Arthur gazed at the nine figures kneeling before him. Among them, a teenage girl lay unconscious, her body covered only by a white sheet pulled up to her neck. She looked as if she were in a deep sleep, her chest rising and falling with the steady rhythm of her breath.
Arthur rested his arm on the throne's armrest, letting the Staff of Avanheim hover gracefully by his side. He glanced at Emma, who stood elegantly beside him.
Emma met his gaze with a faint smile and a small nod.
Arthur directed his attention forward again, to the faces that felt foreign yet so familiar.
Seven months since that day, huh….
Back then, all I wanted was to stay with the guild until the very last second, until Avalon's servers shut down for good. But now… how did it end up like this?
He looked back at the faces of the Floor Guardians before him. His contemplative expression now hardened, becoming serious and sharp.
The Floor Guardians, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, instantly straightened their backs. Their own gazes sharpened in response.
"It has been four days since we arrived on the planet called Earth," Arthur began, his voice echoing in the silent Throne Room. "As you all know, the local population of that planet is dominated by humans. There are no other intelligent species besides them. And their technology, in some fields, is far more advanced than ours. Therefore… there has been a change to the plan for world conquest."
The Floor Guardians listened in silence, every word from their master sinking into their minds.
"Based on the Initial World Conquest Plan designed by Emma and Belial, our military expansion was to begin once we had a complete understanding of this world, especially regarding the existence of other Avalon players. However, based on the information I've received from Belial and what I've researched myself…."
Arthur paused for a moment, letting the silence hang in the air. The Floor Guardians held their breath, waiting for their master to continue.
"…I can draw one conclusion," Arthur continued, his gaze sweeping over every face before him, "that there are no other supernatural entities on Earth besides us… at least, not on the surface."
"Of course, we cannot eliminate the potential for other Avalon players or other guilds from Monia to have come to this world with us," Arthur began, his voice calm yet resonant in the quiet room.
"However, with this small piece of information, we can lower our guard slightly and focus our resources and attention elsewhere."
He observed their reactions. Most of them nodded obediently. However, among them, Arthur caught a faint flicker of doubt on Merlin's face. The Magician's brow was slightly furrowed, his lips pressed together as if holding back an argument.
"What is it, Merlin?" Arthur asked, his gaze locking directly onto the Magician.
"It seems you have something to say."
Merlin was slightly taken aback, but he quickly placed his arm across his chest and bowed respectfully.
"Thank you for your permission, Lord Arthur," he said. His usually calm voice now sounded a bit tense.
"My Lord, isn't it too early to draw such a conclusion? We have only been in this world for four days. I believe… you are reaching a conclusion too quickly." He raised his head slightly, his gaze meeting Arthur's.
"My apologies. It is not that I doubt your wisdom, My Lord, but… please reconsider."
Emma, standing beside the throne, narrowed her eyes. Her fingers tensed slightly. She was about to say something in her master's defense, but before she could open her mouth, Arthur spoke first as he rose from his throne.
"I understand your concern." Arthur walked down the steps, his clothes rustling softly.
"I reached this conclusion based on human reactions, on their history. All of that information is interconnected, pointing to one thing: the absence of magic or events that would signify the existence of Avalon players in this world." He stopped directly in front of Merlin.
"If people like us had arrived in the past, it's impossible their existence wouldn't be recorded in history. I don't believe anyone possessing an advantage and special power over all the humans in this world would simply stay silent and be an observer. They would surely do something with that power. Just like us, wouldn't they?"
He continued, his voice sharper now.
"Furthermore, based on the reactions of humans like Mahiru Yuna, Ayato Ritsuki, and others who first encountered magic, they always show the same expression: shock, as if they have never seen magic at all. Based on that, I conclude that magic does not exist, or is at least a secret from the general public. That is why I said 'at least, not on the surface.'"
"This means that even if magic does exist, but they choose to hide or conceal it from society, it means their power is not strong enough to counter human technology."
"The magic and supernatural powers described in their religions are also just myths, fairy tales, and unreal folklore. So, from that, I can draw such a conclusion. Do you understand now, Merlin Pendragon?" Arthur said, looking at Merlin with his blue eyes.
Merlin, still kneeling, processed every word. His eyes slowly widened. He bowed his head even lower. "As expected of you, Lord Arthur. Your words are perfectly logical. Forgive me for not thinking that far ahead. So… what do you intend to do with this information? Are we going to war with the humans now?" he replied, his tone now filled with fanatical admiration.
Arthur answered, "That's what I wanted to talk about now."
He raised his hand toward the body of the girl lying there.
"Fly," he said softly.
The girl's body trembled slightly and floated into the air. Arthur moved her to the side of the throne and set her down with a gentle thump. The Floor Guardians watched the scene for a moment, then refocused.
He tapped the air in front of him. Instantly, a blue light swept through the room, forming a slowly rotating holographic map of Earth.
The Floor Guardians stared at the map in awe.
"So that's… the map of that world?" Natasha murmured, the veins in her neck tensing slightly with anticipation. She felt her heart pound.
That is the world Lord Arthur will conquer. Velusia thought. Her cold eyes analyzed the topography of the continents. According to Betta, their firearm technology is more advanced than in the World of Monia. I wonder if that's true.
Arthur pointed to an island near a large continent with his finger. "Currently, Avanheim is building its strength in this island nation."
"However, this country, besides having advanced technology and a better industrial infrastructure than many other human nations, has a shortcoming that Avanheim desperately needs right now."
"Do you know what that is?" Arthur asked the Floor Guardians before him.
"Natural resources?" Belial answered with a confident expression.
"That's right. This country is very poor in resources," Arthur explained. "They buy raw materials from other countries and process them into finished goods. That's good for a country, but what Avanheim needs most right now are natural resources."
"Although we currently have abundant natural resources, they will eventually run out. And the land inside Felius Castle is not large enough to grow the magic plants and raise the magical beasts we need. In the past, we could buy them from other guilds or countries, but after being transported to this new world, we can no longer do that."
"Therefore, we will expand our infiltration range. Of course, the infiltration into Japan will continue. We still need their wealth, industrial power, and connections for Avanheim's future plans."
"So, Belial." Arthur looked straight at his head of intelligence.
"Yes, My Lord?" Belial answered immediately, his posture straightening even more.
"I want you to expand the search for the natural resources Avanheim needs to the entire world," Arthur commanded, his voice now cold and calculating. "It's fine if you can't find Adamantium or Orichalcum, as those are metals that can only exist if magic is present in a world. Since this world has no magic, searching for them will most likely be fruitless. So, focus on finding other alternatives. However, if those two magical metals do exist, that would be even better."
He paused for a moment, making sure Belial understood every word.
"Remember," Arthur continued, his tone now sharper, "this is only a resource search, not a political infiltration. As for political matters… it's not time for that yet. Political infiltration into other countries will only happen once we have fully conquered Japan. For now, you just need to find the resources Avanheim needs, and we will buy them."
"Understood, My Lord," Belial replied, placing his hand on his right breast.
Arthur nodded, then directed his gaze back to the world map.
"Previously, the Military Campaign was to begin after we had information or the truth about this world, correct?" Arthur asked the Floor Guardians.
The Floor Guardians nodded. Emma, who was beside Arthur, also nodded.
He looked at them one by one. "I think that plan is too reckless and dangerous."
"Even if we assume we are the only supernatural power in this world, we still must not underestimate human technology."
"Their numbers are 800,000 times greater than ours. In addition, they also control all the world's resources. They also possess weapons of mass destruction called nuclear weapons, which can strike any land on Earth and are perhaps equivalent to our Tenth-Sequence Magic. So, we must not underestimate them. They may be weak individually, but together they will put up a troublesome fight, and it could lead to our defeat in the coming war," Arthur said in a serious tone.
That's right. Avanheim cannot be defeated. That must not be allowed to happen. Therefore, I must not follow the same path and end as Hitler and Napoleon Bonaparte. They all died before they could achieve their dreams.
The worst was Germany under Hitler. His country was even split into two after the defeat of his regime.
A situation like that must not be allowed to happen to Avanheim.
Arthur clenched his fists.
"We will only conduct a military campaign once we have a territory and control one country on Earth. The country I have chosen is Japan. At the very least, until we control the Japanese government, we will not conduct a military campaign. That… is an order from me," he declared loudly, his voice echoing throughout the Throne Room.