Facing the three Demon Lords before him, Clayman began to speak.
His explanation was simple and clean. Gelmud, the instigator, had died due to his own failed operation. He made no attempt to drag himself into the matter.
"Gelmud was too impatient. Even with Veldora gone, there was no need to rush the plan."
"That's true," Carrion replied. "But with the Forest Dominator Veldora disappearing, chaos in the Jura Forest was inevitable. Rather than letting others harvest immature seeds, wouldn't it be better for us to act first?"
Clayman's reasoning resonated with Carrion.
After all, the forest was home to many powerful races. There was no guarantee that any one faction would emerge victorious. From a strategic standpoint, choosing the Orc Disaster-a being with exceptionally high potential-was not an unreasonable decision.
Still, not every Demon Lord was satisfied with the explanation.
"What did you just say? Then what about the Orc Disaster becoming a Demon Lord?"
Milim's voice rang out immediately.
"So, Milim," Clayman replied calmly, "the one controlling the Orc Disaster-Gelmud-is already dead. That plan naturally returns to square one."
"How boring!" Milim scoffed. "I thought a new Demon Lord would finally be born after all this time. Didn't that guy named Gelmud brag endlessly back then? Turns out he was completely useless!"
"Calm down, Milim. Take a deep breath."
Frey intervened at just the right moment.
"Clayman hasn't finished speaking yet. You can get angry after you hear everything. That won't be too late, will it?"
Just as Clayman had expected, the failure of the plan had infuriated Milim. He had prepared himself mentally for a lengthy effort to pacify her, but thanks to Frey's intervention, Milim settled down far more quickly than anticipated.
That alone brought him some relief.
(It's a good thing Milim brought Frey.)
Clayman's face remained composed, a polite smile fixed in place, but inwardly he muttered to himself. The title Tyrant of Destruction was not something given lightly. Once Milim truly lost control, restraining her would be no simple matter.
"Milim," Clayman continued smoothly, "Frey is right. Please take a look at this."
He produced four crystal balls.
Within them were scenes of high-ranking demons battling the Orc Disaster. As the images became clear, the attention of the other three Demon Lords was immediately captured.
"I see," Carrion muttered. "No wonder Gelmud failed. He was no match for any of these high-ranking demons."
Frey leaned closer, her eyes shining as she studied the scenes. A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"I understand now," she said. "You're saying that even if these demons defeated the Orc Disaster, it wouldn't necessarily result in the birth of a new Demon Lord. Correct?"
The crystal balls only showed what Gelmud himself had witnessed. No one present knew what had happened after his death.
Based on Frey's analysis, whether the Orc Disaster triumphed or was defeated, there remained a possibility-however uncertain-that a Demon Lord could be born from the outcome.
"Precisely," Clayman replied.
He knew Frey well. Like himself, she was not a combat-focused Demon Lord, but one who specialized in intelligence and strategy. That was why she could grasp his intent so quickly.
"In that case," Frey continued, "someone needs to go and investigate properly."
"So who should we send?" Carrion asked.
"Wahahahaha!" Milim laughed loudly. "Obviously, the early bird gets the worm!"
"Milim," Frey said at once, "what exactly do you mean by early bird gets the worm? If we let you go, it won't just be an investigation, will it?"
While the three of them argued, Clayman observed quietly. He already had a plan in mind.
"Everyone, calm down," he said, smiling. "That is the Jura Forest. Outsiders are not permitted to invade."
"Huh?" Milim tilted her head. "So what? We're not attacking it. We're just going to persuade those monsters to become our allies."
She grinned.
"And if they refuse the invitation... well, unfortunate accidents do happen. Hahahaha!"
"You're jumping the gun, Carrion," Frey interjected sharply. "From what you said earlier, the plan was to raise a new Demon Lord and use them as a pawn, wasn't it? Since that failed, wouldn't it be better to choose one of those five demons and elevate them instead? Make them obey us."
"You're amazing, Frey," Clayman said sincerely. "You saw straight through our intentions."
Indeed, Clayman and the others had once devised a plan with a clear objective-to cultivate a controllable Demon Lord. Frey had exposed it effortlessly.
"That said," Frey continued, "an investigation is still necessary. I don't agree with Carrion's reckless approach. Those individuals may not cooperate with us."
She paused briefly before adding, "And if the Orc Disaster won... having lost Gelmud as a 'father,' it may now be completely uncontrollable."
Clayman nodded in agreement.
His words carried an implicit warning. No one should act on their own behind his back.
Hearing this, the other Demon Lords finally acknowledged that an investigation was unavoidable.
Whether it was the Orc Disaster or the demons who emerged victorious, whoever stood at the end of that conflict would gain tremendous power. Bringing them under control would be ideal. Letting them run wild would be disastrous.
No one wanted their carefully prepared chess pieces slipping from their grasp.
As the Demon Lords weighed their options, a decision was made.
By Milim.
"If I leave this task to these idiots," she said bluntly, "my hard-earned toy will definitely be ruined."
She crossed her arms, looking thoroughly dissatisfied.
"The problem is that you're all like newborn chicks. You can't see the essence of things. This clearly requires a calm and wise leader like me."
The irony was impossible to ignore.
Milim appeared to be the youngest among them, yet she was undeniably one of the most cunning Demon Lords in existence.
After a short pause, she straightened her posture, radiating the dignity of an ancient Dragonoid and Demon Lord.
"Fine," she declared. "Then we'll go and negotiate with the survivors."
Her voice was confident. Her expression excited and impatient.
The other Demon Lords fell silent.
With the non-aggression treaty surrounding the Jura Forest still in effect, her proposal was absurd on the surface. There was no way they could simply march in as she suggested.
"Listen, Milim," Clayman said carefully. "Because of the non-aggression treaty, we can't do that."
"That's right!" Carrion added. "What you're suggesting is ridiculous."
"Calm down, Milim," Frey said. "I'll handle the investigation properly. Just give me time to prepare."
All three attempted to stop her at once.
Milim only chuckled.
Among Demon Lords familiar with her personality, a common thought surfaced-that muscle-brained idiot.
But that assessment was deeply flawed.
Milim wasn't stupid. She was simply impatient.
In truth, her intelligence was extremely high. She could clearly distinguish right from wrong and organize her thoughts logically. She often skipped intermediate steps and went straight to action, which made others believe she lacked depth.
In reality, Milim was among the most brilliant of the Demon Lords.
Tragically, very few recognized this.
Most saw her only as impulsive and naive.
"What about the non-aggression treaty?" Milim said casually. "That kind of thing can be abolished immediately."
She smiled arrogantly.
"There are four Demon Lords here. That should be easy, right?"
Silence fell.
The others stared at her in disbelief.
None of them had even considered that possibility. And yet, the moment she said it, their expressions changed.
Joy spread across their faces.
"But... can it really be done so easily?" Clayman asked cautiously.
"Relax," Milim replied, hands on her hips. "It's no problem at all."
She continued, almost amused.
"The non-aggression treaty exists because there used to be a troublesome guardian. Three hundred years ago, when that guy-the Storm Dragon Veldora-was sealed, everyone signed the treaty regarding the Jura Forest."
Her eyes gleamed.
"They didn't want their hard-won seal to be broken."
She glanced at the others.
"You all happened to become Demon Lords around that time. Of course you wouldn't know."
"So that's how it is..." Carrion muttered.
With the final obstacle removed, the atmosphere shifted completely.
Each Demon Lord present coveted the resources of the Jura Forest. In the end, they agreed on a simple rule. Each would send their own forces. They would not interfere with one another.
Whoever claimed the land first would keep it.
And so, without anyone outside that room realizing it, the Jura Forest was quietly designated as a battlefield-a playground for Demon Lords.
A war game.
None of them stopped to consider one thing.
Whether events would truly unfold as they expected.
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