“First, let me explain the situation of the continent. The magical power planted by the Five Great Demons still remains underground, and its erasure will take time.”

Garuku began, his tone stiff, suggesting the situation was not good.

“My concern is about the remaining magic power. After some investigation into the Demon King’s Castle, I’ve concluded that there’s a possibility of magic being cast using the magic power left in the ground.”

“What scale would that be?”

After a brief pause, Garuku spoke in response to my question.

“It certainly won’t be on a scale that would destroy the continent. However, I estimate that there will be considerable damage.”

“What’s the strategy for that?”

“This is the problem.”

Garuku’s words drew the attention of everyone in the room.

“When I was investigating the underground, I noticed it, and the Spirit Gods, including myself, implemented countermeasures to prevent the Demon King from using that power. Currently, a barrier is formed around the Demon King’s Castle, cutting off the inside from the outside. This is only possible because most of the invading demon race have left… We are currently strengthening the barrier by pouring magic power into it to prevent the Demon King from breaking through, so I apologize, but we cannot allow Lord Ruon and the others to pass.”

“…So, if the barrier is lifted, the Demon King will attack?”

“I believe that’s highly probable… or rather, the Demon King might be in the stronghold to act in such a way. The possibility of him forcefully breaking the barrier isn’t zero, but… we will respond with all our might. Lord Ruon and the others, please proceed with preparations to defeat the Demon King.”

“Will that barrier continue to be used until the underground’s magic power is gone?”

Garuku nodded at my further question.

“Yes, that’s right. Currently, the spirits are working quickly to remove the magic power remaining underground. It won’t take long. It would be best to fight the Demon King after this task is complete.”

“How much time do we have to create the sword?”

“Certainly enough.”

“Then it’s decided.”

Sofia said.

“Our task is to create weaponry with power that surpasses… that easily transcends the Demon King’s strategy, isn’t it?”

“Well, that’s the best option.”

I sighed and proposed to my companions.

“In the story, the Demon King waits in the stronghold and doesn’t move. So we have all the time in the world to prepare… but we don’t know if the story will unfold that way, and if we wait for months, the Demon King will surely devise sufficient countermeasures. The big war just ended, so things are hectic, but we still need to keep moving. And here’s the problem.”

“Who will use it, right?”

Alto asked. I nodded immediately.

“The Sage’s Bloodline… specifically, the person with the role of the story’s protagonist is here. So we need to decide. The weapon created… who will use it?”

Everyone listening to my words fell silent. I then added an explanation.

“Of course, there are various ways to do it. As I explained earlier, we’re generating sword material, but there’s no need to consolidate it into one. There’s also the method of giving a weapon to each of those from the Sage’s Bloodline who have obtained Sage’s Power from the Five Great Demons.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to consolidate the power into one rather than disperse it?”

Kuuza spoke. Radi followed, agreeing with him.

“I share the same view. It seems the Demon King is planning some kind of strategy… To counter that, we should create the best possible weapon. I think this is the most likely way to defeat the Demon King.”

…Since there’s no redo, that’s probably the safest bet. I nodded and spoke.

“That’s right. Assuming we create a weapon with as much power as possible… just to confirm, is a sword alright?”

“I think it would be more effective than something like a staff.”

It was Kuuza who stated that again.

“If you use a staff, you would naturally attack with magic, but the effectiveness would decrease when converting the staff, magic, and magic power. If we’re going to use the Sage’s Power in addition to the power of the weapon itself, it should be something that can deliver a direct attack. In that case, the longsword primarily used by those of the Sage’s Bloodline would be safest.”

“I agree.”

Phili said, in agreement. I nodded and–

“Then, the next problem. Who will use the sword… which is equivalent to who will defeat the Demon King.”

I thought it would be best to explain the kind of battle strategy I was envisioning here, so I spoke.

“The current plan for defeating the Demon King is for the rest of us, including myself, to protect the person holding the sword. Then, the sword user will gather their strength and attack the Demon King… Of course, I’ll also provide support and act as a shield.”

“If Ruon is our shield, we can rest assured.”

Sylvie says. I shrugged my shoulders at that, and then continued speaking.

“As a battle strategy, I think this is the safest bet. The rest depends on what kind of strategy the Demon King employs, so we’ll adapt as needed… That’s about all I can say for now.”

I paused for a moment here.

“And as for the person who will use the sword… it can’t be just anyone. We need to judge who can best wield the sword created by whom, based on their individual abilities in addition to their Book Person power.”

“Ruon, I want to confirm something here.”

Sylvie speaks up.

“The candidates are Sofia, Phili, Eina, and Orudia… is that right, just the four of them?”

“That’s right. Radi can’t do it because she’s a Magic-user, and Alto hasn’t obtained the Sage’s Power.”

“That’s a bit frustrating.”

Alto gives a wry smile. By game standards, it’s as if Sofia stole the power that Alto should have obtained.

“Well, that’s fine… So, Mr. Ruon. How do we choose from those four?”

“Hmm…”

“Excuse me, I have an opinion.”

Eina raises her hand—I know what she wants to say.

“Even though she has the right to defeat the Demon King, the Princess is—”

“Eina.”

Sofia speaks. Her tone was somewhat reproachful, but Eina rebels against it.

“I don’t think there’s any need for her to overexert herself anymore. She needs to take better care of her body—”

“I understand you want to protect the Princess, but”

Alto speaks up.

“In my personal opinion, the Princess undoubtedly possesses the most Sage’s Power capable of defeating the Demon King in this place. There’s no doubt that the Princess will play a very important role as a fighting force when battling the Demon King.”

“However…”

“I understand what you’re trying to say. But the Princess herself seems very eager, so shouldn’t we discuss and decide this?”

“I will fight.”

Sofia’s reply was immediate. Sylvie, who was beside her, couldn’t help but give a wry smile, and I reacted the same way to her stubbornness.

“The Barx Kingdom has been liberated, so it might seem like I no longer have a reason to fight. However, that’s not the case. Until the Demon King is defeated, it’s not over.”

“Princess…”

“Eina, I understand your feelings. I don’t intend to dismiss them, but I want you to understand.”

“For now, it’s fine to consider her as a candidate, right?”

I ask for confirmation. Eina looked reluctant, but she nodded.

“Regarding that, I have an opinion.”

Next to speak was Orudia.

“A sword that concentrates Divine Spirit Power… As I said earlier, I have Demon Race blood in my body. It will undoubtedly repel it.”

That leaves three people… Here, Phili suggested something.

“There might be compatibility issues when creating the material. Shouldn’t we discuss and decide this with Corona?”

“Indeed. In that case, the remaining three will go to Corona and make a judgment.”

Next is the means of transportation—here, Richard raised his hand.

“To go to the Western Edge, you can use my Monster.”

“Alright, it’s decided.”

I uttered the closing words—and we decided to rest to prepare for tomorrow.