For some time afterwards, Leifa and Helian talked about their difficulties.



　The talk did not necessarily solve anything.

　The problems that were the cause of their troubles were still there as a matter of fact.

　Still, it was more than worth it to be able to tell someone about the feelings that we had been holding in our hearts.

　All the accumulated lees were discharged, and after the talk was over, a clear expression naturally emerged on my face.



　And it seems that it was not only on the Helian side either.



"I'm sorry, I just got excited. This is the first time I've talked about something like this since I've been in my current position. ...... Thank you, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that.



　After a short talk, Leifua came back to herself and her cheeks were slightly red.

　She had been leaning forward for the conversation, but now she was sitting back in her chair with good posture.



　To say the least, she did not look like royalty.

　Rather, just as when I first met her, she gave me the impression of a girl of her age.

　But this should be her natural appearance. Even Leifua is forced to wear the mask of a queen.



　It is not only me who is in pain.

　Just being able to reconfirm that fact, which is too obvious, was worth coming here.



"Don't worry about it. I'm sorry for all the things I've said to you.

No, of course not. As for me, I have few people with whom I can have this kind of conversation. It was nice talking to you, Mr. Grimm.

"No. No. I feel like I've been holding things in for a long time and I've been able to let them out. Thank you for your time.

"That's my line. ...... Oh, no, there's no end to it. Well, I guess we're both here for the same reason.



　A small smile.

　Helian chuckled in response.



"By the way, I heard that some of the people of Alkimaira are visiting your country ....... Are they giving you any trouble?　Our people tend to be a bit rough around the edges, so I was a bit concerned.

I am not at all annoyed with you. We are very grateful for your help in the recovery effort.

"......Now that you put it this way, the people of Alkimaira are all demons. I hear that "demons" are an object of fear for the people of this world. ......

"It is difficult to say whether I feel no fear at all, but these are people to whom we owe a great debt of gratitude for saving our country. The people staying in the capital are also friendly to us, and we consider them to be a different species from the 'demons' we know."



　Hearing Leifa's words, Helian let out a sigh of relief.

　After all, "demons" in this world are the very "threats" that turn their fangs against people in accordance with the demon tribe. I heard that there had just been a large-scale attack by demons and beasts in a neighboring human city called Boundary City. It is not surprising that they are feared.



　The reason why the people of Rattestwood accepted the demons of Alkimaira, even in light of this, must be due to the founding principles of his country and its national character.

　As a result, it may have been fortunate for Alkymyra that the first country with which they came into contact was RATESTWOOD.



"Besides, RATESTWOOD is a multiethnic country from the beginning. We are proud of our open-mindedness, since that is how our country was founded.

"It's a national trait, isn't it?"

Yes. We are not excluded because of our race, because we have to care for each other and help each other to survive. We have a monarchy and a queen of the Elves, but in reality it is only the result of placing the best people in the center of the nation. This is quite different from a normal elven nation.

"When I say normal elf state, I mean ......"

"Noblewood, for example, places great importance on the 'blood' of the ancestors. Only those who are directly descended from the ancestors, who have strong ancestral blood, are allowed to run the country. Elders also have a certain amount of say, but only those of a certain high pedigree can become elders in the first place.



　I wonder if this is also called "puritanism.

　In the history of the earth, there have been many nations that have deliberately practiced inbreeding for the sake of bloodlines. As a result of repeated inbreeding, various problems occurred, such as the development of weak constitutions and the tendency of families to die prematurely.



　However, unlike humans, elves have extremely long life spans.

　In addition, the mating cycle of elves in this world is said to be extremely long.

　It is precisely because of this that they have been able to keep the "blood" of their ancestors alive from generation to generation, while minimizing the harmful effects of inbreeding.



"Noblewood is an extreme example, but most of the Elven nations are that place some importance on the blood of their ancestors. It's a tribal thing.

"I see. Then, what about the human countries?

"I don't know much about the land of the human race, but I have heard that the nearest human city from the forest--Rotfort, to which the border city belongs--is a kingdom.



　We probably already have information about this area through .

　However, the information obtained through is a dictionary consisting of hundreds of millions of pages, so to speak, and is like a search engine that holds vast amounts of information.

　You can look up information if you want to, but if your research method is inappropriate, you will not be able to get the exact information you want, and you will have to judge the validity of the information by yourself.



　This is a problem that can be solved with time, but I had the opportunity to have a direct conversation with Leifa. In this case, it is worthwhile to hear directly from her mouth.

　In addition, in the days when I spend all day long staring at the , the information obtained from the conversation is more memorable.



"The political forms of the human race are the most varied among the four major races on the continent, with republics and religious states. There are relatively many kingdoms, but they are not all kingdoms.

"Heh. Well, there are many kinds of monarchies.

"Yes, that's right. ...... By the way, what about this country?　Oh, if you don't mind me asking.

No, I'm fine. Well, this country is--"



　Alkimaira's form of government is ---- Huh?



"?　Um, can I help you?　I'm kind of sweating a lot. ......"



　Leifa calls out to him in a concerned tone.

　Helian, however, could not respond and began to perspire coldly.

　He had once again considered the political form of his country and had come to a terrible conclusion.



　First of all, Alkimaira is a with Helian as its king.

　All political authority is concentrated in the leader (player) named Helian, and he is allowed to exercise his power freely. Since there is no parliament and no replacement of the king, the player will continue to hold all the power permanently as long as he lives.




　In addition, national policy making is directly related to the will of the leaders, and even laws are set at the will of the leaders.



　--The form of government, in other words, is...



"............, a dictatorship?"



　I've noticed something I shouldn't have.

　With this expression on his face, Hélian drops a bead of sweat on the counter.







　　　　+ + + +







　After that, Helian (Grim) suddenly started to look pale and Leifa (Raina) was worried about him, but he covered it up by saying, "I'm just a little tired. When Gobutaro came back from the back of the kitchen, Helian decided to leave her.



　At any rate, we can say that our initial goal has been achieved.

　< he had succeeded in establishing a relationship with and was able to get to know her well. We had made a verbal agreement to meet again at a bar in the place of our beginnings the next time we visit this country, and I am certain that we have achieved a great deal as a step toward building a relationship in the future.



　However, as Helian walked alone in the castle town, he was troubled by a new problem.



"This is bad, this is bad, this is too bad."



　It's too late to say this, but he was becoming aware of the fact that the country of Alkimaira is under a , and he was feeling a sense of urgency.



　This is a very natural story for a boxyard game.

　There is no fun in a box garden in which the will of NPCs other than the player is prioritized. A boxyard game in which the player cannot do as he/she pleases is, in the first place, bankrupt as a game.



　However, if this is put into the "real world," what is created is a dictatorship in which a single monarch has absolute power. It would be.



"...... not fancy."



　This is not to deny dictatorships per se.

　Dictatorship is just a form of politics. It is just one of the political forms that has the feature (merit) that it is not necessary to go through complicated steps (process) in running a country, and that the response time for contemplation, decision, and execution is extremely short.



　Although it is often associated with a bad image, this is because it is often combined with the politics of fear and oppression, and the image of dictatorship = bad politics is not valid.

　There are leaders in history who brought their countries together quickly and brought happiness and peace to many of their people by daring to implement dictatorships.



"But that is a prerequisite for a good dictator. ......



　When a dictator makes a mistake at the helm, the consequences for the nation are nothing short of disastrous.

　In a dictatorship where the will of the monarch is directly connected to the will of the nation, even if it is clearly a wrong choice, the monarch will continue on the wrong path. Even if the path leads to ruin, it will lead to the end.

　And the same theory can be said about Alkimaira.



No one is going to stop me. If I make a mistake, we all make a mistake. ......



　There is a saying, "Many boatmen climb a mountain," and even if there is only one boatman, there is nothing that can be done if that boatman is a fool who says things like, "Climb the mountain.

　Moreover, Alkimaira had the potential to carry out even such recklessness.



　For the time being, I expect that we will be able to manage our domestic affairs.

　It has the support of its capabilities (system), and it has an excellent domestic administration officer. Although we need to make efforts to bridge the gap between the virtual (game) and the real (reality), we can work on it as an extension of what we have done in [Tactics Chronicle].



　We have already allocated tasks to each corps.

　We have already registered about two months' worth of for pioneering projects and the start of the normalization of the economy. As long as there are no major problems, we do not need any help from Hellian, and the domestic affairs officers (Ertina) are taking care of the minor practical matters.



The problem is foreign affairs. There is no room for error when it comes to diplomacy. ......"



　I have a big problem as a king, as I had been worrying about that day when I fled from the castle and arrived at the tavern in the beginning.

　And none of those problems have been solved since that day.



　Political science is not my specialty. I have never even touched the study of imperialism.

　My academic performance has been above average at best, and I have not been involved in any clubs or club activities. He is a university student gamer who has devoted much of his youth to finally becoming a champion of [Tactics Chronicle]. An ordinary young man with no special talents of his own.

　That is Tsukasa Misaki.



　Here is the reality that he is the leader of a nation.

　As an absolute monarch, he must rule with excellence, take a decisive and strong stance in diplomacy with other nations, and lead the people in wars and in the search for the unknown.

　He must continue to be a man worthy of being the king of all demons.



"...... Impossible. It cannot be done.



　I don't think I can do it, no matter how many times I try to rethink it.

　It is completely beyond the capacity of what Tsukasa Misaki is capable of.

　It is absolutely impossible for him to compete with the powers in the diplomatic arena.

　That is a fact without any falsehood, and it is a purely real problem that stands before us.





"If you are ----, think about it."





　What should you do after facing this reality?

　What should I do so that Helian-Edda-Elsinok, aka Tsukasa Misaki, can continue to wear the mask of the "King of All Evil"?



"Never stop thinking. There is no time to despair of reality. If you have time for that, spend it on thinking to break through this reality.



　That's right.

　We can't let this get us down.

　We cannot afford to be so naive.



　Because that day, Helian made a promise.

　Because that day, that time, that place, he made a vow to a virtuous girl.

　Because he had decided that as long as a certain girl did not break his heart, he too would keep looking forward with stubbornness.



　And that girl is still looking forward without turning her head.

　I have just seen her carrying a burden that would be too heavy for her slender body, and yet she is standing firm and holding out her chest.



　Then there is no reason for me to kneel down here.

　While that girl is working so hard, there is no way I can allow myself to grieve like a woman.




　Therefore, what the "Helians" should do now is not to despair of reality, but to take concrete measures to overcome this real problem.



What are we going to do? What should we do? What should Helian do in order to acquire diplomatic power, which is the most pressing issue?"



　First of all, we can't continue as we are now.



　[Tactics Chronicle] had a diplomacy element, but it was a simple one based on chat conversations between players.

　We have played cards such as military power and resources to negotiate, but real diplomacy cannot be that simple.

　In actual diplomacy, it will be necessary to have a negotiating skill that can handle both sweet and sour sides of the equation.



　On the other hand, it does not mean that your experience in negotiation will be completely wasted.

　Even though it is a virtual world (game), it was a nation run by several living people with their own agendas. In other words, the world of [Tactics Chronicle] was a strategy board where living intentions, thoughts, and speculations were intertwined. It seems that some of the knowledge and experiences gained from this world can be applied to the real world.



　The main point, then, is how to draw a clear line between the virtual and the real, how to apply the knowledge and experience, and how to sublimate the negotiation skills to a practical level.



"...... So, what do you think about that?　Is it possible for the Helians of today to apply the knowledge and experience they have accumulated so far in a proper and reliable manner and compete on equal terms with the powers of the world?"



　No. Extremely difficult.

　At present, we cannot come up with an as to how we should operate, and even if we could come up with our own , we do not have enough evidence to be proud that it is the right answer.



　We cannot expect textbook answers when it comes to steering the country, but we must at least be able to say with confidence that we ourselves are "right.

　We cannot hope for a bright future for a country whose king does not stand firm.



Then, how can we gain the confidence to be sure?



　First, you need experience.

　We need a different kind of experience from the virtual (game) experience, a real (real) experience that can be ...... called "hands-on experience".

　If you accumulate experience as a representative of an organization and accumulate successes in the process, you may eventually gain a firm confidence in yourself.



"So, ...... how exactly do we gain experience?"



　In [Tactics Chronicle], we gained practical experience through repeated failures and successes, but now that it has become a reality, we cannot do the same.

　Even a single failure could be enough to bring about a crisis of national survival.



　To put it another way, Alkimaira could become an "enemy of the world" as a result of a mistake in diplomacy. Since they have established their base in the Abyssal Forest, there is a possibility that they may be regarded as the land of the Demon King. We need to be more cautious than cautious in diplomacy.



"...... is a problem."



　Helian needs experience.

　To gain experience, one must actually be in the negotiating room.

　On the other hand, the dilemma is that there is absolutely no room for error in negotiations.



　...... can't help it.



"Hey, you there!　That's not safe!"

"...... what?"



　Suddenly, I was grabbed by the collar and pulled backward.

　The airway tightened, and a "gulp" sound escaped from Hellian's throat.

　Immediately after that, something crossed in front of Hellian's eyes at a high speed.



"Oops, my bad!"



　What crossed the road was a horse-drawn carriage with a full load of goods.

　A few centimeters away from my nose, a massive mass passed by, making a rattling bass sound.

　If I had taken one more step, I would have been blown away without a doubt.



　I was chilled to the core. ......



"I'm sorry!　You're going over the speed limit, you son of a b*tc*!　I don't care how fast you're going, you've got to follow the rules. d*mn it!"



　The benefactor who had apparently saved me as soon as I got here was very vexed.

　The man staring in the direction the wagon had gone was a demon.

　He is about to embark on a pioneering project, perhaps with a huge machete on his shoulder.



"...... Sorry. Thank God. I almost got run over."

"Oh, it's okay. It's the carriage's fault for speeding down this alley. What kind of a horse-drawn carriage is that? I'll turn you in to the guards next time I see you.



　The demon with the rough nose said that.

　Something else suddenly came to my mind.



"............ Trading Company?"

"Hmm?　Yeah, there was a coat of arms of some trading company painted on the back of the carriage. I didn't know what kind of business ...... because it happened so quickly, but I'm going to be late for work so I'm going to go. I'm going to be late for work. My wife is going to scold me.



　The demon leaves in a hurry, saying "Oh no, oh no, oh no.

　Helian, who had seen him off, leaned against the nearest wall and thought back to what he had just said.

　He puts his right hand on his forehead to support his head and sinks into a sea of thoughts.



"...... diplomacy skills...... experience...... gathering information about the outside world...... and securing a base of operations. ......The figure at the front of the pack: ......"



　I spent several minutes mumbling to myself.

　After collecting his thoughts, Helian suddenly looked up at the sky.

　Then, with a frighteningly straight face, he muttered a few words to himself.





"Yes. I'll be a merchant.





　The king decided to change jobs.