The news of the Royal Knights’ victory shocked the alliance. I mean, of course! They had deemed them a discarded card and cut off support. Thanks to that, they were now paying the price.
Currently, the Royal Knights were only protecting three nations: the Dwarf Republic, the Human Kingdom, and the Twelve Tribes. That’s because these three nations were the only ones who offered their support to the Royal Knights.
In the past, there were no issues. Sure, monsters were a bit of a hassle, but with enough national power, they could be dealt with. Demons, at least up to the low level, could be managed as well.
However, the real problem lay with the Blood Demon and the True Demon right behind them. Unlike the demons disparagingly called low-level, the Blood Demon and the True Demon were true demons boasting immense power.
How many races and nations had perished or been absorbed because they couldn’t handle even a single Blood Demon? Now, the Royal Knights had even succeeded in repelling the True Demon.
Thus, it was only natural for the stock price of the Royal Knights to skyrocket. If the Blood Demon and True Demon invaded, it meant the Royal Knights could not provide protection in their current state.
Even among the races, change was underway. First and foremost, the Dwarf Republic and the Twelve Tribes initiated peace negotiations. They even crafted agreements. One forgotten fact is that the Dwarves and Beastmen had once been in such a bad relationship that they even fought over territory. But thanks to mediation from the Royal Knights, they managed to hold peace talks and establish various agreements.
“Did the Beastmen and Dwarves really join forces?”
“Damn… this puts me in a tight spot.”
“We need to negotiate with the Dwarves right away…”
The agreement between the Dwarves and Beastmen wasn’t just a simple story. It was a bolt from the blue for other races that had exploited the discord between the two.
And now, with the Human Kingdom joining forces, it was as if a new alliance was emerging within the Racial Alliance, led by these three races and the Royal Knights.
The first to act in this situation was the Human Kingdom. The King used his status as a protector of the Royal Knights to charm other races and profit from the chaos.
Of course, the demons had suffered significant damage, so they had no intention of moving for now. But for the alliance that was unaware of that, the mere thought that the demons might act scared them to death.
The Human King took advantage of that. Thanks to this, the Human Kingdom achieved results that surpassed everything it had invested in the Royal Knights. Like it or not, change had begun to unfold.
The two races that were once like enemies dramatically reconciled, and other races feeling a sense of crisis started responding. Relationships that had taken centuries to build began to change.
At the center of it all were the Royal Knights and the new Commander. The Commander had rebuilt the Royal Knights, which had collapsed in just one year, and proved their power.
“It’s no wonder the Human King recommended the Commander.”
“Investigate the Commander of the Royal Knights quickly!”
“We have to pull him to our side somehow!”
Given the situation, it was only natural for other races to rush to improve relations with the Royal Knights and gather information about the Commander.
The Human King, who had predicted all this, surely hadn’t overlooked it. The only issue was the actions that would follow. Not everyone would recognize the Commander. There would definitely be those who opposed him.
Take the Elves, for example. They openly rejected the support of the Royal Knights and even urged for the resignation of the Commander, showing actions contrary to the other races.
It was reckless, but it wasn’t without its merits. Soon, it was clear that the Elves would rally those races who felt resentful towards the Royal Knights or harbored ambitions.
‘This is the best moment to gain advantages. I need to think about the next capital too.’
Thanks to the Commander he had appointed performing far better than expected, the King had obtained rewards that surpassed his imagination. But he wasn’t planning to keep it all to himself. The important thing was the position of the alliance.
And right now, a new alliance system centered around the Human Kingdom was about to take shape. He wasn’t a fool to let go of a grand cause over a few coins.
The winds of change were slowly but surely blowing.
*
In Lionheart Fortress, there was an office arranged for the Commander. This was located directly behind the reception room for meeting guests, purely for efficiency.
And now, Yuren was seated as the acting Commander, handling the duties. The first three days had everyone around the Commander, but soon they persuaded him to get to work.
As a result, Yuren had no choice but to handle it. The problem was that she was the only one who could see to the Commander’s duties. The other members could finish quickly and leave, but…
Yuren had so much work that even that was difficult. Letting out a sigh that was unlike her, Yuren thought. She felt like she had managed all the work easily in the past.
Strangely, lately, time felt like it was dragging on when dealing with tasks. She suspected she knew the reason. It was because the Commander wasn’t there. Without the Commander by her side, that was the issue.
“…What the hell am I thinking…”
She had crossed the line into unthinkable territory a long time ago, but at least she was slightly aware of it. Either way, Yuren was failing spectacularly at self-image.
In fact, Yuren hadn’t expected this to happen either. She was a Dragon. For a dragon, all other races were equal. To put it bluntly, they all seemed quite cute.
Occasionally, there were dragons who fell in love with other races, but even that was far from genuine. After all, no one could keep up with the dragon’s endless lifespan.
At best, there was the Elf, but even that Elf would eventually perish when their lifespan was over. Dragons live immortal lives. So, how could they feel love for other races?
To have a Dragon, who was known as a Race of Benevolence. It was truly an ironic situation. Just not ruling with force from above would certainly be enough to be called a Race of Benevolence.
However, even Yuren, who had been like that, began to feel cracks in her emotions. It typically happened when she noticed the women by the Commander’s side. She felt very upset, and it even frustrated her.
“I didn’t feel like this before.”
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
“D-Commander!? What are you doing here?!”
Startled by the Commander’s voice right beside her, Yuren jumped up from her seat. There he was, the only one, holding a tray.
On that tray were two cups filled with warm tea. The Commander placed the tray on the desk and picked up a cup to hand it to Yuren. She carefully received the cup and spoke.
“Didn’t the Commander say that absolute stability is important?”
“That’s true, but it’s not to that extent.”
“I-is that so? I don’t know much about humans.”
“Speaking of which, Yuren is a Dragon.”
Yuren nodded. Of course, she had almost died when her heart nearly burst. But the fact that she didn’t die from a broken heart was already a testament to the strength of a dragon.
Besides, over time, the wound from the Dragon Heart was healing little by little. Perhaps in a few years, Yuren would naturally regain her strength corresponding to her prime.
However, there was no dissent regarding that. After all, she was a Dragon. The strongest race on the ground and also known as the Race of Benevolence. That was the Dragon.
In contrast, humans could only be infinitely weak compared to Dragons. Even getting a minor injury could lead to death if not treated.
Originally, there should have been no understanding between them. But despite that, Yuren wanted to know more about the human in front of her, the Commander. After much contemplation, she threw out the question she had been holding onto.
“W-well, it’s fine now. You can go back.”
Actually, that wasn’t her true intention. She wished the Commander would stay a little longer. However, she thoroughly concealed that wish. It was embarrassing, but she wanted to hear something directly from the Commander.
“Hmm? Seems like you’re doing better than I thought.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I just meant I was worried.”
“Worried, huh.”
A weak human was worrying about her, a Dragon. There were probably Dragons who would be offended by that, but Yuren didn’t feel that way at all.
Rather, she felt a warm sensation from his words. It felt as if she was being embraced. Was it the warmth of the cup she was holding? Yuren couldn’t even discern.
“There you are!”
“Cluna?!”
“…”
“The patient requires absolute stability. Now, let’s head back together.”
However, the happy moment didn’t last long. Cluna appeared with a fierce look in her eyes, coming to find the Commander. If the old Yuren had been there, she would have easily let the Commander go.
Dragons are like that. It’s okay to yield infinitely. After all, time would allow them to regain what they lost eventually. But for some reason, Yuren found herself speaking without thinking.
“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to be here?”
This time, she didn’t want to give him away.
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