In the small Kingdom of Siltrosso, situated in the north, a meeting was about to begin. A young man and an elder were facing off against each other.
The young man was the head of the Freedom Association, Yuuki Kagurazaka.
The elder's name was Johann Rostia, the biggest financial backer of the Freedom Association and a major figure within the Council—Duke of the Kingdom of Rostia. Given his surname, it was obvious he was the elder brother of the current king of Rostia.
Yet, in truth, his real identity was one of the Five Great Elders manipulating the Council. They often gathered for their secret meetings in this land—the Kingdom of Siltrosso. This small kingdom on the border was perfect for fooling the Western Nations since an espionage organization held its secret base here—the best espionage organization among the Western Nations, in fact.
It was called the Silt Foreign Information Bureau. This organization set its sights beyond the petty disputes of humans and aimed to deter threats from monsters. Its purpose was crisis management.
Therefore, the agents from this agency all had impressive portfolios. Every single member was rank B or above—few in number, but elite among the elite. With such agents guarding the kingdom, infiltration by spies from other nations was impossible.
That was why they chose this location for their secret meetings.
"Begin your report."
"Okay. Demon Lord Atem has completely seen through me and seems to have grown suspicious of me. That being said, I sent the eastern merchants in my stead and took various detours, so no evidence was left."
"In that case, couldn't you have made up an excuse?" Johann questioned.
"My subordinates suggested the same thing, but even if I did, wouldn't I still be in danger? This is a Demon Lord we're talking about! If I were to get on his bad side, it's no different than stepping on a tiger's tail," Yuuki replied with visible unease.
Yuuki reported that Atem was suspicious of him, not bothering to hide that fact. Indeed, Johann of the Five Great Elders was Yuuki's superior, but their relationship was strictly business. Both sides stood to gain something.
The Council funded the Freedom Association, while the Association accepted jobs from the Council in return. On paper, they were equals—two organizations supporting one another.
—But that relationship was a façade.
The Freedom Association needed outside funds. If they were to operate in other nations, they required each nation's approval and protection. Without that support, they couldn't survive.
While the Association had more influence now than when it was merely a mutual-aid group for adventurers, in terms of authority and raw power, the Council still dominated.
Moreover, the reason Yuuki was able to expand the Association in just a few years was because of Johann's backing. That was also why Yuuki was willing to take on risks in his schemes.
"Not even you can beat that Demon Lord?"
"Don't be absurd. From what I've seen, he's got more than a hundred rank A personnel. There's no way I could deal with that."
"That's a lot," Johann muttered, narrowing his eyes. "It seems avoiding a direct confrontation was the wiser choice. But—"
He paused, his sharp gaze cutting into Yuuki.
"The Grand Elder has been complaining about Demon Lord Atem being in our way. Yuuki, are you aware this is because of your misstep?"
"Huh—what do you mean?"
"I'm talking about your plan with Demon Lord Clayman. Had it succeeded, even without those stubborn eastern merchants, we could've secured direct trade with the Empire. In a few centuries, Veldora would have been dealt with, and the Great Jura Forest would no longer be a threat. Moreover, Karion and Frey could have served as a natural barrier to protect us. Yet you…"
Yuuki cut him off with frustration. "Let's not go there. I couldn't have controlled what happened. No one expected such an anomaly would interfere. That wasn't something I could've predicted."
Johann sighed. He was one of those aware of Yuuki's and Clayman's conspiracy.
They had tampered with the Demon Lords' amusement event to manipulate it in their favor. But now—
"Indeed, you are correct. You couldn't have foreseen it. You couldn't have predicted that a being like that would interfere. Nonetheless…" Johann's voice turned low. "…Shouldn't you be able to defeat him now?"
Before Yuuki could answer, the heavy doors opened.
A young girl stepped in without a sound. Her golden hair shimmered in the faint candlelight, her cold eyes sharp as blades. Mariabell Rosso—the mastermind behind the original draft of their grand scheme.
Now, there were three people in the room.
Mariabell walked in with a grace that belied her age and sat on the most luxurious seat without hesitation.
"Oh—oh, it's you, Mariabell. Where's Grand Elder Granbell?"
"Grandfather isn't here today," she replied smoothly. "It's just me. But that's irrelevant—I demand an answer to my question."
Her gaze locked on Yuuki like a predator's.
"It is impossible for me," Yuuki said with measured calm. "Fighting Demon Lord Atem alone would already be difficult. But with Veldora by his side? That's not something I can handle. No human could."
"You've seen Veldora yourself?" Mariabell asked, skeptical.
"Yes, in his human form. He addressed himself as Veldora."
Yuuki answered honestly. He knew deceit wouldn't work under Mariabell's eyes—eyes that could see through every ambition and greed.
"I see… Demon Lord Atem would be the key to sealing Veldora," she mused. "If we leave that dragon unchecked, catastrophe will rain upon the world. That's what Grandfather always said."
"Indeed," Johann nodded. "Grand Elder Granbell lived through the age when the dragon rampaged freely. It's no wonder 'God' remains cautious."
"The dragon was tamed by Atem, so it's dangerous to move against them," Mariabell said, her voice calm but venomous. "However… for the glory of House Rosso, we must remove the head of Eterna."
"This is a tough situation," Johann murmured. "Yuuki, are you certain you can't defeat Atem if you fight seriously?"
On top of Mariabell's demand, Johann repeated the same question again.
Surely Yuuki—of all people—could challenge Atem?
Yuuki exhaled slowly. "Even Hinata was defeated by him. I know her strength—if she lost, what chance do I have? But… under the right conditions, my odds might improve."
Mariabell studied him silently, her eyes unreadable.
"…Then, what are you planning?"
"Well," Yuuki said, leaning back. "We should avoid antagonizing Atem directly. Even if we somehow won, the cost would outweigh any reward."
He explained his future plans, including Kagali's expedition to investigate ancient ruins. Under Mariabell's order, Yuuki revealed everything about Clayman's fall and how it might be exploited.
Mariabell and Johann exchanged a glance. They would use that knowledge to begin their own operations.
Whether to neutralize Atem or destroy him outright, this had to be settled. Without it, the Rosso family's grand vision would never be realized.
They could, theoretically, rule the world if they allied with Atem—but Mariabell saw that as a last resort.
Their ideals would never align.
Mariabell intended to reshape the world's economy—remove gold as the universal currency and promote paper money based on national strength. She wanted the Council—the Five Great Elders—to dictate which nations thrived and which fell.
Weak nations would be taxed, enslaved, and turned into vassals—all under the pretense of law.
And the one obstacle to this perfect order was Demon Lord Atem of Eterna.
He had upended everything.
His power, his charisma, his divine authority—his very existence bent nations to his will. By opening Eterna's gates to the world, Atem was uniting trade, races, and ideologies under a single, incorruptible rule.
It was not domination through greed, but through conviction.
To Mariabell, that was heresy.
He threatened to end the game she had always won.
For two rulers to exist, one had to fall. And to Mariabell Rosso, the throne of the world was hers by right.
Thus, her hatred toward Atem took root—not born of fear, but of defiance.
For she knew one thing: so long as Atem, the King of Eterna, lived… her perfect world could never come to pass.