Well sure, that makes sense. But it's important to note that this is also a story that needs to be told. A story is made interesting through conflict and a clash of ideals, but when that doesn't happen what's left? This could work if Meruem was more of a mystery, and we didn't know that Meruem wasn't actually doing much, but rather that the only thing we even knew was the idea of Meruem and what he could do.

That we as the viewer see and know that Meruem doesn't matter to the protagonists diminishes his worth in the story as the antagonist because we as the viewer know this while the story is still presenting it through the eyes of the protagonists who think he matters. Dramatic irony is a useful tool, but not in this situation I feel. I think the arc is putting too much emphasis on Meruem's important and not enough on the guard is my biggest problem, because so far the guard has really been the big deal of this situation and the true big bad.

I guess to summarize, potential is a big deal. But when we as the viewer know that the potential is something that doesn't matter, then it diminishes the worth of the potential in our eyes.