Everything else could be handled among themselves.
Kaland stood up from his seat. He bowed toward the Emperor and the rest of the officials, then at Elias and the others. "I'll be taking my leave," he said.
He turned and walked out of the room, with Silver Knight following closely behind.
Wolf stood rooted in his position, fists clenched, his jaw tight as he gritted his teeth in anger and frustration. His narrowed eyes flicked briefly to the door Kaland had exited, barely restraining the urge to lash out.
"I'll inform the guards to lead you to your rooms so you can rest properly until our next meeting," Emperor Gravnik said. He gestured toward the Red Rose Knights standing at the edge of the wall.
Two of them stepped forward and led Elias and the others out of the room.
The room fell silent for a moment.
The officials exchanged glances, the weight of recent events still settling around them.
"What do you think about them?" Emperor Gravnik asked, looking at the others seated before him.
"That's a difficult question, Your Majesty," Prime Minister Orris responded. "I can't say with certainty if they are truly entities from another world or fakes. However, the fact that they were able to stand against the Thorn Juggernauts until the arrival of Prince Kaland and the rest of the Red Rose Knights means they aren't weak."
"If they are truly from another world, then we would have already heard stories of them. And I trust that Archpriest Valmir would not go this far to deceive us, considering the love he holds for the Empire."
As someone who had spent years serving the Emperor, he naturally understood his line of thought.
"I also suspect that they are from another world," Prince Raelen added. "But I believe they aren't strong enough to justify the sacrifices of the Golden Priests' Order. If they struggle against the Thorn Juggernauts, how will they defeat the Red Sea Giants? Even now, only the Knight called Silver Knight has gone to aid General Avandal in battle."
"Despite agreeing to lend us their strength, the rest returned to their rooms without concern for the current state of the castle. Either they don't care, or they aren't strong enough to make a difference."
Emperor Gravnik listened attentively to their words.
"I also believe that Archpriest Valmir would never risk the lives of the Golden Priests' Order to deceive us," Emperor Gravnik said. "I believe they are from another world. As for their strength, I cannot say for certain. However, the confidence with which they carry themselves suggests that they possess secrets we are unaware of, secrets capable of turning the tide of this war."
"Only time will tell whether they are genuine or not. Even if they are not, it makes little difference. If the troops believe that Heroes have been summoned to save the Empire and the world, then their morale will rise. That alone is beneficial. For now, we should focus on providing them with the best support we can."
"I'll leave that to you, Prime Minister. Ensure that they lack nothing," Emperor Gravnik said.
He then turned to his first son. "And Prince Raelen, ensure that you do not utter such words again. You heard their warnings. Regardless of the strength they have shown so far, even the slightest support from those individuals to the Red Sea Giants would serve as the final stamp on the Dawn Empire's destruction."
"I will do so to the best of my capabilities, Your Majesty," Prime Minister Orris said, rising from his chair and bowing respectfully toward Emperor Gravnik.
"I will ensure that my lips remain sealed, Your Majesty," Prince Raelen said as he stood from his seat and bowed deeply toward the Emperor.
Any doubts or grievances he held toward the Heroes from their earlier discussion vanished in an instant, and his heart settled, calm as a still lake.
They both returned to their seats moments later.
"What do you think about this, my Empress?" Emperor Gravnik asked, turning to the aged regal woman seated beside him with a gentle gaze.
"They appear to be strangers to this world. The curiosity they displayed is too genuine to be feigned. Besides, as you said, as long as they stand with us, their origins do not matter," Empress Elsmerelda replied.
"You are right, as always," Emperor Gravnik said with a nod. Among his officials, the Empress was one of the few who had consistently helped him make decisions that preserved the Empire from collapse, even during their war with the Red Sea Giants, and he was deeply satisfied with her words.
"Let us continue the meeting."
***
The next day
Elias was escorted out of his room by a guard to meet with the others. Compared to yesterday, his injuries had healed, and his Sunlight reserves were fully replenished. He felt completely rejuvenated.
However, his equipment lacked any self-repair ability, and with no way to fix it, he had no choice but to wear a broken cuirass. Fortunately, it wasn't damaged enough to affect its stats.
The only thing he had to change was his trousers and inner wear, which had been burned and reduced to ash. Using the bag he had brought into the dungeon, he changed into cleaner clothes and fresh underwear.
Elias had tried using his phone inside the dungeon, but as he had anticipated, there was no cell service.
He carried his bag wherever he went and only set it down when he found a secure location so it wouldn't interfere with combat.
As Elias rejoined the others, he noticed First Prince Raelen and Second Prince Kaland, with the Red Rose Knights stationed behind them. He also noticed a new face, a man who appeared to be in his early forties, clad in black armor with intricate designs, with a greatsword strapped to his back.
"You fixed up quickly, party leader," Iron Maiden said, her expression and tone tinged with surprise as she scrutinized Elias from head to toe.