Yuuki was the one who informed Granville of Maribel's death. She had challenged the demon lord Rimuru to battle and lost. Left with no other option, she set off a magical control reactor, got caught in the resulting explosion, and died. It was the same story Yuuki told Rimuru earlier. Yuuki had considered giving Granville another lie but opted against it—now that Rimuru's suspicions of him were gone, he didn't want to be needlessly inconsistent.
Although he couldn't say how Granville would react, Yuuki wasn't at all afraid of him alone. Even if he was part of the Seven Days Clergy, those protectors of humankind, Yuuki saw him as just a poor elderly man possessed by a mad, greedy desire for power. He wasn't about to let his guard down, but he viewed Granville as a beatable opponent.
The old man had several of his guards with him at the conference, including a couple of otherworlders. It'd be a bad idea to make enemies out of all of them, but Yuuki still felt at ease. With Maribel gone, all he really needed to watch out for was this Razul guy. Thus, he faced up against Granville, not bothering to hide his true nature.
"I see… So Maribel is dead…"
"Mm-hmm. And lemme tell you, it was hard for me as well—her controlling me, making me fight against Rimuru… I know the Free Guild's built under the Council and gets their operating budget from them, but this is really a breach of contract, isn't it? I had my free will taken from me, and I really think I deserve some compensation."
"So what happened with the demon lord Rimuru?" Granville asked, pushing Yuuki's demand aside. Yuuki expected that to some extent, shrugging without showing any real disappointment.
"What happened? Nothing, really. He may have doubted you before, perhaps, but now I think he believes all of this was Maribel's scheme. That's the way I framed it with him, besides, and I hope you won't think ill of me for it."
"Mmm…"
Granville's expression hinted at severe exhaustion, something Yuuki didn't anticipate. He shut his eyes tightly, remaining silent for a moment.
"…I see. So Maribel is gone. Now all hope is lost for the Rozzo family.
And if it is, we must use the secret treasure she hid away for our revenge."
"She? And a secret treasure, you say? I'm not sure what you're talking about, but I'd like to stay out of it, if you don't mind."
"Heh-heh-heh… Ah, don't say that, Yuuki. You know already, don't you?
You're no fool."
"…Know what?"
"Hmph! That the god of Luminism is none other than the demon lord Luminus herself."
"Oh…"
Yuuki had assumed as much, but it surprised him to hear it from Granville's own lips. At the same time, he wondered why he'd reveal such a vital secret to him.
"Well, if you're telling me that, then what are you scheming?"
"Scheming? Oh, don't call it that. I've accepted you, you know. With
Maribel gone, you're the only person I could entrust the future of the Western Nations to—or really, the human race itself."
Granville rose from his sofa, speaking to Yuuki in exaggerated tones. Yuuki wasn't obedient enough to believe him.
"Ah, come on. I don't need to be some savior—Rimuru's probably gonna step up to do that anyway. He really does want to live alongside humankind, you know."
Yuuki snickered a little. He assumed all talks were off now. But Granville wasn't done yet.
"You're still young, Yuuki, very young. Maribel could see into the future, but it appears that you cannot. That demon lord, Rimuru… We cannot ever permit his continued existence. Lady Luminus had no interest in the human world, and that's exactly why she and they could coexist. But not Rimuru. He's going to corrupt humanity and spread chaos worldwide, I'm sure of it.
There will be seas of blood."
"Oh? Wow. What's your basis for saying that?"
"My sixth sense."
"Huh? That's kind of irrational—"
"My sixth sense as a former Hero. It is pleading with me to slay the demon lord Rimuru."
This made Yuuki pause. He squinted at Granville. He may have called himself a former Hero, but to Yuuki, he looked like a shriveled old man. He had fancy clothes, sharp eyes, and the charisma and drive of a leader and ruler…but Yuuki just couldn't see the kind of "strength" that would put Granville above Maribel.
"A Hero? You're joking."
"Pfft! You can choose to believe me or not. But I want to know whether you'll assist me in defeating the demon lord Rimuru."
"Ha-ha! Assist you? Why would I ever agree to something so hazardous? I want to keep my current relationship with him—"
"Enough nonsense, you fool! Maribel is dead! Now's not the time for us to be playing mind games with each other! We could leave everything to the Empire, but there's too many question marks in their government. And who knows how much we can trust the merchants you're connected to?"
"Mmm…"
Who's talking nonsense now? Yuuki thought, chiding Granville in his mind. Unlike Granville, he didn't take a humans-first approach to life. No matter what happens to humankind, it was all good to him—as long as he had full control of it in the end. But this talk of a secret treasure still concerned him. By the sound of it, Granville felt this would be enough to defeat Rimuru, and Yuuki wanted to find out what it was.
Granville, meanwhile, paid Yuuki's thoughts no mind.
"I won't ask you to believe me. I simply want us to join forces, just once."
"…Again, how does that benefit me?"
"I will grant you Lady Luminus's hidden treasure."
"And that is…?"
"The ultimate weapon—the one that sealed Veldora away."
"…?!"
This sudden bombshell was impossible for Yuuki to ignore.
"The greatest Hero of all time. I have not met her personally, but Lady
Luminus is protecting her in a special ark."
"A demon lord protecting a Hero? What kind of joke is that…?"
"Ha-ha-ha! None of that, now. I was just as confused at first. But in the great battles that unfold in this world every few hundred years, I have seen this Hero in action. Truly, she is the supreme figure among her kind, capable of annihilating any form of evil."
"Stronger than you in your prime?"
"I would not even compare."
Those words sounded honest to Yuuki, and he was pretty confident in his lie-detection skills. Granville was telling the truth. And if he was, Yuuki had an idea why this Hero disappeared and left Shizue Izawa to herself.
…There must be some limit to this Hero's career. Her life span? Well, regardless of the reason, if we can seize that ark or whatever Luminus is guarding, we can get the strongest pawn of all for ourselves, and then…?
So this "ultimate weapon" was in the custody of Luminus, likely under some sort of spell. If Yuuki and his friends could figure out what kind of spell it was…
"That's quite fascinating. But I'm not enough of a mark to believe you at face value."
"I'm sure you're not. So here's a suggestion. I will attack and cause a scene at their main cathedral. It'll no doubt lead to confusion and chaos at Lady Luminus's castle, and in the midst of that, you can fly in and steal the ark."
It was an attractive suggestion—so advantageous to Yuuki, in fact, that he doubted it all the more.
"What do you gain from this? Isn't the demon lord Luminus your master? You're so bent on getting revenge for Maribel that you'll defy Luminus herself ?"
Granville greeted this question with disgust. "Of course I am. I was once on good terms with Lady Luminus, but she's already disposed of me. Our relationship hinged on the promise that she wouldn't oppose the human race. Now that she's joined hands with the demon lord Rimuru, Lady Luminus…or rather, the demon lord Luminus is my enemy—and nothing more."
The malice was clear in his words. Yuuki picked up on it, astonished by its sheer force. Wow… I thought he was a used-up old man, but he can still cut it on the front lines, can't he? Maybe this isn't such a bad offer after all…
He began to seriously consider it. On one hand, he'd insist upon Granville rising up first. That reduced the chances of a betrayal and gave him an opportunity to size up his powers before putting his own skin in the game. In the worst case, he could claim Granville tricked him with his lies into joining in—but he could judge how serious he was once battle began. If he couldn't gauge whether Granville intended to actually fight this out, there was no point joining in.
"Interesting… Very interesting. I still have a few doubts, but considering what I stand to gain from it, maybe giving it a venture isn't such a bad idea."
"Ha-ha! I thought you would say that. It will be a temporary alliance for us, but there will be no better way to cap off our friendship. Can I count on you for this?"
"Well, if you're willing to set the table that much for me, I might as well trust you a little, huh? So how are we gonna make this a success?"
"Yes, well…"
The two of them began going over the finer details—and at the end of it, the mastermind in full control of the Western Nations shook hands over it with the magic-born scheming to conquer the world.
...…
...
…
First, the Rozzo family would exercise their full resources in an attack on the cathedral. All the agents from the Selt Foreign Information Bureau would be there, as well as the survivors from Blood Shadow and some otherworlders summoned by the Rozzos. Even Razul himself, guardian of the Western Nation's northern boundary, would be present.
"I'm curious to see the full measure of the Rozzos' strength," muttered Kagali, grinning evilly—and she spoke for everyone in the room.
"So, Sir Yuuki, do you have a read on where this ark is hidden?"
"Granville gave me all the details. We'll have to proceed carefully, though, just in case he's tricking me."
"And that's my job, eh?" said Laplace. "I'm a little anxious about sneakin' in by myself, so I'm takin' Teare and Footman along, okay?"
"I'd like to say yes, but I have another job for Teare."
"Oh? Well, just Footman, then. But what're ya gonna do with her?"
"She's taking the most important job of all. But back to you for a moment. I want you guys to avoid combat as much as you can. Just focus on completing your mission."
"Always consider the possibility of a trap," advised Kagali. "If you sense any danger, don't hesitate to retreat."
"I ain't a kid, y'know. You don't have to remind me."
Laplace exuded confidence, Footman silently nodding his approval.
"Good," said Kagali. "Remember that Luminus was the master of Valentine, a demon lord as powerful as I was. I don't need to remind you how strong she is. She could easily defeat me in my prime. Do I make myself clear, Laplace? Your first priority isn't to steal the ark. It's to get as much info as you can without pushing your luck and come back home safely, all right?"
"Fine, fine. I ain't got no obligation to old man Granville. This ain't a
Moderate Jesters job anyway, so I'll do my best for you guys, okay?"
"Yeah." Yuuki nodded. "So for this job, I'm gonna be supporting you. If that ark's every bit the decisive weapon Granville claims it is…"
"Support? What, don't you trust me? That hurts…"
"It's not that. We need to firm up our defense. There's bound to be a trap or two, so we can't be too careful."
Yuuki trusted Laplace and his cohorts well enough. This time, though, not even he could predict what would happen. No matter what, he couldn't afford to have them go easy and risk messing up the whole thing.
"I'll be following you all in secret," he continued. "It'll be up to you guys to carry out your end of it."
"Ooh, so we're gonna be a diversion for ya, huh? That would be smarter."
"And if things fall apart, use the confusion to bail out safely. I'll take our prize in the midst of that."
He grinned. The plan was perfect, and after several rounds of planning with Granville, Yuuki realized he was dead serious about it. This was definitely going to be the best shot he'd get. The chances of another opportunity like this were slim to none. Regardless of how things shook out, Yuuki thought, he absolutely had to get his hands on that ark. "Okay, but is this ark really everything yer sayin' it is?"
"It is. He said it houses the Hero who sealed away Veldora himself. Supposedly this Hero answers to Luminus, but my plan's to undo whatever spell's been put on her and make her mine instead."
"Huh?"
"Seriously? Are you kidding me?!"
"Wh-what are you talking about?"
"Hoh-hoh-hoh…"
"Talk about priceless, wouldn't you agree? The East is ready to accept this ark at any time. We'll figure out how to gain control of the ultimate Hero; trust me."
The whole room was surprised to hear Yuuki's casual revelation. Now the ark was more valuable than any of them could imagine, and it was hard for anyone to hide their excitement. Even Misha, who was ordered to prepare for this ark in advance, couldn't hide her blushing cheeks. How could she? They were attempting to gain control over the figure who defeated the True Dragon, the most powerful presence in the world. World conquest, as envisioned by Yuuki and Cerberus, was no pipe dream now.
"I can see why yer bein' so careful, then, Boss."
"Yes, if that's how things are, I'd gladly volunteer to join in the research."
"Ha-ha! Not so fast, Kagali. It's too dangerous to accept Granville's story at face value…but I do think it's pretty plausible. So we can't mess this up."
"I'm sure Sir Yuuki's presence puts all our minds at ease, but we can't afford to have any of you drag us down, am I clear?"
"Roger that."
"Hoh-hoh-hoh! Understood!"
Learning the gravity of their mission enthused Laplace and Footman all the more. Yuuki gave them both satisfied looks, then turned to Teare.
"Now, Teare… We're actually going to have the demon lord Leon's support for this operation. It'd be rude if we didn't give him a warm welcome."
With Leon on the move, Yuuki's team now had a mission. If he chose to stay put, they would've likely done the same, maybe providing a little help on the sidelines—but now even Leon was on his way to Lubelius's holy lands.
No doubt about it. The battlefield was going to be chaotic.
"If Leon's been lured here," Kagali said, "we should make him think Cerberus is being used by the Rozzos, too. That way, he'll mistakenly believe that he can trust us."
"And then we can tell Rimuru that Leon's ruthlessly after those little kids, right?"
"Right. And to make that more convincing, we need some of the kids we were planning to give Leon."
"Oh! And that's where I come in?"
"You got it, Teare. It'll mean showing your face in public, but knowing you, it's not gonna blow your cover, is it?"
"Not at all! With my acting skills, duping Rimuru is no problem!" She was ready for the job, but Yuuki still cruelly shook his head.
"Well, I have high hopes for that, but it's not gonna be enough. The demon lord Rimuru's an incredibly cautious leader, and he's got a real sharp eye for trouble. He might realize we're up to something, so we're gonna need to confer with Granville first…"
In hushed tones, he gave his orders to Teare. The evil thoughts of the magic-born began to swell past all limits. The fated day was soon, very soon.
Deep inside a darkened room:
"Of course we will strike the demon lord Rimuru. And the demon lord Leon. And…Lady Luminus as well."
Granville's eyes were twin wells of bottomless hatred as he muttered the words.
For more than a thousand years, he had devoted himself to humankind. Perhaps his goals had shifted over time toward absolute rule and administration with an elite secret cadre, but there was no doubting his ultimate goal of peace across human society. It presented him with one hardship after another—an endless string of betrayals, accompanied by the deaths of the companions who supported him. Still, with his indomitable spirit, Granville had overcome all his hardship, guarding the people of this world up to now. The demon lord Luminus assisted him, but his own efforts were just as extraordinary.
Those long-gone days when he discussed his ideals with his friends. The promises he forged with those who died before him. They all led up to the birth of Maribel, a great hope that brought his plans one step away from fruition. But now that hope was gone. His ultimate dream was to merge West with East, creating a united front to face the demon lords. Otherwise, keeping human society going seemed impossibly difficult. Now that the Octagram had been formed, their power was simply too great.
They were two down from their days as the Ten Great Demon Lords, but their authority was more dominant than ever before. Guy Crimson, the Lord of Darkness, was letting his demons treat the northern lands as their personal playground. Earthquake Daggrull's interests in territorial expansion were drawing his attention toward human lands. He hadn't acted yet, out of concern over clashes with the Queen of Nightmares, but he couldn't restrain himself forever. And now even the Eastern Empire was showing signs of a figure among them beyond humankind. Granville had also thought the Sleeping Ruler might attempt something, but he was so far unable to confirm his intentions.
These were the giants he had protected humankind from so far. But now…
"Look at these upstarts and their petty ambitions. Well, if they feel up to it, let them try. I'm too tired for it now…"
Not even Granville knew how much longer he had to live. With Maribel dead, no one was left to be a worthy successor to him. And without anyone to arbitrate over the proceedings to come, humankind would quickly meet its doom. It was simply a species far too ready to lay bare its greed and start infighting.
Long ago, his wife—a woman who resembled Maribel in many ways— was killed by such people. Granville had kept living, bottling up his sadness out of concern for the children she left behind, but that was in the past now.
"All this world has done is take from me. It deserves to fall."
His true feelings dribbled out from his lips. As far as he was concerned, this was the plain, honest truth. He had already given up his body to the madness…and that was exactly why he had such firm resolve now. The madness had reached his mind.