Published at 29th of April 2019 5:30 pm

Chapter 262: Side chapter - Rimuru’s Elegant Escape Play - 13

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Three days after Rimuru’s escape.

Diablo and Souei were still residing in the Ingracia Kingdom.

They had concentrated on gathering information in the relevant locations on the second day, and they now had a good grasp on what was happening.

In just one day, they had talked to the prominent leaders of nearly every country. It was incredibly fast and would have been unthinkable under normal circumstances.

Much of it was due to Souei’s spying efforts, but Diablo’s unresting energy meant that they were able to avoid a lot of the trivial processes.

The truth was that there was no one who would reject meeting with them once the name of the ‘Demon Lord’ who worked under Great Demon Lord Rimuru, was brought up.

No matter how much pressure the guards and gatekeepers tried to exude when attempting to send them away, Diablo’s smile was enough to make them freeze and eventually give in.

Of course, giving in was the right answer for them.

Continuing to resist here would have absolutely no benefits for their wellbeing.

And so things went very smoothly and without interruption. And they had just now finished checking that they had all the information that they needed.

And so today-

Diablo and Souei were attempting their biggest challenge yet in the Ingracia Kingdom, to be granted a visit to Elrick, the former prince.

This Kingdom of Ingracia was in chaos due to the previous great war, and while it was called a kingdom, it was no longer ruled by a king.

The royal family had temporarily lost their position, and all of the power and authority had been taken by the Freedom Arbitration Committee.

Even after the great war, a noble assembly was established under the supervision of the Committee’s directors, and the royal family had no involvement in running the kingdom.

If anything, they were not permitted to be involved in the government at all.

And it was not only the royal family. Powerful nobles were used as model cases for democracy and the abolition of the class system. And this was gaining attention all of over the kingdom.

Of course, without the interference of the Committee, the kingdom would have likely perished during the chaos of the great war.

The previous king had been killed by Elrick, the prince, and Reiner, leader of the Grand Knight Order. And they had attempted to usurp the throne.

The Hero Masayuki had quieted the chaos, and the anger and chaos of the people had begun to heal.

Thanks to this, the ire of the public did not move towards the royal family and other nobles.

But ultimately, Prince Elrick was disinherited and he lost his right of ascension before being confined.

The nobles who had aided Prince Elrick were also dealt with, which meant a vast purging of many powerful nobles.

Because of all of this, the Kingdom of Ingracia had no choice but to continue and accept the intervention of the Freedom Arbitration Committee.

As 10 years had passed, there were even some among the nobles who accepted the current situation.

However, this reality where they could not make decisions without depending on a foreign country, was not something that the public could accept.

Therefore, it soon became an earnest wish by many, that the royal family be restored, and independence regained for the Kingdom of Ingracia.

Elrick could be seen as the culprit who had created this situation, and so it was not easy for even someone like Diablo to be able to meet him.

Normally, it would have been difficult to even find out where he was being held, nevermind actually meeting him.

And yet in just 1 day-and through official means and without relying on violence, Diablo had been granted a meeting.

This was an impressive feat in negotiating that astonished even Souei.

“A pleasure to meet you. I am Elrick.”

“Hello, Elrick. I am called Diablo.”

“-I am Souei. It’s nice to meet you.”

There was a simple greeting.

It was only these three in the room.

The room was perfectly protected from eavesdropping, on top of Diablo’s own ‘Magic Barrier.’ And so the space they were in was so isolated that it might as well have been in a different dimension.

It was only after this high level of secrecy was secured that Diablo spoke of the main subject.

“Now. The reason I came to meet you today, is because I wanted to ask you about your younger brother.”

This straightforward question seemed to have made Elrick relax.

It was much better to have their purpose known clearly, than to talk endlessly in a roundabout way and slowly chip away at his sanity.

They had been able to predict that being locked up for 10 years had dulled his ability to understand what the other person wanted.

Furthermore, it had probably been a long while since he had a conversation with a stranger.

It seemed that Elrick believed that Masayuki had saved him, and ever since then, he had lived without holding on to any strange ambitions.

And while he was not able to walk freely outside, he was allowed to go as far as the gardens in this mansion owned by his family, as long as he was accompanied by a guard.

This lifestyle seemed to have caused a dislike for high-class manners and intricate negotiation rituals.

From all of this, it was clear that Elrick had lived the past 10 years without much interaction with others.

“Julius is brilliant. He accepts the hopes and expectations of the other nobles and is trying his best to meet them. As his older brother, I believe that he will make a fine king.”

Elrick said without hesitation.

Hmph. Diablo clicked his tongue.

He looked at Elrick carefully and decided that there was no lie in his words.

And he was right. Diablo’s ability to observe never failed him.

After that, Diablo asked a few questions with a light-hearted air, as if he were asking about something mundane.

“What happened to the royal family’s fortune?”

“They have been frozen. There is also a royal inheritance that has been passed down for generations, but that is being managed by the Committee, and I do not have free access to it. Besides, that money cannot be used…”

“Why?”

“The best thing about the Kingdom of Ingracia was that it was safe. But that is a thing of the past. If we wish for future developments, we must invest in personnel training. Yes, just like a certain person once said.”

“Oh? What person?”

“The Great Demon Lord, Rimuru.”

“I see.”

“…Hmm. Indeed. Lord Rimuru did come to see the Kingdom of Ingracia once.”

“Yes. There was such a time when I had so much work to do.”

Diablo usually stuck very close to Rimuru, but when the great war was over, all of the leaders had flocked to him.

The anger towards Rimuru for his deceit had been directed towards Diablo and not Rimuru.

Even Diablo could not go against the many complaints of the leaders, and so he had no choice but to run about and deal with the aftermath.

“Yes. It was during that time. I was being held responsible for what happened, but the Hero Masayuki came out with me, and I was saved. It was then that I was so lucky to have met him. Once I saw him with my own eyes…”

He chuckled as if the memory was amusing to him.

“I would never again think of going against him.” He said while looking Diablo straight in the eyes.

After that, Elrick related what their conversation had been about.

What Elrick said was this-

The Kingdom of Ingracia had been built in the plains where there were fewer monsters, as it was far away from the Great Jura Forest. These favorable conditions allowed it to become a center for politics and culture, where the leaders of all the other countries came to meet.

However.

Now that Great Demon Lord Rimuru had unveiled a plan of coexistence and mutual prosperity, the level of danger in the Great Jura Forest had dropped dramatically.

Not only that, the country of Tempest now had improved means of transportation through a network of railways, and had developed to a point where it could be considered the current center of the world.

In fact, the main headquarters of the Freedom Arbitration Committee was in Tempest.

A country could no longer stand out by being safe alone, and the center of politics, culture, and finance had all moved away from the Kingdom of Ingracia.

And so it was necessary for this country to have something to call it’s own.

“It was something I heard 10 years ago, and years later, it became reality. Those who were able to revolutionize their way of thinking have managed to deal with it, but there are still people who believe that they are the center of the world. It is a force that is splitting the former nobles.”

Those who had once sat in the center of so much splendor would find it difficult to relinquish their seats. He suggested that civil war might have erupted if the Committee was not monitoring them.

“Julius is like a shrine for the conservative noble forces. He accepts their grievances and uses them to his own gain. Furthermore, he contains the revolutionaries who attempt to use force to bring about democracy. He adjusts things so that change comes slowly. Even as his older brother, I am nothing but amazed at his handiwork. Even his arrogant behavior is probably calculated. A king is not permitted to ever bow his own head. Those who want to restore the royal family would never allow it.”

Erick said, bringing his story to an end.

Diablo nodded and pondered on this.

This meant that this Julius Prince was acting like a noble while understanding everything.

That was why he was unable to be stopped, even if was a student now.

“Well then, would the money from the royal family that he is allowed to freely use really be enough to maintain that lifestyle? Are you sure he is not receiving monetary support from somewhere?”

Diablo asked.

“No. He is very proud, so I doubt he would accept such a thing.”

Elrick said flatly.

Diablo nodded with satisfaction upon hearing this.

“That’s useful to know. I am thankful for all the information you provided.”

“Well, then. We should be leaving…”

Diablo and Souei offered words of gratitude and got up from their seats.

“-Um… Did my brother… Did my brother do something?”

Elrick asked in a voice that seemed somewhat distressed.

Diablo smiled and answered as if to put his worries to rest.

“No, not at all. There is no need for you to worry. Besides-and this is just an example, if a student really did do something, then it would be the parents, teachers and the state who should be responsible. That is what Lord Rimuru would say.”

“But…”

“Classes such as nobles and commoners have no meaning there. No, they are not allowed to have meaning. What your younger brother is doing is wrong, but it is the teachers who are allowing it, and it is the establishment that is the school that should take the blame. And as long as the school is under Lord Rimuru’s sponsorship, then we must think of all the students as being under his protection. The actions of your younger brother require punishment, but the student Julius will not be convicted of any crimes. I can assure you of that.”

“I see…that is good. Unlike me, he does not think of Lord Rimuru in a kind way… He idolizes the Hero Masayuki…”

And so Elrick explained that he was worried that his brother would do something rude towards Lord Rimuru, who he owed a great debt to. After that, he saw Diablo and Souei leave. Bowing his head for one final time, he said, ‘please help my brother.’

◇◇◇

After leaving the mansion where Elrick was being held, Diablo and Souei headed for the airport.

This meeting was the last part of their information gathering, and so they had no intention of staying any longer.

And since they did not want to draw attention, they decide to travel by sky instead of a magic circle

As said before, Space Transfer was out of the question.

The two wasted no time on the way to the airport, as they traded their opinions on what they had heard.

“As I thought, someone has definitely made contact with him. However, it is most likely that Julius is not their coconspirator.”

“That seems to be the case. Julius is seen as a shrine of sorts to the nobles. He must be avoiding any monetary aid so he does not appear weak.”

“He must have a stronger spine than I thought. Interesting. Very interesting.”

“-Yes.”

Souei agreed with the conclusion that Diablo had come to.

In fact, the previous day’s investigation had allowed him to understand the situation regarding the fortune of all of the nobles.

This included money that was not written in the books, and he would know if there was some abnormal circulation of money happening.

It was clear that Elrick was speaking the truth.

There was no one in the world who could help Julius with money while keeping all traces of it out of their eyes.

Then there was only one answer left.

Julius was fighting alone, without help from anyone.

And like Elrick had said… No, Julius was even cleverer than what he had suggested.

He had started up an enterprise aside from his studies without any of the nobles surrounding him realizing it.

It hired people from other worlds at a high rate. And it was conducting all kinds of research in order to become a body that would give birth to new cultural activities.

It was nothing short of a gamble, but it appeared that Julius had won. Not only had he increased his hidden fortune, but he had also made enough money to go against the enemy forces that tried to surround him and the other nobles.

Though, this was partly due to the cooperation of the members of the Hero, Masayuki’s party, who would sometimes visit.

After all, the people from other worlds that were hired were people that Masayuki had brought.

It was after doing much research on all of these facts, that Diablo and Souei had visited Elrick.

Through hearing about what Julius was like as a person, they became sure that there was a discrepancy in what he showed to those around him, and what he was really thinking.

They were also sure that with Julius’ personality, even if he did become the shrine to bring the Ingracia Kingdom together, he was not so foolish as to become a puppet king.

They understood that he was harsh on others, but even harsher on himself.

“It seems that Julius is a serious and capable person. I am sure that many people will find it uncomfortable, the day he becomes king.”

“Do you mean the people of the Council? I doubt they can do anything about it yet…”

As he was under the supervision of the Committee now, there was nothing that the Council, which was made of members of various nationalities, could do.

Besides, the last great purge had taken out everyone who would have been good at such maneuvering.

“I do wonder… But perhaps there is someone like that outside of the Council?”

“Hmm. I won’t deny the possibility.”

“Of course.”

Souei said grimly.

In other words, it would be best to consider that this Kingdom of Ingracia was being targeted by someone.

(I see. I see. This must be in the vein of the economic war that Rimuru had predicted…)

They could not fight back in a war of military power.

However, in terms of economic exchange, there was a possibility of standing on top of some others.

Those who thought this way may have instigated such an economic war. If that were the case, the various developments now would connect into a single line.

After all, this had been predicted as a path that could not be avoided while negotiating for coexistence and mutual prosperity.

However, such methods would not work against Tempest…

If you wanted to advocate for democracy, then numbers trumped all.

It would be one thing if it was only within the country, but when something like the

multi-cultural Council makes decisions-It is not about a proportion of the total population or power of the country, even if things were decided by a majority in the name of such flowery words such as equality…

The decision of the three schools was a good example.

A vote by the majority is in no way a system of equality.

A country should not be swayed by the opinions of other countries.

This was why Tempest had opted for the bicameral system. It took on its own system of government that could be called a democracy under an imperial government.

There was no way to take advantage of it.

Then what could you do?

If you wanted to target something, it would be, economic activity.

The only means left is to force them to accept your terms, while using your economic ties as a shield.

It would take a terribly long time for this plan to work.

And the enemy had a surprising amount of patience.

And they had seen traces of those hands reaching out not to just Tempest, but deep into other countries as well.

This was an opponent that should not be underestimated.

(It’s been a while since I had this much fun…)

Diablo had no understanding of the economy, and he didn’t care to.

He was not interested.

As someone who believed that you should just take what you wanted, he had no interest in money.

Gold, silver, jewels. Diablo thought of such things as bait to manipulate the greed of humans.

What Diablo desired in the truest sense, was not something that an object could replace.

In negotiating, several conditions were laid out on a table, and both parties would discuss possible compromises. But Diablo felt that this was all pointless.

If the person was strong enough to just flip the table over, you would need to have an equal amount of strength, or there was no way to negotiate.

Diablo could not understand why some people put so much faith in the goodness or wisdom of others.

Though Diablo did believe that promises had to be kept, he would never make a promise with someone who was not his equal.

It was because of all of this, that Diablo could only see this economic war that humanity was waging against the Great Demon Lord Rimuru as futile.

(-How foolish. Even ignoring Lord Rimuru, to try and control the world through the economy… I would never allow such a thing.)

Diablo felt that anyone who could not understand this must be very foolish.

“Hey. You aren’t thinking about killing everyone who is behind it now, are you?”

“How dare you… I may have been on edge after being separated from Lord Rimuru, but I am quite calm now. There is no way that I would think of such a thing.”

Souei had made the jab with the perfect timing. Almost as if he could read his mind.

Diablo was surprised, but lightly denied it.

“That’s good then. Lord Rimuru has forbidden the subjugating of others through violence.”

Just like Souei said, Diablo’s beloved master, Rimuru, cared deeply for humans.

And while he did not entirely avoid using his power, he tried not to use it more than was necessary against other countries.

As Diablo was always close by, he could hardly be ignorant of this, and he, of course, understood it.

Because of this, Diablo decided on a whim that he too would use his brain, rather than his strength, to deal with this opponent.

While this may be a war to the humans, it was all a game to Diablo.

Humans-weak, foolish, greedy, and yet, there were some with strong and noble souls and some who were more intelligent than demons.

He was not interested in the economy, but he was interested in humans.

Hehehehehe. Diablo sneered.

He had a feeling that this game-this entertaining money game, was about to begin.

And like that, the third day came to an end.

And in turn-the tumultuous fourth day began.

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