Chapter 20

After a while.

Herian, who was thinking about his speech, was racking his brain, trying this and that.

Referring to the rhetorical techniques of great historical figures and fictional works, and recalling the speech techniques he learned at university, he constructed a text in his own words that would strongly appeal to the hearts of the monsters, who were believers in the power of essence.

To be honest, it wasn't a difficult task.

However, even just giving a speech was a heavy burden for Herian, who was just a student, and the audience was not humans but monsters. He didn't think he could move their hearts with a superficial speech, and at the same time, he didn't want to incite war.

He managed to come up with a rough draft of the speech, but if asked whether it would elicit the desired response or whether it would unite the people of Alkymaira, he lacked confidence. Further improvements were necessary.

Before he knew it, the five hours he had scheduled had passed, and time was up.

Having no choice, he temporarily stopped thinking about the speech and switched his focus to the audience. From now on, Herian had to convey the country's policy to the army commanders. It wasn't the kind of task he could do while thinking about other things.

"---The eight army commanders are all present."

In the audience chamber.

Eight monsters bowed their heads to Herian, who was seated on a luxurious chair.

The First Army Commander.

The leader of the elite unit, known as the [Royal Guard], whose main duty is to assist the king in various aspects.

Rieve, the [Moon Wolf], who serves as the king's aide and the overall commander of the army.

The Second Army Commander.

The leader of the [Beast Knight Regiment], which consists mainly of beastmen and knights and is responsible for land combat.

Baran, the [Sword Lion], a knight with a lion's head, clad in pure white full armor.

The Third Army Commander.

The leader of the [Holy Spirit Regiment], which is composed of specialists in healing and support.

Eltina, the [Ancient Elf], with golden hair that reaches her waist.

The Fourth Army Commander.

The leader of the [Majestic Army], which is composed of monsters who excel in the field of magic and are purely defensive.

Ceres, the [Heretic Elf], with black skin and sharp, slanted eyes.

The Fifth Army Commander.

The leader of the [Super Heavy Demon Regiment], which consists of ogres and giants with overwhelming striking power.

Gardie, the [Aulgermil], a towering, muscular giant.

The Sixth Army Commander.

The leader of the [Demon Army], which is centered around demons and is responsible for intelligence and sabotage.

Camilla, the [Nightmare Queen], with deep eyes and a seductive appearance.

The Seventh Army Commander.

The leader of the [Mechanical Combat Regiment], which is composed of many craftsmen specialized in manufacturing.

Robin, the [Mik], a small stature that could be mistaken for a child but is also a decisive trump card.

The Eighth Army Commander.

The leader of the [Heavenly Dragon Regiment], which is composed solely of dragons and is the maximum firepower in aerial combat.

Nogard, the [Twilight Dragon], a young man with fiery red hair and sharp eyes.

The eight corners of Alkymaira's military forces were all gathered.

He had told them that those who could not leave the field were not required to come, but it was unclear whether it was a good or bad thing that all eight were present.

He had expected that the Second Army Commander, who was in charge of maintaining public order, and the Fifth Army Commander, as well as the Fourth Army Commander, who was responsible for the capital's barrier, would remain on the field, but perhaps the situation had settled to the point where they could leave.

It would be a problem if they had left the field just because they were called by the king, but it was too late now. It would be better to finish the audience quickly rather than pursue the matter here.

"Thank you for your hard work. Raise your faces."

Repeating in his mind like a spell, "Be kingly," he said calmly.

Under the king's permission, the eight army commanders raised their faces, their gazes fixing on Herian.

Reflecting on it, he had never received such passionate gazes even during his speech practice at university. The quality and intensity of the gazes were incomparable. The tension made it hard to breathe.

"I have gathered you here for no other reason than to discuss the current situation and future policies."

First, the current situation.

Several things he had learned from the exploration outside the country.

"First, this is not the continent we know. I'm sure Rieve has told you about our contact with the elves and half-elves of other forces during our exploration outside the country. We obtained various information about history and the surrounding situation from them, but none of it was something I knew.

I also checked with various <Virtual Windows>, but there was no corresponding information. Furthermore, the fact that I could not confirm any familiar land on my <Map> clearly indicates that this is a different place from our continent."

To be precise, it is very likely that it is not just a different continent but a different world, but he deliberately did not mention it. There was no need to exaggerate the problem and cause confusion. The important thing was to convey that they were in a state of isolation and that cautious action was required.

However, the army commanders showed a somewhat puzzled expression. The relatively restless Seventh Army Commander, in particular, was looking at the other army commanders' faces.

...Did I say something strange?

"What's the matter? Is there something you want to ask? This is a time to share information. If you have any questions, speak up. There's no need to be reserved."

The army commanders, who were allowed to speak to the king, looked at each other while kneeling.

After a while, Rieve spoke as a representative.

"May I ask, what are <Virtual Windows> and <Map>?"

It was an unexpected question.

Herian had mentioned them as a matter of course, but perhaps they did not have the concept of <Virtual Windows> or <Map>.

"<Virtual Windows> are... well, like screens that only I can see. During speeches, I use a projection orb to display images in the air, right? I use such a 'screen' to exercise various functions.

<The Map> is one of the pieces of information I can refer to from the <Virtual Window>. It is a 'special map.' This map is updated in real time based on the information you gather. This way, I can accurately grasp geographical information, the positions of allies and enemies, and my current location."

Oh...! A murmur of voices echoed through the audience chamber.

It seemed to Herian that the army commanders' gazes on him were particularly intense.

...These are basic abilities of a player, so it's a bit of a problem to be looked at like this.

Moreover, how had the fact that he could grasp the enemy's position during exploration been interpreted?

Perhaps they thought he had sensory organs as keen as Rieve's sense of smell or Eltina's hearing. Such a feat was absolutely impossible for a human like Herian.

"...Anyway, when I checked the <Map>, I found no geographical information outside the capital. The <Map>, which was supposed to provide detailed geographical information of the entire continent until the other day, had suddenly turned blank. If we were somewhere on the continent we were on, this would not be the case. This is proof that we have been transferred to a completely different place."

"Indeed, I understand. I was aware that you possessed several powers, but to be able to share a glimpse of your secret arts with us... it is an honor."

"...Yes."

What, what's going on?

Was it not only the <Virtual Window> and <Map>, but also the king's abilities in general that were not supposed to be explained to anyone? At least, they should have known about status enhancement and <Secret Arts>...

（No, perhaps... the king's abilities have never been explained, so they don't know about them?）

Status enhancement and <Secret Arts> directly affected the monsters, so they could experience their existence, but they might not know about abilities that did not affect the monsters.

In the game era, in [Tactics Chronicle], he had never explained the basic functions such as the virtual window, logout, and chat to the monsters. In fact, there was no need to explain them. Therefore, it made sense that the <Map> was an unknown ability to them.

To begin with, it would be too lonely to explain the king's abilities to NPCs in detail. If there were such a lonely player, he would want to tell them to properly interact with other humans since it was an online game.

In short, it seemed that the unknown abilities of the king were revealed to the army commanders for the first time. Their surprise was due to this background. It seemed that the image of Herian among the eight army commanders had a secretive aspect.

"Well, that's fine. I believe you understand that this is not the land we know. Next, I will share the information we obtained from the half-elves' country, Lastwood."

Noblewood, where many pure-blooded elves with strong pure-bloodism live.

Lastwood, a small country formed by half-elves who are discriminated against and other minor races.

He informed them that these two countries were at war, and Lastwood was in an overwhelmingly disadvantageous situation due to a surprise attack by Noblewood without a declaration of war.

Also, they had been attacked by elves belonging to Noblewood but had only driven them away, so they had not yet entered a decisive hostile relationship.

He had met Reifa, the leader of Lastwood.

They had managed to build a generally good relationship with Lastwood, but due to a rebellion, they had to leave in a hurry, so there was a possibility that they had been suspected of something unfavorable.

"We have obtained various information from them, but it is not enough. Most importantly, we have no information on whether there are any forces around us that can resist us."

It was clear that Lastwood could be dealt with by Alkymaira's current military strength, but they had no idea how much military power Noblewood possessed.

They had also learned that there were other elven countries and human cities, but they had not even made contact with them, let alone knowing their size or location.

"This is a serious situation. It is clear that we need more information to determine our position and long-term policies."

While explaining the situation, he observed the reactions of the commanders.

He deliberately spoke in a somewhat dramatic manner as part of his speech practice, but the reactions of the eight army commanders were not bad so far. By "not bad," he meant that they were not giving him suspicious looks, and he thought he was doing a good job. He wanted to think so.

"Next, I will discuss our short-term policies. However, there is not much change from the other day. We will strengthen the country's defenses while gathering information without letting the surrounding forces detect our presence. Is that clear?"

There was no negative response.

The eight army commanders nodded in silence.

"Good. Now, regarding the operation of the army commanders and each army... Second Army Commander."

"Ha!"

"How is the security situation? I have received reports that it is calm for now, but I would like to hear your opinion."

"Ha. There was a temporary confusion due to the rebellion the other day, but after the suppression of the rebellion and the report of the aftermath, the situation has calmed down. In fact, the fate of the rebels has served as a good deterrent, and after the suppression, minor conflicts have completely ceased. Furthermore, the opening of the castle's storage by the lord has solved the food problem, and the people's lives are guaranteed for the time being, so there is no immediate risk of problems."

The <storage> is a magical item with sub-space storage capabilities, similar to a <Bag of Holding>. The castle's <storage> contained enough food to last a year of siege. He had opened part of it to the people.

The <storage> has a drawback in that it cannot be carried around—it is a stationary item that cannot be moved—but its storage capacity far exceeds that of a <Bag of Holding>.

Moreover, the castle's <storage> was a product of Alkymaira's best technology, and it was naturally equipped with preservation spells. Therefore, there was no need to worry about the contents spoiling for the time being. The food reserves prepared for emergencies had come in handy.

"However, I am somewhat concerned about the stress of the people and the army. From the behavior of my subordinates, it seems that the source of stress is the fact that we are in a situation where we cannot solve major problems with our own strength.

Until now, the crises our country has faced were all things that we had to solve with our own strength. In that sense, this transfer problem is different."

"......I see."

The essence of monsters is the worship of power.

Even the citizens of Alkymaira are no different in this regard.

However, on top of this essence, there is the discipline of Alkymaira, which has created a moral code that draws a line between the law of the jungle.

This was confirmed in the conversation with Rieve earlier, but the fact that they were in a situation where they could not solve problems with their own strength was a source of stress for the monsters, to a greater or lesser extent.

If there was a clear path to solving the problem, the outcome would be different, but without a clear policy from the country to resolve the situation, it was understandable.

He had heard that something similar happened in Japan when it suffered a major disaster.

When the situation cannot be resolved and one is exposed to a situation where one's own strength cannot solve the problem for a long time, stress increases at an accelerating rate.

It might not be a problem right away, but the longer the situation drags on, the more serious the problem will become.

"Also, there is a housing problem. While the citizens who originally lived in the capital are fine, those who gathered for the founding celebration have no place to stay."

He had received similar reports from the Sixth Army, which was in charge of intelligence.

Ordinary inns were already full, and the military camps that were originally available had far exceeded their capacity.

"Those without a place to stay have been taking turns on night patrols and getting some sleep, but this has also become a source of stress.

Of course, as Alkymaira's monsters, we can camp out for months if we want to, but given the many other stressful issues, some action needs to be taken..."

"Hmm. Is there anything else?"

"No, that is all of my opinion."

The housing problem could be addressed.

Since the transfer problem itself could not be solved immediately, he agreed with Baran that other sources of stress should be eliminated as much as possible.

Building temporary camps would be a temporary solution, but who would be in charge of it...

"Gardie"

"...Ha"

Gardie, the Fifth Army Commander, bowed his head in response.

His voice lacked energy, and he seemed dejected.

"Thank you for your hard work in suppressing the rebellion the other day."

He started with words of appreciation.

It might be a small thing, but it was important for smooth communication between superiors and subordinates, so a professor who loved trivia had said.

"...No, not at all. On the contrary, I let the general die without a fight. There's no excuse. I'm prepared for severe punishment."

"Is that so. Then I will impose a punishment."

He deliberately maintained a calm attitude.

He moistened his lips with his tongue and then said in one breath.

"The Fifth Army Commander and the Fifth Army will start building temporary camps under the command of the Seventh Army Commander. In case of security issues, you will temporarily come under the command of the Second Army and follow the Second Army Commander's instructions. ...I know you may have something to say about being under the command of another army commander, even temporarily, but I order you to do this as a punishment. Understand?"

"Wha...?"

Gardie's face shot up in surprise.

...Oh no. Was the punishment too severe?

He did not say that the incident was unavoidable, but he understood that it was a very difficult situation to handle.

However, as a king, he thought it was necessary to show a clear stance of rewarding merit and punishing faults, so he deliberately imposed a punishment. On the other hand, he tried to think of a relatively light punishment that would not be unreasonable.

But what was Gardie's reaction?

He looked as if he had been hit with something completely unexpected.

Perhaps, being placed under the command of another army commander, despite being an army commander himself, was a humiliation that went against the pride of a monster.

He was driven to retract his previous statement, but once he had announced it,