We changed the location to a Meeting Room to discuss the future plans with Hero Helmios.
The Queen, Marshal Sigur, General Lucidral, and the Spirit Mage Gatoruga were also present.
The meeting was so important that it was no exaggeration to say that it would change the future of Rosenheim.
Thanks to that, we were shown to a Meeting Room with a round table where more than 10 people could sit at once.
We had a meeting over a meal as a sign of appreciation for Helmios, who had traveled a long way to be here.
"Oh! Long time no see! Looks good."
Then, Helmios washed his hands over the vegetable-rich elf dish.
As Helmios came from a commoner background, he didn't seem to eat in a very mannered way.
"It's been a long time indeed. Speaking of which, there's something that's been bothering me for a while."
"Yeah? What is it, Allen?"
"You've been fighting on the front lines of the Giamut Empire against the Demon King's army, haven't you? How do you still manage to travel to Rosenheim and the Baukis Empire?"
(He got a Mana Recovery Ring from the Spirit King in Rosenheim, and he's been to the S-class dungeon of the Baukis Empire, so I wonder who handles the defense during that time?)
I tried to investigate the Hero's life.
"Yeah, that's true. Well, it's not like we're always fighting the Demon King's army all year round. There's a lot more time when we're not fighting than people think."
Helmios told us about his daily life as a Hero.
My friends were listening with great interest to his stories. In the midst of all that, only Kurena was absorbed in her food.
According to Helmios, battles with the Demon King's army were only fought a few months a year.
The actual battle was even shorter. He said the war took 3 months at the most, with all the moving, sharing of operations, and post-war processing included.
"What do you do the rest of the time?"
"Hmm? Who are you?"
"I'm Cecile, a member of Allen's party."
When asked, Cecile replied in a normal manner.
For Cecile, who had always seen me as unorthodox, the Hero Helmios didn't seem to be someone she had to be nervous around.
"Cecile, there are about 20 Academies in the Empire. I go around there to teach some students during the rest of my time."
""20!""
(Hey, I heard there were a few Academies in the Empire, but that many? Is it natural considering the population ratio? I heard that unlike the Latash Kingdom, there are three different kinds of Academy in the Giamut Empire.)
The Giamut Empire boasted a population and territory dozens of times larger than the Latash Kingdom.
The Academies there didn't share the same curriculum, but were divided into three types.
The first type was a year-long Academy, where only combat training was given to ordinary soldiers.
In the second type, the duration of the Academy was three years, and a certain range of education was given, from general education to detailed tactics.
In the third type, the duration of the Academy was five years, and it provided proper education to Nobles and those with valuable Talents.
The "One-country, One-Academy" system decided by the Five Continents Alliance was the educational content of the second type of Academy.
When I had heard about this at the Academy, I wondered if most of them were the first kind, stiffly trained in combat and sent to the battlefield, taught only that their superiors' orders were absolute.
In addition, Helmios was the second kind and was educated at the Academy for three years.
"I also raid dungeons within the Empire and in other countries to get equipment. That's why I know about the Baukis Empire."
Basically, Helmios had a free pass that allowed him to go to any country, including other continents.
"I see, so that's why you and Sylvia are together."
"Sylvia? Allen, who's Sylvia?"
"Ah, Kurena. She's Helmios' party member, a Master Swordsman."
Kurena responded to the name Sylvia. It seemed that she wasn't just eating food.
"Yes. I have a party of about ten people. We usually have about 10 members in our party, with a Saint, a Great Mage, and a Master Swordsman as our basic lineup."
(Oh, so they're all rare 3-star Talents. I see, that's why his equipment is so good.)
I somehow understood the situation in the Empire.
The Empire had to win the war against the Demon King's army, and their only way to do so was, of course, by winning the war.
And to win the war, they needed to get stronger.
Their method to get more powerful was to obtain more powerful equipment.
In Normal Mode, one couldn't get any stronger than their level. The only way to get stronger after that was with equipment.
That was also the reason why Helmios wore a Ring that increased his [Agility] by 3,000 in addition to his Orichalcum equipment at the Academy's Martial Arts Tournament.
The Empire was taking the lead in gathering parties that could enter and survive the S-class dungeon.
And 3-star rare Talents were best for the job.
"Thank you very much. I think I understand the activities of the Hero. You said the war was over in the Central Continent, what is the situation?"
I knew that the situation was cleared up enough for the Hero to come to Rosenheim, but I didn't know the specific status of the war because I had already lost most of my summons that I had sent to the northern part of the Central Continent.
"Oh, thanks to the Elixir you delivered to me, Allen, we were able to defeat most of the magical beasts in 10 days."
"So you're saying that the Demon King's army has been eradicated?"
(This is important.)
The Demon King's army was good at retreats.
I experienced it in the battles in Rosenheim, but I had also learned it in my classes at the Academy.
The Demon King's army would immediately retreat if the magical beasts were exhausted or they didn't see any chances of winning.
"No, I think they retreated when they lost 70 or 80 % of their army. That's why we've formed a team and are chasing them. We still have enough Elixir to fight."
Even if the Demon King's army retreated, they would just return in greater numbers and attack again.
It seemed that the upper echelons of the military of the Central Continent had decided that they wanted to defeat as many magical beasts as possible to reduce future threat even if very slightly.
''So, were there any Demons or Demon Generals in the Demon King's army in the Central Continent?
I had also asked the same question via Ellie in the Central Continent.
Helmios' answer at that time was that he did not know then.
"Oh, there was one Higher Demon and 3 Demons, I think. We already defeated them."
"Oh, you mean your party?"
"Yes. That's what parties are for."
(I see, I'm beginning to understand, the Hero is forming a party in order to defeat the top A-rank Demons and even stronger Demon Generals. That's too much for those soldiers to handle.)
Helmios fought like any other soldier in the fortress.
However, there were enemies in the Demon King's army that other soldiers couldn't defeat.
The Giamut Empire seemed to have a strategy of letting a small party of elites including the Hero defeat the Higher Demons and Demon Generals.
(And if a Saint or Great Mage dies, a replacement will fill in.)
I didn't ask, but I understood.
In a fortress on the Central Continent, Helmios said that his friends had been killed by a Demon General.
But now, he said, his party only had 10 members.
It's not as if there were originally 20 or 30 members in his party.
More members was not always better.
There would always be a structure that was easy to work with.
Probably the number of people who could easily operate was around 10, and if any of the main party's members died, the Empire would replace them with new ones.
"So, Allen, as a Summoner, right? Tell me what you can do."
"Of course. You're going to entrust your back to me, after all."
My friends looked at me with surprised looks that said 'What!? You're going to tell him?
(Come to think of it, when I was taking my entrance exam, we had a dispute over whether to tell him or not. I ended up just summoning one Chouske {H-rank Beast} and showing it to him.)
I only disclosed my skills when I felt it was necessary, and didn't when I felt it was unnecessary.
That's all I used to decide whether to disclose my skills or not.
I had to teach Helmios about my abilities and what I could do.
I had decided that I couldn't defeat a Demon General without Helmios, so we needed to know about each other's abilities to work together.
Of course, I limited what I told him to what the elven soldiers had seen and heard already. I had already shown them and Helmios my abilities while fighting, so there was nothing wrong with explaining only that much to him.
I didn't need to explain how I could strengthen or share senses with my summons. I only shared information necessary to fight together.
He asked me what my summoning limit was, and I told him that since I had both Elven Elixirs and Mana Recovery Ring, I wouldn't lose my ability to summon in a battle.
"Hmm."
Helmios seemed to sense that I hadn't explained everything.
However, he didn't ask anything more.
"Is there anything else you want to ask?"
I asked Helmios with a hint that I would answer what I needed to.
"No, well I'll ask when I want to know something. Oh, I see."
He was convinced of something.
"So let's figure out our plan for the future."
"No, that's okay, but before that, there's something I was wondering about."
"Yes, what is it?"
"I know you're all listening, but only Allen and I are going to fight, right?"
""Huh?""
"What the hell!!?"
While Allen's friends were shouting in astonishment, Dogora stood up and shouted loudly in response to Helmios' question.
