The Beginning of Ruin 3
“Emperor. You’ve reaped quite the harvest over the years. Not only the ores we discussed, but grain, dyes, and even demon slaves—smuggled out in staggering quantities and sold for enormous profit.”
“I’ve heard the same. Word is you smuggled and sold the finest black cattle from the Demon King’s domain. We orcs can endure many things, but tampering with our meat is where we draw the line!”
“So that’s why steel prices have plummeted lately. You even diverted weapons, melted them down, and sold the metal? No matter how much you love coin, that’s crossing a line.”
“…”
The Pope’s opening accusation unleashed a barrage from the orc and dwarf leaders. Their unexpected assault left the Emperor with a throbbing headache. How? How could they know all of this? I hid everything perfectly. The only ones who knew were my direct subordinates and the Kerks who handled the smuggling…!
In that instant, a single realization struck him. The Emperor’s gaze snapped toward the figure present in the chamber—Master.
Could it be him…?
The man stood silently, his appearance utterly unremarkable. Yet suspicion began to take root in the Emperor’s heart. Unless one of his own subordinates or this Master had betrayed him, the situation could never have been laid bare so completely.
Still, despite his doubts, the Emperor could not bring himself to certainty. No… even so, he would never do such a thing. After everything I’ve invested in him and the Kerks all this time, why would he suddenly turn on his master without reason?
The Kerks had grown into his loyal hunting dogs, a network with roots across the entire continent. There was simply no cause for them to turn their backs on him overnight.
Caught between lingering suspicion and the inability to confirm it, the Emperor forced himself to respond to the crisis unfolding around him.
“Someone explain this. How could you commit such acts without breaking the treaties we signed?”
“Spoils must be divided fairly! Meat must be divided fairly! Those who break their word can never be friends of the orcs!”
“Having nothing better to do than play games with steel… and on top of that, diverting the ores. You could have at least been moderate about it.”
“Enough! What do any of you know?”
The Emperor lashed back at the other rulers, his voice thick with fury. Yet even his defiant attitude forced them into momentary silence. Regardless of the moral high ground, he was still the sovereign of the Utopia Empire, the strongest nation on the continent. The weight of that power could not be ignored.
“Which nation has shed the most blood fighting the demons? The Utopia Empire! We’re only trying to recover our losses. What’s so wrong with that? Even if some unsavory methods were involved, isn’t that something all of you have done to some degree?”
“Emperor, are you daring to insult me, the Pope?”
“I’m merely stating the truth! While you claim to follow the will of God, you’ve barely lifted a finger during the campaign! Even your Saintess has withdrawn from demon subjugation, yet you still have the audacity to speak? And you orcs—have you already forgotten how you survived the great famine thanks to the Empire? How dare you open your mouths now?”
“Grr… That… that’s a separate matter! We’re grateful for the help, but betrayal cannot be overlooked!”
“Silence! If you’d discard gratitude over something as trivial as meat, then how are you any different from those filthy demons?”
“Now, now. Everyone seems rather heated. Let’s all calm down for a moment. This isn’t the place for outbursts.”
Dwarf King Balin attempted to mediate as the situation spiraled into raw emotion. But the Emperor, consumed by the existence of a hidden traitor and the exposure of his own secrets, no longer heard him.
“You stay out of this, Balin! Ingrates, the lot of you. To think I’ve maintained this alliance with such thankless wretches—it’s pathetic.”
“Y-Your Majesty!”
The Emperor’s unrestrained rage filled the chamber. The Elf Pope rose from his seat, his expression one of utter disgust.
“I can no longer listen to this. I tried to maintain courtesy as blood allies who have shed blood together, but such arrogance makes further association worthless.”
“You have insulted the orcs! The Emperor is no longer our friend! We were fools to ally with you—let us never meet again!”
The Pope and the Orc Lord stormed out. Balin watched them go with deep concern etched across his face, while the Emperor remained seething. To any observer, it seemed he had severed the alliance in a fit of emotion.
Yet beneath the surface, a cold clarity had settled in the Emperor’s mind. It’s a little early, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve simply drawn the sword I planned to draw a little later.
Though he had kept it hidden from the outside world, the Emperor had long been preparing for a new war from the shadows. His targets were the only powers capable of rivaling the Utopia Empire: the Elf Holy Kingdom and the orcs. The dwarves, already close to the Empire, would inevitably follow once the other two were consumed.
Now that we have a pretext, all that remains is war. But before that… there’s something I must deal with first.
The exposure itself was inconsequential—it had been inevitable. What mattered now was eliminating the traitor who had forced his hand and sullied his dignity. With that resolve, the Emperor slowly rose from his seat.
I will not let this go. The crime of damaging my authority will be repaid in full.
*
The Pope returned to the Holy Kingdom. His secretary and archbishop, Arian, spoke with concern at the sight of him abandoning the summit so abruptly.
“Your Holiness, are you all right? Even so, ending the talks like this…”
“There is nothing left to see. Pouring any more time into an Emperor who has already fallen so far is a waste. Our own affairs are far more urgent now.”
“Pardon? What… what do you mean?”
Arian could not understand. The Elf Holy Kingdom had remained stable, even withdrawing from the expedition. Yet the Pope’s demeanor carried an unmistakable undercurrent of unease.
“I will explain everything once we return. There are too many ears in this empire.”
“Ah… Understood.”
Arian followed, curiosity still burning. Meanwhile, the Pope used teleportation magic to return to the Holy Kingdom as swiftly as possible. In his mind, a single truth echoed: this was the greatest crisis the Holy Kingdom had faced since its founding. If they did not act with absolute focus, it would not merely be his life at stake—the fate of the entire elven race could fall into ruin.
So this is what the Goddess spoke of… Now I understand why the Saintess went so far.
Despite the concerns of those around her, the Saintess had sided with the Demon King to an extreme degree. As one who also heard the Goddess’s voice, the Pope had tolerated her actions, yet even he had struggled to comprehend them. Now, however, everything was clear. He understood why she had chosen that path—and what had resulted from the elves’ own lukewarm response.
The true evil was elsewhere… Is that it? Regardless, preparations must be made. We must ready ourselves to withstand the blade the treacherous Emperor will soon draw.
*
A massive fortress loomed before them. Countless demons stood atop its walls, bows drawn and aimed directly at them. I offered them a calm smile.
“Haha… Well now. That’s quite the enthusiastic welcome from the start.”
“This is no time for jokes, Your Majesty. To point their bows at you… How could fellow demons—”
“Enough. As I said, I’ll handle this myself. Wait here for a moment.”
I stopped Hela from voicing her anger and stepped forward slowly, toward the place where my people—my demons—waited with clear hostility in their eyes.