The room was filled with silence; only fear was visible on the faces of the remaining elders except for Elmacia. Only four elders remained, including Elmacia. One elder, who had not been interested initially, raised her hand.

"Yes?" Elfan turned towards her.

"My name is Eliana Crafton, but please call me Eliana. My question is, why didn't you inform the Adventurers Guild about the dungeon? After informing them, they will open a branch here and help subjugate the monsters, and the Green Blazers can increase the number of the royal army."

"Good question, Eliana," Elfan responded, his voice steady. "I did consider that option. However, inviting the Adventurers Guild entails risks. While they could assist in subjugating monsters, their involvement would mean ceding control and a significant portion of profits to them. Dungeons are lucrative and can sustain our brigades even after paying salaries. Moreover, reports indicate human slave merchants would sneak into our country and kidnap our people living near the border with the Federation. So, I prefer our country to be strong first before even the Adventurers Guild knows about our dungeon. I hope I answered your question."

Elfan took a deep breath and continued, "To expand on this, informing the Adventurers Guild about the dungeon brings with it a multitude of complications. While they would undoubtedly help in subjugating the monsters, their involvement would also mean relinquishing a significant amount of control and profit to them. The Guild has a reputation for prioritizing their interests above those of the local populace. They would extract high taxes and fees, which would go into their coffers rather than being reinvested into our community. This dungeon is an invaluable resource, and I believe it's in our best interest to keep it under our control."

"Additionally," he addressed the room, "the presence of the Adventurers Guild would attract not only adventurers but also opportunists and mercenaries from all over. This influx could disrupt our social order and create security concerns. We have had issues in the past with human slave merchants infiltrating our borders. If the Adventurers Guild sets up a branch here, it could serve as a gateway for these criminals to gain a foothold in our lands."

Elfan paused briefly before turning his attention to another raised hand.

"Yes?" Elfan acknowledged the next person.

"My name is Elara Windrunner, and I have a question."

"Alright, Elara, go ahead."

"Your Majesty, my question is about the long-term strategy for handling the dungeon. If we keep it under our control, do we have the resources and expertise needed to manage and explore it effectively?"

"That's an excellent question, Elara," Elfan began. "Managing and exploring a dungeon of this scale is indeed a formidable task. However, we are not without resources and expertise. First, we have the Green Blazers, our elite force, who are trained to handle such challenges. With proper training and preparation, they can effectively manage the initial exploration and containment of the dungeon."

"Additionally," he continued, "we have scholars and researchers who specialize in ancient ruins and magical phenomena. By collaborating with them, we can gain a better understanding of the dungeon's mysteries and develop strategies to deal with its threats. Furthermore, we can enlist the help of local adventurers(Elves) and mercenaries on a case-by-case basis, ensuring that we retain control over the operations while benefiting from their skills and experience."

"Moreover," Elfan swept his gaze across the room, meeting each elder's eyes, "by controlling the dungeon ourselves, we can allocate its resources directly towards strengthening our nation's infrastructure and defenses. The wealth generated from the dungeon will be reinvested into training our soldiers, enhancing our magical defenses, and improving our towns and cities. This will not only make us more capable of handling the dungeon but also fortify our nation against external threats."

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"In essence," Elfan concluded, "while it will require careful planning and resource management, I believe that our nation has the capability to handle the dungeon effectively. By doing so, we retain full control over its benefits and ensure that our people directly reap the rewards of our efforts."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. That clarifies a lot," Elara responded.

Elfan then turned to the elder who had remained quiet.

"Miss Elowen Silverleaf," he addressed her, "I would like to formally invite you to join the Royal Family Creation Department."

Nobody expected that from Elfan. Even Elmacia was shocked.

"Please, Your Majesty, call me Elowen. I am the weakest among the elders, and I don't think I can be useful."

"I see you have the skill 'Artisan.' Do you know how to use it?"

"No, Your Majesty. It is a useless skill I was born with, and nobody knows anything about it."

Oh, you're not asking me how I knew about your skill? Looks like she's scared of me. I don't look scary, right?

"I will teach you how to use it, and in exchange, you can join our creation department."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will be happy to work with you."

Turning towards Elmacia, Elfan asked, "Should I still give the elders two days to think about it?"

"No, I think everyone in this room agrees, right?" Elmacia turned towards the three remaining elders, and they nodded in unison.

"Supreme Elder is kind," said Elfan, with a slight smile.

"That is unfair, Your Majesty. Why are you calling me that while you called others by their names?"

"Okay, okay, Elmacia."

"What are we going to tell the public regarding the death of the elders?" Elmacia asked.

"They assassinated the crown princess and plotted to assassinate Queen Leona. The queen found out and killed them," Elfan responded.

"No, honey, I would not steal your credit. You deserve all the praise. Everyone should bow down and worship you."

This silly girl, what worship?

"Love, you are not stealing my glory. We are married; what's mine is yours."

"If you insist, honey."

Yes, that's my wife, so easy!!!

I presented evidence to the remaining elders that showed that the third elder was using the Eclipse family to fight for the throne. However, the real question remained. Did the third elder assassinate the crown princess? Was the Eclipse family used by the third elder to assassinate Leona?

Actually, the answer is simple: I don't know. I just collected the evidence to justify killing the elders, and I want generations many years from now, when they read history books, to see me and Leona as benevolent and kind rulers who preferred diplomacy over violence. I don't want to be viewed as some taboo, a tyrant who killed those who disagreed with him.

Was it necessary to kill the elders? According to my plan, I wanted to kill at least three to set an example for others. Queen Elizabeth's high taxes actually indirectly helped us since we are not short of money. However, just to be on the safe side, I figured three elders' assets would be enough. I didn't think the goddess would bless me with not only three but nine elders who wanted to meet her. The first step is to establish the Blazers as quickly as possible, starting with green.

We spent the rest of the day with the elders, enjoying ourselves and eating good food. Messengers were sent all over the country, summoning all major nobles, lesser nobles, and feudal lords to the royal palace. They are expected to arrive in five days."

Now we are in the carriage returning to the royal palace from the elders' meeting.

"Your Majesty, I did not know you were this strong!" said Anna.

"I see, that is why you could catch my sword barehanded," Eli added.

"Yes, Your Majesty, how are you this strong?" Leona playfully added.

"I just got lucky, and I was born this strong," I responded.

I received those looks that mean, 'Yeah, right. Do you expect us to believe that?'

"Don't be reckless next time, okay? Just let us help you," said Leona as she took my head and put it on her lap. She added while petting my head, "I don't know what I'll do if I lose you."

Ah, this is heaven, but I see white between Anna's legs. Let's try to avoid it before she realizes it.

"Your Majesty, what are you looking at?" Anna asked.

Let me pretend as if I am sleeping.

"Ah, look, Lady Elisa!" Eli shouted.

"Mother? Where?" I woke up quickly."

"Your Majesty, I thought you were sleeping and didn't see anything." said Anna with intense gaze

Damn it, they tricked me!!!