The development of the Sorcerer Kingdom...
Was it Ulbert who said it would be best to rule as an iron-fisted dictator?
Luckily, two immortal geniuses like Albedo and Demiurge are taking care of the kingdom.
I don't really understand their desire for world domination...
But I couldn't reject the idea, either.
That's why I've left everything in their hands, but...
If the Sorcerer Kingdom becomes known for treating all races equally,
I could recreate the same environment I had with my comrades in the past.
If I told Albedo and the others my feelings, it might ruin their current plans.
Maybe I should do things on my own for a while...
M-My apologies!
Huh?
A maid that causes her master to let out a sigh is a failure of a maid!
Such a failure can only be punishable by death!
Huh?!
And so, the knight defeated the villainous dragon and saved the princess.
And they lived happily ever after.
Awesome!
So wonderful!
Good for the princess!
That was great!
You're right.
Hey, the brat's here.
Excuse me, Princess Renner.
It is time to return to the royal palace.
What?
Are you going home, Princess?
Let's make something delicious next time.
Yay!
Let's make it together!
You gotta promise!
Come back soon!
Bye-bye!
Thank you!
I can't wait!
I'm surprised you established such a big orphanage.
Must've cost a lot of money.
My brother was kind enough to listen to my request.
After all, a lot of children lost their parents when the Sorcerer King came to power.
I think the weak dying is unavoidable.
You're wrong.
It is the duty of the strong to save the weak.
I treasure the children very much.
We have to take care of them, so they do not wander from the path of righteousness.
The princess is smart.
Not all humans can be strong, I guess.
Rigrit said that in front of you, too?
Yeah.
It's true that children without parents have a higher tendency to get involved in crime.
If the orphanage can raise some talented individuals,
other nobles may also become interested.
A pretty good line of thought.
Charity without anything in return is always suspicious as hell.
Evileye's heart is twisted.
You think just like me!
I'm pure.
You're the dirty one.
The idea came from Brain.
He mentioned gathering orphans who might be talentened swordsmen,
so I established the orphanage.
Tina. Evileye.
Were there any talented children that caught your eye?
I was standing outside the whole time.
What about you, Evileye?
I have no idea if a kid has magical talent just by looking at them.
I see.
Oh, do all of you have special talents?
It's a secret.
What the heck? Why are you so obsessed with this?
There aren't many people near me who have special talents.
Don't ask stupid questions.
So you do have a talent!
I am very interested in talents.
Can you tell me what kind of talent you have?
It's not something I want a lot of people to know.
Lend me your ear.
Yes!
A talent is an adventurer's trump card.
Yes.
Who'd tell others their talent so easily?!
How mean! My ears are ringing!
Princess Renner!
Lady Evileye, please show some mercy.
What?
Brat, this is all because you spoil her!
Th-That's not...
You're right!
I think you should spoil me more, Climb.
I agree with Evileye's opinion.
No, that's not what I meant.
So please spoil me more.
Let's start by napping together, like when we were children...
N-No, Princess...
Forget it.
I was the stupid one.
Brat, it depends on the talent.
For instance, our leader has enough power to level a city when her sword goes on a rampage.
Lakyus's sword?
According to her, it takes a lot of power to keep her rampaging sword at bay.
Our fiendish boss doesn't want to worry you.
Pretend you don't know.
Of course.
U-Um, Princess Renner...
My! How careless of me.
Come to think of it, how is Lady Aindra doing?
She's watching over Gagaran and Tina's training.
The two of them died at Jaldabaoth's hand.
They lost a lot of life force when they were revived.
They can only train to regain their strength.
It would be difficult for us to even slow him down if he appeared again.
Slow him down?
Oh, until Evileye's hero comes to our rescue.
That's right! The great hero, Lord Momon!
A powerful warrior who swings his giant sword like he's holding a twig
He's definitely the strongest warrior among all the neighboring kingdoms!
We wouldn't have to worry about Jaldabaoth with him around!
The Sorcerer King, too!
But didn't that man decide to work under the Sorcerer King?
Lord Momon! What was he thinking?!
This is a good chance to ask.
Evileye, could you kill the Sorcerer King?
If all the rumors are true...
It would be impossible for me.
I'm pretty sure Lord Momon is the only person who might be his match.
And that guy is working under the Sorcerer King. That sucks.
No one can go against him.
The adventurers have been continuing their search,
but there is still no sign of Prince Barbro.
I am afraid to say that the chances that he is alive are quite low.
Please continue the search.
Understood.
Troublesome until the very end...
Prince Zanac.
What is it?
About Marquis Raeven...
I haven't heard a single word from him.
It seems he has completely retreated into his domain.
The Sorcerer King must have been quite terrifying...
What is it?
Princess Renner has returned.
Marquis Raeven will probably never come back.
I'd hate to lose his power and knowledge, but...
Right now, as next in line for the throne,
I need to decide how to deal with the Sorcerer Kingdom first.
I should send a tribute to deepen our relationship,
but I want to avoid looking subservient
in front of our nobles and the neighboring countries.
What to do...
I've returned, Brother.
Welcome home, Sister.
Shall we walk a bit together?
I'd love to.
A representative of the Sorcerer Kingdom will arrive soon.
If you planned to send a tribute,
why not give the representative double the amount in appreciation for their visit?
That would be a perfect excuse for the public.
Prince, we have been notified that a diplomatic mission is visiting us from the Sorcerer Kingdom.
I will greet them immediately.
Yes!
If I become king, I will give you a domain in some remote area.
You can live out your days there.
Thank you very much, Brother.
Though, your suggestion does not appeal to me in the least.
Six Fold Flash of Light!
Impressive.
You've changed.
You think so?
You had a terrible expression on your face when you lost in the previous tournament.
I mistakenly thought I could stand amongst the strong back then.
"Seek life when facing death."
If a normal person wishes to go against a monster,
he can only fight by putting his life on the line
and grasping for any small chance of victory.
I'd gladly take that victory if it'd only cost my measly life.
Is the Sorcerer King truly that powerful?
Yeah. He defeated your precious student, Gazef, in a blink of an eye.
He wasn't my student. I just gave him a little training.
I heard you taught him your strongest Martial Art.
The art of the retired adamantite adventurer, Vesture Kloff Di Laufen.
I'm looking for someone to inherit Gazef Stronoff's position as Head Warrior...
But a commoner like me lacks the necessary connections.
Why not take over yourself?
I'm not fit for it.
I'm gathering kids that seem to have some potential,
but it'll take a while for them to grow up.
You're going that far?
The more people we can get, the better.
Our enemy is the Sorcerer King, after all.
So this is magic, as well?
Prince.
Apologies for speaking on horseback!
We are the diplomatic mission of the Sorcerer Kingdom, Ains Ooal Gown!
I am the second prince of the Re-Estize Kingdom, Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself.
I have been ordered by His Majesty to guide your party to the royal palace.
Understood. As for my name...
Forgive me. We do not have individual names,
so please call me by our race, the Death Cavaliers!
I understand, Sir Cavalier.
Please allow me to great the leader of your diplomatic mission.
Understood.
Now, stand tall. Do not show any disrespect.
Yes!
Please allow me to introduce the leader of our diplomatic mission
and the right-hand of the Sorcerer King, Ains Ooal Gown.
Lady Albedo.
They're all looking down on me just because they have money and status.
It's all my father's fault that we're such a poor noble family.
If I were the head of the family,
my groundbreaking methods would instantly improve our rank.
Then...
Everyone!
I would like to introduce the diplomatic envoy of the Sorcerer Kingdom, Lady Albedo.
So beautiful.
All right! This is my chance.
I've come up with such a great idea!
I'm a lucky guy.
I'm going to take full advantage of this opportunity!
Lady Albedo.
I am the heir of the Montserrat Barony, Philip Dayton L'Eyre Montserrat.
So rude!
Please call me Philip.
You fool!
You want to have a ball and invite the representative of the Sorcerer Kingdom?!
I had you attend that party to have the count
and other nobles in our faction recognize you as my heir!
I had to pull a lot of strings to get that invitation for you.
Father, please calm down.
Please think about it!
Our domain is between the Sorcerer Kingdom and the royal capital.
We should deepen our relationship with the Sorcerer Kingdom.
What are you saying?!
Those bastards from the Sorcerer Kingdom killed your older brother!
That's why a third son like me even has a chance to inherit.
Philip! You...
I just want to protect our domain and our people.
We should nurture a relationship just in case the Sorcerer Kingdom invades.
Just our family?
Of course.
That's the whole reason I jumped in front of her to introduce myself before anyone else.
Didn't you think that would antagonize our neighbors?
A lot of people died in that war.
No one has the forces to attack us.
Our domain has only a single village.
We've managed to make ends meet by cooperating with our neighbors
and dividing our crops appropriately.
If we do something like this...
We can ask the Sorcerer Kingdom for aid.
Why would the Sorcerer Kingdom aid a village in an enemy kingdom?
I would.
It would be great for their ruler's public image.
Any other reason?
Well, not really.
Do you understand?
As long as we use our brains, the Sorcerer King is nothing to be afraid of.
I... No, we should use him as a tool for the prosperity of our family.
I have nothing more to say to you.
There is still one more issue to address.
What will we do about the ball?
That's right, Philip!
We have no space to hold a ball in our domain!
Don't worry.
We'll just borrow the house of a lady I've recently become acquainted with.
What do we do about the appreciation money?
We won't give any.
How can that be?
It's true. She said she saw my future potential and wishes to invest in me.
Which lady of which house?
She's a commoner, judging from her name.
But she's a very wealthy commoner.
Have you heard of Hilma Cygnaeus?
Long time no see.
I'm the host of this ball...
How have you been?
Thank you.
Thank you for the invitation.
Lady Hilma!
Why don't they greet me first?
You seem displeased, Lord Philip.
No, not at all.
I'm a willing partner that wishes to benefit from your power in the future.
Please don't hide things from me.
I left the guest list to you,
but I feel like many of these people are unqualified.
It's true that there is a lack of influential figures.
I chose to invite family heads and future heirs who were newly appointed after the war.
Will I be able to create a faction with those kinds of people?
They will grow powerful as you lead them, Lord Philip.
Y-You're right.
That's right. As the one who stands at the top,
I'll have to guide those fools along.
So beautiful...
And she smells so nice, too.
T-Tonight, I have gathered nobles who wish to become closer with the Sorcerer Kingdom.
They have all been looking forward to meeting you, Lady Albedo.
Thank you for all your efforts, Lord Philip.
By the way, are you married, Lady Albedo?
What a strange question.
Unfortunately, I am still a single woman.
I see.
Announcing the arrival of the diplomatic envoy of the Sorcerer Kingdom, Lady Albedo!
What's wrong?
It's nothing.
Now, let us enter.
Third-rate trash nobles in a first-class venue.
They have no idea that this is a feeding ground.
Hilma, it seems that Lady Albedo wishes to rest for a bit.
Anyone would tire after talking with so many people.
Please allow me to lead her to the sitting room.
I'll come along, as well.
I do not think that would be a good idea.
Why not? I'm the host.
For a man who is not a woman's husband to accompany her to the sitting room...
Oh, I see.
Hilma.
How would I go about courting Lady Albedo?
I'm capable of gathering this many nobles.
While the Sorcerer Kingdom has a lot of military power, it's a kingdom with a single city.
I don't lose to her in status. What do you think?
Hilma?
Impossible. There is no way the two of you can get married!
I feel like we had a good connection, though.
How disgusting.
There is only one person in this world who is allowed to lustfully touch this body.
Shit! That inferior piece of shit!
We can prepare a new puppet if you wish, Lady Albedo.
Don't worry about it.
A lot of nobles were able to see the level of his idiocy in the royal palace.
It would be a waste to replace him.
I understand.
Right this way.
Lady Albedo, we have been waiting for you.
First, I will have all of you smuggle goods into the Sorcerer Kingdom.
Understood. We will gather a proper tribute.
No. Sell the items for a reasonable price
and prepare countermeasures for the kingdom's inevitable food shortage.
Have you found any information about magic items?
Raise your head.
Yes.
Oh, my.
Lord Ains is very satisfied with your work and has prepared a fitting reward for you.
This must be...
Thank you very much.
Please relay my thanks to His Majesty Ains Ooal Gown, as well.
Of course.
About the other thing you desire. I assume there is no need for further discussion?
Of course.
Granting me that kindness after the proper price is paid will bring me no greater happiness.
Will you be able to open that box?
Yes. I have already made preparations.
I see. Then take care of it before the invasion.
I understand, great ones.
That's enough serious talk.
Let's see. Will you tell me more about your puppy?
Gladly, Lady Albedo.
I'd love to hear about His Majesty Ains Ooal Gown from you, as well!