"My case was different," Ranga said, voice warm with pride. "I was asleep within my lord's shadow when I heard a strange voice—like the sky itself speaking. Then it struck me: Ultimate Skill—'Stellar Wind King Hastur.' I believe it formed because I never stopped wishing to serve my lord!"
"Ha-ha-ha!" Ranga laughed, openly delighted.
His lower body was still submerged in my shadow, so I couldn't see him fully—but I didn't need to. I knew that tail was wagging like it was trying to split the air.
…Ridiculous.
…And somehow, endearing.
I used to be a cat person. Cold elegance. Quiet distance.
Yet recently, I'd started to understand dogs—the loyalty, the warmth, the simple truth of devotion.
Ranga was the reason.
Souei, Agera, and Ranga had each given Gazel something useful—different angles of the same truth.
"Spirit, huh?" Gazel murmured.
"There's no need to rush," I said, voice even and commanding. "If the enemy moves while I'm here, I'll lend you my strength. Don't hesitate."
That wasn't arrogance. It was certainty.
Between Gazel's power and Agera's swordsmanship, they could hold even an opponent like Kondou long enough to buy time.
However—
"If your opponent is Velzard," I continued, tone sharpening, "you run. No hesitation. You do not bargain with a storm you cannot measure."
Gazel frowned.
"Is it really that bad?"
"I can't claim certainty without seeing her move," I admitted. "But the feeling she gives… is worse than Velgrynd."
Gazel fell quiet for a moment, then nodded.
"…I hate to admit it. After seeing Velgrynd, I understand how reckless it is to challenge a True Dragon. But as a king, I can't abandon my people."
"Then pray she never chooses you," I said. "And if she does—call me."
I raised my phone.
Gazel's eyes widened.
"Hm! You have it!!"
"As I told you before," I said, "it's a magical device that connects your voice directly to the person you seek. There aren't many yet. Guard it."
I had only given him my personal number and a direct line to the Control Room.
I didn't hand out Elmesia's or Myourmiles' numbers. That kind of thing isn't mine to give.
In my previous life, my number had once been passed around without permission.
I hadn't forgotten how that felt.
"I see," Gazel said slowly, studying it. "So if I enter the number, it connects to the other party."
"Exactly. And if you meet someone who has one—ask them for their number."
Gazel nodded.
"If you need help, call on me."
"That's how alliances work," I replied. "If you need anything, contact me. I'll act."
Gazel's face eased.
"All right. I'm counting on you. And if there's anything I can do—personally, I'll do everything I can to help."
We laughed together—briefly, like kings allowing themselves one breath of ease.
Dwargon likely wouldn't be targeted.
But certainty was a luxury.
Preparation was law.
And so, the discussion on emergency response ended.
After staying in Dwargon a few days, my next stop was the Kingdom of Farmenas.
Gadra was there.
Gadra—now tied to Diablo through discipleship—was also supporting Testarossa. To secure Masayuki's accession to the throne, he'd been forced to surrender every scrap of imperial intelligence he carried.
He'd been traveling between countries constantly.
Now he was settled in Farmenas.
And I intended to extract what he knew—cleanly, quickly.
The capital was livelier than I expected.
When I came before, the city had been half-broken and half-built.
Now?
More districts had been cleared. Streets expanded. Work crews moved like ants building a future.
On the outskirts, a large station had been completed. Warehouses surrounded it—necessary, because Farmenas stood as a relay point between Blumund and Dwargon. Goods needed storage, and the capital itself didn't have the space yet.
Even the delay in rebuilding the royal capital had a reason:
They prioritized economic arteries first.
Another reason was simpler:
The Farmenas family didn't have money.
To put it bluntly…
I was funding it.
The magitrain rail project was managed by Eterna.
To outsiders, it might look like generosity.
It wasn't.
The railway usage fee would become Eterna's long-term income, and we locked in an "unbeatable condition":
Land usage fees would be free forever.
Once construction finished, we wouldn't have to swing another hammer.
We would simply collect.
Even after labor costs, train maintenance, rail upkeep—annual profit projections were still enormous.
That was why Eterna handled the rail project.
Farmenas handled urban development around it.
Myuran had led the city planning.
But childbirth forced her into leave.
And Youm, now king, stepped forward.
He called himself uneducated.
Yet he had something rarer than education:
spine.
He studied relentlessly to replace Myuran while she recovered, and now even after her return, she struggled to keep pace with the momentum Youm had built among nobles and officials.
To support him, I issued a low-interest, unsecured loan.
Why not interest-free?
Because interest-free loans create invisible chains.
The borrower feels debt beyond money. The lender feels superiority beyond reason.
And friendships have died over far smaller sums.
So we made it formal—nation to nation.
Clean.
Mutual benefit.
No hidden leash.
That structure is why Farmenas prioritized economic development first—and why the city's growth now followed naturally behind it.
After clearing the gate reception and taking in the busy city, a horse-drawn carriage waited for us.
Normally, an official escort procession would've accompanied me.
But this was not leisure.
This was war preparation.
I had used Teleport and arrived with only Souei and Ranga.
To keep a low profile, I contacted Gadra beforehand and told him to prepare transport.
Unlike Milim's chaotic "pick-up game," Farmenas was precise.
"Thank you for your patience," a voice said. "King Youm is waiting. I'll take you to the castle."
Gadra stepped out of the carriage.
That… was actually smarter than sending a bunch of guards.
"Old man," I said flatly, "you didn't need to come all the way to the gate."
"It was necessary," Gadra replied, smiling—but the smile had teeth behind it. "And more than that… if I didn't greet you properly, Diablo would likely execute me."
He laughed like it was normal.
It didn't sound like a joke.
"If he's bullying you," I said, "tell me. For now, you're under my direct authority."
Calling Gadra "you" still felt strange.
But I was getting used to it.
Diablo behaved in front of me.
Behind my back, he could be… reckless.
In Leon's country, his arrogance was annoying but contained.
If he acted that way within Eterna's sphere, it would become a problem.
Gadra couldn't complain openly. He was bound by faction and discipleship.
So I would watch from the shadows—quietly, decisively.
But Gadra only laughed.
"No hardship is too great if it grants knowledge."
I understood then:
Interfering would only insult his nature.
So I let it go.
For people like Gadra, suffering was not a cost.
It was currency.
Inside the carriage, we moved slowly through the city. I used the time.
"So," I asked, "Masayuki's coronation went well?"
"Yes, my lord," Gadra said. "Perfectly. With Testarossa-sama and Velgrynd-sama supporting him… failure was impossible."
"That makes sense," I replied. "With those two on our side, opposition becomes suicide."
"If they weren't," Gadra added carefully, "the world itself would kneel."
He wasn't exaggerating.
Masayuki was blessed with luck.
Add Testarossa's cold perfection and Velgrynd's overwhelming might…
No one could oppose him.
"The people witnessed Velgrynd-sama's majesty," Gadra continued. "They welcomed the new Emperor Masayuki-sama. Who could resist that?"
It was natural.
Especially after Velgrynd's "grand demonstration"—the kind that solves problems by erupting a volcano and calling it "prevention."
Velgrynd treated volcanoes like matchsticks.
A terrifying mindset.
"Some are still dissatisfied," Gadra said, "but Testarossa-sama will handle it."
"Will it work?"
"No problem. Calgurio-dono feared she would slaughter every dissenter. But those fears were unfounded. The information I provided was used effectively—and Moss-sama's skill impressed me. He found weaknesses, applied pressure, and will settle this perfectly."
I nodded.
"Yes. I wouldn't want those two as enemies either."
Then I said something simple—coldly practical.
"If anyone is brave enough to oppose us… we can recruit them into Eterna."
Gadra lit up.
"You're right!"
Souei's voice followed, quiet as a blade sliding free.
"I can only say yes."
Even Ranga's presence felt like agreement.
Gadra laughed again—warm, genuine.
"As expected, my lord… you always see the cleanest path."
I allowed myself a small, controlled smile.
Gadra truly was a delightful old man.
Not because he was harmless—
But because his mind was sharp, his loyalty was clear, and his understanding of power was honest.
As the carriage rolled onward through Farmenas' growing streets, I felt it:
Not friendship.
Not sentiment.
A connection formed by shared understanding.
A king's understanding.
Because in the end, the world is not held together by kindness.
It is held together by structure, resolve, and the quiet decisions made before war arrives.
And I had already decided.
When the enemy came…
They would find a world that was ready.
And they would find the Pharaoh waiting.