Andreas was back in his own room. The first day of the conference had gone far smoother than he had expected. Contrary to his fears, the other Overlords had neither shown hostility toward him nor regarded him like prey. Their indifference made the entire ordeal far easier to endure. For the first time since he had arrived, he felt he could breathe.
He released a soft sigh and allowed his thoughts to travel back over the topics that had been discussed during the meeting. Within a month, several groups of beastmen refugees would be sent to his domain. Once he returned home, he would need to prepare proper accommodations, assign guards, assess their stability, and determine whether any among them posed a threat. That alone would be a major responsibility.
There was also the matter of the Empire's purges. Overlord Berith had volunteered to handle the investigation, which meant Andreas would not need to concern himself with the subject until the next gathering, five years in the future. On top of that were the rumors concerning the dwarven king's lost masterpieces, as well as several other small but lingering issues that had surfaced during the meetings.
He tried to organize these matters neatly in his mind, but the thoughts slowly blurred together. Exhaustion settled on him like a heavy blanket. His limbs weakened, and his head lowered without his permission. Before long he surrendered to the weight pulling him down and drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.
The final day of the Northern Border Overlord Conference arrived. The air was cool atop the stone platform where the Overlords gathered for the last session. The morning sun lay low behind a thin veil of clouds, creating long shadows across the floor.
Adusius, who presided over the meeting, cleared his throat before speaking. His voice carried across the rooftop with practiced authority.
"Then we have only the matter of the routine dungeon inspections left to discuss."
Dungeons were complicated places. Some had been forged deliberately by ancient dragons or by powerful mages from long-forgotten ages. Others appeared naturally where mana condensed so densely that it twisted the surroundings and lured monsters into forming nests. The rarest kind were rifts where the fabric of the world bent, allowing pieces of foreign realms to seep into their own. Every dungeon, whether natural or constructed, was dangerous in its own way.
"None in Vakuroum," Andreas answered. He had never seen a dungeon before, nor did his territory contain any, which made the subject feel distant to him.
"None here," another Overlord reported.
"Neither here."
"I had one until recently," Banza said.
"Recently?" Ashspire glanced toward him with raised brows.
"It was close to my border. I destroyed it," Banza replied with a casual shrug, as if such a task were no more difficult than clearing debris from a road.
"I have no signs of dungeon sprouts in my lands either," someone else added.
"Mine remain clear as well."
Dungeon inspections existed because an unchecked dungeon could eventually overflow. When monsters grew too numerous inside, they sometimes poured out in a destructive wave that could devastate the nearby region. But with so many powerful Overlords guarding the northern border, an overflow seemed unlikely. Andreas believed the matter was more of a formality than a genuine threat.
"Then the Northern Border Conference concludes," Adusius declared. He rolled up his papers with a decisive motion and stood. "I will return to my territory immediately. I expect to see all of you alive in five years."
"Safe travels, Lord Adusius."
"Farewell, Lord Adusius."
Before turning away, Adusius paused in front of Andreas. His stern expression softened with a faint smirk.
"Farewell, young Valekor. Do try not to become like these fools during the next five years."
As the senior Overlord departed, Banza stretched with a grin.
"Come, child. Let us have a spar before returning," he said.
Ashspire scoffed. "Of course. Challenging a child to patch the holes in your pride. How predictable."
Banza did not react to the insult. Instead, he drew the enormous axe strapped to his back. The weapon was larger than Andreas himself, its blade catching the morning light.
"Come down here, old man. I will finally force you into retirement."
He leapt from the rooftop with Ashspire close behind him.
A thunderous boom echoed from the courtyard below. Dust rose, and the sound of clashing could already be heard.
"They started fighting the moment Lord Adusius left," someone murmured.
Berith approached Andreas next. He offered a brief nod.
"I shall depart as well, young Lord of Valekor. May you survive until the next conference."
With that, Berith and the remaining Overlords dispersed, leaving Andreas alone with the wind. He descended the stairs, and at the bottom Arden awaited him with impeccable posture.
"Young master, it seems everything went smoothly," Arden said.
"It did. Let us leave."
"At once."
Andreas began the long journey home.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself back in his office. At some point he had fallen asleep on his desk again. A small smear of ink marked the side of his hand.
"Tsk."
He reached for the small bell beside him and rang it. Within moments Arden entered.
"You called, young master?"
"When were the beastmen expected to arrive?" Andreas asked.
"They already have."
"When?"
"While you were resting."
Andreas clicked his tongue. He truly needed to purchase stamina potions soon if he intended to maintain a proper workload.
"How are they?" he asked.
"They appear to be cat type beastmen, which is consistent with the reports. Among them is one master level warrior and two epic level mages who identify themselves as shamans."
If this was only one seventh of their total strength, spread among the seven border territories, then avoiding conflict had been the right decision. Andreas felt no need to force a confrontation that could have easily escalated into war.
"Monitor them for at least three months," he said. "If nothing suspicious occurs after that, we will reduce our surveillance. Also, summon their warrior and the two shamans. They will take part in the purge."
"I shall see to it immediately."
When Arden left the room, Andreas leaned back in his chair. His gaze drifted toward the window as he thought of the coming purge.
Three weeks passed. The day of the purge was almost upon them. According to what Andreas had heard from Arden, the beastmen had agreed to participate. Their cooperation eased many concerns among the soldiers.
Now all that remained was the parade. The army would march through the city before leaving the territory, and Andreas was expected to lead them. He did not particularly enjoy these parades. They felt unnecessary to him, a simple waste of time, but he understood how much they boosted morale.
While planning the final preparations, Andreas summoned Arden to his room.
"How are the preparations?" he asked.
"They are proceeding well. We will be able to leave at noon tomorrow."
"Then bring me the family spear. I will train one last time and lead the army."
Arden stared at him with a surprised expression.
"What are you talking about, my lord? You cannot lead the army."
"What are you talking about, Arden? I am the Overlord. If not me, then who will lead the army?"
"I cannot allow such a thing, Lord Andreas. You are still inexperienced. You should act as the commander for now, at least until you have gained enough power."
"I already have enough power to lead an army."
"I still cannot allow it. We have only just lost your father. We cannot lose you as well."
"My decision is final."
"I simply cannot accept that, young master. What if there is an emergency? What if something unexpected occurs? What if the situation becomes impossible to control?"
After about fifteen minutes of listening to Arden's steady stream of objections, Andreas finally surrendered.
"Fine. I will not stand on the front lines during this purge. I will act as the commander."
"A wise choice indeed, master," Arden said with clear relief. "I shall inform the commanders of the magic and knight corps at once."
He left the room quickly, before Andreas could change his mind.
On the day of the purge, the parade began. The city streets filled with cheering citizens. Soldiers marched in disciplined formation. Banners fluttered in the wind. Although Andreas disliked such events, he allowed it to proceed because he knew it strengthened the resolve of those who would soon enter danger.
As they left the city, the Demonic Forest came into view. Towering trees stretched high above, so massive they dwarfed many castles. Strange plants grew among them, some known to be carnivorous. Even without considering the monsters inside, the forest was a death trap. Yet the forces under Andreas's command were experienced enough to handle such dangers.
They entered the forest without hesitation.
Later that day, Andreas sat inside the tent prepared for him by the knights. From the open flap he watched the ongoing battle between his forces and a group of wyverns. The sight was both familiar and frustrating.
A knight cleaved through a wyvern's neck with a shout. A fire mage chanted loudly, calling forth flames to strike another from the sky. The fight progressed smoothly. There were moments when Andreas felt he could easily join them, but every time he tried to rise from his seat he heard the same voice behind him.
"Young master, your role is that of a commander. You must not step onto the frontlines."
"What is there to command?" Andreas muttered. "They have been doing this for decades. I could at least support them with magic."
"Absolutely not, young master."
Andreas sighed and continued watching. His eyes soon fell on the beastfolk warrior. Arden had claimed the man was strong enough to stand equal to him, so Andreas observed him closely.
The warrior leapt into the air and struck a wyvern across the head. Before the creature could recover, he grabbed its jaws with his bare hands and pulled himself onto its back. The angle made it difficult to see exactly what happened next, but it did not take long for the wyvern to plummet from the sky with a violent crash. The beastfolk warrior stood atop its fallen body, victorious.
Andreas stared at the sight for a long moment. The battle continued around him. His soldiers and the beastmen fought with practiced coordination.
And so Andreas completed his first purge without ever striking a single monster.