However, when Melty went to see Malty, Malty first put on a pleading look. Then, upon learning that Melty had not been punished and was unwilling to rescue her, she immediately turned hostile.
Vicious words continuously attacked Melty, even mocking her for using her body to gain such favorable treatment, calling her shameless.
Looking at her sister, Melty felt extreme unfamiliarity. Seeing that the slave crest showed no signs of activation, she could also sense that her sister's words came entirely from her own heart. This completely chilled her heart.
The old king, watching his eldest daughter harbor such hatred for his younger daughter, was also deeply shocked and pained.
He shed tears of regret, knowing that Malty's situation was entirely due to his indulgence.
In the blink of an eye, several days passed. Takeru didn't do much, just stayed in the royal capital to train diligently, while also spending more time with the girls and training them.
As the wave drew closer, the royal capital remained peaceful. Everyone believed that with Takeru's protection, the country would not be in danger.
Also, through this period of training, the knights' strength had increased by several levels. Although their levels hadn't increased much, their strength, various physical attributes, and combat experience had been greatly enhanced.
Their combat ability was now several times better than before. Once their levels increased, they could become even stronger.
And because Takeru emphasized moral education, and many knights came from ordinary families, their actions received widespread praise from the people.
Besides that, Esdeath had also trained an elite squad. Through nutritional supplements, high-intensity training, and personal instruction from Esdeath, Akame, and others, each member of this squad could now take on five ordinary knights single-handedly. In team combat, they could achieve a ten-to-one ratio.
They were called the Imperial Guard, directly under Takeru's command.
The squad was half male, half female, comprising both mages and warriors, all possessing considerable close-combat ability.
The captain of the Imperial Guard was Keel. Through leveling up, he had grown into an adult in a short time, now looking very imposing.
Although his strength was far inferior to Rifana's and Raphtalia's, he was still extremely strong compared to the other Imperial Guard's members.
Besides Keel, Via was the vice-captain, second only to Keel in strength and status.
Although she could no longer stay closely by Takeru's side, it was still a great honor for her.
The reason Takeru put so much effort into training this special Imperial Guard was to ensure this world wouldn't be overwhelmed by waves after he left. After all, Takeru wouldn't be able to stay until the mastermind behind the waves appeared.
Although it was a perfectly good world, relying solely on Naofumi to protect it might not be impossible, but it would likely be very difficult.
Hence, he trained a large number of knights and the Imperial Guard.
As for Motoyasu and Itsuki, they had proven extremely unreliable in the original work.
After Takeru's influence in this world, they might have been tempered slightly, but they might also become worse.
Expecting anything from them was less realistic than hoping they wouldn't cause trouble.
Shaking his head, Takeru didn't dwell on it. He had done what he could. What would happen to this world after he left, Takeru couldn't worry about too much.
But for now, Takeru could still stay in this world for thirty-six days, so there was no rush.
Now, with the wave approaching, Naofumi, who had been traveling outside, returned. Upon his return, he came straight to see Takeru, bringing a large amount of supplies, mostly monster corpses and some magic ore stones, as well as seeds of rare trees or fruits.
"You're thoughtful." Looking at the supplies he brought out, along with a full carriage of goods, Takeru said with a smile.
"No, I'm just glad I could help. Compared to you, this is all I can do." Hearing Takeru's words, Naofumi scratched his head.
Outsiders saw him as mature and cold, but in front of Takeru, he acted like an immature younger brother, even though his apparent age was older than Takeru's physical body.
"Don't be so modest. You've done very well. I've received intelligence from various places... you've done a lot of good deeds out there."
"Of course, it's still necessary to keep working hard. Only by becoming strong enough can you truly save this world and resist any crisis." Looking at Naofumi, Takeru spoke earnestly.
"I know. Oh, right, Takeru, one more thing. Those two split." As he spoke, Naofumi pointed to the six slimes on the ground.
There were four Demonized Slimes and two Weapon Slimes. Although the slimes had multiplied, Naofumi had no intention of keeping them for himself. He honestly told Takeru.
"I see. Then I'll give these three to you. And this one as well. Take good care of them."
After putting away two Demonized Slimes and one Weapon Slime, Takeru took out a new slime and gave it to Naofumi, speaking seriously.
"Really? These are so precious. And what kind of slime is this?"
Hearing Takeru's words, Naofumi showed a surprised smile this time. He knew very well how powerful the slimes were.
Coupled with their special reproductive ability, it meant that with careful nurturing, he could even raise a large army of slimes. This was incredibly overpowered.
So, while surprised, he was also a bit incredulous.
"This slime corresponds to the Weapon Slime. It's an armor slime. As the name suggests, it can quickly form armor to cover a person, effectively blocking attacks. It also has self-repairing capabilities."
"And since I've given it to you, it means I trust you. Of course, I can give you the slime, but the space bracelet is a very precious item. I can't leave that with you." Looking at the surprised Naofumi, Takeru said with a light laugh.
"I understand. The bracelet has been a great convenience. It's almost time to return it."
Hearing Takeru mention the storage bracelet, Naofumi had no intention of keeping it for himself. He handed the bracelet back to Takeru, then looked with delight at the new armor slime. He believed that anything Takeru gave him was sure to be high quality.
Seeing Naofumi return the bracelet, Takeru took it without hesitation. After all, Takeru had made it clear from the beginning that he was only lending it for a while.
Although he could lend it for another month, seeing Naofumi be so understanding, Takeru didn't stand on ceremony.
"By the way, the wave is about seventy-plus hours away. You're not planning to leave the royal capital, are you?" Looking at Naofumi, Takeru asked directly.
"Yes. I plan to rest well here and face the wave in better shape." Hearing this, Naofumi nodded.
"Is that so? Would you like to stay in the palace?" Seeing this, Takeru asked with a smile.
"Well... I'd rather not. The hotel you set up in the royal capital is comfortable enough. Staying here every day gives me a strange sense of nervousness and brings back some bad memories." Hearing Takeru's words, Naofumi hesitated, then shook his head.
"Is that so? As you wish. Feel free to visit when you have time. And here's this card. With it, you can get a lot of discounts at state-owned enterprises." As he spoke, Takeru handed a special gold card to Naofumi.
"Well, thank you then." After hesitating for a moment, Naofumi took the gold card Takeru offered. He had wanted to refuse, but thinking that Takeru had become the emperor and could give him slimes with incredible abilities, this item probably meant nothing to him.
After Naofumi left, Melty, who was sitting nearby, pursed her lips. Although she had already apologized on behalf of her sister and father, and Naofumi hadn't held it against her, Melty still felt bad.
She knew very well how terrible her father and sister's actions had been. Unfortunately, it hadn't been her mother ruling the country at the time. If her mother had been in charge, such a thing would never have happened.
"Instead of constantly dwelling on your relatives' mistakes, it's better to work hard and provide substantial help to the victims." Looking at Melty's dejected expression, Takeru shook his head gently.
"Takeru-sama... yes, I understand. I will work hard." Hearing Takeru's words, Melty was startled, then nodded seriously, deciding to help Naofumi whenever she had the chance in the future.
After briefly comforting Melty, Takeru quickly left.