Chapter 72: International Conference

We arrived in Geneva, checked into the hotel the UN had arranged, and spent two days preparing with Sakuragi-san and the others for the upcoming international conference.

It’s a pretty fancy hotel, I guess… but who’s paying for it? That’s the real question.

Sakuragi-san and Hagino-san gave me a crash course on conference protocol. I ended up wearing a suit for the first time in my life. The tie’s seriously tight.

“Gojo-san! Just bear with it—don’t embarrass yourself in public!”

“Hai… um… yes…”

I’ll just… listen quietly to what Sakuragi-san says…

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United Nations Geneva Office, Conference Day—

This time, the topic was “Current Status and Countermeasures Regarding Abnormal Entities.” A lot of people were gathered here.

Europe, aside from Britain, seemed to have been hit less hard by the “Day of Calamity.” The presence of the Sanctuary Knights (Sanctuary Knights) really shows—society overall feels stable.

In fact, most attendees are from EU countries. The U.S. has a temporary government in place, trying to rebuild the nation, but they’re not attending this conference.

Japan’s government is focusing on recovery and has postponed official participation. It’s called an “international conference,” but only about half the UN member states are actually here.

I’m impressed by how heavy and solid the building feels as I step inside—then, from behind, a group of about ten men and women in suits approach us.

The flashbulbs pop instantly, surrounded by reporters. That must be the Sanctuary Knights…

They’re famous, I knew that, but wow—they’re treated like celebrities. No one’s even bothering us here… eh, whatever.

We were led into a dressing room. A bit too large for just five people from the Japanese side.

"Guess popularity really is real. Everyone looks damn impressive."

"In Europe, dragons are a huge threat. The dragon we encountered? It shouldn’t even be in that region. That’s why people are counting on the Sanctuary Knights so heavily."

I’ve heard dragons are spreading fast… but maybe it’s worse than I thought.

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Just as we stepped out of the dressing room to enter the venue, someone suddenly called out.

"Gojo!"

From another dressing room emerged Wang Xinyi.

"Knew you’d show up! Gojo!"

"Wang. Long time no see."

Since we split in China… Liu’s here as deputy, but I don’t see any other “Suzaku” members…

"Did you come with Liu?"

"Yeah. Can’t bring everyone. Monsters still show up in China. We can’t risk the whole team."

Even after defeating the Leader, monsters haven’t vanished. We still don’t know how to stop them completely.

"Gojo, you’re definitely joining the dragon hunt, right?"

"Yep. That’s the plan… you too, Wang?"

"China’s government hesitated, but I can’t just skip it with you there!"

"Ah… right."

We walked into the main hall together.

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So this is Wang Xinyi from China’s “Suzaku”… tall, sharp-looking, really cool. Seemed close to Gojo…

"Is there something on my face?"

"Ah—no, nothing at all!"

Holy crap, suddenly someone's talking to me in English... And she's not just pretty, she's bilingual too.

"Are you with the Japanese government?"

"Yes, I'm Sakuragi from the Self-Defense Force."

"Ah, so you're from the Self-Defense Force! Just like Gojo. I'm Wang Xinyi. Nice to meet you."

I reach out to shake hands, and she grips mine tight. Wang and Liu were also greeting Hagi no and the others with firm handshakes. Kinda thorough, huh...?

The main meeting began, and representatives from each country took their assigned seats. To make sure everyone understood, we all put on simultaneous translation earpieces.

First, the exterminators from each nation were introduced, and each gave a brief speech. Gojo was reading our paper aloud like a robot.

Russia’s speech was especially long.

"Our target, the 'Leader,' was a giant troll over twenty meters tall—insane, monstrous! It's probably on par with the Titan we heard about in America..."

Next to me, Gojo made a wry face.

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Finally, it was Leo Garcia, the Leader of the Sanctuary Knights, who took the mic. The moment he did, a wave of flashes erupted from the crowd.

"We've defeated the 'Leader' in two regions and are now advancing on Canada. But we're not fighting for honor or profit—we're fighting for people's peace."

Different from how the media latched onto me and the others.

"This time, the threat of the Dragon is spreading worldwide! We're temporarily pausing our Canada operation and fully committing to the mission in England!!"

A massive roar erupted, heads of state rising to applaud. Was this really necessary…? I thought, but…

Even after the meeting started, only the members of the Sanctuary Knights (Sanctuary Knights) were asked for advice. Me and the others? Not a single word.

After the first day’s meeting ended, I was getting ready to leave, heading toward the main entrance. There, the Sanctuary Knights—Leo, Freyja, and a tall, handsome guy—were being interviewed by the media.

They’d even changed into their gear—swords, staves, armor, all polished and flashy.

“What’s with that, huh…?”

I asked Sakuragi.

“Those three receive funding from various countries and private organizations,” he said. “So, media appearances like this are kind of a necessity.”

“Huh… That’s tough.”

They’re practically set to release a photo book soon. Still, the swords and gear they’re carrying? All fancy, ornate decorations—so damn cool…

I casually decided to鉴定 Leo’s sword—

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