After a full night's rest, the group set out for the Elroad royal castle early the next morning to attend the diplomatic meeting.
"Princess Alice, are you ready? Did you brush your teeth and wash your face properly? Is your dress in order? Nothing wrinkled, right? Are you okay without your maids? Oh no! There's a crease here—let me smooth it out for you!"
"P-Please, stop, Lalatina! I'm begging you! You're making me even more nervous!"
Before they even entered the castle, Darkness had been in a constant state of agitation, hovering over Alice and fussing over every little thing. Poor Alice was starting to shrink back from all the overwhelming attention.
"Darkness, you're worrying way too much. Where's this motherly energy coming from? Are you secretly a housewife or something?" Kazuma quipped, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
"You insolent little—! That's way too rude, even for you!"
"What's rude about it? Aren't you already like a mom? Everyone at the guild saw that tiny little girl calling you 'Mom.' Or are you planning to deny it? Poor Shefina would cry if you did."
"T-That's my cousin! Her mother passed away when she was young, so I've been taking care of her. And because I look so much like her mom, she started calling me that! It's not what you're thinking at all!"
Kazuma's mention of Shefina, Darkness' young cousin, dredged up recent memories. Shefina had been sent to the relative safety of Axel due to her frail health and the Demon King's increasing attacks on the capital. As her guardian, Darkness had taken her in.
When Shefina first called Darkness "Mom" in the guild, it caused an uproar among the guild's bored and nosy adventurers, who treated the scene like a major scandal. It didn't help that Kazuma added fuel to the fire, proudly declaring, "That's right! She's our daughter, the product of my and Darkness' love!"
Even after Darkness explained the situation, the nickname "Mommy Darkness" stuck, and the teasing persisted.
Nero herself had witnessed Darkness, crimson with shame, knocking out every single person who dared to tease her, proving that there wasn't a single adventurer in the guild who could stand up to her wrath.
As Kazuma poked fun at Darkness, Aqua and Megumin were busy staring at the opulent royal castle ahead of them.
"...This is such a grandiose castle. Even the Axis Church's headquarters isn't this extravagant. It's honestly insulting," Aqua muttered with a pout.
"...A castle this luxurious feels like it's challenging me," Megumin added, her crimson eyes gleaming. "As the world's greatest Explosion Mage, I can't just ignore this provocation. The Crimson Demon code is clear—'When challenged, one must accept.'"
If they were ordinary people, Nero might've brushed their words off as idle grumbling. But since it was Aqua and Megumin, Nero had every reason to believe they were serious.
Look—Yunyun, who knew Megumin better than anyone, was already panicking.
"Megumin! Don't do anything stupid! If you use Explosion Magic on a neighboring kingdom's royal castle, it'll spark an international incident! We'll be branded as villains who threaten the safety of nations and destroy world peace. We might even be labeled more dangerous than the Demon King's army!"
"..."
"Wait… why are your eyes glowing red?! Don't tell me you're tempted by what I just said!"
"Come on, Yunyun! Being more dangerous than the Demon King's army, a global threat... that sounds so cool!"
"There's nothing cool about that, you idiot!"
---
Nero, dressed in her signature red gown, stood beside Alice. Her golden hair gleamed like molten sunlight, reflecting the brilliance of dawn.
"Umu! It's wonderful to see everyone so energetic this early in the morning. Such vitality, such peace—it's truly the spirit of Rome!"
Nero reached out to pat Alice gently on the head, her voice soft with encouragement.
"Take a deep breath and relax. I'm right here by your side. Don't forget, I'm an emperor of Rome! Negotiations and diplomacy are second nature to me. Just speak your mind, and if there's any trouble, I'll handle it."
"...Thank you, Sister Nero," Alice replied, her cheeks flushed as she raised her hand to cover Nero's.
Her previously jittery nerves began to settle under Nero's reassuring words.
Nero then turned her attention to Darkness. "Darkness, you're way too tense. You're making Alice even more nervous."
Darkness hesitated, looking torn. "But…"
"Even if the negotiations fail, it's no big deal. Did you forget why I brought Kazuma along? If it comes to that, as long as I get the VIP pass to the national casino, it'll be Kazuma's time to shine!"
"That's right! My time to shine!"
Kazuma suddenly appeared beside Nero, striking a pose he likely thought was dashing.
It was his first time being treated as a secret weapon, someone important enough to be the ace in the hole. He was so pleased with himself that he'd been grinning in his sleep for the past few nights.
In fact, he was secretly hoping Elroad would act unreasonably during the talks, just so things would fall apart and give him a chance to show off.
Seeing the smug look on Kazuma's face, Darkness frowned in doubt. But she quickly straightened up, putting on a determined expression.
"Princess Alice, please wait here for a moment. I'll go announce our arrival."
Darkness stepped forward toward the castle gates. But before she could proceed, two guards crossed their spears in front of her, barring her path.
"Halt!"
"Stop right there! This is the royal castle of Elroad!"
The guards' harsh tone didn't faze Darkness. Her demeanor shifted, and she exuded the commanding presence of the "Shield of the Kingdom."
"I am a representative of the Kingdom of Belzerg, here as part of an envoy for a diplomatic meeting with Elroad."
The guards hesitated for a moment, clearly caught off guard.
"The Kingdom of Belzerg…?"
They exchanged glances, their expressions tinged with something hard to ignore—something almost mocking.
One of the guards cleared his throat and replied curtly, "I'll inform the higher-ups. Please wait here."
With that, the guard turned and began walking away, entirely ignoring the reactions of Nero and the others.
But just as he took a step forward…
A sudden chill swept through the air.
"Repeat… what you just said."
The sunlight seemed to dim, as if a shadow had fallen over the castle.
A suffocating pressure, heavy and oppressive, descended upon the two guards, freezing them in place.
It was as if an enormous dragon had placed its claws on their backs, its icy breath brushing against their necks.
The two guards, lacking the fortitude to resist such overwhelming power, nearly collapsed under the crushing weight. Their knees trembled, and their breaths came in short, panicked gasps.
Nero's golden eyes narrowed dangerously, her voice carrying the chilling weight of authority.
"This… is how you welcome envoys from an allied nation?"