As for the ones everyone had pinned their hopes on—Ren Kuroda and Momonga, along with their respective "opponents," Shalltear and Demiurge—they were currently gathered around a table in a quiet room… casually playing mahjong and chatting as if nothing unusual were happening outside.
Taking advantage of the moment, Demiurge also used the opportunity to report the results of the operation to Ren and Momonga.
Thanks to eliminating a considerable number of the kingdom's soldiers and noble retainers, the Lizardmen as a whole had indeed gained several levels across the board. This alone proved that Ren's earlier hypothesis was correct—cultivating native races of this world as a new source of military strength for the Great Tomb of Nazarick was not only viable, but highly effective.
On top of that, the plundering of the royal capital had yielded a massive amount of wealth and materials, along with a sizable number of captured humans.
Regarding the matter of human captives, Demiurge had originally intended to act indiscriminately. After all, in his eyes, humans were hardly different from livestock.
It was Ren who intervened and suggested a more… selective approach—target the nobles instead.
And he'd even provided two clear reasons.
First, if they wanted to elevate the persona of the "jet-black hero" into a symbol of the kingdom, then excessive population loss would only undermine Momonga's future reputation.
Second, compared to commoners—who were little more than expendable fertilizer—the nobles held far greater value. Not only could they be used as leverage against the kingdom when necessary, but if Nazarick ever intended to take control of the country, their support would be indispensable.
After carefully considering Ren's reasoning, Demiurge had bowed in admiration and immediately adjusted his strategy.
Meanwhile, Ren quietly let out a breath of relief.
At the end of the day, he simply wasn't like Momonga or Demiurge—beings with a moral alignment of negative five hundred, embodiments of pure evil.
He wasn't as altruistic as Sebas either—he wouldn't go out of his way to save everyone in need—but senselessly slaughtering innocents? That was something Ren simply couldn't bring himself to do.
Fortunately, thanks to his intervention, many of the worst atrocities Nazarick would have committed had been subtly averted.
The Lizardmen tribes hadn't been massacred.
No large-scale abductions of innocent civilians had taken place.
Even the nobles who had been captured were, for now, safe—simply because they were still useful.
There was also the matter of Demiurge's earlier mission to the Holy Kingdom—his plan to acquire "materials" for scroll-making.
Ren had personally stepped in to stop that as well.
Because he knew exactly what those "materials" really were.
And what the so-called "two-legged sheep" of the Holy Kingdom truly meant.
It was far too inhumane.
So Ren had intervened without hesitation, declaring that the Holy Kingdom itself would be a future target—and that demi-human populations there should be cultivated, not consumed as disposable resources.
As for the issue of scroll consumption, Ren had simply opened his spatial ring and dumped out a mountain of high-grade scrolls, instantly replenishing Nazarick's stockpile.
After all, he had long anticipated Nazarick's arrival in this world.
And as a former heavy-spending player, he had more than enough resources stockpiled to back it up.
Seeing Ren's strong opposition regarding the Holy Kingdom, Momonga—sharp as ever—quickly realized there was more beneath the surface. Perhaps it was also due to his lingering human sensibilities, but he too found no appeal in meaningless slaughter.
In the end, the affairs of the Holy Kingdom were handed over entirely to Ren.
The demi-humans there lived under harsh conditions.
Their status was abysmally low—barely above that of animals.
Most of them survived on the fringes of the kingdom, in barren lands with little hope, living lives of constant hardship.
After taking over Demiurge's work, Ren found himself unable to simply abandon the demi-humans that had already been gathered.
So, acting on impulse, he retrieved a large number of scrolls from Nazarick and began constructing shelters for them. He provided water sources, taught them language and basic knowledge, helped improve the soil, and showed them how to farm.
Step by step, he guided them toward self-sufficiency.
Over time, the demi-human settlement he had built began to grow.
And eventually, new demi-humans started arriving—not because they had been captured, but because they had heard of this place and came willingly.
Here, they faced no discrimination.
They had food, shelter, and access to knowledge they had never even dreamed of before.
To them, Ren himself became something more than just a benefactor.
He became their one and only "true god."
Because in their eyes, what Ren had done for them was no different from divine intervention.
It was during one of Ren's routine inspections of the Holy Kingdom that both Demiurge and Momonga witnessed something… unexpected.
In the now-thriving demi-human settlement, countless demi-humans were kneeling before a statue—one carved in Ren's likeness—offering prayers with utmost devotion.
Momonga and Ren both froze on the spot.
Demiurge, however, only paused briefly before adjusting his glasses, a knowing smile spreading across his face. Then, without hesitation, he dropped to one knee before Ren and offered his deepest apologies.
Because in his mind, everything he was witnessing had been part of Ren's grand design from the very beginning.
Compared to forcibly gathering demi-humans and raising them like livestock for their hides, Ren's method was on an entirely different level.
By offering aid to those who had nothing, he had created a force that gathered itself.
Through gratitude, they became unified.
Through reverence, they became loyal.
Now, these demi-humans were utterly devoted—willing to follow Ren without question.
They could produce alternative materials to replace scroll components, all without the need for coercion or oversight.
And if their numbers continued to grow…
Then perhaps, with a single command from Ren, they could topple the entire Holy Kingdom on his behalf—without Nazarick ever needing to lift a finger.
All of this, achieved with nothing more than food, shelter, and guidance.
To Demiurge, this was the pinnacle of rulership.
From that moment on, whenever Ren rejected one of his proposals, Demiurge would carefully reflect on it—searching for the deeper, hidden intent behind the will of a Supreme Being.
Ironically, this worked out quite well for Ren.
Whenever he tried to handle things in a more humane way, Demiurge would inevitably rationalize it into some grand, far-reaching strategy.
Sometimes, Ren could bluff his way through with improvised logic—like with the noble captives.
Other times, when even he couldn't come up with an excuse, he would simply pull rank—ordering Demiurge to "think carefully" about his intentions.
And after several incidents where misunderstanding had somehow led to even better outcomes, Demiurge had fully crossed the line into blind admiration.
To him, if he couldn't understand Ren's actions…
Then it simply meant he hadn't thought deeply enough to grasp the true brilliance behind the will of a Supreme Being.