Chapter 40

・I will post two chapters on February 16th.

"Each of the army commanders is present."

In the audience chamber.

Seated on a luxurious chair, Helian faced the army commanders who knelt and bowed their heads.

The First Army Commander, whose primary duty is to assist the king.

The Second Army Commander, who is responsible for maintaining public order.

And the Sixth Army Commander, who handles intelligence activities and sabotage.

Only these three army commanders were summoned this time.

Eltina, who handles internal affairs, was also needed, but she was in the midst of a heavy workload, and it was hesitant to summon her. Well, as long as Reeve is here, it shouldn't be much of a problem.

"You have worked hard. Raise your visors."

With the king's permission, the three army commanders looked at Helian.

A few days ago, he might have been intimidated, but now he managed to maintain his composure.

Not as vividly as Lilifa, but he had switched to his "king mode." By reminding himself that he was the king, the words came out more smoothly than last time.

"I appreciate you gathering on such short notice despite your busy schedules. However, I have no intention of wasting your valuable time. Shall we get straight to the point?"

The three army commanders responded with a crisp "Hai."

As always, it sounded like they had practiced in unison.

"First, let's review the current situation. Balan, how is the public order?"

"Hai. There are no issues. The speech you gave has alleviated the people's concerns, and the stress within the military has been eliminated due to our recent victory in the war. The new arrivals, who were once a cause for concern, have already been dealt with, and there are no immediate concerns."

Helian nodded in silence.

While he had expected as much, it was reassuring to hear it from Balan himself.

"Next, Camilla, how is the situation with Noblewood?"

"Everything is proceeding smoothly according to your strategy. Their homeland is completely unaware of the annihilation of the vanguard. The preparations for the right moment to reveal the truth were completed just the other day."

As always, she works quickly.

To justify the "annihilation of the Noblewood forces" while keeping Alkymaira hidden, a significant amount of preparation was necessary. Camilla was responsible for this intelligence operation.

Her Sixth Army, though small in number—[Tactics Chronicle] has a limit on the number of spy units—performed admirably due to their expertise.

"By the way, have you heard anything about the Seventh Army Commander dispatched to Latestwood?"

He was sent to provide a reason and to support the reconstruction of Latestwood, but he was a difficult commander to handle in a different way from Nogard. As can be inferred from his [Character Traits], he is a rather unconventional person.

However, that was also why he was sent to Latestwood.

"He's as unpredictable as ever... but I believe he's within acceptable limits."

It's a rather ambiguous statement, but there's nothing to be done about it.

As long as he doesn't cause any major problems, it's fine.

Next.

"Hmm. Lastly, Reeve, I would like to hear your report on other domestic issues."

"Hai. Regarding the Abyssal Forest, we are currently waiting for analysis and avoiding interference. The necessary logging for development is being supervised by the Fourth Army, but the true nature of the Abyssal Forest remains a mystery even with our nation's magical science. I believe it would not be too late to explore the deeper parts of the forest after the analysis is complete."

"I agree. While we have achieved a great victory in the recent war and secretly gained a base of operations in the forest, our nation has also suffered a significant blow due to the transfer phenomenon."

It's better not to touch what you don't understand.

We need to continue investigating the mysterious transfer phenomenon, but it's not too late to make progress in the analysis of the Abyssal Forest.

Alkymaira is currently isolated and cannot easily replenish its lost forces. Given the uncertain future, it's not wise to take rash actions during the reconstruction phase.

"I understand. Regarding the military personnel of the Eight Great Armies, we are focusing on reconstruction and development while maintaining necessary defensive forces. While immediate results are not expected, the projects are starting to take off according to your plan."

Most importantly, we need to ensure the people have enough food.

With only a year's worth of food reserves and no guarantee of returning to our original world within a year, increasing food self-sufficiency is a top priority.

For Alkymaira, which has lost its bases outside the capital, the military is a valuable labor force. Apart from maintaining a certain level of defensive forces, the manpower of the military must be redirected to these efforts.

Thanks to the low barrier between military and civilian life in the monster nation, the soldiers are actively engaged in development projects.

"There are no additional comments from me regarding public order and the Noblewood situation, as the reports from the Second and Sixth Army Commanders are accurate. While there are some minor concerns, there are no major issues as mentioned."

"Understood..."

Helian's thoughtful murmur created a tense atmosphere in the audience chamber. After a moment, he spoke.

"---In summary, domestic issues have shown a certain level of stability."

There were no objections from the three army commanders.

"For the time being, the armies cannot move freely. Given the deep wounds inflicted by the transfer phenomenon, Alkymaira must focus on consolidating its foundation. Moreover, given our current advantage of keeping our existence hidden, it would be unwise to act rashly."

There were no objections.

"On the other hand, once the domestic situation stabilizes, we should start moving towards our long-term strategic goal of returning to our original world. However, this is based on the current situation where the armies cannot move freely."

There were no objections.

"---With that in mind, I will state the following. To establish a foothold for a thorough investigation of this world, we will set up a new base outside.

To that end, I will personally lead a very small expedition to the 'Border City' and begin the necessary activities."

At these words, one of the three army commanders showed a clear reaction.

His ears perked up, as if he couldn't miss a word.

"Do you have something to say, Reeve?"

When asked, the wolf-eared army commander prefaced his response with "With all due respect" and met Helian's gaze.

"By setting up a new base outside, do you mean that the goal is to install a [Transfer Gate]?"

"For the time being, that is the goal. In the future, large-scale information gathering will be led by Camilla's Sixth Army, but the human settlements are quite a distance away. It is self-evident that an external base of operations is necessary."

Moreover, the Sixth Army is primarily focused on human intelligence activities.

Their expertise lies in this area, and they are not well-suited for exploring uncharted territories or gathering information without human intermediaries.

During a previous audience, I made an imprudent statement about the deployment of the Sixth Army, but I won't make the same mistake. The Sixth Army will begin operations after the base is established. Until then, they will focus on the Noblewood situation.

Incidentally, gathering information from the elves who live in the forest will be a topic for discussion after the Noblewood issue is resolved. Geographically, Noblewood serves as a barrier to other elven nations.

"However, there is a significant risk in you personally going abroad. I suggest that you leave the external activities to us and remain in the castle, Your Majesty."

"No, that's not the case, Reeve. I must go myself. To install a [Transfer Gate], we need to gain a certain level of [Control] in the target area, but we cannot resort to military conquest like in Latestwood. To gain [Control] peacefully, I must go there myself."

There are two main methods to install a [Transfer Gate].

One is to forcibly bring the target area under control by defeating enemy forces or seizing symbols of the area.

This method was used to install the [Transfer Gate] in the capital of Latestwood.

The other is to increase [Control] in the target area to a certain level. [Control] can be gained without military action.

A typical method is for the king to stay in the target area, which gradually increases [Control]. Economic and cultural activities can also enhance [Control] by increasing the influence of our forces in the area.

In old simulation games, experienced players referred to the first method as "military conquest" and the second as "cultural conquest."

The method Helian is about to use is the latter, "cultural conquest."

"Moreover, I must show the people of Alkymaira our stance. I am the king of Alkymaira. While some kings are content to sit on the throne and give orders, I have always led from the front and shown my back to the people.

Now, I must show them that there is nothing to worry about, that nothing has changed, and that they can face difficulties with confidence. I must demonstrate this attitude by going on this expedition."

Helian delivered his prepared speech as if it were a decisive moment.

The army commanders, upon hearing his words, involuntarily held their breath. After a few seconds, Reeve's murmur, "To that extent..." reached Helian's ears.

"---I understand your intention. I apologize for my impertinent suggestion, which failed to grasp your resolve."

"It's fine. I understand that your suggestion was out of concern for me. I appreciate your loyalty."

Helian nodded to Reeve, showing his magnanimity.

Internally, Helian was elated.

(Yes!)

He secretly made a fist.

This would allow him to disguise himself as a merchant and practice negotiation skills.

The reasons he stated were true, but his personal goal was to improve his negotiation skills.

Negotiation is an essential part of a merchant's activities.

There are times when negotiations involve the lives of thousands of people.

Merchants who have lived in such a world should have high negotiation skills.

Negotiation training in a business setting is perfect for developing the basic skills needed.

Moreover, Helian's ultimate goal is to return to the real world.

His aim is not to turn Alkymaira into a great nation like in [Tactics Chronicle], nor does he have any intention of conquering this world.

If he were to walk the path of a conqueror, it would be a different story, but initiating military action to gain an external base is out of the question.

This plan is an effective move to find a way to return, allows him to practice negotiation skills, and even gives him the opportunity to show the people of Alkymaira as the King of Demons. He felt it was a good idea.

The army commanders, unaware of Helian's inner thoughts, looked at him with admiration.

While he wasn't lying, Helian felt a slight sense of guilt at their gaze but held his ground.

"The heroic figure who always leads from the front for the people. I am truly impressed."

"..."

He nodded graciously.

However, Reeve's words stuck in his mind.

("Always"...?)

A bad feeling arose.

Had he just committed himself to always leading from the front?

(...No, there were already signs of this. I would have ended up in this position anyway.)

Yes, that's right.

It just feels like he has made it definitive.

"..."

...Well, it's fine.

This was bound to happen eventually.

If he can approach it as a decision he made himself rather than being pushed by others, his resolve will be different.

"Then, I will announce the personnel who will serve as my attendants on the expedition."

The intensity of the army commanders' gazes increased as he spoke.

Despite their eager looks, Helian calmly announced the names of his attendants.

・The next chapter will be posted at [20:00 today].