Reyd Glorio Alisia, the king of the Kingdom of Alisia. When he visited Reauxgard on official business and heard Yuki’s most recent “evil plan,” he had immediately agreed to cooperate. One reason was because he owed Yuki a great debt, but more simply, he thought that it would also benefit his country.
The Reauxgard Empire was still a great power. While Alisia was clearly more powerful now, the empire remained among the top three most powerful nations populated by humans. This applied to both economic and military power. During the previous emperor’s reign and up until the war broke out, its leaders had acted with shrewd calculation, demonstrating to its neighbors not only the military might of a great power but also its ability to maneuver through tactics that didn’t involve force.
Even for the Kingdom of Alisia, the empire’s influence was so great that it had to be considered a potential enemy because of it strengthening the power of humans. The Reauxgard Empire had single-handedly pushed the human race to great heights. Therefore, in terms of the balance of power, it would frankly be troubling if the empire, once the Kingdom’s potential enemy, were to sink into ruin.
For now, the balance of power in the world had shifted. With the future in mind, the Kingdom of Alisia had involved itself heavily in the Great Corpse Dragon War, but that conflict had brought an end to the era in which humans held the upper hand. Now, the other races had begun to ascend.
Reyd didn’t think that was a bad thing in itself. Until now, humans had been a tad too dominant, which had been a source of conflict for all the races. However, if things continued as they were, there was a very real possibility that the humans would find themselves pushed down the hierarchy.
For the next few years, life would follow some semblance of the usual, but looking forward ten or twenty years down the line, the situation became increasingly cloudy. Since Demon Emperor Yuki, the most powerful living person among mankind, wasn’t human, it was an undeniable fact that humans were a step or two behind, even with no action on his part.
Therefore, balance was the key. If the balance between mutual benefit, tightly woven and unshakable, and military power, something not easily interfered with, wasn’t maintained, war would come in no time. Concepts like charity and compassion, while important in themselves, were utterly useless when it came to running a country. Instead, what both sides needed for clear understanding were tangible benefits and power.
No matter how kindhearted the other kings and queens were, they were ultimately rulers. Each prioritized their own country’s interests, so they cooperated because they believed that doing so served those interests. However, Demon King Fynar possessed an excellent instinct for that particular realm of politics. He understood what it meant to maintain a distance that allowed both parties to remain happy together and acted accordingly. Thanks to that man’s skills, the framework of a new world was taking shape, and everyone now racked their brains to ensure it thrived into the next generation. The Demon King could truly be called the leader of the current world.
Knowing that, Reyd believed that the “wicked scheme” Yuki and the Demon King had hatched would be beneficial to his country in the future. He believed that eliminating the rot in and stabilizing the Reauxgard Empire would ultimately be beneficial to the human race. To be perfectly honest, he harbored a measure of resentment toward the empire. One might wonder why. The answer? Because he knew that even though it was demons who had carried out the plan that killed his son, it was Reauxgard that had devised it.
As long as he lived, he could never forget that fact. However, everything he was doing was necessary to ensure he remembered his son’s death. That way, when he himself died, he could so proudly, knowing he led his country. So he would do it. He would do everything he could and survive. His mind was made up.
Then, with resolve in his heart, he traveled to a large palace located in Reauxgard’s capital. His goal? To meet with its residents.
“My goodness, Lord Reyd, what unseemly worries you have. It is only because of our noble bloodline that our citizens are allowed to live as such.”
“Hmm... I suppose that’s one way of thinking.”
The people in the room were close relatives of former Emperor Shendra—in other words, members of the imperial family. Every single one of them wore the same expression as the man before them.
“But surely the country exists because of each and every one of them. In that case, are you not allowed to feel a measure of fondness for them?”
“Well... You make a fair point, I’ll give you that. As long as they’re fulfilling their role as tools, a bit of praise here and there wouldn’t hurt.”
They were frank—almost appallingly so—with the foreign royal they’d only just met. That short exchange had made it amply clear that this was a completely normal mindset for them. That the issue at hand was nothing for them to concern themselves with.
I see.
Reyd had presided over his country for many long years as its king. Naturally, he had interacted with all sorts of people, and he was able to get a general idea of someone’s personality from just a few words. Even so, after such an exchange, would anyone else have arrived at a different conclusion? That being, to put it mildly, that they were scum.
The concept of protecting one’s country didn’t even exist for these people. They thought of the citizens in the same vein as dust and filth. The only thing that mattered to these parasites was themselves.
’Tis no wonder they were kept in the shadows.
Occasionally, those who could be described as foolish appeared among royal and imperial bloodlines. They had everything and the power to get away with anything, so they reached adulthood without ever exercising the ability to reason. He now understood why the former emperor had stripped these people of their authority and kept them essentially confined.
For a moment, Reyd felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. But thanks to the social skills he had learned as king, he didn’t let it show. He simply continued to smile.
Well, they will never be in the spotlight again. Now is their only moment of freedom, and it will be fleeting, because the board is set and we’ve made our move. We will ensure that the rubbish ends up where it belongs—in the bin.