Helian was in his office with his head in his hands.

　The reaction of the legionnaires at the audience he had just had did not seem to be good enough.



　He had intended to behave in a kingly manner, but he had already made a gaffe.

　Although he followed up his speech, I have a strong impression that it ended in vain.



　Politicians we see on TV have been ousted from their positions for a single gaffe.

　Even a prime minister of a country can be ousted from his position by a single mistake, depending on the time and circumstances. You never know what could happen to you, the person sitting on the throne, and what could drive you out of the throne.



　And if you are forced to leave the throne and treated as a mere human being, your life is in danger at once.



　A player who is not the king is a mere commoner, a small fry who will be beaten to death even by goblins. That is why Helian had to avoid being driven off the throne at all costs.



　I already misspoke. There is nothing he can do about it now. I repeat, water does not return to the tray.

　Then, what we should think about now is how to follow up or how to make up for the blunder we have made.



"......I want to maintain the image of a gentle king if possible."



　This should still have been the line of the Good King.

　As for his national strategy, he has been very careful about security, and with one exception, he has never started a war of aggression against another country.



　Basically, they have bought the wars that were sold to them, annexed other countries, and have been on their way to becoming a great power. He has never behaved as a cruel and unmatched high king.



　Then, what should we do to maintain that image?



　For example, how should he behave as a king when he starts launching his men into unexplored territories where he does not know what kind of dangers might be lurking?



"It is not right to order a small group of men to go to a danger zone and not even go to see them off. ......"



　The survey itself is absolutely necessary. I do not think the order we gave was wrong. However, it would not be right for a king not to see his men off when they are about to go out to the danger zone.



　It may be hypocritical to think such a thing while giving an order, but still, the path that Helian has taken so far does not leave him with the option of <>.



"Let's start with what we can ...... think about specific follow-ups after we send them off first."



　This should be an important job for a king.

　And if we are talking in terms of calculation, sending them off may boost their morale.



　If so, it will be profitable. For the small amount of time we spend seeing them off, we can increase the chances of them coming back with better results.



Then we must act.

　Move your hands and feet, get out in the field. Listen with your ears and see with your eyes."



　I imitate the habit of the professor who was in charge of the seminar.

　According to the professor, it is a necessary behavior for those who stand on top of others. He was a professor who liked to draw upon his great strength and had a long story to tell, but I am glad that I did not let him talk me out of it. In life, you never know what will be useful for you.



　I never expected that I would be in the position of the highest authority at the age of less than 20 years old.



　Anyway, we left the castle gate and headed for the great gate on the outer wall.

　On the way, we were escorted by the SS of the 1st Corps.



　We realized along the way that we could easily be killed if the SS betrayed us, but to begin with, most of the people in this country have enough fighting strength to kill a Hellian.



　So, he decided that there was no point in being nervous. If you have a strong stomach, you can usually handle anything. It is also called a desperate state of mind.



　We arrived at the great gate of the northeast wall without incident.



　The surface of the gate, which is protected by a formation magic, is engraved with geometrical patterns, and light occasionally pulsates along the patterns.

　This is a proof that the large scale warding magic surrounding the capital is still in operation. There is nothing wrong with this.



　The problem is the scene of the plaza in front of the main gate.



"...... what the hell is this?"



　Soldiers were gathered in the square.

　If only that were the case. It can be interpreted that they are guarding each outer gate to maintain security.



　However, they were dressed in equipment that emphasized external appearance rather than practicality.

　They stood in two lines for a distance of about 300 meters from the plaza to the gate.



　They stood in line, not moving a muscle, facing each other, and one had to walk between them to get out of the gate.



　It was, by all appearances, a guard of honor to see off the departure.



"...... What the hell are these guys doing? Instead of this, you should be putting more effort into maintaining security on all sides. ...... If that were the case, even the commander of the 2nd Corps, Balan, would have been sent out."



　Helian grumbled so that the SS could not hear him.

　Even if two legionnaires are going out, it's still too much of an overreaction. In normal times, this would be the right thing to do, but not in this emergency.



　And what about the faces of the honor guard?

　A slight tragedy is visible amidst their great pride. It is as if they are sending a nobleman off to the place of death. What an omen!



Herian.

"Your Majesty."



　The two who approached and approached Helian were Liewe of the Moon Wolf Managarum and Ertina of the Ancient Elves, who had been chosen to join the survey team. Both of them are dressed in equipment designed for practical use only.



　The attendants at their side loosely surround Herian, holding up well-tailored, pure white cloths to shield them from the eyes of others.



"Master Helian, I will take your cloak."



　Rieve says no and carefully removes Hellián's cloak.

　One of the attendants came running and knelt down beside her, respectfully accepting the cloak with both hands. He then places the cloak in a black velvet case, which another attendant has brought, with the same care as if he were handling a fragile object.



"............ what?"



　Helian couldn't help but let out a yelp.



　Why did they take off my cloak?

　She had no time to question because of the fluidity of his movements, but that cloak was the exclusive equipment of the king 《player》with the national coat of arms embroidered on the back, and by extension, the cloak that proves that he is the king.



　What does the fact that it was taken off and taken away so reverently mean?



Your Majesty.






　Ertina bowed deeply, then turned around Helian, who froze with a bad feeling, and helped him to put on his new clothes. It was a sturdy-looking cloak that struck the right balance between practicality and elegance.



　Then, in the blink of an eye, light cuirasses made of light materials were attached to various parts of her body, and her shoes were replaced with gleaves made of dragon scales.



　The cloths held up by the attendants were folded at once, and the center of the cloth was once again exposed to the eyes of the surrounding people. There was Helian, dressed in his expedition gear.



　The servants, who had done their job perfectly, quietly retreated, leaving only three figures in their expeditionary gear.



(...... wait for me)



　Helian sweats like a waterfall inwardly.



　It was not a sign of treason, but why did they make him take off his usual cloak?

　Why was he made to wear the cloak of the expedition?

　And why did Liewe and Ertina stand slightly behind him on either side of him, as if they were in the lead with Helian?



"We will protect you at all costs, Herian. I will protect you no matter what happens in the future.

"Although I am a small man, I will do my utmost for Your Majesty and your country. I will do my best for Your Majesty and your country, and I will be prepared to do my duty along the way."



　The former is by Levee and the latter by Ertina.

　Helian froze completely in the face of these two who firmly announced their determination.



"............"



　What's this?

　How did this happen?

　Please tell me this is a joke.

　I seriously don't understand.



　It's as if the king himself is going to investigate the situation outside the country.



　Helian hurriedly recalled the order he had given earlier, but he did not remember making such a brave and crazy statement as <>.



(...... No, come to think of it...)



　I think back to exactly what I said.



　I remember that at the audience I had just had, I had asked the "Three Bodies of the Beginning" if they remembered having surveyed the unexplored areas in the early days of this game, and they had replied that they <> that they had done so.



　He then instructed them to remove Balan, who was essential for maintaining security, and to go out to investigate with the remaining members, Liewe and Ertina.

　At that time, he told them to follow up with the following words: ......



<


　Same as in the early search.

　The only difference is that there is no balun.

　The only difference is that there is no balun.

　Only that there is no Balan.

　Only that there is no Balan.

　In other words--







　--Wouldn't that mean that Helian, who was conducting the initial search along with the three demons, is also a member of this survey team?







"............"



　He looks back with the movement of a tin doll that has run out of oil.

　Behind them on either side are Lieve and Ertina, who are looking determined.

　And even further behind them are a group of covert soldiers dressed in black and wearing no distinctive features, who appear to have been selected by Camilla, the Commander of the Sixth Legion.



　They face the front again.

　In the center of my field of vision is a large gate leading to the forest outside, and at either end are honor guards lined up all the way to the gate.



　I look at my own clothes.

　They are not dressed in ornate red and black cloaks, but in sturdy, soberly-colored expedition gear.



"Now, His Majesty the King himself will lead the expeditionary force out of the country!

　All honor guard, raise the ---- sword!"



　With a shout from the lion-headed guard of honor - Balan was there for some reason - all the guards moved.

　Like the disciplined troops of a dictatorship, they clapped their heels together in unison and raised their ornate gold swords high into the sky.

　There was a solemnity that resembled a medieval painting.



　It was not an atmosphere from which one could ...... escape.



　Helian looks at Levee with a gleam of hope in his eye.

　There, despite his stern face, the king himself is leading the way through this hardship. There was a member of the king's entourage, with a stern look on his face and a twinkle in his eye that said, "That's just the way Herian should have done it.



　How happy I would be if I could tell him that I was mistaken.



"Hm - it's been a long time since I've been in an unexplored area. I remember those days.



　Aha.

　But I hate this mouth that spins a clear line, defeated by the atmosphere of this place. ......!



"So let's conquer. Liewe, Ertina."



　Accompanied by two legionnaires and five secret soldiers, the king of Alkimaira heads for the Great Gate.

　Everyone present looked proudly at the king's back as he departed.

　And as he walks majestically, as if he were going according to plan, Helian exclaims inwardly with all his might.



（Why?　Did I do something wrong?　The king himself taking the lead in forcible reconnaissance, that's just plain crazy!　Somebody stop him!　How did this happen?)






　--Thus did Helian, the brave king of Alkimaira.

　With only seven men, he leads his survey party on the first step into a land of unknown dangers.