Chapter 68

"Then, I will temporarily return to the homeland. During my absence, I entrust the base construction operations to the two of you. I rely on you to take good care of things while I am away."

Having decided to temporarily return to the homeland, Helian entrusted the on-site command to Ceres and Galdy, and returned to the capital, 'Agartha,' with Reive.

When they had set out for Seals, it had taken a considerable amount of time, but with the use of the transfer gate, the journey was instantaneous.

There had been suggestions to hold a festival to celebrate the king's triumphant return after achieving glorious victories in the expedition, but unfortunately, that would have to wait.

As ancient historical records show, it is also the king's duty to proclaim the new heroic tales he brings back. In 'Tactics Chronicle,' the king's approval rating, morale, and even happiness can be improved by holding appropriate events according to the situation. The meticulous attention to detail in this aspect has led players to collectively refer to the developers as perverts.

However, this return was for a more urgent task. The festival could be held after completing that task. As soon as Helian was transferred to Agartha, he immediately headed to a room in the castle with Reive.

"It's been a while, everyone."

The place where Helian and Reive, along with a few other attendees, gathered was the First Conference Room, located at the far end of the area where many conference rooms were concentrated. Recently, he had often spoken with the legion commanders in the 'Audience Chamber,' but this time, he decided to use the conference room after considering the attendees and the situation.

In the center of the room was a round table with several chairs. Helian sat in the chair at the far end from the entrance and first offered words of appreciation to the legion commanders who had stood at attention to welcome him.

"Thank you for your hard work. You can relax. I appreciate that you have been fulfilling your duties well in my absence."

Apart from Helian and Reive, there were four other attendees.

Second Legion Commander Baran, who responded with a serious face, and Third Legion Commander Ertina, who smiled gently. Then, there was Sixth Legion Commander Camilla, dressed in a lustrous outfit, and Merzelle, who attended as the representative of the Seventh Legion Commander, Robin.

The other three responded to the words of appreciation with a certain degree of familiarity, but Merzelle was visibly tense and stiff. Seeing the three others sit down with the king's permission, he hurriedly followed suit.

This was understandable. He was not in a position to attend such meetings. There were not many subordinates who could directly converse with the King of Demons, and if it were a representative from the Seventh Legion, it should have been the legion commander, Robin, who attended. However, Merzelle was chosen as Robin's representative to be present in case of emergencies, as Robin could not leave the field. Merzelle, who often suffered from his direct superior's eccentric behavior, was a hardworking person.

"Merzelle, I've heard that you have been performing your duties well on-site. I imagine it must have been challenging to start formal exchanges with the people of this world, but have you encountered any difficulties?"

"Huh! ...Ah, no, no!"

Merzelle, who had responded instinctively, quickly negated his own answer, which seemed to affirm that he had encountered difficulties. In the process, the shock of standing up too abruptly caused the documents on the table to scatter on the floor. With a bad start to his response, Merzelle's face turned pale as he hurriedly began to pick up the documents.

Helian had already received detailed reports from Baran and Ertina, who were in charge of the capital, Agartha, through regular communications. Therefore, he had planned to hear a report on the situation in Latestwood from Merzelle first...

"...Hmm. It seems there are many issues."

It was clear that he could not start the report in this state. If he did, it would likely lead to a chaotic situation, and it would be too much to burden Merzelle with such a task. As a superior, it was his responsibility to do something to ease the tension of his subordinates.

Thinking this, Helian was about to call out to Merzelle, who was frantically gathering the documents, but then he remembered his failure in Seals and turned his gaze to Ertina.

Ertina, who possessed the trait of 'Harmony,' smiled gently as if she had understood Helian's intention and spoke to Merzelle.

"There's no need to rush, Merzelle. This is not a formal audience."

She then knelt down and began to pick up the scattered documents with Merzelle.

"I understand that you are nervous in front of His Majesty, but this is just a conference room, not an audience chamber. Of course, a minimum of etiquette is necessary, but what we need here is accurate reporting more than perfect manners."

After neatly aligning the gathered papers, Ertina handed them to Merzelle with a smile. As she did so, she gently held Merzelle's hand with her soft, white hands and added a soothing tone to her words.

"Besides, His Majesty is not a petty person who would blame you for a mistake in an unfamiliar setting. Take your time and report calmly."

The gentle words of concern, the warmth felt in the hand, and the loving smile of Ertina made Merzelle feel as if he had seen a goddess.

Had he ever received such care from his direct superior? No, he had not. He could confidently say that he had not, without even having to recall his memories. Instead, he was often left to clean up the messes caused by his superior's eccentric behavior and pranks. He had even been mockingly referred to as the 'Seventh Legion Commander's Complaints Department.' Compared to that, oh, how divine the saintly lady standing before him was!

"Ertina-sama..."

Struggling to hold back the tears welling up in his eyes, Merzelle called out to the goddess with deep emotion. The goddess smiled one last time and walked back to her seat with a leisurely pace.

Seeing this scene, Reive, who had been waiting for the right moment to speak, finally moved. However, Helian raised his right hand, which was on the table, in response.

Reive, who correctly understood his master's intention, remained silent. Eventually, Merzelle, who had regained his composure, stood up and expressed his gratitude to the king.

"---I apologize, my king. I apologize for my unseemly behavior."

"Umm, yes. Then, Merzelle, I would like to hear a report on the recent situation in Latestwood."

"I understand. As the deputy leader of the dispatched team and the acting Seventh Legion Commander, I will begin my report."

Merzelle, who had been flustered a moment ago, now spoke with a sharp expression.

Despite being slightly intimidated by the sudden change, Helian encouraged him to continue.

"First, regarding the concerns about conflicts and friction between the local residents and the dispatched team, there have been no significant issues. There have been minor troubles due to cultural differences between the two countries, but all of them have been resolved by the parties involved, and the relationship between the two sides can be considered generally good."

Helian nodded in agreement to the clear and concise report. It seemed that Merzelle had completely regained his composure. Grateful for Ertina's skill, Helian adopted a firm attitude and asked Merzelle.

"Hmm. However, is it not possible that the problems are not surfacing because the other side is unilaterally making concessions? There are cultural differences even between countries, and in our case, we are from different worlds. There may be situations where the common sense of demons does not apply."

Moreover, there was a significant disparity in national power between the two countries. The military strength they possessed was a prime example. While the alliance sounded good, the positions of 'the side that helped' and 'the side that was helped' had been established in the previous war, and it was not an equal relationship.

Considering this, it was possible that the residents of Latestwood were enduring and swallowing their complaints if they were being troubled. The situation might seem good because the problems were not surfacing, but hidden issues could become a source of trouble later on. For Helian, who desired a friendly relationship, this was like a landmine.

"Hidden issues are difficult to visualize, but as someone who has been on-site, you might see things that others don't. I would like to hear your personal insights, even if they are at the level of personal opinions."

Surprised by Helian's unexpected question, Merzelle pondered for a moment.

"If asked whether it is something that should be reported to the king, I do have some doubts..."

The problems that Merzelle then described were, indeed, not significant individually. However, Helian felt that it was good to have heard them.

Helian was the absolute ruler of Alkymaira. Naturally, the time of King Helian was extremely precious and should not be wasted. They were aware of this, which is why they carefully considered the content of their reports. However, this also meant that there were things that Helian did not see.

This was one of them. The problems that Merzelle described were all minor, such as 'some residents are afraid of our subordinates who are demons,' 'the local food does not suit our tastes due to differences in preferences,' and 'when we tried to help with the local residents' work, they were frightened and refused.'

While each issue was minor, they could become significant when accumulated. It was important to address such issues before they grew, especially at the beginning of exchanges between the two countries.

If possible, he wanted to resolve some of these issues through the aforementioned plan.

"Interesting... By the way, how is Robin doing? I've heard that he is still the same as usual."

When asked, the smooth flow of words from Merzelle, who had been speaking without hesitation until just a moment ago, stopped.

Merzelle, who had stiffened for a different reason, answered with a very difficult expression, carefully choosing his words.

"The legion commander... is, well, actively trying to engage with the local residents. He is consistently demonstrating acts of friendship, especially with the head of the ladies-in-waiting, and his enthusiasm stands out among the dispatched team—"

"---Merzelle. Summarize the key points of your report and be clear. Do not waste King Helian's time."

While it was sometimes necessary to prioritize speed over accuracy in urgent reports, this was a pre-scheduled meeting.

Naturally, the information that would be required in advance should have been prepared, and as the acting representative of the legion commander, Merzelle should have provided an accurate and concise report on the legion commander.

However, the content was extremely vague—incidentally, in meetings, it was possible to speak without prior permission—and Reive, who had been observing silently, offered a stern comment.

Merzelle, who was asked to clarify, worked hard to think, sweating coldly. However, no matter how he tried to cover it up, accurately reporting would expose the shame of his legion. Moreover, there were three female legion commanders present, which was not just unsettling.

In a desperate attempt for help, Merzelle turned to the second legion commander, who was of the same gender and had detailed information. However, the usually honest Baran averted his gaze with a similarly unsettling expression.

Although Merzelle was left isolated, he did not think of it as heartless. If he were in Baran's position, he would have done the same.

As the attention of the attendees focused on the now isolated Merzelle, an indescribable tension enveloped him.

"---No, it's fine. Upon reflection, it was not appropriate to ask such a question in this setting. I will hear the next report."

Merzelle, who had been about to reveal everything, was spared by Helian, who could not bear to see him in such a state.

If he had done something significant, he would have reported it without hesitation, but he did not, and he was also glancing at the female legion commanders. This suggested that it was within the realm of mischief. Although it would be a bit of trouble, he could review the records obtained through 'information sharing' and confirm them later.

Incidentally, Merzelle let out a sigh of relief.

Regaining his composure, Helian continued to exchange a few more words, gathering opinions and insights from those on-site to supplement his understanding and information. He then asked the other attendees about the facility built on the outskirts of the capital of Latestwood.

"What about the Large Box? I heard that the connection is complete, and only the equipment adjustment remains."

"There are no particular issues. The various adjustments, including the activation magic stone, have been completed, and we are just waiting to ignite the core. However, due to the limitations of materials and time, we have completed it with only the minimum functions as per your orders. I hope for your understanding."

"Of course. Given the current situation, it cannot be helped."

Originally, there was a Large Box built in the vicinity of Agartha. It was a luxury item with unnecessary functions, the result of pouring in materials and personnel like water.

However, it no longer exists. The capital Agartha was the only part of the city that was transferred during the inter-world transfer phenomenon. The surrounding bases and adjacent facilities were left behind in the original world, including the Large Box.

"---Well, we should consider it fortunate that it wasn't left behind with the Large Box. The thought of it being used for the founding celebration makes me shudder."

"I wholeheartedly agree. Additionally, when we connected, we confirmed the minimum system startup, so the activation should be successful without a doubt."

"Then, only the operational verification after activation remains. I would have preferred to complete the experiments with a more stable method, but our financial situation does not allow it."

Upon hearing this, Ertina lowered her eyebrows in apology.

"I apologize, Your Majesty. As the official in charge of internal affairs, I take responsibility."

"---No, I am not blaming you. On the contrary, you have done a good job managing the internal affairs despite the many problems caused by the inter-world transfer phenomenon."

Ertina, whose elf ears also drooped, received a reassuring word from Helian.

In fact, she had done a great job. Helian was able to go on an expedition to the border city of Seals thanks to her efforts to manage the country. He could not blame her.

Moreover, this issue was not something Ertina could have handled on her own.

What was particularly needed now was a magic stone with a quality value exceeding 200—a highly compressed, ultra-high-quality magic stone. However, the materials brought from the original world were limited. They had lost all the stored resources in other regions due to the inter-world transfer phenomenon.

In response, he had the alchemists of the Fourth Legion, led by the alchemist, conduct compression experiments with the magic stones obtained in this world, but the results so far were not satisfactory. The magic stones frequently collapsed during the compression process.

It seemed that the magic stones could not withstand the magic power they were trying to contain, resulting in a saturation phenomenon. It was not a matter of simply pouring in magic power, but rather, as they put it, a 'miraculous balance' of purity, density, concentration, and strength was required. This would require a significant number of trials and errors to achieve with fragile magic stones.

The lack of adequate facilities in the expedition area was also a factor, but even the highest-ranking mage and researcher, Ceres, had been failing in her attempts to refine materials from this world. Given this, it would be tyrannical to demand immediate results from the alchemists of the Fourth Legion.

He was not so arrogant as to call himself a wise king, but he did not intend to become a foolish one. Therefore, what he should do now was not to complain about the lack of resources or the current situation, but to play the best hand with the cards he currently held.

"In any case, it is out of the question to leave it untested. If it fails to work when needed, it would be a problem. Given its nature, it could even affect the survival of the nation."

Indeed, they had just encountered a myth-level threat in Seals. The future was uncertain. If it were needed,