So here I was, stepping up as the commander for the first time in front of everyone.

I was worried sick about whether they would actually listen to my orders, but it turned out my fears were unfounded.

All the ruckus they were causing? The moment I gave a command, they all bowed their heads, and just like that, every problem was swiftly resolved…

‘If only things could always wrap up like this.’

But reality and ideals have always been worlds apart.

While their loyalty was off the charts, that was the problem itself.

I merely asked them to stop fighting, yet instead of just cooling it, they blindly praised me for bringing peace.

Then there was Siel, feeling guilty because she thought she hurt me again and was sniffling away.

And Lucy yelling at everyone to behave and follow the commander’s orders—what a different kind of chaos this was.

Somehow, calming down the zealots, comforting Siel, and restraining Lucy took a whopping two hours.

Having that much loyalty was its own burden. Is this what they mean by too much of a good thing? Seriously, how ironic.

‘Well, I’m just glad everything went smoothly in the end.’

No matter how bumpy the process was, as long as the outcome was good, that’s what mattered, right?

Just getting those guys calmed down and back to the underground city was already a solid win in my book.

With my mental victory in hand, I kept walking until I spotted a familiar face.

Lady Rubia, along with Hareun and Yuli, came into view.

Since most of the higher-ups were already aware of my survival, I thought it might be weird to hide it from a few of them, so I asked them to come intentionally.

But, oddly enough, fear started creeping in.

Reunions are supposed to be joyful, touching, and beautiful moments. But considering what happened just a few hours ago, it seemed like I’d developed a trauma.

I approached the two girls, intent on staying tense and ready for anything.

And what did I get in return…?

“C-Commander!!”
“Shion…!!”

Two teary-eyed girls rushed toward me. They looked like they were trying to say something, but their voices got lost in their sobs.

Yet the way they hugged me tightly conveyed their feelings loud and clear.

“I-I got to meet Mom all thanks to you, but at such a crucial moment, I couldn’t protect you…”

Yuli, stumbling over my real name she had once learned, was crying and flustered. I found myself stroking her hair, caught in a strange sentiment.

Siel and Lucy too.

Dominic and the other clergy.

While their expressions might have been excessively burdensome, their underlying reason was surely that they were genuinely overjoyed by my survival.

It felt surreal that so many people were genuinely shedding tears and feeling relieved I was alive.

When I first fell alone into this world, such a sight was unimaginable. Thinking that thought naturally brought a small smile to my face.

If I were to say that the path I walked has been flawless and perfect, that would certainly be a lie.

But hey, it doesn’t seem like I’ve lived my life in vain.

 

A miraculous resurrection.

An emotional reunion with my companions after three years, with everyone laughing and celebrating—a happy ending.

It would really be great if I could finish it all off with that same conclusion. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t work so smoothly.

There was still the most important issue at hand.

“We don’t have much time.”

In the conference room located at the center of the underground city, my voice echoed.

“In a week at the shortest, or a month at most. Within that time, the Emperor will reach the level of a Demon God.”

Three years is no short time.

Considering the variables that have arisen in the meantime, it’s quite possible that something went awry in our calculations… it wouldn’t be surprising if the Emperor awakened right now.

“We need to deal with this while we still can.”

So what’s required is speed. I have to use everything I’ve worked for so far to take down the Emperor.

This is power I’ve gathered for just this moment. Thus, emptying the tank and letting it all out should be, at first glance, a straightforward task.

But if it was that easy, I wouldn’t be contemplating it so much, or have called everyone in for an emergency meeting.

“It’s clear that we should tackle this as soon as possible, but the methods aren’t straightforward.”

The Empire is the empire for a reason.

It’s an undisputed superpower in this world. No one can match their tech or military might.

Going against the Emperor implies turning that empire into an enemy.

“The first and most significant problem is the imperial army.”

Of course, after slaughtering all those Swordmasters, there shouldn’t be anyone left in the imperial forces capable of challenging me.

One swing of my sword, and it should be a done deal.

It’s certain that a single slash would wipe them all out…

Still, the imperial army remains a threat.

Saying it can all be settled with one swing also means I’d have to draw my sword even once to deal with them.

Releasing the Holy Sword demands a significant amount of mana and divine power. Sure, I could look to minimize the impact and reduce consumption.

But there’s a limit to such temporary measures.

Just look at how vast the Empire’s territory is and how ridiculously huge their population is. How on earth am I supposed to manage all that?

For every one imperial soldier I kill, two will appear. If I take out two, four will surely show up.

I need to prepare for the showdown with the Emperor, but I can’t afford to waste energy on that. I can’t, yet there’s no clever solution in sight.

“The Empire’s technological prowess cannot be underestimated.”

Having been through the heart of the Empire as Shion, I saw their cutting-edge weaponry firsthand. They would surely unleash everything they’ve got on us.

“Even if our forces have grown, we’ll still fall short in numbers.”

The citizens’ rebel army I created without even realizing it—putting them in the mix still wouldn’t come close to the imperial army.

It’s painful to even mention how disadvantageous it is to fall behind in numbers during warfare.

“Plus, there’s a fundamental problem.”

This is already more than enough to give me a headache. The most bothersome problem is something else entirely.

“We have no idea where the Emperor is at right now.”

It would be a blessing if he was just sitting idly at his office…. But right now, he’s probably preparing for an important ceremony.

If I were the Emperor, I wouldn’t be standing around in a place like that. I’d be hiding in some secret location, hard to reach from the outside.

“To handle him, we need to find out his location… but the Emperor is determined to keep that hidden. It won’t be easy.”

I have no idea how to pinpoint his whereabouts.

I once thought maybe we could lure him over here if I couldn’t find him.

But from that one incident where the palace burned down, he never showed himself. How on earth could I lure someone like that?

…整理ing this really feels overwhelming.

There’s a mountain of problems to solve, yet the solutions are non-existent.

In the end, I decided I had no answers and called this meeting to tap into everyone’s collective wisdom… but honestly, I doubt anything will change from this.

While my companions are quite capable, they aren’t all-powerful.

Pushing them with overwhelming problems and telling them to give me answers isn’t likely to yield feasible solutions just like that.

It’s more likely that just laying out these dire situations has plummeted morale.

This meeting might have been a mistake.

As I mulled that thought over, I observed the expressions of those gathered.

Sure enough.

With such gloomy topics on the table, their faces were practically glowing with excitement.

“……?”

I rubbed my eyes and looked again at the members.

But the bizarre sight just continued to be reflected in my eyes. Instead of feeling gloomy, they were all grinning.

It felt like they were itching to brag about something.

Before I could even voice my suspicion about whether they’d all eaten something weird, Rob, representing the dwarves, opened his mouth first.

“Don’t worry about the Empire’s weapons, brother. There’s no way our tech is falling behind those guys….”

With that, Rob pulled something out.

My eyes went wide at what I saw. It had been modified to the point where it was nearly unrecognizable, but there it was…

“We’ve taken out all of their weapons.”

It was definitely an imperial weapon. Looking at the code, it had the highest security clearance applied to it.

How on earth did they manage to smuggle something like this?

And if they truly took them all, did they secretly capture the Empire’s tech development department?

It’s such an important place that the Empire must have been pouring their life into protecting it, so how the heck did they…

“Ahhh! It’s such a glorious day! I can’t believe I, of all people, could contribute to the Saint!!”

Dominic suddenly burst into tears, still shaken from what happened earlier, and shouted.

“You don’t need to worry about manpower. Both the Republic and the Kingdom are ready to lend their strength for the Saint!”

What Dominic said was an even more shocking declaration than what Rob had just shared.

“They’re going to help us? Why on earth?”

Naturally, my doubts spilled out.

The Republic and the Kingdom? They may not be as powerful as the Empire, but they’re still legitimate states.

For such nations to ally with a mysterious secret organization against an imperial superpower was clearly strange.

“Since both the Republic and Kingdom are practically under my control, I can mobilize them anytime I want.”

The old man just claimed he’s taken control of those two nations. I can’t believe it, but this is the kind of guy who wouldn’t dare lie to me.

So, in other words… this has to be real.

This madman has somehow managed to sneakily consume two countries, becoming the shadowy power behind them.

“And you don’t need to worry about the Emperor either.”

The shock of realizing that the pervert who wanted to fondle me was secretly shaking an entire nation from behind the curtain hadn’t worn off yet.

Lady Rubia smiled at me and said, “I’ve got the Second Prince of the Empire on our side. We’ve already gathered intel on the Emperor’s location.”

She’s telling me that they’ve recruited the very Prince of the Empire into a rebellious terrorist organization.

“I didn’t really do anything special. They contacted me first, and I just accepted the invitation.”

She even had the gall to offer that far-fetched excuse while keeping her humility.

Watching all this unfold, I pinched my cheek.

But the pain I felt proved this scene was real. This wasn’t some dream. It was genuinely happening before my eyes.

So, to put it another way…

My companions really are insanely capable!