Long story short… I win.

The Emperor has permitted my outings, and he has even chosen to lend me the Imperial Seal, which allows me to leave and enter the Sanctuary at will.

You might think this is too excessive.

But it's really not.

For starters, I need the Imperial Seal to go in and out of the Sanctuary. It would be inconvenient for the Emperor to go to the entrance himself to unlock the door for me.

Thus, he would have to lend it to someone.

One of his children perhaps?

But I doubt the Princes and Princess would want to go through this process on multiple occasions, and that is assuming that they can do so to begin with.

I mean this with all due respect, of course.

Let's even set the convenience aside.

What about safety?

The Sanctuary is indeed safe, but the entrance is pretty much an access point that any beast from the outside world can use to invade this haven.

Why would any Imperial Family member choose to risk their lives in this way?

The sensible choice would be to give a vassal the Imperial Seal.

Perhaps Enrydral or Tyrrion.

But—

'Ever since my revelation, my importance has skyrocketed even beyond theirs, at least in this current situation. Thus, I am an even better choice to keep the Imperial Seal.'

All of this isn't even considering the fact that, as the one exploring the outside world, I need to carry the Imperial Seal, since it would be foolish for me not to.

In case I encounter danger and need to secure refuge quickly, I would have to unlock the entrance without problems and enter the Sanctuary.

I would also need the Imperial Seal to locate the exact burial spot of the entrance.

Sure, you can argue that I could use other means to identify the burial spot, and that someone else could be waiting on the other side of the entrance for me, so I don't need to take the Imperial Seal with me.

But you would be wrong.

We are severely understaffed in the Sanctuary, which means every member—except Tyrrion—undertakes multiple roles to keep the place running.

But the dwarf is so busy with his research that even the Emperor won't interrupt him and make him do more work.

He definitely won't agree to sit by the entrance and wait all day for me to return.

Let's not forget that some of my trips will exceed a day, and there's no telling when I will return.

Can one man guard the entrance for so long?

Perhaps they could use shifts to solve this problem, but it still doesn't change the underlying issue of inefficiency.

The advantages of my possessing the Imperial Seal far outweighs other considerations.

Now, there is one major concern.

That is, my demise and the permanent loss of the Imperial Seal. After all, if I am killed in No Man's Land, the Imperial Seal will forever be lost to these people.

But that doesn't mean these people are trapped inside the Sanctuary.

The Imperial Seal is only useful for navigating the entrance and unlocking it. When we entered the Sanctuary, the Emperor received a master key that unlocks everything in the Sanctuary.

That includes the Entrance Door.

In essence, even if I somehow perish outside, the Emperor can still send others outside or even go out himself.

As long as one person remains inside the Sanctuary with the key, they can also let everyone back inside.

Yes, it is rather inefficient, but it remains a solution regardless.

Okay… I have digressed too much.

I should address the most relevant matter of concern: the prince.

Safe to say… he'll live.

Yes.

The Grade 3 Potion I gave him was indeed a poison, but not a lethal one—at least, not in small quantities.

I only used a drop, so other than the pain, discomfort, and paleness of skin, he would have been fine regardless.

The truth is that I don't even have a way to make the antidote.

The Special Resources in the store don't include vital ingredients for the antidote's recipe.

I could perhaps find those ingredients in No Man's Land, but what are the chances of that happening?

The topography and climate don't even support the growth or overall existence of those Special Resources.

It's pointless to search for them, and I never intended to.

I just needed an excuse to leave.

'He'll be fine after a few days. I'll just give him some pain relief and skin color restorative Potions so he appears to be recovering thanks to my Potions… pfft!'

Look what that foolish Emperor made me do.

It wasn't even my intention to deceive anyone or cause such a situation. But the man left me no other choice.

If only he had cooperated from the start.

Anyway—

"Haaa…" I exhale deeply, standing before an endless black desert.

It's early in the morning and it hadn't been long since I set out of the Sanctuary. I feel a complex mix of emotions as I look into the distance.

This is the same place I failed twice.

Both times due to lack of information and a strange loss of memories.

'But I won't die this time. I refuse to…'

Even though several days have passed since we found the Sanctuary, I didn't feel a loss in memories or personality. Yet, I clearly forgot about my Existential Compulsion during my debacle in No Man's Land.

Why?

You see, I have a theory.

'My failures and regression… I think this phenomenon is tied to my memory loss somehow.'

It doesn't even seem like memory loss. After all, I regained it after some time, didn't I?

No, this feels more like personality erosion.

Perhaps my regression isn't as foolproof as I previously thought.

Yes, I return to correct my mistakes… but I also lose a part of myself. If that's the case, then I have to be very careful moving forward.

Even if death isn't certain, it would be bad if I forget important details about myself.

'Even now… I feel like I'm forgetting something.' I sigh, shaking my head so I don't get distracted or overwhelmed by thoughts

This isn't a safe place.

Even though I can use Existential Compulsion, I must be wary of hidden dangers.

'What exactly is my limit? For how long can I compel these creatures? How many can I command? These are the questions I hope to answer in this journey.'

With a broad smile on my face, I begin my march forward. I take measured steps, purpose guiding my every action.

Not too long after, I meet an old acquaintance.

The Desert Wyrm!

"It isn't yet sunset, yet you've shown yourself. I wonder why…" I raise the Imperial Seal, but the beast doesn't react positively to it.

Instead, it hisses and snarls at me.

'I guess the old Emperor's arrangements were only useful for a one-way trip.' Sighing in disappointment, I abandon the experiment.

I never planned to rely on the Seal anyway.

Cooly staring at the Magivore who prepares to attack me, I fold my arms and whisper a single word.

"Submit."

The Desert Wyrm immediately retracts its aggression and lowers its head in complete subservience.

"Hehe… That's what I like to see."

I've missed this.

This feeling of control.

Being a Leviathan is certainly not easy, but it has its benefits.

Existential Compulsion is one of them.

'I can use this Desert Wyrm to travel better in this wilderness. I can also use it to locate important locations in No Man's Land…' My face brightens up once I start thinking in this direction.

It appears my luck is finally turning around for the better.

"Let's be safe and unhasty, but I should also see how much ground I can cover today."

I climb the back of the massive creature, feeling the toughness of its scales press against my body.

But I don't mind at all.

The Desert Wyrm is so large as well, so as long as I hold on properly, I don't think I'll fall off.

"Alright…" Licking my lips in anticipation, I grab onto my new steed's body and give my command.

"Let us begin!"

*********

Three…

Three months have passed since I began this Trial Scenario.

Although I have made a lot of progress in terms of finding Special Resources, and even two Resource Points, I am still very dissatisfied with this progress.

Maybe I set the bar too high.

After all, when you consider everything we were dealt with, this isn't a bad pace.

The Sanctuary is now chock full of Special Resources thanks to me. I also brew Potions in my spare time, and I can see new Armaments being added to the shelves.

Just as I expected, Tyrrion and Enrydral have some experience in Fabrication, so they've been helping on that front.

Unfortunately, these Armaments are all E or D Grade. There hasn't been a single new C Grade Armament on the shelves.

Even the few old C Grade Armaments are all of low quality. They're on the same level as the bow I plundered from the enemy and the old captain's blade.

But that's not all that has happened.

My two subordinates have gotten stronger thanks to my training regiment, and I have also lost all the excess weight and fat I had.

Now a fit man, I feel much more comfortable in this new body.

It also helps that I haven't died or failed a single time since we found the Sanctuary.

I'd like to keep this streak if I can.

The most notable progress, however, is that I finally found the southern edge of No Man's Land; the place that connects to the Central Plains.

But—

"There is a great sea between the two lands. Although it doesn't seem too vast, and I could even see the Continent from a high peak, it is still a great distance away and we will require a vessel to travel across."

As I make my report to the Emperor, I show him a rough map of the area that I already created.

This map shows many valuable spots in No Man's Land. This includes the Resource Points, the areas with Special Resources, the Danger Zones filled with all kinds of Magovores, and so on.

Safe to say I have explored almost every facet of the central and southern areas of No Man's Land.

The eastern and western sides are of no concern to me, and the northern side would only lead back to the border.

To make quick progress, exploring the southern region was wisest.

The reason is simple.

"Your Imperial Majesty, I believe we cannot delay it any longer. It has been months since Kalakuta attacked, and I am sure the other Continents must have already learned of this development."

"...."

"If we wish to remain relevant, now is the perfect moment. No doubt the other Nations are already feeling great pressure from Kalakuta's movement. We can use this chance to ally with one of them and take back the Empire."

"But… will they be so willing?" The Emperor sighs deeply while his brows crease in worry.

After spending so much time with this pitiful man, I have gotten many insights into his personality.

Living in hiding, in such an undignified manner, is the last thing the Emperor wishes for himself and his family.

In fact, he wants nothing more than to reclaim the Northern Empire.

But that would mean fighting against Kalakuta… and this man has no guts. He is too scared of conflict, and after what Kalakuta showed him in the Capital, he would rather not go against him.

But that's why I have to convince him to take this opportunity.

"Perhaps not right away. But we have many things to bargain with. You already have two new Special Resource Points that haven't been tampered with. If we search No Man's Land even more, I'm sure we'll find double, or even triple that number. Although we are lacking in personnel, we can use the Magivores to fight. You have a lot of cards to play, your Imperial Majesty. The other Nations will respect you, and once you reveal your grand plan… they will grow to fear you."

"R-really…?"

Enrydral and Tyrrion are absent at the moment, and it's just me and the Emperor right now.

I can be as manipulative as I want.

This man has a weak psyche and will go along with whatever I tell him as long as it is convincing enough.

So, I am sure this will also work.

The time is ripe.

"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty. The Great Bridgeworks is a revolutionary plan that will connect the continents and will surely bring about Kalakuta's downfall. You will be seen as a visionary for bringing it up, and legends of your accomplishments will last for a thousand years."

"Hehe… Is that so?"

I nod vehemently, my expression as sincere as it can possibly be.

"Yes, your Imperial Majesty. Your will is mine, and I will never lie to you. We need to journey to the edge of No Man's Land and target the Central Plains. Once we have them on board, we can connect to the other Nations and achieve our objective. Who knows, perhaps world unification under the banner of the Northern Empire won't be a mere dream in the end. With the Great Bridgeworks, I see the Northern Empire ruling the known world."

I throw him all the compliments that I can to make him more susceptible to my words. Then, to fuel his ambition and greed, I paint a grand dream for him.

He has no choice but to bite.

However, there remains one major concern that this Emperor won't let go of…

"Will it really be okay? No Man's Land is very dangerous."

That is, his safety.

"No need for concern. All you need to do is send me as an envoy. You can also send Enrydral and Tyrrion with me so they can pitch the plan to the leaders of the Nations."

"Oh, yes… That works." He mutters with widened eyes, completely unaware that I already foresaw this reaction.

I nod once more.

"The two guards present will be more than sufficient to cater for your needs. Within this month, they'll learn how to handle everything related to your feeding, laundry, and overall wellbeing. This includes that of your children as well. None of you will have to worry about anything."

His eyes brighten even more.

I feel a little bad for my two subordinates. It appears they'll be worked to the bone in this Sanctuary as the only staff present.

But they should be fine.

I already prepared a lot of rejuvenation Potions in advance, and there are more than enough supplies—Special Resources and otherwise—to last more than a year.

They won't have to leave the Sanctuary.

"Just leave everything to me, your Imperial Majesty!" My voice booms in the hall and I give him a look of absolute confidence, bowing my head to show exaggerated sincerity.

"I won't fail you!"

Just like that, I managed to secure what I wanted from the Emperor.

A month later, four people leave the Sanctuary: Me, Tyrrion, Enryndral…

… And one of the Princes.

This wasn't a part of my plan, but apparently, a lineage of the Imperial Family has to be present to legitimize agreements between Nations.

This is also fine.

This Prince is different from the one I poisoned.

He is the first prince, but he is also plump and round like a ball. He is also rather short, much shorter than his younger brother.

His appearance is rather cute, but he certainly has a royal disposition.

Regardless of looks, he is a genuine member of the Imperial Family. He even has the Imperial Seal with him.

That gives him utmost legitimacy.

'Okay…'

With bright open eyes, I climb the Wyrm while everyone else arranges themselves into the carriage.

Although unconventional, I already prepared to use the wyrm as a replacement for the carriage's horses.

With the kind of speed we require and the distance necessary to cover, horses would be too inefficient.

I also had the carriage reinforced with special resources so it would be sturdy enough for the ride.

There are also many supplies strapped to the back of the Desert Wyrm. We'll need them to construct our sea vessel.

"We depart now!"

[A/N: Today is my graduation ceremony. At long last... I will be completing my laq degree. I want to thank everyone reading this. For being a part of my journey. Also, if you wish to congratulate me... you can send me gifts. Nothing is too small. Thank you all!]

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