It felt as though an invisible hand was gripping everyone's heart.
The air around them seemed to solidify, making every breath a struggle.
The Prime Minister of Elroad, under Nero's unrelenting emerald gaze, felt the weight of the entire world bearing down on him.
His face darkened as he attempted to respond, his voice low and guarded.
"Self-staged drama? I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I understand what you mean by—"
"Silence."
The crushing pressure intensified, forcing the Prime Minister to bend under its weight.
Nero's cold, imperious glare bore into him.
"You and I both know the truth. Pretending ignorance serves no purpose, does it?"
"Spy of the Demon King's Army, Ragcliff."
Her words were like a thunderclap, shattering the calm and sending ripples of shock through everyone present.
Even the once-composed Prime Minister flinched, his teeth clenched in frustration as his composure cracked.
"You…"
He barely uttered a word before the pressure on him grew even stronger.
Looking up, he realized Nero was now standing directly in front of him.
Her voice, regal and commanding, rang in his ears:
"When an emperor speaks, the masses bow their heads and listen."
Her words carried the weight of law.
Her presence radiated an unparalleled authority, a supremacy that could not be challenged.
The Prime Minister felt his power to speak ripped from him, leaving him mute.
Fear welled up within him, his panic plain on his face.
This was a true sovereign—a ruler whose very presence was suffused with an unshakable might. Her authority was so overwhelming that even the strongest beasts or the mightiest of dragons would pale in comparison.
Even the gods themselves would be compelled to kneel before such majesty.
Under this crushing presence, even the soul quivered.
All the Prime Minister could do was lower his head and fall silent.
"These monsters—you expect anyone to believe that they could have been brought into this city without a sound? Speaking such transparent lies only makes you look foolish."
"Manipulating the prince to foster relations with the Demon King's Army, cutting off Elroad's financial aid to Belzerg, and, upon learning of our gambling success and dragon hunt, sending monsters to attack us… This was all part of your script, wasn't it?"
Nero's eyes narrowed as she continued.
"I know you'd like to deny it. Others may still have doubts, but I don't have the patience to entertain your nonsense. Let me present the evidence directly."
Raising her hand, Nero prepared her next move.
The Prime Minister's pupils shrank in alarm.
He knew things were about to take a dire turn, yet under the suffocating pressure, he couldn't move a muscle.
"With a single spell, I can reveal the truth behind the monster you are."
Pure, radiant light began to gather in Nero's palm, its divine energy so intense it seemed on the verge of overflowing. To the Prime Minister, that light was nothing short of a death sentence.
"You…! You…!"
His panic turned to fury as he roared, "Damn it!"
Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet erupted.
Amid the swirling dust, a creature emerged—a Chimera with the head of a lion, the head of a goat, the claws of a bear, the hooves of a stag, and the tail of a serpent.
The Prime Minister now stood atop the Chimera's back.
Though he hadn't revealed his true form, the appearance of the Chimera was proof enough.
"This can't be…"
Prince Levy's face was pale, his faith in the man he had trusted most now shattered.
"To think… the Prime Minister of Elroad was a spy for the Demon King's Army…"
The Prime Minister—no, Ragcliff—trembled with rage and humiliation.
"How could this happen? I, the captain of the Demon King's Army's intelligence division, defeated here?!"
Standing on the Chimera, his distorted face twisted further as he covered it with his hand, trembling.
"It's true! He admitted it!"
"The Prime Minister… was a spy for the Demon King's Army!"
"Amazing… even the Chimera!"
"Hey, you!" Aqua shouted, jumping in anger. "You're the one who set me up to be eaten by monsters and covered in their disgusting drool! Get down here so I can show you what happens when you mess with a goddess!"
But Aqua's outburst fell on deaf ears. Ragcliff's attention was entirely on Nero.
"How did you figure it out?" he asked, his tone bitter.
"Hmm… take a guess."
Can't exactly say I already knew because I've seen the plot before, can I? Nero mused.
Though the memory of this event had been buried in her mind, Aqua's earlier remarks during the meeting had jogged it loose.
"…It doesn't matter how you found out," Ragcliff growled.
His fury boiled over as he threw all pretense aside. "Since my identity is exposed, I'll stop pretending! That's right! I am Ragcliff, captain of the Demon King's Army's intelligence division!"
As he spoke, his body began to shift. His colors faded, and his shape morphed until he became a faceless, humanoid shadow.
"That's…!"
"A Shapeshifter!"
Megumin and Darkness gasped in unison.
"You filthy demon!" Aqua shrieked. "A Shapeshifter! No wonder something always felt off about you!"
Shapeshifters, rare creatures capable of altering their appearance at will, were infamous for their cunning.
"Foul demon scum!" Darkness unsheathed her sword, stepping forward with righteous anger. "To impersonate the Prime Minister of Elroad and attempt to sabotage its alliance with Belzerg—your sins are unforgivable! In the name of Lady Eris, I will strike you down!"
Her words only seemed to provoke Ragcliff further.
"Impersonate?!" he snarled, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and anguish.
For a moment, everyone froze. There was something deeply unsettling about the bitterness in his tone.
"You dare call me an imposter?!"
His anger poured out in a near-hysterical tirade:
"Do you have any idea what I've endured these past thirty years?!
"After infiltrating Elroad, I began as a lowly civil servant, earning the royal family's trust by pretending to have no interest in gambling.
"But once I became a minister, I realized something—this country's administration is a complete disaster! Everyone is so obsessed with gambling that they shove all their work onto me!
"At first, I thought I'd just finish my tasks and move on to my mission. But the work never ended. Year after year, I was buried under mountains of paperwork. Thirty years! Thirty years of climbing the ranks, until I finally became Prime Minister!"
Ragcliff's voice broke as he screamed, "And then it hit me—I didn't need to work this hard!"
"After remembering my mission, I thought I could finally fulfill the Demon King's orders. With my position, I could easily bring this country to its knees! But…"
He hesitated.
He couldn't bring himself to do it.
This prosperous gambling nation, built from his blood, sweat, and tears, was his own creation. Destroying it felt impossible.
So, instead, he had devised another plan: forging an alliance between Elroad and the Demon King's Army to protect the nation he had nurtured.
Turning to Darkness, Ragcliff's face twisted with fury.
"I gave everything I had for this country, dedicating my life to making it what it is today… and you dare call me an imposter?!"
His rage reached its peak as he roared, "I only wanted to protect the country I built! What crime have I committed?!"
---
...
If you're reading this, then you've wandered all the way to the end. I'm impressed. Stories are like wine—meant to be savored, not rushed. So if you took your time? Thank you.
Of course, the real thanks goes to WiseTL—the one who turned tangled words into something beautiful. I just got asked to wrap things up with a ribbon. Hopefully this counts!
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Go on. Be generous. They've earned it.
Until next time—read well, rest often, and maybe come visit me at the Hostess of Fertility sometime.
– Syr ✨