Chapter 125: Uninvited (Part 2)

World Expo, Main Stage

The staring contest continued.

Holy aura and demonic aura pressed against each other on the stage, invisible forces colliding in midair like two immovable egos refusing to blink first.

“So,” Raphael said calmly, his voice perfectly steady despite the radiant pressure rolling off him, “may I ask why the Radiant Concordat is being interrupted during its scheduled presentation?”

“Ah, no—no,” Levi replied with an easy smile. “We have absolutely no intention of interrupting the Concordat’s presentation.”

“However,” Stan added, pointing at Raphael casually with a grin, “having your holy aura flaring like that is considered a public menace here.”

“And it’s making some of the visitors rather uncomfortable,” Levi finished smoothly. “They’re all paying customers, you know.”

Raphael blinked once.

“Ah,” he said, smiling faintly. “My apologies. It’s a habit of mine. Whenever I stand before a crowd—like my congregation—I tend to bathe them in holy aura. It makes people feel warm. Reassured. Fuzzy, even.”

Below the stage, many Murican audience members continued to snarled violently. Scaring the non-demon audience around them.

“So,” Levi said politely, “would you mind tuning it down a little?”

“Oh, please don’t mind me,” Raphael replied, and his holy aura vanished instantly, as if it had never existed. “I’ll be leaving shortly anyway. I’m not a registered panelist, after all. And as you mentioned—everyone here is a paying visitor.”

He smiled apologetically.

“And I haven’t exactly purchased a ticket.”

Levi and Stan exchanged a glance, then turned off their demonic aura as well.

The pressure vanished. The Murican audience slowly returned to something resembling normal. Still panting, still pale, but no longer on the verge of berserking.

“Ah, no need to be so strict,” Levi said pleasantly. “I can always lend you some money to buy an entrance ticket.”

“Hahaha,” Raphael chuckled. “A generous offer. But unfortunately I’m expected back home for dinner.”

“Heh,” Stan said. “Visiting Dawn at lunchtime, back to Celeste for dinner. Truly a magnificent magic door you’ve got there.”

Raphael’s eyes turned cold.

“It is,” he said flatly. “Especially when it has been installed across all of Talvaris.”

Even without auras flaring, the air on stage still feel cold.

“Well then,” Raphael continued, turning slightly toward the audience, “may I excuse myself properly before I depart?”

“By all means,” Levi replied with a smile.

Raphael stepped forward. Levi and Stan moved aside, giving him a clear path.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Raphael announced, voice carrying cleanly across the hall, “that concludes our presentation for today.”

He paused.

“The new GATE technology, developed solely so the Radiant Concordat may deliver crucial relief to any nation in need.”

Another pause. His eyes flicked briefly toward Levi and Stan.

“Because in the end,” he continued, “the Radiant Concordat also wishes to do its part for Talvaris. By building security and world peace.”

He smiled.

“Thank you for your attention,” Raphael said warmly. “Until next time.”

He waved cheerfully to the audience, turned around, and walked back toward the GATE.

No one applauded. The audience sat frozen, uncertain whether clapping was appropriate, dangerous, or politically inadvisable. A low murmur spread instead—whispers, uneasy glances, quiet dread over a future no one could quite articulate.

“Until next time,” Raphael said again, giving a small nod as he passed Levi and Stan.

“Until next time, Archpriest,” Levi replied, returning the nod with a smile.

“Heheh,” Stan added. “Until next time indeed.”

Foreign Minister Ignacio bowed respectfully as Raphael passed, while Grand Magus Paerith offered a dignified nod.

Raphael and his holy knights entered the GATE. One by one, they disappeared inside. As the final knight stepped through, the structure dimmed, its glow fading until it became an ordinary gate once more.

No light. No flare. And with that, the Radiant Concordat’s presentation came to an end.

Not with thunderous applause like the Muricans received—but with murmurs, whispers, and worried faces.

---

Murica’s Embassy

Later that night, an emergency meeting was being held among Murica’s highest officials.

“Yes, I know,” Belphy shouted through the video conference screen, “that with that GATE thingy the Concordat can practically send backup or even invade any nation within seconds. But what the fuck do you expect me to do?!”

“Well I don’t know?!” Stan snapped back instantly. “Make a decision! Any fucking decision! You’re the acting Prime Minister now!”

“Oh my…” Levi leaned back in his chair, letting out a long sigh. “I suppose all this time we’ve been spoiled by Solo, with him always making the big decisions…”

The Concordat’s presentation earlier that day had sent shockwaves across every nation in Talvaris. Murica and its allies felt it the hardest, which was why Murica had immediately called for an emergency meeting.

Levi, Stan, Bub, and Monny were gathered inside the embassy’s meeting room. Belphy remained on the screen from Bashington.

“Sigh... Should I ask Lilith?” Belphy said.

“Don’t bother,” Stan said flatly. “Her dad made it very clear that if we ever bothered her or Solo during their pregnancy traditions, he and the Four Horsemen would wage war on us.”

He paused, then added,

“And we really can’t afford a civil war right now.”

“Teleportation… hahaha… magical teleportation…” Bub chuckled weakly.

“Hic.”

Bub, who seemed to have taken the day’s events the hardest, had already decided to turn reality into a mere nightmare with the help of alcohol. Nightmare is friendlier for demon after all. He was currently slumped on the sofa in the corner of the meeting room, face red, eyes unfocused, with multiple bottles of liquor lined up on the side table.

Then, the screen flickered as Mo joined the video conference from Langley.

“Sorry for the wait,” Mo said.

“So,” Monny asked immediately, “how does it go?”

“Ambassador Hannya and Prime Minister Gregor are currently sending the Concordat delegation off,” Mo sighed. “Unfortunately, the Concordat is being very strict and thorough.”

“How strict?” Stan asked.

“They’re making sure the ones going back to Celeste are the exact same people who came from Celeste,” Mo replied. “No substitutions. No demons.”

“Suddenly leaving on short notice,” Stan scoffed. “Very cunning indeed.”

“And that’s not all,” Mo added. “My agents also reported that before leaving, the Concordat circulated a piece of news to all foreign delegates.”

“Oh?” Levi said calmly. “And what news would that be?”

Mo hesitated for half a second.

“…Every Radiant Concordat nation shall stop exporting or providing any magical or technological services to any nation that conducts any beneficial agreement with Democratic Peacekeeping Coalition nations.”

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” Monny roared.

Levi and Stan leaned back in their chairs almost simultaneously, shoulders slumping.

“Dang…” Stan muttered. “They got us…”

“Heh,” Levi gave a dry chuckle. “Didn’t expect this to come so soon…”

The room fell into a heavy silence. Defeat was visible on every face.

Every face except Belphy’s.

“…Guys?” Belphy said cautiously from the screen. “Can someone explain this to me?”

Monny looked up.

“It means,” he said slowly, “they just locked every other nation out from becoming our friends.”

He exhaled.

“Successfully nullified every single agreement we made during this entire expo.”

“How come?!” Belphy said.

“Celeste and Elvandar have always been the largest suppliers of mana crystals,” Levi replied. “And around seventy percent of all magi-tech in Talvaris is actually developed by them.”

“And don’t forget,” Mo cut in, “every mage tower in every nation practically bows to Elvandar’s Grand Magus and Grand Druid.”

“Without Elvandar and Celeste,” Stan added, “every nation’s military will be left with nothing but outdated weapons and equipment. No new mana batteries. No replacement parts.”

“Not only the military,” Levi sighed. “Civilians use mana crystals for daily life as well. Lighting, heating, communication. If those suddenly disappear…”

He paused.

“…people get upset,” Levi continued quietly, “and revolts become very easy to trigger.”

Now it was Belphy’s turn to lean back in his chair. Slowly. Heavily. Defeated.

“And we can’t just replace all that with Murican technology overnight…” Belphy muttered.

“That’s right,” Monny said. “Even if we could, there’s no way they’d be able to pay for it in such a short time. And if we try to cover it ourselves, we go bankrupt.”

“…Shit,” Belphy whispered. “GATE… and an embargo…”

He swallowed.

“They really got us…”

The meeting room fell silent.

For a moment.

Then—

“But wait…” Belphy muttered.

Everyone glanced at the monitor again.

“If the embargo alone is this powerful,” Belphy continued slowly, “why did they bother announcing it after showing off that GATE thing?”

Silence.

No one answered.

“HOLY FUCK!” Belphy suddenly shot up from his chair. “IT’S ALL A FUCKING SHOW!”

Everyone stared.

“Of course it’s a show,” Stan groaned. “They’ve been flexing all day.”

“Tch,” Belphy scowled. “You don’t get what I mean. This is my kind of stuff.”

He leaned closer to the camera.

“Tell me something,” Belphy said. “Why would someone reveal their secret weapon before even using it in a real fight?”

“To scare their enemies,” Stan answered immediately.

“To force others to listen,” Levi added.

“Or…” Mo said slowly, realization dawning, “they can only use that secret weapon sparingly.”

Everyone froze.

“Especially if,” Monny continued, “that secret weapon is extremely costly to use.”

Belphy grinned.

“Just like our nukes.”

The realization hit the room all at once.

“Hmm… an embargo is always a double-edged sword,” Monny muttered. “Cutting off the whole world will definitely hurt you. That kind of scale is practically suicide in the long run.”

“Heheh,” Levi said, leaning back, “but no one questioned it.”

“Because they were too fazed by the GATE technology,” Levi continued calmly.

“That’s right,” Belphy said, nodding. “Do something great and magnificent, and people stop thinking. Today, the Concordat just happened to be a better performer than us.”

There was a brief silence.

“…Are you suggesting we also do something great and magnificent to show the world?” Mo asked carefully.

“Of course!” Belphy replied without hesitation.

“Unfortunately, I can’t allow us to use a nuke right now,” Stan said, rubbing his temples. “The situ—”

“No, not nukes,” Belphy cut him off. “We actually have something else.”

He paused, letting it hang.

“Something no one in Talvaris has ever even dared to dream of.”

“?” Everyone else looked confused.

“And the one who can make that dream a reality,” Belphy continued, grinning wider, “is already in your meeting room.”

He pointed to the corner of the meeting room. Making everyone turned their heads.

All eyes now landed on Bub. He was still slumped on the sofa in the corner, surrounded by empty bottles.

“Yo, Bub! Buddy!” Belphy shouted through the speaker. “Wake up!”

“Huh?” Bub jolted, eyes unfocused. “Whaaat… just leave me alone…”

“Hey,” Belphy said brightly, “how do you feel about—”

“About what?!” Bub scowled, clearly irritated at being dragged back into reality.

Belphy’s grin sharpened.

“Landing demons on the moon?”