Imperial Army X-5

Starting the next day, the World Conference began.

"Now, I have gathered all of you here today to discuss a certain matter."

Veronica glanced around at everyone present and began speaking.

"Recently, monster activity has intensified worldwide. In response, we must take action. Therefore, the Empire proposes the formation of a joint military force composed of nations across the globe."

The proposal put forth by the Empire.

The nations' armies will temporarily cease hostilities and form a joint force to deal with the monsters.

They will continue fighting together until the monsters' activity levels subside.

Naturally, various opinions are being exchanged.

"What guarantee do we have that we won't be stabbed in the back during the ceasefire?"

"There's no clear guarantee. If forced to choose, perhaps the consequence would be being beaten to a pulp?"

"How long will this last?"

"I don't know. Right now, the only thing we know is that the monsters are increasing in number."

Everyone asks questions, but no clear, satisfying answers come back.

Naturally.

This issue has only recently become apparent, and there's still so much we don't understand.

Everyone is trying to face this problem with methods no one has ever attempted before.

This kind of disaster was inevitable.

Of course, this proposal, utterly lacking in merit, seemed unlikely to be accepted.

The Empress had already anticipated this situation.

Yet her goal was already more than half achieved.

First, gather influential figures from various nations. Then, probe each other's true intentions.

Since no one knows what the other side aims for, conflict becomes inevitable.

That is precisely why negotiation and mutual probing are necessary.

No one wants to fight.

If possible, we'd all prefer to resolve issues without fighting.

This is precisely that opportunity.

Everyone understands this. That's why they've come all the way here to the Empire.

We all think the same way, so it doesn't matter if we can't agree on a common goal. We've already begun talking...

The Empress further reflects.

She had anticipated that the proposal for a joint army would be rejected. Yet the very idea of a joint army has been shared by all.

Now, everyone will begin to think differently.

Whether or not you have options when the time comes—that’s an incredibly important matter.

Good, good… This is a suitable point to wrap things up.

"Everyone seems to have their own thoughts, so let’s temporarily set this proposal aside."

"That sounds reasonable. First, we need to conduct an investigation."

Rol agrees.

"After all, we don’t even know why the monsters are increasing..."

"There might be some reasonable assumptions we can make about that."

The man sitting in front of me counters Rol's words.

Bonaparte.

Bonaparte has risen to the role of royal overseer during the reconstruction of the kingdom.

The kingdom's old elite were made to take responsibility for the war and retired en masse.

At the same time, new personnel were hired, and someone was needed to coordinate them. That role is being fulfilled by Bonaparte.

"When digging through past records, it's said that whenever a forbidden-grade monster becomes active, other monsters also become active. Indeed, in the kingdom, sightings of a forbidden-grade monster—the white tiger monster—have been reported repeatedly in recent years."

"Is that true!?"

The king of Puetji feigns surprise.

"There's another phenomenon that's increasing alongside this—more lost souls. Could it be that the rising number of lost souls is secretly fueling the increase in monsters?"

Bonaparte glares at me as he speaks, as if to say, "You're the one to blame."

I've seen data in Japan that could be interpreted that way, admittedly.

Bonaparte seems to resent me. Naturally enough, though...

Now I'm under suspicion. How should I counter this accusation?

Just as I was about to speak, someone else spoke first.

"That's not right."

The speaker was someone no one expected.

The tennō.

"Lost souls appear regardless of whether the fiends are active or not. Japan accepts lost souls more than any other land... Most of them go unseen and starve to death. But lately, as both fiends and those who oppose them are wandering through various places, it's simply become more likely that lost souls will be encountered."

An unexpected assist... perhaps a rebuttal from Bonaparte,

Either way, thanks to the keep, the connection between wandering souls and the surge in monster activity was effectively denied.

Suddenly, I felt as though I'd made eye contact with Tōgen, sitting beside the keep as if guarding it.

So this is what he meant by assistance...

Throughout the subsequent discussions, I accepted just the right amount of assistance from Nihon, ensuring I didn't become the world's enemy while participating in the meeting.

In the end, as expected, the discussion concluded without reaching any agreement.

The world大会, filled with hidden agendas, came to a close.

Just as I was preparing to leave, a familiar figure arrived at the mansion.

"Long time no see, Clara, Kenny."

"Indeed, it's been ages. Since we're here, how about a little chat—inside the mansion?"

After welcoming him at the entrance, Clara, her eyes not showing the slightest hint of warmth, urged him to enter the mansion.

As he was pushed inside by Clara, she immediately erupted in anger.

"You idiot! A king of a nation doesn't casually chat out in the open like this!"

"Even so... this is my mansion, after all."

"How do you know who might be listening? Show some restraint for once!"

"Clara, keep it down a bit. Shouting won't help anything."

Silent and grinding his teeth, Kenny's reasonable objection leaves him speechless.

So, what brings you here?

It's simple! I just came to talk business.

"Business, huh? So it's being put to good use after all."

"Yes, it's frustrating, isn't it? The kingdom fears you greatly—some might even say they harbor resentment. But realistically, we can't afford to ignore your nation's superior maritime capabilities. We need to trade with you."

"So that's why Clara and the others were chosen as negotiators...?"

"Not quite. Our role is only temporary. In the end, we want you to establish proper diplomatic relations with the kingdom yourself."

"...I understand, but it's going to be a long journey....It's odd coming from me, but couldn't we have monopolized the benefits ourselves?"

"We learn things too, you know. Simple truth—greed brings ruin."

"Ah, well, if that's how you want it, then I have no objections. Now, let's get down to business."

From then on, Clara and I went over the details thoroughly. Clara and her group would continue coming to our country in the future, taking on the role of advancing our exchanges.