E-Rantel.
Situated on the border between the Kingdom and the Empire, surrounded by multiple layers of walls, it stood as a military fortress guarding the Kingdom's frontier.
In the city's central district stood the Adventurer's Guild.
Inside an office on the guild's second floor, two figures were in conversation.
"Master, what should we do? Should we agree to the Kingdom's request and help resist the Empire's invasion?"
The voice belonged to a man speaking quickly, his tone carrying clear anxiety.
The soft glow of the chandelier spread across his face.
Jet-black hair, brown eyes, and a slightly sturdy build gave him a capable, dependable appearance.
"Relax. A qualified warrior must learn to stay calm no matter the situation."
Compared to the man's agitation, the other figure was far more composed.
The bald elder patted the man on the shoulder, calming his disciple.
The man frowned, but forced himself to suppress the restlessness in his chest. With a sigh, he spoke.
"News just arrived from the front lines. Our army has already collapsed. Even the Kingdom's strongest Warrior Captain was defeated. The Empire's army will soon be at the city gates."
"Even though the Adventurer's Guild forbids involvement in national affairs, we cannot just sit here and do nothing."
The war had broken out far too suddenly, so suddenly that no one had been prepared.
The man did not care about the reasons behind it. All he knew was that E-Rantel, the place where he lived, would soon become a battlefield.
Naturally, that made it hard for him to stay calm.
"You really are something. You are already a married man, so you should be more steady. Do not rush. Rushing will not solve anything."
"I know what you are thinking. You feel like we will not be able to stay out of this, right?"
The bald elder shook his head and continued.
"But have you considered that doing nothing is already our only option?"
The old man understood the situation clearly.
Whether they supported the Kingdom or the Empire, neither was a good choice.
The Kingdom's corruption ran deeper than anyone imagined. Even though he possessed hero-level strength, he had no intention of placing his trust in those nobles.
There was no telling when they might stab him in the back.
As for the Empire.
The old man knew something about the Bloody Emperor. Without a doubt, he was a ruthless ruler.
The elder had once considered helping the Empire, but he did not dare gamble on whether the Bloody Emperor would trust him.
After all, judging from the current situation, the Empire could very likely annex the Kingdom even without their assistance.
If victory was already assured, why would the Bloody Emperor accept uncertain variables like them?
After thinking it through again and again, the elder ultimately chose to help neither side.
The Adventurer's Guild already had strict rules forbidding involvement in national affairs.
Although it was located in E-Rantel, it was not subordinate to the Kingdom.
As long as the Adventurer's Guild maintained neutrality, and with his hero-level strength serving as a deterrent,
Considering the Bloody Emperor's personality, the Empire's only goal right now should be capturing the Kingdom's capital as quickly as possible.
As long as they stayed out of the conflict, the Empire most likely would not pay them any attention.
"The only option, huh… But it still feels awful."
The man clenched his fists. Thinking about his wife and the child that would soon be born filled him with frustration and unwillingness.
"So basically, as long as we make sure the Empire trusts us completely, everything will be fine, right?"
A lazy voice suddenly came from the side.
Both men were startled and immediately turned toward the source of the sound.
There, on the ceiling, a figure had appeared at some unknown moment, lying half reclined across a wooden beam.
When did he get here?
The same thought appeared in both of their minds.
But the moment they saw who it was, that question vanished completely.
Instead, bright smiles of joy appeared on both of their faces.
"Yo, long time no see, Guildmaster Ainzach, Yago."
Naohara jumped down from the ceiling beam, brushed the dust off his clothes, and greeted them casually.
"Naohara, it really is you! How have you been lately? I heard you guys made quite a name for yourselves over in the Dragon Kingdom."
"Oh right, where are Momonga and Herohero?"
The man walked over and slapped Naohara on the shoulder with easy familiarity as he laughed.
"Yeah, things have been pretty good. Eating well, drinking well."
"As for Momonga and Herohero, they had something to deal with this time, so they couldn't come."
Naohara answered while sizing up the two familiar faces in front of him.
Yago was a drunkard Naohara and the other two had met in E-Rantel when they first became adventurers.
Back then, at the "Spinning Bird Inn," the guy constantly challenged Naohara to drinking contests.
He was always shouting about getting him drunk someday. He had also chatted with Momonga and Herohero before and was a pretty good drinking buddy.
After the Undead invasion incident, a strange chain of events eventually led him to give up his identity as a Kingdom soldier and join the Adventurer's Guild.
Ainzach was the Guildmaster of the Adventurer's Guild and Yago's master.
He once had a thick head of hair, but unfortunately Yago burned it all off in a fire. Still, he was an old man with a very good temperament.
"By the way, Yago, you jerk. How come you got married without telling me? I was hoping to drink at your wedding."
Looking at Yago beside him, who had changed quite a bit compared to what he remembered, Naohara clicked his tongue.
Although becoming a dragon had affected parts of his personality, Naohara was still easygoing with his friends.
Well, as long as they were not like Blue Roses from before.
(To clarify, the protagonist is the type who is happy to do good deeds as long as it does not involve Nazarick's interests.)
(As for the personality split, I actually explained it clearly earlier. In the early stage the protagonist is more indifferent and casual. Later he becomes increasingly calm. The reason was already mentioned. Their race gradually influences the personalities of the three.)
(For example, Clementine. Whether early or late in the story, the protagonist's first thought was always to twist Clementine's head off. I explained that in the original text. The difference is that early on he was easier to talk to and would play along for a bit. Only after Clementine made her move would he twist her head off. If it were the later version of the protagonist, he would simply twist Clementine's head off immediately.)
(Personality affects judgment. Early on, human nature dominates. Later, as the protagonist fully becomes a dragon, dragon nature becomes dominant. His core nature does not change, but his way of thinking gradually aligns with his current race.)
(In the end, as long as the protagonist considers someone a friend, that outcome will not change unless Nazarick is involved.)
(The personality is a bit messy. That is roughly how it works.)
"You've got some nerve saying that!"
"I sent you guys so many letters, and none of the three of you replied."
Yago looked almost frantic as he responded to Naohara's question.
Back then, because of those three, he delayed his wedding again and again, but no reply ever came.
What else could he do? There was nothing he could do about it.
"Uh... sorry about that. Next time, when your child is born, I'll definitely bring Momonga and Herohero with me."
"Hmm... we'll personally give our blessings to your child."
Naohara shrugged as he spoke casually.
It would be a miracle if he had actually received those letters.
After all, their adventure in the Dragon Kingdom was just a cover story. Unless someone could send the letter directly to Nazarick.
"Then it's settled. Don't stand us up again."
"Yeah, yeah. All three of us will come."
Naohara waved his hand, silently making a note of it while feeling a little surprised.
He had just looked through Yago's memories and realized he actually knew the man's wife.
She was the female adventurer who took a photo for the three of them at the entrance of the Adventurer's Guild when they first arrived.
(PS: She is the potion girl from the original story.)
Well, who would have thought those two would end up together.
After sighing at how strange fate could be, Naohara shifted his gaze toward a certain bald man who had been watching the entire scene unfold.
"Guildmaster Ainzach, what do you think about the suggestion I made earlier?"
Aside from catching up, the reason Naohara came to E-Rantel this time was to settle the matter of their stance.
After all, there were quite a few acquaintances here. He could not just ignore it.
"Words alone are not enough proof. But since it is your suggestion, I have no objections."
Ainzach smiled. If it had been someone else, he would not have believed it. The risk involved was simply too great.
But Naohara had once saved his life, so Ainzach was willing to take the gamble.
"I see. Then thank you for trusting me."
Naohara was slightly surprised before nodding.
"Since the issue is settled, let's go have a drink, Naohara. Boss Ajjie has been talking about you three quite often."
Seeing that things were resolved, Yago immediately suggested it.
"Alright. Sounds good."