I Came Back but the World is Still a Fantasy!?

As such, they needed the hero summoned by Earthgant that possessed power greater than normal and the otherworlders that excelled in fighting – although not as much as said hero – in order to make the operation a success.

The otherworlders possessed a creativity they did not have and a desperation born from not having a foundation for living in this world. Those two things set them apart from the rest and gave them the reputation of being first-rate powers.

The soldiers under the politicians and the military people gathered here are nothing more than an attempt to try and bridge the gap in strength with numbers.

Ironically, just as the demon king said, their situation was a sad and pathetic one.

“Not only did we lose the heroes and the otherworlders, even our plans to execute a sneak attack have been leaked to the enemy.

With the major conditions no longer possible, how do you intend on defeating the powerful demon tribe?

Please do enlighten this young and incompetent princess, Commanding Officer.”

She spoke respectfully, but the words were evidently full of scorn and sarcasm, causing the general’s forehead to wrinkle.

Sensing that the ever reliable general could no longer answer the princess, the archbishop spoke up.

“Princess Lilisha! What do you take this holy war for!?”

“A meaningless battle whose defeat has been ascertained even before it begins?”

The archbishop was aware that he did not possess an eye for warfare and strategies and the likes.

As such, he tried to urge righteous indignation on the princess, but what he got instead was an instantaneous cold reply.

There was not a single hint of hesitation when the princess told him that. In fact, there was even a tinge of contempt mixed in, leaving the archbishop dumbfounded.

Given his position, it is likely that no one has talked to him in such a tone before.

“In the first place, if you, archbishop-sama, would go so far as to call this a holy war, why is the church refusing to dispatch the tiger child of the Knight Order of Rimoa (Knights)?

With them and their divine raiment spirit machines, we should be able to cover for our lack of power.”

The church has indeed mobilized its private army of knights, but the greatest strength that it treasured, the Knight Order of Rimoa, was not among those.

As the legend goes, these knights have been blessed by the goddess herself with armor. They were literally the knight order of the goddess.

Lilisha intentionally appeared regretful, as if implying that the situation would be different if only these legendary knights were around.

“W-We can’t mobilize them unless the patriarch himself gives permission… And besides, they’re working on something else right now, so…”

‘Oops,’ cried the cat as it was let out of the bag.

It was so cliché that the princess found herself exasperated before she could even laugh.

That piece of information was not something that he should be letting others know given their current position.

“Archbishop!”

“Ah!”

The general sitting beside him tried to stop him with a powerful voice, but once uttered, there was no taking back one’s words.

“So you’re saying that they won’t be able to participate in our current alliance?” Asked a member of the alliance.

“That’s news to me,” remarked another member.

“What is the meaning of this, Archbishop-dono?

Weren’t they supposed to join us?” Questioned another member.

“Uh, ah, no… I mean we were planning to, but it seems it won’t be possible,” the archbishop tried to explain himself.

They’ve been running away from this issue all this time with vague promises, but given the situation now, it was no longer possible to pull the wool over people’s eyes.

The archbishop had no choice but to confess that the Knight Order of Rimoa would not be able to participate.

Of course, many have already investigated this beforehand.

It was only the two central figures of the alliance who did not know that the others had already known. They quietly sat in their seats.

Lilisha exhaled as if in exasperation at their attitude, then she spoke to the people gathered by the round table.

She spoke loudly to ensure that everyone heard the words that her country wished to pass.

“With this, I believe everyone has now been made privy to the present situation of the alliance.

Thereby, Earthgant would now like to propose that the alliance be dissolved.”

“What was that!?”

“What are you saying!?”

The end of the Great Alliance.

The general and the archbishop who spent so much time and effort in bringing this alliance together was naturally saddened.

No one voiced out their complaints other than them, but everyone else had an atmosphere about them as if this turn of events simply could not be helped.

Try as they might to lead everyone, if almost all of the participating countries aren’t for it, then the alliance simply can’t be kept.

“…What are you saying!?

Have you all forgotten that that Masquerade failed to assassinate the demon king!?

That devilish king is surely furious and is planning to attack us right this instant.

This alliance must be kept if at least to stop that!!”

He must have realized that at this rate the alliance was done for. Just as one might expect of someone used to persuading others, the words the archbishop spoke were believable, but Lilisha only scorned.

“So you say, but it’s already been a month, no?”

“That’s…”

That much time has passed since that failed attempt to assassinate the demon king before the whole world.

The reason it took the leading members of the alliance, the church (archbishop) and the Damores (general), so long to open this war council was because they kept being delayed by need to get the chaotic situation under control.

But despite so much time having passed, the forces of the demon king showed no signs of invading. It was rather peaceful.