-- A lot of things were decided in the Gomae Conference that day.

　The most important decision of all was still the matter of the exploration of the underground space and the frontline base that was supposed to be a battle with the Demon King's Army.

　Basically, there is no change in the details that were decided right after I arrived.

　The proposed construction site is the fifth level of the 'Sundial Forest' and the example underground space.

　The entrance to the cave through which the Dragon and Noir had passed through is planned to be surrounded and sealed off by two bases in each location.

　Once this base is completed, it will be able to completely block all comings and goings except for allies on this side.

　In other words, as long as the base is not breached by an enemy attack, the safety of Green Hollow Town and the Sundial Forest is almost guaranteed.

　The name of the base is Fort Hollow Bottom.
　It's a pretty straightforward name for a fort (bottom) located at the bottom of a green (green) depression.

　It was also said that the base, which is divided into two locations, is called 'forest side' and 'underground side' respectively, but apparently this is not an official name.




　-- There is one more important decision to be made.

　The other important decision is to close the A-ranked dungeon "The Thousand Year Corridor of the Abyss" indefinitely.

　If the "Dragon's Hole" is a hidden passageway to the underground space, then the "Millennium Corridor of the Abyss" is truly the main entrance.

　As there is a high possibility that the Demon King's army will use it as a route for their invasion of the earth, it will be forbidden to enter in principle, and will also be placed under strict surveillance by the palace and guilds.

　However, few people would be harmed by this closure measure.

　The Thousand-Year Corridor of the Abyss is known as a difficult but rewarding dungeon, and only those who are curious about the challenge of conquering unexplored dungeons rarely set foot in it.

　The area around the entrance is virtually uninhabited, except for the guild's surveillance facility.
　Inside, there are only golems, skeletons and ghosts buzzing around, and ostensibly no resources of any value .......

　Needless to say, once again, the discovery that mithril was used in the walls of the labyrinth is one of the reasons why that dungeon was closed down.

　I'm the only one who has successfully mined it at this point, but that doesn't mean that I'm the only one in this world who can mine it.

　Maybe it's possible to do it with other skills, and if the alchemists do serious research, they might be able to come up with a mining method that anyone can use.

　For a royal palace that wants to restrict the distribution of mithril, it's natural to want to hide it in a two-step process of concealment and closure.




　-- and then there was the unimportant but not insignificant decision.

　It was decided that it would be confusing to continue to call the underground space by the generic noun 'underground space' forever, so it was decided to give it a unique name.

　The name was 'Demon King's Castle Realm' - from now on, that underground space would be called that in official circles.










　After the Imperial Council was over, the officials and authorities who had participated in the meeting were leaving one by one, but for some reason I was stopped by King Alfred.

''I'm Luke of the White Wolf Forest,''
How can I help you, Your Majesty?
Oh, no, I'm not here for anything. I'm just having a chat. It's been a long time since I've heard the name of the place, and it makes me nostalgic.
Huh. ......

　King Alfred is laughing as he runs his hand over his chin.

　He seems to have left his kingly dignity and whatnot somewhere in the middle of the whole thing.

''...... White Wolf Forest. Technically, the village before it?　It was the place where I stayed for one day before taking on the ordeal imposed as a condition for obtaining the throne. That was the only time I visited it later or later, but no, it was very emotional.

　An ordeal to gain the throne.

　I don't have all the details, but I am told that it was to traverse a certain dungeon and bring back an artifact that was assigned to me.

I was able to have a heart-to-heart talk with the guys in my party at the time, and I have nothing but good memories of the place.
...... Why did His Majesty want to be king?
Hmm?　You want to hear this. Not that it's a secret, but don't spread it around lightly, do you?

　King Alfred chuckled in response to a rude question that he had spilled out of his mouth.

　Then he bent over and brought his face close to hers and began to speak as if he were speaking in private.

'It's called a weakness I'm in love with,'
...... Yes?

　The unexpected statement causes me to give a lazy response.

In fact, the transfer of the throne was to be accomplished by taking the princess to wife and adopting her as a son-in-law. But the princess was very strong-minded and decided that if her mate was to be chosen in such a way, she wanted to win it for herself.
A princess, by herself, at ......?
Hmm. That's how I got my first party together with the princess who became an adventurer. I used to be even more insensitive than I am now. I didn't realize that one of the party was a watchman sent by the king, let alone the princess's true identity.

　King Alfred looked up at the high ceiling of the tent as if soaking up fond memories.

　He is not nostalgic for the past because he is unhappy in the present.
　Rather, he is in an atmosphere of reminiscing about the past that was the foundation of the glorious present.

The truth is that I only realized the truth when the terms of the transfer of the throne were announced and the princess was brought back. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm no longer the king. If that's the case - I'll have no choice but to be king now, won't I?

　For one woman.

　This man had become king and ruler of most of the Westlands for that reason alone.

The night I spent in the White Wolf Forest village, I was feeling the pressure of the night, too. I used to distract myself by telling the chief's son stories.
...... of the White Wolf Forest, the chief's ......
To the story of the giant turtle who thought he had landed on an island in the subterranean sea and plunged through a swarm of dragons that covered the sky ...... and what was left of it.
And the story of how you snatched the magical crown from the King of the Immortals, Your Majesty.
'Oh, yes!　...... m?

　It was over twenty years ago now.
　It was a long time ago, a story I've only told to Sylvia and Sakura since I came to Green Hollow Town.

　When I was a child, a group of adventurers who visited the village told me about their glorious saga, and I longed for the life of an adventurer.

　I never imagined that I would remember the excitement I felt that day in this way.

''Thank you, Your Majesty. I am finally convinced that my admiration for the adventurer was not a mistake.

　I hear a voice calling for King Alfred from outside the tent.

　I bowed deeply to a pouting King Alfred and left the huge tent.