more effective at inciting the masses than racism and populism!

If the White Winged Duke disagreed, then he would use the Duke's own ideology of vampire supremacy as a starting point to sway him—after all, if you want to persuade someone, the best method is...

Find their weakness, and then... either threaten or entice them.

The fire of fanaticism ignited in Rimuru's eyes, and his tone rose with fervor: "Tell me, White Winged Duke."

"Why must we, who are immortal, possess physical prowess and personal abilities many times greater than primates, continue to live in such a wretched, lingering state?!"

"Because of numbers? All ordinary humans can become our subjects. Because of personal will? I believe that when faced with the temptation of eternal life, they would all willingly face such risks!"

"Oh, White Winged Duke."

"Would you rather call yourself a king in a kingdom of tens of thousands of subjects, ruling together?"

"Or would you rather be a monarch who stands above millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions... a ruler beneath whom only one person stands, yet who commands the masses?!"

Rimuru's argument was one-sided; for instance, he ignored the existence of resistance among ordinary humans, and he also omitted and concealed his own true nature. He painted a picture without revealing the hidden risks within it.

He said the times were changing and unfavorable for magi, yet he failed to mention that the times were also extremely unfavorable for Dead Apostles—perhaps even more so.

He mentioned the advantages of the Dead Apostles' conversion and barbaric expansion, but he did not mention that mystery is finite, nor that the conversion rate and efficiency of Dead Apostles are also limited.

Seeking advantages and avoiding disadvantages is a tactic everyone employs, and as a leader, the White Winged Duke would naturally be accustomed to analyzing the hidden elements in an opponent's words.

But... so what?

Rimuru lowered his eyes, the fanaticism on the surface hiding a bottomless coldness in his gaze. Beneath the mask, he curled his lips and sighed softly.

There are many smart people in the world, but why do people still get deceived?

Is it because there are many fools? No, it is because when someone's rhetoric aligns with your inner thoughts, you deliberately ignore many, many things that cannot withstand scrutiny.

The White Winged Duke considered himself very rational, but upon hearing the other's words, he couldn't help but swallow hard, a sharp glint erupting in his eyes.

"You... you really are the same kind of person as me."

"Of course, my ambition is no smaller than yours, White Winged Duke. In fact... my ambition is even greater than yours. You want the Dead Apostles to have a territory in Southern Europe, but I want the Dead Apostles to... sound the horn of a counterattack."

Rimuru's cold, clear voice brought all the distracted Ancestors of the Dead Apostles back to reality.

Zelretch lowered his head, a hint of admiration in his eyes. For some reason, having seen through the fact that Rimuru was not a Dead Apostle at all, he suddenly looked forward to how things would develop.

As for Fim, he shook his head slightly, and like the other Ancestors, he looked at the White Winged Duke with a complex expression.

They knew that the White Winged Duke had been moved.

All the Dead Apostles knew the White Winged Duke's philosophy: he acknowledged the superiority of vampires, and since Dead Apostles were the most powerful among vampires, the principle of racial supremacy was naturally his most firm and unshakable conviction. But at the same time, it was also his softest and most vulnerable point.

Only by catering to one's preferences can you strike a fatal blow.

For a moment, the hall fell into silence once again. Only Altrouge, looking at Rimuru's proud back, suddenly felt that the White Winged Duke was somewhat pathetic, and her gaze toward Rimuru became even more complex.

For the first time in a hundred years, someone had voiced the purpose of her searching everywhere for contractors. For the first time, someone had perceived her inner heart in just one month, understanding the torment and the will she bore.

It must be said that when Rimuru spoke of her goals and the journey to this day, her cold heart was suddenly touched—the kind of touch one feels when they are truly understood.

She understood very well that the higher one stands, and the more firm one's heart is, the harder it is to find someone who understands them.

But precisely because of this, when Rimuru used that same stance of an "understander" to make the White Winged Duke's eyes burn with fervor, she suddenly understood.

Ah, yes.

Seeing through others' hearts, making them fall into his rhythm by understanding them... hadn't I known that all along?

Known it all along... this is the ability that her White Knight, Rimuru, is best at.

Thinking of this, she revealed a bitter smile. With her feelings for Rimuru becoming increasingly complicated, she couldn't help but look at the White Winged Duke with a trace of pity.

Heh, you think he is the same as you, someone who worships vampires?

What a joke... he...

He is a human after all!!

His ultimate goal is to save humanity!!!

"What's wrong?" At this moment, Rimuru noticed the Princess of the Black's unusual behavior. He hesitated, thinking Altrouge had been stimulated by his rhetoric, so he reached out, intending to pat her head to comfort her as usual, but suddenly felt a pain in his hand—

Hiss.

It was Altrouge biting him. Her small face was filled with dissatisfaction. At the wound, magic power surged, and a voice inaudible to others vibrated from the magic, traveling through the blood into his ears:

"Big liar!"

Altrouge was very smart, but precisely because of that intelligence, she knew clearly that perhaps...

To Rimuru, she was no different from the White Winged Duke—just an object to be utilized. Even the persona Rimuru displayed before her might just be a disguise.

She had seen it more than once: Rimuru looking at this world at night with extreme indifference, as if... he were a bystander standing apart from the world itself.

Promises made must be kept until death.

The White Winged Duke closed his eyes slightly, hiding the fervor within them completely, yet he still did not easily concede. To him, the other party's words were indeed moving, but that was all they were—moving. Simple empty promises were not enough to make him commit. Thus, he asked in a deep voice: "Then, what exactly is your plan?"

"And what is the purpose of Cornwall's independence and the search for the scabbard?"

"Cornwall is merely a discarded pawn, and the scabbard is a smokescreen."

Bullshit. Merem Solomon raised an eyebrow, cursing inwardly, though he did not let it show.

"If Cornwall is a discarded pawn, then why go to such great lengths to have me defend it?"

"The dignity of His Highness cannot be... fine, it is to apply pressure on you to create favorable conditions for His Highness, and also to make them feel the pain."

"Austria cannot be abandoned, but if we start our uprising directly in Austria, not to mention whether the first wave of their offensive will cause damage to certain regions, the more critical point is that we cannot retreat. A fight to the death right from the start is disadvantageous for us."

"But if we prioritize a desperate defense to make them suffer losses, and then decisively abandon it when they increase their forces..."

"The feeling of punching cotton is not pleasant, is it?"

"More importantly, when they face us again as we occupy Austria using the same method, they will be unable to fathom our attitude and will slow down their offensive."

"Then why choose Cornwall?"

Hearing this, Rimuru raised his hand and explained: "Cornwall belongs to the UK, an area the Mage's Association cannot tolerate. Choosing Cornwall can quickly provoke a reaction from them, such as a Grand Resolution."

"The UK is close to Germany, so this can most quickly exert the greatest pressure on you."

"Another point is that Cornwall is the territory of the Mage's Association. The Church cannot reach in, or rather, even if they do, they lack the power to control it. When the time comes, if we strike the Church's people quickly while deliberately sparing some of the Mage's Association's members, it will easily incite the Church's dissatisfaction if the losses are equivalent."

"The Mage's Association is not our mortal enemy, just as we can make concessions regarding Germany. After we retreat from Cornwall, we can tell the Mage's Association that we are giving them face. However, Austria belongs to the Church's territory. If we fail to take it for a long time and the losses are unequal, the Church will inevitably feel that the Mage's Association is not doing enough, thereby intensifying the conflict."

"It is just a spare move, better than nothing."