After breakfast, a thought suddenly crossed Anyi's mind. If there's a map of the Heroes' movements, why not create a map for the monsters as well? It made sense. Even if they couldn't access the heart of the monsters' territories, information from the borders was valuable.

When the thirrd Hero had arrived, a wave of activity had begun. Believers, eager to assist, meticulously crafted the map according to Anyi’s specifications. Their dedication impressed him. Despite being in the early stages of exploration, their enthusiasm for eliminating monsters was palpable.

Well, they don't have much of a choice, Anyi mused. If they don’t destroy these monsters, humanity will be extinct within a decade. Anyone slacking off now is no different from an enemy of mankind.

A robed believer hurried towards him, excitement barely contained. "Sword Hero-sama! Based on your request, we’ve revised the relevant materials."

"Furthermore, as you suggested, we've placed everything in the large conference room." The disciple beamed with pride.

"Good," Anyi nodded slightly, giving them a rare gesture of approval.

"The conference room—we’re temporarily calling it the 'Hero Gathering Hall,'" the believer continued, eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Anyi’s brow furrowed. "Names are unnecessary."

The believer, undeterred, ventured another suggestion. "What about 'Council of Four Heroes'?"

Anyi gave a flat stare. "Wouldn't it be clearer to just call it the 'Monster Strategy Conference'?"

The believer blinked, then eagerly nodded in agreement. "As expected of Sword Hero-sama!"

"Yes, simple and direct!" another disciple chimed in.

Ariana, standing nearby, smiled. "Not bad, that name."

Anyi sighed. "It doesn't matter what it's called..." He found the obsession with titles and formality exhausting. Why waste time naming a room when there’s a war against monsters?

At Anyi's suggestion, the three Heroes and a handful of believers proceeded to the newly dubbed "Monster Strategy Conference." The task ahead was simple: the Heroes would discuss the gathered intelligence, while the believers would organize and present the documents.

Standing before the great map, Anyi felt a surge of nostalgia. In my past life, I charged blindly into the monsters' territories without gathering any intel—and I paid dearly for it.

This time was different. With so many people aiding in information gathering, many of the costly mistakes could be avoided. It felt like comparing two completely different strategies—one of blind recklessness and one of careful preparation.

For instance, Anyi mused, if you know there’s a toxic swamp ahead, you don’t march in unprepared. But if you know the danger beforehand, you can bring antidotes and move forward with caution.

He glanced at the map again, satisfied. "The intelligence has been processed faster than expected. I thought it would take a full day at least."

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

One of the believers stepped forward. "We’ve compiled most of the monster reports, Sword Hero-sama. The only thing left is some information on the Heroes’ birthplaces, but that will take more time. The daily reports on monster activities are ready for use, including data on the disasters affecting your own village."

Anyi paused, a thought stirring in the back of his mind. These people... they’re the ones recording history.

The records of his past life hadn’t come from the system, but from a book he'd once stumbled upon, documenting everything in painstaking detail. Now, that data had vanished from the system, leaving only what he could recall. Yet the monster materials remained, waiting in the shadows of his memory. Even if he couldn't remember everything perfectly, seeing the data could trigger the system to extract the knowledge buried within him.

Perhaps, he thought, staring at the sprawling map, there’s more to history than I once knew.

"Anyi!" Ariana's voice called from behind. "The 4th Hero has arrived."

Moments later, a believer rushed into the room. "Holy Maiden sama, Two Heroes, the 4th Hero has arrived!" he declared.

"Perfect timing. Bring him here directly," Anyi responded without missing a beat.

"Yes! Sword Hero-sama!" The believer quickly scurried off.

Without realizing it, Anyi had taken command of the situation. Despite Ariana's high status as the Holy Maiden, everyone looked to Anyi for instructions, deferring to him with unwavering focus.

Not long after, a young man entered the room. He had a sturdy build, short, disheveled hair, and wore a mix of new leather armor and simple canvas clothes. His arrival was marked by the clinking of various bags strapped across his body, creating a stark contrast with the austere atmosphere of the conference room.

"... Hey?" Layton, the 4th Hero, glanced around, quickly realizing he looked out of place among the gathered heroes and believers.

Ariana was about to greet him when suddenly, "Ow!" she yelped as Anyi casually grabbed her hair and pulled her back.

"First, set your things down, then we can talk," Anyi said to Layton, ignoring Ariana’s brief protest.

The believers gasped, visibly unsure how to react. 'Did he just pull the Holy Maiden by the hair?!'

Even Miruku was startled. 'So rough! He doesn’t show any mercy, not even to a girl!'

"Why did you pull me?" Ariana asked, rubbing her head, a small frown on her face.

"Did it hurt? I'm sorry. I don't often deal with women, so I might be clumsy about it. I figured we could save introductions for the meeting," Anyi explained, his tone matter-of-fact.

"This... well, alright, I forgive you," Ariana said, nodding, her annoyance fading quickly.

Miruku blinked in disbelief. *It’s my fault for misjudging him! He’s actually so considerate! I’m crying inside!*

The believers exchanged glances, their thoughts swirling. 'Don't be fooled by Sword Hero-sama! He has a younger sister! There's no way he doesn’t know how to interact with women!'

Anyi, for his part, barely gave the interaction any more thought. He had simply acted to keep things moving, preferring not to waste time.

Soon, the room fell silent, the bustle of activity winding down. Two long tables lined the sides of the room where believers sat, ready to reference documents at a moment’s notice. In the center was a large, semi-circular table with four chairs, all facing a wall displaying a large, detailed map.

Three heroes had already taken their seats. Layton, the newly arrived [Shield Hero], took his place at the last seat, standing in front of the table with confidence. He beamed at the gathered audience and launched into his introduction.

"Hello everyone! Good morning!" he began, his voice full of energy. "I’m Layton Shiklai from Navan Town! I used to be a porter! I don’t fully understand why I was chosen as the [Shield Hero] or what a Hero's duties are, but still!" He pounded his chest. "Since I was chosen, I’ll take full responsibility! Like a man! We should always stand up to protect this world!"

He continued, his voice swelling with pride. "Like a man, we should always be there for our family! I want to protect everyone, to fight for them! From today onwards, I am the Shield Hero! Layton Shiklai!"

"Good ——!!!" The believers erupted into applause, cheering loudly at Layton's speech.

Ariana clapped along with them, her smile wide and genuine. Miruku, on the other hand, barely managed a soundless clap, feeling dwarfed by the sheer energy radiating from Layton. 'He’s so... bright! I can’t deal with someone like that! I’m so out of my depth...!'

Anyi, sitting quietly, just watched the scene unfold. "..."