The reason why the airship that arrived at the Sky Island could not get close to the dock was clear.
Due to the nature of the Sky Island, where all magical power flows downward, getting too close could cause the engine-like magical power to decrease.
There were about ten gates extending like a long corridor to the dock, but their structures were not the same.
The top-tier Demon Lords, including Beal, had six wide and magnificent gates, like a runway.
Mid-tier Demon Lords and monsters known as nobles had three sturdy gates.
Lower-tier Demon Lords like Rupia had only one narrow and flimsy gate assigned to them.
“Excuse me for a moment, my lord.”
Since there was only one gate, I asked for upia’s understanding in the crowded gate and picked her up.
Her eyes were swollen from how much she had cried earlier.
Looking back at Rain who was following behind, I noticed she was gazing enviously at the neighboring gate through the transparent gate’s window.
There, I saw Lauro walking with her followers without any discomfort.
“Please be cautious from here on, as the magical power will decrease.”
A somewhat tired-looking Dark Elf standing at the end of the corridor bowed and guided us.
She looked familiar, and it turned out she was the receptionist from the Monster Exchange Office.
“Hina Krall, was it? You’re doing crew work as well?”
“Yes, well… I’m doing various things. I owe a lot, you see.”
She looked exhausted, but her movements never slowed down or stopped.
Leaving her behind, I finally stepped foot on Sky Island.
“Oh… it’s definitely earth, but it feels like walking in a swamp.”
upia, with her swollen face, said with interest.
I felt the same, like having just surfaced after a long dive.
“Don’t stop walking. If you stay still, the circulation won’t work, and you might suffer magical exhaustion. Once we enter the meeting room, it’ll be fine.”
Demon, who had been to Sky Island before, said.
It was indeed a good judgment to bring an experienced guide.
Not long after, we arrived at the huge circular meeting hall that resembled a temple. The iron door was enormous, almost touching the sky, and the ancient dragon patterns engraved on the black marble seemed alive.
The red gemstone decoration hanging above the door glowed like a flash even in the darkness, and the surrounding pitch-black walls added to the grandeur and overwhelming presence.
The iron door was already open.
There were no seats of honor in the circular meeting hall, but in reality, the seating arrangement was determined by rank.
The higher-ranked Demon Lords took seats closer to the center, and those seats were large and comfortable.
When a Demon Lord sat, their guards stood beside and behind them to protect them from the surroundings.
Of course, not all Demon Lords brought monsters solely for guarding purposes.
“Aah, that tickles, Drak-nim.”
The muscular Demon Lord who had argued with me on the airship was now playing with Succubi in three directions.
His teasing stopped only when all the noble monsters had taken their seats, and Great Demon Lord Beal announced the start in a voice that held no tone.
“Let’s begin.”
pia swallowed nervously.
The main agenda was about the withdrawal of the defense forces from the Magic Mountain by the Yrendel Empire.
During my human days, there had been several conflicts between humans and monsters related to mines, so I could easily understand the situation.
However, this time, the scale was unprecedentedly large.
“They’re pulling the defense forces that had been guarding the royal palace’s treasure vault for decades? There’s definitely something more to it.”
The Yrendel Empire stated that they would redistribute the defense forces based on the event where the dragon crossed the city walls.
However, no Demon Lord was naive enough to believe those words at face value.
“They mean to lure us to the Magic Mountain, but honestly, I don’t mind. The ones we should be wary of against the Empire are just Kyle, the fool Sage Gordon, and a few others.”
“That’s right. There’s no way we’d give up such vast treasures just because of some human knights.”
The discussion leaned towards attacking the Magic Mountain, taking advantage of the defense forces’ withdrawal.
Beal and the other top-tier Demon Lords remained silent for now.
The first to speak was Aishi, the 8th-ranked Demon Lord. She adjusted her glasses and spoke.
“So, they withdrew the defense forces to use them elsewhere. For example, maybe they’re planning to target a vacant dungeon?”
Drak chuckled and shook his head.
“If they can’t defend it even when it’s abandoned, then what kind of Demon Lord are they? A dungeon? That’s something weaklings would worry about.”
Aishi smiled slightly and countered.
“It’s not just the human knights, but we should consider the Demon Lords who aren’t participating in the Magic Mountain attack. I’ve heard that recently, while the human knights and Demon Lords were fighting, a shameless Demon Lord took over a dungeon…”
I flinched inwardly.
I turned my head slightly and met Demon’s eyes. Our gazes awkwardly scattered.
“The term ‘shameless’ is inappropriate. The Demon World is a competitive society, isn’t it? Who here would help another dungeon without any benefit to themselves?”
It was Gael, the 3rd-ranked Demon Lord, who spoke up.
‘Yeah, you’re right.’
I silently applauded in my mind and nodded my skull.
When a higher-ranked Demon Lord countered with the truth, Aishi shrugged and backed off.
“Well, anyway, it’s not just a few rat-like demons. We can’t leave a dungeon unguarded.”
“Then let’s do it this way.”
Unlike before, the Demon Lord who raised his voice was Drak.
“Let’s bind the dungeons with a temporary alliance, and agree that only the Demon Lords who participate in the attack on the Magic Mountain will be allowed to kill each other without any consequences.”
“…!”
The lower-ranked Demon Lords began to murmur. Drak had a sinister smile on his face.
“Why talk about a divided competitive society? The moment we step into the Magic Mountain, we’ll fight fiercely against the humans, and you want to share the spoils? I can’t stand the thought of those useless insects taking even a single mana stone.”
The meaning was clear.
In short, if you’re scared, go hide in a dungeon and suck your fingers.
With such rude remarks, lower-ranked Demon Lords outside the top 50 began speaking up one after another.
“We’re not fools, do you think we’d join this alliance?”
“If you don’t plan to share the spoils fairly, then we’ll have to take some other gains…”
“Right!”
Drak lazily blew into his ear.
“Hah, these bugs sure know how to bark. Just because ants gather in swarms doesn’t mean they can kill a lion.”
The meeting hall was quickly filled with fiery debates and overlapping voices.
To pour cold water on the heated atmosphere, Aishi spoke.
“What does the Great Demon Lord think?”
The noise slowly subsided, and all eyes turned to one side.
The Great Demon Lord, Beal. She was, in essence, the final decision-maker in this meeting.
Beal, who was leaning slightly in her chair, glanced around the room before slowly speaking.
“…I can understand both the arguments of the higher-ranking Demon Lords and the position of the lower-ranking ones.”
Her first words were as balanced as a scale with nothing placed on it.
“However, since I am closer to the higher ranks, it’s inevitable that my opinion will lean towards that side.”
Her second statement, like a weight on the scale, tilted the balance in favor of the higher-ranking Demon Lords.
Drak grinned, showing his teeth, while the lower-ranking Demon Lords bit their tongues and frowned.
“Then, let us hear the opinion of the lowest-ranked Demon Lord in this meeting.”
“…!”
With Beal’s final words, the balance of the scale was restored to a horizontal position.
Everyone let out a sigh of surprise.
The one most shocked was upia.
She had thought that simply participating in the Demon Lord meeting was an honor, but who would have expected her to be given a chance to speak?
“Rupia… Hon Derbil Balotus, I would like to ask for your personal opinion.”
Not just the Demon Lords, but all the monsters participating as listeners in the meeting stared at Rupia.
I could feel Rupia trembling right behind me.
I silently prayed.
Please, shake off your fear.
And boldly speak your mind as a Demon Lord.
Rain, too, was anxiously watching Rupia, fidgeting with his hands behind his back.
“Rupia, will you and your Demon Lord army risk your lives to participate in the attack on the Magic Mountain, or will you protect the dungeon and ensure your safety?”
Beal asked for a response.
Drak shook his head and muttered in a barely audible voice.
“Dammit, that little bastard will obviously hide in a dungeon. What is he even talking about…”
At that moment, Rupia suddenly stood up from her seat.
“I… I’m not a damn bastard! You gorilla!”
Her shout stunned all the Demon Lords in the meeting room. It wasn’t just the Demon Lords; even the noble monsters, including Lauro, were equally shocked.
Rupia, holding back her tears, spoke.
“I am the daughter of the great Demon Lord Robalak and a member of the Balotus family! My dungeon and my Demon Lord army are not weak like they used to be!”
She tried to speak as confidently as possible, but she couldn’t hide the tremor in her voice.
To support Rupia, I purposely placed my hand on my sword and moved closer behind her.
From now on, every gaze directed at Rupia would also be aimed at me.
Rupia glanced at me once, as if making up her mind, and then declared to everyone.
“I… I agree with the temporary alliance! I will participate in the attack on the Magic Mountain, and I also agree that we will not hold anyone accountable for any battles between Demon Lords that occur during this process!”
The meeting hall once again erupted into turmoil like a storm.
Her final declaration was clearly aimed at Drak. Realizing the implication, Drak twisted his face in anger and muttered.
“Damn it, that little shit really…”
Beal restored order to the noisy atmosphere with a single gesture.
Once the meeting hall regained its calm, she nodded.
“Then, it seems decided.”
The meaning was clear.
Even the lowest-ranked Demon Lord, Rupia, was going to join the attack on the Magic Mountain. If anyone opposed it now, they would be forever labeled a coward.
After the meeting ended, voices of dissatisfaction and hearty laughter filled the room.
Meanwhile, Rupia wiped her nose with the handkerchief Rain handed her, holding back her tears.
I could see something faintly lingering in Beal’s eyes as she gazed at Rupia.