Nearly two months had passed since Erwin left for the Fairy Forest and since Thanatos had awakened. During that time, the Knights of the Round Table—both individually and as groups—had met several times to carefully review Thanatos’s position. Each of them had come to their own conclusions.
But the plan didn’t unfold as smoothly as anyone had hoped. The only advantage the demon faction currently held was that they were physically present on the Whole Plane. Unlike the angels, who stayed in the Summoning Chamber—a separate dimension—and called humans only when needed, the demons had far more opportunities for direct contact. Yet, the principle that “humans are not puppets” became a stumbling block when it came to granting them agency.
In hindsight, it was only natural. Thanatos had laid out the angels’ goals as vividly as possible, and humans had accepted them to a certain extent.
But that was as far as it went. It wasn’t that they outright rejected the message, but progress stalled. The agitation had succeeded, but something was missing to turn it into action. While there was anger at being used as pawns by the angels, aside from that, the relationship between the two sides had remained relatively amicable.
In short, the Southern Continent was not the Western Continent. Though proud and self-assured, its people preferred peace under order rather than pillage and slaughter. They acted rationally rather than aggressively. In other words, more humans had adapted and settled into this world than the demons had anticipated.
That wasn’t the only issue. It was undeniable that Melinus—and Eldora, along with the Knights of the Round Table—were respected groups. But one thing was clear: they did not represent the entire Southern Continent.
In truth, it was the same problem rooted in similar causes. To erase the perception of angels as pure helpers and to let the seeds of distrust they had sown take root, the angels’ true purpose needed to be revealed more broadly and more decisively.
But they couldn’t just send Eldora in and demand she spill the truth recklessly. That would be the worst possible move for the demons. With only one chance, they had to strike at the moment that would maximize their advantage.
Above all, time was the biggest problem. As the precious remaining hours slipped away meaninglessly, Satan finally made a decision after much deliberation. Faced with inevitable bad outcomes no matter the choice, he decided to accept the chaos that would erupt in the human world rather than lose the opportunity by being exposed to the angels.
So, they moved up D-Day and the third plan.
Bang!
“What was that noise?!”
And so, the meeting was called.
Natalie jumped to her feet, her face a mix of shock and disbelief as she looked around.
Eighteen users had gathered in the Blue Palace today. Fourteen were the Knights of the Round Table and Melinus, while the remaining four were the heads of the lord clans ruling the four outer cities: the Elfin Clan of the East City, the Pax Clan of the West City, the Carpe Diem Clan of the South City, and the Nox Clan of the North City. In effect, the representatives of the entire Southern Continent were all in one place.
“Conquer the Eastern Continent? Did I hear that right?” Natalie asked, stunned.
“Whoa, calm down, Scout Knight. I’m just as surprised as you are,” said a man with a somewhat arrogant air and a lean build, waving his hand dismissively. This was the Carpe Diem Lord, owner of the awakened secret class ‘Saint of the Labyrinth,’ who dreamed of manifesting Sodom and Gomorrah.
“At first, I wasn’t sure what you were saying… but I never expected someone from the Odin Clan—always at the forefront of justice—to suggest conquering the Eastern Continent.”
He laughed heartily, as if trying to lighten the mood.
“By the way, I thought you’d have sorted this out internally before bringing it to us?”
Natalie brushed her hand over her forehead and glanced at him.
“I’m not completely in the dark, but given the gravity of the matter, I wanted to hear your initial reactions. Besides, you’re all important figures in the Southern Continent.”
Ian adjusted his glasses and spoke eloquently. Carpe Diem Lord chuckled softly.
“Well, fair enough. But…”
He slowly leaned back in his chair, then leaned forward again, pressing close to the table, his ash-gray eyes flashing sharply.
“You’ll need to explain this in great detail—so that everyone can understand. Unless you’re just trying to toy with us.”
“Haha. Of course. I sincerely apologize for the sudden confusion caused by such an unexpected proposal.”
Ian spoke calmly and bowed respectfully. Seeing this, Carpe Diem Lord chuckled and nodded. A few knights frowned at the man’s mood swings but said nothing—they already knew what to expect.
“No need to apologize. I was just surprised. And to be clear, I’m not fundamentally opposed to war. Human history is full of it, and if necessary, it must be done. Absolutely!”
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
“Ah, I’ve rambled. Well then, let’s hear what you have to say. I’m all ears.”
“Very well.”
Ian cleared his throat briefly and pointed to the center of the map spread across the table.
“First, I’ll assume you understand what I mentioned earlier.”
“Regarding the angels’ purpose? Yes, I get it. The four continents—East, West, South, and North—are locked in a struggle around the central continent. It’s not certain yet, but it makes sense.”
“Then, to get straight to the point: if we attack and successfully conquer the Eastern Continent, we stand to gain four major benefits.”
“Four?”
Ian extended his thumb, counting off on his fingers.
“First, we can eliminate a competitor early in the ongoing struggle for the central continent. Second, we gain valuable experience. Since we’ll be fighting other humans and groups, not monsters, this war will provide precious combat experience. Third, we can seize resources—both users and assets—from the Eastern Continent. That goes without saying. And finally…”
“Wait a moment. I don’t think that makes sense.”
Just as Ian finished speaking quickly, a man who had been sitting quietly interrupted. He was an unremarkable-looking man, but as a participant in this meeting, he was no ordinary user. This was the Pax Lord of the West City, who outwardly championed neutrality and peace but was known as an opportunist.
“I was surprised by the sudden proposal, but it sounds overly optimistic. I’m no expert, but war isn’t that simple. Have you considered the possibility of mutual destruction? Even if we win, what about the damage we’ll suffer?”
“Ah, of course. I realize I haven’t addressed that.”
Though his tone sounded almost confrontational, Ian spoke as if he had been waiting for this.
“Lord Pax, are you familiar with the current state of the Eastern Continent?”
“…Not in detail.”
Pax Lord’s confident tone faltered slightly.
“The reason I’m optimistic is simple: the Eastern Continent is the least developed of the four. It’s practically the bottom of the barrel. Can you believe they’ve only just taken control of a few large cities, let alone a new continent? Do you really think they can stand against us?”
“So, you’re saying there’s no need to attack the Eastern Continent, which is doing fine on its own. If anything, wouldn’t it be better to wage war against the Western Continent? There’s a justification in helping those who were driven out, and it would send a message to the angels.”
“That’s a strange argument. The Western Continent is practically abandoned. Why bother taking it? We’re not charity workers.”
“What?”
Pax Lord’s eyebrows twitched.
“If you focus on profit, Lord Pax, you’re seriously mistaken.”
But Ian continued calmly, without hesitation.
“The Western Continent is strong, even if no new users are coming in. I heard there are still nearly ten thousand veterans left. They’re elite survivors in a place where slaughter and pillage are the norm. So, it’s not comparable to the Eastern Continent.”
“So, you want to use the weaker Eastern Continent as prey.”
“Is there any reason not to?”
“Fine. I’ve heard enough.”
With a sharp exhale, Pax Lord dragged his chair back and stood.
“If that’s truly your belief, I have nothing more to say. Honestly, I’m beginning to doubt if you really are Odin.”
“Lord Pax.”
“No, let’s end this here. Let’s pretend this conversation never happened. Sorry to rain on your parade, but I’m leaving.”
“……”
He glanced once at Eldora, who sat quietly with her eyes closed, then strode out of the meeting hall with heavy footsteps. An awkward silence settled over the room.
Breaking the quiet, Ian spoke softly.
“I’ll finish what I started. Fourth, we will gain the right to target another new continent.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that?”
Carpe Diem Lord, resting his chin on his hand, asked with a curious smirk.
“What do you mean? Just like when we conquered Orc Castle and discovered Ragnarok, wouldn’t the Eastern Continent be the same? We’re only just starting to establish major cities here; the New Continent is still a far-off dream.”
“Wait a minute. So if we were to conquer it?”
“Exactly. More precisely, if we can just get through the region known as the Barren Wasteland, then we…”
“Oh.”
A sound of awe escaped, as if recalling the rewards they received upon discovering Ragnarok. Well, any user would be sensitive to stats and perks—it was tempting, to say the least.
“No. I’m against it.”
But not everyone seemed to agree. A sharp voice pierced Ian’s thoughts. Natalie had been glaring at Ian the entire time, standing firm. Ian sighed deeply, a hint of regret in his breath.
“I want to hear your reasons.”
“There’s no need. It’s the same opinion as Pax Lord’s earlier.”
“Why? The Western and Northern Continents went to war. Why can’t we?”
“Oh, so you want to do the same?”
“Are you mocking me? As I said before, the goal of this war is to eliminate future competitors. Everything else is just a consequence.”
“Enough. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Natalie, I’m not just speaking to the eighteen of us here. I’m looking far ahead, thinking about the entire Southern Continent.”
“Please, stop with this nonsense!”
At that, Natalie raised her voice, almost shouting as if she couldn’t bear to listen any longer.
“I’m talking about morality!”
“…Morality…?”
Ian’s expression shifted, as if he’d just been hit.
“Yes, morality! What bad have the Easterners done to us? Nothing, right? So are we animals? Just going to prey on the weak? Why bring this up all of a sudden?”
After staring silently for a moment, Ian suddenly burst into laughter.
“Morality, morality… haha, hahahaha!”
Natalie took a step back, startled by his wild laughter. Her brows furrowed deeply, and disbelief shone clearly in her eyes.
“You… are you really Ian?”
Ian stopped laughing abruptly. He lifted his glasses, wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, then shook his head.
“Sorry if I offended you. It’s just… it’s too funny.”
“Funny?”
“Morality. It’s a nice word. Fine. Then I have a question.”
“…What?”
“If you care so much about morality, why didn’t you oppose the Orc Castle conquest? Before we attacked, there was hardly any direct conflict.”
“Are you kidding? Orcs and humans are the same?”
Natalie said incredulously, and Ian’s eyes flashed sharply.
“What’s the difference?”
“W-what?”
“Yes. Of course, they’re a different species. But beyond that, they’re the same. The orcs I encountered had a society—there was an Orc Lord, shamans leading the tribes. Surely they had fathers, mothers, children… And yet, we mercilessly crushed them without leaving a single seed behind. If humans hadn’t pushed north, they’d probably still be living peacefully.”
“You!”
“Or is it okay because they’re monsters, not humans? Come to think of it, you even kept track of who killed more between Akirof and me back then, didn’t you?”
“……”
Natalie’s face flushed red. Her lips moved, but she seemed momentarily speechless.
“If you truly believe that, then I’ll say this.”
Ian adjusted his glasses leisurely after saying that.
“At least in this world, we are not human. …No, not even people first and foremost.”
He looked steadily at his opponent and quietly finished,
“We are users.”
Silence fell. Natalie stared at Ian, stunned.
After a moment,
“That’s…”
A lonely light flickered across her dazed face.
“…nonsense.”
With those words, Natalie turned away. Before anyone could say a word, she vanished from the meeting room like the wind.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Writing today’s scene reminded me of Kushan…