Chapter 160 Round Table Conference 3
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”A Hero has died again, hasn’t he… Viness?”
King Albrecht XVI’s voice rolled through the marble hall like distant thunder, heavy with that sharp, commanding weight he carried even when speaking quietly. His gaze cut toward the Goddess Viness, who, in turn, tilted her head just so and touched her cheek with a delicate sigh.
”Yes, well… to the point their bodies didn’t even remain. Truly troublesome, isn’t it~” she said, her tone light, almost sing-song, though the way she exaggerated her troubled look made it obvious she wasn’t really troubled at all.
”Their numbers keep dwindling. What about the others—the ones who lost their will to fight after the last battle?”
”We used a modified version of the fear-suppression magic,” Viness answered smoothly, lowering her hand at last, “It dulled their terror and their memories of the fighting. Give us a little more time, and they’ll be battle-ready again.”
”That is… good news,” Albrecht muttered, though his face didn’t brighten at all.
It wasn’t the first time he’d done this.
For a long while now, without their knowledge or consent, the kingdom had secretly cast enhancement magic and sorcery on the summoned Heroes—blessings, they called them—that dulled fear and pain while forcing their fighting spirit to spike unnaturally high.
But the side effects were spreading.
The girls grew more aggressive, louder, bolder—while the boys became violent, almost feral.
As long as they stayed within his own borders, it was manageable. But if they caused another public disaster in another nation like the last time, when one Hero rampaged during Caesar’s reign…
No. The backlash from the people would be unbearable.
And there was no such thing as magic or sorcery without side effects. Problems were inevitable.
Even if another Hero sparked chaos, they could always throw up the same excuse: Alyurein has borne the heavy duty of summoning all Heroes for the sake of humankind. It wasn’t even really a lie. Just an excuse polished smooth from overuse.
”What about arranging new companions to support Hero Kiritani?” Albrecht asked finally, fingers drumming against the armrest of his throne.
”Many have volunteered after hearing of Hero Kiritani’s exploits,” Viness replied with her usual graceful calm. “We are selecting from among the first-rate adventurers—only the most promising. It should not take long.”
”Adventurers… huh.”
The word still felt strange on his tongue.
Adventurer—some mysterious job that, in the past life, had only existed in games or anime. And yet in this sword-and-magic world, this vaguely Narou-European [T/N: “Narou Europe” is a fan nickname for generic medieval fantasy worlds often seen in web novels] place, they were real.
And they existed for a reason.
This world was short on food, painfully short, and offered almost no entertainment beyond sex. Thanks to magic—its healing sorcery, its potions—very few people died anymore. Population rose while food stayed scarce.
One might ask: Then why not use magic to invent new entertainment or improve food production directly?
If only it were that simple.
Magic had always been poured first into things that saved lives or killed threats. Disease cures. Armor that resisted claws and fangs. Weapons to burn through monsters. Because unlike the safe world he’d once known, this one teemed with Monstrous Beasts and Beasts that actively hunted humans.
And now, with the Demon King resurrected and the demon king’s army rampaging across the lands, military production had been forced to the top priority. The little food production and tech development that used magic had ground to a halt.
Worse, they weren’t only facing the demon king’s army.
There were demons, there were 魔人 (majin), and above them all loomed the Demon God they worshiped.
All of it had to be fought.
And the infrastructure of this world was built on magic like scaffolding of glass. Break it once, and everything collapsed. Even repairing one destroyed production facility was nearly hopeless—too advanced, too costly.
So they needed people who could fight even during so-called peacetime.
That was where the adventurer system came in.
Because in war, numbers mattered.
Even back in his old world, hunters and marksmen had been drafted into armies because they could shoot, and sailors and fishermen had been drafted because they knew the currents and could steer ships. It was the same principle here.
Adventurers could be conscripted when disaster struck.
Many of them were professionals with crucial skills: camping, field survival, emergency medicine, makeshift engineering.
That was vital.
They needed no training from scratch, brought their own gear and rations, and cost nothing to maintain. Cities and towns that couldn’t afford standing armies depended on them—grateful to call them up when emergencies hit.
Sure, they were a mixed bunch.
Some were barely stronger than average citizens. Some were near-criminal mercenaries. But at least they could fill the ranks.
Even if they couldn’t coordinate well, they could be used as meat shields, and if they died, it even solved the food shortage a little. Cruel, yes—but rational, if you ignored humanity for a moment.
And most importantly, when adventurers killed Monstrous Beasts or Beasts, they gained precious meat, rare weapon materials… and magic stones.
Magic stones—the lifeblood energy source of this world, taking the place of petroleum.
The ones pulled from slain monsters were especially potent, as if condensed through some strange biological alchemy. The bigger and stronger the creature, the richer the energy, the better the efficiency when used.
The mined stones were safer, yes—no monsters to fight—but…
Rich veins were usually crawling with powerful Monstrous Beasts or Beasts drawn by the mana or the prey around them. So safe mining spots were rare, fought over constantly between nations.
It was no surprise magic stones had become one of the main causes of wars here.
So yes. This world was already stretched thin.
And with everything burning down, who had time to check if every Hero was alive or dead?
They didn’t.
That was why they kept dragging in students from other worlds in the first place.
”…Very well. I’ll approve the matter of Hero Kiritani,” Albrecht said at last. His eyes narrowed, sharp again. “Then… what of Solis, the western ocean kingdom—the one that has stayed neutral until now, watching from across the sea?”
”Hero Mineyama and Hero Yuijou volunteered for that matter,” Viness said, bowing her head. “They are likely already at sea now, with their escorts and the diplomatic mission.”
”Let’s hope they get a favorable answer…”
Albrecht let out a low breath and tipped his head back, staring up into the vast, domed ceiling. The weight of all those problems pressed on his shoulders like stone.
Notes:
• Viness – Goddess in the Holy Kingdom of Alyurein.
• King Albrecht XVI – King of the Holy Kingdom of Alyurein.
• Kiritani – The class president who takes leadership and questions their situation. A smooth operator, laid-back and calm. The handsome one.
• Mineyama – Vice class rep, serious and disciplined.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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