Volume 6 Chapter 114 Roundtable Conference
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
In the Round Table room of the Holy King’s Palace, the massive marble table at the center defined the space.
The courtyard outside the window looked familiar. I’d passed through it right after being summoned here. Never did I imagine ending up in a place like this.
The imposing table was clearly dwarven craftsmanship. Such weight—wouldn’t the floor collapse? Or maybe the sheer mass anchored the structure itself, acting as a keystone. Not mere furniture, but part of the building’s foundation.
Around me, several high-ranking figures called by the Conqueror King bickered over seating. Ridiculous. I chose whichever chair felt comfortable.
Being summoned here meant the seating wasn’t important. A round table shouldn’t have places of honor, right? Or am I mistaken?
”Quite a dignified air you’ve acquired,” the Cardinal said, sliding into the seat beside me as if it were natural.
Though I knew it was obvious flattery, I didn’t mind. I felt a bit of that dignity myself.
I need to become a proper father to the children soon to be born.
So far, the confirmed pregnancies were Ms. Ant, Sar-Sar, Tizzy, Ms. Shirakaba, Princess Auroora, and Miss Floria. The latter two had conceived easily after only a few encounters, so the curse must be lifting.
It was discovered that avoiding wall barley for about a hundred days could break the low birth rate curse. I’d love to share this with those who long for children, but the god involved complicates matters. If we act openly, they’ll likely retaliate.
It’s like secret cheats in online games getting patched.
Hiding anything from the gods is impossible; convincing them directly is best. But one misstep and it could all backfire.
If we stay silent, they might let our families be. Isn’t it better not to provoke a god?
Even with my newfound dignity, we’re still just humans—weak characters before the gods.
”What’s this upstart doing sitting here alone?” a pompous man in fine clothes demanded, striding toward me.
Troublesome.
In diplomacy, where tangled interests collide, making friends is rare—but so is making enemies. I always treat others respectfully.
Maybe he’s trying to intimidate me for an advantage? In this world, power often rules, but even a cornered rat can bite a cat. Risky unless the gap is huge.
If anyone tried starting a war now, while the Demon King’s army advances, the others wouldn’t stay quiet.
He hadn’t thought that far. Probably just a fool trying to act senior.
He might be rallying others to bully me, the newcomer, but he’d do well to read the room. Few supported him.
”Don’t you know the story of the Round Table?” the Cardinal challenged smoothly.
”Oh, come on. No way someone this uncultured is here, right?” the man sneered.
The Cardinal’s interjection reddened the man’s face. He backed off.
I didn’t fully grasp it, but it smelled like an upper-class power play.
I didn’t know the story either, but nodded knowingly, pretending I did.
When the Conqueror King entered in plain clothes, the atmosphere shifted.
That man seemed to shed a layer of himself. His aura was undeniable—a true protagonist vibe.
If someone told me to swear loyalty, I’d probably kneel without hesitation.
We all rose to greet him.
”Thank you all for gathering in this time of crisis. Each of you holds great authority and responsibility. Speak freely as we prepare for the Demon King’s re-invasion,” he said.
A few days ago, a messenger from the Demon King arrived at the Holy Capital and declared war outright.
Not surprising, but historic nonetheless.
To summarize the declaration: the Demon King’s army will march the old highway toward the Holy Capital. No surrender. Anyone who obstructs them will be killed. Those who flee before battle will be spared.
I mapped it out mentally. The old highway passes just outside Toyata village’s gate. The village will be devastated. Evacuation soon is necessary. The Baron isn’t here today—I’ll have to inform him.
Our country isn’t directly in the path. The army’s route detours around old Toyata village, crossing the old great bridge. The highway will run through our land. Will there be battle? If we hide, they might pass us by.
If the final fight’s at the Holy Capital, our country is the front line. The Demon King’s forces will have clashed with several nations before then—how worn down will they be?
From the Holy Capital, the old highway runs past our country, down a canal to the downstream region. Neighboring Kesuran Dukedom and the Bravan Kingdom—both major nations—lie along the way. Bravan is much like ours, mostly wasteland.
The canal passes through the downstream three countries, crossing the Rontana Plain to reach the inland sea.
At the Rontana Plain, the highway splits—one branch toward Totoana, the other toward Larse. Mostly coastal routes.
The old highway was designed to avoid rough terrain; hills are enemies of carriages.
The new highway is a shortcut with tunnels, partially overlapping the old.
For a large army, the highway is logical for supply lines. But why tell us this? Are they baiting us for an ambush?
If I were the Demon King, I’d send supplies by boat up the canal—not stick to the highway. What’s the point of this show?
”Isn’t it convenient? Let’s gather the whole army on the Rontana Plain and face them head-on! We’ll crush the Demon King’s forces in one decisive battle—a reenactment of the Battle of Rontana!” the man who challenged me earlier declared.
He must be king of a small nation near the Rontana Plain—one of the downstream Three Kingdoms that once thrived on trade along the inland sea route.
The same country that had a spat with the professor over the salmon coming up the canal. Lately, they’ve been a nuisance—blocking us over canal rights and whatnot.
The downstream Three Kingdoms mostly rely on tolls for revenue, which has been a serious obstacle to trade. Their military is weak, yet they squeeze every last penny from small merchants. They’re like a legal band of thieves.
If the Demon King’s army wipes out these small nations, the merchants might cheer—though in that case, business would probably dry up anyway.
”The Battle of Rontana, huh? A historic great victory,” the king mused.
”Back then, the Demon King’s army advanced from the Larse side. Is it really smart to use the same formation?” another voice asked.
”What? According to the records, the Hero back then had only a handful of troops. Still, they won big. It was an easy victory,” the first replied dismissively.
What the hell are these idiots? They’re so clueless, it’s giving me a headache.
The Battle of Rontana—wasn’t that from the last Demon King’s era? Even kids know the tale, but it’s almost a century old. Anyone who fought back then is gone—maybe elves and dwarves remember? Once we’re back at the castle, should I track down a dwarf warrior who was there and get their side?
”To move such a large army, there won’t be enough food. Yesterday’s count showed wheat prices have risen 300-fold. By now, it’s probably vanished from the market,” a Merchant Guild big shot said sharply.
They sure know where to look. The Merchant Guild and the downstream kingdoms are like oil and water—maybe this guy’s just stirring trouble.
Wall barley was practically free before, but now merchants hoard it, and prices have skyrocketed. Somehow, news about the Demon King’s army leaked. Maybe the speaker’s the one behind the hoarding.
A proper village stocks up until the next harvest, but if people sell out early for high prices, they’ll starve later. That’s their problem—but some lords will probably seize food by force.
Even with cheat-level wall barley, are people starving? There should be enough food, though.
If the rich hoard everything, famine can strike no matter how much wheat there is.
* * *
”Logistics aren’t the job of newcomers, right?” one king said.
”That’s fine—they seem to have money,” another replied.
”Right. If we win against the Demon King’s army together, maybe we’ll accept you as one of us,” the third added, eyes on me.
The three kings of the lower kingdoms, huh? Could they be holding a grudge for not inviting them to the wedding? Like the evil sorcerer in Sleeping Beauty—the real lesson might be that if you don’t invite someone to the banquet, they’ll hate you to death.
Now they talk about being “allies,” but they’re the ones who abandoned the Anti-Demon Alliance. They only crawled back after Totoana started losing. Between me, the newbie, and them, the traitors, who’s more trustworthy?
”The wall barley harvest is about a hundred days away. If food runs out, we can buy time with a siege,” I said, trying to sugarcoat the truth. Probably didn’t get through—I’m such a coward.
Honestly, I don’t think we stand a chance in an open battle. Lose one decisive fight, and it’s game over.
The lower kingdoms will likely abandon us if we start losing, locking their city gates tight. Otherwise, quick goblin soldiers would sneak in with retreating enemies. It’s unavoidable—we’d be the ones locked out. Not a comforting thought.
Against the current Demon King’s army, even a siege is a losing game. But if we’re smart, retreating slowly and keeping casualties low, we might buy time. The Demon King’s army is vulnerable to long supply lines.
The countries along our path will become “noble sacrifices” one by one. Nobody will be happy about it.
* * *
”This damn fool newcomer!! You think you can use us as shields?!” one king spat.
”You must be holding back supplies if you say that. Gold-hungry bastard—you should be ashamed!” another barked.
The lower kingdoms want to settle this on the Rontana Plains before their lands become battlefields.
I get their desperation, but their rudeness to me is unbearable. No sympathy here.
”Calm down. We haven’t decided to fight at Rontana yet. I think this might be the Demon King’s scheme. The talk of marching down the old highway could be a trap. From the Totoana side, they might cut across the plains and raid the Holy King’s city unexpectedly,” I said.
”I see. They could come through the old Mineley Duchy from the mountains. Almost got fooled by the Demon King’s bluff about the highway,” one king admitted.
”How about the Lower Three Kingdoms hold out for a while, and after the wheat harvest, we send reinforcements slowly?” I suggested.
The mood shifted. The upper kingdoms wouldn’t want to send troops all the way to Rontana Plains, so this works.
The glory of Rontana’s great victory has clouded everyone’s judgment.
Success can be a curse. When people chase a second victory, they stop thinking. Because it worked once, it must work again—no questions asked.
Being optimistic is good, but how optimistic is too optimistic when lives are on the line? This is bad.
There are summoned Heroes with cheat abilities under the Conquest King’s command. Everyone thinks they’ll save us if it comes down to it.
Too sweet—way too sweet.
A max-level goblin beats some lame summoned Hero. Depends on the cheat ability, but those people hired by Totoana didn’t do much.
”By the way, is it true the Demon King said surrender isn’t an option? Isn’t that weird? Are we being lied to, pushed to fight desperately?” one king asked.
Now they’re accusing the Conquest King too.
They say if the upper countries don’t send troops to Rontana Plains, the Lower Three Kingdoms will surrender without a fight. Looks like they’re trying to threaten us.
”Oh? You think I’m lying? Then why not try surrendering yourself?” the Conquest King shot back immediately.
As expected—his sharp comebacks always make me envious.
The person being spoken to murmured something under their breath.
”Honestly, I can’t trust the Lower Three Kingdoms. They were the first to leave the Anti-Demon Alliance and still have the nerve to show their faces,” the Conquest King declared.
”They’ve always drifted between the big nations. Complaining about rookie bullying? That’s a hundred years too soon,” he added coldly.
The mood shifted completely. Now, the three kings were on the defensive.
Is this karma? There’s a strange satisfaction in it—but mostly, I feel pity for the people of the Lower Three Kingdoms. Innocent lives will be sacrificed. Is there truly no sin? Surely good and bad people coexist. After all, they’re human.
I don’t want to put my precious subordinates at risk for strangers I don’t know. The Conquest King probably feels the same. In this world, human life isn’t equal—especially not to those in power.
➖➖
”All right. Then we’ll abandon the Lower Three Kingdoms. The Demon King says he won’t pursue those who flee, so if the people of the three countries abandon their lands and escape to the Larse Empire, they might still survive,” the Conquest King stated.
”Are you saying you’ll abandon our country?!” one of the kings shouted.
”This isn’t what we agreed on! Why include our nation?” another protested.
”Even if we run, we won’t have enough food! Are you really going to abandon innocent people?” a third cried out desperately.
They’re idiots, aren’t they? Did they expect to fight without food? Of course—they planned to leech off me.
The others underestimate wall barley [T/N: a hardy grain], which they could harvest freely if they tried. Why not stockpile extra?
Wall barley seeds can survive over ten years without magical preservation. If they built a storage warehouse, starvation wouldn’t be a worry for at least a decade. They could harvest anew every year and use old stock for brewing—no waste. Why can’t they do that?
Has the Goddess of Fertility spoiled these people too much? Forgetting farming, famine, just soaking in warm baths—that’s the result.
I’m a modern person from Japan, so maybe I shouldn’t judge too harshly.
Even if we win against the Demon King this time, will they learn? Once the crisis fades, they forget the pain. And one day, when they forget again, the Demon King will return.
This time, winning alone won’t suffice. It must be a lesson.
Winning alone is already an impossible game.
➖➖
”There’s nothing costlier than something free, you understand? Anything gained without price is charity. If you seize it by the sword, it’s plunder. The pride you lose isn’t cheap—it’ll cost you dearly in the end,” the Conquest King said, sounding preachy.
He’s too smart for his own good, overthinking things unnecessarily. His charisma moves listeners—but he’s not really saying anything profound.
”So, Duke Sabroa, I want you to arrange food supplies for one hundred thousand meals. Payment over ten years.”
”Huh—me? So this ties back to paying the proper price. Ten years? Sounds like a tab,” I muttered. Tabs are often defaulted on in this world.
One hundred thousand meals is a lot, but to support an army of a thousand, that’s 30,000 meals in ten days, 90,000 in thirty. That’s all.
They could manage with one meal a day, but hunger will tank morale. War costs money, after all.
”These hundred thousand meals will support the people of the three Lower Kingdoms when they flee,” the Conquest King explained.
The three kings jumped for joy. Carrot and stick—nice move.
Apparently, the three countries have about two thousand citizens total. Distributed evenly, that’s fifty meals per person—enough, on paper, to reach the Larse Empire.
But once there, it’ll be tough. A slave-like life awaits. That’s fine—commoners probably won’t notice much difference.
Those with the most to lose are the privileged classes—especially the three kings.
They’ll likely skim the food supplies. With prices high, they could resell for cash and disappear.
I hate thinking such vile thoughts. This world’s poisoned me.
”Don’t worry. We’ll arrange transport. You just need to reach the Larse Empire’s sphere of influence yourselves. We’ll distribute meals along the way,” the Conquest King assured.
That makes skimming hard. The three kings looked disappointed.
If they gave the supplies directly to the people, many wouldn’t evacuate. Those without urgency won’t move until a blade is at their throat.
I thought the Conquest King would simply cut off stubborn folks without a second thought. Guess he’s softened.
No—maybe not. Is he clearing nuisances efficiently? A scorched-earth tactic? Or playing an abandoned castle strategy with the city?
Tactics he’d hesitate to use on his own land, he won’t mind using on discarded territory.
Among the summoned heroes under his command are some crazy ones who’ve hoarded powerful cheats with no current use. Just set the stage, and things will go utterly insane.
For the watching gods, it’s a highlight. But by doing this, the Demon King’s army will only grow stronger next time.
It’s like those battle manga where power keeps inflating endlessly. For ordinary people in this world, it’s a relentless headache.
Looks like the only way is to change the game—like cooking battles or sports duels—something where people don’t die.
➖➖
The three kings returned home drained, like their souls had been sucked dry.
I got the food supplies they tried to steal for free—but in the end, they lost their countries. A steep price.
I’m relieved they won’t bother me, but I can’t help feeling sympathy.
For kings born to small nations, maybe that was their limit. They probably still don’t understand what went wrong.
Princess Auroora, from a small kingdom, has been studying diligently—she’s the exception.
Ordinary folks don’t bother learning on their own; spoiled, they grow arrogant.
When they reach adulthood, realizing their country’s small, they twist—flattering those above and bullying those below. That’s how their personalities form.
I’m just ordinary, so I get it. Depending on the situation, I might’ve been the same. I’ll take them as a bad example and learn.
”Lord Sabroa, could you lend me some food supplies as well? Paid over ten years, of course,” Princess Auroora asked.
You can never have too much food for war. Even in a siege, having plenty or none makes all the difference.
”All right, ten years it is. Until the debt’s repaid, I’ll hold the right to tax and the authority to organize the budget,” I said.
”I understand the tax rights, but what about budget authority? What does that mean?” she asked.
”It means you must refrain from buying luxuries until the debt’s cleared. No flaunting—but maybe that’s something to be proud of?”
”That’s true. I’ll laugh if the Larse Empire shows up dressed extravagantly while doing nothing. By the way, I’d like to request financial aid from the Anti-Demon Alliance. You must’ve saved for something like this, right?”
”Well, about the budget allocation—we must ensure fairness and transparency. A meeting—yes, a senior officials meeting! We’ll seriously consider it!” she said.
I know the senior officials are embezzling the funds the alliance gathered. Now, I wonder what’s left.
This crisis is also a chance to squeeze out the accumulated pus. Might as well crush the Hero Administration Bureau while I’m at it.
Notes:
• Miss Floria – Elegant, silver-haired noblewoman in her 40s, referred to as an ‘older sister’. Judge of the Supreme Court and Baroness. Former tutor of Princess Auroora. Initially stern but warms up, showing a playful side. Close with Ms. Nina (Princess Auroora’s doll copy), treating her like a sister. Trustworthy and explains legal matters clearly.
• Shirakaba – A paladin who seems to be a skilled fighter. He’s introduced as someone with a strong defense and healing abilities.
• Ms. Ant – Level 20 ant soldier, over 2 meters tall in armor. Named by the protagonist due to lack of a previous name. Wields a huge battle axe, large round shield, and throwing axes. Seasoned warrior capable of taking down sub-dragons. Ms. Hóa’s prized secret treasure. Borrowed by the protagonist as a trial during his time in the royal capital
• Tizzy – Claims to be Duke’s daughter, a noble with advanced magic skills. MC and Ms. Shirakaba lover.
• Lower Three Kingdoms – A group of weaker nations, also called ‘newcomers’ and ‘floaters’ by others.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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