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The first reason for that was the troops that ended up arriving on the days we were away, both professionals and adventurers/mercenaries who were looking for positions or an opportunity to perform an exploit and get a reward painted the city in a different light as the common folk ended up leaving.

Since in our absence the elves had expanded the forest to the point of encroaching on the gate, those who remained in the city were preparing for a siege.

As this place was close to a dungeon gate, before this whole ordeal it seemed to have been quite prosperous, as close to the center of the city there was a whole commercial area that was being repurposed in order to supply weapons and necessities for the army standing in the city.

A few taverns still remained open, but other shops closed, and most of the items being traded were equipment or potions, brought by merchants from outside this place.

As we walked, quite a crowd gathered around us due to the presence of the elves.

I pretty much knew this was going to happen, so I sent Ellie away.

There was no need for her to be around and listen to this.

The only ones with me were Elizabeth, Angelica, Folkien, the elf prince, and Kiara, the elf responsible for the forest\'s advancement.

And also... Elliot, one of the friendly Knight Commanders from last time.

He was guaranteeing our security and calming the people... for now.

Since he recognized Folkien\'s identity, he wanted explanations from us at first, but I managed to convince him to wait.

Although I had to be stern and remind him who we were and what we could do.

But since I was kinda on his side, I also promised a concession as long as he gave me a hand.

And so, we made our way to what was previously the residential area, a bit far from the center of the city.

Most citizens had been evacuated. Some volunteered to fight and protect their home.

But... quite a few of them weren\'t able to do either of those.

I went door to door, offering money in exchange for the stories of those who remained. Of course, this was all on Elliot\'s tab.

Everyone had their reasons for staying, a few were simply stubborn, choosing their home rather than their safety.

Some had nowhere to go. Leaving this place would mean an uncertain future, which could be even more scary than what they were heading to.

Many simply couldn\'t leave. They couldn\'t afford the expenses, or wouldn\'t be able to endure the journey due to their age, injuries, or sickness.

Speaking of which, a number of them remained in the city because of sick relatives. They were the only ones who could take care of them, and they decided to face destiny whatever it may be for their loved ones.

Miwen: "If you think it\'s bad for them, just imagine how it\'s going for those who had to leave everything behind."

Liz: "Such is the nature of war. You promote the other side\'s suffering until accepting your position becomes less painful than defending their own."

She summarizes it way better than I ever could.

It\'s ironic that war is the intermediate state of diplomacy. First, diplomacy fails, and after the war is waged, we resort back to it.

Perhaps this is why it\'s so easy to be caught in a perpetual cycle between those, as the dispute is never properly addressed. Instead, the mighty one just forces their will onto the weaker one, until the tables turn and the cycle repeats.

However, that\'s not necessarily my problem here.

I don\'t have any stakes in this dispute, nor do I feel strongly about either side.

I also don\'t have any relationship with someone who does, thus, even considering third parties, there\'s no interest I wish or care to defend in this situation.

My actions now are done purely for selfish reasons.

First, my revenge against Folkien, for how he insulted Ellie.

Even if the girl herself wouldn\'t desire such a thing, I cannot let it pass.

As their king, I\'m responsible for what the girls do, and what happens to them. And an insult to them is an insult to me.

While this might just be an excuse, I cannot see myself letting this issue go without having the final word.

Guaranteeing it doesn\'t happen again would also be nice.

As for my second issue here...

Miwen: "You\'re right. It\'s hard even to imagine a war where no one suffers. And since this is a given, it doesn\'t make for a good question. Instead, what I\'m more interested in is... who is responsible for this suffering?"

Folkien: "Before the last kingdom fell, this dungeon gate existed within our forest. We\'re just retaking what is rightfully ours. They shouldn\'t have settled in our lands to begin with."

It\'s quite far from the response I was expecting.

Although I feel like the three kingdoms that now exist in this area could probably claim something similar if they go back enough in their history.

As for Kiara...

Kiara: "Why would any of this be my fault? I just did as I was told! I didn\'t hurt anyone!"

I wanted to believe that she was simply naive but... it couldn\'t be further from the truth.

Hearing what they had to say, a discussion began between the citizens and the elves. Elliot tried to calm them again, but I signaled that it was alright.

I felt like they had the right to vent this way.

I had tried quite a lot to show Kiara that she was wrong, even showing her the orphans from the citizens who volunteered to fight, but nothing worked.

She kept shifting the blame and refusing to take any responsibility for her actions.

I understood then that my hopes were misplaced on her. She wasn\'t oblivious to the reality of the situation, she was simply too much of a coward to accept accountability.

Miwen: "So you\'re still going to say that you\'re innocent ?"

Kiara: "Of course!"

Miwen: "I see... Let\'s see what the people of the town think then."

We excluded the soldiers and adventurers and held a vote... over who they wanted to keep in the city.

I also told them that if they decided on Folkien, the war would end instantly, and I would guarantee that the forest wouldn\'t advance anymore.

However, even with that promise, the one who got the most votes was...

Kiara: "Why? I... I don\'t get it... Folkien is our prince, he is much more valuable than me."

Miwen: "Isn\'t it obvious? They resent you much more than they do him. Because if not for you, then things wouldn\'t have turned this way."

Kiara: "But... I wasn\'t the one who decided anything... I just did what they told me..."

Miwen: "Yeah. And they only decided to do this because they knew you\'d follow. See, even though I wasn\'t here from the beginning, I can tell the order of events. They came to you first, and only then they started the attack."

Her power was integral for this plan to work. So much so that it became obvious that the entire plan was centered around her.

It doesn\'t matter that she didn\'t attack anyone directly, it\'s only because she agreed to it that this situation came to be.

Miwen: "The dungeon is not the reason for this skirmish. You are. You believe that you\'re innocent, but right in front of you are the people whose lives suffered thanks to your actions. You contributed. You facilitated their suffering. At least take responsibility for that."

I thought she was being naive, but that wasn\'t the case at all.

She understood what her actions meant, but she didn\'t want to face them properly.

This... was an insult to everyone involved.

And even I felt insulted by it.

As one responsible for others, the idea of facing away from such responsibility looks like plain cowardice to me.

I\'m the king who rules over his own people. My decisions are responsible for how we move, for good and for bad.

Running away from accountability would mean leaving the girls to deal with the repercussions of my actions by themselves.

It matters not if it\'s directly or indirectly, if I\'m to reap the reward for every victory and good deed, I must be ready to face the consequences of every defeat and evil deed as well.

This is the path I have chosen to walk with the girls. One where we share accountability.

Because of that, we can enjoy our victories, our progress, and our home, knowing that every single one of us is responsible for it, even if in a small amount.

Liz: "You worried me, but... seems like you have reached your conclusion."

Miwen: "Yes... I just reaffirmed my beliefs, but I\'m satisfied."

Since we had finished, we decided to part for the forest. Folkien was overjoyed that he had managed to escape but while I put a vote to decide which of the elves should stay, I never said that the one with the least points was to return to the forest.

In truth, my agreement with Elliot was to have him as a prisoner so that they could negotiate a deal with the elf leader. From the beginning, I had no plans of letting this idiot leave unscathed.

As for Kiara...

Kiara: "Why did you do this...?"

Miwen: "Your power is useful to me, even outside of war. But I would also want to use it for that as well. I\'ll send you an invitation to join my Kingdom. I\'d recommend you keep it. If you learn how to own up to your actions, you\'ll be welcome."

There was potential for growth in her.

The fact that she was questioning herself was enough proof of that.

And if she matures, she would be incredibly useful.

Miwen: "A piece of advice though. From your kind\'s perspective, you did something good. From their perspective, you did something bad. Stop trying to justify your actions and position yourself as the only innocent or moral one. Learn to accept the meaning of your actions and right or not, you\'ll be able to properly face the consequences."

I wasn\'t expecting to reclaim my kindergarten teacher position here of all places, but...

I suppose the kids needed to learn a lesson.

As a valuable prisoner, Folkien\'s treatment shouldn\'t be so harsh.

It will be a good experience for him as he\'ll have to manage his attitude toward others for a while. Hopefully, this helps him learn some humility, but if not, I\'m sure the guards will teach him a bunch of lessons in my place.

Quite ironic that for a while he\'ll also be an elf living among humans, something he despised Ellie for.

If he ever spews his nonsense against others again, I\'m sure he\'ll at least remember this humiliation.

Truth be told, I wanted to get a little rougher with him myself but...

Liz: "Your actions bordered cruelty, especially toward the girl. Are you sure this is fine? Won\'t this mean you have to do something to compensate?."

So Licia went to Elizabeth for help...

To reach for the strongest card right out of the gate means that she\'s really serious about this.

She must also have put a lot of effort and thought into how she would get Elizabeth on her side considering it shouldn\'t be an easy task due to her pride.

I\'ll be sure to thank her later.

Miwen: "I don\'t mind if you girls refuse to act out of innocence or a sense of justice, but... I wouldn\'t like to have someone under me who lies about their actions."

Be it to themselves or to others, fleeing like this is dangerous to everyone around.

The more lies that exist within the Kingdom, the less control I\'ll have. Thus, it\'s worth helping, correcting, and being comprehensible with the girls, so that I know I always have a clear picture of what is happening, what we are doing, and how it is going.

As we progress, and I give them roles where they oversee others, I\'ll need them to be truthful and responsible so that I can make adjustments and react accordingly.

Liz: "I see. This means you still haven\'t given up on her then."

Miwen: "Yeah, I\'m being a little more forceful since she\'s not a citizen, but if she\'s able to grow from this, she\'d be a good asset to have."

Since our business with the elves had ended for the foreseeable future, we headed back home as we still had matters to discuss.

I decided to use the dining hall since it had the most space, and I ended up inviting the Valkyries as well since they also had some experience with warfare, although the extent was still unknown to us.

Ellie: "Um... that\'s my spot..."

Angelica: "Hm? But I came first..."

It was unexpected to see these two dispute over something, even more something like this, but it was bound to happen given that the two of them like to show affection by sticking close to me.

Thankfully the solution was simple.

Miwen: "You can have the other leg, Ellie."

Neither is that big, so while it might\'ve not been as comfortable, there was no need to fight.

Cassandra: "Then I\'ll sit on the third one."

Miwen: "The third?"

Once I understood what she was referring to, I quickly closed my legs, which ended up trapping my son between Angelica and Ellie.

Claire: "You don\'t look so well, everything fine?"

Miwen: "Y-yeah, don\'t worry. We can start..."

Once everyone had sat down I didn\'t have space to close my legs again, so I had to endure like this.

With Claire\'s phone, Licia recorded the news she thought was most noteworthy, a lot of them were updates on the line closest to our house, but it was interesting to see how the Divine Event was progressing.

Claire: "Normally, staying on the defensive could be a good strategy since the rules will favor the world that inflicts more casualties, but... that\'s only if the line is unbreakable."

Elizabeth: "Which doesn\'t appear to be the case... Although your preparations were outstanding considering you were short on time, I doubt they\'ll be enough to prevent a breakthrough since your armies aren\'t performing well."

Claire: "Yeah... since your armies are big, but not powerful, they might be the easiest to inflict casualties on. I think it might become everyone\'s focus. Especially if they reach a city. The population density is unreal... If their world is anything like mine, you\'d need to level a bunch of towns and cities to make up for even one of your small ones."

The invaders had started to bring ships alongside the raiders, which was probably the biggest indication that Liz and Claire were right.

Normally, wooden ships would have no place fighting against a modern navy, but the mages aboard made up for the difference quite effectively.

Thankfully, their barriers were only at sea level at most, so our submarines taught them a nice lesson.

Still, ships filled with mages seemed like quite an investment to make.

Miwen: "Couldn\'t adventurers face off against the soldiers?"

Claire: "Yes, but you can bet there will be collaterals in a battle between them. Not to mention, in my world at least, there weren\'t enough soldiers and adventurers to cover for everyone, is it different here?"

It\'s not.

Even though raiding dungeons was necessary to prevent the collapse of society, preventing everyone from changing their job to become an adventurer was also necessary for the very same reason.

In the beginning, it was very profitable to be an adventurer, even on lower floors, but as time passed and things began to calm down, demand for other jobs started to rise, and so did the payment.

Society ended up reaching an equilibrium where raiding dungeons on easy floors is not so profitable that it trivializes every other job. It\'s still possible to treat it as a part-time job, or something you can do to earn a quick buck though.

This changes for deeper floors though. It\'s possible to make content about it since people are very interested in it, which brings celebrity-like status and sponsorships. And even without those you\'re still pretty much guaranteed to make a lot of money due to the rise in the value of the resources.

Still, this poses a problem. Top and high-rankers usually stay in a dungeon for weeks or months at a time, especially the old generation since they have to brave every single corner due to the lack of information available.

It\'s quite possible that many of them ended up stuck inside a dungeon for the duration of this event.

Another factor to consider is that adventurers who use the dungeon as their only job usually live close to it, which means the distribution is quite skewed.

Claire: "Well... the good news is that it\'s a similar picture in their worlds too.... probably even worse."

Elizabeth: "That\'s not so useful considering they are barely able to drive back their enemies. Going for a counterattack wouldn\'t be advisable. You should also remember that by this point, it\'s doubtful whether or not they could form a militia using adventurers since a large portion of them should be under the AOTG."

Claire: "Hm... but would they attack their own nation in time of crisis? Wouldn\'t that put everyone in danger?"

Elizabeth: "A time of crisis might as well be a blessing for revolutionaries. Especially if they can show that their methods work better than the establishment, say, for example, their forces manage to drive back an enemy where the current armies fail."

It would be a huge gamble, but if the AOTG can prove themselves, they can get people\'s support.

On the other hand, if we fail, the chances are that the blame will fall on them.

Their very survival will be at stake, as they\'ll have to place the blame on the government...

However, this gamble might as well be their best chance.

Mia: "...I get that you\'re worried about your home, but... what can you do about it?"

I might not have many opportunities to act.

The next event hints at me traveling to another world, and the last time this happened, I wasn\'t able to come back to Earth until the event had finished.

Licia: "Still, we might be able to... Oh..."

Mia: "Yeah... you have that one with you right? Why don\'t you send her to drive them back? Even if it\'s too much for her, she can just run back here and heal herself."

I thought about using Elizabeth like that too, but... She\'s already doing a lot. Asking for any more than that could be bad.

Not to mention...

Miwen: "I had Liz start a fire to hide our tracks back then. Since her identity should not be registered, she\'s a dead end to any investigation. Throwing her at the frontlines might change that."

Claire: "...But if she does a good job, wouldn\'t she enjoy the same benefits as the AOTG? She\'d be seen as a hero. Wouldn\'t she get forgiveness if that were the case? Especially if they start the revolution. She could become the symbol of the status quo. In that case, even if were exposed, it would all be fine..."

...That\'s certainly possible.

Maybe it was worth a try, so I left it to Elizabeth to decide if she wanted to do it or not.

Elizabeth: "I shall be on my way. Please, call me before starting the next event."

She was more than happy to fight back an invasion.

I had failed to consider this, but... this was an invasion of our world facilitated by the Gods.

It was very similar to what Elizabeth had gone through, so of course she would jump at the opportunity to fight.

My biggest worry was that the chaos of a battlefield might get her injured, but it was hard to protest when our Demon Queen seemed so full of herself.

In the end, this reunion was well worth it. Claire and Liz are especially sharp, and Licia seemed eager to learn about these things too.

Even though the current circumstances are a bit strange, and without a doubt there\'s a lot of development to be had, we were able to at least discover something to seize out of it.

I was pretty satisfied with this, and since Elizabeth was gone for a while, I decided to end this discussion until we had more information to talk about.

The Valkyries ended up being quiet throughout the whole thing, but they joined Mia and Claire in their training and seemed to further discuss privately with them.

Perhaps they thought their commentaries wouldn\'t add much, but I\'m sure the girls will tell them that I would\'ve welcomed it anyway.

The day was about to end, but Anna had asked for me to remain inside the Kingdom tonight.

Since it had been a while since the last time I was with her, and I might not get a good opportunity during the next event, I ended up accepting.

However, she surprised me quite a lot by showing up in a Chinese dress with a flowery pattern.

Not only that, Cassandra also came wearing a military uniform.

One I was pretty sure I recognized.

Cassandra: "I told you he was going to like it~"

Apparently, Anna heard me going at it with Bea and Ellie yesterday, and Cassandra caught her touching herself in the corridor.

She then proposed this sex-fiend alliance.

However...

Miwen: "Are you trying to piss off Elizabeth?"

Cassandra: "Of course not, I have nothing but respect for her."

Miwen: "So... why her clothes? She\'ll kill you if she finds out."

Cassandra: "Oh, you don\'t see the theme I\'m going for? Great. You\'ll be in for a surprise~"

As scary as always...

I knew that giving an inch to Beatrice could be dangerous, but her actions ended up triggering a chain of events that had me on the brink of death.

If not for the event that was coming up, I\'m sure my body wouldn\'t have been able to last.