Symphonia Kingdom, in the Audience Room.
This was originally a place where people would receive the audience of the King of Symphonia Kingdom, but the current situation was very different from how it normally is.
The king steps down from his throne and bows to his guest, while the prime minister and the other important people in the country also took a similar posture, a scene that is rarely seen by the public.
This is only because the person who has come to visit has far more authority than the king.
“I apologize for my unexpected visit.”
[No, it would always be my honor and delight to see your face. “World King, Lillywood Yggdrasil-sama”.]
That’s right, the one who is currently visiting the royal palace…… is one of the Six Kings, the pinnacles of the Demon Realm, and the one who had deep connections with the Symphonia Kingdom for a thousand year, the World King, Lillywood Yggdrasil.
For the Symphonia Kingdom who had an abundance of nature, she’s the being who brought about their bountiful harvest and is truly the most important guest for the Symphonia Kingdom. Someone that they shouldn’t express any disrespect at all.
“I will be quick, Symphonia’s King Ryze Lia Symphonia XVIII.”
[Y- Yes!]
Hearing her quiet voice echo, Symphonia’s King…… Ryze’s shoulders twitched.
The voice announcing that just now was cold and intimidating, which was unusual for the very mild-mannered Lillywood.
“I heard that you made a dissatisfactory treatment against the otherworlder Miyama Kaito by deliberately not inviting him to the evening party.”
[!? T- That is……]
Receiving Lillywood’s words, Ryze’s face turned pale and he broke out in a cold sweat.
That one is an issue that’s been bothering Ryze very much lately…… No, it was a mistake of the past.
He was very much in love with his younger sister, Lilia, and he didn’t like the idea of a man staying at her house…… However, the other party was an otherworlder, and he couldn’t just recklessly threaten him.
That’s why he didn’t send him an invitation as a small harassment, but it caused him an unexpected situation.
After that one incident, the Underworld King Kuromueina has clearly become hostile towards the royal palace, and as if someone had told them something, the followers of the Underworld King, who are also numerous in the royal palace, began to dislike Ryze.
They sent emissaries to the Underworld King a few times, hoping to somehow get a chance to plead his case, but they were all sent back by a maid, half-dead.
Because of this, Ryze’s position in the royal palace had become quite bad, but he didn’t expect to be pursued further by Lillywood here.
Ryze has somehow managed to explain to her, but Lillywood stopped him from speaking further and spoke to him, colder than before.
“Don’t get me wrong…… I didn’t come here to ask you a question. I’ve already heard everything I need from my followers and know that what they’re telling is the truth. Or perhaps, do you think my people have been lying to me?”
[……N- No, they didn’t make any mistake.]
“……I’m not here to ask whether that act was done by you personally or that was the will of the country itself.”
No sound could be heard at all. The King’s retainers also couldn’t speak either. To speak out to her, is in itself, an act of opposition to the World King, and if they do so, they will lose their position.
That’s how important the existence of the World King is to the Symphonia Kingdom, and if they were to touch her anger, there is no other path for Symphonia King but destruction.
“Let me tell you the real issue here. There’s only one thing I’m telling you to do. To make a “clear and sincere apology to the otherworlder, Miyama Kaito, in a public venue”, do you understand what I mean?”
[Y- Yes…… H- However, that is……]
The demand of Lillywood, that is to say, for the King to bow down in public, is a tremendous blow to Ryze from the eyes of the public.
While Ryze hesitated in his reply, Lillywood just looked at him coldly before she continued.
“If this isn’t done as soon as possible…… I will cut off all ties with the Symphonia Kingdom from now on.”
[ ! ? ! ? ]
At those words, not only Ryze, but all the people who heard her had their eyes wide open.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Lillywood is the one who controls the fertility of the Symphonia Kingdom, and not to mention the Elves, many of the farmers also have faith in Lillywood as if she was a God.
If Lillywood were to give up on the Symphonia Kingdom, many of the Elves, Fairies, Spirits, and farms would turn their weapons to the royal palace at once.
These words, so to speak, were so heavy that they could even be considered a declaration of destruction for the Symphonia Kingdom.
“Is that clear? Symphonia’s King.”
[Y- Yes. I will do it as soon as possible.]
“Good…… However, I don’t think this is a good way to end our conversation. So, I think I’d like to share with you some information that may be beneficial to you.”
[Beneficial information?]
Having no other choice but to follow her demand, Ryze powerlessly responded by saying that she will obey Lillywood’s words.
Thereupon, the sharpness Lillywood had before softened, and with a smile on her face, she gave him additional information.
“What I want to say is that it is beneficial for you to interact with the otherworlder Miyama Kaito. That’s because he has a very friendly relationship with the Underworld King and even the Death King.”
[Wha!? Not only Underworld King-sama, but also Death King-sama!?]
“Yes, so if you’re against him, you’ll be against them as well. However, if he had a favorable impression towards the country, it means that the value of this country will also increase for the Underworld King and the Death King. It wouldn’t hurt to be friendly with him.”
After explaining the benefits of being friendly with Kaito, Lillywood stayed silent for a few moments.
The shocking revelation conveyed by Lillywood caused those in the audience room to be noisy, and after the noise subsided, she spoke again.
“……I’ve finished telling you what you need to know. I will be leaving for Rigforeshia after this, so I will take my leave. Symphonia’s King…… I would like to see a prompt response about that matter I just mentioned before.”
[Yes. I assure you, I will give him my sincere apology.]
“Good. Well then, if you’ll excuse me.”
With those words, Lillywood’s figure disappeared from the Audience Room.
After leaving the royal palace, while Lillywood thought about her plans, she recalled the conversation she had earlier.
“……(That should do it. Just forcing an apology from him will cause some people to hold a vile grudge against Miyama Kaito-san. It’s best to make them realize that he’s someone they should treat with friendship, even if he has to bow down to him.”
For the time being, Lillywood is relieved that it won’t turn into a situation where Kuromueina and Isis would attack the royal palace, but that’s when one of her followers approached.
[World King-sama, there’s something you need to hear……]
“What is it?”
[Actually, I just received word from one of World King-sama’s followers living in Rigforeshia…… That the Black Bears that were living in the Elven Forest…… have become extinct.]
“……Huh?”
Lillywood stiffened at the unbelievable words that were quietly said by her follower.
“W- Why? Were there even peerage-ranked high-ranked demons among the participants in the Sacred Tree Festival?”
[No, that is…… they were wiped out by Death King-sama.]
“Isis did!?”
[Yes. We still didn’t know the details, but apparently, a man who was participating in the Sacred Tree Festival, who is believed to be an otherworlder, was attacked by a Black Bear, and then, Death King-sama appeared and exterminated all Black Bears in an instant……]
“……………………”
Hearing the report, Lillywood held her head in her hands.
Black Bears exterminated by Isis, the otherworlder who was attacked…… She could somehow imagine the situation, but just thinking about it made her dizzy.
“……It may be slightly earlier than planned, but I’ll be heading to Rigforeshia soon. Before that, I’m going to investigate whether only the forest is affected by the magic power of death. Go convey that to them.”
[Yes!]
If things had unfolded as Lillywood had assumed, Isis would definitely have unleashed her magic power of death along with her tremendous rage, and she could imagine the aftermath of that happening, affecting the trees in the Elven Forest.
Just when she thought she had solved one of her troubles, and even more troubling event befell on her.
Her shoulders heavily slumping, Lillywood uses her Teleportation Magic to move towards Rigforeshia.
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<Author’s Notes>
After the rampage of the Death King, the World King has come to deal with the aftermath…… The World King really had it rough.
T/N: 4/10