As he met Michael's red eyes, Henry involuntarily swallowed.
Behind Michael stood the towering dragon, and perched upon his shoulder… was a sphinx.
And Michael himself was no weakling.
Henry III had to suppress the overwhelming urge to rub his own throat.
If this man decided to slice it open and flee, not a soul in the palace could stop him.
Sensing the king's tension, Michael smiled disarmingly.
"I've come to speak about the locust swarm, Your Majesty."
He gestured toward the sacks now being unloaded by the soldiers.
"I suggest you try spreading this fertilizer in the affected areas. It's a blend of dragon and magical beast droppings—extremely effective."
Henry III and the chancellor froze.
Wait… what did he say it was made of?
Fertilizer made of… what?
Under Michael's leadership, the Mirror Council was called into session.
The purpose of this meeting was clear: to reveal the Radiant Holy Kingdom's atrocities and declare them a common enemy of the continent.
Princess Astrid took a deep breath and stared at the enchanted mirror placed at the center of the chamber.
With King Charles V still clinging to life, Astrid stood in as Lania's representative.
To activate the Mirror Council, a portion of the participants' life force had to be sacrificed.
Michael stood at her side, his powerful presence filling the room, lending her strength.
With steady hands, Astrid traced the mirror's edges in the prescribed order.
"My father foresaw this day. He taught me about the Mirror's existence—and the ancient incantations required to use it."
As the hero of the continent, the heir's consort, and a man with decisive evidence about the locust plague, Michael had every right to participate.
He held Astrid's other hand firmly as the ancient spell began.
The chamber grew heavy with pressure as the spell progressed.
Each time Astrid's hand moved over the sigils etched into the glass, a strange pull—like a siphoning force—tugged at her.
It was the Mirror drawing in her life force… and Michael's.
Watching closely, Michael discreetly infused the Mirror with his own stored power instead.
There was no need to waste precious vitality—not hers, nor his.
The foreign power he had long absorbed from otherworldly beings began to pour into the Mirror.
Astrid, unaware of his intervention, furrowed her brow.
"Strange. According to Father, I should feel dizzy by now… Did I mess up the incantation?"
But the worry quickly melted away when the Mirror's surface began to ripple like water.
Relief washed over her face as the spell reached its final verse.
Soon, the shimmering glass settled—and the visages of rulers from across the Ruble Continent began to appear one by one.
Notably absent was Pope Allegro III of the Radiant Holy Kingdom. In his place was the newly ascended Emperor Oswald of the Pamir Empire.
Emperor Sigmund of Celeste appeared next, yawning as if bored.
Henry III of Elonia, already briefed by Michael, wore a grim expression.
And Oswald, though seated as emperor, looked tense. Though he had inherited the throne from his father, he was little more than Michael's subordinate.
Adding to his burden was the rebellion of Duke Iasus—his country was in chaos.
The remaining monarchs of the eight major kingdoms—Romano II of Telma, Edmund of Brabant, and Leopold of Astoria—also appeared in the mirror.
Sigmund of Celeste, who had been idly fidgeting with his fingers, perked up at the sight of Astrid and Michael.
"So that's the famous Michael? Hmph, not bad. That face doesn't lose to mine. And the aura… yeah, definitely heroic. Guess he's the real deal."
His crazed eyes gleamed with curiosity.
Michael, oddly reminded of Leonardo, coughed lightly at Sigmund's gaze.
Taking it as a cue, Henry III was the first to speak.
"Princess Astrid, there must be a pressing reason you've gathered us all here. Would you be so kind as to explain?"
Though she officially served as royal proxy, Astrid was the heir of Lania and had already begun governing in truth. Henry's tone was therefore respectful.
With prior understanding from Michael, she met Henry's gaze calmly.
All eyes turned toward Astrid and Michael.
Receiving their stares with poise, Astrid began to speak.
"As you're all aware, the entire continent has suffered from a sudden and massive locust plague. Lania's southern provinces have been hit especially hard. I imagine the rest of you are facing similar crises?"
Henry III shook his head with a deep sigh.
"Indeed. Elonia's grain belt, which was nearly ready for harvest, has been devastated. The people are panicked."
Oswald added with a pained expression, glancing toward Michael before he spoke.
"Pamir is no better. Our central farmlands—the few areas still producing grain—were targeted. Even the pastures for our livestock have been stripped bare."
He exhaled and continued.
"The worst part is… we have no idea how long recovery will take. After the war, we're short on troops, and law and order haven't been fully restored."
Henry III scoffed quietly to himself.
He understood that Oswald wasn't responsible for the war—that was the doing of the previous emperor. But grudges didn't dissolve so easily.
Michael, watching silently, smirked inwardly.
Most of Pamir's influential minor clans had already been absorbed into Crassus.
At this rate, the empire was bound to fracture.
Romano II of Telma leaned back in his chair, which creaked under his considerable weight.
He casually popped a snack into his mouth before joining the conversation.
"Telma is no different. We're in the middle of the continent, so the outer regions have suffered most for now. But we all know what's coming."
He chewed loudly before continuing.
"Our kingdom has always relied heavily on grain imports. If the other nations are in this state, we'll see riots before long."
Edmund of Brabant interjected sharply. His already gaunt appearance seemed even more drawn than usual.
"Our people are already rioting. The locusts have left nothing—not a single crop."
Leopold of Astoria nodded solemnly.
"Same with Astoria. Our main agricultural regions are in ruins. There are records of previous swarms in history, but this… this is on another level. No one knows why it's happening."
Having heard the situations of the other nations, Princess Astrid nodded and spoke with composed clarity.