The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War

“Come on, Gliis, what are you doing? Let's go. Miss Vilma said not to stray, remember?"

Rafinha effortlessly picked her up.

“Oh, yeah. Sorry, Rani.”

Meanwhile, Leone asked Vilma a question.

“Why only four? There are five of us here, though…”

"Indeed. I was wondering about that myself."

“It shouldn't be an issue for a Hyrule Menace to pass, right? They are creations of Highland, after all.”

“Ah, I see…”

“That is one way to put it.”

“…meaning I’m always welcome home, is it? That’s a relief to hear.”

Despite her words, Eris's expression remained indifferent, not reflecting much happiness.

“The other side seems quite far~ I wish we had a Flygear for this.”

As Rafinha mentioned, the exit on the other side of the passage seemed quite a distance away.

“Yeah, you're right.”

Vilma approached a part of the wall adorned with what looked like a crest.

“Requesting transportation for six. Destination: Central Research Institute.”

Once again, light emanated towards her stigmata. Subsequently, the wall silently slid open, and from within emerged a Flygear. Although its shape resembled a flat, circular structure with an outer rim, it was akin to a smaller version of the Flygear Carrier.

“Wow…! Amazing!!”

Rafinha cheered.

“S-, so convenient…”

“H-, how does this even work…?!”

“It’s a transport vending machine. Illumina's main island has countless machines like this, not just here. Come on, hop on.”

“Alright, then I'll drive… Wait, there's no steering wheel?”

“The control is automated too. You just need to tell your destination.”

“Wooww~~~ That's incredible!"

"Truly remarkable… well, considering it's where Artifacts and Hyrule Menaces are created…”

“You have a point, Leone…”

Rafinha grew even more excited, while Leone and Liselotte were increasingly overwhelmed by it all.

"Let's go, then."

Following Vilma's command, the Flygear lifted off and soared. Passing through the long corridor, they emerged outdoors.

They arrived at a place resembling the side of a high rocky mountain, and the moment they stepped outside, the panoramic view of Highland unfolded before their eyes. It was a colossal city, its scale rivaling even Chiral, the capital of Charalia.

The layout of the city was meticulously organized, with square-boxed residences seen from afar, uniform in size. These buildings had milk-white exterior walls with emblems designed in green, all neatly arranged at regular intervals. The trees planted were evenly spaced, identical in size and type, contributing to an overall extraordinarily orderly appearance.

“There are so many buildings of the same size…!”

“They all seem precisely measured…”

“When buildings match like this, it looks incredibly organized…”

“Miss Vilma, are those smaller matching buildings the residences of the Highlanders?”

“Yes, that's right.”

“So, different-sized buildings indicate different facilities then?"

“There aren't any signboards or anything, so I have no idea which is which.”

Rafinha looked around nervously.

“Rafinha, were you looking for a restaurant?”

Leone directed the question to Rafinha.

“Oh, busted? I wanted to find a good eatery, a tailor for Highland clothes, and a souvenir shop too! Miss Vilma, where are they?"

"There's no such place. Food, clothes, and everything else is distributed as needed.”

“““Whaaat?!”””

Rafinha and the others exclaimed in surprise.

“S-, so, everything's free…?!”

“T-, this is completely different from Midland…”

“S-, so, where do the Highlanders work…?!”

Liselotte asked Vilma.

“Basically, there's no need for most to engage in labor. There are exceptions, of course. Such as cutting-edge researchers or people like me. Since this is the Duke of Art's stronghold, many aspire to be researchers."

“I see… So, if most of what's needed to live is automatically provided, people won't need to work…”1

Perhaps this was how human society would evolve. The world had progressed significantly compared to the era when King Inglis lived. Who would have thought such a place existed?

“But there aren't any fields or pastures here. How do they get food…? Oh, they probably received it from the Midland in exchange for Artifacts…"

“Is this… really a good place? Maybe it is, for those who live here… But for us, who fight desperately against the Magic Stone Beasts to protect our land, this is…”

“However, without Artifacts, we wouldn't be able to defend the land we live on. It's unavoidable, isn’t it…?”

“There's no use complaining. We're here to fulfill our purpose, that's all that matters.”

Eris addressed Rafinha and the others.

“…Midlanders and us Highlanders might not be equals, but we support each other. That's why we've taken on your visit to repair Hyrule Menace without seeking anything in return."

“That’s…grateful.”

“Well, I think being liberated from labor for survival is a wonderful thing. Being allowed to pursue one's own martial skills as much as desired, training, or continuing to fight endlessly—it's enviable, isn’t it…?!"

“““…………”””

Eris, Leone, and Liselotte all gazed at Inglis with slightly complicated expressions.

“?”

“That’s how you always are, Glis!”

Rafinha playfully poked Inglis' cheek.

Eris, Leone, and Liselotte nodded in agreement.

“Meaning living in Midland is just as fun, right?"

However, Inglis returned with a grin, not backing down.

“…well, I suppose there's no point in comparing it?"

“Yeah, that's it. As long as I have Rani and can face strong opponents anytime and have plenty to eat, I'm satisfied.”

"Well, that sounds quite greedy. I’m the same, omitting the strong opponents…! Anyway, let's just enjoy what's in front of us! Like sightseeing!”

"Uh, Rafinha, I don't think we're here for leisure…”

“And crash-landing at sea must have been quite an ordeal for them…”

“There seem to be hardly any people in the city.”

Eris observed the city below and remarked,

‘It's eerily quiet for such a massive city. There are hardly any people around.’

“Most of the evacuations have likely been completed. The majority should be underground."

"I see…”

“If safety is confirmed, people will start coming out into the streets. But our first destination is over there.”

Vilma pointed to the central part of the city. There stood an overwhelmingly colossal building, several times larger than any other structure around. It would likely surpass even Charalia's royal castle in size.

“That's the Central Research Institute. It's the core of Illuminas Island. The facility that creates Hyrule Menaces is also located there.”

As Vilma explained, the Flygear moved closer to the immense structure.

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1. Syl: Can I migrate to Highland?