Chapter 6

The king left the audience chamber.

However, even after the sound of his footsteps faded away, the four legion commanders continued to bow their heads without moving. After about ten more seconds, they let out a deep sigh and resumed their breathing.

Helian was indeed overwhelmed by the tension.

But in fact, the same was true for the lined-up legion commanders.

After all, the one who had just been here was the sole and absolute ruler of Alkymaira, the country inhabited by demons.

Moreover, while Leive, who was close to the king, was one thing, the other legion commanders had few opportunities to speak directly with the king. The sixth legion commander, who was stationed in a satellite city, had not seen the king in person for several years. It was understandable that they would be tense.

As they relaxed their bodies, each of them began to release their posture of submission.

Then, the sixth legion commander, Camilla, let out a sultry sigh and spoke up.

"Well, I was tense, but our lord is indeed impressive. I would have liked to talk more if it weren't for such a situation."

Recalling the memory of the audience just now, Camilla brought to mind the image of her beloved king and wore a blissful expression.

"That's inappropriate, Sixth Legion Commander."

"That's why I said 'if it weren't for such a situation,' you stonehead."

Balang, the second legion commander, scolded her as if to pour cold water on her.

He was a beast-type monster with a lion's head, known for his characteristics of being [serious] and [stubborn], and was recognized as a 'stern man.' 'His armor is as stiff as he is,' a certain legion commander who was not present here once said.

He was a middle-aged man with a dignified presence suitable for leading the knights, but his inflexibility was a flaw.

"First of all, you three who are permanently stationed in the capital are probably used to audiences with our lord, but it's been three years since I had the honor of paying homage to him. I think it's only natural to savor the afterglow a little."

"His Majesty chose us three to be the permanent legion commanders in the capital for a reason. The other legion commanders have various quirks. The only ones who are easy for His Majesty to manage and are proper legion commanders are us, the 'Three of the Beginning.'"

The "Three of the Beginning" that Balang mentioned were the three initial monsters that Helian had brought when the game started.

In the game [Tactics Chronicle], when a player starts, they are given three initial monsters. This is similar to a gacha, and the monsters are randomly selected, so it's unknown what kind of monsters will be given.

In Helian's case, the composition was one small wolf beast, one low-level magic cat, and one elf. The elf was a rare race, but the other two were low-level races with ordinary abilities.

However, he had a fondness for the first three and diligently raised them, evolving them into first-class monsters. Now, they are the highest-ranking races, [Moon Wolf], [Sword Lion], and [Ancient Elf], and serve as legion commanders.

Helian gave these three well-grown monsters the grand nickname "Three of the Beginning." He even registered this nickname in the game's dictionary function to make it recognizable by the AI.

"Hmph. Don't call yourself 'proper.' You, being a man, wouldn't know, but from what I know, Leive's tastes and preferences are not exactly normal. Eltina is also suspicious."

"Excuse me, what do you mean by that, Camilla?"

The one who asked in a calm tone was the third legion commander, Eltina.

She had a gentle atmosphere and possessed the character traits of [kindness] and [cooperative], making her a "kind older sister" who mediated between the various legion commanders with strong personalities.

She was wrapped in a flowing white cowl, and the skin exposed from it was as white and translucent as the cowl itself.

Her elf-like, well-proportioned face and demeanor were already in the realm of beauty, but her [dignity] trait further enhanced it. Even if she were of the same elf race, one would sigh in admiration at her beauty.

She took out two cushions from somewhere and slowly laid them on the floor.

"What do you mean by that—"

"Seiza."

"Huh?"

"Seiza, Camilla."

She sat seiza on the cushion herself and tapped the cushion opposite her as if scolding a child. Her expression remained a loving smile.

"…Why seiza?"

"Just do it, Camilla."

"No, but—'Camilla?'"

With a smile, Eltina called her colleague's name.

"……"

A moment of silence.

Feeling an indescribable pressure, Camilla quietly sat seiza opposite her.

Eltina was the kindest person among the eight legion commanders.

At the same time, she was also the one who should not be angered the most among the eight legion commanders.

"Come, let's talk, Camilla. What about me is suspicious?"

"Well, nothing in particular… You like girls, don't you?"

"That's a misleading way to put it. I like men, too. I just happen to like girls as well."

"At that point, it's no longer normal… No, I understand the situation from a professional standpoint, but compared to general common sense—"

"No, that's not true. It's normal. It's very common for girls to deepen their bonds. As proof, His Majesty once mentioned something like that."

"Huh? Our lord did?"

Camilla latched onto the information about her beloved lord.

If Helian were present, he would probably say, "No, no, that was just me going along with the 18+ game that the neighboring country's king recommended, I wasn't serious…!" But fortunately or unfortunately, he was not present.

Therefore, Camilla, who harbored feelings for the king beyond mere loyalty, seriously made a mental note about the king's tastes and preferences.

Balang, who was listening on the side, also overwrote his own common sense with "If His Majesty says so, it must be true." In this country, for better or worse, Helian was the law.

"Besides, Camilla.

The expression of a girl on the verge of tears is very precious, you know?"

"…Huh?"

Camilla, who had finished her note, tilted her head.

She sensed something ominous.

"Of course, I don't want to see anyone cry.

There's nothing more heartbreaking than a girl crying…"

Eltina, looking down, placed her hand on her chest and whispered as if in prayer. Her expression, as she spoke with a worried face, was that of a holy mother.

"If there's a girl crying within reach, I would use all the power I can to stop her tears with all my might. I truly think that."

"Umm, yes."

"But the expression of a girl on the verge of tears—what you might call 'half-crying'—is very endearing. It makes me want to stop her tears, to hug and comfort her… and most of all, to keep watching that adorable face forever."

The holy mother continued with a loving smile, saying, "Because,"

"There's no cuter creature in this world than a 'half-crying' girl."

It was a definitive statement.

A heartfelt word without any hesitation.

Camilla, facing the holy mother's smile, froze for a moment.

"……"

"Normal?" She glanced at Balan, who was desperately avoiding her gaze.

"Anyway, it's been unusually quiet, Leive. Is something bothering you?"

Ignoring Camilla's muttered "You're running away," Balan shifted the focus to his colleague.

"…? Hey, Leive. Can you hear me?"

"Huh? Oh…"

But her response was unusually slow, and she seemed distracted.

Balang had turned to her out of instinct, but he was puzzled by her unexpected slowness.

Come to think of it, she had also been unresponsive when Camilla mentioned Leive's tastes and preferences earlier. Given Leive's personality, that was strange. She should have at least countered with some argument.

The legion commanders, now suspicious, focused their attention on Leive.

"Is something wrong, Leive? Are you feeling unwell?"

"No… It's about the foreign investigation. I can't help but be hung up on what His Majesty said."

"…So you felt the same way, too?"

Eltina, tightening her gentle expression, thought. His Majesty's words must have meant that, after all.

"If you two agree, it's not just my imagination."

"Indeed, it seems to be that. It's typical of His Majesty, but…"

"If it's something His Majesty has decided, we must follow."

We need to select specialized personnel for the investigation as soon as possible, Camilla muttered as she stood up.

"By the way, Leive and Eltina, and you, Balan. Is it okay to stay here? You need to prepare for the farewell ceremony, don't you?"

"Hmm. You're right. We need to hurry."

"During this time, I'll send a bat to the fifth legion commander to take over the command of maintaining order. Is that alright, General Commander?"

"Yes, I permit it."

Leive, who held the position of General Commander of the eight legion commanders, nodded in response.

She was the leader of the first legion but also served as the General Commander.

The first legion, a small, elite unit with the primary task of assisting the king, was not very large.

Since her legion was relatively small and the deputy commander handled the practical command, she was not often occupied with her own legion's operations.

"Then I'll start the preparations right away. I can't stay in the ceremonial gear after the farewell, so please estimate the time a bit more generously."

"I understand that much. Don't worry so much."

Ignoring the annoyed Camilla, Balan left the audience chamber quickly.

Camilla also dissolved her body into mist and melted into the air, heading to her legion to relay the message to the fifth legion commander.

"Come, let's hurry, Leive."

"Agreed."

The two, who had received the king's command, headed to the treasure vault where important equipment was stored to prepare for the foreign investigation.

As they walked down the corridor of the castle, which was empty except for them, Leive suddenly spoke.

"…Eltina, to be honest, I was concerned that His Majesty was not in his usual state. I thought he might be confused by the unprecedented situation of the entire capital being transferred."

"It's understandable. We were all stunned. Even the eighth legion commander, who is usually so composed, was shocked. It's only natural for His Majesty to be affected."

"No, that's not it, Eltina."

Leive shook her head and answered.

With a confessional tone, she told Eltina:

"His Majesty was calm even right after the transfer. As proof, despite the sudden transfer, he gave appropriate instructions to each legion one after another and gave me a directive that served as a guideline, even though I was panicking. Without that, I would have been unable to do anything for a while or might have done something rash. In fact, when His Majesty collapsed in the office, I caused a commotion and incurred His Majesty's displeasure."

It was a bitter memory.

She had never been yelled at by the king except in dire battlefield situations.

That alone gave her a significant shock from the incident in the office earlier.

"But His Majesty, no matter what situation he was in, was still a great king. I had forgotten that. He is the Demon King of this country, not just anyone. Therefore, we just need to be the king's pawns. We need to work as a 'force' to clear the path for the king to advance. I finally remembered that from His Majesty's words earlier."

"…Isn't it premature to decide that? His Majesty can also be unwell. When I examined him earlier, he seemed to be under a lot of stress. I don't think it was wrong for you to worry about him."

"Let's talk about that later. I know it's strange for me to bring it up, but… I needed to tell someone. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It's part of my role."

Eltina smiled gently.

Her usual, calming smile that always put people at ease.

I'm glad she's here.

Leive thought deeply and took a deep breath to change her mindset.

"Alright. I'll prepare His Majesty's expedition outfit. This is a direct assault led by the king himself. We need to be prepared, Eltina."

"Yes. Since we don't know the threats outside, we need to be ready to protect His Majesty if necessary. But let's also work hard to ensure everyone returns safely. Let's do our best, Leive."

Thus, the two, with a deeper shared understanding, proceeded with the preparations for the "investigation team led by the king himself," their expressions filled with resolve.