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“Give me your report.”
“Yes, Your Highness. The total destruction of Toruk and Vastar has been successfully carried out. The operation is complete.”

In the office prepared for me—though in truth, it was meant for royalty—I listened to the commander of the operation. He was one of the few who truly understood the detailed reasoning behind this mission, a man unwaveringly loyal to the royal family. Assigning him to such a dreadful task was regrettable, but I needed someone trustworthy. There was no other choice. Fortunately, he also grasped the significance of the mission and, despite any personal reservations, he had swallowed his pride and refrained from objecting.

“Did you notice anything of concern outside the mission’s objectives?”
“The heroes are exhausted—mostly mentally—but Hikari, in particular, is completely drained of mana. She will need several days to recover. Additionally, the atmosphere among them is… tense.”
“I take it that means Hikari was useful?”
“Without question. The power of her magic surpasses anyone in the kingdom. If the enemy lacks a skilled wizard, she alone is enough to turn the tide of battle.”

Though she had only been in this world for a few months, her abilities as both a hero and a loyal subordinate were undeniable. I couldn’t afford to place my full trust in her, but losing her would be a waste. This was what I had envisioned a hero to be. By contrast, Takatoshi, despite his exceptional stats, was little more than a tool. Useful, certainly, but not someone capable of shifting the course of the war on his own.

(Perhaps I should commend Hikari for her rapid growth in such a short time.)

“At the very least, we now have a solid pretext to invade the Nigel Kingdom.”
“We have already dispatched emissaries to the other kingdoms. I don’t foresee any issues on that front.”

Saki had been tasked with monitoring their responses, but it wasn’t as though we were launching the war immediately. That day—fast approaching—was still on the horizon. Until then, the heroes could afford some rest. There was no point in pushing them to exhaustion before the true battle began.

“Were all weapons and armor used in the operation accounted for?”
“I can confirm that everything has been collected. However, there was one sword that remained completely unblemished.”
“Is that even possible, given the nature of the mission?”
“Under the circumstances, yes. Since the attack was primarily executed with magic, it’s feasible. The sword in question belongs to Takatoshi, so it stands to reason that he may not have used it in direct combat.”

The Hero, while not as proficient in magic as the Sage, still had sufficient stats to function as a capable spellcaster. It was plausible that he had relied solely on magic, as reported, never engaging in close combat. And yet, the commander’s expression suggested lingering doubt.

“Something is bothering you. Speak freely.”
“I am certain that this is Takatoshi’s sword. However, I am not convinced that he never used it. I personally witnessed him wielding it. Furthermore, while the blade is unsoiled, there are clear signs of wear, indicating use.”
“Could he have cleaned it himself?”
“No.”
“Understood. You are dismissed.”

The commander bowed and left the office.

A single sword, untouched yet clearly used. It was concerning, but at the very least, all weapons had been retrieved. Besides, the heroes had been provided with standard blades commonly sold in the royal capital. Even if something suspicious had occurred, it would be impossible to trace it back to us. No replacements had been acquired, either—I had ensured that every weapon was accounted for.

This was not something to dwell on now. My focus needed to remain on the war ahead. However, there was little I could do directly at this stage. The decision to wage war lay with the king. responsibility of crafting a winning strategy belonged to the military tacticians. The duty of fighting fell to the soldiers.

As for me, my role was to contain the domestic unrest that would inevitably arise once the war began. That, too, did not trouble me. The enemy was the Nigel Kingdom, our sworn rival. The justification was clear—one of our towns and villages had been obliterated by the Demon Tribe.

More importantly, the heroes had already been positioned as the key figures in our conquest of the Nigel Kingdom. With this groundwork laid, persuading the public would be effortless. This was a war against our greatest adversary—support for it would be widespread.

The only remaining factor was coordination with the other kingdoms.

For now, there was little else I could do.

“What can I do?”

To clear my thoughts, I turned to Soter, who stood silently at the side of the office. Unfazed as always, she answered in her usual calm tone.

“With all due respect, Your Highness has been working far too much lately. It would be a great misfortune if you were to fall ill before the battle with the Nigel Kingdom begins. I suggest taking a short respite while the situation develops.”
“I have been working without rest for quite some time now. The heroes will be given time off, so I suppose I might as well take advantage of the opportunity—barring any emergencies, of course. But first, I need to finish this paperwork. Could you prepare some tea?”
“Right away.”

I was eager to act, to do something, yet everything had proceeded without issue so far. Unless an unforeseen complication arose, the war with the Nigel Kingdom would begin as planned. And as far as I could foresee, the greatest potential disruption had either already perished or would pose no obstacle to my use of the heroes in this war. If anything, it might even become a force against those who dared to stand in my way.

For now, my focus was better spent on internal matters within the kingdom. There were credible reports that anti-royalist factions were beginning to voice opposition to the war. Public sentiment overwhelmingly supported the conflict, so it was unlikely to escalate into a serious issue, but it still warranted careful surveillance. I had no doubt the king was already monitoring the situation, but I wanted someone under my direct command keeping a discreet watch as well.

Once the necessary arrangements were in place, I intended to remain in my private quarters unless an unexpected situation arose. Perhaps it would be a good opportunity to get some exercise—I hadn’t done so in quite some time. And if I found the time later, I might even take a closer look at that sword.

◇◇◇

The sword in question was eventually examined. To the untrained eye, it appeared completely unremarkable¹.

1. Robinxen: Did our protagonist use god magic to just… duplicate the sword or something? I assume by unblemished but used they meant no signs of blood but still chipped from combat? The only logical explanation I can think of is that finis used magic to make a duplicate, and used the duplicate to fill the weapon count while the original was left behind as evidence? Something like that? Probably just to throw a wrench in the kingdoms plans going forward.

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