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Three days later, in the Underworld.
"Ahem, well... I'll just say two... Oh my goodness!!!"
Kaito had barely settled into the main seat when Rimuru shoved him sideways onto a nearby chair.
"This is my seat. Yours is over there."
Rimuru said it plainly as she took the main seat. Kaito stared at her with an expression of pure disbelief.
"Rimuru, I always sit there!"
"Now I am sitting here."
"But..."
"Kai-chan, I am the Empress."
Something seemed to click in Kaito's head. He turned to Rimuru with a gloomy expression and announced:
"Rimuru, you'll regret this!"
Then he crossed his arms and sat to the side, performing sulking.
"Pfft! Hahaha! Kai-chan, as expected, only you get my jokes!"
Rimuru immediately broke into genuine laughter and gave Kaito full credit for playing along.
"Hehe, of course! Wahahaha!"
Seeing Rimuru laughing that freely, Kaito dropped the act and joined in.
At this moment, everyone else in the room watched the two of them with confused expressions. Nobody had any idea what was so funny.
"Alright, back to business. Regarding the Devil race joining the Jura Tempest Federation, does anyone have an objection?"
Kaito scanned the room with a serious expression.
"I object!!!"
Everyone looked toward the voice.
"Admiral Sengoku, do you have a problem with Kaito-sama's decision?"
Sakazuki's eyes lit up immediately and he called out loudly.
"Sakazuki, I am a Fleet Admiral. A Fleet Admiral!"
"A Fleet Admiral with exactly one division."
Sakazuki glanced at him with contempt and said it lightly.
"Alright, Sakazuki, stop provoking Sengoku. Sengoku, what are your thoughts on my decision?"
Kaito stepped in before it could escalate further and turned to Sengoku with a puzzled look.
"I have no objection to the Devil race joining the Jura Tempest Federation. But Kaito-sama, these are all prime recruits for the Air Force! Surely now you'll finally expand my establishment?"
Everyone present went quiet for a moment. Sengoku truly never missed an opening to push for more resources.
'He's clearly been provoked by Sakazuki one too many times.'
Kaito's expression became slightly awkward. Withholding the Air Force expansion had honestly been a personal bit of mischief on his part. But it seemed it couldn't be put off any longer. If he dragged it out further, Sengoku might actually resign.
That wouldn't do. How could he let such an excellent ox... ahem, Fleet Admiral candidate walk out the door?
Kaito cleared his throat lightly to bring everyone's attention back to him.
"Hmm. I think Sengoku raises a fair point."
"Here's what we'll do. We'll transfer one hundred thousand from the Devil race, and Sengoku can recruit forty-five thousand himself. That gives you ten legions. No more complaints?"
Sengoku, still in his floral shorts, stared with visible disbelief.
His objection had been pure reflex. He brought up the Air Force establishment at every single meeting without fail. He simply hadn't expected Kaito to actually act on it this time.
'Heavens. The great trickster has actually shown mercy.'
He knew well enough that the withholding had been deliberate teasing. It would have been allowed eventually, but he hadn't expected happiness to arrive this soon.
"Hehe, no complaints at all! Kaito-sama really does speak on a different level!"
"Ten legions, just like that! How about that, Sakazuki!"
Sengoku turned toward Sakazuki with the most insufferable expression he could manage.
"Hmph. Ten legions. As if no one else has that many."
Sakazuki muttered it under his breath with a dismissive look.
"Sakazuki, you bastard, I @#¥%..."
After a cup of tea's worth of outburst, Sengoku sat back down with a satisfied expression.
"Sirzechs, is that man really a Fleet Admiral of the Jura Tempest Federation? He seems a bit..."
Serafall tugged on Sirzechs's sleeve and asked with an incredulous expression.
"Hehe, Serafall, don't judge by appearances."
"Honestly, I think those two have a very good relationship."
Sirzechs looked at the now-content Sengoku and smiled quietly.
"Is that so? I really couldn't tell."
"Serafall, if you could tell, you wouldn't be you."
Ajuka smiled at her with quiet amusement.
"Ajuka, you're looking down on me! Just you wait!"
Serafall immediately bristled like an angry cat.
Ajuka raised both hands in immediate surrender.
"Hehe, I was wrong. Please spare me."
"Hmph, good that you know it."
Kaito caught the exchange and let a small smile pass across his face.
Sengoku's outbursts were deliberate every time, and Kaito had always quietly allowed them. It was simply a way to cut through the dullness of meetings and give everyone something to react to. Sakazuki knew this too, which was why he played his part. Their relationship was not bad at all. Sakazuki's younger sister, Ness, was practically a regular at Sengoku's home, eating and drinking there freely.
"Kaito-sama, we have no objection to the devils joining the Jura Tempest Federation. However, a few individuals will likely try to interfere."
Once things had settled, Sirzechs stood and addressed Kaito with a serious expression.
"Who?"
"Rizevim Livan Lucifer and the Old Satan Faction."
"If they learn of this, they will almost certainly come out to cause trouble."
Kaito nodded slowly. The Old Satan Faction — the losers of the power struggle against Sirzechs and the others. As for Rizevim Livan Lucifer, he was a scoundrel. The person Vali, the current White Dragon Emperor, despised more than anyone alive.
He was the son of the original Lucifer, recorded in the Bible under the name "Lilin" — a frivolous and cruel man through and through. He had told his own son to abuse Vali, driving the boy to flee. And then, casually, he had killed that same son.
He was currently in a stage of being bored with everything.
"Understood. Don't worry about those ones. They're just rats in the shadows."
"Oh, Grayfia, if I'm not mistaken, your family originally served under him, didn't they?"
Kaito turned his head and glanced at Grayfia.
Grayfia, dressed in her maid uniform, stood with her hands folded over her lower abdomen and replied respectfully.
"Yes. But our family has already left his service."
"Hehe, alright. Then you'll come with me later. I'd like to pay this man a visit."
A sharp light passed through Kaito's eyes for just a moment. Then he looked back at Grayfia with a calm, unhurried expression.