“Since you were busy, I thought you’d come later, but you arrived early!”
“Those in desperate need tend to come early. I thought about coming late, but it seems I was just as eager given the circumstances.”
This was my first time directly participating in a normal summit involving masters, but I had heard how it typically went down.
The church hosting the summit would lay out several agenda items for discussion, and when a key decision was required, it would ultimately be resolved through a vote.
The core agenda for this summit is “The Masters’ Military Intervention Due to the Explosive Increase of Demon Church’s Power.”
With the complex web of interests involved, there are often cases where issues are overlooked, but if something gets passed, it holds weight.
If we can’t justify the effect of what has been passed, the church and other nations can raise concerns.
If you think about it, the Demon Church is an incredibly troublesome existence for most masters who dominate the nations, so getting a pass shouldn’t be a problem. Still, one must consider the “what ifs.”
After all, even someone like a Sword Master has fallen to the temptation of a Great Demon, so it’s wise for the other masters to think twice before rejecting anything.
This time, all three from the Empire came together, which shows how significant this matter is.
“I met Hulan at the Academy. He said he would help us if we vote.”
“You brought that guy?”
“He has probably been waiting here for a few days.”
“With one more head added, we should be safe since we have the majority.”
“Okay, time is short, so let’s decide what to do before the summit starts.”
“Aren’t you going to catch up? I’m really curious about how you’ve been…”
“We can talk about that after it’s over.”
Before the summit began, we held a brief strategy meeting.
—————————————-
When it was time, we entered the meeting hall.
The conference room was located beneath the Castle Raoul Cathedral.
What lay there was not a round table, but a long rectangular one.
At the head of the table sat Saint McKinto, who always hosted this summit, while the other masters gathered at the sides.
There were no designated seats for individuals.
About three people had already taken their seats and were chatting.
“…The three from the Empire really came? Are you planning to start a war or something?!”
As the three masters from the Empire walked in line, a woman, who had been having a merry chat, snapped at them.
Amidst her traditional attire that revealed quite a bit, her brown skin, adorned with a whale tattoo, gleamed under the lights.
Though she looked like she had dressed up somewhat casually, the oil on her skin showed it was the most formal attire she could manage.
The woman appeared to be in her mid-twenties but her age was anyone’s guess.
In Pilaha, the southern island nation, she is known as the “White Whale,” the greatest warrior and the lion of the sea.
No record keeps track of how many generations she has continued the legacy, making it impossible to determine her lineage.
Only she knows if she was the original White Whale or had existed even before the wars.
As for our crew of masters, like the Commander and myself from the Empire, generational turnover has been quite prevalent.
Right beside her sat the person I had been looking for.
“Did you finally show up? What does it mean when the summoned person arrives this late?”
“From the looks of you, it seems you’ve been treated well, shouldn’t you be thankful?”
Master Hulan, seated alongside Luid and looking quite impressive in an outfit that seemed quite polished, appeared to have grown quite close with her during the time apart.
“Hey, old man, do you know her?”
“That guy is the one who gave me the invitation.”
Though Hulan was very friendly with her, he seemed a bit more guarded when it came to us from the Empire.
Having a huge influence often invites malice.
By the way, the two sitting next to each other were quite awe-inspiring.
While their sheer size was impressive, they indeed were physically huge.
Hulan, being a Dragon Beastman, stood over 2 meters tall, and was nearly eye-level with the other.
If I stood right in front of them, I’d probably have to strain my neck to look up.
I couldn’t help but wonder what they consumed to grow so large.
“Hey, I came from my research, so can we wrap this up quickly?”
Across from me, a small female voice complained, sounding somewhat drained.
She seemed a bit sleep-deprived, with dark circles under her eyes, but sporting a whimsical purple hairstyle, with several experimental tools stuck in it.
Her appearance was in stark contrast to her neat attire.
That feeble-looking woman was the top authority of the Magic Tower and the world’s only master of “Magic,” Van Hoenheim.
I’d seen her a few times under the guise of a Shadow, but she would always look the same.
“…I really didn’t want to come here…”
“Then just don’t come, it’s that simple.”
“…You, a wanderer, might not understand, but those in leadership positions can’t decide things solely based on their whims.”
Hulan lightly teased Van Hoenheim, who had voiced her discontent about attending, and in turn earned a glare from her.
Participating in this summit offers significant benefits from the church, which holds sway over the world’s religions, and all the information discussed is top secret.
If you have the opportunity to participate, you should take it without fail.
Even if the right to refuse is used, it’s necessary to be present in the meeting hall to voice any objection.
“Hey, you two over there, is this really the time to start using that Recognition Interference Magic in front of me?! Isn’t that a bit too much?!”
While glaring at Hulan, Van Hoenheim suddenly cast a spell towards us.
An invisible wave surged forth.
– Fizz
“…Sorry, but that’s a bit difficult.”
However, the spell didn’t take effect.
In our hands, the Aura Blades glimmered in brilliant white light.
As soon as she attempted to cast magic, we drew our swords and sliced through it.
It appeared that she had attempted to use Dispel.
The fact that only the two of us, a Shadow and my mentor, were hiding our identities while using Recognition Interference Magic was quite irksome to her, but disclosing our identities was off the table at the moment.
“You drew your sword? Are you up for it then?”
“Looks like you’re not really one to speak, especially when you instantly cast magic the moment you saw me.”
As my mentor became increasingly irritated, seemingly ready to fight, the Commander raised an arm to prevent it.
He then stepped up to address Van Hoenheim instead.
“Enough. You can see everything with your clairvoyance anyway. Why not just keep it to yourself?”
“Who do you think you’re putting on such airs in front of? You could have just dragged anyone here to meet your headcount. Are you even sure these two are actually masters?”
“I just sliced through your magic right in front of you, and you need more proof? Or is your magic so weak that anyone can cut it?”
They’ve probably never had a good relationship; out of nowhere, the Commander and Van Hoenheim began to bicker.
“Look at those two, aren’t they the same as always? Aren’t they tired of it?”
“Is that how they usually are?”
“It seems to be a relationship where the most mutual benefit leads to more petty squabbling over what little gains remain. The greed of humans is truly sticky, isn’t it?”
“Masters aren’t any different.”
.
.
.
.
.
.
The air was charged, and given the tension, a fight could break out any moment, but their argument came to an abrupt halt.
That was because the last person had walked in.
“What kind of summit is this? No matter what the church is, isn’t it a bit much to summon me, the Five Star Duke Highness?!”
A man grumbled yet flashed a smooth smile as he strode in.
He was a neatly groomed, tall man.
With sharp eyes and a defined jawline, a slightly hooked nose stood out, but it even appeared stylish in his presence.
His uniform was extraordinarily dapper, rivalling even the Commander’s attire, adorned with five brooches sparkling at his chest.
Each brooch bore the insignia of the kingdom.
Edmon Highness, the sole master of the alliance of the five kingdoms formed to counter the Empire, had arrived last.
“Luid, does he always show up this late?”
“Yeah, he does. It’s funny, but he seems to try to arrive just a little bit later than me every time.”
My mentor asked, visibly irked at Edmon’s grand entrance.
It was my first time seeing Edmon, but I already knew about his nature.
He’s a serious narcissist, consistently thinking the world revolves around him, a rather tiresome personality.
In the original plot, he was devoured by Belphegor after its descent, but considering he held out pretty well, he seems to possess considerable skill to be so conceited.
“Seems I’m seeing many unfamiliar faces…? Is this a gathering to try and contain me? My doors are always open, so feel free to express your true intentions~”
“I’m having a hard time tolerating your nonsense, so just sit down already.”
“You’re asking me to sit beside you? Haha, doing that in front of everyone is quite the move…”
As Edmon, lost in self-absorption, grinned widely, Hoenheim shot back with a sharp quip, making Edmon slide over to sit next to him instead.
‘What a hilarious form of movement.’
Though it looked like he wasn’t even moving his legs, his sliding manner of relocation was incredibly fascinating.
Hoenheim, whose face showed a desire to kill upon noticing Edmon beside him, merely laughed it off.
[Well then… looks like everyone’s gathered.]
A vibrating voice echoed throughout the room, causing the masters to cease their arguments.
[I know everyone is busy, so thank you for gathering here as always.]
Then, parting the black curtain, the great red dragon, Saint McKinto, emerged to invite everyone.
Having defended the church for such a long time after being summoned by the gods, he boasted scales that still glittered with vitality as he leaned over the table, looking down on us.
Until now, I hadn’t felt a trace of his presence; his sudden appearance was quite astounding.
[Since we have no more latecomers… Let’s begin the summit.]
The meeting, crucial for the survival of the continent, was officially underway.
