A moment later.
The special forces agents were neatly seated on the floor of the room.
They ate their late-night meal with a precise, rigid movement.
They used a knife-like action to pick up their food with a fork, opened their mouths like robots, popped a bite in, chewed precisely ten times, and swallowed.
All five of them, as if performing synchronized swimming, repeated the same actions simultaneously.
"..."
Watching this spectacle was making me feel nauseous, even though I hadn't even touched my late-night meal.
"Hey, um, that..."
I finally couldn't stand it anymore and spoke.
"Just stop being so stiff, eat comfortably..."
"What do you mean, Your Highness?"
Godhand, who had been sitting on his knees, laid down his fork with a perfectly perpendicular movement and smiled mechanically.
"We're perfectly comfortable right now."
"No, I'm telling you, I'm not comfortable! If you're all being so rigid, it makes me uncomfortable!"
Can't you at least move in a more organic way? Stop with the right-angle eating, it's making my joints freeze just watching you!
***
Finally, the late-night meal time was over.
The five special forces agents, with clean mouths, were sitting neatly in front of me.
"We will treasure the grace, similar to a heavenly command, bestowed upon us by Your Highness in the depths of our hearts."
As Godhand bowed his waist in gratitude, the other four followed suit. I touched my aching forehead.
"No, it's not some heavenly command or anything, it's just a late-night meal."
"You, Your Highness, have personally bestowed kindness upon us who were starving, if that's not a grace like a heavenly command, then what is?"
"Just stop it, please..."
Originally, I planned to make them relax by feeding them and then ask them some questions, but seeing their defensive attitudes, getting an honest answer seemed unlikely.
It wouldn't be that easy for them to open up anyway.
So, instead of asking what I had originally intended, I decided to start with a less direct question.
"When did the five of you become a team?"
It was an intended question to break the ice by asking about their stories, as they seemed relatively close to each other.
However.
"Our Team 8 was only formed one and a half years ago. But, as we were all being trained as special forces candidates, we've known each other since childhood."
A somewhat heavy answer came back.
I asked nervously.
"Special forces candidates? Being trained?"
"We, the elves, who lost our country and land, have only us as remaining resources. We are 'selling' human resources in various ways."
"..."
"Children with combat aptitude are trained from an early age as prospective special forces. They are even deployed in minor combat. Then, according to the strategies set by the higher-ups, those with suitable skills are combined to form a team."
Godhand lowered his eyes and answered slowly.
"For this one operation, we were trained as a team and deployed..."
"...Regardless of the success or failure, you are discarded?"
"Yes."
I clenched my mouth shut.
From the perspective of a 'human' and the 'empire', this approach is highly efficient.
No matter how dangerous the operation, they don't risk the precious lives of humans.
The risk is low. If they succeed, that's great, if they fail, they can just discard us.
It's the deeds committed by the other race, the elves, who once were the enemies of humans. There are likely various reasons to discard them.
Politically, pragmatically, the risk is virtually nil, and the gains are easy. How efficient is this?
However.
However...
How cruel is this?
The concept of using the lives of other races, unabashedly as bullets. How...
"Who's the supreme commander of the Aegis Special Forces?"
I asked cautiously.
"Who?"
I wanted to know who made this cruel decision.
Godhand hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.
"Why would I hesitate to tell you now? You probably already know. You must just want me to confirm it."
No, I really didn't know...
"The supreme commander of the Aegis Special Forces has always been the royal family's domestic policy head. Currently-"
Godhand's eyes were briefly filled with terror as he spit out the name.
"The second prince, His Highness Fernandez."
"..."
Fernandez 'Ember Keeper' Everblack.
The one who sent them to me, my brother.
Upon hearing Fernandez's name, the faces of the other special forces members showed signs of disturbance.
I caught all of it.
The special forces members who felt no fear in sacrificing their own lives.
Even they felt terror.
'Just what kind of person is he...'
Anyway, the atmosphere became too heavy, so I changed the subject.
"How's the room? Can you live in it?"
The faces of the Special Forces members instantly brightened.
Some were fidgeting with their hands, glancing at the cushions and pillows rolling around behind them.
They seemed impatient to touch them right away.
"Your Highness. We've been confined in a prison for death-row inmates for the past few months, and we've been dragged here in an escort carriage for the past few days."
Godhand smiled softly.
"This room is nothing short of a paradise. To be honest, we don't even want to step out of here."
"No, that's a problem..."
Please don't turn into a hermit... I too was a streamer living in front of the computer...
"Is the food okay? I tried to be considerate."
While Elves aren't unable to eat meat, their diet is primarily vegetarian.
I asked the head chef to prepare a vegetarian-focused menu.
The food I brought as a late-night snack was also made from the leftovers.
"After having only prison meals, indulging in this feast feels exceptional. Especially considering our younger agents still need to grow and develop."
Excluding Godhand, all the agents nodded in unison, agreeing with the sentiment.
That's a relief. Perhaps I should keep preparing meals like this.
"However, I am genuinely grateful for your consideration, Your Highness."
Godhand cautiously spoke in a serious tone.
"We merely abide, eat, and follow as given."
"..."
"Please, treat us more casually, as if we were objects."
No, that's the thing... That's not comfortable...
If I were a true prince, perhaps that would be possible.
But I'm just a small citizen from 21st century Korea. How can I treat sentient beings as objects?
Afterwards, we exchanged a few words about our future lives, discussing clothing and range of activities.
After wrapping up the immediate living conditions conversation, I left the room.
"Let's continue to discuss and adjust going forward."
"We are truly grateful, Your Highness. May your night be peaceful."
Led by Godhand, Bodybag, Skull, Burnout, all respectfully bowed their heads. Only Oldgirl was waving with a big smile.
Before I knew it, I found myself waving back, then quickly regained my composure. What the?!
Boom!
As soon as the door closed, a sudden exclamation echoed from inside.
"Is the Third Prince a good person? Is he really good?"
"He seems like a good person?!"
"He saved our lives in the first place! Even if he has ulterior motives, we have to admit that~"
"He gave us a late-night snack!"
"Late-night snack!"
"I hope he gives us another late-night snack!"
... Maybe I should move them to a room with better soundproofing.
Leaving behind the bustling room of young ones, I walked down the hallway. My mind continued to spin with thoughts.
Ultimately, I couldn't ask the question that intrigued me the most.
Even if I had asked, I wasn't sure they could have given me a concrete answer.
'Did they really trigger the war?'
The war between the Everblack Empire and the Bringar Kingdom was a major event in the game.
Starting from the ruin of the Bringar Kingdom, many large-scale events occurred.
Refugees from the Kingdom began to flood into Crossroad, and new high-quality mercenaries were also incorporated into Crossroad.
'Hostile NPC groups were also created in large numbers.'
Outlaws and knights who had fled from the Bringar Kingdom.
If properly assimilated, they could become formidable forces in the Monster Frontlines here.
'But if things go wrong, we'll have to face not just monsters, but humans in defensive battles.'
I might even have to wage a war against a human army if things go south.
In the game, they were easily absorbed.
Though the Monster Frontlines belonged to the Empire, they didn't have much to do with the war against the Bringar Kingdom.
But now, I've accepted the egis Special Forces Team 8, who could be seen as the spark of that war, into my party.
No one knew how this would impact anything in the future, in what direction, or in what way.
As I grappled with these thoughts, I turned the corner of the corridor.
"Ah."
Lucas was hiding there, watching in my direction.
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence lingered between Lucas and me for a moment.
I was momentarily stumped, unsure whether to ask Lucas why he was hiding or if he wasn't uncomfortable crouching with such a large frame.
Nevertheless, I couldn't just stand there, so I asked,
"What are you doing, Lucas?"
"I was preparing to rush in, in case something happened to you when you entered alone, Your Highness."
Lucas cleared his throat awkwardly, avoiding my gaze.
"Anyway, they are convicts suspected of treason. It seems necessary to monitor them."
"I think there won't be a big problem as I have their 'leashes' on them, but..."
There is a possibility, however remote it may be.
'I should keep an eye on them for Lucas's sake.'
I raised my voice towards the inside of the mansion.
"Aider! Get over here, quick!"
After a brief wait, Aider came rolling in, making a clattering sound. He seemed to have been on the second floor.
"Yes, yes! My lord! How may I assist you?!"
I gestured towards the room where the Aegis Special Forces Team 8 was.
"Monitor them in case of any emergencies, and report back immediately if anything happens."
"Me?! Me?!"
"Who else? You're the only one available. Should we, who are always in defense or going on free explorations, have to do it?"
Of course, it's not that he should guard with that frail body of his. I meant that he should use some kind of system. He had plenty of methods, didn't he?
"But, my lord, you know... they're not the type to betray..."
"Mmm~ I can't hear you~ You'll have to suffer a bit~"
Leaving Aider muttering sadly, Lucas and I left the place. This should be enough.
***
The next day.
[STAGE 4]
- Start in: 5 days
The start of the next stage was getting closer.
It was time to step up the preparations for the defense battle.
And so, at the blacksmith's shop.
"These are the results of the equipment dismantling you requested last time."
The blacksmith master respectfully handed me a box.
I swallowed dryly and accepted it. Please!
I dismantled four SSR grade equipment pieces even though they were broken. The chances of getting a SSR grade magic core are high enough!
'Please! Please, come out, please!'
I prayed and checked the contents of the box. Did it come out?!
Rumble.
Inside the box, a golden magic core was rolling around.
"It came out-!"
Picking up the SSR grade magic core, I let out a shriek of joy.
[Standard Special Magic Core (SSR)]
It might seem like a loss since four were used to get one, but where did I even get the four from in the first place!
'Now I can make 'that equipment'!'
Plans for how to use the magic core quickly fell into place.
With a smug grin, I promptly tucked the SSR-grade Magic Power gem into my inventory. I'll put you to good use.
"Also, the three Magic Cannons you ordered are completed."
As I was cheerfully dancing with the Magic Power gem in my hand, the Blacksmith handed over the weapons wrapped in silk.
Three Magic Cannons, each made with Ratman Champion Magic Power gems.
They were finally finished.