'The war with the Alemany Farren Republic must end as soon as possible!　Immediate, unilateral peace is the only way left!

　Thracian Imperial Finance Minister Witte stood up with a fierce slap on the round table and stared at the other eleven ministers.

　This was a room in the Ash Palace in the imperial capital.
　In the Thracian Empire there are several palaces besides the largest imperial palace where the emperor lives. The Ash Palace was one of them.

　The Ash Palace, as its name suggests, is a pale grey color with a uniform outer wall. The palace had lightly over a thousand doors and windows, and it boasted its grandeur against the blue Grand Canal.

　And Witte and his ministers and the emperor were gathered in one room of that ash palace.
　The Council of Imperial Ministers, the highest political decision-making body in this country, was in session.

　The red carpet in the room has a wave-like pattern, and the high ceiling is lit by an extravagant crystal chandelier that glows with an intricate light.

　The emperor rests on a throne at the back.
　The twelve ministers sit around a round table in the middle of the room.

''Calm down, Mr. Witte,''

　The newly appointed prime minister, Strath, smiled back at Witte as he sat down.
　Strass was an ex-military man, still in his late thirties.

　He was much younger than Witte, who was over sixty. He was also from a prestigious noble family.

　Witte, on the other hand, was the only minister from a commoner's background.
　But nevertheless, he occupied the key position of Minister of Finance among the ministers.

　It was a sign of his extreme competence.
　Although he now enjoys aristocratic treatment, it was not easy for him to rise to this level from a mere bureaucrat.

　The quality is different from those of the aristocratic ministers.
　Witte is proud of that.

　'This war will be a victory for the Empire,' says Stras.

'This war will surely end in a victory for the Empire.

'How many years have passed since you said you can win, win, win?　Four years.

　Witte said with a bitter look on his face.
　When the battle, known as the Great Republic War, had begun, the Empire's upper echelons had been optimistic about the outcome of the battle.
　They had seen that within two weeks, the Empire's victory would be clear.

　However, the enemy, the Alemany Farren Republic, showed unexpected strength.

　This war was sparked by the Republic's move to secure resource rights in the eastern part of the continent in response to the Empire's plans for further expansion across the continent.

　The Polska Kingdom, subordinate to the Empire, is sandwiched between the Republic and the Empire and is blessed with rich resources.　
　Therefore, the Republic attempted to bring the Polska Kingdom to its side.

　The imperial army, sensing this move, began its march to the Polska Kingdom's capital.
　That was the beginning of the Great Republican War.

　The Republic criticized the tyranny of the Empire and organized the small nations threatened by the Empire to create a multi-state organization called the Republican League.

　At first the Empire was dominant in the Great Republican War, but gradually the forces were balanced and now the Imperial Army was losing all the time.

There is now no other way for the Empire to make peace with the Alemany Faren Republic on its own.

　To Witte's murmur, Gudin, the Minister of State's Guardianship, replies.

'You're abandoning the allied kingdoms?　Besides, what would happen if I did that?　The payment of huge reparations, the ceding of territory, the secession of dependent kingdoms, the loss of all continental interests. This is unacceptable.

That's why we have to make peace now. It's not too late!　There's no more money in the treasury. The food production capacity is also diminished because of the drafting of soldiers from rural areas. The northwestern front is on the verge of collapse. If we continue to fight this war, we will lose for sure. What will come after that is....

　Invasion of the imperial capital of the Republic. Revolt of soldiers and peasants. And a revolution.

　As expected, Witte didn't say it out loud, but the other ministers seemed to get what he wanted to say.

　Even though the rebel July Party was still very powerful, there were several other secret societies working in the dark recently to overthrow the Empire.

　The future of the Imperial government collapsing and the slaughter of emperors and nobles could become a reality.

　All of the ministers have a gloomy look on their faces.
　Except for one person, Prime Minister Stras.

　Stras said in a confident voice.

'The glorious empire will not be defeated by the Republic or any other nation. I have innumerable secrets for winning this war.''

"In my long career as an officer, this thing called a secret plan has never worked.

　Strath laughed at Witte's sarcasm.

'That's because the trick wasn't much of a secret. I've got a couple of tricks up my sleeve to start with.

　And there were two ways to break the war that Strath proposed.

　One was the resurrection of the Demon King that lay in the dead city of Necropolis and its military use.
　Witte laughed.

''The Demon King who destroyed the ancient kingdom lies in the ruins?　That's a fairy tale, isn't it?

No, the Demon King exists for sure.

　Strath was so confident that Witte felt a little pressured.
　When he saw that the seat had quieted down, Strath continued.　

''The reason we're forming the Creon Salvation Knights and having them attack Necropolis as a national project is also to revive the Demon King and put him on the Republican front.

　Indeed, it would be great if there was such a thing as a Demon King, and if it could annihilate the Republic's army.
　The Demon King who destroyed the ancient kingdom in an instant and burned down the towns with his inexhaustible magical power.

　If there was such a thing, how are they going to revive and control it?
　Before Witte could ask him about it, Strath mentioned a second measure.

'These so-called adventurers are quite powerful. That's exactly what some adventurer groups are capable of, to the extent that they can outnumber the battalions of the national army.

What's wrong with that?

And then we'll draft them into the army.

''........Nonsense. The adventurers are not really suited to fighting in large groups. Even if it's just five or six people capturing the ruins, I don't think you can incorporate them into an army for anti-personnel combat.

'Mr Witte. I'm an ex-military man. And you have to trust me because I'm telling you that I'm fine.

''Then I would like to ask you from another side. The adventurers' efforts to capture the ruins should now be vital to the Empire's economy. If they disappeared from the mainland of the imperial capital, wouldn't there be a delay in supplies to supply the front lines?

It will only take a moment to put an end to it. When I become Prime Minister, I will not prolong this war. In a few short days, the Great Republican War will be won by us. .... glory to the Empire.

　All the ministers, except Witte, followed Strath and chanted "Glory to the Empire".

　There was a strange power in Prime Minister Strath's words, but Witte could not believe that this war would soon end in a victory for the Empire.

　The other ministers were simply distracting themselves from the reality of the Empire's defeat.

　Strath finally said.

''As we introduce the adventurers to the front line, let the five great sorcerers symbolize the strengthening of the Imperial Army. I believe that having men of unparalleled ability, character and appearance at the front of our troops will serve as a morale booster.

　In other words, it would mean that those five people would be massively advertised as killing their enemies.
　The five great mages of the Empire that Strath presented were the following five.

　Palmyra, a lone heroic figure who would be able to conquer difficult ruins by himself.

　The blue-blooded Dirad, the head of the court mage corps.

　Glen the Great Sage, the headmaster of the Imperial School of Magic.

　Lucy the Crimson, who is also a professor at the Imperial School of Magic.

　And the last one was Sophia, a saint chosen by the Imperial Church.