The Four Heavenly Kings, an almost indispensable element in the typical Otherworld Hero and Demon Lord trope.
Rin was a Demon Lord, so after establishing the Monster Nation, he naturally had the authority to appoint his own Four Heavenly Kings.
As for why there were five Four Heavenly Kings...
Isn't it common knowledge that there are five Four Heavenly Kings?
Just kidding.
"Trya, Doris, in addition to monitoring the Sorcerous Dynasty, you'll also assist Treyni in properly managing the forest."
So what looked like one Heavenly King position was actually held jointly by the two sisters.
Moreover, the ruling class of the Sorcerous Dynasty consisted of the Elf Race.
As mentioned before, the Elf Race were a type of fairy, all descended from Dryads who entered the material world.
Trya and Doris were from the Immortal Spirit Race, sharing the same origin as elves and fairies.
Having them interface with the Sorcerous Dynasty would help minimize suspicion to the greatest extent.
"Thank you for your appointment."
The sisters bowed. "We will never betray your trust."
"Mm. During this time, do your best to gather the Elf Race."
Rin said, "I intend to develop the Fairies into the fourth Dependent Race."
Fairies and Demons.
Rin's next targets were those two races.
Conveniently, the next strategic target for the sisters, the Sorcerous Dynasty Sarion, had a massive Elf population.
"That's wonderful!!"
"We'll definitely work hard!"
The two women were overjoyed and immediately expressed their thanks on behalf of the Fairy Race (including pixies, the Elf Race, and others) for Rin's generosity.
As for how Rin gained his fourth Family slot...
After evolving into a Demon Lord, Rin's Family limit increased from 3 to 6.
This allowed Rin to incorporate new monster races as part of his Family.
"Master, how should we handle relations with the Dwarf Kingdom to the north?"
The Starfang Wolves under Hoshiga would be directly facing the Dwarf Kingdom.
He wasn't afraid of clashing with the so-called Hero King of the Dwarves.
Still, Hoshiga needed clarification on how to approach them.
"Focus on defense. Do not initiate conflict unless necessary."
Rin said, "The Dwarf Kingdom has a population of 50 million. Starting a conflict now wouldn't benefit our development at all."
Of course, Rin could send his quasi-Demon Lord level subordinates.
No matter how powerful the Dwarf King was, he wouldn't be able to stop Hoshiga and the other high-level combatants.
"But the Dwarves cannot be conquered by violence."
As a race, the Dwarves were descendants of earth-attributed fairies.
They were stubborn, honest, and extremely trustworthy, making them outstanding allies who rarely broke promises once made.
"If we use military coercion, even if we win, all we'll get is a pile of rubble."
Plus, there was no existing grudge between them. Why would Rin attack them without cause?
Yes, he was a Demon Lord.
But to Rin, "Demon Lord" was just a power tier. It didn't have any practical meaning.
Nowhere was it written that a Demon Lord had to invade countries or destroy the world.
"Besides, the Great Jura Forest is vast."
"With a current population under a million, there's still far more land than we can develop."
Rin's plan for the Monster Nation, like Rimuru's, was to focus on agriculture, supplemented by commerce, following a path of neutrality.
"Right now, our most important task is to increase our population."
"As for war, that depends entirely on the enemy's attitude."
Rin said, "I hope you can remember this clearly."
"Especially you, Akano. The Oni Race needs to stay alert regarding the Western Countries."
"Humans have a deep-seated hostility toward monsters," Rin said. "If they find out a Demon Lord has appeared in the Great Jura Forest, they will definitely take action."
"Rin-sama, rest assured. I will never let those guys cross even a single step past the border!"
Akano wasn't the type to suffer in silence. If humans really tried to invade, the Oni would absolutely retaliate.
Rin wasn't as naive as Rimuru, issuing orders like "do not harm humans."
Besides, what did the humans of this world have to do with Rin?
He felt no sense of kinship toward them.
"It's not just about defense."
Rin's tone turned cold. "If the Western Countries dare declare war on us, then they're asking to be annihilated."
The Monster Nation would never be the aggressor.
But if someone dared to start a war, Rin would have full justification to wipe them out.
Thus, the Trya sisters would reach out to the Elf Race of the Sorcerous Dynasty, the Oni would guard against humans from the Western Countries, and the Tengu Clan would work with Frey to monitor the Beast Kingdom and Clayman's movements.
Four quasi-Demon Lord class combatants, each leading a race.
Such strength was more than enough for defending a nation.
It could even be used to attack four separate countries at once.
Rumble!!!
Not long after Rin issued his orders, a terrifying surge of magicules erupted outside the castle.
Clearly, Diablo and Snow Empress had awakened.
This time, however, since Rin and Violet had stayed conscious,
Everyone's magic was perfectly contained within the town limits, not a trace leaking out.
"Such, such a terrifying aura..."
Even as Rin's Family, Shuna couldn't help but tremble under the overwhelming pressure radiating from the seven individuals.
"So strong..."
Shion's face was tense, but she wasn't afraid. Rather, she was itching to fight. 'I really want to test myself against them!'
"Oh my, oh my."
Hakurou stroked his beard, narrowing his eyes at the four unfamiliar figures. "No wonder our Lord took a liking to them. They really are something else."
The Four Primordials were newcomers, yet they received Rin's blessing and underwent direct Demon Lord awakening.
Such treatment stirred not only admiration, but also a trace of envy among the other Family members.
Boom!!!
As if sensing those feelings, a crimson glint flashed through Diablo's pitch-black eyes.
In an instant, every monster present was wrapped in a frigid, bone-chilling killing intent and demonic energy.
Even those at the quasi-Demon Lord level felt as if they had fallen into an icy abyss, unable to move.
'That magical energy!'
'Are you kidding me?'
'Where did these newcomers come from to be this unbelievably powerful?!'
'...'
"Hmph."
Just as Diablo's majesty was about to take effect, Artoria let out a dissatisfied snort.
In the next moment, the demonic energy vanished.
It was replaced by a neutral, soft, and gentle holy light that instantly swept away the fear and pressure from everyone's hearts.
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)