Dominant Run!

Menacing Messenger, Testarossa!

"Calm down, Framea," Rimuru said, placing his hand on Framea's head. "I know Milim is terrifying, but so is your brother. So don't worry too much," he added with a smirk, before turning to Moss. "So, what happened in this meeting?" he asked as Moss began recounting what he had seen...

*

A day ago, Puppet Nation of Jistav, Clayman's castle -

"Ah, what a wonderful fragrance!" Clayman said, swirling and sniffing the wine in his glass. "Don't you all agree?" he smiled and asked the three Demon Lords sitting in front of him.

"Indeed, it does have an exotic taste," Frey said, taking a sip from her glass.

"Cut the crap, Clayman. We're not here to drink and discuss overpriced wine," Carrion said, though he did finish his own glass first. "Tell us why you invited us."

"Hmm... so impatient," Clayman remarked as Carrion's eye twitched in annoyance. "Well, my esteemed Demon Lords, for the last few months I've been working on a project, and as a sign of goodwill, I'd like you to join me as partners in this endeavor."

"Oh?" Frey raised her eyebrows curiously. "What kind of project?"

"You see," Clayman said, "For the last couple of months I have been preparing a monster to turn him into a Demon Lord." He reveled in the shocked expressions on Carrion and Frey's faces while Milim sat there, eating snacks and seemingly lost in her own world. "And once he becomes a Demon Lord, we'll place him on the Demon Lord Council as our puppet."

Regaining his composure, Carrion leaned forward and asked, "Your plan does have merit. An extra vote on our side sounds promising, but there's more to it, isn't there? More importantly, what do you want us to do?"

"Of course," Clayman said with a smug, charming smile. "As you know, every Demon Lord is assigned a territory to rule. Once we install our Demon Lord on the council, we'll unanimously vote for him to receive the Jura Forest as his territory."

"Once he takes over, we can divide its resources among ourselves since we'll be the ones controlling him from behind the scenes," Clayman said, successfully appealing to the rulers within Carrion and Frey.

"That sounds too good to be true, Clayman," Frey narrowed her eyes. "What's the catch?"

"There isn't one, my lovely lady," Clayman said smoothly. "Although, I do ask that you refrain from getting involved in what happens in the Jura Forest over the next few months."

"What do you mean by that?" Carrion asked.

"For the next few months, my puppet will march through the Jura Forest, massacring the monsters within," Clayman explained. "When that happens, I want you to turn a blind eye and refuse to help if any of the intelligent races come seeking your assistance or protection."

Carrion and Frey exchanged glances, and just as one of them was about to speak, Milim suddenly stood up and stretched. "This is boring. I'm going home."

"Huh? Why!?" Clayman asked, looking panicked. Milim was supposed to be a crucial part of his plan. "I haven't even told you what I can offer you from this plan."

"I know, but your plan sounds stupid," Milim shrugged, while Clayman clicked his tongue, struggling to keep his composure in front of one of the strongest Demon Lords. "Why would I need a puppet when I can just ask Guy and Ramiris to vouch for me? Besides, I think these silly games are pointless when I can just beat up whoever I want."

"But—"

"Fine, I'll join your stupid plan," Milim groaned, causing hope to return to Clayman's face. "But only if you actually manage to create this puppet Demon Lord."