Kratos watched from the window as the leaders of each country left the royal castle in a group.
It was good that the other six countries were united thanks to the hero, but the concern was the disaster he could cause. They had to prevent as many casualties as possible. All that was left was what to do about the Demon King. It wasn't fifteen years yet, it was only fifteen years. They had to prepare for the hero's journey in that time.
Thinking this, Kratos sighed.
The setting sun, which had lost much of its brightness, was about to touch the horizon.
Tired from the meeting, Kratos called Kartchnel, the leader of the kingdom's knights, into the meeting room that night.
"King, is there something I can help you with?"
"Well, please sit down. This might take a bit of time."
"I understand, and I'll be off."
Kartchnel pulled out a chair and sat down.
Kratos paused for a moment before speaking.
"How many monsters have there been around the capital recently, including sightings?"
"Well, about five a month."
"Five, huh..."
Kratos muttered, putting his hand to his chin.
"Maybe we haven't hunted enough? Or maybe there's been some damage?"
Kartinelle read Kratos's eyebrows and asked.
"No, it's just too few."
"Few...?"
"Yes. From now on, we'll have to increase the monster population."
"Why?"
"As the commander of the knights, I can say this, but a hero has been born."
It was an implicit message not to be revealed.
"Maybe the Demon King has returned!?"
"No, from the documents, the Demon King was defeated a long time ago."
"...Yes, that's true."
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"The birth of a hero without a Demon King has caused problems."
"What kind of problem is that?"
"A hero without a Demon King to oppose is nothing more than a disaster."
A question mark appeared in Karchnel's head.
"A disaster?"
"Heroes are born as heroes. If they fail to fulfill their role as heroes, a disaster will occur somewhere in this world, killing and wounding innocent people. In the worst case scenario, the whole world could be destroyed. That's why we need to increase the number of monsters that will get in the way of satisfying the hero's need for recognition."
Karchnel was speechless. "So from now on, we will switch from exterminating monsters to protecting, raising, and breeding them. We have fifteen years left. I want you to prepare a sufficient number of monsters in that time. We are considering the Laveria Plains and the forest to the south as possible breeding locations. First of all, we plan to start building a sturdy breeding facility tomorrow so that the monsters don't escape. I want you to oversee it all."
"Uh, uh... yes."
"The breeding method will be different depending on the monster. I think it will be trial and error with a monster expert and a few knights. I will tell the experts and knights that they will increase the monster population as a natural monument. No one knows that a hero has been born in the world yet, except for the leaders of the countries around the world. Please do not tell anyone."
Karchinel nodded slightly. Her expression showed that she still couldn't believe in the existence of a hero.
"If the people find out that a child is a hero, and that heroes are a disaster, he will not grow up to be an obedient hero in that environment. If that happens, this joint worldwide hero countermeasure may collapse. Before the breeding facility is completed, I want you to establish a method of capturing monsters and confirm their population. If it seems possible to capture them, you can bring other knights and capture them. There is a small area underground in the castle where we can protect them. I've talked a lot at once, but I'm counting on you. If there's anything you don't understand, I'll consult you. That's all. Do you have any questions?"
"Um... for now..."
"Then start working immediately from tomorrow."
"Yes, I understand."
After a short pause, Kirchnel stood up, bowed, and left the meeting room.
"First of all, we have to find and capture monsters..."
Kirchnel was looking back on his life as a knight. Until now, he had led the way in defeating monsters to protect the people. Now he had to capture them and breed them. Moreover, there are only a few monsters in existence, so how can I capture them without harming them as much as possible? I returned home thinking about various strategies.