How reckless. Mariabell sure was unlucky. Her opponent was their Boss, after all. She was too naïve and too confident in her own abilities. Truly, the power of information was terrifying. This applied to Leon as well.
That's why—even though he was furious—Laplace knew he shouldn't take this man on without a real chance of winning.
That was the smart choice, Laplace concluded.
Suspending all engagement, expanding influence, and focusing on gathering intel—this plan stayed the same. Now that Yuuki had achieved his goal, there was no reason for them to remain in the Western Nations.
That was the real reason they wished to avoid provoking Leon and instead proposed the suspension of all trade.
There was no point backing down before Leon's intimidation anymore. Laplace decided to finish what he was ordered to say.
"We ain't saying there'll be no more dealings from now on. When we can conduct the summoning rituals again, we'll contact ya. But we'd like some patience from ya till then. Also, our information network covers the whole world. If any stray otherworlder kids show up, could ya let us take care of 'em first?"
"—That can't be helped, then. I'll leave that to you. But I have one question."
"What's that?"
"Why is your tongue so loose?"
"Eh?" Laplace blinked, genuinely confused.
Loose-tongued? What did he say wrong?
What did I slip up about? If you're picking a fight, we'll give you a fight… he thought.
Laplace wasn't nervous at all. You had to enjoy what life threw at you—otherwise you'd lose before the battle even began. Even if he failed, he'd figure things out later.
He hid his killing intent and silently solidified his resolve.
But Leon continued, ignoring Laplace's confusion:
"Is it really acceptable for merchants—supposedly sensitive to profit—to reveal something as important as a war so casually? Damrada, your predecessor, would not have done something so foolish."
"T-That's…"
Now that Leon pointed it out, Laplace had to admit—it was suspicious. But Yuuki had ordered him to mention the war specifically to decline Leon.
And Yuuki had also revealed other intelligence to him. As Laplace recalled it, the pieces began to connect.
Leon would likely say next—
"Are you trying to hide something? You seemed very intent on keeping my attention on this war. If you haven't realized it yet, that's a laughably naïve plan."
He threw the accusation like a spear.
We've been seen through, Laplace thought.
He regained his calm—but also felt a gnawing frustration.
Dammit, Boss… you really saw everything coming.
Leon was overanalyzing Laplace's statements and twisting them. Because Leon understood the value of information, he believed Laplace's comment about war was a ploy to distract him.
But that wasn't it at all.
Laplace and his group were merely following Yuuki's orders. They didn't think that deeply about it—but explaining that now would only sound like a farce to Leon.
This was all part of Yuuki's elaborate plan. Which meant...
…Laplace needed to give a small hint about their trump card.
"How impressive—as expected of Demon Lord Leon-sama. Actually, this'll be the last batch of that top-secret merchandise. There were five other pieces remaining. Specifically—those taken in by Shizue Izawa."
"—Hmm."
Yuuki wanted Leon to know about the children under Atem's protection from the very beginning. But telling him outright would've made Leon overly suspicious.
Therefore Yuuki made Laplace swear to bring the children up only at the end.
Depending on how the negotiation developed, the entire discussion could shift. But Yuuki predicted every path the conversation could take—another reminder of how terrifying he was.
Despite that fear, Laplace delivered the message just as instructed.
"There were three boys and two girls. All otherworlders, just like ya ordered. The only issue is—we can't get our hands on 'em."
"Shizue Izawa… Shizu, is it? Then they are in Eterna, under Demon Lord Atem?"
"Yes sir. It's a damn shame. We're merchants—we don't wanna get involved in trouble. By the way, the kids' names were—"
"Ken Misuru, Ryozeki, Gail Gibbs, Alison, Kroba Hale."
The one who answered wasn't Laplace—it was Footman, silent until now. His role was simply to memorize names, since he wasn't the best at conversation.
"Right, right. But since the merchandise is out of our reach, surely Demon Lord Leon won't be interested any longer," Laplace said with a casual smile.
But Leon still scowled.
"Your pronunciation was unclear. Are you certain it is 'Kroba' and not 'Chloe'?"
Footman wisely kept quiet. If he spoke carelessly, Leon might actually attack him. And Footman being here was already dangerous enough.
Teare immediately apologized for him.
"Please forgive us, Demon Lord Leon-sama. The names of the otherworlders do not translate well into our tongue. Their pronunciation is difficult. Also, we heard you held no particular interest in their names. We deeply apologize."
She bowed. Laplace and Footman followed, bowing dramatically.
"Names are irrelevant. It is unfortunate the merchandise was taken, but this does not violate our agreement. The information regarding the coming war will suffice as your apology. I accept it."
Leon swallowed every emotion and declared this with his usual cold authority.
And with that—the meeting ended.
Laplace and the others accepted the payment for the merchandise and safely departed from the shining kingdom of El Dorado…
"All right… what to do next…" Leon muttered after Laplace's group had finally departed.
The long hair at his nape shimmered—gathering as if by magic into a single, radiant thread of molten gold. In contrast to this brilliance, his long, narrow eyes were filled with a quiet melancholy.
Standing beside him was Alrose, the silver knight—Leon's most trusted confidant and one of his greatest lieutenants.
"Shall I eliminate them, Leon-sama?" Alrose asked, voice cold but respectful. "They dared to offend you. I see no reason they should continue breathing."
Leon made a thoughtful hmm—the sound barely audible.
Compared to their predecessor Damrada… those three were far more suspicious. Leon doubted they were even true merchants. But he never trusted merchants to begin with. He merely wished to avoid openly antagonizing the vast shadow organization known as Cerberus.
While Leon's own forces had infiltrated human society, none matched the reach of that colossal entity—one born in the East yet exerting influence even over the West.
We should make use of them while they are still useful, Leon decided with cold precision.
Especially for tasks such as finding Otherworlders… it was far easier to let humans handle humans. Monsters would only complicate things.
To achieve his goal, human cooperation was essential.
"Let them go," Leon ordered. "The true issue lies in the information they leaked. If the Eastern Empire really is preparing to move… this could escalate into a genuine world war."
Alrose's silver armor shuddered with tension.
"It is as you say. El Dorado is secure under your rule, Leon-sama, but the rest of the world will suffer greatly. Preparations must begin immediately."
Leon's domain—El Dorado—sat across the sea, on a vast continent far larger than Earth's Australia. Every inch of it fell under Leon's dominion.
At its center towered an active volcano that erupted endlessly. Yet no ash ever reached the capital—the winds themselves bent to Leon's magic, whisking danger away.
The volcano's slopes brimmed with magical ore, easily refined into precious metals.
And the abundance of gold allowed Leon to quietly maintain trade with human nations.
The city flourished beyond measure. The kingdom gleamed beneath layers of protective enchantments.
This was the golden valley of El Dorado, ruled by the Golden Lord.
There was no way such a shining realm should ever be touched by the ugliness of human wars. This wasn't just Alrose's thought—it was the unspoken wish of every citizen living under Leon's reign.
"Then… prepare large-scale defensive magic," Leon declared. "Place the entire kingdom on high alert."
"Of course. That is simple enough. But there is one matter beyond our control."
"…? Explain."
"The war, Leon-sama. Should mass deaths occur… certain troublesome beings will awaken. I recall that the Yellow Primordial slumbers somewhere in this land—but even that creature may not have enough fuel to fully manifest…"
Leon clicked his tongue softly.
The idiocy of mankind was infuriating.
He didn't know what the Eastern Empire desired… but death always followed war. The seas of blood would rouse slumbering calamities—ancient monsters, vengeful demons—who would bring ruin to the world.
As an ex-Hero, Leon knew exactly how disastrous that would be.
As a Demon Lord, he found it… pathetically disappointing.
He pitied the humans. But as for the consequences they would face?
They no longer frightened him.
His only concern… was her.
The girl he'd been searching for all these years.
The one person who truly mattered.
"We will let them witness our power when the time comes," Leon said sharply.
Alrose bowed in acknowledgment. "Very well. I eagerly await your command. Also—"
"Send members of the Blue Knight Order to his nation."
Leon didn't need to say names. Alrose already understood.
Alrose departed swiftly, and silence reclaimed the vast chamber.
Leon slowly opened his slanted eyes.
—Kroba Hale…
Did he really say Kroba?
Or was it Chloe?
He shouldn't expect much… but the possibility was maddening.
Trap or not…
It did not matter.
His goal as a Demon Lord had never changed.
He had to find her.
The girl he played with as a child.
The girl he failed to protect.
The girl he had sworn to reclaim with his own hands—
Chloe Aubert.