Chapter 676

"We won. We gained a lot and will continue to gain more. However, even with the victory, there are things we must lose. It may be inevitable. There is still much we do not know, such as what happened to Antilleanus after absorbing the souls. I do not know how I managed to survive. Ellen has left, for her own reasons. I cannot dwell on such things anymore. The end of everything leads to a new beginning. The tasks ahead will only increase. We must now truly begin the task of becoming the rulers of the world. We cannot crumble over the disappearance of one person. Such a human does not deserve to be a ruler of the world. I get up from bed and straighten my clothes. I am not a superhuman, but I must follow the path of one. At least I must try to imitate one as much as possible. Harriet looks at me as if I am a completely different person. She does not seem surprised or sad that Ellen has left. There is no time for drama. What is lost is lost. I head to Charlotte's. From now on, I must become a completely different person, to the point where even my existence will be forgotten later. I will become the ruler of the continent. Charlotte is in charge of the Union Army headquarters, overseeing the situation and treating the wounded near Diane. The highest authorities of each army are now coming and going around the main barracks of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It's strange that I'm now sitting at the top of the stone where only those who pass the test can enter. I called Charlotte separately and she told me about the current situation of the Union Army. The damage is quite significant, and there is still a lot of confusion. Most soldiers do not even know that we have taken over the Joint Chiefs of Staff. If they find out, the confusion will only increase. That's why we're monitoring the entrance of each army's leadership. The leadership is also unsure if this is right or wrong, and the Empire is still a mystery. It's ridiculous to say that the Union Army is here because the Demon King swallowed them up. Noise and confusion are inevitable, but there is no need to deliberately amplify them. We need to decide whether to announce the Demon King's rule or hide it. Hiding it is scary because of the aftermath, but revealing it is scary because of the immediate confusion. More importantly, the return of the Union Army is crucial. The Union Army is made up of troops from all over, who have gathered and marched to Huangdu. It's a problem to think about the time and food it will take to return safely to Huangdu. And even if they return to Huangdu, it's not the end. It will take a lot of time and money to send those troops back to their respective regions. Yes, the resources put into reaching this point are enormous." "The war is not completely over until this army returns safely to their homes. We must send them all back home. How will we transport them and how will we disband them? It will take almost a year to send the Union Army back to their primary return point, Hwangdo. During that time, we must feed and support our troops. The problems are already suffocating. Charlotte informs the protagonist of the current situation of the Union Army, and they must decide whether to announce the Demon King's rule or hide it. The return of the Union Army is crucial, and it will take a lot of time and money to send those troops back to their respective regions. The resources put into reaching this point are enormous. The protagonist and Charlotte discuss the issue, and Herryot suggests a solution. She has invented a new warp gate system that can send the entire Union Army to any location in the world. The protagonist is amazed and grateful for Herryot's genius. They decide to use this magic to send the Union Army back home. Ultimately, no matter who becomes the ruler of the world, what the soldiers want is to return home alive." "Will they not hate us for opening the way for them to return home alive?"

* * *

The Union Army is retreating. And I head towards the Union Army base, which is tirelessly working to manage the post-war situation. There are things that need to be confirmed visually. When I arrived, it was the Temple Royal Class base. As soon as I entered, I could feel the atmosphere changing, not to mention the expressions of those who recognized me. The Royal Class side would already know that the Demon King had seized control of the Union Army leadership. But actually facing me was a different matter. In the frozen atmosphere, I faced fearful gazes. But there were also those who faced me without fear. "You came." Kono Lint. He approached me and extended his hand. As he approached me without hesitation, I also firmly grasped his hand. If it weren't for him and Scarlet, the Union Army might have already been annihilated. To be precise, Scarlet and Kono Lint did more important things than me. There were casualties in the Royal Class, but none of the people I knew had died. Adriana, Scarlet, Erich, and Kliffman. All the other people were safe. Literally, it was a miraculous event. But it was also a natural event. Despite the many changes in the situation, the troops were much stronger and more numerous than at the original point, so the absolute number of casualties was very, very low compared to the original. "What about the others?" "They're all... just standing there." But Kono Lint's expression was not good. "What about Kayer?" "He's still unable to get up." "....Okay." While opening the tent and entering, there was a familiar face. "Ah, ah...." "Long time no see." Roudina, who can no longer be called a kid, got up from her seat when she saw me. She wanted to say something, but she just grinned. Everyone would be the same, not hostile to me, but afraid of me. Kono Lint was one of the few who could approach me first. "I just came to see." "...." Roudina lowered her head deeply at my words. Kayer was lying on the makeshift bed in front of the chair where Roudina was sitting. It was fortunate that everyone was safe, but someone had to be injured. Kayer was not a guy who fought directly. Roudina explained this with a bitter expression. In place of Immortal, Roudina had promised Kayer to use the Arc Crystal only limitedly in the last battle. "Immortal disappeared... so I had no choice but to use the Arc Crystal." So Kayer, who was waiting, had no choice but to charge the Arc Crystal immediately. He fought while charging the Arc Crystal to the limit, and Kayer charged the Arc Crystal beyond his limit. So even before the battle was over, Kayer fell into a coma. Translation:

"Harrison wouldn't have been able to use all the necessary magic on the battlefield. It was the immense power and Roudina's use of it that saved many lives. The cost was Kayer falling into a coma from overcharging the Arc Crystal. Roudina tearfully asks for a promise to create a happy world for everyone, but the protagonist cannot make such a promise. The Gate incident has ended, and the protagonist and Adriana are both alive. They discuss the possibility of the protagonist becoming the Continental Emperor. The protagonist meets familiar faces at the Royal Class base, but they only look at him with fearful gazes until Scarlet and Kono Lint arrive." However, it was always like that with him. They didn't talk much. It always felt like it was enough just to be around each other. It was quite surprising that it was still the same. As they traveled around the base, they met people and realized that Roudina was nowhere to be found. Scarlet shook her head in despair, as Roudina's absence likely meant that Christina had died. The protagonist had seen Roudina in the deepest part of the battlefield, moving in a different direction from Immortal. Christina was likely dead, and they didn't know what had happened to Anna and Louis. Roudina could have joined them after the battle, but there was also a high possibility that she had died. The protagonist couldn't be sure about anything regarding Roudina's fate. Even after a long time had passed, they never heard any news of her being found or seen.