At the negotiation table between the Kingdom of Ukel and the Kingdom of Green Eagle, the Ukel Representative declared solemnly, "Every word we speak is true! If you still doubt us, we can provide you with the coordinates of the Grand Duchy of Augustus. See for yourselves!"
Faced with such unwavering conviction, the Green Eagle Representatives couldn't help but believe them to some extent. "So, what do you propose?"
The Ukel Representative replied, "I suggest we immediately cease hostilities and form Allied Forces to confront the Grand Duchy of Augustus! We cannot allow them to continue developing unchecked any longer."
The Green Eagle Representative hesitated before responding, "A ceasefire is acceptable, but forming Allied Forces to attack another nation solely based on your testimony? I'm afraid I cannot agree to such a drastic measure."
Of course, a more significant reason for their reluctance was pride. Just yesterday, their nations were at war. A ceasefire was one thing, but forming an alliance the very next day? That seemed far too absurd.
The Ukel Representative countered, "No, no, no! You haven't grasped the gravity of the situation! If we let the Grand Duchy of Augustus continue to grow unchecked, none of us will escape unscathed!"
The Ukel Representative had once been a member of the Duchess Witch's Hat Squad, having accompanied the Duchess to the Grand Duchy of Augustus and witnessed the situation there firsthand.
The Green Eagle Representative countered, "But according to you, isn't the Grand Duchy of Augustus still protected by a Demigod? Can just our two kingdoms really stand a chance against them?"
Strictly speaking, the Grand Duchy of Augustus and the Kingdom of Green Eagle did share a past grievance—Tribios had stolen the Strange Weapon from the Kingdom of Green Eagle. However, since the Kingdom of Green Eagle didn't fully grasp the weapon's true value, their animosity toward the Grand Duchy of Augustus remained relatively mild.
After a moment's silence, the Ukel Representative said, "Indeed, our two kingdoms alone aren't enough. We need to spread awareness of this threat, let more people know, and rally other nations to join our cause!"
The Green Eagle Representative was taken aback. "You're serious!?"
The Ukel Representative nodded firmly. "Absolutely!"
The Green Eagle Representative hesitated for a moment, then waved the other representative over and whispered, "So what if the Grand Duchy of Augustus has no nobles right now? In a few decades or centuries, after a few kings have come and gone, are you sure that country will still be the same?"
Having never witnessed it firsthand, the Green Eagle Representative couldn't quite grasp the concept. As a country expands, surely you'd need to ennoble military commanders? As a nation prospers, wouldn't some extremely wealthy individuals emerge? Wouldn't it be easy for them to bribe the king and secure a noble title?
Historically, even newly established kingdoms with few nobles eventually saw their numbers steadily increase over time.
And even in the worst-case scenario—if the Grand Duchy of Augustus actually invaded and killed the Green Eagle's king—couldn't the nobles just surrender and merge into Augustus?
There's a saying: "A hundred-year dynasty, a thousand-year family." If the Grand Duchy of Augustus wants to rule the Kingdom of Green Eagle smoothly, they'll inevitably need the cooperation of these nobles. Without their compliance, even minor acts of sabotage could keep the king overwhelmed.
Over time, the nobles had accumulated immense influence in their regions.
However, the Ukel Representative shook his head. "No, no, you still don't grasp the gravity of the situation! Throughout history, every nation inevitably sees both wise and foolish rulers. Under wise rulers, the nobles remain obedient. But when foolish rulers take the throne, the nobles grow restless, seeking to exploit the chaos for personal gain."
"But here's the crux of the matter: the Holy Maiden of the Grand Duchy of Augustus is a Demigod! Her lifespan is immeasurable. If she were to rule, wouldn't she be an eternal, wise ruler? Her governing principles would never waver, making it impossible for nobles to ever gain power in that nation!"
"As for your suggestion of surrender, no, that nation would never accept it. They would slaughter every last noble, sparing none! I can guarantee it!"
The Green Eagle Representative paused, then asked, "So, how do you plan to portray them in your propaganda?"
The Ukel Representative replied, "Simple. We'll paint them as an evil, dangerous nation with immense power, bent on destroying the world!"
"A demigod protecting the nation? That's clearly a Demon Lord from Hell!"
Fabricating a reason for war, concocting a pretext for war—this was a perfectly normal tactic. But portraying the enemy as a Demon Lord intent on destroying the world was a first for the Green Eagle Representative.
If a single nation declared war on the Grand Duchy of Augustus, such an excuse would seem utterly absurd. But if... a coalition of nations genuinely formed an Allied Forces and declared war on Augustus together, this pretext would be perfectly suited.
The Green Eagle Representative said, "This matter is of grave importance. I lack the authority to decide alone. Allow me to report back to my superiors. We'll reconvene tomorrow!"
The following day, when the two met again, the Green Eagle Representative immediately declared, "My side agrees to your proposal!"
What followed were six consecutive days of intensive planning. Because Ukel and Augustus had a series of treaties, the propaganda campaign about the "Demon Lord's Birth" would begin in the Kingdom of Green Eagle. Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Ukel would covertly contact other major nations, persuading them to join the Allied Forces.
Surrounding the Kingdoms of Ukel and Green Eagle were three other powerful Kingdoms. These five realms could be considered the most powerful nations in the world at that time.
It's worth noting that the geographical locations of these five kingdoms all fall within the territory of the future All Nations Alliance three centuries later. To the west of these kingdoms, in what would become the Dragon Ember Empire, lay only weak grand duchies, with no kingdoms yet established.
This central part of the continent boasts more fertile land and extensive plains, making it the most suitable for habitation. The terrain in other regions is frankly less favorable.
To the north of the five kingdoms stretches a vast frozen tundra and ice plains, while to the south lies an endless Great Forest. To the east looms a massive mountain range that isolates the world; the lands beyond remain unexplored and largely unknown. To the west, a mosaic of hills, mountains, and forests alternates across the landscape. As a result, during this era, the vast majority of nations are concentrated in the area that will later become the All Nations Alliance.
A month later, rumors about the Demon Lord began to slowly spread within the Kingdom of Green Eagle.
Three months later, the story of the Demon Lord had become common knowledge throughout the Kingdom of Green Eagle and continued to ferment in the surrounding regions. It was at this time that Tribios first heard of the matter.
In the Grand Duchy of Augustus, Jay frowned deeply. "Damn it! Who leaked this information? I'll order all merchants abroad to return immediately for interrogation, one by one!"
Given the current situation, the only possible explanation is that internal information from the Grand Duchy of Augustus has been leaked, inciting hostility from other nations. This talk of a "Demon Lord" is nothing more than war propaganda—a pretext for declaring war.
After all, who knows better than we ourselves whether the Grand Duchy of Augustus harbors a Demon Lord?
However, Tribios shook her head and said, "No, I believe the people of Augustus wouldn't leak such information to outside merchants. It's more likely someone discovered our location and witnessed the situation within the Grand Duchy firsthand."
Besides, even if an Augustan did leak information, given the Grand Duchy's current state, no one would believe it without seeing it with their own eyes, right?
Tribios continued, "Our immediate priority is how to handle this crisis."
The best way to counter propaganda is to create an even more compelling and intriguing narrative to overshadow the current crisis. Once everyone starts discussing the new topic, they'll naturally forget about the old news.
The problem is that the Kingdom of Green Eagle has been spreading its propaganda domestically for quite some time. Even if Tribios sends her own agents to promote alternative narratives, it's highly unlikely they can overshadow the "Demon Lord's Birth" narrative.
This wasn't the information age of Tribios's past life, where a sensational story could spread across the internet in minutes and become common knowledge. In this era, disseminating information and shaping public opinion required immense time and effort. When Tribios had previously promoted Ukel's art and wines, it had taken an agonizingly long period to gain traction.
But if she couldn't counter their propaganda through public opinion, was she just supposed to stand by and watch her enemies smear her reputation before launching their attack?
There was another option: flip the table and refuse to play the game. She could threaten the enemy's king and nobles, forcing them to cease their propaganda campaign. But wouldn't that only confirm her image as the Demon Lord?
Tribios gazed through the window at the courtyard outside. On a massive, exposed boulder stood the Divine Artifact, the Sword in the Stone. When she had seized this artifact, she had worried whether her actions constituted a "serious disruption of history." She had even expected the Twelve True Gods, or perhaps Artemis, the moon goddess, to intervene, but none had.
Now it seemed that claiming the Sword in the Stone hadn't altered history after all.
The Demon Lord's narrative had already emerged, and the formation of the Allied Forces appeared inevitable. What about the Seven Heroes? Would they emerge one by one, just as history had recorded?
Tribios opened the envelope in her hand, which contained a detailed account of the public opinion campaign. However, instead of portraying Princess Olivia of the Grand Duchy of Augustus as the Demon Lord, it cast an evil demigod—Tribios herself—as the true Demon Lord.
This was perfectly understandable. After all, Tribios was a demigod, the publicly acknowledged strongest military force in Augustus. Naturally, she would be portrayed as the ultimate villain. Perhaps out of fear, the campaign never explicitly named Tribios, instead referring to her only as a powerful demigod Demon Lord.
"Sigh..." Tribios sighed, rubbing her temples as she pondered a solution.
Three months passed. All four kingdoms were now flooded with Demon Lord propaganda, except for the Kingdom of Ukel, which remained the only nation free of such narratives under Augustus's watchful eye.
Yet the other kingdoms were already showing signs of forming an alliance. Once the Allied Forces materialized, Ukel would undoubtedly defect at the first opportunity.
Meanwhile, tales of the "Heroes" gradually spread through the taverns. It was said that numerous powerful adventurers had sighted seven figures in extremely dangerous locations, their teamwork seamless and their combined strength formidable.
Even dragons could only withstand a few rounds against them. The squad's captain, a warrior wielding a massive white greatsword, could unleash devastating beams of light from his weapon. Legend claimed a single strike had leveled an entire mountain peak.
Upon hearing this legend, Tribios realized that the Divine Artifact she had stolen might not be one of the Seven Divine Artifacts wielded by the Heroes, but rather the Eighth Divine Artifact!
Weren't there supposed to be twelve Divine Artifacts in total, with five still missing? she wondered. The Sword in the Stone was likely one of those missing five. This meant that no matter where the weapon was used, it would have no impact on history, as it had never appeared in recorded history in the first place!
The scene shifts to the Kingdom of Green Eagle, where six people are gathered around a small table in an ordinary tavern, eating and chatting.
A Catgirl (Ranger) with long green hair, fluffy cat ears atop her head, and a tail swishing back and forth says, "Hey Bell, it seems like we've been rumored to be Heroes~"
At the same time, a tiny Squirrel (Druid) perched on the Catgirl's head chirps loudly, seemingly confirming her statement.
The one called Bell is a twenty-year-old youth (Warrior) with choppy black hair, standing a little over 1.7 meters tall, and carrying a massive sword on his back. After taking a bite of bread, he casually replies, "Well, a lot of people saw us kill that Dragon. And with all the buzz about the Demon Lord's return lately, it's no surprise we're being mistaken for Heroes."
In truth, they are just ordinary adventurers who happened to meet by chance and began adventuring together.
At that moment, a half-elf sorcerer with choppy white hair crossed his legs and remarked, "Honestly, I think the title 'Hero' sounds pretty cool. Why don't we just accept it? As for this so-called Demon Lord... maybe we should check him out too! Isn't the whole point of adventuring to make a name for ourselves?"
A dwarf priest clad in full armor chimed in, "The Kingdom of Ukel is like half my homeland. Ever since they signed those unequal treaties with the Demon Lord's realm, the people's living standards have visibly plummeted. Many have starved to death, their corpses littering the streets. No matter what, I'm going to confront that Demon Lord and demand an explanation."
A strikingly beautiful human bard, despite her plain attire, added softly, "If this is true, I think we should investigate. There are still so many beautiful sights in this world that I haven't seen, and I refuse to let them be destroyed."
Finally, a hooded figure wrapped tightly in robes—a wizard—spoke up: "I agree. A Demigod-level Demon Lord? If we kill him, he should yield a ton of extremely rare magical materials, right?"