After the commotion, only Leo, Elena, and Sis remained in Leo's office.
"Miss Elena. Would you please stand by His Majesty's side for a moment?"
At Sith's words, Elena stood next to Leo, who was sitting at the table in the office.
Sith, who had taken a picture of the two using a magic item, looked at it with a pleased face.
"What a handsome man and woman who really look so good together."
"Leo, did you hear? Sir Sith said we're a good-looking couple. What do you think, Boss?"
Leo said, watching Elena's back and forth between titles and speech.
"Just do one of the two. Just one."
"Yeah, boss."
Leo said, laughing hysterically at Elena's playful rebellion.
"And Sith says that no matter who I'm with, I get along well with everyone."
At those words, Elena made a trembling expression.
"Aren't all the women around Your Majesty beautiful?"
Sith said shamelessly.
"By the way, this is a good opportunity. I had something to ask you."
Leo handed Sis a payment document.
"What the heck is this?"
At those words, Sis took the document, checked its contents, and said.
"This is an agenda item for approval of the palace extension and building construction."
"So why do you do that?"
"Your Majesty's intention to refrain from extravagance for the sake of the palace's finances... I am deeply moved. But don't worry! Our Arhi Kingdom! Of course, it's a new kingdom, but the Resenteng region we rule is by no means poor. Furthermore, we have carefully managed our finances to prepare for any eventuality, so the palace's assets are ample! There's no shortage of funds to expand the palace for Your Majesty..."
"I'm not worried about the budget. I'm just wondering why we're making this."
At Leo's words, Elena seemed curious and went over to Sis to check the documents.
It was a construction plan to build villas on a huge site.
"The King's Garden?"
Elena's face changed strangely.
"Your Majesty. It is not a bad thing for a king to have many wives for future generations…."
"Tear it."
At Leo's words, Elena snatched the document and tore it up.
"Your Majesty! A ruler of a nation must provide for many successors for future generations! This is one of the virtues of a ruler!"
"Send it out."
Elena pushed Sith out of the office.
"Miss Elena! I appointed you as His Majesty's aide, and how can you treat me so coldly?"
"So you're following orders well, right?"
"Miss Elena! Think about it! This place could become Miss Elena's palace…."
Sith tried to persuade Elena, but was eventually kicked out.
"It's good to have a king."
"what?"
"People around me are pushing me to start a life with as many women as possible, right?"
Elena said with a grumpy face.
"I never said I would do it, so why are you taking it out on me?"
Despite Leo's words, Elena only laughed.
***
Leo began to take charge of his duties as king in earnest.
In the grand scheme of things, the king's duties were not much different from those of the student body president.
There were many people in the Arhi Kingdom that Leo could trust.
Since they all worked hard to make the Arhi Kingdom a good country according to Leo's will, Leo only had to give his approval as the final decision maker.
"...I don't think I graduated."
After a few days had passed.
Leo chuckled as Elena grumbled lightly.
Elena tilted her head as she checked the budget documents.
Just looking at the budget, you could tell what Leo cared most about as a monarch.
"You care a lot about ordinary soldiers?"
The thing Leo put the most effort into was the military.
It wasn't just things like welfare.
I could feel that they were putting a lot of effort into equipment and training.
"Isn't the number of soldiers that high?"
The Kingdom of Arhi has now achieved world-wide fame.
But that doesn't mean that the Arhi Kingdom has gained great national power.
The strength of the soldiers who form the foundation of the military comes from national power.
In that sense, the budget allocated to ordinary soldiers was larger than Elena had imagined.
"With Leo-kun's reputation attracting many people with supernatural abilities, wouldn't it be better to allocate more budget to that area?"
"Your budget is already sufficient."
Elena nodded after checking the budget for the magician group at Leo's answer.
"That's definitely true."
But still, he had a puzzled expression on his face.
"But the number of knights, wizards, and summoners will increase in the future, so wouldn't it be better to turn them over to them in advance?"
"If it's within budget, it's sufficient. Melina is helping too."
Leo doesn't know much about management or administration.
There's nothing he can't do if asked, but there are experts out there, so there's no reason for Leo to step forward.
"Hmm. Leo is definitely not the type of king who manages things."
"That's right. I'm the type to fight on the front lines."
Leo chuckled.
He is a person who is not fit to be a king in the first place.
If it had no utility, Leo would not have worn the crown.
"So? Why are you spending such a large budget on a military that's not even that big?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"Before you answer, let me ask you something."
Leo looked up from his papers and looked at Elena.
"Elena, do you think I am the perfect king?"
"no."
Elena spoke honestly.
"Leo Plov may be a perfect man as a hero, but he has many shortcomings as a king."
Leo chuckled as he watched Elena shrug her shoulders.
"Even as a hero, he's not perfect."
"It looks perfect to me?"
"If it were perfect, I wouldn't have left you with this burden."
"that...."
Leo said as if informing Elena, looking a little flustered.
"Nothing has changed, whether it was 5,000 years ago or now. I still can't do anything on my own. And it's the same for everyone else."
Leo took in the view of the palace outside the window.
"I am able to be king because many people, including you, are helping me."
"...."
"We weren't the only ones who dedicated ourselves to the world 5,000 years ago."
Although only five names have been passed down to later generations, there are countless heroes behind the scenes of history that the world does not know about.
Fortunately, through Leo, they began to become known and praised in modern times, but only a few people were known to the world who Leo remembered.
Faces Leo doesn't remember.
Or people you didn't know.
Among them, there will be ordinary people who cannot even handle mana.
Those who willingly gave their lives to protect those behind them, relying solely on weapons.
"If we look at each individual as you say, the influence that ordinary soldiers can have on the battlefield would be minimal."
The battlefield is absurd.
The life of a soldier and the life of a hero are of distinctly different value.
Sometimes the life of one hero is more important than the lives of thousands of ordinary soldiers.
Leo recalled the battlefields of the past, where dozens or even hundreds of lives were lost in an instant from a single attack by a powerful, high-ranking demon.
Every time I blinked, the soldiers in front of me died.
Even if hundreds or thousands gather, it is the height of futility where death occurs in an instant and even despair is not permitted.
'But those fleeting moments gathered together and the world was saved.'
They knew it before they went into battle.
That their deaths were closer to dog deaths.
Nevertheless, they went to the battlefield.
With more courage than anyone else.
"The Kingdom of Arhi does not have a conscription system."
The war with Tartarus wasn't the only thing that happened over the past 5,000 years.
War between races.
Or a war between compatriots fighting over vested interests.
But there is one thing that never changes in any war.
The protagonist of the battlefield is always a hero, and ordinary soldiers are nothing more than expendable commodities.
The moment you step onto the battlefield, life and death depend purely on luck.
That's what it meant to stand on the battlefield as a common soldier in the age of heroes.
"So there must be many reasons why they enlist in the military."
Some may have volunteered because they were impressed by the king's reputation, while others may have simply enlisted because they were treated well.
But whatever the reason, they took up arms knowing that they were going to battle against Tartarus.
In this age of heroes.
"Elena, remember."
Leo said seriously.
"When you stand on the battlefield, just as I will help you, someone unknown will sacrifice their life for you."
"...."
"If you become a shining hero, there will surely be people who die for you."
Leo wants those around him to not die on the battlefield.
But Leo is not a saint. He can't fill his fence with countless nameless people.
"Even so, I hope those people don't die as much as possible."
Even if my name is not recorded in history.
It was clear that those who sacrificed themselves for others were heroes.
"I was bragging about graduating."
Elena smiled bitterly.
"Compared to Leo, I'm still a child."
"Because I still lack experience."
"So, I'll need a lot of help from Leo."
"I will also receive a lot of help from you."
"Does that mean you'll rely on me?"
"I still rely on you."
Leo, who had his chin resting on his hand, smiled softly at Elena.
Elena was momentarily taken aback by Leo's gaze.
"So I plan to entrust you with the king's duties."
"To me?"
"Yeah. Because I trust and rely on you."
Elena's cheeks flushed slightly at Leo's unusual attitude.
Elena turned her head slightly and fanned her face with her hand.
"Will you take care of it?"
"Well, Leo-kun trusts and relies on you so much. I'll take care of it."
"Thank you, there is no one else like you."
Bam-!
As soon as Leo finished answering, the office door opened.
"Leo, oppa! I'm out! I heard from Elsie that you're going to the southern part of the continent. Can I come with you?"
Elena's face turned cold as soon as Chelsea appeared.
Leo smiled at Chelsea like that.
"It might be a tough journey, are you okay?"
"I'm okay!"
Elena, who was looking at her favorite Chelsea with a bright smile, glared at Leo fiercely.
"So that was a trick to pass the work on to me?"
"It is true that I believe and rely on it."
Leo answered shamelessly.
"Senior Elena, can't you come?"
"Elena agreed to do the work for me."
"So, Leo and I are traveling alone?"
"I think so."
Chelsea was thrilled by those words.
Elena, who was staring at Chelsea, said.
"Chelsea. Don't be too happy."
"yes?"
"That man will abandon you and go to another woman once he feels he's had enough of using you."
"If anyone heard me, they'd think I was some bad guy who just sucks women's butts."
"...."
"...."
"Why don't you deny it?"
Elena narrowed her eyes at him.
"It's true."
"I also take advantage of men?"
"It's even more vicious."