Sorcerer Kingdom.
Capital, Endymion.
Inside the Prime Minister's office, beneath the glow of a crystal chandelier, two figures were deep in conversation.
"Troubles really never come alone."
The Bloody Emperor rubbed his temples, his expression full of concern.
Recently he had been buried in government affairs. He had only just managed to clean up the mess left behind by the Kingdom, and before he could even take a moment to relax, new problems began appearing one after another.
The first involved a newly made friend of his.
The captain of the Sorcerer Kingdom's security forces, the Quagoa King [Pe Riyuro], had encountered an accident.
It was said that he had been attacked by a True Dragon Lord and died on the spot during the sudden battle.
To be honest, when the Bloody Emperor first heard the news, he was stunned for a moment.
He had grown quite fond of that demihuman.
Their first contact had been somewhat strategic, but as they continued talking, he unexpectedly discovered they got along very well.
They understood each other's views and could freely share ideas and thoughts.
It felt like the kind of tacit understanding only old friends shared.
There was even a sense of regret that they had not met sooner.
So after learning that his future close friend had met with disaster, he immediately rushed to the Sorcerer Kingdom.
"I didn't expect you to care this much. That hardly matches your usual style as an emperor."
A soft laugh sounded.
Standing beside him, Renner teased him lightly.
Originally, she thought he had come because he was worried about the Empire's safety and wanted to discuss intelligence about the attack.
After all, the power of a True Dragon Lord was well known to everyone.
But although that concern did exist, his main purpose had actually been to express sympathy for the Quagoa King.
That truly surprised her.
As usual, Renner took out her treasured tea set and brewed two cups of black tea.
With her current position, she could easily leave such work to servants.
However, she deliberately chose not to.
Compared to ordering others around, she preferred to handle this sort of thing personally.
It was simply one of her small personal hobbies.
"I've just come to understand a few things."
The Bloody Emperor knew very well what the path of power truly meant.
That bloodstained road had given him many things, but it had also taken many away.
For a long time, he believed that the interests of the Empire stood above everything else, even above himself.
That had always been his guiding principle.
But after witnessing the overwhelming might of Nazarick and choosing to submit, his thoughts began to change.
Perhaps a friend you could truly talk to, and a simple bond between people, were the most valuable things of all.
In that regard, he owed a great deal to Naohara-sama.
"You don't need to worry about that True Dragon Lord."
"Naohara-sama has already informed me that we don't need to concern ourselves with it."
Renner took a sip of black tea and spoke leisurely.
As expected, tea brewed with high quality ingredients tasted far richer than usual.
"Our main objective now is to complete the construction of the Magic Academy and promote the study of Tier Magic among the population."
Ever since the Eight Greed Kings rewrote the world's rules, Tier Magic had spread throughout the world.
If properly guided, higher level magic could be encouraged and researched collectively across the world.
Hidden talents might finally have the chance to show their abilities.
With enough creativity and experimentation, breakthroughs might emerge.
For example, Evileye's [Vermin Bane Magic].
Or the spell Fluder created to stop the body from aging.
Because of this, Naohara proposed the Magic Academy Plan.
It was both an idea and an experiment.
After informing Momonga and Herohero, the proposal received strong support from both of them.
Herohero thought the idea was excellent.
By using the Magic Academy as a foundation, people with Talents could be gathered on a large scale.
There would be no need to search for them. They would come on their own.
It would essentially become a true "buffet."
As a devoted magic enthusiast, Momonga also fully supported the idea.
He even stated directly that funding would not be a problem. He would provide all the facilities and ensure the academy had the best possible educational environment.
With the agreement of all three of them, the construction of the Magic Academy quickly began to influence the entire region.
It would shape the future of the Sorcerer Kingdom, the Empire, the Kingdom, the Dragon Kingdom, and many other nations across the continent.
"As expected of the Three Kings. What a brilliant move."
The Bloody Emperor lifted his teacup and looked at the calm surface of the tea, unable to hold back a sigh of admiration.
This was clearly a strategy to win over people's hearts.
For the Sorcerer Kingdom, conquering nations was not difficult.
Take the current situation for example. On the surface, the Empire and the Sorcerer Kingdom appeared to be allies.
But behind the scenes, the Empire had already become something very close to a vassal state.
In the Bloody Emperor's view, the so called Magic Academy plan was actually the first step toward ruling the world.
Once graduates from the Magic Academy spread across various countries and gradually occupied important positions, the Sorcerer Kingdom would eventually be able to conquer those nations without even needing to start a war.
What terrifying foresight.
Even if one realized this, there was no way to refuse it.
Countless people longed to pursue the path of magic and devoted their lives to it.
Anyone who dared to obstruct that path would likely face the fury of magic casters who treated magic as their very life. Those individuals would be the first to step forward and start killing.
"None of that really matters."
"If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. People like us just need to do our own jobs properly."
Renner spoke with a calm smile.
When it came to submitting to Nazarick, she was far more open minded than the Bloody Emperor, who tended to brood over such matters.
Just as she said, they only needed to perform their duties well.
There was no need to think too deeply about things that could not be changed anyway.
As long as they demonstrated the value they possessed, the rest could simply follow its natural course.
"I have to admit, I can't compare to you in that regard."
The Bloody Emperor shook his head and chuckled softly.
As expected of the monster who even he found frightening.
After discussing the next policies and cooperation between their two nations for a while longer, the Bloody Emperor stood up and left.
Next, he planned to visit his close friend, the Quagoa King.
As he opened the door, his gaze briefly swept over the young man standing nearby.
Feeling the boy's wary stare, the Bloody Emperor quietly shook his head in his heart.
So naive.
He truly could not understand why a monster like Renner cared about someone like him.
Climb kept his eyes fixed on the Bloody Emperor.
Only after the emperor's figure disappeared into the distance did he slowly relax his tense body.
"I will definitely protect Renner-sama."
Climb silently swore this vow in his heart, completely unaware that he had been thoroughly deceived.