Five minutes.
To be exact, five minutes and twenty-one seconds.
Inside the Imperial Palace, in the office.
The Bloody Emperor silently calculated the time it had taken him to walk here from the conference room.
The wisest emperor in the Empire's history now felt nothing but unease.
How should his current state be described?
Like a mischievous schoolboy who had been told after class to report to the teacher's office, nervously walking there step by step.
Sitting on the expensive sofa, the Bloody Emperor tried his best to appear calm.
He did not know why the undead named Momonga had suddenly come to see him. But his instincts told him the real reason likely lay with the other visitor standing beside him.
"Is that… a Dragonoid?"
Looking at the figure whose body was covered in pitch-black dragon scales, with horns rising from his head and a dark aura surrounding him, the Bloody Emperor's gaze shifted slightly.
He was not unfamiliar with Half Dragons.
After all, the Dragon Princess of the Dragon Kingdom was the most famous example.
There had once been ministers who suggested he marry the Dragon Princess.
She was suspected to possess Wild Magic, a power said to be usable only by True Dragon Lords, which gave her tremendous strategic value to the Empire.
But in the end, he refused.
His excuse had been that he could not take her as his primary consort based on something so uncertain.
However, times had changed.
Ever since intelligence arrived from the Dragon Kingdom reporting that one of the ancient True Dragon Lords, the Brightness Dragon Lord, had appeared and destroyed the Beastman Country, the Bloody Emperor had begun reconsidering the idea of marrying the Dragon Princess.
The fact that the Brightness Dragon Lord was willing to stand up for her spoke volumes about her value.
The interests of the Empire were greater than anything.
Even greater than himself.
That had always been the Bloody Emperor's belief.
The current situation had made him painfully aware of his predicament.
Fluder's defection.
The establishment of the Sorcerer Kingdom.
The pressure from Nazarick.
And the Supreme Being hidden behind everything, controlling the entire situation from the shadows...
On the surface, the Empire and the Sorcerer Kingdom had become allies.
But the Bloody Emperor did not believe their ambitions ended there.
An alliance only exists between equals.
If the gap in strength becomes too large...
Heh.
He needed a way to break this deadlock.
And the Brightness Dragon Lord was undoubtedly his hope.
"If I can provoke conflict between Nazarick and the True Dragon Lords, then maybe I can…"
Just as the Bloody Emperor was lost in these thoughts, he suddenly felt someone watching him.
Looking up, he saw the Dragonoid staring at him with a faint smile. His lips moved slightly, and a voice quietly entered his ears.
"Not a bad idea."
In an instant, a chill shot up from the soles of the Bloody Emperor's feet to the top of his head.
It felt as if he had been thrown into a freezing storm.
"He… he can hear my thoughts!"
As if confirming his suspicion, Naohara, who had been casually watching the scene unfold, nodded lightly, as though saying that was exactly the case.
The Bloody Emperor nearly lost control.
If not for his strong mental discipline, he might have jumped up in fright on the spot.
"What's wrong, Your Majesty?"
Fluder, who was sitting beside him, turned his head and asked in confusion.
"N-no… nothing."
Fluder did not think much of the reply and simply nodded.
In the past, he might have pressed further.
But now none of that mattered.
At this moment, Fluder sat upright with his chest puffed out, hands neatly resting on his knees. His eyes burned with fanatic intensity, like a devout believer ready to die for his faith at any moment.
The reason was simple.
Magic.
Magic power beyond imagination.
When he had first seen Momonga in Nazarick, Fluder believed he had already witnessed the deepest abyss of magic.
But now he realized how shallow that thought had been.
Just the simple release of magical power had already changed the sky itself, producing an effect comparable to seventh-tier magic.
Feeling the overwhelming magical fluctuations still lingering in the air, Fluder nearly wanted to fall to the ground and cry with excitement.
If he were not afraid of offending the two gods before him, he would have already done so.
Meanwhile, Momonga looked at the trembling Bloody Emperor and at Fluder, whose eyes seemed ready to burst into flames, and felt somewhat confused.
Fluder's reaction he could understand.
But what was going on with the Bloody Emperor?
The last time they talked, everything had gone quite smoothly.
How had things turned out like this?
Momonga slightly turned his skull and looked toward Naohara, who was standing beside him with a faint smile.
His instincts told him that the Bloody Emperor's strange behavior probably had something to do with his friend.
"Ahem."
Seeing that no one else was speaking, Momonga cleared his throat and decided to start the conversation himself.
"Allow me to introduce someone. This is my friend Naohara. His status is equal to mine."
"I apologize for this sudden visit. I hope it hasn't caused you any trouble."
Momonga spoke sincerely.
He actually had quite a bit of patience toward the Bloody Emperor.
After all, why should one working man make life harder for another working man?
But to the Bloody Emperor, that attitude looked like nothing less than a naked display of power and a warning.
As if he were saying:
See that?
If they wanted to, they could destroy the Empire at any time.
The Bloody Emperor clenched his fists, then forced himself to relax a moment later.
Calm down. Don't think. Don't think.
For now, the other side showed no hostility. And the Dragonoid named Naohara didn't appear angry either. He had to stay calm.
"Ha… you must be joking, Momonga-sama. As allies, the Empire will always welcome your arrival. The same goes for Naohara-sama."
The Bloody Emperor took a deep breath and forced a smile onto his face, though it looked somewhat stiff.
"Mm."
Momonga nodded.
As expected of the human he thought highly of. Quite understanding.
"Pfft… hahaha."
Watching the two of them play their roles, Naohara finally couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
His sudden laughter immediately drew everyone's attention.
"Momonga, leave the rest to me."
Noticing the questioning looks directed at him, Naohara patted Momonga on the shoulder without offering an explanation. After all, he was quite looking forward to seeing the two of them match wits in the future.
Life needed a little entertainment.
Ignoring Fluder's eager gaze, Naohara turned his attention to the Bloody Emperor.
"Jircniv, may I call you that?"
"Of course. It would be my honor."
The Bloody Emperor replied quickly, letting out a silent sigh in his heart.
His little scheme had already been seen through. Whatever he said next had to be handled with extreme care.
"Good. Jircniv, the reason we came to the Empire today is to make a small adjustment to the alliance you previously formed with Momonga."
Naohara picked up a grape from the table, tossed it into his mouth, and slowly explained the purpose of their visit.
"The alliance?"
"The agreement for you to help the Empire attack the Kingdom?"
The Bloody Emperor frowned as he quickly recalled the matter.
Did they change their mind?
The thought passed silently through his mind.
He knew they could read minds, but judging from the current situation, they didn't seem particularly concerned about it.
If that was the case, there was no point hiding anything.
In front of these two terrifying beings, he had no secrets anyway.
For now, it was better to behave like a loyal and obedient ally.
"That's right. But we haven't changed our minds. The plan just needs a small adjustment."
For some reason, the Bloody Emperor suddenly felt a sense of foreboding.
"What… do you mean?"
He swallowed and asked stiffly.
"I have an item that can quickly make you stronger."
"Instead of relying on our help, it would be more appropriate for you, the Emperor of the Empire, to handle the matter personally."
Naohara raised his hand.
Twelve blood droplets appeared, glowing with a golden light.
"Hmm… don't worry. Your identity as a human won't change."
After thinking for a moment, Naohara added that reassurance.
The Bloody Emperor said nothing.
A trace of helplessness rose in his heart.
Of course.
What was meant to come would eventually come.
So this was how they planned to control him.
Well… if their positions were reversed, he would probably do the same.
Perhaps this was the best outcome he could hope for.
Heh. At least from now on he wouldn't have to live in constant fear that they might destroy the Empire.
Seeing the Bloody Emperor's thoughts, Naohara shook his head slightly, silently marveling at the strange logic running through his mind.
Under the Bloody Emperor's resigned gaze, Naohara moved his thoughts.
One blood droplet floated toward the emperor's head.
After hesitating for a moment, another droplet drifted slightly. Under Fluder's ecstatic expression, it slowly floated toward him.
"Well, giving one more won't hurt."
Naohara thought to himself. For this old man who had spent his entire life pursuing the depths of magic, he didn't mind giving him a chance.
Under the watchful eyes of Naohara and Momonga, the golden blood droplets fell and sank into the foreheads of the two men.
Almost instantly, the Bloody Emperor and Fluder erupted with brilliant golden light. Their auras rose rapidly, sending powerful waves of air surging through the room.
"Oh? No rejection reaction at all."
Naohara waved his hand and released a barrier to cover the surroundings, preventing the disturbance from spreading too far. His voice carried a hint of surprise.
It seemed his blood was even milder than he had expected.
At the same time, Naohara could feel a strange connection forming between himself and the two of them.
It felt as if, with just a thought, he could command them to do anything.
Even kill themselves.
What was this supposed to be?
After all that, the Bloody Emperor hadn't actually guessed wrong.
"Hmm. If there are no side effects, then the value of this item is far greater than we originally thought."
Momonga activated detection magic and observed the changes in the Bloody Emperor and Fluder before nodding.
"Since the experiment was successful, let's go."
"Jircniv, I'm looking forward to the coming war. Don't disappoint me."
After saying that to the Bloody Emperor, who was still bathed in golden light, Naohara left behind a beginner's tier magic encyclopedia for Fluder.
Then he opened a Gate.
Together with Momonga, he disappeared from the room.