After I made my proposal, Drake acted quickly.
　He immediately divided the thousand demons I'd joined into four units, the four newly appointed generals I'd appointed, Milo, Gilanka, Bau, and Drake, and placed the remaining unwilling members further down the line.
　They were then assigned to each unit on a rotating basis to clear the forest, build houses, and patrol the forest, with Drake in charge of the whole. I'm beginning to wonder if I'm really letting Drake take charge of everything.

　And then I was like.....

"Huh, why do I have to be in this role?

It's no use. You're the only one who can understand human speech.

No, I mean, it's true, but...

Don't worry, Lord Noah, I'm with you. I am with you.

　I'm currently on the back of the Puppy.
　The first thing I'm doing is going to my country of birth, the Draukos Empire - its imperial capital, Calcada. By the way, the one next to me is Alisa.
　Basically, I want to live in peace and quiet. But there's a good reason why I'm heading to the imperial capital, Calcutta, like this.
　Even if I decide to build a country, and even if I succeed in founding it, it will be the end of the world if it is attacked before that happens.
　First of all, I need to inform the surrounding countries of my decision to establish a country. It is necessary to inform the authorities of this fact as much as possible.
　That's why I'm aiming for my birth country, the Draukos Empire, in the first place. I'm still an imperial citizen on paper.

But that doesn't mean I'm going to go all the way out there in a puppy... doesn't it feel like we're antagonizing each other?

So you want to crawl all the way over there?　It would take days on foot, that one.

Well, it's about seven days one way...

Then it would be more efficient to ride on my back. We'll be there by evening.

....

　Puppy's words are so right on the money that I can't even gag.
　You're right, as a means of transportation, puppies are great. They're fast and they fly so there are no obstacles.
　Humming in a good mood, the Puppy flies with Arisa and me on board.

　I appointed them as my four generals, Milo, Gilanka, Bau, and Drake. I didn't put Puppy in the position of a general because he's definitely on a roll.
　If that is the case, why is Puppy in such a good mood? It's because of Drake, who is so needlessly witty.
　After I had left Drake in charge of everything, he said to Puppy. Lord Puppy is not a general or anything like that, but he must be in a position that transcends that even more. If I were to use an analogy, he is a secret weapon.
　That's why he's in a good mood for nothing, even though he hasn't been given any position. It's a secret weapon, so it can't be helped, right?
　I don't approve of it, though.

"So that's all I have to do to get to that imperial capital, isn't it?

Drake said I wouldn't have to hide, but is it okay?

'The information is probably already in the air. Then you'd rather not hide, but rather face it openly.

Well, yeah...

　The information would already be given to the Empire from the two people Randy and Shelly let loose.
　If that's the case, it would be better to descend on the imperial capital with a dragon, wouldn't it?
　But as expected, if a dragon appeared in the city, there would be panic. At the very least, even if the top brass knows about it, the people in the city won't know about me.
　Should I get off at the entrance to the imperial capital after all? Make sure to remind them that as long as you don't touch me, I won't touch you at all from the Puppy.

''So, how do you plan to conduct the negotiations?''

'I'm just asking you to acknowledge that I've decided to create a country in the western forests of the Empire,'

I don't know if I'm a man of common sense, but does that make you a man of common sense?

That's why I brought Alisa here.

Uh, what the hell does that mean?　Why me?

　Oh, come to think of it, Alisa doesn't understand what the Puppies say. I'll have to explain that to her properly too.
　At any rate, Alisa only said, "Come with me," that's all she said.

'Um, Alisa,'

'Oh, oh, Lord Noah. Of course I have given my entire body to Lord Noah. Even if I were to be sold to the slavers in the imperial city....

'Cause it's not like that!　I only want Alisa to be our cause!

...for a cause?

Yes.

　To be honest, I don't understand it well either.
　But it seems to me that the most important thing to consider when creating a country is why it is necessary to create it.
　For example, let's say I announce to the empire that I'm going to create a country. Next, the empire asks me why I need to create a country. I can't respond to that by saying that I have no reason to do so.
　If there is no reason, then you should be under the protection of the Empire. If you reply back here, even if it's because you can't trust the Empire, then that alone will make your relationship with the Empire worse.
　That's why I'm bringing Alisa here as a reason to do so.

''There have always been elves living in the forest to the west of the Ruins of Rilkara, right?

Yeah. There are far fewer of them now, but...

'But you've never been under the protection of an empire or kingdom before, have you?　I mean, it was an independent entity.

Well, you will. I don't remember paying any taxes.

I'm going to take over the customary, customary form and make it into a nation. I'm going to take over the leadership of the elves, who were not under the protection of the Empire, so that my country is also not under the protection of the Empire.

"...what's the meaning of this?

Well, I don't know that part of it either.

　In the meantime, we'll just have to do what Drake told us to do and negotiate.
　But it's a strange feeling. I'm going to meet with the powers that be in the imperial capital now and declare the creation of my country.
　So, depending on the situation, I may have to meet with His Majesty the Emperor.
　But the tension is nowhere to be found. There was no tension at all, as if I must not say anything inappropriate.
　I don't know why, either.

　I'm not sure if it's because of this, but - I think it's because a part of me has been blown away.
　No matter how His Majesty judges me, my actions will not change. If the need arises, all I have to do is riot with the Puppy and escape from the imperial capital.

''........Ah, I see.''

'Sir Noah?　What are you doing?

Well it's nothing.

　Haha, I chuckle.
　I finally understand. The reason why I have so much room in my heart.
　As an S-ranked adventurer, Drake was supposed to be the strongest human being in the world. He was an existence that seemed to remain in the annals of legend, and I defeated him with overwhelming strength and made him my friend.
　Sherry and Randy, the S-ranked adventurers I was with, were completely helpless in the face of my companions.
　I think there are some strong ones who are the remaining S-ranked adventurers, or generals of the Order, or something like that. I just don't know it, but there are probably people out there who are stronger than Drake.

　But.
　Surely, me and my people can give it our all.

　I'm sure that no one will be able to stop me in my tracks.