Chapter 267: The Strategy Meeting Against the Demon Lord Army, and Introductions of the Attendees (1)

[Start of Arc 8 and Volume 2: The Lamenting Warrior and the Impatient Magician]

The sun rose straight overhead and shone brilliantly.

After finishing lunch, rocking in the carriage, drowsiness attacked.

But about ten minutes left to the destination assembly hall.

Beside me was Freit, the owner of this carriage, and in front were Freit’s guards.

And outside the Dules walked following, so I alone could not sleep.

...I thought, but.

"You are sleeping well."

"Yes, Lord Freit sometimes sleeps like this in the carriage. Especially before important meetings."

One of the guards sitting in front answered.

Freit sitting beside me had his arms crossed, bowed his head, and slept soundly.

Freit and I were about to attend the strategy meeting preparing for the war with the former Torrestia Kingdom army = Demon Lord army.

Probably because he could not sleep during the meeting.

Therefore Freit had slept immediately after boarding the carriage.

I should have slept too.

Regret does not stand in the future.

Looking outside from the window, the large building of the assembly hall had begun to be seen.

...

"We have been waiting."

"Ah, thank you."

Freit, with a refreshed expression that could not be thought he had been sleeping until just now, thanked the woman who welcomed him.

About the first half of the twenties, maybe.

She wore a light blue short tunic of length that hid the buttocks a little, and a navy waist skirt to below the knees.

Reddish black hair was gathered in a bun at the back.

Quite a beauty, but the eyes slanted a little, and received a somewhat cold impression.

"This is Lare, who does my secretary. This is Lord Hiroyuki Asahi."

"Pleased to meet you. I am Lare Bartel. I have heard the rumors."

"Pleased to meet you. Please take care of me."

Lare, who stood before me by Freit’s introduction, bowed her head, so I lightly nodded too.

What sort of rumors?

"Then this way."

Lare led, and Freit, I, Freit’s guards, and my Dules followed and entered the assembly hall.

"Has everyone gathered?"

"Yes. They are waiting in the first conference room."

At the front Freit and Lare advanced while talking.

Went up to the second floor, advanced a while, and Lare stopped before the double doors.

I see. On the door a plate "First Conference Room" was stuck.

"This way."

The woman who guided lightly knocked the door and opened it, and the talking voices that had been heard immediately after opening the door gradually quieted, and eventually stopped.

In the room already dozens of people were.

Several familiar faces too.

In the center of the room was a large desk, and on it a cloth map was placed.

Freit entered the room and sat in the central chair at the very back.

"Lord Hiroyuki, this way."

I, who entered next, tried to sit in the chair at the very back on the left facing, which Lare pointed, but Gejia came beside me.

"I smell the demon realm. Be careful."

Gejia whispered one word in my ear and stepped back.

Smelling the demon realm meant a resident of the demon realm was there?

I sat slowly while looking around.

Freit’s guards stood behind Freit’s seat, and Lare stood beside Freit.

My Dules, Muriel stood beside me, Sophia, Rosina, Birga in the front row, Gejia and Yanica in the rear row, and stood behind my seat in two rows.

Opposite five, this side five, and on the right, three seats at the back of the room were all filled, and behind them many people stood.

Almost all unknown people, so if suspicious then all suspicious people.

I sat, my Dules moved to the decided places, and soon a sound of bells ringing came from outside the window.

Looking at the time, it had just become 13:00.

"Then from now I would like to hold the strategy meeting for defense against the former Torrestia Kingdom army invading toward Lübeck."

Freit stood and declared the start of the meeting.

"First, there are those meeting faces for the first time, so I will have self-introductions. First, I am Freit Clam, serving as chair of the assembly of this Lübeck city. Please remember me. This is my secretary Lare Bartel."

"Please take care of me."

Freit introduced himself and bowed his head, then introduced Lare.

"This is Lord Simon Klef, the vice chair."

"I am Simon."

The man on Freit’s right, who looked a little older than Freit, stood and bowed his head.

Hair thin from the front to the crown, and gave off an atmosphere of carrying hardships.

"This is Lord Bonifatius Ferker, the highest judge."

"Pleased to meet you."

On Freit’s left sat Bonifatius, whom we had been indebted to over Lily’s matter.

"Then next. This side are the main ones concerning the defense of our Lübeck. From this side in order Lord Falco Zuse, the highest responsible of the army, Lord Damian Flemich, the strategy staff, Lord Brol Hedeen, the head of the magician union, Lord Hans Neumann, the representative of the cult union and head of the Urilmex temple, and Lord Geleon of the adventurer union."

By Freit’s introduction each stood and bowed their heads.

Falco was tall and wore full plate armor.

His face was deeply carved, and the appearance of growing a chin beard had dignity, and was the figure of a veteran warrior after all.

Damian was about over forty, maybe.

Unlike Falco he wore half-plate armor, and lacked presence somewhat more than Falco.

But from that atmosphere wearing a cool expression a sharp air drifted.

Behind Falco and Damian about ten soldiers wearing full plate armor stood.

Brol was an elderly man about sixty, his head bald, and conversely a splendid white beard grew on his chin.

The loose long robe and gentle expression combined, and it was exactly the appearance of a veteran magician.

Beside Brol a woman about thirty wearing a long robe the same stood, and further behind her about three men of the same appearance stood.

Hans was an elderly man wearing a gentle smile too, bald the same as Brol, but did not grow a beard.

Unlike Brol, that plump body could not be hidden even by the loose clothes of the Urilmex cult.

Behind Hans men and women wearing the clothes of each cult such as Surmares and Anirofe stood.

The last Geleon was about fifty, maybe.

That body wrapped in leather armor had muscles raised, hair pure white, but the sharp gaze and stern face felt more pressure than Falco.

Beside Geleon a woman about just past twenty stood.

But from the long ears an elf, maybe.

Age... no, let us not say.

Further behind her a short woman wearing armor, a slender man wearing a long robe, and various people stood.

Among them a woman with chest largely open, who seemed a Dule, was there.

Now then, here two familiar faces.

Falco, introduced as the highest responsible of the army, was the person who had done the inspection when I first entered Lübeck city fifteen years ago.