#1122 The Power to Unite

“Ughwooooaaah…!” 
“Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo...!” 
“We demons… the so-called mightiest race on the surface… how could this happen…!?” 

Hmm. 
Maybe I overdid it? 

To reintroduce the scene: we’re in a place that looks like a conference room in the Demon King’s castle. 
They gathered all the demon ministers here so they could meet me, the Saint, and hopefully bond with me… or so that was the plan. 

Yet, at some point, all those ministers ended up sprawled on the floor, knocked down and twitching like they’d had a collective meltdown. 

How in the world did it come to this? 

“This is what happens when they don’t believe in you, Master! They totally brought it on themselves.” 
“Those who have no faith shall find no salvation…” 

Sensei and Veil both watch the fallen ministers as if pitying some lowly bugs. 

Well, they’re not wrong. 
These were the people who kicked up a fuss when I first showed up, yelling, “There’s no way this guy’s really the Saint!” 
I get it, though. It’s probably my fault for looking so painfully average and not radiating any kind of larger-than-life aura. 

Still, we can’t start building the Farm Kingdom I’ve been planning unless the demons officially approve of me. So they really had no choice but to grin and bear it. 

That’s why I called in Veil, a bona fide dragon, and Sensei the Lifeless King, to back up my claims, give some testimony, and prove I’m legit, but… 
Maybe that was too strong a medicine…! 

I mean, standing in the presence of beings on a whole other plane of power is pretty tough not to collapse just from the sheer pressure. 

So it’s no surprise that many of the demon ministers here wound up trembling with weak knees, losing their composure, or even swooning like distressed maidens. 

Watching all this, their gracious Demon King… 

“Hmhmhm...” 

…for some reason, starts laughing smugly. 

“Pardon me, but… seeing that crowd of overstuffed bigwigs always lazing around in the luxury of this castle cowering before a genuine, supreme being is surprisingly satisfying.” 

Uh, those terrified people are your subordinates. Are you sure it’s fine to talk about them like that? 

“Well, we in the military have our issues with them, too. Those big shots never lift a finger from their cushy posts in the safe heartlands. All the while we’re risking our lives on the front lines. I mean, what were they doing while we fought tooth and nail out there…?” 
“Lord Belphgamilia, please! As the top commander of the Demon King’s Army, you can’t go around blurting out these oh-so-typical resentments! There are difficulties in domestic affairs, too, you know!!!” 

On the sidelines, Mamoru scolds Belphgamilia, the commander who just put his foot in his mouth. 
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, Lucif Focale, who’s in charge of all those domestic affairs, stares off into space looking rather haunted. 

... 
Yeah… even as an outsider just observing, I can tell this is a seriously bad situation. 

It’s basically total disaster. 

All I wanted was a nice little introduction. How’d we end up with such chaos? 

“Weren’t we demons… the strongest in all the land…?” 
“But we won the war…!” 
“Why has the whole world suddenly turned so harsh on us…?!” 

They did, in fact, defeat the Human Kingdom in war and establish their reign over the surface. So of course they were brimming with pride. 
Then along comes me. 
And in a flash, all that pride just got shattered. 

A shock that big could make them lose their entire sense of identity. If that happens, there’s no way they’ll want to work with me on founding a brand-new nation. 

We can’t let it end like this. 
I have to fix this mood before the whole plan goes up in smoke. 

“Everybody! Listen up!!!” 

I deliberately raise my voice to gather their attention. 
Because things are so chaotic, all those confused gazes easily focus on me. 

So, what do I say now that I’ve got their eyes on me? 

I lift both arms high, as if supporting the heavens, and then bring my hands together to form a sharp peak. 
It’s basically… 

“Behold—the Fir Tree Pose!” 
“““???””” 

Perfect. I’ve got their attention.  
Now to use my conversational skills to lighten this heavy atmosphere. 

“Ahem… right.” 

I clear my throat. 

“Honorable ministers of the demon race. For you, today must’ve been… quite the shock. I mean, you thought you’d singlehandedly won your war against the Human Kingdom, and you prided yourselves on being the strongest in the world, then all of a sudden, you learn there’s an even more powerful being out there. Namely, me...” 

I get it. That would shake anybody up. 

“Lord Saint! That’s basically rubbing salt in their wounds!!!” 
“Wow, you’re really hammering it home, Lord Saint. It’s even giving me goosebumps.” 

Mamoru scolds me from the sidelines, eyes wide. 
What? I was just trying to acknowledge the situation as a first step in easing the tension! 
B-But no matter, I’ll keep going. I’ve got a plan for turning this around! 

“However, that doesn’t mean everything you demons accomplished was pointless. You fought with your all to secure your own peace.” 

Not everything can be chalked up to me stepping in. 

“Teamwork is what matters! If everyone pools their strength and works together, even small individual contributions can build up into incredible might. And you can accomplish just about anything that way. That’s what’s really important!” 
“Master’s exactly right!” 
 “Indeed, a single force alone can do only so much.” 

 
Veil and Sensei nod. 

How reassuring!!!  

“Coming from those two, it’s got almost no credibility, though…” 

All right, time to unleash my ultimate anecdote assault! 
By sharing a tale that perfectly fits this moment, I can flaunt the vast repertoire in my memory and strike a deeper chord than just plain conversation. 

Teamwork! 
Unity! 
And the story that best drives home these ideas is… that one. 

“Here I have a single arrow.” 

Now, don’t ask where I pulled it from. 
Let’s just roll with it. 

“This single arrow…” 

Snap! 

“You see, it breaks so easily. But now, behold, three arrows tied together!” 

Snap-snap-snap! 

“While one solitary arrow can be snapped in an instant, three bound together become unbreakable! And just like these arrows, we humans might be fragile on our own, but when we stand together and support each other, we simply cannot be broken!” 
“…But didn’t they all just break?” 
 “Yeah, they snapped just as smoothly as before, didn’t they?” 

It’s like I’m suddenly performing in some old slapstick sketch.  
I assumed three arrows wouldn’t break if I put my back into it, but they snapped right away! 

I’d love to call up the guy who came up with that ‘three arrows’ story in the first place and ask how it REALLY went. Which number do I dial for that? 

“Master, I won’t lose to you! Hrraaagh! There, I just snapped five hundred at once!” 
“I suppose I’ll hustle a bit myself… Hup, that’s six, seven, eight hundred.” 

Veil, Sensei, can you NOT treat this like a record-breaking challenge?! 
I was trying to use those arrows to represent individual people! 

I thought the whole anecdote would wrap up nicely, but actually bringing out the props ruined everything! 

As I start to panic about how on earth to fix this... 

“How touchingggg!” 

Suddenly, a booming voice cuts through. 
It’s… Prime Minister Lucif Focale?! 

“Even though you possess such overwhelming power, Lord Saint, you still keep cooperation and unity at the forefront of your mind! Surely, we should all aspire to that, don’t you agree? We must learn from this example! Each of us alone is weak, but joined together, we can wield enormous power!” 
“Absolutely! Not just among demons, but also among humans and merfolk—when we all join forces, there’s nothing we can’t do! And now even Lord Saint is offering his help! Really, what could be better?” 

Mamoru, one of the Heavenly Four, leaps in to back him up. 
I see. They must’ve been as desperate as I was to keep this situation from imploding. They seized on my speech and decided to roll with it no matter what! 

Even if it’s a little rough around the edges, I’ll just power through! 
Because if I don’t pull this off, I’ll end up at odds with the demons! 
It’s a delicate dance only two seasoned pros like us can manage! 

Hearing all this, the ministers, gloomy faces and all, start to chime in... 

“That’s true… Even somebody powerful like Lord Saint places cooperation and unity above all else…” 
“Then surely, we who are so small by comparison must unite our strength or fail!” 
“We’ve been too arrogant all this time! Let us return to our roots, stand together, and search for a shared path forward!” 

Thank goodness. 
They managed to get back on course! 

We had a few twists and turns, but I guess my brilliant storytelling saved the day! 
It all came together in the end! 

Behind me, Lucif Focale and Mamoru both breathe sighs of relief.