Ribek, Lord’s Manor.

  The Mayors of the various towns had gathered in the council room.

  Town of Akito, Madway.

  Town of Bisk, Agafon.

  Town of Magatan, Gerashim.

  Town of Kazan, Martha (Malta/Maruta).

  Town of Bragadeleu, Zawal.

  Town of Pelmi, Maya.

  Madway, Agafon, and Gerashim had been here during the Marato incident, but Martha and Zawal were new to the conference.

  The town of Pelmi’s restoration had fallen behind schedule so Maya was here as a temporary representative.

  Everyone was calm and collected except for Zawal who had just recently been named mayor, you could clearly see he was nervous.

  「Begin the report.」


  Yuria prompted. She was standing by my side as the facilitator of the meeting.

  Madway stood up first and said,

  「The places that Maxim damaged have mostly been repaired. Recently Maxim’s refugees and remnants have been spotted around.」


  「Maxim’s remnants huh?」


  「They have attacked a few times out of desperation, but have been repelled each time. As of now they have expressed a desire to surrender and enter towns, but what should we do?」


  「I’ll leave it to you. As usual, having them mix in with daily life is the highest priority. We will guarantee them the minimum living conditions and have them slowly but surely mix in with the populace. If they have trouble and can’t get rid of their plundering habit……tell Maya.」


  「……Understood.」


  I would not involve myself with it further, nor would I ask Madway for further reports.

  I’d like it if they were able to adjust, but that’s up to them.

  Madway sat down and Agafon stood up next.

  「Bisk has experienced vigorous growth in commerce. However, we are running low on money, paper bills more specifically. There are cases where people need to pay completely using coins, so we would like it if you could make more paper money.」


  「I understand, I can do that.」


  I’m going to need more dragon blood.

  「In comparison Magatan has a surplus of bills. To that end, 90% of the people said that they hope to pay this season’s taxes using money.」


  「As long as they pay with proper money it’s fine.」


  「Well…then wouldn’t it turn into a situation where you give us the cash and end up taking it right back……?」


  「No problem」


  In fact it wouldn’t be good if we only sent money out without circulating it back in.

  In the case of taxes, it’d be best if you used money to pay them.

  And so, one after another they stood to give their reports.

  Most of their reports gave a 「Everything’s going well」 feeling, that everything was on track.

  I checked my DORECA and saw that my population had exceeded 7,000.

  Two new towns had become subordinate to me, Maxim’s remnants were being absorbed, and slave beasts were being defeated. All this added up to this situation.

  「The reports are finished.」


  「Good job.」


  「Next there are two things on the agenda.」


  Yuria quietly progressed the meeting.

  「First?」


  「There are people who have been requesting laws.」


  「Laws?」


  I looked blankly at the representatives.

  Most looked back at me and nodded slightly.

  Maya in particular said with a big smile on her face,

  「We need laws. Us in the elite squad especially want this. As the number of people grow, so do troubles. We have been called here and there, and at times we are called to mediate and judge a situation, so laws would make this much easier.」


  「I see」


  「Not only that, we need this from the standpoint of maintaining the towns properly. Up until now we have only been desperately trying to survive, but as we gain more space to survive things pop up.」


  Gerashim said.

  Madway and Agafon agreed as well as they communicated their people’s desires.

  「I see, I understand what you mean.」


  I understood, but at the same time I was troubled.

  Laws huh?

  Just as they’d said, it was about time that they became necessary.

  Now that we’ve already surpassed 7,000 we need them fast. In fact we probably should’ve had them earlier.

  But I wasn’t able to create them.

  I opened my DORECA and looked at the creation list.

  Obviously there was no such item as ‘Laws’.

  I usually delegated things that didn’t have much to do with the DORECA to others.

  For this kind of thing…the most suitable person was……


  「Yuria」


  「Yes?」


  「Please discuss with everyone and come up with a plan.」


  「Understood.」


  Yuria said with no change in expression.

  Even though I was shoving the troublesome responsibility of deciding on laws wholesale onto her, but she didn’t change her expression.

  「How about it?」


  They all nodded and said 「No problem」.

  Ok then, I’m sure she said there were two things…


  「The next is from me.」


  Martha said. She had been quiet this entire time.

  Martha looked at me.

  It was the most serious look she’d ever given me since the day we met.

  I looked back seriously as well.

  I wondered what would be coming and readied my heart.

  「It’s about high time that you named yourself King Akito isn’t it?」


  「………huh?」


  I had readied myself but I was still shocked by this unexpected item on the agenda.

  ************************************

  Nighttime Lord’s Manor, my room.

  I was lazing around on the bed looking at the ceiling.

  「King huh?」


  I said it out loud to see how it felt.

  From the time I’d reincarnated and left the Goddess’s place this word had been floating around.

  I had come down here with the intentions of restoring the world and ruling over it.

  I had honestly always believed I would become King after I had restored the world.

  I had been working hard with that goal in mind.

  But if I think more carefully, that was strange.

  In military stories and history, those who were going to unify the world or rule over it didn’t wait till all was over and done with, but instead became King along the way. Then they continued with their journey of unification.

  That’s why I understand their thoughts. My citizens were nearing 10,000 so wasn’t it about time I became King?

  In fact I was confused why the thought hadn’t occurred to me earlier.

  It was as if the scales had fallen from my eyes. (Note: Means I’ve seen the light.)

  So should I become King at this time?

  I sat there after my work had finished pondering on this question.

  Knock Knock a sound at the door.

  「Come in.」


  「Good evening desuno」


  It was Lilia.

  One of my four slaves glided into the room and stood before me.

  She was holding a tray with a cup on it.

  「What’s up?」


  「I’ve brought Master some tea desuno」


  「Tea?」


  「Risha onee-sama made it desuno」


  「I see.」


  I sat up and took a sip…it was pretty delicious.

  It had a refreshing taste that helped me settle my mind.

  「We had tea leaves?」


  「It was among the items that Bisk gave for taxes desuno.」


  「Huh.」


  I was a bit surprised.

  I had heard that things were going well, but I didn’t know they had recovered to the state that they could start making things like this.

  「The people who gave it said this…the best time to drink it is within the week so please have Oniichan—I mean the Lord try it desuno」


  「Is that so?」


  I took another drink. Un, it is delicious just as they said.

  「Did you guys drink some?」


  「This was given specially for Onii-chan. There’s no way we’d drink it without permission desuno.」


  Lilia smiled and said.

  I see…I guess she’s right.

  Then I’ll give them permission.

  「Try it later, it’s pretty delicious.」


  「Thank you very much desuno」


  I sat there relaxing and sipping my tea.

  Lilia stood next to me watching over me as I drank.

  I’ll bring this up and see what she thinks.

  「Did you hear about it?」


  「About what desuno?」


  「The talk of me becoming King.」


  「Oh that desuno.」


  「What do you think? Are you for or against it?」


  「Lilia is against it desuno.」


  「What?」


  I was a bit surprised, I never even considered that she might be against it.

  I definitely thought that she’d say 「Onii-chan becoming King is completely natural desuno」.

  「Why?」


  「Because Onii-chan becoming God is completely natural desuno. There’s no need to become something like a king beforehand desuno.」


  Lilia’s reasoning seems a bit skewed…


  Even I hadn’t given becoming God any thought.

  「God huh?」


  「Yes desuno. You’ll be the God that restored the world desuno. Becoming something as small as a king is unnecessary no~.」


  Lilia said as if it was completely obvious. Her voice carried not even the hint of thinking she might be wrong.

  「Well, I don’t have much intention to become a god…」


  「Is that so desuno?」


  「Yeah.」


  「Then Lilia is for it desuno. If you don’t want to become god then we’ll settle with a King.」


  「That’s settling huh?」


  That was kind of funny.

  I finished drinking my tea and handed her the cup.

  Lilia left the room and I continued thinking.

  ***************************************

  The next day, Lord’s governing room.

  I had called Yuria and she entered the room with a bow.

  「Yuria.」


  「Yes.」


  「Tell everyone, I will be King.」


  「Understood.」


  Yuria nodded calmly and wrote a note on her paper.

  It was the usual motion.

  「I may become King but things shouldn’t change. I’ll leave the details to you, but go forward with that in mind.」


  「Un.」


  Yuria left the room.

  King huh? Somehow it doesn’t feel real.

  Yuria’s reaction made that feeling even stronger.

  Well, at some point it’ll all start coming together. I’ll feel like a King sooner or later.

  I thought when.

  —Magic has been charged by 100,000—


  —Magic has been charged by 75,000—


  —Magic has been charged by 180,000—


  I got charged three times.

  Judging by the timing……it should be because Yuria told the other three.

  Thinking of my 4 slaves, I could clearly and easily imagine the looks on their faces.