Clayman/Relationships

* Introduction
* Chronology
* Abilities and Gear
* **Relationships**
* Gallery

## Moderate Harlequin Alliance

**Kagali**
Clayman's master and creator. Kagali, as the Demon Lord Kazalim was the one who inducted him into the Demon Lord organization 300 years ago by advocating his claim. Even after becoming a Demon Lord, Clayman still moved following their instructions and still considered himself to be Kazalim's subordinate despite them now technically being equals as Demon Lords. Kazalim saw much of herself in Clayman, as he was created by him to be a schemer much like them.
After Kazalim's original death to Leon Cromwell's hands, Clayman took over his territory. Clayman himself was stated to have never truly considered these territories to be his, but rather Kazalim's and simply took care of them until his master's return.
**Laplace, Tear, and Footman**
His friends and workmates, that always help Clayman with his devious schemes. Being the weakest in Moderate Harlequin Alliance, he tried to gain power in order to be on their level of strength. Laplace, Tear, and Footman are one of the few people that treated good by Clayman. He also tried as little as possible to enlist the help of his comrades, trying to do everything himself, but even when he asked for their help, they acted as a secret force. Clayman avoided mentioning their names entirely, not only because he tried not to show that he was actually weak, but also because he cherished and valued them, trying to maintain complete confidentiality and always taking the hit.
**Exclusively to Laplace**
As for Laplace, he was in his own way a replacement for Kagali, though not entirely. After the disappearance of Kagali, who had reassured, mentored and trained Clayman, it was Laplace who took responsibility for Clayman, to some extent. It was he who, for the most part, participated in Clayman's plans and schemes trying his best to accompany and assist him. Laplace was battle-hardened and had a more diverse experience of life than Clayman, which came in handy not only in running errands but also on a more personal level. Laplace often shared wisdom and pieces of advice with Clayman. After the brainwashing, Laplace was the first to point out Clayman's recklessness, irrationality and haste. As a true friend, he was concerned about his comrade's psychological state, even hinting that Clayman could make such missteps not out of his own volition.
Clayman never doubted Laplace's shrewdness and acumen, regarding him as the most optimal cadre to perform covert maneuvers in his operations. Often their interactions appeared to be formal, between the Demon Lord and his subordinate, but it was often because Laplace was playing along with Clayman so that the latter would be less obsessed and upset with their difference in power. After all, he is a Demon Lord, but the weakest of the Moderate Harlequin Alliance and Laplace, well aware and conscious of this, played along with his mate.
At the time of his demise, it was Laplace's words that most struck a chord with Clayman, for he was always right.

**Exclusively to Tear**
Tear paid frequent visits to Clayman in his castle, preventing him from getting bored. Because of her emotional underdevelopment, he treated her like a younger sister, trying to protect her and send her on dangerous missions and assignments as little as possible, even though she was fully capable of standing up for herself.
### Rain

In Clayman Revenge, thanks to having knowledge of the future, Clayman immediately understood that Rain had tricked him many times in helping her. As such, he initially attempted to ignore her requests, to her frustrations. Though he eventually relents in aiding her in Orbic, but forces her to come with him. For the most part Clayman considers Rain to be troublesome, though he compliments her ability and strength, and acknowledges she is very knowledgeable. Still, he considers her a bad influence on Milim, and wanted her out of his home.

Though she would soon return back to his home, who then forced her way into his group due to having 'quit' her job with Guy. Laplace and Eve supporting her with Clayman reluctantly accepting her as a secretary, though secretly considers giving her back to Guy if she starts getting lazy.

## Puppet Nation Jistav

### Kazalim's Subordinates

As seen in Trinity in Tempest, after Kazalim's death, Clayman was stated to have been firmly backed by the rest of his master's subordinates in taking over leadership of Jistav and Kazalim's territories. Kazalim's other subordinates in particular greatly respected Clayman due to his close relationship with Kazalim as his second in command and did not object when he took over and even assisted him in his rise to power and his successful bid to become a officially recognized Demon Lord. Clayman in turn was implied to care for them greatly and was stated to treat them much better than his other subordinates, as it was implied that he had purposefully placed them in the supply line defense at the back of his army during his attempt at invading Beast Kingdom Eurazania instead of the frontline of the army in order to protect them from harm.
### **Five Fingers**

The best capable and powerful individuals personally gathered by Clayman in the start of his reign. They are Clayman's most valuable and convenient tools in his arsenal and yet he was noted to treat his subordinates, the Five Fingers, as disposable pawns and had little to no qualms with using and forcing them into suicidal attacks and operations as long as it benefited him in the end.

In Clayman Revenge, after reviving into his second loop, Clayman makes an effort to strengthen his army for the potential danger when Rimuru returns. During this loop, Clayman's treatment of them changes due to recognizing the unusual cruelty he did to them before and attempting to get along with them. This, combined with some misunderstandings by his subordinates, causes the group to be more grateful and loyal to Clayman, who in turn, begins to tolerate their mistakes, genuinely forms a bond with them all and appreciates their contributions to him.
**Nine-Head Beast**
*The Thumb.* A fox spirit captured by Eastern Empire, that was sold to Clayman, cursed and enslaved to serve as a pet and bodyguard. Clayman didn't perceive Nine-Head Beast, as a conscious creation, but rather as a brutally powerful beast without any remarkable emotions or sanity. As seen in Tensura Nikki, Clayman as a way to blackmail Mjurran, threaten to stuff her real heart in a pie, bake it till perfection and afterward feed it to Nine-Headed Beast, which wasn't happily perceived by both sides - victim and devourer.
**Adalmann**
*The Index Finger*, head of defense forces in Clayman's castle. Adalmann served the same position under Demon Lord Kazalim, but it was under Clayman's reign that he gained considerable power and strength. Clayman's Curse Magic greatly boosted his power as a monster, transforming him from a Wight into a Wight King. Adalmann is cursed to follow Clayman's order and destroy any intruders by being bound to the land by the curse. Adalmann was rarely seen in meetings with his boss and yet he was serving his duties without hesitation meaning that despite being forcefully chained to the land he had faith and loyalty in Clayman, to some degree.
**Yamza**
*The Middle Finger*, the top lieutenant within Clayman's vanguard. He willingly swore loyalty to Clayman. Therefore, Clayman treated him a little better than the rest of his subordinates, not cursing him with a spell to take his heart as a hostage and allowing him a lot of freedom in comparison to his other "Fingers". However, as seen from Yamza's death, Clayman himself was fully aware of the latter's duplicitous and disloyal attitude when backed into a corner and willingness to betray him to save his own life, as seen where Yamza himself was controlled by Clayman's skills or magics that forced him to ingest one of Charybdis's cores to kill himself and his enemies when the latter attempted to surrender to Tempest and being defeated.
**Mjurran**
*The Ring Finger.* Fleeing from death, Murran herself unknowingly made a deal with the Devil. Even though Clayman gave her "eternal life" through use of Marionette Heart, her heart was in his hands, literally. She had to fulfill several requests and tasks, eventually freeing herself from the shackles on her heart, but due to brainwashing, Clayman did not grant her the will, leaving her as his slave. Replacing her heart with "Marionette's Heart", she was treated as a disposable pawn that isn't fully under his control and wasn't afraid to mock and blackmail her. Eventually, under the slogan of the last operation before her release, Clayman ordered her to carry out a suicidal mission completely neglecting her life, but was extremely disappointed and upset when she was killed (unaware that Rimuru had actually replaced her heart with a new one to trick him), cynically hinting that she died in vain and could serve him a little bit more. She was one of the favorite Clayman's "toys".
**Pirone**
*The Pinky Finger.* Harpy recruited by Clayman in order to get out of desperate poverty that acted as the spy and intelligence collector for him. She was one of the few subordinates that Clayman thought somewhat decently off, because of her usefulness and versatility of being undiscovered due to her ability of flight. She died from the blast of Nuclear Cannon that Diablo deflected in the battle against Razen.
### **Others**

**Gelmud**
Gelmud contacted Demon Lord Clayman and was hired by him with the intention of using him to create a new puppet Demon Lord. Clayman heavily supported Gelmud by investing a lot of resources into his plan of creation easily manipulatable marionette Demon Lord, that Clayman would like to operate. In order to encourage Gelmud, he used not only material support but also more rough methods like threats and power. Thus far warned by Clayman, his failure would be penalized by death, while in real perspective Clayman had no intention of assassination, because of Gelmud's overall usefulness as a pawn. Clayman needed him to only control the Orc Disaster, though, after Gelmud's demise, he didn't care much for his death, because of the death of it's creation not so long after.
## Demon Lords

### **Octagram**

**Guy Crimson**
A fellow Demon Lord. Guy Crimson is the one of the oldest and powerful Demon Lords, so Clayman didn't want to come into conflict, so he was greatly respected. It is speculated that Guy Crimson would become the main antagonistic force in his goal of conquering the World.
**Milim Nava**
A fellow Demon Lord. Initially Clayman seemed to have a neutral-positive relationship with Milim, treating her cordially and tolerating her childish attitude. However, this was only a façade. Clayman actually never liked Milim and wanted to use her as his pawn for his plans. When she was "mind controlled" by Clayman, he began to insult and even hit her repeatedly. Clayman was under the impression that he was the dominating part. However, it turned out Milim deceived him and gave the impression he could control her. After being confronted with the truth, Clayman felt cornered and humiliated realizing he was the one being manipulated.

In 'Clayman Revenge', after entering his second loop, Clayman treats Milim in a similar manner as he did before, though in a genuine attempt due to knowing she is uncontrollable. Though through factors uncontrollable by him, Milim becomes interested in Clayman and seeks him out. In his attempt to avoid leaving a bad impression, Clayman's actions cause Milim to consider him a friend which causes Clayman to feel the same. Though he is willing to scold her whenever she attempts to cause trouble or damage to his home with Milim, as noted by Eva, to accept it whenever she visits him.
**Leon Cromwell**
A fellow Demon Lord. Likely stemming from Leon having killed his creator and master, Kazalim, Clayman was noted to send various assassins to try and kill Leon. With Guy Crimson himself noting Clayman's frequent attempts to have Leon killed. When Clayman was controlling Milim and possessed her as an "ace in his sleeve", he had planned to obliterate and brutally murder Leon after the Walpurgis.
**Rimuru Tempest**
Clayman saw Rimuru as a disturbance and an annoying factor that disrupted his plans. He looked down on him for being a lowly and mere slime who dare proclaim itself as a Demon Lord and was against it.
### **Other Demon Lords**

**Carrion**
Carrion was one of the Demon Lords to rise at around the same time as Clayman. Together with Carrion and Frey, Clayman was counted as a one of the youngest Demon Lords and was one of the most active alongside them. Because of this, Clayman was was shown to work together with him in order to increase their power base, as seen where he worked together with him to create the Orc Lord in order to create and put a Puppet Demon Lord in the Demon Lord Council to increase their collective power over the older generations of Demon Lords. Due to this, it can be guessed that Clayman had a friendly relationship with Carrion.

However, as seen from his scheme to use the souls of the people of Beast Kingdom Eurazania in order to awaken as a Demon Lord and him later "having" Milim destroy the capital and conspiring to kill Carrion and later sending his army to kill the surviving people of Eurazania in order to harvest their souls, it can be guessed that Clayman never really had a true friendship with Carrion and saw him as nothing more than a means to an end.
**Frey**
Frey was one of the Demon Lords to rise at around the same time as Clayman. Together with Carrion and Frey, Clayman was counted as a one of the youngest Demon Lords and was one of the most active alongside them. Because of this, Clayman was was shown to work together with her in order to increase their power base, as seen where they had collaborated to create the Orc Lord in order to create and put a Puppet Demon Lord in the Demon Lord Council to increase their collective power over the older generations of Demon Lords.

Clayman would also "team-up" with Frey in order to deal take "control" of Milim by having her give Milim a magical circlet (Pendent in the Anime) filled with Mind Control Magic. With the latter promising her supreme power over the skies by teaming up together. As seen from his behavior with Frey during the Walpurgis, Clayman was under the impression that he was the dominant one in their partnership and he could perfectly control Frey. This would later come back to haunt him as Frey revealed her betrayal and true loyalties to Milim, resulting in Clayman being cornered and humiliated upon realizing that he was the one being manipulated them.
## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 LN Vol 6, Chapter 5.
2. ↑ LN Vol 6, Chapter 2.
3. ↑ LN Vol 3, Chapter 4.
4. ↑ LN Vol 5, Epilogue.
5. ↑ LN Vol 2, Chapter 7.
6. ↑ LN Vol 6, Interlude.