The Heat Nation had lost its greatest mystery, the Golden Mirror. No one knew what kind of butterfly effect this would trigger, but one thing was certain: the Heat Nation had been weakened.

Moreover, the Golden Mirror was both the spiritual and economic leader of the Heat Nation. Without it, the central pillar that held the nation together was gone. Even if a ceasefire agreement were reached, as Hilde suggested, neither their own people nor foreign nations would easily accept it.

"…Wait."

At that moment, Peru stirred. Standing beside the regressor, she coughed dryly a few times and wiped her mouth before addressing Hilde.

"…We’ll agree to the ceasefire."
"Peru? Under what authority?"
"…As the Golden Overseer."

Hilde’s face twisted in surprise at the unexpected statement.

The Golden Overseer was the one who presided over the guardians of the Golden Palace. From the outset, the regressor and his group had approached the negotiations expecting to deal with the Golden Palace's guardians rather than the Golden Mirror itself. After all, Elik had been able to present opinions directly to the Golden Mirror, so if Peru had become the Golden Overseer, she would certainly have the necessary authority.

The problem was with Peru’s qualifications.

"Isn’t Peru the Verdant Overseer? Switching from Verdant to Golden? That’s quite romantic~."

Hilde smiled slyly but lowered her voice as she pointed out the obvious.

"But, in other words, it’s unrealistic. Who’s going to believe that the same Peru who traveled with us is now the Golden Overseer?"
"…It’s the truth."
"Even if it is, there’s no Golden Mirror left to back it up. If the Golden Mirror is gone, what meaning does the title of Golden Overseer even have?"

At that moment, the golden bell at Peru’s waist rang with a ding, as if affirming her words. Of course, a bell ringing wasn’t sufficient proof, but the relic of a demon didn’t just emit sound.

With a rumble, the rubble of blocks shifted, and the Golden Ark emerged.

It was the same Golden Ark that had been "devoured" and disassembled into alchemical materials as part of the Golden Palace. Peru had only managed to infiltrate the Golden Palace by taking the Verdant Crucible from the Ark. But now, the Golden Ark had reappeared, standing proudly on the ground as if it had been spat out whole.

Hilde, astonished by the sight, questioned with exaggerated disbelief.

"Well, well! Peru, are you the Golden Mirror itself now? If so, why didn’t you mention it earlier?"
"…It’s not my power. It’s the relic’s."
"So, you’re using the Golden Mirror’s power? Doesn’t that make you the Golden Mirror?"
"…This power only restores what’s broken. I’m not the Golden Mirror—I’m just using its power."

No matter how immense the power within a tool might be, its wielder has limits. Compared to the Golden Mirror, imbued with the lingering wills of Demo and Elik, Peru fell short—much like me.

Even the Golden Mirror, despite being capable of creating anything, had been limited by its imagination, unable to design aesthetically pleasing cities. Everyone has their shortcomings.

"Thank you for explaining so kindly, but… hmm, what now?"

Hilde looked troubled.

Even without solid evidence, the fact that Peru had approached the Golden Mirror and the Golden Palace had collapsed made it difficult to doubt her. Especially since she wielded the Golden Mirror’s power.

But while Hilde might trust what she’d seen, the situation was different on a national level.

"Peru, for someone to become a nation’s representative, it’s not enough for them to claim the role. They need a majority to recognize and follow them, like how the Military Nation follows the Supreme Command even without a king. Who would trust you, even if you call yourself the Golden Overseer?"
"…There’s the Suppression Overseer."
"That person’s dead. I saw it happen with my own eyes. He got too close to the Golden Mirror while trying to distract it. Completely unnecessary, really~."

The unexpected news deeply shook Peru. The golden bell rang with a faint trembling sound, echoing her emotions. After lingering for a while, Peru muttered weakly.

"…I see. Hecto… is gone."
"It was a noble sacrifice. Thanks to it, or maybe not, the goal was achieved. So, what now?"

Hilde’s prodding wasn’t just her being mean-spirited.

As a representative of the Military Nation’s interests, Hilde was obligated to secure the best possible outcome for her side, even during ceasefire negotiations. Highlighting Peru’s vulnerabilities was a way to gain leverage.

"The self-proclaimed Golden Overseer, who may or may not have directly destroyed the Golden Mirror! Who would follow you? Even if they did, could they trust you?"

…Of course, that didn’t mean Hilde wasn’t being a little malicious, either.

As Hilde continued pressuring Peru, a group of people finally arrived in the distance. Turning around, I saw the scavengers who had followed Hecto peering around curiously. One of them, dressed far more neatly than the others, stepped forward, drawing everyone’s attention.

"Verdant Overseer. I am Deka, secretary to the late Suppression Overseer."

A subordinate of Hecto I had seen a few times in the city. Recognizing him, Peru replied somberly.

"…The Suppression Overseer…."
"I know. I saw it happen myself."

Deka closed his eyes briefly, as if in mourning for his respected leader, before continuing.

"I would like to grieve his passing, but these scavengers won’t let me. The moment Hecto died, they came to me, shamelessly demanding his property."

Though he wasn’t far, Deka’s voice was loud enough for the scavengers to hear clearly. The scavengers erupted in anger, shouting their protests.

"The Suppression Overseer said he’d share his wealth if we followed him!"
"We followed him, so we deserve our share!"

Having provoked the outcry, Deka turned it to his advantage, shouting back.

"Do you see this? They demand shares even though they did nothing! They didn’t help stop the Golden Mirror! When Hecto died, none of them were by his side!"

"Why would we go there? That’s suicide!"
"Who in their right mind would smash their head against a wall knowing they’ll die?!"

Insults and jeers poured down on Deka.

Technically, the scavengers were right. But in the current situation, their claims made them look like heartless devils. Using this reaction to bolster his case, Deka addressed Peru.

"Verdant Overseer, it was you who stopped the Golden Mirror. You saved us and fulfilled Hecto’s will. If anyone is to distribute Hecto’s wealth and resources, it can only be you."
"…I…"
"Verdant Overseer, though Hecto is gone, our Drum Company still provides food for the Heat Nation. If it disbands now, the nation will starve. Surely you cannot allow that?"
"…Mm."

Deka seemed genuinely concerned for the nation’s future, making it difficult for Peru to respond immediately. As she hesitated, Deka subtly added another suggestion.

"Besides, Verdant Overseer, don’t you need a support base? The Drum Company could be of great help to you."

He was essentially suggesting she become the new leader of the Drum Company. Curious, I read his thoughts.

“If we obediently dismantle the company and split the wealth, nothing will be left! We are what keeps the Heat Nation running. Even without Hecto, we must remain the Drum Company! No one else can keep this nation afloat!”

Deka was sincere. Though he harbored a sense of superiority over the other scavengers and a slight inclination to brag, his intent to maintain the system—even by installing Peru as the new leader—was genuine.

Peru already looked overwhelmed. As soon as she became the Heat Nation’s new leader, one side pressed her for a ceasefire agreement, while the other argued over inheritance issues. She must have felt like she was on the verge of collapse.

And her physical condition was still abysmal.

Peru looked at me with a weary expression and asked.

"…What should I do?"
"Me? Why are you asking me?"
"…There’s no one else to ask."

She glanced around, her gaze heavy with resignation.

That made sense. Hilde was aligned with the Military Nation, the regressor was more of a combat specialist, and Hecto, the one who could’ve helped, was gone.

"I don’t really have an answer for you either. Wouldn’t it be better to seek help from someone else?"
"…Someone else like who?"
"First, we should figure out the specifics. Where is the Suppression Overseer’s wealth? No matter how powerful the Juggernaut is, it’s unlikely he carried all his assets around with him."
"…If the assets were substantial, they’d have been entrusted to Claudia. It’s the only city we have, and… the Thunder Overseer is trusted there."
"Then the decision’s made."

There wasn’t much we could accomplish out here on this barren path. That left only one option.

"Let’s head to Claudia. Once we meet the Thunder Overseer, we can delegate most of these issues to him."

When faced with problems you can’t solve, just pass them on to someone more capable. After all, how can one person lift a log by themselves? You have to share the load.

My suggestion received mixed reactions.

"Wait a minute. Are you seriously considering distributing the Suppression Overseer’s assets?"
"Hah! I was about to steamroll those clueless scavengers, but whose side are you on, Father?"

Unsurprisingly, Deka and Hilde, who had vested interests in greater power and influence, didn’t welcome the idea.

But others reacted differently.

The scavengers erupted in cheers, Peru seemed to accept the plan, and even Tirkanjaka appeared to approve of the direction.

"A cloud city, huh… It wouldn’t hurt to see how it’s changed."

‘And if it comes to it, I can show Huey the misty Principality beyond.’

The regressor, after some thought, nodded in agreement.

"Alright, it’s decided. Our next destination is Claudia. I was planning to visit it at some point anyway."

‘I’ve got Tianying and Jizan with me. With both weapons in hand, I can imbue the Thunder God’s spirit into them at Claudia. Even now, wielding Tianying and Jizan is overwhelming, but with the Thunder God’s power, it’ll feel more balanced.’

…Well, his thoughts differed from ours. Thunder God? What’s that? And how do you "imbue" something with it? Can he really get stronger than he already is?

Some people host three demonic spirits and are still just marginally functional humans!

"…Let’s go to Claudia. If there’s anything to discuss, we’ll do it there."

The decision was made. Peru moved to board the Golden Ark, but Deka, visibly agitated, stepped forward to block her path. If not for the regressor’s sharp glare, Deka might have grabbed her.

"Of course you can go. But… are you planning to take them with you? They’ll bleed the Drum Company dry!"
"…If that’s part of the agreement."
"They didn’t honor the agreement!"
"…That’s something we’ll resolve in Claudia."
"How can you say that with such uncertainty?"

If Peru had been alone, she might have struggled. But with the regressor, an expert at cutting through obstacles, by her side, the situation was different. Frustrated by Deka’s persistence, the regressor sharply interrupted.

"Shut it. We’re pressed for time. If you want to stay here and scavenge, be my guest."

Even Deka’s survival instincts weren’t entirely dulled. He clamped his mouth shut and turned away.

‘This can’t be happening. I didn’t spend all that time tailing the Golden Mirror and cleaning up after it just for the Drum Company to vanish! There’s no way I’ll let that happen!’

It seemed there’d still be plenty of tasks left to handle before everything was settled in Claudia.

As I listened to his retreating thoughts, I nodded to myself.

The horn of the Golden Ark sounded, and the group set out toward Claudia.