"Was that middle-aged man who acted as your stand-in at the last Demon Lord Banquet killed?"
"Compared to a true Awakened Demon Lord, he was still far from that level. But even so, he should've been at least as strong as an ordinary Demon Lord–class monster. And yet he was taken out just like that?"
"And even if he was killed, what does that have to do with what you want to talk about today?"
Ren had seen that substitute before—the man named Valentine, who had attended the Demon Lord Banquet in place of Luminara.
Naturally, compared to Luminara herself, the difference was immense. But Valentine had still been one of her executive-level subordinates. On top of that, he had served as the Pope of the Holy Empire of Ruberios. His strength was certainly nothing to scoff at.
If Ren had to estimate, the man was probably at least on the same level as the ogre generals serving under Rimuru.
"Didn't Clayman mention it himself during the Demon Lord Banquet?" Luminara said calmly. "Demon Lord Kazalim has already begun reviving."
"Originally, I didn't pay much attention to that clown. But since he dared lay a hand on one of my subordinates… even if he's just a jester, I can't simply tolerate such a blatant provocation."
"From the information the Pope left behind before his death, we've basically confirmed that the one who attempted to infiltrate the Church—and gather certain intelligence—was a member of the Moderate Harlequin Alliance."
"Both Clayman and Kazalim belong to that organization."
"And more importantly…"
She paused deliberately and glanced at Ren, clearly watching for a reaction.
However, when she saw that Ren's expression didn't change in the slightest—no surprise, no shock—she clicked her tongue and continued with a somewhat bored look.
"Apparently, the Moderate Harlequin Alliance is working for someone."
"In other words, whether it's Clayman or Kazalim, they're merely hired hands. Behind them lurks someone far more dangerous."
"And now that person has not only targeted the Church… but has also killed our Pope."
"So you want to cooperate with us to eliminate this unknown threat," Ren said before she could finish.
"You came all this way because of that, didn't you?"
"Exactly."
Luminara nodded without hesitation.
"Clayman was merely the outermost puppet. The previous Orc Disaster… the manipulation of Milim… who knows whether those actions were truly his own decisions?"
"You and the ruler of the Jura Great Forest have repeatedly ruined their plans. Naturally, that means you've also caught their attention."
"Cooperation benefits both of us."
"Rimuru has already agreed to reconcile with me. We've even signed a friendly treaty to jointly oppose the Moderate Harlequin Alliance and whoever stands behind them."
She looked straight at Ren.
"Now it's your turn. What's your answer?"
To Luminara, someone like Clayman had never been worth her attention.
However, Kazalim was different.
If that ancient Demon Lord fully revived as an Awakened Demon Lord, then he would absolutely possess the power to stand on equal footing with her.
Yet the most troubling part was this:
Even someone like Kazalim was apparently only a subordinate in the grand scheme of this entire incident.
That fact alone was enough to make Luminara uneasy.
For centuries she had hidden her identity as a Demon Lord while secretly ruling over the Holy Empire of Ruberios, building the Western Holy Church into a massive and prosperous power. She had even adopted the public persona of a divine goddess.
But only she herself knew the truth.
Even though the Church was under her control, she did not personally oversee every matter.
For instance, the recent incident where the Western nations cooperated with the Church to attack the Tempest Federation—Luminara had been completely unaware of it.
Or rather, by the time she learned about it… everything had already happened.
Within the Church existed a group of high-ranking figures known as the Seven Luminaries.
They possessed enormous authority within the Church and represented the highest combat power of the Western Holy Church.
In the past, Luminara had always believed that among all Demon Lords, she had managed her territory the most perfectly.
Her organization was powerful.
Her subordinates were numerous and strong.
She had been proud of that.
But during the last Demon Lord Banquet, after witnessing Clayman's projection magic—and seeing certain things with her own eyes—she realized something unsettling.
She had been far too arrogant.
Within her Western Holy Church, the strongest warrior was likely Hinata Sakaguchi, widely known as the strongest human alive.
Yet after Ren and Rimuru both became Awakened Demon Lords, each of them possessed at least two or three subordinates on Hinata's level.
As for political influence…
Perhaps the Kingdom of Falmuth and the Tempest Federation were not yet as powerful as the Holy Empire of Ruberios or the Western Holy Church.
But there was one crucial point to consider.
Luminara had spent centuries cultivating her power and influence.
Ren and Rimuru, on the other hand, had only recently ascended as Demon Lords.
And yet, in such a short time, the forces they commanded were already on the verge of surpassing her own.
They shared a common enemy.
And after witnessing Ren and Rimuru's terrifying strength, Luminara had absolutely no desire to make enemies of them.
Thus, cooperation was clearly the best option.
Meanwhile, throughout the Western nations, excitement had erupted when news spread that the sacred "Goddess Luminara" had personally descended upon the Kingdom of Falmuth.
Many believed that Falmuth had thoroughly enraged the Western Holy Church.
That was why the goddess herself had appeared—to deliver divine judgment upon the Demon Lord ruling Falmuth.
As a result, the nations surrounding Falmuth had secretly begun mobilizing their armies.
Their plan was simple.
Once the Demon Lord King of Falmuth was punished by the divine power of Luminara, they would launch a Holy War against the kingdom.
Officially, it would be in response to the Western Holy Church's call.
But in truth, everyone had the same thought:
Kick the fallen dog while it's down.
The Kingdom of Falmuth had become incredibly wealthy in recent years. If the Holy Empire took the lion's share of the spoils, the surrounding countries would still be able to enjoy a generous portion.
Unfortunately for them, reality turned out very differently.
Just as the Western nations were sharpening their blades and preparing to strike, their spies reported something utterly unexpected.
The Kingdom of Falmuth was… completely peaceful.
According to the reports, after entering the kingdom, the Goddess Luminara had spent a long time conversing happily with King Ren inside a private chamber.
Not only that—she had even stayed as a guest in Falmuth for several days.
During that time, she personally bestowed blessings upon many ordinary citizens of the kingdom before finally leaving in satisfaction.
There were even strange rumors circulating.
Some whispered that Luminara had actually been close friends with Ren for many years.
Others claimed that since the king of Falmuth had a well-known fondness for young girls, the goddess had even left behind several "retired" young nun attendants as gifts…
When the Western nations saw Luminara's actions, they were completely dumbfounded.
Because the attitude of the Goddess Luminara represented the stance of the entire Western Holy Church.
And she had clearly shown goodwill toward the Kingdom of Falmuth.
Which meant one thing.
The Church had officially acknowledged Falmuth's legitimacy.
Like grass bending with the wind, once their leader showed favor, the other Western nations immediately changed their attitudes as well.
The criticism and hostility from before vanished overnight.
Instead, ambassadors were hurriedly dispatched to Falmuth, eagerly expressing friendship and goodwill.
And at that moment—
The Kingdom of Falmuth officially became the most powerful kingdom in the entire Western region.