Changed into a nurse's uniform, Hilde successfully finished treating the Green Tower Lord.
If it were treatment, Cardinal Elton should have taken charge, but he had to mourn the dead holy knight. Even excluding that, it would have been difficult for the Green Tower Lord to entrust his treatment to an unfamiliar man. With no other choice, Hilde volunteered, and as a master of Qi circulation, easily treated the Green Tower Lord.
"But why are your clothes like that?"
"The first is hygiene. The second is my taste. Especially since Father likes it, you know?"
"Who? Hughes?"
"Yes! If you're interested, try wearing a nurse's uniform and approaching him. Maybe Father will see you differently?"
"Should I? ...No. Hmph, I'm not interested, okay?!"
Hilde, who was about to pass by with a light joke, paused when she saw Shei's clearly changed reaction.
"Hmm? Shei. Haven't you become somewhat softer than before?"
"Not particularly?"
"It can't be helped. After traveling so much with Father, you must have developed some affection. Shei, you've finally devoted your body to Father too."
"I did not! More importantly, me 'too'? Did you do something to Hughes?"
"See. The part you care about has changed from before."
It's even more surprising that she still lacks self-awareness. Does she not know, or is she trying hard to pretend not to know? Hilde kept the latter possibility in mind. Perhaps that was the secret to staying by his side.
Shei, still displeased with Hilde, grumbled.
"You're the Six-Star General of the Military Nation. Shouldn't you return to the Military Nation?"
"I often go out for fieldwork too. I use my abilities to observe the trends of other countries and extract information. It's the advantage of a position where my identity must remain hidden. Even if I don't show my face for a few months, there's no one to nag me!"
"Ah, you're going to extract information from the Magic Federation?"
"That's part of it, but there's something more important."
"Hughes?"
You know it. Muttering softly, Hilde smiled confidently.
"Yes. Father will become the king of the Military Nation."
"Why do you like the king of the Military Nation so much? What does Hughes care about such a country?"
"The reason is sufficient. Unlike other countries, the Military Nation is a country without a king. But that's just a difference in form and method; any country needs a king. And a king also needs a country. The two are a perfect match, so now we just need to hold the ceremony!"
"If it's the King of Humans, there are other options too."
"I've already chosen Father. I like Father's way."
"Hughes's way? Roughly dumping things on other people and running away? That's not a very good way."
"Hmm. I am worried about that part, but..."
Hilde shrugged and answered.
"The insight to select and seat capable, or suitable talents. Not the power of a king, but the ability to share responsibility. Shifting responsibility. It can be called the most important virtue of a ruler."
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Shifting responsibility? An unimaginable word came out. While Shei, dumbfounded, lost her words for a moment, Hilde looked off into the distance for a moment and muttered.
"And, this is probably my guess. That King of Humans won't be able to become a leader."
"Why?"
"Because that King of Humans is a King of Beasts. The most outstanding human. Would a transcendent, more outstanding than a single country, govern a country well?"
***
While the Blue Tower Lord was gathering forces, the Demon God Temple was focusing on other tasks.
"I'm here."
"You're late, Human King! You should have come sooner!"
That group aiming for the World Rule is a research institute for Demon Gods. They study all kinds of Demon Gods and research their uses. Each has a different purpose. However, the will to overcome limits through Demon Gods is the same.
And although there is a bit of prejudice mixed in, the proportion of mages from the Red Tower is secretly high.
Flora, a disciple of the Red Tower. As a member of the Demon God Temple, she is a Magus. Her unique magic is Afterburner. The ability to burn what remains after burning once.
She saw me and approached acting friendly.
"Hey, Human King. I came up with a really great idea! You can grow plants with Druidism, right? If so, the story is very simple!"
"No."
"I haven't said anything yet!"
"You're going to talk about growing plants from the burnt ashes and burning them again, aren't you?"
"How did you know?! Are you reading my mind?!"
How did I know? Did I read her mind?
"You only have thoughts of burning the ashes again. It's easy to predict. The idea isn't bad. If you make plants bloom from the burnt ashes and burn them again, that could create the Eternal Flame, the long-cherished wish of the Red Tower."
"That's exactly it!"
"As if that could work. If that were possible, slash-and-burn farmers would already be utilizing the Eternal Flame. Although it would have a 3-year cycle."
Do these people think plants just grow on their own?
"Most of a plant is made of water and air. Starting from a seed, it takes in water and absorbs air to create stems and leaves. To accelerate the process, sufficient light, environment, and mana are needed. They don't grow without any price."
"Looking at what the Human King showed, it grew without a price?"
"That's because it was a Demon God. Am I supposed to keep watching and letting it grow? I can't do that."
"Tch."
The Red Tower's long-cherished wish. The Eternal Flame.
It is the outcome of the World Rule. Weaving different Demon Gods together, causing interactions, and creating an eternal flame that, once ignited, burns without needing to be touched again.
Some are simply fascinated by the word 'infinity', some want to warm the cold northern lands, and some want to share that flame with humanity.
Although their reasons are different, the mages of the Red Tower are burning their souls and knowledge to obtain the Eternal Flame.
Likewise, Flora, a disciple of the Red Tower, cooled down as fast as she burned. Lying powerlessly on the stone floor, Flora sighed and said.
"Ugh... As expected, the only way to realize the Eternal Flame is the Tower Lord's 'Sun in the Palm'..."
That is also the reason the Red Tower Lord wants to get her hands on a Demon God. Honestly, it's also the closest path.
But right now, there is a bigger problem than that.
"Where is the Red Tower Lord?"
"Uh... How would I know... Didn't you know?"
"Am I the Red Tower Lord's butler? How would I know every little thing?"
"You're not?"
"No. And seeing as she hasn't arrived yet, she must be receiving spatial magic from the Demon Lord. Let's hold a meeting among ourselves for now."
"What, you do know..."
"I guessed."
What is needed right now is not the Eternal Flame. Well, it might be needed, but that's just a means.
Ignoring Flora, I went straight up to the podium and started speaking.
"Alright. As you all know since you heard it. Our goal is simple. We must catch up to the meteorite falling at a speed of nearly 30 km per second, and smash it into small pieces so that it causes minimal damage to the ground. For your reference, the meteorite's diameter is 2 km. There's a possibility it contains a Demon God."
The room fell silent.
30 km per second. It sounds casual at first glance, making it harder to gauge. Even at 30 km per hour, it's a fairly fast running speed for a human.
That distance not in 1 hour, but in 1 second?
Lord Johannes spoke pessimistically.
"It would go around the Earth in 20 minutes. We can't catch up with the Floating Castle."
The spy sent by the Blue Tower Lord is sitting here brazenly. It doesn't matter since we agreed to cooperate, though.
"That's right. Honestly, we're not catching up to it, but rather going to its path in advance and waiting, you could say?"
"It's the same even if we wait. How will you smash such a huge meteorite falling that fast? Surely you can't block it with the Floating Castle,"
"That's right."
"Huh?"
"We will block it with the Floating Castle. In the first place, it's meaningless if we don't."
This time, the room became noisy the other way around. Shouts were exchanged asking if we were crazy, if we had a grudge, or if we were thinking of igniting a flame with frictional heat.
Well, did you think I'd snipe it from far away? Unique magic doesn't have that wide of a range. And at that distance, you can't project power properly either.
"Of course, we won't collide directly. That would just be a pointless death, wouldn't it? According to calculations, it will pass 'Pride' almost as if brushing past it."
"What if the calculation fails by any chance?"
"If you make a calculation mistake, you should die. Do you expect to live after making a mistake?"
"That's too extreme!"
I can understand being anxious. I mean...
Lankart didn't understand him.
"Hey. Then you calculate it. If you're afraid of making a mistake, just don't make one."
That invincible logic cannot be refuted until Lankart makes a mistake. And Lankart never makes a fatal mistake, even if he makes minor calculation errors. He ignores trivial things as much as he meticulously takes care of important things.
Lord Johannes groaned.
"...Such a huge meteorite won't be the only one falling. Small meteorites breaking off from it will pour down like rain."
"The other mages will have to block that. We don't have the leeway to worry about the small ones."
"Alright. Let's say that's possible. Then, can you smash a meteorite over 2 km in diameter?"
"We have to."
"It's not as easy as it sounds. A meteorite is not just a simple lump of rock."
Lord Johannes drew a magic circle on the table with a mana-filled finger. The table, trimmed and processed with mana, formed a structure with a crystal lattice. The structure naturally held mana.
"Mana dwells in objects. In the distant void, the only place for mana to dwell is the meteorite. A meteorite that has been orbiting for a long time possesses extraterrestrial mana. We don't know what variables might arise."
Lankart answered with a scowl on my behalf.
"Variables? At best, it's just mana. You can just adapt to that on the spot. Are you not confident? Why are you whining so much."
"One must pay attention to everything! If we're careless, everyone will be in danger! I don't know what confidence the Blue Tower Lord accepted this with, but this is an impossible mission! It's nearly impossible to accomplish, and if we fail, we'll receive all sorts of criticism!"
"The Blue Tower Lord is handling it on her own, so why are you worrying?"
"Although it was only for a short time, I taught that child. She's talented, but shouldering such an excessive duty is too much! She's still young!"
Sigh, overprotective. He worries so much.
"She is young. But outstanding."
Someone's voice rang through Renee's attic. There, the Blue Tower Lord and the Red Tower Lord were entering side by side through the fireplace. The Blue Tower Lord took off her sunglasses, put them in her front pocket, and said.
"Johan. I appreciate your concern, but if you're going to worry, I'd rather you use that worry to block 'Pride'. I am the only one who can solve that problem."
"Tower Lord..."
"Believe me. The me who learned from you."
The Blue Tower Lord assured with a confident attitude. With her being so confident, I couldn't urge her to give up. That would mean giving up on both the Blue Tower Lord and the world at the same time.
Lord Johannes let out a deep sigh. Having abandoned his stubbornness, he looked much older than he had appeared before.
"...Phew. If the Tower Lord is that confident."
"I will repay your trust."
The Blue Tower Lord answered, bowing her head gracefully. Lord Johannes groaned and turned his head away. Because he couldn't bear to look at the confident smile the Blue Tower Lord was wearing with a smile of his own.
If he had known her inner thoughts, he wouldn't have backed down so easily.
'Sorry, I'm not confident either. I'm too scared of what will happen below if I fail. But, I have to do it.'
For that, the Blue Tower Lord returned to the Demon God Temple.
Flora looked at the Blue Tower Lord with displeasure and spoke.
"Aren't you the former Temple Lord? What are you doing here?"
"I will use this place as a temporary headquarters. Places where we can gather in a short time are rare."
It is difficult for the leadership to gather in one place on the vast Floating Castle. Even with Resonance Crystals, quick exchange of opinions is hard. However, if there is Renee's Attic connected to the same space, they can meet and talk instantly whenever they want.
It was rational, but she didn't consider the backlash from the original Demon God Temple members. Flora ran to the Red Tower Lord and said.
"Tower Lord. The predecessor came and told me to give up my seat. Told me to participate in some nonsensical mission like 'Pride' or whatever. What should we do?"
The Red Tower's long-cherished wish is the Eternal Flame, and reaching that wish through the Demon God Temple is the goal. They don't necessarily have to fight 'Pride'. There's no reason to.
Especially for Fahrenheit, whose territory in the lower realm had perished.
However, the Red Tower Lord lowered her voice slightly and asked me.
"Hughes,"
"Yes."
"Is it true that a Demon God is in 'Pride'?"
"Yes. It's certain."
Actually, if it's not in 'Pride', we wouldn't be able to find it at all. That's why it's probably there.
"And that Demon God is the Demon God of Gravity?"
"Yes. A Demon God who has realized the attraction of all things."
"Not the Demon God of Space, huh. Wasn't Renee a Demon God?"
The Red Tower Lord searched for the Demon God of Space. Spatial magic was needed to weave the World Rule, and the limits of the flame had to be overcome to ignite the Eternal Flame.
Now that it was revealed Renee was not a Demon God, an error occurred in the Red Tower Lord's calculations.
"However. Gravity will lead you to enlightenment. No, you should have aimed for the Demon God of Gravity from the start. Because—"
"-it is because of gravity that the sun can shine eternally."
"That's the correct answer."
The Red Tower Lord wanted to obtain the Eternal Flame. The Eternal Flame she pursued was the sun. She tried to compress the flame and create a circulating flame that burns and devours itself.
"Still. I can see it. I can see the endlessly burning flame in my eyes. If I just get a little closer, I can obtain it."
There was still something left for the Red Tower Lord to burn. She was a flame, and giving up only comes when there is nothing left to burn.
The Red Tower Lord said with her fists clenched tightly.
"I am afraid of death."
"Pardon?"
She didn't look like it at all, but I nodded for now.
"I'm afraid that if I die, my flame might burn even more. I'm afraid that this flame and desire will incompletely combust and leave dregs. That is the only fear I have. Everything has already burned away. Nothing precious remains. All that's left is the afterimage of that flame that already burned the territory and disappeared."
She sought the Eternal Flame to survive in the freezing land. Then, her entire territory burned down. It was necessary, but it ended in a terrible result. Is that the Red Tower Lord's responsibility? Is it the Red Tower Lord's sin?
Now there is no one left to ask that. All the Red Tower Lord can do is produce a result. If she gives up after making such a sacrifice. Because it means she used the territory as firewood and gained nothing.
"Destroy 'Pride'. And obtain the Demon God."
Blaze. The Red Tower Lord's body burned once again. The top she was wearing burned away in an instant, but she didn't care. As she said, she shouted, burning herself.
"Obtain the rules of the world! The Demon God Temple does not fulfill wishes. Instead, it will give you the power to fulfill them!"
The Red Tower Lord shouted, emitting an overwhelming presence.
With this, the will of the Demon God Temple was decided. It was a Demon God Temple that didn't hesitate to do all sorts of things to find Demon Gods. If they were going to oppose it here, they wouldn't have participated in the first place.
Thus, all the power of the Floating Castle united as one.