Some of the Demon Lords were visibly shaken.
One of them even had the audacity to openly point a finger, shouting, "Stop joking! You're the one who abolished the ranks in the first place!" The atmosphere in the audience hall turned chaotic in an instant. But it wasn't the noisy clatterers who caught my eye.
"……."
Vassago. That shrewd old chronic patient of perpetual youth suddenly clamped his mouth shut — this from the same man who had been proactively driving the questions just moments ago.
I couldn't help but smile in amusement. As expected, he was quick on the uptake.
The audience hall, its marble pillars inlaid with extravagant ornamentation. Despite the explosive declaration that had just been dropped, the number of Demon Lords clamoring with protests was surprisingly small. No — it was decidedly few. The Demon Lords who belonged to factions maintained a stoic silence. Only the six or seven who had no allegiance were busy wagging their tongues.
I witnessed it. The moment my declaration was made, Vassago's gaze swept across the entire hall in a flash. He would have noticed there — that Barbatos, Paimon, and Marbas were all wearing perfectly neutral expressions.
Vassago realized that this had been thoroughly planned in advance. Pointing his finger at me now would, in other words, amount to turning every faction within the Demon Lord army into an enemy……
Vassago immediately took a single step back. His ability to strike and retreat was nothing short of artistic. With that instinct alone, he could have delivered a continuous slap across a cockroach's face.
"Dantalion. You explicitly declared that there would be no ranks in the new Demon Lord army. And now you wish to resurrect them — is there even a mind inside that head of yours?"
Not all Demon Lords possessed the political finesse of Vassago. The former sixth-ranked Demon Lord, Valefor, pressed me with his dark cheeks quivering.
The Demon Lord who wielded absolute dominion and reigned supreme over the myriad demons was, paradoxically, the furthest thing from skilled in the art of politics. One command, and any demon would obey. In such a position, there was no need to cultivate or refine the skills of political maneuvering.
The unaffiliated Demon Lords especially — they were individuals who had grown disillusioned with, or even contemptuous of, politics, and had withdrawn on their own accord. Compared to the Plains Faction or the Mountain Faction, who had waged fierce factional warfare for over a thousand years, they were practically amateurs. That was why they were utterly helpless against me, but it seemed they still hadn't grasped the full picture.
"Of course. Every Demon Lord attends the Demon Lord army with equal standing."
"Do you even know what you're saying?"
Valefor sneered and glanced around at the other Demon Lords, seeking their agreement with a tilt of his eyes. A few of them chimed in with malicious snickers.
"You declared the system abolished, and now you wish to resurrect it. Must I personally explain to you what the word 'contradiction' means?"
"There is no contradiction. Not in the slightest."
I smiled.
"I am a Demon Lord, but I am simultaneously a Court Count of the Empire. For instance, from the perspective of being a Demon Lord, I am equal to Barbatos. However, from the perspective of being a member of the Empire, I fall behind Barbatos, who is a duke and regent. It's a rather straightforward matter."
Valefor frowned. He didn't seem to grasp the point very well.
Well, can't be helped. I might as well take the rare opportunity to explain it kindly. I rather enjoy teaching others, you know. Because I'm generous like that.
"Matters of the Demon Realm stay in the Demon Realm, and matters of the continent stay on the continent. That is what I mean, Valefor."
"What are you talking about..."
"From now on, the reckless whims of stirring up the continent as you please will no longer be tolerated. All Demon Lords must unconditionally be incorporated into the Habsburg Empire. Whether the Demon Lord army interferes with the continent or not will be decided solely through the Empire's parliament."
Valefor's face crumpled without mercy.
"Parliament...? Incorporated...? Dantalion, have you lost your mind?"
"I am confident that I maintain my sanity at all times."
"You would sell off the pride of the Demon Lords to an empire built by the human race?!"
Valefor and several other Demon Lords raised a clamor. Words like betrayal and treason—every ugly term they could think of—came pouring out. A storm of condemnation descended.
The storm subsided on its own. The Demon Lords who had been red-faced and shouting at the top of their lungs soon realized that the number of those making a fuss was exceedingly small. Valefor looked around with an expression of disbelief. But nobody backed him up...
An eerie silence settled in. Amid it all, only I maintained my smile unchanged.
"The pride of the Demon Lords is of no concern to me. You asked whether I would sell it off? Very well. It is utterly useless pride anyway. If I could sell it at a fair price, that would actually be a bargain."
"What outrageous drivel... Have you lost your mind?!"
Valefor roared. But unlike moments before, a hint of unease now surfaced on his face.
Had he only just sensed that the atmosphere was off? I'm sorry, but it's already too late. The wheel has turned, and the era has changed. You'll have to come to terms with the fact that the title of sixth-ranked is absolutely meaningless.
"Bael also spoke of the pride of the Demon Lords. Agares too screamed about Demon Lord pride until he died. What on earth is that pride? Driving the Crescent Alliance Army into a corner and annihilating them, sparking pointless civil wars—this is what you call pride?"
I smiled. Valefor's face flushed and mottled with shades of red and blue.
"You killed your own kind and yet you have the nerve to speak of pride without a shred of shame. Truly a magnificent pride, I must say. Forgive me, but that sort of pride—we would decline it even if it were offered for free."
"You... you..."
"Don't be mistaken. There is only one pride permitted to a Demon Lord — building a paradise on the surface for all demons. That is all."
I stared directly into Valefor's blue eyes.
"The days when the bravery of Heracles ruled the continent ended ages ago. The era of dressing up reckless actions — ones that can't even tell friend from foe — as 'pride' or whatever is long over. What we need is sound judgment and unwavering unity."
I descended a few steps from the dais.
"In the Second Crescent Alliance Army, we seized one-third of the continent. And yet we failed. Why is that? Was it because we were weak? Because demonkind is inferior to the human race?"
I paced slowly through the center of the throne room, speaking clearly and loudly to the assembled Demon Lords. This was no longer a debate aimed solely at Valefor alone. It was a speech meant to convincingly sway them all.
"Absolutely not. There were those within our ranks who sabotaged our success. And then, the nerve to dress up what was nothing but treason as 'Demon Lord pride'... what a ridiculous joke."
"Ha! So you're saying true Demon Lord pride lies in becoming part of the Empire?!"
Valefor shouted, worked up like an enraged bull.
"Then go ahead — take down the flag of the Habsburg Empire."
I looked at Valefor with cold eyes.
"Go on, declare that you will treat every human as an enemy. The moment you do, humans will band together and march right in on us. Do you really think our Demon Lord forces, ravaged by successive civil wars, could withstand that easily?"
"To stand before war and casually talk about defeat — that's nothing but a coward's way of thinking! The Demon Lord army is always victorious!"
I shook my head and laughed.
"Do you even understand? The moment we officially declare the human race as our enemy, it will be the return of the Crescent Alliance Army. There will be no measured victories and no measured defeats. It will be an all-out war until one side — demon or human — is completely annihilated."
The only reason humanity currently tolerates the Demon Lord army's occupation of the continent is that we still wear the mask of the Habsburg Empire on the surface. And there are still fools who don't get that.
"We can't be cautious enough, yet you boast of victory without any guarantee. When asked about the possibility of defeat, you brand the questioner a coward..."
I twisted my lips into a smirk.
"Now I understand why the Crescent Alliance Army has failed all this time. With a Demon Lord like you as commander, even battles that should be winnable would end in total annihilation."
"What… what did you say…?"
"I said that fools who can't face reality have no place in the newly formed Demon Lord's army."
Left speechless by the sheer insult, Valefor could not muster a response. I paid him no mind and turned my gaze toward the assembly.
"What constitutes an earthly paradise for demonkind? We all hold different answers to this question. Some of you, like the Plains Faction, believe that a nation of demons, by demons, for demons is the correct answer."
I glanced once toward the Plains Faction, then slowly swept my gaze onward.
"There are also quite a few among you who believe it is impossible to fully subjugate the human race. You hold that making a reasonable compromise with humanity and securing territory for demonkind is the most realistic solution."
"……."
"And surely there are those among you as well who believe that simply preserving the territory we have seized so far is the best we can hope for."
In order, I had cited the prevailing views of the Plains Faction, the Mountain Faction, and the Neutral Faction.
"I do not believe any single one of these is the true answer. That would be a judgment far beyond my intellect. However, one thing is absolutely certain: no matter which side you support, wearing the mask of the Habsburg Empire is indispensable."
That's right.
Every faction needs the name of the Empire.
"The Plains Faction requires a proper pretext to conquer humanity. If they deploy solely under the Demon Lord's army name, the humans will unite far too solidly. Conversely, if we fly the Empire's banner instead, we can potentially fracture humanity from within. From a strategic perspective, the name of the Habsburg Empire is essential."
The Demon Lords of the Plains Faction were convinced.
"The Mountain Faction requires a pretext to negotiate with humanity. Putting the Empire forward rather than the Demon Lord's army makes negotiating with the humans far easier. From a diplomatic perspective, the name of the Habsburg Empire is vital."
The Demon Lords of the Mountain Faction were convinced.
"And so, when both factions become members of the same Empire, we can establish an institutional framework not merely for rivalry but also for occasional cooperation. That is why, from the Neutral Faction's perspective as well, the Habsburg Empire is an exceedingly useful tool."
The Demon Lords of the Neutral Faction were convinced.
It was on the basis of such painstaking persuasion that I stood here today.
"Even though the desires we each harbor may differ, we can still compromise. There is no room here for empty Demon Lord pride. Only cold, clear, practical thinking is permitted. Understood, Valefor?"
I turned my head and looked at Valefor.
"All of us are desperately trying to build a society for the demon race however we can. That is the pride of a king. That is the duty of a king. Throw those needlessly abstract words to the dogs."
"......"
The only force that stands in the way is the unaffiliated Demon Lords, who are not bound by dreams of a demon utopia.
I wore a cold smile.
"If you still insist on finding pride regardless, fine. Seek it all you wish. But in that case, be prepared to turn every faction into your enemy. There is no longer a place for dreamers in the Demon Lord army."
"......"
Valefor gritted his teeth but could not answer. Then again, considering the fate of Bael and Agares, that was only natural.
I nodded and turned toward Emperor Rudolf.
"Announce the rankings."