With the guild building still under construction, the mercenaries gathered outside, using wooden crates as makeshift chairs for their meeting. 

Deverick stood with his mouth open, stunned to see a meeting taking place in the middle of an open field with not even a table in sight. 

The area was filled with experienced, formidable-looking mercenaries, including Guild Master Bericker, whom Deverick recognized from several previous encounters. 

Overwhelmed by the intense atmosphere, Deverick nervously followed Loden. 

“Hmm, except for those on missions, it looks like everyone who should be here has shown up.” 

Since most of the ruins had lost their functionality, the outbreaks of rampaging magical beasts and sudden mutations had ceased. 

As for those already affected, there wasn’t much that could be done unless they were captured and modified – so she decided to leave them alone.

Ethan agreed. By now, the byproducts of magical beasts had found their way into various fields – blacksmithing being a prime example.

In the past, mana had been used to improve weap*ns. But now that mana had disappeared, the only way to strengthen weap*ns was to use materials harvested from magical beasts.

Over time, magical beasts had undergone so many mutations that they had essentially become their own species, and were now treated as a kind of livestock.

Trying to exterminate them at this point would only cause more problems.

What had originally caused problems were things like the rabid, uncontrollable outbreaks, the sudden increase in their numbers, the appearance of previously unknown beasts, and the appearance of poisonous plants.

But now that those things were no longer happening, there was no reason to worry.

Due to the unique nature of the vaccine, zones where magical beasts had previously congregated disappeared, and the beasts began to roam independently.

As a result, magical beasts began to appear in areas where they hadn’t been seen before, and attacks on nearby villages became more common.

Since the beasts were establishing territories everywhere, mercenaries had to be sent to different regions on a regular basis.

In response to this situation, mercenary guilds were established in every major city, and mercenaries – once persecuted – were granted access not only to villages, but also to cities, simply by showing their mercenary tags.

Now mercenaries no longer relied on the lords of local territories to prove their identity.

They were recognized directly by the mercenary guilds, creating a new identity for them-not as subjects of a particular domain, but as mercenaries.

The world changed quickly.

Mercenaries, once considered lowly, had suddenly become indispensable personnel, always on the move to hunt magical beasts.

“Mercenary guilds have sprung up everywhere. If you count the ones currently under construction, there are already over twenty that have been built.”

“Well, this is great. Now we won’t have to travel so far just to reach a mercenary guild.” 

Ethan scoffed at Bericker’s comment. In response, Bericker grinned and raised an eyebrow. 

“Oh, come on. It’s not like you have more than one home, is it? The mercenaries’ home is here – it always has been. The only difference now is that there are more reception desks. You left this place behind, and now you’re talking about ‘coming back’?” 

Bericker tilted his chin toward the hill as he spoke, causing Ethan to frown. 

Noticing that Ethan had no comeback, Bericker let out a chuckle. 

“Finally, the houses around here are starting to look like real houses.” 

Before, they hadn’t been able to build real houses because of the lack of materials. But now, with traders passing through, they could hire carpenters. 

The village once known simply as “Rigo” had finally become a real settlement for mercenaries.

Mercenaries who once lived with death hanging over their heads could now fight in proper armor and with durable weap*ns made from the byproducts of magical beasts. 

Naturally, the number of casualties had dropped significantly, and wherever they traveled – no matter which village inn they stopped at – they were warmly welcomed. 

And all that had changed in just one month. 

“Rigo is no longer considered a city of the Empire. It’s now officially recognized as its own nation – ‘Rigo’. Well, since it’s the home of the ancient humans, I guess they decided it was better to leave it as an independent state than to force it under the control of the Empire.”

Bericker said with a snort, then burst into laughter. 

The petty “If I can’t have it, you can’t either” attitude was quite amusing, to be honest.

The only opposition came from the Granat Empire. But even an empire couldn’t stand against the rest of the remaining nations, so in the end they had no choice but to accept. 

What was once a city of mercenaries had become a nation of mercenaries. 

The consequences of such a major change were considerable. 

“So here’s the thing,” Bericker continued. “If this is a country… shouldn’t it have a king?” 

This was a village built by mercenaries who had never received a proper education. 

At this point, the idea of appointing a king was clearly more trouble than it was worth. 

Bericker had taken on the role of Guild Master, but only because he happened to be the only person with a status that allowed him to act beyond their borders. 

At his words, the mercenaries all looked away, avoiding his gaze. 

And yet they kept stealing glances – at Ethan, who stood with his arms crossed, his head deliberately turned away. 

There was only one person the mercenaries truly hoped would become their king, but that man had no intention of entertaining the idea.

“Dan.”

Even when called, Ethan didn’t even flinch. In the end, Bericker let out a heavy sigh.

The partner of an ancient human. The Mercenary King.

Not the most sociable guy – but it wasn’t like they were trying to send someone into high society right now, and as far as background was concerned, there was no one more suitable than him.

The problem was that he, like the other mercenaries, absolutely hated the idea of being called a king.

And forcing him into that role wasn’t an option – because there wasn’t a single person who could beat him.

“Ahem… Why don’t you just do it? Guild master or king, what’s the difference?”

At someone’s casual suggestion, Bericker recoiled in horror. 

The wooden crate he’d been using as a chair scraped loudly against the floor as he pushed it back, his face almost pale. 

To be responsible for a bunch of muscle-headed brutes who only knew how to fight? No way – what a ridiculous idea! 

“I’d rather resign as guild master than take on that!”

At Bericker’s horrified reaction, Deverick, who had been quietly observing the meeting, widened his eyes. 

‘..So this is really a meeting to choose a king? ‘

The sudden appearance of an ancient human had attracted enormous attention, regardless of class, noble or commoner. 

After all, someone who was said to be like a god had appeared – how could anyone not be interested?

With the disappearance of mana – once considered a divine gift – and the sudden appearance of someone claiming to be a god, the world was thrown into turmoil. 

For the commoners and poor, who had lived their lives without relying on mana, the change caused little disruption. But for the nobility and royalty, it was complete chaos. 

The aristocracy of every nation scrambled to establish ties with Rigo. 

They even resorted to using merchants who already traded with Rigo as intermediaries to make contact. 

Deverick himself was inundated with requests. 

Some nobles, having somehow learned that he would be visiting Rigo today, even asked him to bring along their subordinates as servants, hoping to gain a foothold there. 

And yet, in Rigo – the place now under the watchful eyes of the world – everyone was busy avoiding the role of king, whispering to each other and shirking responsibility.

Now that he saw how absurd the situation was, Deverick was almost embarrassed at how tense he’d been coming here. 

“Why is everyone so against being king? It’s a high position – shouldn’t it be comfortable?” 

He whispered the question to Loden, who was sitting next to him. 

“I sent one man to the next village to get his sword fixed, and he came back after tearing down half the buildings. I sent another one to do some work and he got into a fight with the villagers. It’s total chaos every single day – and it’s not just one or two troublemakers, we’re talking dozens of them. If it were you, would you really want to be the one in charge of all that?”

Well… if he put it that way. 

Deverick had mercenary friends, too, and from what he’d seen, not all of them were exactly model citizens. 

As a group, mercenaries tended to value strength above all else – and that hadn’t changed. 

“Still… isn’t he the Mercenary King? When it comes to strength, no one else even comes close. A mercenary, a Randall-sure, he was once a slave, but now he’s the partner of an ancient human. Given the current situation, wouldn’t it make more sense for him to be Rigo’s king?” 

At Deverick’s remark, not only did the sharp-eared mercenaries whip their heads around, but even Ethan turned to glare at him. 

“Hey, Deverick. What exactly do you mean by ‘the current situation’?” 

“Haven’t you heard? People are calling her a saint now. With the mana gone, there’s no one left to bring it back — and she’s the only one who can still use abilities that look like magic, even without mana. Do you really think the Empire – or any other nation, for that matter – is going to sit back and do nothing? They’re in a frenzy, sending suitor after suitor, desperate to connect with her.”

“What?” 

Ethan’s face twisted into a scowl at Deverick’s words. 

“Ahem, anyway – even if the title is mostly symbolic, it’s still better for him to become the ‘King of Rigo’. Rigo has an important place in the world right now. Since the mate of an ancient human is a Randall, many nations that were once suspicious have begun to free their Randall slaves. With nowhere else to go, they’re all heading for Rigo.” 

Bericker nodded silently. 

Indeed, the number of Randalls who had escaped slavery and made it to Rigo had recently reached double digits. 

“Now that the mana is gone, the Randalls’ physical abilities are considered one of the greatest military assets. Add mercenaries to the mix, and who could ignore it? Rigo may be small, but it’s a nation of mercenaries protected by an ancient human – and now it’s becoming a haven for Randalls as well.”

“Heh, so you were too busy working to keep up with the news and this is how it turned out, huh?” 

Bericker chuckled in disbelief at Deverick’s words. 

A village once overlooked by the Empire had suddenly become the most talked about nation – how absurd was that? 

“Anyway, if you want to stay close to her, it’s better to at least take the title of king. That way, even if someone tries to target you, it’ll be much harder for them to act.”

Ethan frowned at Deverick’s suggestion, but didn’t argue. 

His past had been anything but easy. 

Things had changed a bit, but he still came from a race that had long been despised and enslaved. 

Especially among the nobles – those who had once treated his people as property – it was hard to imagine that they’d really start to see them as equals. 

Even if they were careful around her now, that caution wouldn’t last. 

“Sigh.” 

At Ethan’s sigh, Bericker’s lips curled into a knowing smile, recognizing the hint of resignation in his expression. 

“Alright! From this moment on, Ethan is King of Rigo.”

It wasn’t much of a coronation-there was no crown, no ceremony, no pomp to mark the moment. 

Bericker just laughed and raised an orc mug. 

“To the first king of Rigo!” 

“To the king!” 

The others cheered enthusiastically, clearly thrilled to pass the responsibility on to someone else. 

In stark contrast to their excitement, Ethan, who had become quiet and visibly withdrawn, suddenly stood up. 

“Dan? What are you doing?”

But Ethan didn’t answer. He just narrowed his eyes and looked up, already on his feet. 

As he raised his arm, If floated into the air and settled gently into his embrace. 

Sitting on his arm like a chair, If tilted her head in curiosity. 

“Ethan is the king?”

“Though it’s really just a title.”

“So… you can’t leave?” 

“Can’t leave? Of course I can. They just wanted someone to hold the title – everything else they’ll take care of themselves.” 

“What, are you going somewhere?” 

Burke, sipping from his orc mug, looked confused. 

“Well, if she says there’s a lot she wants to see, what choice do I have? I have to show her everything.” 

“It’s not exactly a honeymoon, but it sounds like a tour of the various countries.” 

“It’s also to make sure that no one tampers with the ruins that have been discovered.”

He let out a small chuckle at the mention of a honeymoon, although he didn’t deny it. 

Now that there was no need to hide, he could finally take a real trip. 

There was no rush anymore, no need to rush through sights he barely had time to enjoy. 

Who would have thought that a day like this would ever come? 

He wasn’t running from anyone, and no one was looking down on him. 

Even without mana, he was no longer seen as some kind of magical beast. 

Looking back at his past, it was almost unbelievable.

“Ethan, are we going home?” 

“Yes, you got up early.”

He took long strides as he walked. It was still a cool morning, and the sun was just beginning to rise – early, considering when she usually woke up. 

“That’s because you weren’t there.”

If said, sulking like it was his fault. 

“What’s with the pouty face? We have plenty of time now, so this time I’ll just stay until you wake up.” 

Ethan chuckled and pressed his lips to hers. 

Finally, the world around them lit up, so bright it was almost blinding.

***THE END***