Published: January 22, 2026
Great Saint Calendar Year 629, September, a certain day.
The conference room where the heavyweights of the Sobel Empire had gathered was shrouded in a somber atmosphere.
“We’re still managing to hide it for now, but it’s come to a point where it can no longer be concealed...”
“Damn it, what exactly are those fools after...! Jimon! Have you found the idiots who keep conquering the dungeons yet?”
“I apologize. We are putting all our efforts into the investigation, but...”
At present, the Sobel Empire is on the verge of a serious shortage of magic stones.
About half a year ago, after the Great Western Labyrinth was conquered, dungeon materials were obtained in abundance.
However, as a consequence, demonic beasts stopped appearing, making it impossible to acquire magic stones.
Still, because the empire controls vast lands dotted with numerous dungeons, it was expected that magic stones could be sufficiently supplied by harvesting from those dungeons.
But recently, an unexpected situation has arisen where those dungeons are being conquered one after another.
In other words, demonic beasts no longer appear in the dungeons, and places where magic stones can be obtained are rapidly disappearing.
Furthermore, due to the conquest of the Great Western Labyrinth, many explorers who were based in the empire have defected en masse to other countries, reducing the number of those capable of entering dungeons—a factor accelerating the magic stone shortage.
Magic stones are indispensable for daily life.
If the shortage worsens, the price of magic stones will naturally skyrocket, and commoners with low incomes will be unable to obtain them, forcing them to live without magical tools.
Humans can adapt to improvements in living standards, but it is difficult to adjust to declines.
Once people experience the ease of previous lives, dissatisfaction is bound to accumulate.
Such discontent could lead to a decline in labor productivity and, ultimately, the nation's power.
The shortage of magic stones is by no means a problem to be taken lightly.
This is something all the attendees are well aware of.
Despite the heavy atmosphere, the attendees are tossing around various proposals to break the deadlock.
That said, each attendee already has a clear solution in mind.
However, not a single one utters it—no, they cannot.
“C-could it be that we must consider importing from other countries...?”
Frustrated with the stalled meeting despite the clear answer, one of the relatively young attendees mustered the courage to speak up.
“Ho... Are you telling me to bow my head to other countries?”
The emperor, Helmut Roots Kreuzer, who had been silently observing the meeting, fixed his gaze on the speaker and spoke.
“N-no... Not at all... But at this rate, this country—”
Exposed to the emperor’s sharp gaze, the speaker broke out in a cold sweat but continued, speaking for the sake of the country.
“The loss of magic stones alone cannot possibly topple my strong nation. Isn’t that right?”
“Of course! But—”
“Enough. If you understand, then there’s no need to borrow power from other countries.”
“......”
With those words from the emperor, the conference room grew even more oppressive, and no one dared to speak again.
“Not a single decent proposal among all of you?”
The emperor’s exasperated voice echoed through the silent room.
“Your Majesty, do you have a plan to break this stalemate?”
Rank Trales, the prime minister standing beside the emperor, asked.
“Of course. I wonder why you all haven’t thought of it. If you don’t have it, then just take it from somewhere else. It’s simple, isn’t it?”
“Your Majesty, with all due respect, military action requires a significant amount of magic stones. We lack the capacity to divert magic stones for that purpose in peacetime, let alone now.”
Rank denied the emperor’s idea.
As a trusted courtier of the emperor, Rank did not become like the earlier speaker.
The advent of magical tools has brought various benefits beyond improving living standards.