To remotely control the NPCs in the [Lord System], I had to grind for Affinity.
High Affinity meant they listened well, which was why almost everyone in the starting village, like Stillo, moved as I told them to.
While I was curious about what it felt like to receive instructions, bothering with the city's NPCs felt like a chore.
A sudden appearance of an invader.
Because of that, the Affinity plummeted.
If I showed my face, the Affinity would probably rise a lot. Being a pretty leader would at least give me bonus points to start with.
But I couldn't do that idol-like thing, no matter what.
Besides,
'My Affinity towards you guys is also in the negatives, you know?'
Affinity grinding, seriously? Is this suddenly a dating sim?
Amel closed the [Lord System] window.
I didn't become a lord to manage the Territory or enjoy management anyway. So, I decided to do what I originally intended.
What I originally intended.
That's why I took over the Territory.
[Territorial lord level] reached 60.
When I suppressed Perstun, his resistance didn't seem like a level 60, but after seeing Perstun's operational state, I understood. He had entrusted most of the Spirit Vein management to the Emperor.
'To the Emperor, huh.'
It was Perstun's imperial territory.
I wondered if I had taken the Emperor's land.
'Isn't he going to get angry later?'
That's why I needed to be more active as the commander of the Great Demon Subjugation Unit.
The Sealed Land was marked on the [Map].
It wasn't far from here.
It was inside the Territory.
I immediately started preparations.
We were scheduled to depart the next morning, but I left Makia and the others behind at the Lord's Castle, just in case they might start a rebellion to reclaim the Territory.
"Are you going alone?"
"It's easier alone."
"I am sorry that I cannot be of assistance."
"Leki, take good care of yourself. You're the weakest one here."
I told Leki and headed towards the Sealed Land.
The location of the Sealed Land was in the mountains.
The mountains in this world were artificially formed. When you become a Territory Lord, there are many Demon beasts with huge bodies, so they create mountains as a haven to hide their bodies.
That function was included in the [Lord System].
Makia said there was no such thing as a [Lord System] and that everything was handled intuitively, but it was true that they used mountains as havens.
Anyway, I came to the mountain.
I was approaching the Sealed Land.
It was hiding its location with a Barrier.
At the location of the Sealed Land was a valley.
Passing through the valley, there was a hazy magical energy as natural as nature itself. If you passed by without noticing, you wouldn't even realize it and wouldn't feel any sense of unease.
But knowing it, it was subtly obvious.
In the middle of the valley, a huge entrance was gaping like the mouth of a monster.
The valley had narrow gaps on both sides of the cliffs, so sunlight didn't reach it well, and the floor was all mossy and slippery.
The hole that was largely pierced in one side of the wall was even darker and damper.
Part of the valley water flowed into the Sealed Land.
Trickle, trickle.
I followed the flowing water and went inside.
I took out the [Key] from the Inventory.
Because there was a reaction.
The [Key] was warm.
"Are you there? Great Devil."
I hoped it was there, but I was nervous about facing it.
It would be the strongest of the guys I've fought so far.
I estimated how much I could do against such a guy and composed myself.
I had seen the fight with [Dream] on video. Based on that, there seemed to be a chance. Awakened Ability. It was used like a cheat key.
'The administrator would block it.'
I think every time, but what exactly is the identity of the Awakened Ability?
The absolute manifestation of a specific phenomenon.
'Well, I don't necessarily need to know.'
Even if I didn't know the identity of the Awakened Ability, there was no problem in using it.
Being told not to use the Awakened Ability was like being told not to use your hands or feet.
The Awakened Ability [Electricity] was already part of Amel's body.
All I needed to know was that the Awakened Ability could have a superior compatibility with the Great Devil. Just like how Great Devils had compatibility with each other's abilities.
Like Isabella's advice that [Dream]'s lantern, which was sleeping in the Inventory, would be very effective against the [Abyss].
Trickle, trickle.
The sound of water.
The cave of the Sealed Land continued for quite a long time.
I thought there would be a large space in the middle, but only artificial caves continued. I looked at the travel route through the [Map], and the path that I thought was straight was slightly curved.
As I continued, it drew a circular shape. It was drawing a pattern like a Magic circle.
The Emperor flinched.
He had just lost a city.
He hurriedly opened the screen and checked the lost Territory, and a mid-sized Territory called Perstun had broken away from the imperial territory.
And a Territory of a new color was filling that location.
That Territory was neither the kingdom's nor did it encompass the location where a new lord was about to be born last time.
'Could it be that they defeated even the Overlord and conquered Perstun?'
If they were that skilled, he would have heard about it beforehand.
Even if they were a Hero, it didn't make sense, as most of the powerful ones had participated in the tournament. Among the Heroes who didn't participate, was there anyone who could defeat an Overlord?
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. More importantly, is there still no news from the Pibslo Knights?"
"They teleported yesterday. It's a distance that will take at least a week for news to arrive."
Feeling frustrated by the secretary's words, he looked at the encroachment on the screen.
No one knew about the screen that only the Monarch could see.
It was better not to be known, and if it was known, there would be someone who would try to deceive him by any means.
"I have a bad feeling. Send a message to all the Territories in the south immediately."
"Understood."
The secretary followed the Emperor's instructions without complaint.
The Emperor pondered alone in his head to grasp the situation.
'What on earth is it? Should I send someone to check the situation... No, that's for Pibslo... Why did they occupy Perstun?'
His head was complicated.
The empire was invaded.
The emergence of a new Conquering King?
Or a vanguard sent by the Great Devil of the south?
Or maybe...
'Information is lacking.'
There was a limit to the information that could be obtained through the Monarch's Power. It provided all sorts of useful information to help govern the country peacefully, but information about the enemy was limited.
He could see information if the enemy entered the imperial territory and continued to occupy it, but he could not read information from the Territory that had fallen into the enemy's hands.
It was something that happened overnight.
That was the problem.
'The enemy knows how to occupy a Territory.'
As far as the Emperor knew, the only ones who knew that method were the Great King of the kingdom, the High Lich of the northern front, and the Conquering King of the east. The Great Devil of the south probably knew the occupation method as well.
It had newly appeared this time.
The method was simple, but it was difficult to attempt if you didn't know it.
Have your symbol placed in the Territory and receive surrender from the owner of the Territory in the center of the Territory.
Killing the lord wouldn't work.
It was only possible in the Lord's Castle,
The symbol was typically a flag, but if that was how it was done, it was clear that there was an intention to invade.
It wouldn't be easy to achieve all three by chance, but they achieved it.
'Why are these problems erupting in my reign?'
The summoning of the Heroes, the existence that would destroy the world, and the Great Devil were already burdensome enough, but now a new conqueror was appearing.
Recently, the Conquering King had also become active, which was annoying, and there was only bad news both domestically and internationally.
'What about Amel?'
If only he could wield that power to his heart's content.
He had the Grand Master, who was a comparable powerhouse, but the Grand Master's activities caused too much political upheaval.
While the Grand Master was absent, the Conquering King would see it as an opportunity, and the kingdom would pressure with military activities and burn down villages near the border. If an 80-level powerhouse appeared in the imperial palace, the only one who could stop them was the Grand Master.
The Grand Master's activities were subject to all sorts of restrictions compared to their power.
On the other hand, the Hero was a freely usable card, so when he appointed her as the commander, he was uneasy but happy that he had obtained a good card to use.
But she was too free.
'Amel, where are you now?'
He still couldn't reach her.
What on earth is she doing?
Slinking.
It was then.
The shadow whispered to him as if it were a demon in the Emperor's heart.
'[Can Amel really be trusted? Heroes are impulsive and reckless. Can you trust that person who has no loyalty?]'
The shadow stirred up the anxiety that the Emperor unconsciously harbored.
'[You need a way to put the brakes on her. What did she care about? If you know that, you can control her. Even if she's a Summoned Hero from another world who acts impulsively, there must be something she doesn't want to lose.]'
What was it?
There was something he could guess.
The orphanage attached to the church in the capital city.
Amel had been going back and forth there ever since she visited the orphanage.
The Saintess was using the money Amel had left behind to renovate the orphanage and decorate it with the orphans.
'[Something to lean on. Even if she's a Summoned Hero who only thinks of this world as a place to stay for a while before leaving, she will have something more precious than her life. And if there are many of those...]'
"Haa..."
The Emperor shook his head.
'What am I thinking?'
Even if he didn't know what kind of person Amel was, didn't he know that she wasn't an evil person and that her will to fight against the Great Devil was firm?
As long as they were fighting the Great Devil, Amel was definitely on their side.
That much was clear.
That brilliant cluster of light he saw back then.
If he recalled the moment of that flash that still flickered before his eyes, he would become uneasy, but if that power was directed at the Great Devil... the Emperor would help Amel and protect what she wanted to protect.
But still,
"Bring Saintess Olushia. I have something important to talk about."
He needed to hear what kind of person Amel was.
The Emperor's shadow writhed as if mocking him.