A certain day in September, 629 of the Four Holy Era.
A heavy, oppressive atmosphere filled the conference room where the high-ranking officials of the Saubel Empire had gathered.
"We can still keep a lid on it for now, but it's reaching a point where we can't hide the truth any longer..."
"Dammit, what are they after?! Zimon! Have you still not found the fools responsible for clearing these Labyrinths?"
"My deepest apologies. We are putting all our efforts into the investigation, but..."
At present, the Saubel Empire was on the verge of a critical Magic Stone shortage.
Since the Great Labyrinth of the West was conquered roughly six months ago, Labyrinth Materials had been acquired in abundance. However, as a consequence of the conquest, Magic Beasts had ceased to spawn, making it impossible to obtain new Magic Stones from that location.
Nevertheless, since several smaller Labyrinths were scattered throughout the Empire's vast territory, the government had expected that the stones harvested from those sites would be sufficient to compensate for the loss.
But recently, the unexpected had occurred: those Labyrinths were being conquered one after another.
In short, Magic Beasts were no longer appearing in any of these locations, and the sources from which Magic Stones could be obtained were rapidly vanishing.
Furthermore, following the conquest of the Great Labyrinth of the West, the Explorers who once based themselves in the Empire had begun migrating to other countries in massive numbers. The resulting shortage of personnel capable of entering the remaining Labyrinths only served to accelerate the crisis.
Magic Stones were now an essential part of daily life.
If the shortage became more pronounced, the market price for the stones would naturally skyrocket. Commoners with low incomes would be unable to afford them, forcing them to live without the aid of Magic Tools.
Humans adapt easily to a higher standard of living, but they struggle to accept a lower one.
Having grown accustomed to the convenience of modern life, it wasn't hard to imagine that the people's dissatisfaction would only continue to grow. That unrest would inevitably lead to a decline in the workforce and, by extension, a degradation of national power.
A Magic Stone shortage was not a problem that could ever be taken lightly.
Every official in the room was painfully aware of this reality. Even amidst the stifling air, the attendees were busy trading various proposals to resolve the situation.
That said, a clear solution sat at the back of everyone’s mind.
Yet, not a single person spoke of it. No—they could not.
"S-Shouldn't we already be considering imports from other nations...?"
Losing his patience with a meeting that continued to stagnate despite the obvious answer, one of the relatively young officials summoned his courage and spoke.
"Oh? Are you suggesting I should go bowing my head to others?"
The Emperor—Helmut Roots Kreuzer—who had been quietly observing the proceedings until now, spoke as he stared the man down.
"N-No... B-By no means would I ever... But at this rate, the country will..."
Exposed to the Emperor’s piercing gaze, the man broke into a cold sweat. Still, out of concern for his nation, he continued to weave his words.
"My nation is strong. It will not collapse simply because we've run low on stones. Isn't that right?"
"O-Of course! But—"
"Enough. If you understand that, then there is no need to borrow the strength of other countries."
「「…………」」
Following the Emperor's declaration, a heavy silence fell over the room once more. No one else dared to open their mouth.
"Is there not even one good idea among the lot of you?"
The Emperor’s exasperated voice rang through the silent hall.
"Does Your Majesty have a plan to overcome this situation?"
The middle-aged man attending to the Emperor—Chancellor Rank Tralles—inquired.
"Naturally. In fact, I find it baffling that none of you could think of it. If we don't have any, we simply have to take them from those who do. It's simple, isn't it?"
"Your Majesty, with all due respect, the use of force requires a corresponding expenditure of Magic Stones. In normal times it might be feasible, but currently, we do not have the surplus to divert resources to the military."
Rank flatly negated the Emperor’s idea.
Because Rank was a high official who held the Emperor’s deepest trust, he did not suffer the same intimidation as the previous speaker.
The advent of Magic Tools had brought various benefits beyond improving the standard of living. One of the most prominent examples was the emergence of Magic Weapons.
Even in the wars of the previous era, slaughter by magic had been a frequent occurrence. However, because magic depended entirely on the skill of the individual caster, the tactical benefits were always weighed against the risk of losing a precious Mage. Thus, such deployments were not common.
Magic Weapons had completely changed that paradigm.
Since anyone could activate a Magic Weapon as long as they possessed a Magic Stone, the risk of losing vital combat personnel was significantly reduced.
In the Northern War, which broke out in the northern part of the continent around the same time Magic Weapons emerged, destruction on an unprecedented scale was unleashed. That was roughly sixty years ago.
Since then, every nation had focused its efforts on the development of Magic Weapons. Fortunately, this had served as a deterrent; since the end of the Northern War, the world had remained what could be called peaceful—at least on the surface.
"Hmph, I know that much. However, does my nation not possess the ultimate fighting force—one that surpasses even Magic Weapons? I am speaking of my fool of a son, Felix."
A slight stir went through the conference hall at the Emperor’s statement.
The primary reason why the Crown Prince of the Saubel Empire, Felix Roots Kreuzer, was hailed as a "Great Hero" was his defense of the Imperial Capital during a Stampede of unprecedented scale roughly two years ago.
Furthermore, he enjoyed immense support from the populace for achieving the peerless feat of conquering a Great Labyrinth and for his numerous diplomatic successes.
"You mean to deploy Prince Felix?"
"Precisely. He is a warrior worth a thousand, a man who would not fall even if a legion of soldiers equipped with Magic Weapons were to set upon him. If we do not put him to use now, then when? I will have Felix and his Imperial Guard go ahead and suppress a region with active Labyrinths. We will resupply our Magic Stones there and use the territory as a foothold for our invasion. Rank—where is the most suitable target?"
"…………If that is your wish, then the Regrif Territory of the Nohitant Kingdom, located south of the Cryo Mountains, would be ideal. According to our intelligence agents, new Labyrinths have recently appeared there. Furthermore, since the Great Labyrinth of the South is also located within that kingdom, should we succeed in subjugating them, our nation will once again possess a Great Labyrinth."
"……It is decided. Call Felix!"
Yes, this was the beginning.
The catalyst was a simple, reckless decision made by an Emperor mired in an inferiority complex.