Chapter 30

---

When he awoke, the ceiling, adorned with intricate gold filigree and a sophisticated design, came into view.

"...I know this ceiling, don't I?"

Depicted there was a scene of a king flanked by eight monsters, each backed by an army. It was a ceiling painting that had been skillfully processed to resemble a photograph taken after the battle that decided the ruler of the world. This was one of the rooms in the castle of Alkymaira, the king's bedroom.

"Why am I here...?"

As he tried to sit up, a wave of fatigue hit him. Then came dizziness, and his vision swayed. Unable to bear it, he lay back down on the bed.

"...I must have passed out."

Gradually, he began to remember. The suppression of the Noblewood forces. The recapture of the capital of Lastwood. The treatment of the wounded who had injuries that wouldn't heal. The resolution of the agreements between nations and the rough post-war processing. The last thing he remembered was that.

Checking the clock on the virtual window, it was almost noon the next day. It seemed he had been unconscious for more than half a day.

"Disgusting."

Driven by the desire to wash away the unpleasant feeling, he reached for the water pitcher on the side table. Pouring the contents into a gold-embossed cup, he drank it in one gulp. His thirst was quenched, but the bad feeling didn't go away. However,

"...Can I move?"

A sudden question. Indeed, he felt unwell, but it wasn't to the point where he couldn't move.

Recalling his condition before he passed out, it was puzzling that he was only experiencing this level of discomfort. Using potions to forcefully perform the "Secret Art" repeatedly, his body should have been under considerable strain. It would be normal to be bedridden for a few days.

Glancing at the side table where the water pitcher was placed, he noticed two notes. Since only Reeve could enter this bedroom without the king's permission, she must have left them.

Picking up the first note, he saw a message written in neat handwriting. After reading its contents, he understood why his condition had improved to this extent.

"The 'Holy Water of the World Tree'... That makes sense."

It was an extremely rare item, of which even the superpower Alkymaira only had three. This item could resolve all status abnormalities and fully restore all abilities, but it was so difficult to obtain that it had even become a topic of conversation. It could be obtained occasionally during the "God's Trial" event, but even a moderately powerful nation couldn't avoid losing some of its forces, and some countries lost nearly a third of their forces in their pursuit of it.

In the game, only the player could use the "Holy Water of the World Tree," but it seemed Reeve had taken it from the treasure vault and used it on Helian. The note stated that she would accept any punishment for using it without permission, but he couldn't bring himself to blame her.

It was indeed a rare item, but it must have been that Helian's condition was so critical that she had no choice but to use it without permission.

Reading the second note, it said, "I will handle as many of the king's duties as possible while he is incapacitated." This explained why Reeve wasn't by his side. Unlike during the rebellion, it was right after the war. Although he had declared the completion of the post-war processing, there were still a mountain of detailed preparations and miscellaneous tasks to be done. She was taking care of some of those tasks.

The idea of entrusting his work to someone else made him feel uneasy by reflex. But recalling how Reeve, a close advisor to the king, and Eltina, the internal affairs manager, handled some of the player's duties in the game, he shook off his unease.

Only the player could make important decisions, but there were trivial matters that didn't require the player's judgment, and they handled those. So, it should be fine to leave it to them this time. While it was dangerous to make decisions based solely on the events of the game, he trusted that they would be fine. First and foremost, Helian himself was not in a state to handle government affairs.

"..."

He slowly got up, threw off his nightgown as if peeling it off, and tossed it onto the bed. He took out his usual clothes from the closet, changed into them, and, holding a gray hooded robe—tabard robe—that he usually didn't wear, he left the room.

"Is this... our king...! Have you awakened?"

The guards waiting at the door saluted in unison. The rows of magic armor knights saluting in perfect unison created a sense of pressure.

"Yes... I'm going out."

"Your condition... No, I apologize. I will provide your protection."

"No, it's not necessary. I have some things to think about."

"But, but..."

"It's fine. It's an order from the king. If Reeve or Baran complain, tell them I strongly ordered it."

As he walked, he deflected the situation with a casual excuse. The magic armor knights, having been told it was an order from the king, could not follow and stopped. Helian turned the corner of the corridor, put on the gray robe, and hid his face.

A single sound of footsteps echoed mechanically in the empty corridor, moving away from the castle. There was no sign of the king, only an anonymous figure walking alone. The footsteps descended the grand staircase, passed through the entrance, the garden, and under the castle gate, moving away from the castle.

---

The king had fled the castle.

---

The town was filled with excitement.

In Alkymaira, where the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter were met, and a safe night was promised, many citizens lived happily. However, as monsters, they still possessed a certain level of combat instinct. Enjoying peace alone would eventually make them feel unsatisfied, and the unprecedented crisis of being transferred to an unknown land had left many citizens stressed.

Then came the order for a full-scale military deployment, and the dream stage of the king leading the entire army himself. It was only natural that the monsters, eager to show their prowess, would charge forward and vent their frustrations. The result was a stronghold in a different world and a resounding victory, a fact to be proud of.

The citizens welcomed the returning army with loud cheers and a shower of flowers. The victorious soldiers, proud and chest puffed out, basked in the rain of applause and cheers.

Had she been waiting there all along? The flower fairy woman, spotting her lover among the soldiers passing through the triumphal arch, ran up to him. The young demon, after a gentle embrace, received a handmade wreath and was subjected to teasing and envy from the surrounding soldiers.

Hearing the mixed jeers and curses, the young demon kissed his lover's cheek, showing it off to the crowd. The women let out high-pitched cheers, while the men grumbled.

Holding his blushing lover's shoulder, the young demon, with a smug smile, was punched by a blue demon, who looked as if he might cry blood.

In retaliation, the flower fairy woman delivered a sharp slap to the blue demon. Surprisingly, her slap seemed to penetrate the blue demon's defenses, leaving a red mark on his cheek.

The onlookers, pointing and laughing, started a makeshift betting ring, collecting wagers from the audience.

Everyone was laughing, including the brawlers themselves. Initially, they had shown anger, but now they were exchanging blows and laughing. The citizens and soldiers present clinked their mugs and started drinking, using the brawl as a side dish.

Even the second army's patrol team, known for their strict discipline, only warned, "Keep it down," and "Cheers!" echoed throughout the town.

---

Amidst this, Helian was seen wandering aimlessly, his head hung low.

His expression was dark and heavy. Many people looked at him curiously, but despite the king being in the town, there was no commotion.

This was thanks to the effect of the gray robe he was wearing. The gray robe, a rare player-only item in [Tactics Chronicle], had a powerful deception magic that distorted the perception of those who saw it. It was provided by the game operators for the king to inspect the town incognito, and thanks to this robe, Helian could wander the town without being recognized.

"..."

How long had he been walking? He had no destination in mind. He just wanted to escape the castle, a symbol of his kingship.

He would be calmer by the next day. Unfortunately, he clearly remembered the events of the previous day, and those memories were tormenting him.

It was inevitable. He had no choice but to use force. They were beasts that harmed humans. He had only saved the suffering half-elf.

He tried to convince himself of this, but even if the enemies he defeated were beasts that didn't consider humans as equals, they still had human-like forms. As a conscientious Japanese person, he felt some guilt.

--- But the monsters before him, rejoicing, showed no such guilt.

They vividly described the defeat of the Noblewood soldiers, proudly displaying the weapons that had taken their lives, and the audience, regardless of age, listened with joy. It felt like he was being shown the decisive difference between humans and monsters.

As the king of these monsters, Helian would have to continue leading the country. He had to ensure the happiness of his citizens, maintain a strong stance in diplomacy with other forces, and lead his people in war if necessary. He had to be a king worthy of the title "King of All Demons."

"...It's impossible."

His speech the other day had indeed won the people's support. The response was beyond his expectations, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he had gained overwhelming support.

But if asked whether it was due to his charisma as a king, Helian would shake his head. The citizens had shown their approval with enthusiasm, but he interpreted it as a success because it appealed to the monsters' combat instincts. He didn't believe he, a mere game-loving student, had any charisma.

Then, was there no choice but to continue fighting?

No, that was out of the question. He could deceive himself this time by pretending it was a beast extermination, but it was unlikely that all the other forces Alkymaira would encounter in the future would be such heretics.

The fact that they had achieved a decisive victory over the enemy forces confirmed that their military power was high in this different world, but he had no intention of becoming a tyrant. He was against the idea of using force as the first option.

However, if he wanted to remain king without fighting, he would have to either possess the charisma to win the people's support even while opposing war, or demonstrate excellent leadership and political skills. But Helian was just an ordinary Japanese person, a mere student. Politics and statecraft were far outside his expertise. It was impossible.

"Come on... I'm just a student. I can't do politics... How did I end up in this situation..."

If he didn't act like a king, he would eventually lose the people's trust and face rebellion. If he were to be betrayed, there would be no way for the vulnerable human Helian to resist. Therefore, he would have to continue showing the image of the King of All Demons.

But he had almost no diplomatic skills. The knowledge he gained from university lectures was just superficial.

"Eventually, my facade will fall apart. When it does, I'll be abandoned... If I'm abandoned, I'll be betrayed and killed..."

He was aware that his thoughts were stuck in a negative loop. But there was no one to consult. He couldn't even talk about this to Reeve.

There was no one who understood. In Alkymaira, with over 100,000 citizens, he was the only human.

There was no way to return to the real world. He didn't even know if such a method existed.

But even living as a human in this world was difficult. In a land infested with monsters, he couldn't survive without relying on the power of the monsters. Even if he managed to escape to a safe place in the forest, the Sixth Army would quickly locate him.

In other words, the option of "giving up on returning to the real world and living in this world" had "Helian continuing as the King of All Demons" as a prerequisite.

"I don't know if I can return to the real world. It's impossible to be an ideal king. I'll be betrayed and killed someday. But if I run, I'll be found easily. If my running is discovered, I'll be disappointed and killed."

He was stuck. He couldn't think of any other way. He felt like screaming.

I'm tired. I'm done. Why do I have to go through this?

He had lived a very ordinary life. He hadn't caused trouble for anyone, hadn't stood in the spotlight, and had lived as a regular person.

But one day, while playing a game as usual, he found himself in a different world. The king of monsters who lived by the law of the jungle. It made no sense. It was ridiculous. It was too unreasonable. There were no family or friends around, no familiar scenery. The sky wasn't even the same as in Japan.

"Why... Why did this happen... Why am I in a different world..."

His weak mutterings were lost in the crowd. He continued to wander aimlessly, forgetting where he had been, until he reached a corner of the town.

Looking up, he saw a sign with a picture of "overflowing beer." It was a mark for a tavern, used since the time when many people couldn't read.

The building with the sign was unusually old. The plaster on the walls was peeling in places, and the walls, which had been repaired and patched many times, had a mosaic pattern. The building, proud of its age, looked like a perfect dive bar.

"...Beer, huh?"

Helian had never drunk alcohol. When he joined a university club, he was offered a drink as a matter of course, but he firmly refused. The seniors were unhappy with a new member who refused to drink at a welcome party, but he thought it was wrong to drink as a minor.

He was called a stiff, but he believed in following the rules. He might not be a great person, but he tried to be a good person who followed the law.

But perhaps he didn't have to follow Japanese laws in this world. He had heard that drinking could help him forget unpleasant things. Driven by a reckless mood, he pushed open the tavern door.

As soon as he entered, he was greeted by a strong smell of alcohol, the fragrant aroma of grilled meat, and the sight of monsters clinking their mugs. In this tavern, dwarves and elves, who were usually at odds, were toasting with their arms around each other, and a halfling was standing on a giant's shoulder, waving and smiling. The returning monsters seemed to be in high spirits in this tavern as well.

Some of the customers were sprawled out. The one with a bruise on his right eye was probably a loser in a fight. Avoiding a dwarf who was sleeping happily with a bottle in his arms, Helian looked for an empty seat. Even in this dive bar, it seemed to be a busy day, and