Oues and Preparation


    Several months passed since the meeting with Guy and the other demon lords. Time quickly flew by; itd already been one year since I became a demon lord, attended the Walpurgis, had the fight with Hinata, celebrated the Founding Festival, and dealt with the confrontation concerning Mariabell and the Rosso family. Maybe it was because so much had happened, but the past year really went by in a sh.


    We had concluded the Tempest Resurrection Festival in private and the Empire had yet to make a move. However, ording to the information gathered by Souei and Moss, supplies were being delivered one after another to major cities along the border. Now that their actions went this far, it didnt take a genius to figure out what was happeninga war was brewing on the horizon.


    Since armed conflict was all but certain, the screening of humans and monsters alike entering Tempest began to be strictly enforced. We wouldnt be able to wee anyone willy nilly; only authorized adventurers, merchants, and those with referrals or other credentials would have the right to enter. It was a precaution to safeguard against spies, but there was another reason as well: To sort out the entrants.


    Not all visitors to our country were human, and the abilities of individuals ranged widely. Many of the strangers were uncivilized, and if we epted them inrge numbers, we wouldnt be able to keep up with them. After all, there was no way to stop idiots from running amok, despite strictly forbidding fighting in the city. We had barriers in ce for that exact reason, but it was still difficult topletely prevent the usage of magic. These were the drastic differences between a human-popted city and a city with monsters.


    Thus, we consulted with Gazel and decided to follow the example of the Dwarven Kingdom. We had decided to educate the entrants a little about the rules of our country at the time of their entry. That was what the entry inspection was all about, as for those who wished to migrate to our country, a more formal preparation was a priority. We set up a separate, dedicated ce that they could attend. It was only after they finished learning how things worked in our country that they were ultimately admitted.


    Shions men were best suited for this job, since they could deal with even the most violent of people and put them in their ce.


    This system would be continued in the future since it also helped to detect spies from the Empire. At the time of inspection, visitors were screened and asked why they were visiting. Preventing the influx of people who didnt have money was one way to prevent unnecessary trouble.


    There were a lot of normal inns near the Colosseum, but the people that used those werent very wealthy. The amodations for the upper ss had be very luxurious in the capital city Rimuru. Hence, rich merchants and nobles, as well as people arriving for a vacation, were guided to high-ss hotels.


    While one might argue that memories were priceless, I dont tolerate such sophistry. My goal was for tourists to enjoy their vacation in the spirit of you get what you pay for.


    Prices ranged from as low as thirty silver coins per night for ordinary guests to a gold coin or more for wealthy merchants and lower-ss noblemen. But there was essentially no upper limit, as we even had rooms prepared that cost ten gold coins and morewait, why am I advertising? Well, this was how we segmented things.


    I wanted to make Tempest a tourist hotspot, so wed been trying our best to advertise our city by gifting vouchers for high-ss inns to merchants who maderge deals with us, and to those who beat Floor 10 of thebyrinth.


    Our strategy was well-received by the challengers of thebyrinth. The widely known exquisite quality of our food was a tremendous motivator. The meals alone cost more than ten silver coins. Considering that you could stay at a cheap inn for just three silver coins, you might feel that this was absurdly expensive. However, one might wish to indulge in luxury once in a blue moon, and some people certainly had that kind of cash from challenging thebyrinth. As hosts, it was our job to offer ces for those types of people to spend money on, too.


    Speaking of which, clearing Floor 10 of thebyrinth was equivalent to a group defeating a ck spider, a B-ranked monsterin other words, a team of rank C-plus adventurers or higher. If a person could beat a ck spider alone, they would have to be rank B or higher. Therefore, I had no qualms about granting these adventurers corresponding privileges.


    Furthermore, if you viewed it through the lens of a small country, they would be strong enough to be hired as knights. If you were rank B in the Freedom Association, then you could be recruited in any country. By acknowledging their position this way, they would naturally pay more attention to their own conduct.


    Additionally, if they were B-ranked adventurers, then they most likely possessed a decent amount of money. The same logic applied tobyrinth challengers. Elens group in particr seemed poor, but exceptions prove the rule.


    In any case, there were no second chances for troublemakers. The high-ss area was surrounded by a moat and heavily guarded. It was exined to everybody that they would be prohibited from re-entering once they were chased out.


    Since no one became upset upon hearing that, it appeared our public image-building strategy was a sess.


    Merchants, being merchants, came in droves to barter for weapons and artifacts manufactured in Tempest. There were also those who performed high-value transactions, so there were quite a lot of rich individuals.


    The number of customers gradually increased over time, even without us giving away amodation vouchers.


    The weapons and armor Kurobees disciples forged and the craftsmanship of Dolds disciples were of great renown among the merchants who purchased them due to their unparalleled quality.


    However, something I didnt expect was merchants secretly buying equipment discovered from the treasure chests inside thebyrinth. I had mixed feelings about this, but we were being careful not to let anything dangerous slip through our fingers, so we decided to monitor the situation for now.


    Every time any of our items were sold in other ces, it spread our reputation ever further. Perhaps as a result of that, the number of regr customers had recently been on the rise. Word of mouth was truly impressive.


    You might wonder why we were doing all this with the threat of war looming, but the war was a whole separate issue to itself, and this was another.


    Im aware that Im doing whatever I want. I am on guard against an imminent danger, but I wont let that fear rule me. I refuse to surrender my daily life and will keep moving forward.


    Just as the capital city was steadily progressing, so too was the transportationwork to other countries. With Benimarus persuasion, we were able to secure Momiji and the tengus cooperation. The tunnel was now open as well, and almost all of it was paved, save for certain parts.


    The handover to the civil engineers brought by Duke lude had beenpleted, and a direct road would soon be opened between Tempest and the Sorcerers Dynasty of Sarion.


    Moreover, construction of the railroad linking the Kingdom of Farmenas had also begun and was rapidly heading towardspletion. The tracks to the Kingdom of Ingracia were operating as nned. The same applied to the Dwarven Kingdom, where an inn town developed around the train station on their side.


    The point where the road passed through the Great Jura Forest and met with the Great Ameld River was an ideal resting ce and thus it served as the location for a base during construction. In addition, since the railroad tracks wereid along the river, using this site as an intermediate outpost killed two birds with one stone.


    Even monsters that lived in the surrounding area gathered there and formed a small settlement. It wouldve been a waste to leave it as is, so we expanded that town further into an inn town. In the future, this modest inn town would likely grow to be a major city with a terminal, so its importance couldnt be underestimated.


    The road widening project was finished on Eurazanias side, too. There was still some paving to be done in some sections, but traffic could pass through without any issues.


    Merchants had been constantly pleading, It would be nice if you could finish it soon, because riding a high-speed carriage on a bumpy road was enough to make anyone sick. Regardless,pared to what they had before, safety and convenience had improved significantly.


    We had installed streemps for travelers who moved at night and automatic magic generators at fixed distances, so the barriers that stopped monsters from approaching the road operated without any gaps in coverage.


    Thus, in less than a year, the development of the transportationwork was more or lesspleted.


    We had begun preliminary operation of themercialized magitrain by running it all the way to Dwargon, as well as the Kingdom of Ingracia. Here, we would be able to gather raw data and iron out problems that arose. The various experimental trials had already been performed, so in other words, this was a real-world test.


    The magitrain made it possible to move an overwhelming amount of goods while maintaining an average speed of 50 kilometers per hour. And so, the history of logistics would forever be rewritten. It had opened the door to transporting fresh produce from farawaynds without it ever going bad. This allowed ess to a richer diet, and I believed it would also contribute a lot in the fight against famine.


    Indeed, logistics was indispensable in increasing a nations powerI reaffirmed this belief once again.


    In parallel with the data collection, a detailed operational cycle was also being considered. A trial-and-error method was underway to create a timetable.


    The distance between the Dwarven Kingdom and the Tempest Federation was around 1,000 kilometers. If we travelled at a speed of 50 kilometers per hour, we could arrive in 20 hoursless than a day.


    Ingracia, on the other hand, was approximately 300 kilometers away, so it could be reached within six hours by train.


    We worked these figures out after ounting for a considerable amount of safety margin. Theoretically, the magitrain could quadruple its current speed, and the cargo capacity was calcted to exceed 1,000 tons. However, I thought that it would be difficult to handle unexpected problems if we started running it at full capacity, out of the blue, without any previous experience.


    First, we needed to observe the situation. It was bound to experience issues during its service, and we had to take breaks into ount as well. Since there were limitations to the continuous operation of the magitrain, nighttime service was currently suspended. Besides, it was unfeasible to keep our engineers and drivers working around the clock unless maintenance, such as recing broken or worn parts, was performed at night, for uninterrupted service all day.


    So far, we had twenty lotives that were ready to go. Each train formation would consist of six-cars: one lotive, two freight cars, and three passenger cars. The passenger cars contained 80 seats but could amodate a maximum of 150 people. However, the downside was that they would have to spend hours standing up, so it was better to prohibit this.


    If we set at least 200 passengers per operation as our goal, we could achieve an upancy rate of over 80 percent. Then, how high would we need to set the fare price per personno, wait, why do I have to think about these kinds of problems! I just have to leave it all up to Myourmiles-kun, hell handle it just fine.


    It was only a matter of time before the train became fully operational, and as we gradually got more experience, I felt that we could cram in just a few more people, to make the most out of each train.


    Our goal was to run the train at a speed of at least 100 kilometers per hour and to increase its length to about ten cars. This wasnt a dream, but a fact that would soon be made a reality.


    Well, the results of the past year had been truly tremendous.


    I believe that the announcement of these results would be met with surprise and excitement around the world. A bright future woulde into light, and our efforts, our countrys resourcefulness, would surely be known in everynd.


    Improved standards of living, delicious food, and a variety of entertainment gathered from countries around the worldit all promised a fun and interesting life, something that was unthinkable when I had just reincarnated as a slime. I could freely devote myself to my hobbies if only we didnt have a problem with the Eastern Empire


    It suddenly urred to me that Veldora and I, along with volunteers, could dere war and immediately invade the Empire.


    Ive heard that if we developed civilization too quickly, an army of angels would rain down and attack, but we didnt even know where they came from. Therefore, itd be hard for us tounch a preemptive strike, but the Empire was a different story.


    Since theyre openly preparing to attack us, they cantin if we barge in firstthat was what Id thought. Waiting wasnt in my nature, and no matter how you looked at it, attacking would be easier for us than defending.


    If what the Empire sought after was the annexation of the Western Nations, then there was no reason for them to invade the Great Jura Forest. They could always choose to ignore us. Veldoras resurrection was already well known, and a little research would reveal that antagonizing me meant making an enemy out of Veldora as well. The ball was in the Empires court.


    Yet, this situation was giving us a considerable amount of stress.


    How about we consider the possible routes for invading the Western Nations:


    First off, a sea invasion was imusible. Considering the attacks of the great sea creatures, even if they prepared arge number of dreadnought-ss battleships, safety wasnt guaranteed. Fighting in the domain of gigantic aquatic monsters was too risky to be an option. It wasnt even clear if they could safely navigate the ocean. The conditions would be miserable for knights if they were forced to battle on the sea, as theyd have to deal with the rocking of the waves.


    Furthermore, another question arose: Just how many ships would they need to amass if they wished to transport arge number of soldiers? If they nned to send soldiers in the tens of thousands to the Kingdom of Famenas, Youms side wouldnt be standing idly by. They were prepared to defend themselves and meet the enemy in battle.


    As long as they couldnt establish a beachhead in the first wave, itd be impossible for the Empire to send reinforcements. Imposing sea beasts behind them and the Kingdom of Farmenas in frontif that happened, the morale of the Empires troops would plummet, and itd be as good as a tactical victory for our side.


    Thus, another question arose: Ignoring Farmenas, could they use a different approach by invading northern Ingracia? The conclusion was that it would also be challenging. Ingracias northern border was the yground of demons. Guy didnt seem too keen on keeping his subordinates in check, and Testarossas men were now in charge of its defense. It was a constant battleground for belligerents, and if the Empire were to invade, then they could expect to be a target of opportunity.


    Therefore, an attack via the sea was unfeasible.


    Next, you had to consider and invasion. They needed to take a route through the Dwarven Kingdom or cross the Dragon Roost in the Canaat Mountains. Thetter possessed too great a risk, so itd be discarded as an option. After all, marching at an altitude higher than Mount Everest would be suicidal, regardless of how well prepared you were.


    It would be impractical for them to train ordinary soldiers into mountain climbing experts, and even if they did, a group of dragons, who were A-ranked monsters, would be waiting for them.


    Common sense dictated that no one would be stupid enough to choose this route.


    Then, what about going through the Dwarven Kingdom? When this possibility was pointed out by Wisdom King Raphael-san, Hinata investigated it in my stead, and she confirmed that it was theoretically possible for arge army to pass through. However, Gazel wasnt someone who would ever permit this, and if the Empire forced their way through, then they would need to battle the Dwarven Kingdom before they could face the Western Nations.


    The invasion of the Dwarven Kingdom was as reckless as it sounded. The Armed Nation of Dwargon, who dered neutrality, had a highly-trained standing army to guarantee their security. Their armaments, which made full use of their technological prowess, were simply exceptional, and it was said that the dwarves had no weak soldiers among them.


    To begin with, based on its topography, the Dwarven Kingdom was built like a fortress. If they just protected their entrances, they could stave off any attack, even one by an enormous army. Eastern, Western, and Centrmong these three entrances, if the Empire were to invade, they would choose either Eastern or Central. Western was connected to the Kingdom of Farmenas, so they wouldnt have to worry about that. Eastern was the most dangerous and at risk, since it shared a border with the Empire, but as expected, Gazel was nothing but prepared. Hed been concentrating the bulk of his forces in this area in order to keep an eye on the Empires movements.


    If something were to happen, I nned on quickly responding to their call for aid, and the Dwarven Kingdom was also safe in Gazels hands.


    This was the current situation surrounding our country.


    In the end, I felt that the Empires only option was to go through the Great Jura Forest. Before my meeting with Benimaru, which had be a daily routine, I went through these same ns once more.


    In case they chose the Great Jura Forest route, which we defended, it was obvious that the greatest obstacle, from the Empires perspective, was Veldoras existence. They wouldnt attempt a frontal assault, so theyd probably try to trick Veldora by preparing a decoy unit. With that in mind, I had to consider our countrys defensive setup.


    There were three possible routes for initiating military operations within the Great Jura Forest. However, one of them was adjacent to Dwargons territory. If the Empire ignored our warning and came to invade, the Dwarven Kingdom and our army could catch them in a pincer attack. The Empire would definitely be aware of how dangerous this option was, so I think its fine to set a lower alert level. It was more likely that the Empire would strike by using one of the two remaining routes.


    But is it really that straightforward? It was a bad idea to split your forces when facing arge enemy, so we could deploy Veldora on one side and our full army on the other. If we employed this tactic, then we should be able to handle the Empire, even if they prepared a diversionary force.


    Even I, who was by no means an expert in military affairs, could formte something like this. Thus, I had my doubts that professional soldiers would set out to war with such a simple strategy.


    There was also the possibility that the Empire was looking down on usthinking that with an overwhelmingly massive army, they could trample over us, regardless of Veldora or our monster army. On the other hand, perhaps they would utilize an underhanded strategy instead of facing us head on.


    For instance, they could use the regr army as bait and initiate guerri warfare with elite troops in small groups. What if they split into toon-sized units in order to infiltrate the forest and then regrouped somewhere else?


    In these cases, itd be impossible to monitor all of the minor trails throughout the woods. If we carelessly deployed a reconnaissance force, depending on the scale of the enemy, it mighte back to haunt us. Just like what Hinata had done before if a toon of Holy Knight-level troops were dispatched


    If we took that prospect into ount, there wouldnt be enough troops to cover all possible incursions. It was risky if we moved to intercept the Empire after determining their objective, so I wanted to avoid that as much as possible. And if we lost the initiative, there was the chance that wed fall into an unrecoverable position.


    Although we were trying to be vignt for that exact reason, the crux of the matter was that we couldnt read the Empires movements. In war, the more unpredictable you were, the bigger the advantage you held over your opponent. Oftentimes, making an unexpected move would be enough to clinch a victory. As a result, we had to consider every single possible scenario


    Its no use; my minds going in circles. I became irritated when those thoughts bubbled up. Wouldnt it really be better for me to attack first? Or rather, wouldnt attempting a Blitzkrieg, the moment the Empire dered war be the correct answer?


    Since we couldnt guarantee that the Empire would move ording to our predictions, it was pointless to dwell further on this subject. No matter how many times I thought it over, I felt thatunching a preemptive strike was the rational thing to do, rather than waiting for an opponent to make their move. We wouldnt be overwhelmed with worries and could seize the initiative.


    Well, I wont do it.


    No matter how long I mulled it over, the perfect answer wouldnt drop from the sky. It was smart to be flexible about these things. In other words, ying it by ear. Somehow, it sounded cool and gave the impression of a capable man.


    Right, lets do that.


    Having reached my usual conclusion, I grabbed the cream puffs that Shuna had prepared. All this hard thinking gave me a craving for sweets. Although some im you would get sick of having too much of the same thing, thatd never happen to me. Well, if that ever did happen to me, I might reconsider.


    Hey, eating them alone is so unfair.


    While I was in the middle of enjoying my cream puffs with Shions ck tea, Benimaru finally arrived. We were in my office. He was a littlete to our meeting, which somehow had be a routine. He mustve been extremely busy, given that he was in charge of war preparations against the Empire. Comining about tardiness wouldve been quite petty of me.


    What? Help him? I have no idea what youre saying. If you arent an expert, youre better off leaving it aloneI know, awfully convenient of me to say.


    Shion, pour Benimaru some ck tea, too.


    Understood!


    Benimaru seemed to have been traumatized by Shions cooking, and as a result, always wore a wary expression. It was okay if it was just ck tea, but still, his cautious attitude never fadedvery typical of him.


    Thank you. Nothing like a couple sweets to get you going again.


    Well, good thing weve got sugar to spare. Itd be nice if this peace continues.


    Right. I guess if a decisive battle were toe, we could just beat them and call it a day.


    Benimarus confidence was as strong as ever. Although reliable, I hope he didnt forget to make an effort to avoid war as the first option.


    Enjoy!


    Shion ced the cup of ck tea in front of Benimaru. She poured some more for me too. It had a wonderfully rxing scent.


    What about Diablo? Benimaru asked.


    Ahh, he has another day of arbitration.


    Again?


    Yeah, again.


    Yep, Diablo was out mediating. Ultima and Carrera got into a spat every single day. It wasnt that they didnt get along, but rather they tried topete with each other in any way, shape, or form.


    Yesterday, it was about the extradition of criminals, and before that was the treatment of suspects in custody. Sometimes theyd fight over the food menu, and other times theyd argue about who should buy thetest fashion clothes first. Everything would be fine if it were just a verbal debate, but when those two fought, their ferocity could surprise even the yakuza.


    Only Diablo could stop those ruthless perpetrators. Venom, who was Diablos subordinate, was already a victim, having been abused both verbally and physically by Ultima and Carrera.


    No damage had thankfully been inflicted upon the towns residents, and in fact, it had actually be famous enough to lead people to make bets, but it was still a problem that we couldnt turn a blind eye to. That was the reason why I had Diablo sort things out, but it might be time to think of a permanent solution. Otherwise, the situation might change for the worstI could already feel that Diablo was going to snap sooner orter.


    Speaking of which, Diablo took Ultima and Carrera to thebyrinth a few days ago. He was brimming with enthusiasm not because of something fun and sweet such as a date, but about the thought that he was going to give them a thorough scolding.


    He took advantage of the fact that you couldnt die in thebyrinth and beat them up without mercy, yet it appeared that they hadnt learned their lesson at all. On the contrary, they were rather eager to fight Diablo.


    Ahh, why are the demons so bellicose


    Personally, I couldnt keep up with them.


    While I was having a brief chat with Benimaru, Diablo suddenly came in, looking utterly exhausted. Im sorry to keep you waiting.


    Oh, thanks for the hard work, I replied.


    No, no, its barely enough to warrant calling it hard work, its just that my time with Rimuru-sama has


    You dont seem tired, so lets get down to business.


    All right.


    Well, if you can spare the energy to talk nonsense, then I suppose youre okay.


    Diablo wanted to say something, but itd just wind up being his usual soliloquy anyway. Putting that aside, Benimaru and I decided to start todays meeting.


    As I had mentioned before, the number of immigrants to our country had grown. And when that happened, the problem of work allocation to those newly immigrated naturally arose. The employment rate was very important, just like with any other country. This was because if we wished to increase the nations productivity, then each and every citizen needed to work diligently.


    If the employment rate was good, then consumer spending would naturally rise, and the economy would improve as well. On the other hand, if it was bad, then the economy would deteriorate, and crime would naturally increase.


    It was the role of the national leadership to properly manage the task, but obviously, this was exceedingly difficult.


    There were individual differences in the abilities of the immigrants we epted, and there was a limit to the amount of unskilledbor that could be assigned to anyone. Our country was still in development, and the onrush of construction work in various locations had kept us afloat. But even that was drawing to a close, and now the question of What do we do from here? was in the air.


    Skilledborers had no problems. If you were an experienced craftsman or someone with enough personal talent to earn a living, then it was an easy question to answer. The problem was those whocked the knowledge and means to make money.


    If you were a farmer, then we could grant you farnd. If you were a craftsman, then we could introduce you to a workshop. If you were an adventurer, then thebyrinth was the perfect ce, and if you were an actor, then you could be hired by theaters.


    Still, what about people who did not possess any such talents? The solution I came up with was to establish an education center. At the time of immigration, theyd be asked what they could do and based on their answer, they would be taught ordingly. The education center would serve that purpose, and it was going to be operated by the military under Benimaru.


    The number of immigrants continues to grow, and there are a lot of people applying for the military. Whether or not theyd be useful is another issue, but at the very least, I believe they could manage being assigned to domestic security.


    Wed been trying to solve the immigration problem, yet it seemed that there were even more peopleing in.


    If you join the army, you can earn a living. You can also learn skills for free and even get a jobthis was the rumor being spread around.


    As a result, the number of people joining the military gradually increased, which not only included ordinary immigrants but adventurers and mercenaries alike. Well, as long as our country was responsible for the defense of the Western Nations, building up our armed forces was a crucial task. For that reason, there were no difficulties for now. While minorplications did arise, those had been at a level that could be resolved within the military.


    The bigger problem was that war with the Empire was bing a reality. Obviously, there was no way we could send people who had just been enlisted the day before intobat, so we were forced to reorganize our forces. And so, I had ordered Benimaru to submit a proposal for consolidating our military.


    He brought forth a single sheet of paper and ced it on the table.


    This is the new organizational structure that Ivee up with. Some of the personnel changes are a little bold, but I think this will work.


    Benimaru held militarymand authority, whereas suprememand authority, which included the right to appoint individuals into positions, rested with me. It was a littleplicated; originally, militarymand authority was included in suprememand authority. Now, militarymand was separated and given to Benimaru. This was due to my belief that an amateur like myself shouldnt interfere with themand of the military. Therefore, Benimaru was entrusted with all matters rted to the military. With this setup, Benimarus orders took precedence over mine within the army.


    However, strategicmand was a different story. I had the power to designate the upper echelon of the military, or to make the decision to end any war we were currently engaged in. Benimaru was free to nominate anyone below the rank of general, but the establishment of corps or the appointment of generals was left to my discretion. He still needed a confirmation from me on whether or not the organization chart that he drew up was eptable.


    Hmm. If youre okay with it, then I dont have any objections


    Even if I didnt n onining, there might be some things I wanted to say. After all, I would be the one responsible if something went wrong as long as I had the authority to make appointments. Nheless, we had already debated numerous times regarding the new organizational structure. I wasnt going toin or anything; it was already toote for that. And the personnel I kept pushing for until the very end was First Corps Commander Gobta.


    I wasnt too convinced when I first heard about the idea of designating Gobta as a general, but now I think hell be a good fit.


    As you can see from Benimarus reply, there were pros and cons to having Gobta be a general. Indeed, the thought of giving that idiot, Gobta, responsibilities of a leader was worrisome. It was only natural that Benimaru and his staff were anxious, since the lives of Gobtas subordinates would be entrusted to his judgment. Given that he was someone who often slept during meetings, it wasnt like I didnt have any reservations, either. That said, I also knew very well of the fact that Gobta had been secretly undergoing special training, and that he was trying his best because he wanted to protect this country.


    Right?! Hes a man that pulls through when it counts, I said.


    Although, when it doesnt, he does absolutely nothing. But, well, Gobtas men trusted him a lot, and he was also quite good at looking out for them. I had faith in Gobta.


    Hes one of the Four Heavenly Kings, so he will never betray your expectations! Shion dered.


    Thats right. And we will send Testarossa as an inspector so she can make up for any shorings, just in case, Diablo added.


    The two of them both supported Gobta as their co-member in the Four Heavenly Kings.


    When you put it that way, even I cant say no as the head of the Four Heavenly Kings, Benimaru added with a bitter smile.


    He must have acknowledged Gobta.


    Diablo is certainly correct, he then added. If anything happens, we can support him. Lets give him the job.


    Itll be okay. He may not look it, but his heart is in the right ce.


    Thus, Benimaru and I decided to make Gobta a general.


    I took a closer look at the organizational structure in order to review the other corps leaders beside Gobta. There was a total of three new corps to be established under Benimarus directmand.


    The aforementioned First Corps, with Gobta assigned asmander and Hakurou as the military advisor, would have the following soldiers:


    100 Goblin Riders: Each member had grown to the level of rank A-minus and possessed thepetence to be a centurion.


    12,000 Green Numbers: The 4,000 initial men became senior soldiers and would takemand of the 8,000 newly hired junior soldiers. They would work in teams of three.


    The number of troops had increased significantly over the past year, but most of them were monsters from the Great Jura Forest. As a result, they were able to operate without any major problems.


    Although the junior soldiers were only rank C to D, the senior soldiers had grown to the equivalent of rank B. It seemed like we could expect them to be a considerable force.


    Following that was the Second Corps. Geld became themander for this one. This Second Corps, however, was currently active in various ces as a construction unit. In wartime, it would be recalled and be Tempests main force. The soldiers under Geldsmand were:


    2,000 Yellow Numbers: They were High Orc warriors who followed Geld from the start. Their individual strength was considerably high at rank B-plus, allowing them to create an iron wall defense by uniting with Geld. Furthermore, they also took the role of toon leaders thatmanded the new troops.


    35,000 Orange Numbers: The newer high orcs that had joined as enlisted soldiers. They were a unit around C-rank in strength, but only 15,000 veterans would be involved inbat. The remaining 20,000 would serve as logistical support or military engineers.


    Andstly, we had the Third Corps. The aerial cavalry unit was finally being put into action as a secret weapon. Themander of this particr corps was Gabil, its original founder. The soldiers under hismand were:


    100 Hiryuu: They were the most powerful unit within Tempest. Each individual bore the strength of rank A-minus, was capable of flying, and had a highmand ability. Some were able to reach rank A and had the Skill Dragon Body that could be used as their trump card.


    3,000 Blue Numbers: These were Lizardmen warriors who volunteered to participate because they wanted to be Gabils subordinates. The unit was established with them as its members, and theirbat prowess was equivalent to rank C-plus. But they werent just ordinary foot soldiers; their distinguishing feature was that they fought while riding wyverns. Their unit had the best striking power, coupled with air superiority.


    Be that as it may, the current number of wyverns we had at our disposal was only 300, so we couldnt assign one to everybody. Most were relegated to raising and supporting wyverns, and it looked like it would be a while before they could participate inbat. Even then, you shouldnt underestimate them. Wyverns were a subspecies of lesser dragons, a B-plus-ranked monster. While Gabil had seeded in capturing and nurturing them, their goal for now was to increase the poption. If they could assign a wyvern to everyone, then the Blue Numbers could disy their true value.


    These were the three corps under Benimarus direct control.


    So, the Second Corps is under Geld and the Third Corps is under Gabil. Looks like there arent any problems, I said.


    Well, Ive considered a lot of various options, but I think this is the safest bet, Benimaru assured me.


    Geld was, needless to say, a reliable general. I also didnt see any issues with Gabil either. He definitely tended to get easily carried away, but even then, he was good in a fight. His performance in mock battles was excellent, and he was at the point where Benimaru recognized him as a rival. His strategic thinking was a bit on the weaker side, but his tactical decisions more than made up for that shoring. He treated his subordinates well and knew when to retreat. He was, without a doubt, a talented person that could be trusted as a general.


    As for these, theyre the same as before.


    Benimaru brought out a different piece of paper. Three units were listed there:


    Benimarus personal bodyguards, Kurenai, wasposed of 300 men. Led by rank A Gobua, it was an elite unit full of fierce fighters, all ranked A-minus and above. They also currently served as the general staff.


    It was only after I saw them inbat training, but I thought that Gobua and the others were evenly matched with someone like Gelmud, who had once been a high-level majin, if not stronger. If we took proficiency into consideration, there were some members of the squad that were equal to rank A. Some of them could even defeat a Holy Knight one-on-one, so calcting the overall strength of this unit wasplicated.


    The criteria for a monsters strength were almost always decided by the amount of magicules. Since monsters were born strong, they had no concept of proficiency. However, in addition to their innate physical power, our countrys monsters had undergone military training. It seemed that this training helped them acquire even morebat strength.


    I didnt think I was overestimating them, even if you considered them out of ce or above the normal criteria. In the first ce, if we just looked at the anomaly Hakurou, it was enough to prove that I was right.


    The people of this unit were fierce soldiers who had all endured Hakurous hellish training. They were extraordinarily well trained.


    Second on that list was the intelligence unit, Dark Shadow, that Souei ranit consisted of at least 100 men. There were many mysteries surrounding this group, and as they were under Soueisplete control, few knew of its existence. But as far as I know, they were considerably strong.


    Souka and her four subordinates, who were themanding officers, were ranked A. Several of them were even more dangerous. Glenda was part of this corps, but there were a couple of Special A rank fighters as well. In fact, Testarossa managed to recruit a few talented individuals via plea bargains, and they were taken in by Souei. They were Girard, the leader of the mercenary group Apostles of Verte, and Ayn, a spirit wielder who had apparently served under him. Both of them were over A rank and were now active as excellent intelligence agents.


    I had once joked that it was like a special agency for troublemakers but now it was looking exactly like that.


    Souei imed that we couldnt expect muchbat ability from this team, but I didnt believe it. I felt that they would be perfect at assassinations. I mean, the group possessed numerous people that were over rank A, so I wanted to ask him what nonsense he was talking about. I wondered what Souei wished to achieve.


    Rumors that they were a frightening unit was, in a way, unavoidable.


    Finally, there was the Yomigaeri, who were under Shionthey totaled 100 men. The quirk of this group was that they werent easy to kill, stubbornly so. They reportedly received incredibly severe training that utilized their terrifying regeneration abilities and became as strong as rank B-plus. Considering the fact that they were originally ranked C, their growth was the highest. They performed well in the battle against the Holy Knight Order, and some of them might even break through their ceiling and reach rank A.


    While I thought the strongest unit right now was Hiryuu, if there was a team that could turn it around and im that title, it was definitely Shions Yomigaeri. And this unit, ording to Benimarus organization chart, was supposed to be my bodyguards.


    I didnt like it, but the idea of abusing their near immortalitystalling for time by acting as baitwas the main reason why they were delegated this role. Essentially, if anything ever happened, I could use the Yomigaeri as a decoy and escape. Shion exined it rather proudly.


    In case you were wondering, even though they were technically my bodyguards, they didnt need to follow any of mymands. They were a group that solely existed to protect me, so they were strictly forbidden from doing other things, regardless of my orders. Therefore, even if I shouted at them not to, theyd dly sacrifice themselves for me. It was extremely troubling.


    Although, if I asked them to do some trivial tasks, they would readily ept


    It was probably a good idea to not tell Shion any of this. At times like these, it was best to put up a facade in order to hide how I truly felt.


    By the way, Shion had one more undisclosed unit that wasnt written on the list. Although officially it was a secret, it was more so an open secret nowadays. It was a self-proimed unit that followed Shion. They were supposed to be her bodyguards, but in reality, it was simply a fan club. The exact number of members was unknown. I didnt think that there were more than 1,000 people at most. Since it wasnt an official unit, they were outside the jurisdiction of our country.


    We dont know how many of them there are, nor their abilities; is it really going to be okay? It would be nice as long as nobody died. Shion was secretly raising them, so their strength was also unknown.


    It seemed that Dagruels sons were working hard as captains, and some adventurers withbat experience had joined the group as well. There maye a time where they would be useful in the future, but for now, I was more anxious than Id expected. They were definitely not a unit that we could send to the front line. It was only natural that Benimaru hadnt listed them on his organization chart.


    I handed the sheet back to Benimaru.


    I dont have a problem with this. It looks like weve increased our forces, but as far as Im concerned, there are no changes for these units. I think we can safely put this behind us.


    I agree. I take pride in the fact that the Kurenai are troops that Ive nurtured with my own hands. Souei and Shion would certainly feel the same way, so I wont include their units into the organization chart.


    Shion nodded in agreement after hearing what Benimaru said.


    I had no objections, so I gave my permission by saying, Please do so.


    Everyone wanted the unit that they had trained themselves close at hand. In fact, there was no need to add Gabils Hiryuu to the new structure. It was just something he had suggested himself.


    On that note, Gobta wasnt the one who raised the Goblin Riders, but they were his colleagues as well as brothers-in-arms, and they had all acknowledged Gobtas abilities. So, even in the case where we had to changemanders, we decided to take their feelings into consideration.


    Benimaru brought out the third sheet of paper.


    I guess this is todays main topic. These are the corps that belong to people other than me, but I have condensed it all together here.


    It was finally here. The table Ive seen so far only contained current units and their subsequent increases and decreases.


    The only thing that caught my eye was Gobtas appointment as themander of the First Corps. This was something Id suggested, so there wasnt anything new to surprise me.


    Well, I wonder what will be written here this time.


    With a pounding heart, I looked down at the piece of paper.


    There was a chart of the left and right wings of the army. The number of troops we possessed so far was listed on the right.


    The First Corpmanded by Gobtahad approximately 12,000 soldiers.


    The Second Corpmanded by Geldhad approximately 37,000 soldiers.


    The Third Corpmanded by Gabilhad approximately 3,000 soldiers.


    In total, there were around 52,000 men. This was the entire standing army of the Tempest Federation, and in my opinion, it was quite a scary number.


    Regardless, we still had plenty of room for more soldiers. The poption of our nation had already surpassed one million and had been increasing at breakneck speed. Looking at it objectively, our national power had grown exponentially. It was precisely because of our nations strength that we were able to support such arge army. On top of that, because the Second Corps acted as military engineers, we were able to maintain this manpower.


    If all of them were unproductive, then we wouldnt have been able to get this far. I really needed to thank Geld and his team. Without him and his subordinates, the remaining number of soldiers would approximately be only 15,000. This was definitely not enough for a confrontation with the Eastern Empire.


    As a result, Benimaru and I had pondered the question of what actions we should take.


    Once war breaks out, Ill recall Geld and his men; this was the original n. However, even that would not be enough. Although the Western Nations appear to have their own armies, mobilizing them would be a massive undertaking, warned Benimaru.


    Indeed. We went through all that trouble to gain control of the Councils military authority, so itd be remiss of me not to utilize it. With that being said, doing so may cause some major bacsh, I replied.


    Moreover, if problems began to ur within the Western Nations, theyd have nothing to stop it. If that happens, things may get toughter on.


    It wouldnt be an issue if it was within our borders, but if the citizens of the Western Nations start to question our leadership, itll make it harder for us to do our job in the future.


    Exactly.


    And so, we repeatedly went through this back-and-forth exchange. Benimarus response to these concerns was probably the armys left wing that was written on the paper. Lets take a closer look at the breakdown:


    Western Reserve Force: 150,000


    Mixed Majin Corps: 30,000


    Volunteer Corps: 20,000


    That was it.


    These numbers are huge, but what sort of army is this left wing? I asked, confused.


    For the time being, theyre soldiers under ourmand. The aforementioned army that belongs to the Western States Council is the Western Reserve Force. Unlike the armies of each individual nation, this one is hired directly by the Councilor rather,rgely hired through our funding.


    That was certainly the case since the Council granted us military authority, which bestowed our country the right to give orders to the Councils forces. I knew that, but


    Why is the number so high then?


    The army that belonged to the Council existed for formalitys sake. Moreover, it consisted mainly of knights and soldiers that were brought in from each of the council-member countries. There were only about a thousand of them, and their duties were mainly to oversee the security of the council venue in the capital of Ingracia.


    In principle, each member of the Western Nations had its own army and was responsible for its own security. There was no need to maintain a full-fledged army since instances where the Council would actually need to mobilize its military were exceedingly rare. It was for this reason that they handed militarymand over to us without a second thought


    Although, the reason I wanted military authority had nothing to do with handling emergency situations in the first ce. It was simply forying down tracks so that each nation had ess to the magitrain. It wouldve been a hassle to get approval from every single one just to dispatch Tempests engineers.


    If there really were some emergency, our nation would dispatch troops to handle the situation. Based on this consideration, I sent the soldiers under the Council back to their own countries. This was also because we had decided to establish a security force on the condition that our nation would fund the whole operation. To achieve this, I limited recruitment only from the local poption as it would probably be more reassuring if the soldiers were humans and demi-humans, rather than monsters.


    After the disbandment of the previous army, the new one surprisingly increased in numbers. ording to Testarossas report, rumors spread like wildfire iming that you could earn a living if you enlisted, which ended up attracting a lot of recruits.


    But wasnt the purpose of this force just to maintain public order? Why would we need 150,000 soldiers?


    Since all the nations still retained their own jurisdictional rights, we would be overstepping our authority if we arrested criminals. Even if the new force was meant to preservew and order, that was mainly for disaster prevention, and to be quite frank, their real purpose was to assist the engineering unit and provide logistical support. We wouldnt even need more than 10,000, let alone 150,000.


    Regarding the matter, Testarossa stated that this was the result of what the nations requested, Benimaru exined in detail.


    Testarossa had seized control of the Council and pushed for a bold structural reform. I was aware of that, but it was apparently causing more of a stir than I had expected.


    At the end of the day, this reform was the result of mutual consultation. The nations themselves would have the initiative, and our nation would provide the technology to do so. It was kind of like the ODA 7 Official Development Assistance. The Council would invest official funds, and our nation would dispatchborers as a national project to any country that needed a helping hand. We would hire local workers and give them technical guidance and fulfill the concerned countrys request. This way, we could secure job opportunities and wages for ourselves while our partners would receive our assistance. It was a win-win situation.


    However, there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Of course, there was more to this support system than meets the eye; it demanded something in return. For example, if we built a dam, depending on how much we invested in the construction, we would acquire an equivalent value in water rights aspensation. As forying railroad tracks, we would charge a tax on the train fare and collect the profits in perpetuity. Just like what we had aplished with the roads, we would be responsible for maintenance, but in exchange, the benefactors would have to agree to forgo tariffs and grant all kinds of privileges.


    This was definitely something a demon lord would do. While acting all nice and friendly on the surface, I wasmitting rather wily acts. With that being said, since those who utilized our services would ultimately enjoy its convenience, they barely lost anything in this transaction. They were only paying the toll for future profits they had yet to see.


    Naturally, I expected the more powerful nations would try to take their own initiative. Even though it would take a while, they could mimic our technology after seeing it physically for themselves. Secretly stealing it for their own useI had anticipated this as a normal response.


    What I didnt expect was


    On that note, many of therger nations are also demanding the trains to be operational as soon as possible.


    In other words, they felt like there wouldnt be enough manpower relying on our nations engineering unit alone, and therefore even mobilized those they hired as logistical support?


    Correct. And that didnt seem like it was enough, which is why they decided to hire locals to help.


    Is this the reason why the number of troops is absurdly high?


    I gave Testarossa full authorization as the military attach and told her to not report minor details of things to me when verifying policies. Due to my orders, it appears that this was news even to Benimaru, until very recently. The result was this mass recruitment.


    Wouldnt that just be ying right into the hands of these nations? By making us train their engineers, they could operate more easilyter on.


    In lieu of imitating technologies, this was a more efficient method. Although it was quite the forthright approach, I actually didnt mind it. It was only natural for the leaders toe up with a n like this under these circumstances.


    Moreover, the engineers we instructed would grow to be the pirs that supported these countries in the future. While it was a shame we couldnt keep the sole rights of this technology to ourselves, itd be fun to witness the healthypetition of technological innovation that would surelye about in the future.


    Apparently, thats not it. If that were the case, those nations wouldnt merely hand their engineers over to us like this.


    He does have a point.


    Waitso what youre saying is you took Testarossas newly trained support troops and incorporated them directly as the Western Reserves?!


    Thats correct, Benimaru grinned after witnessing myplete astonishment.


    Itd be a shame to simply let go of all those engineers after we invest considerably in their growth. Under these circumstances, we might as well turn them into a full-fledged security force and train them in disaster response, VIP protection, and city defenseit seemed that Benimaru had quite the foresight.


    Testarossa was going to discharge them because she had no more use for them, Benimaru continued, but it would definitely be a waste.


    Indeed it would.


    I figured that we could prepare work for them, so I made the decision to organize and name them the Western Reserve Force.


    I see. Now I understand. Well, I dont think we could expect them to be proficient at anything yet in the short span of a year. However, if they continued to train, they had the potential to be an expert unit in disaster countermeasures. This would also be a good countermeasure against any unforeseen idents, and as Benimaru mentioned, it could be utilized in a variety of different scenarios.


    I get it now. That was a nice call, Benimaru.


    That is not something worthy of your praise, Benimaru answered, looking rather abashed.


    The Western Reserve Force, huh? A force of 150,000 men was truly impressive, but if we dispatched them all to the Western Nations at the same time, then even this many people would be insufficient. If they could secure some concessions, theyd be able to make enough money to feed themselves. Id never expect this to happen, but I was pleased about the good news, nheless.


    On to the next order of business.


    Now that we got the Western Reserve Force cleared up, whats this Mixed Majin Corps?


    Theres 30,000 in total, are we conscripting monsters from the Great Jura Forest?


    Its a corpsposed mostly of majins who were under yman. Geld had them working as prisoners of war, but I picked out and borrowed those who were decent at fighting. At the same time, the high orcs who had nothing to do afterpleting their construction work filled in the missing gaps.


    Based on what Benimaru shared, he was taking proper precautions so that the progress rate of Gelds construction projects wasnt negatively affected. In that case, good. It wouldve been better if the corps were made up of experienced fighters rather than a bunch of amateurs. However


    I thought they werent being cooperative?


    The majority of ymans men were rank B. But there were a few of them that were over rank A. They were a fairly strong group, but as a corps, they were clearly weak. Monsters who only followed orders out of fear were obviously no match for trained, professional soldiers. Gathering them now, just like thatI dont think there was enough time to give them any military training.


    Thanks to Geld, none of them are selfish miscreants anymore. Besides, even if there were someone that stupid, I wouldve personally shut them up.


    Well, yeah. Its easy for Benimaru to subdue people by force.


    But, you know, they just got used to the job, so forcing them to fight is kinda


    Although I was reluctant, Benimaru quickly reassured me. This is something theyve been saying: We want Rimuru-sama to see that we can be useful too!


    Huh?


    Benimaru said something unexpected. Those selfish majins had volunteered to help on their own ord.


    Good food, good friends, bosses who rely on them, and rewarding work. They kept going on and on about how their strength should be used to protect all of this.


    Seriously?


    This was a happy little miscalction, and their offer was very helpful. Conscripted troops were of no use in actual warfare. Sometimes, it was unavoidable for the sake of national defense but other times, it was wiser to surrender unconditionally when weighing both costs and benefits.


    I couldnt bear the thought of being a ve to another country, but if it were only about being heavily taxed as a vassal state, temporarily bowing your head and secretly plotting your revenge was always an option. I was trying to y it cool saying it like that, but the point was that they could wait patiently for their chance at vengeance.


    There was also the option of willfully epting the slight losses so long as the invaders didntmit extremely atrocious acts. But that wasnt an excuse to ignore the feelings of the citizens who originally lived in that country. Those people should be responsible for choosing their own future. As a ruler, you could only respond to those feelings. That was why I felt conscription was the worst way to go about it and that patriotism should never be forced.


    Tempest was a country under my protection. I had no intention of obeying outside influences who made arrogant demands. If we didnt intend to relinquish our rights easily, there would always be disagreements. Furthermore, if the other side refused to give in, then war was an inevitabilityit would be such a pain being antagonized.


    For me, if they didnt have the will to defend their own country, then I wouldnt mind if they simply ran away. I shouldnt get the wrong idea about who Im supposed to be protecting. It was only natural that my priority should be the citizens that I shared hardships with since the founding of this nation, and I had no intention of taking care of freeloaders that cameter and purely insisted on their rights.


    If I had nobody to protect, then I would flee as well. In that case, Id just go off and create a new country somewhere else with like-minded friends again. For me, thisnd itself wasnt something I needed to cling onto.


    However, as long as everyone loved our home, Tempest, I would do everything in my power to meet their expectations. Regardless of what kind of foreign enemy they are, I will crush them with all my might. Even if the enemy were the Demon Lord Guy. Im prepared to kill him no matter what it takes. Well, Guy was horrifying, so I hoped it wouldnte to that.


    I could sense their motivation, and Im sure their feelings are genuine. Besides, people from all over the Great Jura Forest have heard rumors of the uing war and have offered their assistance. This Mixed Majin Corps is the unit that brought them all together. Benimaru then added with a wry smile, Although I have removed the weaklings.


    Yeah, thats great. With this move, they could really do their bestthe thought made me d.


    Lastly, we had the Volunteer Corps. This was a unit derived from humans residing in Tempest and neighboring countries.


    In any case, if we were defeated, the nations surrounding the Great Jura Forest would also surely fall. Because of that, it was better to cooperate with us from the beginning and so a group of people had gathered to offer their full support.


    Most of them were adventurers and mercenaries. It seemed that many of the immigrants we had epted also volunteered. A lot of the idiots who risked their lives to explore the Dungeonwho fed our monster avatars every timealso joined.


    The total number of these people was 20,000, and while we couldnt expect too much from them, they were still a considerable force.


    Well, thats everything on the left wing. The only difference between the right and the left wings is the level of loyalty to Tempest, or rather Rimuru-sama.


    Me?


    The right wing troops are those who are willing to risk their lives for Rimuru-sama and this country. The left, in contrast, is a hodgepodge of different people with their own agendas. Some of them may truly have noble aspirations, but we didnt have time to conduct personal interviews, so we had to organize them like this.


    I see


    Behind me, Shion and Diablo were nodding their heads in agreement. I could swear I heard them talking about disturbing things, such as how the left side were merely pawns waiting to be used and thrown away, or how they nned to hold trials in order to find the cream of the crop, but I mustve been imagining things.


    So, thest question that remains is who we should appoint as themander of each corps.


    This was where we finally got to the heart of the matter.


    Well then, let us begin with the Western Reserve Force. This corps was by far thergest. Its allegiance was with the Council and its members were scattered all across the region.


    Looking at sheer numbers alone, this wing is arge army of 200,000 strong. That said, I do not intend to move the 150,000 soldiers of the Western Reserve, so they will be deployed where they are stationed, Benimaru revealed.


    I suppose. Technically, theyre a unit under themand of the Council so we could move them at our discretion, but I believe theres no need to summon them here.


    Although, if they gather in one ce, I could use my magic to teleport them all at the same time. If we moved 150,000 people simultaneously, just trying to manage that would already be a gargantuan task. I had my doubts whether theyd be able to take proper military action until we set up a clear chain ofmand. It would be smarter to have strict security measures in ce to prevent the Empires spies fromunching diversionary attacks in each country.


    I think so too, Benimaru agreed. Although it wouldnt be impossible for me to organize them with my power, Ill maintain the status quo as far as the Western Reserve Force is concerned. The corpsmander is also absent but Im thinking of having Testarossa, the military attach, take on that role as well.


    I think thats for the bestbut if war breaks out, Testarossa may be asked to return home as well. Im worried about whether or not theyll be able to keep in touch with each other when that happens.


    How would she keep in touch with the troops scattered throughout the Western Nations? By using various means ofmunication like Magic Communication, correspondence-specific transmission crystals and a transmission web made of magisteel threads, awork had been sessfully established between countries and their respective major cities.


    However, in towns and viges located in more rural areas, the deployment of thework was going at a snails pace. I mean, it was the mission of our engineering unit to install them. There were wizards in each unit, so Magic Communication would probably get through, but


    Dont worry, Diablo reassured. Moss can handle a few hundredpanies.


    Yes, I heard that from Souei too. Moss is working with him on intelligence, but he can also take care of inter-unitmunication in his spare time, said Benimaru, voicing his support.


    Really?! Mosswhat a handy guy.


    Then, shouldnt Moss be the corpsmander? I suggested.


    No, that would rather be bad for Moss


    Indeed, given Testas temperament, it would be rather miserable for Moss. Not that its any of my business but I do feel a bit sorry for him.


    Okay. Lets appoint Testarossa as the provisional corpsmander then.


    Benimaru, not to mention even Diablo, felt sorry for Moss. Reading the room, I decided against giving the role to him.


    The Western Reserve would concentrate on their main job of maintaining security at this time. We might need to deploy them depending on how things develop, but I ultimately decided that would be ast resort.


    Testarossa would serve as the corpsmander. This was a temporary appointment and I made it clear that she would be reced when there was a suitable candidate.


    That should take care of the Western Reserve for now.


    Next was the Mixed Majin Corps.


    How about we leave this to Benimaru?


    I rmend Rigur-dono, Benimaru proposed.


    Rigur, huh? He certainly had experience in leading the security force, and his strength was over rank A. But on the other hand, he was already Rigurds assistant, so I suspected that he couldnt afford to be a corpsmander.


    If at all possible, I would like to win the war by relying solely on our standing army. Yet at this time, it was unknown just how many troops the Empire had assembled. We had sent people on reconnaissance missions, but we failed to obtain any information from beyond their borders. Nevertheless, based on the bits of information gleaned from their military exercises and other events, we could estimate that at least 300,000 troops would be mobilized. If we were unlucky, that number might rise to over a million. In light of this, we couldnt afford to keep the Mixed Majin Corps in reserve.


    I wasnt exactly dissatisfied with the idea of Rigur inmand, but I was worried. No matter how you looked at it, sending in an unorganized force with barely any preparation was dangerous.


    Hmm, I think Id rather leave this to Benimaru. As for this Mixed Majin Corps, lets call it the Red Numbers from now on. Select a couple members of Kurenai and have them each lead battalions of 1,000 soldiers. This will be the Fourth Corps, and Benimaru, you will be the corpsmander and take directmand.


    Its red because this corps screams dangerget it?


    Its been a while since Ive cracked a satisfying dad joke.


    Yeah. Jeez, I can already hear crickets; I should probably keep that one to myself. Despite throwing around stupid quips in my head, I somehow kept a straight face. Thankfully, nobody noticed, and the meeting went on smoothly.


    I understand. If thats the case, please leave it to me.


    Benimaru apparently anticipated this oue and assented without a hint of surprise.


    Since he had the Unique Skill Generalissimo under his belt, he could easilypensate for the unitsck of training. He was the perfect choice to handle such a random assortment of troops. Thus, in addition tomanding the entire armed forces, Benimaru also ced the Red Numbers under his directmand.


    Lastly, we had the Volunteer Corps.


    What are we going to do about the Volunteer Corps? I inquired.


    Thats the problem, Benimaru replied with a furrowed brow.


    The Volunteer Corps consistedrgely of humans. Benimaru was evidently worried that appointing a monster as themander of such a unit might stir up unnecessary discontent.


    Thats true, I agreed. If word gets out that humans cant get ahead in a monster country, our reputation is going to be damaged.


    Anyone whoins about such things is a weakling and a failure. We cant expect them to make it big anyway, so theres no need to worry about it!


    No, Shion. I mean, thats notpletely wrong, but itd be easy for people to believe that if they dont know us.


    I see. Humans are difficult beings.


    Shion remained skeptical, but our image-building strategy was important.


    Itd be ridiculous if we were called discriminatory over this kind of thing, so I thought we needed to give it some serious thought.


    But is there truly no one else more suitable? Diablo asked.


    He was right, and thats why Benimaru was worried.


    You arent wrong, I said. Theyre volunteers, after all, so theyre an unnned addition, as far as Im concerned.


    Yet, not taking advantage of their offer would be a waste.


    Thats right. I genuinely appreciated the sincerity of those who volunteered, and I didnt want to let it go to waste. However, if we wanted to make good use of it, we needed a capablemander. These guys were even more of a mess than the Mixed Majin Corps, which was now known as the Red Numbers. I couldnt imagine anyone other than Benimaru bringing them all together.


    Well, I dont know what to do.


    What about Girard, who is under Soueis care? Benimaru probed.


    Not possible. We took him in as part of an undisclosed deal with the Kingdom of Ingracia, and I doubt he wants to be seen in public, I admitted.


    I havent heard what kind of deal Testarossa made, but I dont think its a good idea to let Girard y an active role in the public eye. Apparently, he was evenbeled as a traitor to humanity, so they had to make an example out of him by publicly dering his death. While I didnt have any obligation to protect him, I didnt want to force him to y an active role, either.


    He would be more thanpetent, but he isnt a realistic option


    Benimaru made a case for him, but he wasnt really pushing for it. He quickly gave up on him and started thinking about other candidates. Yet the problem remainedwe needed a human as themander. Names were proposed one after another, but nobody seemed to fit the bill.


    How about asking the Holy Knight Order for help? Shion suddenly suggested.


    Benimaru and I nced at each other, then stared at Shion.


    W-we cant do that, can we?


    No, thats not


    Thats not possiblewas what I tried to say, but Shion brought up a name and cut me off.


    Then, how about Masayuki-dono?


    Masayuki, eh? It was as if a light bulb went off in my head.


    Thats it!


    That was impressive, Shion!


    Benimaru and I shouted at the same time.


    At that moment, we locked in Masayuki as themander of the Volunteer Corps.


    Although the decision to appoint him was made without his approval, it was a wonderful choice that everyone could agree on. Masayuki was the only person that remained skeptical.


    Why should I?


    When I revealed the news to him, he had his head in his hands.


    But it cant be helped, right? Sad as it may be, war was looming over us. His opinion didnt matter. Although that might be contrary to my earlier stance, there was no need to be concerned about Masayuki because if we left it to him, then everything would eventually turn out perfectly fine on its own. He was a good friend to have in troubling times like these.


    As for me, Masayuki began, Ive gotten pretty good at using my Unique Skill Chosen One. I dont feel like Im being praised for everything I do anymore, like I used to. But now, I cant use it even when I try, so dont expect too much, okay?


    I knew that he was lying, of course, and that he was making excuses so he could try to escape. After all, his poprity hadnt diminished one bit and he remained as influential as ever.


    Dont you want to show Kenya and the others how cool you are? I prodded.


    Urgh, thats


    If you go along with this, Ill let you off the hook for teaching the kids questionable stuff and gaining their respect.


    Dont worry, you can do it!


    But


    No buts. Didnt I help you with your fight against Gozer?


    Masayuki and his team had already passed the 50th floor. During that time, I had been secretly helping him along by using my avatar to weaken Gozer, the floors guardian.


    Thank you for your help back then he mumbled.


    You understand, dont you?


    Yes.


    After a little bit of coaxing, coupled with a few sprinkles of threats, he eventually came around to my idea and sealed the deal.


    Yes, I understand. I owe you a great deal, Rimuru-san, and Id like to repay a bit of that debt at times like these


    Although he was reluctant to do so, Masayuki agreed to be the corpsmander. There were noints from the volunteers. Rather, I heard them shouting stuff like, We did it! and Victory is ours!, all in a state of euphoria.


    No matter how dour Masayuki looked, he couldnt change the oue now.


    This is how I thought things would end up


    He said he mastered the Unique Skill Chosen One, so what gives? As Id suspected, it turned out that Masayuki had lied about mastering his Skill. Or maybe this had nothing to do with his Skill and it was simply his natural luck? Thatd be even more surprising.


    Leon, for instance, was the pr opposite of Masayuki; regardless of what he did, it always came off in a bad light. Hed been that way since his early days as a Hero, and I suppose it wasnt easy changing ones natural disposition.


    Well, well. Im sorry that I made this decision for you, but please shine brightly as the beacon of hope to inspire everyone! I cheered, trying to console him.


    Thus, the 20,000 members of the Volunteer Corps were led by Masayuki and fell under the banner of the Hero.


    In the revised organizational structure, the right wing had 52,000 while the left wing had 50,000. Benimaru was listed at the top. Beneath him were the various corpsmanders. In total, we had more than 100,000 troops, but even so, it was up in the air whether they could hold a candle to the Imperial Army. But there was no need to panic; our preparations were progressing steadily.


    As a reserve force, there were 150,000 soldiers in the Western Reserve. Plus, each country also reported that they were making preparations to ready reinforcements from among their own knights. An allied western force would be organized to be the veryst line of defense. The number of this army would probablye out to no less than 200,000, and we would be relying on them if the worstes to pass.


    We were scraping together as many mercenaries and aid from each country as possible. It was a lot, or pitifully little, depending on how you looked at it


    I heard that Testarossa had threatened them at the Council meeting, which was why they were cooperating. Either way, if we lose, then they would undeniably be the next targets, so they had to lend their support. Well, either way those forces would remain in ce until our defeat became evident.


    We had the home field advantage. We also had Veldoras presence nearby and the cooperation of demon lords like Luminas and Leon. Milim also promised to help us out. Karion said that his Beast Masters Warrior Alliance would always be prepared to deploy. And as my personal trump card, the ck Numbers under Diablo were at the ready.


    Since I gave Benimarumand of the entire army, ostensibly I wasnt directly in control of a single unitthat was how we ultimately decided things, but it wasnt the whole truth. The ck Numbers would only ept orders from Diablo and the demoness trio, who were his subordinates. It was a unitpletely independent of Benimarusmand.


    This was the full picture.


    We did not take into ount how Yuuki would act.


    War, huh? I muttered quietly in my room.


    Did the Empire really want to annex the Western Nations? Guy had mentioned the word game. There seemed to be some kind of connection, and perhaps the Empire had some disturbing ulterior motive. But even if that were the case


    I dont care whoes, if they try to mess with our paradise, well crush them.


    This was what I genuinely felt from the very depths of my heart. Im not going to make the same mistake again. I am a demon lord. I couldnt afford to misjudge what my priorities truly were.


    Meanwhile, within the Eastern Empire, preparations for the war were moving smoothly forward, just like in Tempest.


    Or rather, the Empires investment in the matter was orders of magnitude greater in scale and time, so immense that the two could not even begin topare.


    They had nned meticulously for a long, long time, all for a major offensive. Soon enough, the Empire was about to awake from its slumber. The days before their ferocious advance steadily counted down.