The Graus Republic is a country bordered by the sea to the east and south, mountains to the north, and a neighboring nation to the west.
The name of the western neighbor is the Markt Kingdom. Near its easternmost border lies an administrative district called the Marlin District.
This land was where the exiled nobles of the former Graus Kingdom had gathered.
It was a form of asylum. However, the relationship between the royal family and the kingdom was not necessarily amicable.
Fearing the spread of revolution, the kingdom had protected the royals—but that was the extent of it. After all, the Graus Kingdom and the Markt Kingdom had even clashed blades at times. The Markt Kingdom had no intention of sincerely aiding the Graus Kingdom, nor did it currently wish to wage war against the newly formed Republic.
"Troublesome guests"—that was the status of the exiled nobles.
Here, in the Marlin District, stood a cluster of mansions. Once used as vacation homes for noble children, these estates now housed the exiled nobles from the Graus Kingdom.
"Haaah..."
Prince Felix had arrived in this land. After fleeing from Takumi and being transported nearby by demons, he had finally returned.
As he walked down the road, several nobles called out to him.
"Oh, Duke Felix, you've returned!"
"We've been waiting for you."
Everyone was friendly.
Felix, as the king's younger brother, held immense power among the nobility—second only to the king himself.
Entering the largest mansion among the row of buildings, Felix found three individuals residing there—the most important figures among the exiles.
Prince Felix.
The King.
And the Sage.
"P-Phew… Felix, is that you?"
A short, pudgy man with streaks of gray in his greasy hair. The moment Felix drew near, the rancid stench of spoiled cheese assaulted his nostrils, making him grimace involuntarily.
The King.
"How did it go?"
"Ah, well… The resistance from the otherworlders was unexpectedly strong. Things didn't go as planned. Quite troublesome."
"...Useless fool."
In an instant, Felix kicked the King in the stomach.
"G-Guh…!"
"I warned you. I said, 'Even if they're women, a large group is dangerous.' If you wanted otherworldly women, you should've taken one or two—five at most. But you ignored my advice and allowed seventeen women to be brought in. Your incompetence knows no bounds! Have you no shame?!"
The summoning of otherworlders was the Sage's doing.
During the ritual, the Sage peered into a crystal to select candidates before activating the magic circle. In other words, the girls from the classroom being dragged in was an inevitable outcome.
Of course, they hadn't realized the girls were from the same classroom.
Had they observed more carefully, they might have noticed many things. But peering into another world required immense skill and magical energy—there was no time for leisurely observation.
"It's not just me! Duke Warren and Count Sardinia are just as guilty! And what does it matter if it's ten or a hundred?! Losing to mere women—you truly are incompetent, Felix!"
"Think with that rotten brain of yours, Your Majesty. The world doesn't run on lust alone."
Felix grabbed the demonic sword, Fuls. Without unleashing its power, he struck the King's cheek with the flat of the blade.
"S-Someone! Help me!"
The King called out to the nobles gathered nearby.
But no one moved.
Only a handful had ever truly respected the King. And even fewer could wield magic or demonic swords like Felix.
The King was nothing more than a figurehead for reclaiming the throne. None had any reason to defy Felix—who was far stronger—just to save him.
"Now then, Your Majesty, I have news for you today."
Felix sheathed his sword and smiled warmly.
"Duke Leon. Please remember his name."
With a wave of Felix's hand, a man entered through the door—a large, burly figure.
"..."
The man remained silent, staring intently at the King.
"Who is this noble? I don't recognize him. Some upstart from the countryside?"
"..."
"Hey, you. You stand before the King. Have you no manners? Bow your head—lower it before—"
In an instant, the man roared.
The word "roared" best described the shockwave that followed. The sound shook the air like a sudden gust, sending the King flying.
"Felix… is this man not the true King? Have I misunderstood?"
"Hahaha, you jest. Had I been King, the kingdom would never have fallen in the first place."
The King, who had crashed into a pillar, slowly pushed himself up.
He stared at the self-proclaimed duke before him.
"...?"
The King rubbed his eyes.
The man calling himself Leon… was changing.
Golden fangs.
Golden eyes.
Golden hair.
The King trembled at the sight.
"T-That form… Y-You… No…"
"..."
"The Demon King… Leonhardt, the Lion Emperor!"
The Demon King, Leonhardt the Lion Emperor.
The strongest of demons, said to reside on the throne in the deepest and most expansive chamber of the Regulus Labyrinth.
"Indeed. Human King, I am the Demon King. You stand before me—where are your manners?"
The King scrambled to his feet and grabbed Felix.
"F-Felix! Why is the Demon King here?!"
"We've formed an alliance, Your Majesty."
"An… alliance?! The Demon King is humanity's enemy! Felix, have you lost your mind?!"
"And whose fault do you think that is?"
Felix seized the King by the collar.
"We are cornered! We can no longer afford to be picky about our methods! If you want to preach morality, you shouldn't have enslaved women in the first place! Your Majesty, you are half-hearted in everything!"
The Demon King was an obstacle to the Hero, Kazusa.
The otherworlders were an obstacle to the nobles.
For now, their interests aligned.
"Felix… I am deeply grateful for this alliance..."
The Demon King, Leonhardt, bowed his head. For him, too, this temporary pact with humans was a boon.
"So, what now? I am unprepared. If you simply wish for me to slaughter humans, I can do so immediately."
"Rest assured. I already have a plan."
Even if the Demon King slaughtered their enemies and reclaimed the land, it would be meaningless. The people's hearts would never return.
Felix didn't necessarily crave their love, but he had no desire to deal with unnecessary rebellions. Wise men did not make enemies. His "moderate" persona—being kind to women—was part of that strategy.
But that didn't mean he rejected hierarchy. The world should be ruled by privileged classes like royalty and nobility. Gender discrimination was merely a useful tool for that.
The Demon King Leonhardt was a powerful but unwieldy piece. If left unchecked, he could destroy the entire country.
For now, it was best not to move him.
"Let us stain their hands with blood."
The plan was already in motion.
Felix led Leonhardt deeper into the mansion.
---
Meanwhile.
At the Graus Republic's premier institution, the National University of Magical Science and Research…
"I did it!"
A young woman cheered.
Dressed in a blazer uniform with a white lab coat over it, her long black hair was slightly unkempt, but it did nothing to diminish her beauty. Her well-proportioned figure, straight nose, and glossy lips made her undeniably attractive.
Stretching her arms, she stifled a yawn. Having maintained an unnatural posture during her experiments, her body was stiff.
Around her stood several men in lab coats.
"The light spirit—theoretically known to exist, yet never before captured. When we trapped it using the cubic polarizer, I was moved to tears despite my age."
"The fire spirit, close to the light spirit. When the light spirit's photons react with the fire spirit's flames, white fire emerges. The Salamander Two-Hybrid Method—using this property to detect light spirits. Though it failed, the ingenuity was astounding."
"The wind-powered centrifuge using wind magic. The internal combustion engine compressed with fire spirits. Your wisdom far surpasses ours."
"One brilliant idea after another. Truly, Master Onamaru is exceptional."
The woman they called "Master" was showered with praise.
Her name was Onamaru Suzuna.
An otherworlder who arrived alongside the craftsmen, she was the inventor of the Spirit-Guided Magic Acceleration Bracelet—commonly known as the Promoter—which allowed even women to wield magic.
A genius among geniuses, she was revered at the university as Master Suzuna. The men assisting her were professors and associate professors who could have been lecturing themselves.
"Someone contact Tsugumi! The Promoter is complete!"
On this day, the magic revolution was realized.
After months of research, they had finally succeeded in subduing the elusive light spirit into a device.
"Now, all women can wield light magic. A revolution! I did it… I really did it!"
Suzuna laughed.
Nothing brought her more joy than seeing her research bear fruit.
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