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“Lilith! Do you happen to know anything… No way you do.”

“What?”

Inside the carriage heading to the capital, Lilith, who was crouched next to Frecia munching on dried fruit, turned her head with the fruit still in her mouth. I gestured that it was nothing, and she tilted her head in confusion before returning to her fruit.

I really thought about asking Lilith if she knew anything, but I gave up before I could even ask. It’s been ages since Lilith switched sides, and whatever she knew was spilled ages ago. No point in asking more; she wouldn’t know anything else.

“Don’t be too anxious. I understand you’re worried, but we’ve all become noticeably stronger than before. Nothing will happen like it did before.”

Did my expression show too much? Selian, sitting across from me, reached out and placed her hand on my knee as she spoke.

“Right…”

Hearing Selian, who, unlike the others, remembers our past lives, gave me some solace. It felt like if Selian said it, it must be true.

I relaxed my stiff face and looked around. Even though the carriage was larger than usual, it was cramped with me and my friends. I took in each person’s smiling and chatting face. Some were familiar from my previous life, while others were newcomers in this life.

Indeed, as Selian said, they were all strong. Not just in terms of power; their will wouldn’t easily break. The bonds created by our intertwined fates weren’t nearly weak enough to collapse easily. Was I really the weakest here?

Let’s meet the Emperor first, as Selian suggested. It wouldn’t be too late to decide afterward. Thinking that calmed my heart a little.

*

“Welcome, Hero. I heard you were coming, but His Majesty already has another appointment, so you’ll need to wait a bit.”

Upon our arrival at the Imperial Palace, one of the butlers, who must have been informed by Lunia, greeted us. Since this wasn’t a pre-arranged meeting, it seemed the Emperor was busy handling existing matters and wouldn’t be able to meet us right away.

The butler, with an apologetic expression, guided us to a room. Normally we would have to split into several rooms since we were a large group, but perhaps due to the Imperial Palace, there was a room large enough to accommodate us all.

As we casually unpacked in what could essentially be considered a huge house rather than just a room, a knock came at the door.

“His Majesty calls for you, Hero.”

“Already? That was quick.”

When I opened the door, the butler who guided us earlier was there to take me to the Emperor. I thought maybe the previous matter was simple and wrapped up quickly, but that wasn’t the case.

“Ah, not quite. His Majesty is still in a meeting. However, he wishes for you to attend.”

I wondered what it was about. I didn’t ask, since I’d find out when I got there anyway. Of course, refusing wasn’t an option. No matter how much I’ve been acting recklessly lately, I wasn’t about to turn down the Emperor’s command. Besides, he’s undoubtedly one of my most reliable supporters.

“Well then, I’ll leave it to you.”

I entrusted my friends with the unpacking and followed the butler. Passing through the vast corridors, we finally arrived at a familiar place. Opening the door to the largest conference room in the palace, the noisy voices from beyond suddenly fell silent.

And then, all the eyes turned to me. The Emperor was sitting at what appeared to be the most honorable seat at the round table, with others seated next to him. Only Isis, who assists the Emperor, stood behind him.

“Welcome. Given the topic we were discussing, we called for you.”

Following the Emperor’s gesture inviting me to take a seat, I pulled out an empty chair and sat down. Casting my gaze around the table, I recognized all the faces.

“Now, let’s continue with our previous discussion.”

As soon as I sat down, the Emperor waved his hand, indicating I could take over, then leaned back in his chair to enjoy the show.

It seemed they’d been deep in conversation just before I arrived, as a man spoke immediately, not bothering to read the room.

“It’s only fitting we listen to the Emperor’s command, but mercenaries are a different story. Most are nothing but ignorant fools living day by day…”

The middle-aged man began to grumble. He was one of the most renowned figures on the continent: the Mercenary King, Krok.

“Well, that’s why we’ve been considerate and supportive on our end, right? They take the money and use it all up, then suddenly they change their tune? I already don’t want to hear the whining from the other guild masters; cutting off support wouldn’t be an issue at this point.”

Dylan, also one of the most famous figures on the continent known by the title Golden King, directly pointed out the Mercenary King’s grumblings.

“In that case… hey, Dylan. Can’t you increase the budget for our Mage Tower a bit? We’re currently researching an outstanding spell, but our budget is running thin. Once this spell is completed, your guild will certainly hit the jackpot.”

“You begged for funding last time too, but the spell you produced was only half-baked! Instead of striking it rich, you just ended up flat broke!”

Hearing that support for the mercenaries might be cut off, the old man, dressed as a mage—the head of the Mage Tower, no less—was another renowned figure on the continent.

“What are you doing about His Majesty’s safety? Personal talks should be saved for later!”

What’s the point in even saying it? The woman shouting while slamming the table was also one of the most famous figures on the continent. In fact, besides the Emperor, she was likely the person with the most subordinates here: the Grand General commanding the Empire’s army.

“Haha…”

Of course, the old man just stroking his bushy beard and laughing heartily was also the Pope, another of the continent’s most famous figures.

Ultimately, everyone gathered around the table in this conference room had reached the pinnacle in their respective fields. And they all happened to be individuals who had appeared on my assassination list in my past life.

The only comfort I had in facing them now was the memory that I hadn’t killed them with my own hands. Though the order may have been different, unfortunately, all of them had lost their lives in the war against the Demonic Race.

It was clear from the onset—the Emperor’s invitation aside—that nobody had been told explicitly what was happening, but it wasn’t hard to speculate. Given the caliber of individuals present, they surely didn’t gather just to catch up on recent events.

The changing Demonic Race and humanity’s necessity to adapt accordingly. They were probably here to discuss the current situation and possible future directions.

But for such an important meeting to descend into this chaos… it would have been better if the Emperor sorted things out, yet she was merely lounging back in her chair, watching it all unfold.

I wondered if I should try to intervene, but with such impressive individuals present, there didn’t seem to be any openings. Of course, it didn’t mean I was incapable. After all, I am a Hero now. In fact, when it comes to speaking rights, I might have the most influence here.

However, unlike those leading organizations, I was just an individual Hero. I didn’t have enough knowledge or ability to contribute to discussions about the continent’s political situation; all I was good at was… well, eliminating others.

Instead, I opened my ears and absorbed every word they discussed, storing it all in my mind. I would analyze and deduce the situation from the gathered information. Even if I might miss something, it didn’t matter. I have friends smarter than me. When I go back and share what I heard with them, they’ll analyze the information far more easily. Especially Lindy; handling such information is her forte, after all.

“It’s been days already! Even while we’re having this discussion, the Demonic Race’s offensive is growing fiercer!”

“Do you think we mercenaries are liking this situation? It’s not like I’m asking for something unreasonable. You know how we mercenaries are viewed. We’re just dumb idiots spending the money we earn with our lives flauntingly. While some don’t fit the mold, I won’t deny the truth. But even for those fools… No, especially because they are fools, the Grand General’s demands can’t be accepted.”

What the Grand General demanded of the Mercenary King wasn’t unreasonable. She simply wanted the mercenaries to be placed under her command. The issue was that she wanted them to be part of the army while the Mercenary King preferred they operated separately.

“Other people might look down on us mercenaries, but we have our own code. We have our loyalties. We don’t know when we’ll die, so we can trust each other’s backs. We know the Empire’s military is excellent, but the only ones we can entrust our backs to are fellow mercenaries.”

Both sides had valid reasons that made it impossible to simply pick a side.

Even beyond the Mercenary King, figures like the Golden King, the Mage Tower Master, and the Pope were all voicing their reasons without finding common ground. After going back and forth for a long time, they still hadn’t come to a resolution by the time the sun set and night fell.

“Hmmm. It’s nice to see everyone exchanging opinions. Let’s continue this discussion tomorrow.”

“Your Majesty, the situation is urgent; we can’t just keep meeting like this.”

However, the Emperor spoke in an indifferent tone without a hint of worry. Strangely enough, it was Isis, who had been quietly observing throughout the meeting, who stepped forward to speak.

“Do not worry. Tomorrow, we shall reach a conclusion.”

For some reason, there was a confidence in the Emperor’s voice that it would come to pass.

 

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