Chapter 95 - Proxy

Luminas and Gran had been at odds with each other for more than a year now. Every time Gran approached the Holy Empire, Luminas was always waiting to intercept him.

The two were locked in a stalemate. Gran had the power to spread the lies of Luminism and the Holy Empire, but the chaos it would bring outweighed any benefit that revelation might provide. In fact, Maria even complimented the security and peacefulness of the Holy Empire under the rule of vampires.

Gran could never accept such a thing—being taken care of by vampires was akin to lambs being led to slaughter, fattened up until the moment they were butchered.

After days of fighting, the three of them—Luminas, Gran, and Maria—were heavily injured. Finally, Luminas began to explain the pointlessness of their battle.

"The humans are happy, and so are the vampires. We only take a small portion of their blood. With so many humans, a person would only have their blood taken once every few years at minimum. The ratio of humans to vampires is 1,000 to 1, and the vampires have no reason to rampage under my control."

Gran stood up with wobbly legs, using his sword as a support to prepare for another attack. "You think I can believe your words just like that, Demon Lord? What proof do you have that the humans under you are happy? Do you really think they can be happy knowing they are under someone who takes their blood?"

Luminas rolled her eyes in irritation. "Ugh, Maria, get him to listen, please." She turned to the exhausted mage, who was sitting on the dirt, breathing heavily, forcing herself to stay awake and not pass out.

After several exchanges and battles, Luminas had found the human mage to be a reasonable person and had formed a bond with her. "Sorry, Luminas... but I also think... using humans as food is... bad..."

"Hero, have you been looking at the faces of the humans in my Empire? Or have you only been gazing through the windows of churches, watching the vampires do their jobs as priests? Why don't you look at the people who are happily and willingly coming under my wing for safety and sanctuary? No monsters, no threats to their lives. I can tell you, anyone would rather live like this than in constant fear of death. I thought you were practical about the safety of human lives. My way has been proven for hundreds of years to sustain and protect millions of human lives."

Gran wanted to deny it, but he recalled the faces of every town and city he had visited with a church. They were happy; they did not fear monsters, and they certainly did not dread every day that it might be their last.

The priests and the Holy Knights made sure to eliminate threats before they could pose a problem for the people. While vampires saw humans as food, that also meant they needed to protect and maintain a certain number of humans in their direct vicinity.

Gran clicked his tongue in frustration. He stopped forcing himself to stand and fell back onto the ground. "I'll see this capital of yours. If you can prove to me everything you say, I'll work with you to keep the status quo."

Luminas returned to the capital with Gran and Maria in tow. Chloe could only show herself as the masked hero, while Hinata was unfortunately not allowed to be seen. Chloe explained that Hinata did not currently have a physical body and had never met Gran, unlike her, so she was forced to stay underground in the vampire city or subjugate monsters whenever Gran was nearby.

With the help of Gran and Maria, the Holy Empire flourished even more than before. They began training those who were willing to learn and become protectors of humanity. Gran witnessed several champions and heroes bloom over the centuries.

He even decided to create a group known as the Seven Luminaries, comprising his top seven current disciples who knew of Luminas' identity and still chose to serve her.

"Another Walpurgis for the next Tenma War," Luminas sighed, growing weary of the angels attempting their luck in her territory. "Speaking of which, the number of demon lords has exceeded ten since our last meeting. While my face as Goddess Luminas is not known, since we share the name, I am sure the newcomers have already put two and two together." She then turned to one of her servants.

"Roy, starting today you'll be my proxy," she announced as Roy poured her wine.

"Yes?" The vampire took a moment to process his Mistress' words. "My apologies, Luminas-sama. Does that mean I'll be the one attending this Walpurgis?"

Luminas laughed, "No. From now on, you will be Demon Lord Valentine. I'll be a servant of Demon Lord Valentine, so I will still attend. I just need to keep my identity a secret from the newbies."

"Have Chloe and Hinata come here." She planned to purge the demon lords who knew her identity, at least the newbies, to ensure that nothing would be leaked. "I need you two to eliminate these demon lords before the next full moon."

"Can I help?" A dark elf, escorted by Gunther—who bowed his head in apology—joined the conversation. "I know where most of them live. In exchange, let me have them."

At Walpurgis, the demon lords were fewer than most remembered. It wasn't unusual for their numbers to fluctuate between double and single digits, and they had already been informed why so many demon lords had been purged this time.

Guy was slightly sullen over the waste. While some had merely been random monsters who had reached their maximum potential as demon lord seeds, others had the potential for evolution in hundreds, with a maximum of a thousand years.

"That Oni demon lord would have been a very valuable and useful piece..." Guy recalled the Oni who had become a demon lord more than two hundred years ago. It was the strongest Oni that declared its territory as merely the Kijin Village, where the Onis and Kijins lived their lives.

"Well... Cliché did evolve, so I guess it was worth it." Guy sighed, leaning back in his chair as the demon lords began to arrive, guided by his maid.

The discussion this time centered on yet another regular meeting regarding the angel attacks and the upcoming Tenma War, which had become a common occurrence. As they all settled into their seats, Guy noticed Luminas' servant sitting while Luminas herself stood like an attendant.

A quick thought exchange between the two, and Guy nodded in approval.

"Hey everyone!" he called out, catching everyone's attention. He frowned upon hearing the voice and turned to see Rimuru, who was still not technically part of the group—at least according to Guy. Yet he was already known by the demon lords, and he even had a seat.

"Why are you here?" Guy glared as Rimuru chatted with Milim and Ramiris, who was in her true form.

Rimuru looked at Guy, seemingly unfazed. "Hm? I felt like it." Guy felt a vein pop on his forehead at Rimuru's nonchalant response.

"You aren't a demon lord; only demon lords are allowed here," Guy argued, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation.

"You really want to go there?" Rimuru grinned. "Technically, a few here aren't demon lords in the strictest sense. And besides..." He stood up and walked around the large circular table.

Guy followed him with his eyes, already knowing what Rimuru was about to say.

Rimuru stopped at one chair where an undead elf—a deathman—was sitting quietly. "I am here as her servant." Kagali jolted, tensing up as all attention turned to her.

"Why me..." she muttered to herself, on the verge of tears from fear.

A few decades ago, Amarita, the territory of the dark elves ruled by Kagali, had received a visitor.

Kagali braced herself. Every time Rimuru visited Amarita, something always happened. Most of the time, it worked to her benefit, but there were moments—ones she wished could be avoided—when he simply wanted to playfully tease her or enlist her for one of his whims.

Like the time Rimuru barged in and modified her golems without her permission, turning them into quirky companions that often caused more chaos than she anticipated. Or the times he swept her and her children into his escapades, teaching them all sorts of skills while leaving her to manage the delightful mess they created. Each experience was a whirlwind of unexpected fun, and while it sometimes frustrated her, it also brought a sense of warmth and connection that she cherished.

Then there was the time he asked Kagali to create a whimsical contraption in her deepest underground level, where most of her valuable home's advanced technology was stored. Though she worried it might explode, his excitement was contagious, and she found herself swept up in the thrill of the challenge.

And what she hated the most—babysitting Milim, which guaranteed a minimum of 5 to 10 percent damage to her city and castle. She had even developed a strategy for leading Milim away from the city as soon as she arrived.

"Let him in," Kagali finally said, bracing herself. Clayman went to lead Rimuru to her office. "Please, let today be something normal." 

As Rimuru opened the door, he sat down on the sofa designated for visitors. "Hey, so I want you to be a Demon Lord."

"Eh?" Kagali felt lightheaded, almost ready to pass out.

Back at Walpurgis, Rimuru smirked at Guy, now with an official reason to be there. "Anything else you want to say?"

Guy clicked his tongue in annoyance.

"You're fine; it's a well-known fact that Amarita, meaning you, managed to defeat the beastman alliance that had many Demon Lord seeds." Rimuru patted Kagali's shoulders to calm her down. She felt her tense shoulders finally relax as the attention of the other Demon Lords shifted back to Guy.

Rimuru's praise filled her with a sense of security and pride, the warmth of his support easing her worries and bolstering her confidence.

"Normally, I would start the meeting about the battle with the angels, but since we've lost more than half our members here, does anyone want to explain why and who was responsible?"

Cliché raised her hand with her signature grin. "Yes! It was done by the heroes—the Masked Hero and the Voiceless Hero."

Guy internally rolled his eyes, already knowing that Cliché had taken part in it through Misery and Rain. She not only informed them where the heroes lived but also claimed their weakened bodies for herself. This was the reason for her sudden evolution in just a few days.

"I see..." Guy forced out an acknowledgment. "Then moving on, their forces will likely rampage from now on. Valentine, can you handle them? I can lessen the demons attacking the north for now."

Roy nodded. "Yes, it would be easy to exterminate them. Thank you."

"Ah, then... can I take care of the surviving Onis?" Rimuru asked, looking at Roy, who peeked behind him to see Luminas slightly nodding.

"Of course, that would make things much easier," Roy replied formally, cold sweat forming on his brow as he didn't want to anger his Mistress.

Guy observed the exchange and nodded. "Now then, let's talk about the angels and how we can deal with them this time."

....

..

....

Rimuru hummed as he traveled to the Kijin Village, which had been the territory of the Oni demon lord. "The ogres already number in the hundreds. Let's add them to the mix." He grinned as he appeared in the middle of the house where the chief and other Onis were currently arguing.

"Why don't I stop your arguments and fix all your problems?" Rimuru declared, his presence filling the room with an intimidating aura. The Onis tensed up, preparing to fight. "Submit to me or die." His eyes glowed ominously as he unleashed his magicules.

The Onis' bodies quivered in fear, some with stronger hearts daring to step closer. "Ah... aghhh!" A poor Oni fell as the leg that had dared to step forward vanished.

"Hey, guys, why don't you all join my ogre villages? We can breed more Kijins and maybe even some Onis," Rimuru smiled, speaking as if he hadn't just severed a limb.

The chief, his tone shaking yet trying to maintain authority, stuttered, "Y-you want us to taint our blood with those half-bre—" His sentence was cut short as his head was suddenly missing from his body.

The remaining Onis looked around in shock, noticing that Rimuru had not moved from his spot, now holding the chief's head in his hand. "Anyone else?" he asked, his voice cold and menacing.

The Onis gritted their teeth; some began to kneel to Rimuru while others chose to glare defiantly at him. "Is that all?" With a snap of his fingers, the ones who silently glared at him began to explode from within.

The room was suddenly drenched in crimson, their entrails splattering across the walls. "Hey guys, did you know if you switch the 'o' and 'g' in 'ogre,' you get 'gore'?" The Onis trembled in fear as they watched their comrades perish with ease.

Outside, the Kijins dared not enter the house, noticing the windows and doors leaking blood and stained crimson. The gruesome sight further terrified them.

Relocating the Kijin Village was simpler than Rimuru had anticipated. He had not only overpowered the village's strongest members; he had done so overwhelmingly, making it a display of power before everyone.

Now, only a small portion of the village dared to entertain thoughts of opposing his orders. It wasn't as if he had commanded them to breed with the ogres; all he had said was to relocate to the Forest of Jura and not discriminate against the ogres.

"With still more than a thousand years to go, I'm sure they'll mingle in no time," Rimuru smirked as he left the newly established Kijin Village.

Strolling through the forest, he arrived at one of the goblin villages. "My Lord, what brings you here?" a hobgoblin bowed its head upon noticing Rimuru's arrival.

Rimuru recalled naming the hobgoblin, as he had established several goblin villages. He named the elders of each village, appointing status to them. After the previous elder passed away, the successor would then be named by Rimuru as proof of his approval.

"I was just strolling by; there will be a new village nearby, so be cautious." Rimuru warned as he left the hobgoblin, who bowed in gratitude for the warning.

Rimuru turned his gaze toward the east. "I wonder if Milim is doing alright." He then disappeared as if he had never been there.

Milim was playing in her territory. Officially, she was the ruler of the Realm of the Forgotten Dragons, but she still chose to remain with Rimuru and Velgrynd in the forest. It was rare for her to be away for more than a day or two.

"Whahaha, again!" she laughed, pumping her fist in joy. Surrounding her were her devoted followers, the dragonewts, who bore no difference from humans in terms of appearance.

As their sparring match continued, another bout unfolded a bit farther away. "Excellent, Middray! Now defend against this."

Velgrynd smirked as she lowered her hips into position. Gently pushing her left foot forward, she transferred her weight to her right foot. She held her left hand in front of her to maintain balance while clenching her right fist tightly at her waist. In the next instant, her body dashed forward, a massive amount of energy accumulating at her fist before it exploded upon contact.

Middray, who had received the full force of the attack, fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Father, are you okay?" Hermes moved closer, concern etched on his face. "Are you dead?"

Middray regained consciousness and stood up in an instant. "Idiot, do you think I could answer that if I were dead?" He gave Hermes a light punch on the head.

Hermes looked at him, noting that Middray's clothes were burnt and his body scarred, though the others were healing him. 'I feel like you might be able to, though...'

"Everyone seems to be having fun," Rimuru remarked as he appeared, while Velgrynd took a break, sitting down and sipping her drink.

"Lord Rimuru," the dragon faithful chorused in unison, bowing their heads in respect. It was a known fact that Velgrynd was Milim's aunt, and Rimuru was Velgrynd's lover, making him Milim's uncle.

"Uncle!" Milim exclaimed, hugging him tightly. He ruffled her hair affectionately. "Did you finish your homework?" she nodded eagerly.

"That's good; I have more for you." He grinned, revealing a thick book he had been holding.

"Ghk..!" Milim quickly released him and dashed away, hiding behind Velgrynd, glaring at the book as if it were her natural enemy.

"I'm just joking! This is for Middray," Rimuru clarified, tossing the book at the head priest. "As the one in charge, you'll need to learn this too."

Middray broke into a cold sweat. He wished he could run away as well, just like Milim. "I... understand," he replied, struggling to suppress his desire to destroy the accursed book.

Hermes was internally forever grateful to Rimuru, both for the past and present, for handling Middray. Middray, as the first dragonewt, held seniority over everyone, but he preferred to rely on brute strength rather than intellect.

The likely reason for his mindset was having Milim as a role model, who, like him, despised complicated matters that could be resolved with raw power.

"You're helping him, Hermes," Rimuru noted with a teasing tone.

"Ah..."

Rimuru turned to Velgrynd and Milim. "Let's go eat something; I'll cook." He smiled, leading them away while leaving the two dragonewts frozen in place, still grappling with the earlier chaos.

A/N: So Milim's territory is slightly more civilized now!

Rimuru stressing Kagali's life in exchange for saving her from Jahil lol.
Rimuru casually culling an endangered specie(Fair Oni) in about a third or halt its population. In the most humane way known possible for a demon.

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