Hajime nearly vomited like a spouting mermaid lion. Shizuku patted his back lovingly, and Hajime finally managed to continue walking to his seat.
Meanwhile, Gaharud, threatened by Hajime's threat to join those blasphemous monsters, obediently shut up and returned to his seat. He stared at the table in silence, refusing to meet Christabel's eyes. The Emperor's usual bold and upright image was completely shattered.
He must be like Shi, his instinct as a man requires him to restrain himself.
"No, wait, why is the monster from the clothing store here?"
The final battle that will determine the fate of the world is imminent, but the military meeting for the decisive battle has become stuck.
The more serious attendees either held their heads in distress or looked embarrassed. At this moment, Guild Master Barus Laputa smiled wryly and answered his question.
"Christabel may have retired, but she was once a gold-rank adventurer. Even after retirement, she's still one of the most powerful adventurers."
That's why they were attending the military meeting as representatives of the adventurer's fighting force. After hearing this explanation, Hajime seemed to have a thought and turned to look at Catherine.
This woman was still as voluptuous as ever, but as Hajime and the others knew, she had once been a graceful and elegant beauty, the Secretary General of the legendary guild that had nurtured Ilva and the others. She was probably here to temporarily reappear in the arena, relying on her skillful tactics.
"Ahaha, it's true. Christabel is still the strongest adventurer. It's just that when I retired, he wanted to retire too, so he moved to Brook with me. To fulfill his long-held dream—to open a clothing store in the countryside."
"My heart will always be that of a delicate girl! Shishi-chan!"
After saying that, she flirted with Hajime again. That was a terrifying skill that could drive someone mad.
Hajime was almost turned into a water-spouting mermaid lion by this skill again.
"Ai-sensei! Hajime's hyperventilation is about to start! Please cast soul magic on him!"
"No, this is bad! Grant light to the dark soul! Dispel the horrible nightmare with the light of clarity! — 'Soul Calming'!"
Compared to the spell he used to break Esid's control, the chant seemed longer. Hajime seemed to have managed to hold on.
"Uh~~Are you guys done talking? I think it's almost time to get started."
Langji's expression was stiff as he tried to get the military meeting back on track.
Thanks to his words, the atmosphere finally became serious.
However, the actual significance of participating in this meeting is just to confront various forces.
Because Hajime was the vanguard of the attack on the [Divine Realm], he had no direct connection with the battle on the ground.
Ultimately, all human forces are comrades in the same camp against the demons. Although there are conflicts of interest between countries, they have already signed treaties and agreed on military action plans in the event of external threats.
The same goes for the Adventurer's Guild and the Church's combat power. There are agreements and codes that clearly stipulate how to cooperate with the national army in an emergency.
The problem lies with the demihuman warriors. This is the first time in human history that humans have collaborated with demihumans.
However, this has already been agreed upon.
As a discriminated race and locked in isolation, the demihumans and human armies could not properly cooperate in the short term. Consolidating all command systems into one would likely be more harmful than beneficial.
Therefore, they will act in a guerrilla manner under the command of the elders.
Furthermore, the Earthlings, led by Yuka, are also part of a guerrilla force. Aiko is also a member. Aiko can use spirit magic, so there's no reason not to utilize it effectively. Furthermore, while she serves as a symbol of the various factions, she lacks the experience and knowledge to lead operations, making her unfit for the role of commander.
At present, the various forces have no problems in using the allocated artifacts, weapons, and firearms.
On the contrary, many people still cannot skillfully use basic artifacts such as armor and swords with magical effects from the Age of Gods.
This is only natural. Weapons are supposed to be "usable by anyone" and "have a consistent effect regardless of who wields them." While there are individual differences in accuracy and reload speed, as long as the basic techniques are mastered, no one will be "unable to use" them. This is the greatest advantage of weapons.
What's more, Shi provided a tool with actual operation videos for everyone to refer to in advance (through a huge projection, many people can watch it at once), so there is no need to worry about someone not being able to learn.
At this moment, the sounds of gunfire and artillery could still be heard from all directions, and it sounded like the command was in good order.
Therefore, the reason why Hajime was brought here was simply so that everyone could meet and talk with the man who controlled the fate of mankind before the final battle. That was all.
Everyone he had met in the past was now looking at the 'boy back then' with interest. Hajime narrowed his eyes.
"By the way... I never thought the commander-in-chief would be the princess. What a surprise..."
After listening to Langji's explanation of various matters, Shi mostly agreed with them. However, this one point was a little hard to believe.
Among the people present there are emperors of military states and many outstanding generals and officers.
"Um, um, well... to be honest, I always thought the position of commander-in-chief belonged to His Majesty Gaharud—Also, don't call me 'Princess', call me 'Lily'."
"If this is truly a position that must be filled by me, I would certainly accept it. However, in this case, the princess is the most suitable. After all, a war like this only happens once in a lifetime, and as the ruler of a military nation, of course you have to go to the front lines yourself, right?"
"No, of course, a king generally shouldn't go to the front lines... However, from the perspective of maintaining the morale of the coalition forces, the princess is indeed the most suitable candidate."
"It seems you understand too."
"It's not Princess, it's Lily..." Liliana quietly corrected him. But Gaharud ignored her and smiled at Hajime.
That's what it is.
In this war, there are limited opportunities for precise and ingenious battle plans. Observing the enemy's movements and then responding with subtle tactics is only effective at the beginning of a battle.
The battle that followed would undoubtedly turn into a hopeless melee, for their opponent was the "Apostle of God."
Therefore, Liliana is needed as the commander-in-chief.
Of course, her lack of experience was obvious to everyone. However, as a talented woman of the kingdom, she possessed a solid and extensive background in military science. All she needed was a few excellent advisors to assist her. In fact, maintaining the morale of the human forces and preventing setbacks in this desperate battle was the most crucial aspect of this battle.
In this regard, there is no more reliable talent than Liliana.
This fourteen-year-old princess once journeyed alone to save her kingdom from danger, exposing the evil god's conspiracy and sharing the truth with all the citizens (though it was actually a fabricated story). Even in the face of impending human extinction, she never gave up, traveling around the world with the "Goddess of Plenty."
Such a young princess, speaking out loudly in front of the public.
He called on the people to take refuge, but he himself did not escape or run away.
He asked the soldiers and knights to fight alongside him and showed his determination to fight to the end even if he was alone.
Furthermore, she valued the life of her younger brother, the next king (Randil), more than her own, and faced death with a conscious understanding, entrusting him with the future with a loving expression. She also asked Queen Mother Luluaria, the mother of the kingdom, to follow her in the evacuation, out of consideration for the well-being of the kingdom's citizens.
Moreover, as a talented woman in the kingdom, she was already well-loved.
Now, that petite figure is about to shoulder the future and personally go to the battlefield on behalf of the kingdom...
The whole population wept, and the soldiers were all enthusiastic.
Thinking about it this way, this strategy made perfect sense. On a battlefield filled with nothing but despair, hearing Liliana's encouragement would at least spurn the Kingdom's soldiers to fight to the bitter end, determined to "protect the princess even at death's cost," without fear of death.
"The psychology of the masses is truly terrifying. But I think the most terrifying thing is Miss Liliana, who managed to turn her face away and secretly smile in the face of the moved and weeping citizens and the fanatical soldiers."
Aiko added, her eyes seeming to be looking off into the distance.
The princess, full of love and courage, actually said with a sly grin, "Hmph, everything is just as I planned!" No one would want to see such a dark side of her. Captain Kujieli, who was standing behind Liliana, also gave a look of deep sorrow instead of words of agreement.
“W-what?! Miss Aiko is enthusiastically stirring up the crowd! My influence is limited to the citizens of the Kingdom, but Miss Aiko has turned the people of the Empire and Feyalbergen into berserkers. You have no right to criticize me. You’re terrifying!”
“No, no! I was just reading out the words written in the book ‘You too can become a demagogue! A collection of fascinating lines learned from various cases’ that Nagumo-san gave me!”
For some reason, Cam gave Hajime a thumbs-up. Meanwhile, Alfred and Gaharud stared at Hajime, their eyes saying, "As expected, you're behind this..."
Incidentally, Aiko also used soul magic during speeches to secretly manipulate the minds of the crowd, something Hajime hadn't asked her to do.
In the end, the crowd excitedly shouted in unison, "The evil god must die! No mercy!" In contrast, the beloved Son of the living God, who stood on the side of mankind, gathered everyone's admiration.
The scene was like the birth moment of a new religion.
"You're actually using magic to mislead the people! Miss Aiko is terrifying!"
"She's able to incite the people without using magic. Miss Liliana is terrifying!"
"You're scary!" "You're scary!"
Watching the low-level bickering between the two girls──
"The princess and the goddess are both equally terrifying. I've never seen anything so disgraceful since I became emperor."
"That's absolutely right. Humans are truly terrifying..."
Jaharud and Ælfrelic agreed, as if the long-standing chasm between them had suddenly been bridged.
In addition, since the magic the soldiers received was not brainwashing, they would not suddenly wake up in the middle of a fight and flee the battlefield.
The declaration of holy war issued by the goddess, the princess, and the pope, as well as the recognition of heads of state.
These actions truly awakened everyone's sense of crisis, instilling indignation and a sense of unity. It wasn't about orders, but rather everyone's desire to contribute. The combined efforts of everyone allowed the coalition to be formed in such a short period of time. This achievement is sure to amaze future historians.
Hajime knew this very well, so he also believed that the battle on the ground would not be unilaterally ravaged by the apostles. He nodded with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Aiko and Liliana were still accusing each other of being terrible. Hajime, though feeling helpless, wanted to say something to comfort them. So, he tried to stop them.
"Hey, teacher, princess, please stop now—"
"Not 'teacher', just call me 'Aiko'."
"Not 'Princess-sama', you can call me 'Lily'."
"So you two are so close."
Perhaps because they were aware that they might lose their lives, Aiko and Liliana attacked with extreme vigor.
"The more repressed a person is, the more extreme they become once they see things clearly."
Shizuku whispered with a wry smile. Hajime narrowed his eyes and stared at her coldly. Only then did Shizuku realize that what she had just said was a contradiction in terms, and her face flushed. She even wrapped her ponytail around her face to hide her expression.
At this moment, Pope Simon spoke. He had been watching Hajime and the others with a friendly expression throughout the conversation.
"Everyone, that's enough. This is enough to measure the caliber of our savior."
"Pope, we never intended to 'measure' such arrogance."
Langji shook his head and smiled bitterly.
"The hero of my principality is finally going to become the hero of the world... I want to confirm with my own eyes that my judgment back then was correct, that's all."
He must have intended to personally lead the Duchy's army into battle. He hadn't brought his son, Biz, along, presumably because he considered the possibility of his own death. Donning the armor crafted by Hajime, Longji appeared dignified and solemn. Yet, his expression remained remarkably calm.
"Your Excellency, Nagumo. The reason our Principality's army is responding to this call is not to save the world."
“…What do you mean?”
"I've heard you're determined to completely thwart the evil god's plans. If that's the case, then this is the only reason we'll join the fight. Leave it to us, and we won't let the evil god ravage us to his will. We'll fight, survive, and ultimately laugh at the evil god. That way, we can at least repay your kindness, don't you agree?"
"Haha, that's a really crazy reason."
Langji smiled. His casual words made Shi look surprised and somewhat satisfied.
Looking at Hajime like this, Catherine put her hand on her chin and said to him with deep emotion:
"When I first saw you join our guild, I had a vague feeling that you would accomplish something great... I never imagined you would become a powerful being who controls the fate of the world. I'm truly honored to have you registered with the guild. Perhaps even future generations will share in the glory."
"You really took good care of me back then. Thanks to your letter of introduction, I was able to contact the head of the Fran branch smoothly."
Ilva sat down in his chair, sighed, and said:
"I suspected you were harboring some secret that could shake the world. I never imagined it would be linked to the crisis of world destruction... After the criminal organization collapsed, some called you 'Ilva Branch Chief's sword,' but such a term only makes me feel more ashamed."
"But, Ilva, you weren't mistaken, were you? Thanks to your nomination of Lord Nagumo, the little dog was able to save his life."
Count Gürel Kudeta said this with a kind smile. Then, he looked at Hajime with respect.
"Mr. Nagumo, you once told me that you hoped I could help you when you asked for my help in the future. Remember? Now that I've secured the position of Fren representative, I promise to provide full support. However, I'm not sure if this qualifies as 'help' in your opinion."
"No, just like Lord Ankaji, as long as we can stabilize the situation on the ground, that's enough."
As a noble of the Kingdom, he had no right to represent Flein. However, the Count of Kudeta's family served as a liaison between the Kingdom and Flein. No one would object to such a position providing command and material support during a war. Furthermore, since he and Hajime knew each other, Flein agreed to appoint him as a representative.
In order to repay Hajime's kindness for his impending attack on the Divine Realm, he specially prepared top-grade support supplies, but they seemed to be of no use, which made him somewhat frustrated, with the ends of his eyebrows drooping slightly into an "eight" shape.
At this time, Will, who was behind Gurel, came forward.
"Long time no see, Lord Nagumo."
“Will, long time no see. Is it really okay for you to come to a place like this? Just in case, you young people of the next generation should find a place to take shelter…”
"I'm the third child in the family, so it's no problem. Besides, I came here of my own accord. I want to be of as much use as possible for all those fighting for the future."
"You're such a pushover, you're still the same." After saying that, Hajime shrugged.
"No..." However, Will calmly shook his head, denying his words. Then he said:
"That day, I saved my life. Perhaps it was for this day. I thought so, so I came here voluntarily."
He said so.
He recalled Will trembling in the cave. He was crying. He was happy that he had survived alone, but he also felt guilty about it.
At that time, Hajime told him impulsively.
"You must struggle desperately, and strive to survive. Only by surviving, one day... you will realize that your survival today was meaningful."
Will repeated what Shi had said, and the entire conference room heard it. Everyone couldn't help but turn their heads to look at Shi.
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