To participate in the Walpurgis, we exit the forest under the guidance of Lamiris.
Riding on Veldora, the time it takes to move is not long.
When I saw the wetlands below, I was impressed by the speed.
No matter how you think about it, it takes 2-3 days to get to the wetlands from the forest. It's been about an hour since we set off.
Veldora, who seemed annoyed by the need to adjust to the appropriate size, was huge, but since there are many in our group who can't fly, such as Zion, Beretta, and Grucis, I endured it.
Still,
"Lamiris, did you plan to walk all the way to the venue (??)?"
I asked.
No matter how I thought about it, I thought we would be late.
Lamiris' answer was,
"Eh? No, just walking is fine.
Then, you know, someone will come to meet us every day!"
It was a very convincing answer.
This guy... because he always wanders, it seems that someone coming to meet him has become an unspoken rule.
Someone with the ability to perform spatial transfer will come to meet us.
Then, where are we going now?
With a bad feeling, I asked Lamiris,
"Eh? How should I know that kind of thing! It's because I'm guiding you!"
I decided not to say anything.
This is the kind of guy.
Then, there's no need to fly so hard. For that reason, we decided to land and slowly enjoy the surroundings as we moved forward.
We walk peacefully down the road.
In front of the Jura Great Forest, this place is already a magical domain.
However, it doesn't seem to be something different just by saying so.
The concentration of mana is higher compared to where human villages are, but it's not to the point where humans can't live.
The stones by the road are not magical stones, so that's probably not the case.
Are there many naturally occurring monsters?
When I asked,
"Ah, even if it's called a monster's domain, if it's not the lair or direct territory of a Demon King, ordinary humans can live without any problems.
If you pay the taxes set by the Demon King who governs that domain, your safety is guaranteed by the Demon King," Veldora explained.
"Huh? Is that so? Indeed, my teacher is very knowledgeable!" Lamiris said, but I ignored it.
Why don't you know! If I start nitpicking, I'll lose.
"However, there were Demon Kings whose territories were unknown.
The ones I fought were the giants, vampires, and devils.
The Demon Kings I fought directly were Giant Dagrule and Vampire Luminas.
It was 1-on-1 with Dagrule, and it was fun.
When I turned Luminas' vampire kingdom to ashes, he completely lost it and retreated! He was a guy who didn't understand jokes. So, I don't know where Luminas' territory is now.
After that, there was the king of the devils.
I had several encounters with groups of devils, but I never fought the king.
It seems there's a giant city on the permanently frozen continent, but it's cold and no one lives there.
I didn't go because it would be boring. Besides..."
Veldora trailed off,
"Well, there's no need to go to a place where there's nothing! Hahaha!"
He laughed it off.
However, it seems this guy has also angered a Demon King.
If you turn someone's country to ashes, they'll get angry.
Moreover, a Demon King of the giants who can fight Veldora 1-on-1 seems dangerous.
There might be something on the frozen continent, but there's no need to go there intentionally, and there's no point in thinking about it.
However, Demon Kings seem to be more powerful than I thought. If I think about it from the perspective of a child (Lamiris), I might suffer a serious injury.
It's better to think from Mimir's perspective.
Even with my current evolved state, I'm not sure if I can beat Mimir.
I've had a few spars, but they weren't serious at the time. There's a lack of data.
I can beat Mimir in the state she was during our spars, but I don't know how much she held back, so it's better not to be overconfident.
I can't believe Mimir agreed to my extermination.
There must be a reason behind it, but Mimir seems indifferent to being manipulated or negotiating with the enemy.
The only thing I can think of is if there's a reason based on Mimir's will.
Well, there's no point in thinking about it now.
I'll judge when I meet her.
With that feeling, I listen to Veldora's story while walking aimlessly.
If I believe Lamiris, contact from the Demon King's side should be made soon.
Feeling that way, while enjoying the bright weather and walking peacefully, I saw two men coming from ahead.
They seem to be walking straight toward us.
A tall, sturdy man with a brownish complexion and a slender, green-haired handsome man.
Are they here to meet us? As I thought,
"Hey? Up. Lamiris, how have you been?"
"Ooh, Ooo! It's Veldora, isn't it! How have you been?
Your aura is much weaker than before.
It felt similar to Veldora's aura, but I thought it was someone else."
They greeted us like that.
"Ooh, it's Dino. Thanks for the welcome!"
"Ooh, it's Dagrule! I was just talking about my fight with you."
Whether they are here to meet us or not is unknown, but they seem to know each other.
First, I greet them.
When I greeted them,
"Huh, you're the main character this time. So, why are you being targeted?"
"Ooh, nice to meet you. I've never heard of a slime becoming a Demon King."
He was surprised.
Why am I being targeted? That's unclear.
"Huh? It's completely..."
He said, and briefly explained the events so far.
At the same time, I told them about the stories with Lamiris and Veldora.
They are quite friendly. However, their true strength is unknown.
They are Demon Kings, after all.
After hearing the story, the conclusion is...
I can't let my guard down, but it doesn't seem like the Demon Kings have a unified will to the extent I thought.
Actually, they can't believe that Carion, who had a good relationship with them, is dead.
It seems I'm the one who killed Carion, but Grucis' testimony convinced them otherwise.
However, if I can't prove it here, a resolution to exterminate me might be adopted by majority vote.
The problem is, it's okay to counterattack if a self-proclaimed Demon King attacks, but it's not allowed to exterminate a Demon King by surprise and then claim the title.
This is based on the policy that a Demon King must be a strong individual.
So, it seems the Walpurgis was activated because I supposedly ambushed Carion this time, and the resolution to exterminate me was almost adopted.
Since 5 out of 9 Demon Kings, excluding Carion, needed to object, it couldn't be overturned.
It was correct to express my intention to participate.
That means, I definitely fell into a trap...
Anger boils up.
I haven't met him, but the culprit is Clayman.
The problem is Mimir, who is collaborating. If I resolve that, the Demon Kings' anger won't be directed at me.
Indeed, challenging all the Demon Kings is like suicide.
The two in front of me are also formidable, and there's no need to cause unnecessary conflict.
If they come to me, that's a different story.
However, surprisingly, they believe me right away.
It might be that simple.
Veldora is practicing suppressing his aura, Dino, he says.
It seems he met a manga (comic) that gave him a new perspective, so he usually doesn't emit aura.
He plans to release his aura when an opponent underestimates and attacks him.
For the monsters in the village, it's more comfortable, so it helps, but the idea is a bit strange.
Just knowing it's from a manga makes me a bit uneasy.
Is this a manga brain...?
Dagrule deeply admires this and agrees, "Indeed!"
Most importantly, as a giant, he tends to go berserk in anger, so he doesn't usually release his mana power recklessly.
In fact, he only emits a normal human level of aura right now.
I don't think Veldora's story will be helpful...
"In other words, if you can control your anger, you'll gain even greater power!"
I hear something I can't just brush off.
Hey, heyyyyyyyyy!
A Demon King known for "Earth's Wrath" can't control that massive anger!
Moreover, I don't wish for a Demon King who can fight Veldora 1-on-1 to become even stronger.
After all, he grows in size when he's angry.
He's a big man over 2 meters tall, but in a berserk state, he grows to five times his height.
A 12-meter giant rampaging is a nuisance of the highest degree.
When I was introduced to him just now, I thought in my heart that such a Demon King shouldn't come to the village.
Apparently, he aims to practice controlling his anger, but I don't care.
If he fails and wreaks havoc in his country, I don't want to hear complaints from him.
Another Demon King, Dino, is...
Talking to Lamiris, who seems to be close to him.
They seem to have a good relationship, and the conversation is lively.
It seems Dino once owed a favor, so he's unexpectedly polite.
"By the way, Lamiris. You haven't shrunk since the last time we met?"
"But, there's nothing I can do about it! I've only been reborn for 50 years!"
"That's inconvenient. You inherited your memories, right?"
"About the memories. Still, my mind degrades to match my body.
Well, I'm the strongest, so maybe I need this handicap!"
"Ha! If you tell that to Ki, he'll tear off your wings."
"Ba! You're kidding, right? I also talk based on what I see!
I don't plan to knock Ki out with one punch or anything like that!"
He seems to be enjoying the conversation.
Hearing Ki's name, Lamiris is flustered. He's a dangerous opponent who can make Lamiris flustered.
I make a mental note, "Ki is dangerous."
Such steady effort can help avoid danger. It's impossible for fools.
The conversation moves on to the subordinates they brought.
Lamiris is boasting about Beretta.
"I'll make those who called me a nobody, a loner, or a fool (Demon King) look back.
You should know that you're powerless in front of Beretta!"
"Eh? Can I break this?"
"Huh? Of course not!
If you break it, I'll tell Ki, and you'll face the iron fist of justice!"
"Still, isn't this really amazing? It's really dangerous when you look closely!"
Until then, Dino, who looked half-asleep, opened his eyes wide.
Feeling good about it,
"Right! Right, right! You know, this gives me more influence," Lamiris puffed out his nonexistent chest.
I made it, but it doesn't matter.
It's unclear if Beretta is annoyed, but she remains silent.
After some time, I decided to ask a question that had been on my mind.
"By the way, where are we heading?
We've been walking aimlessly, but do you two know the venue?
And, did you not bring your subordinates?"
It turned out we were just walking aimlessly.
In response to my question, they looked at each other and laughed simultaneously.
According to what I heard, they started early so they wouldn't be late.
They found us and joined us.
Apparently, they also don't know the way.
However,
"Soon, someone will come to meet us," they said in unison.
Since I was tired of walking, we decided to have tea.
We took out a table set and sheets stored in our inventory and prepared them.
Apparently, we could have waited in the village since someone would come to meet us.
But, meeting two Demon Kings is fortunate.
I opened the bento prepared by Shuna and offered it to them.
Since it was prepared in large quantities, it didn't matter even with two more people.
The taste was excellent.
Indeed, Shuna.
By the way, I didn't ask Zion to cook.
The taste might be guaranteed, but it's not just about the taste.
He has the unique skill "Cook," but the basics are lacking, so it's like a pearl in a pig's snout.
While enjoying tea after the meal,
"By the way, do your subordinates know the location?"
I asked.
The subordinates are Dagrule's three sons and five generals and warriors.
The generals and warriors have participated a few times, so they should be fine.
The sons are participating for the first time, and they might cause problems.
I thought they might be okay, but it's not my business, so I didn't interfere.
Dino doesn't have subordinates.
He's a Demon King without subordinates. Mimir also had a similar feeling, so it makes sense.
Additionally, there's a reason for the limit on the number of subordinates.
In the past, a new Demon King brought 100 elite subordinates to show off his authority...
His country was turned to ashes, and he was enraged by the despair aura (to the death), leading to their total annihilation.
It was decided that only those of the upper demon class or higher could be brought.
For the now-defunct Demon King, the elites he brought were upper demons, but that was ignored.
In any case, the limit was set to prevent foolish show-off actions by new Demon Kings.
It might seem like a lot for a new Demon King who lacks confidence in themselves.
While talking about this, I suddenly felt a twist in space.
It seems someone has come to meet us.
A strange door appeared in front of us.
A beautiful maid in a black maid uniform came out of the door and greeted us.
"I've come to meet you, Lady Lamiris.
If it's okay, I can also guide those with you."
She stood next to the door.
She's thoroughly suppressing herself. It's clear she's been well-trained.
She's a true professional.
And another thing.
This maid exudes a presence as intimidating as the recognized devil, Diablos.
She's clearly a dangerous opponent.
"Ooh, it's Mizari. Long time no see! How's Ki?"
"Old, it would be presumptuous for someone like me to worry about my master..."
"Ah, right. You're still the same. It doesn't matter, though."
He said and flew toward the door.
We followed him. If we were left behind, we might not reach the destination.
However, this maid is also Ki's subordinate.
It seems Ki is also a Demon King, and it's better not to be hostile if possible.
Depending on the situation, of course.
It's time to prepare.
What awaits us is the rulers of this world.
However, there's no need to be afraid.
Because I, too, have become one of the strongest in this world.