Chapter 2417 - Mynoghra 10

Chapter 10: Queen of Bugs

THE day after they'd decided on the Dragontan Dispatch Team, Takuto was brimming with visible excitement for the first time in a while. Atou became even more excited seeing her king's enthusiasm and the Dark Elves grew nervous watching their leaders act out of character.

"At long, long last! We will see the birth of a new Hero!" Atou trumpeted. "How long we have waited for this day! And oh how many Resources we have squirreled away for it!"

"Honestly, it was a painful amount of Resources we had to set aside, but we'll finally get to see the payoff!" Takuto exclaimed.

Resources—consisting of Food collected from the Flesh Trees and Lumber harvested from the nearby forest—were piled sky-high in the center of the Ceremonial Grounds. Stones found from digging up the ground were also stacked in piles.

With help from Atou and the Long-legged Bugs, they'd finally managed to collect enough to spawn a Hero. A lot of effort went into getting this far. The twin girls toddled over to the King wreathed in shadows as they recalled how their clansmen willingly participated in the Resource collection day and night to show their gratitude to him.

"She's gonna have a full belly," Maria said, her sleepy eyes widening with surprise.

"Your Majesty? What kind of person is this Hero you're about to call over?" Caria asked, observing the grounds with more curiosity than usual.

"You'll see," Takuto said with a wink.

"Spawning time is the most exciting time! I can't wait!" Atou exclaimed.

The girls' faces lit up with anticipation.

"…Atou, what do you think will happen with Isla?" Takuto telepathically asked Atou, whose eyes were sparkling with the same innocent enthusiasm as the twins'.

"It's a question of whether she will be on our side or not, right?"

They had one critical matter to discuss: how would Isla view Takuto Ira?

Takuto, a former human from Japan, was living a new life in this world as the game settings defined him—that is, as the King of Ruin Takuto Ira.

Atou remembered interacting with Takuto as a game player from another world, but there was no guarantee Isla would be the same. And if she was, that presented its own set of concerning problems.

If every Hero unit from the game had a will of their own, there was a chance some might refuse to recognize Takuto Ira as King and rise up against him.

In Eternal Nations, every civilization is led by a Commander who is essentially the player's alter ego. The player can choose from several Commanders, with some Heroes doubling as Commanders or some Commanders becoming playable units on the map.

Isla serves as both a selectable Commander and a unit in the game.

Choosing her as Mynoghra's Commander opened up the Bug Rush strategy, where the player forgoes research to focus on production and unit creation, allowing them to overrun many of the enemy empires during early-game. She was popular with a subset of players for her unique skillset that opened up an entirely new playstyle for gamers.

In other words, Isla could overthrow Takuto as Mynoghra's Commander. In fact, Eternal Nations even introduced a system allowing Commanders to be changed or to overthrow each other.

Takuto and Atou were rightfully concerned Isla might refuse to accept Takuto as King and turn on him.

"In the unlikely event things go south, I'll put her in her place myself. Isla starts with 10 Strength. That puts her on par with where I'm at now, but I have the upper hand with the Holy Sword Artes."

"I think it'll turn out fine, but if it doesn't, I'm counting on you." This could be a turning point for them.

The fact they'd been brought to this world was a strange phenomenon in and of itself. They couldn't be overly optimistic, no matter how much of the game system they knew had been applied to their surroundings.

Or rather, it was precisely because game logic had been applied to their world that they needed to tread extra cautiously.

Takuto was both cautious in considering every strategy and sometimes daring in choosing a risky move. Of course, all of this was only possible because of Atou, who he trusted fully.

"I will protect you until my dying breath."

"Please don't. I can't resummon you." And so the ritual began.

All of Mynoghra's key figures were present.

Takuto did consider holding the summoning in secret in case Isla rebelled, but he decided it'd be more effective to have the Dark Elves there to help suppress her if they had to. He understood how loyal and competent the Dark Elves were.

He didn't tell them about Isla potentially revolting because he didn't want to unnecessarily worry them or have them warn him against it, but he was fairly positive they would follow his orders without hesitation if the worst-case scenario happened. The group here had already witnessed the summoning ritual every time he summoned a new Long-legged Bug, so they possessed a basic understanding of the challenges involved, but not the difference in scale when summoning a Hero.

"The ritual has begun. Don't move from that spot until you are ordered to do so…"

The Dark Elves silently nodded and swallowed hard at Atou's instructions. They knew from their talks beforehand that they weren't supposed to move.

The sky had turned a mutinous shade of gray, and the giant, swirling clouds brought about an unusual darkness. A mysterious power surged forth from the ground and swept over the surrounding area.

Something like a crack, not unlike a spider web forming in a pane of glass, twisted into existence in the center of the Materials, and it rapidly sucked everything in. At the same time, an egg-like object with a reddish-brown fleshy texture formed and increased in size as the Materials were absorbed into the rift.

"Wh-Why, this is…"

Elder Moltar quickly clamped his mouth shut, feeling guilty for uttering anything that might distract the King during an all-important ritual. The sight was just so great the words left him before he could stop himself. He wasn't alone in this, as Gia, the twins, Emle, and the others let out utterances despite trying their hardest to remain silent.

It was not fear that caused their lips to part—they were simply awestruck.

What a marvelous sight!

What a grand phenomenon!

The magnificence of the miracles worked by their king, the might of the Hero about to be born, and above all, the infinite power that the King exercised—witnessing these things increased the awe and respect they held for the being known as Takuto Ira.

Atou was also impressed by what she saw.

She had worked out a plan of action with Takuto in case Isla went rogue, but in her honest estimation, she thought the chances of that were exceedingly low. Her fanatical devotion to her king and her adoration for Takuto as an individual led her to believe the other Heroes would naturally feel the same about him. Not only that, but she had this odd instinct deep within her that insisted everything was going to work out just fine.

GI-CHI, GI-CHI, GI-CHI!

A strange sound reverberated within the grotesque flesh-egg. It was the bizarre heartbeat of an even more bizarre life form.

After a while, the flesh sack grew so large it reached its limits and cracked. The sticky insides poured out, and a huge mass appeared together with the viscous liquid. Looking much like a moth breaking free of its cocoon, it spread its insect wings and let out a monstrous cry as if to express the joy it felt with its entire body.

.

------------->

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At first glance, it looked like an ant, but it had sharp mandibles and horns capable of crushing everything in sight. The torso was definitely that of an insect, but its bulky build seemed to take after humans, eliminating the more delicate features of an arthropod. Something like human breasts protruded from its chest, increasing the discomfort its strangeness gave all who looked upon it.

Its various spiny limbs were also too thick to be built for speed, and the two spiked, grasping forelegs were clearly meant to hold and tear its prey to shreds. The very thin, shiny film making up its two sets of wings glistened with a rainbow of colors as they flapped in tandem, providing a whimsical sight when paired with the muddy green of its exoskeleton.

This insect, possessing a body as big as a house, glanced around the area confused. Then it almost humorously tilted its head like an innocent child unsure of what was going on until its gaze shifted to

Takuto, and it promptly lowered its large head in a respectful bow.

"Aah, aaaahhh. My great and mighty king." A bewitching, youthful woman's voice spilled from the insect's mouth. "It's an honor to meet you in a place like this. This Isla, who rules over all bugs, is most joyful and deeply moved to be able to serve you once again, my master."

The Dark Elves were unnerved by the awfully Humanoid voice coming from the outlandish creature. Isla perked up at their dismay but seemed to have no interest in doing anything other than keeping her head bowed until Takuto spoke.

Takuto watched and observed her for a short moment before nodding with satisfaction and taking one step forward. Atou hurried to stop her king from doing anything reckless, but he didn't heed her. He eventually arrived before Isla and looked up at her towering body.

"Long time no see. Do you remember me?" he asked.

"…Hm? Oh, oh, I see, I see! I get it! Yes, yes, I most certainly know you, King Takuto Ira. You are the great King of Ruin who knows all. You are also Eternal Nations' top player. Did I get that right?"

"Yep!"

"I'm a little confused by this situation, but I'm honored you created me again, my master. Please use my power to your heart's content."

Isla nodded and let out a joyful roar. It was impossible to see any kind of expression on her buggy visage, but, for some reason, Takuto was able to see the indescribable mirth deep within her compound eyes.

<2<-x-X-x->2>

AFTER successfully summoning the powerful new Hero unit, Takuto, Atou, and Isla decided to talk alone in the Palace now that the dust had settled.

"It's good to see you again, Isla. Or should I greet you like it's the first time? I didn't have the chance to speak with you much earlier, so allow me to get straight to the point. Are we right to believe you remember playing Eternal Nations with Takuto?" Atou asked, probing Isla with her unrelenting gaze.

Although Atou wasn't in a fighting stance, she was the picture of a loyal retainer as she stood ready to take action at a second's notice. Isla couldn't help but see her like a loyal guard dog barking loudly at its master's side, and her entirely inhuman facial muscles moved in a buggy smile.

"Oh my, look at you little Atou, all puffed up like an angry cat. I can see your desperate eagerness to protect King Takuto. How cute. I want to pet you."

Amused, Isla let out a high-pitched chirp and skillfully used her foreleg to ruffle Atou's hair. Atou swatted at the spiny foreleg to protect her hair before it could turn into a bug's nest. She puffed out her cheeks in a sulky pout, all the fight going out of her.

"Hey! Stop that! And answer my question already!" she huffed.

"Boo! Someone's as stubborn as a bedbug! But maybe that's what makes you so cute? Anyway, my answer is YES. Every millisecond of the time I played with King Takuto is ingrained in my heart. Could it be any other way?"

Isla's eyes turned toward Takuto as she rubbed his head, her gaze insisting she was his faithful subordinate through and through. It was almost as if she were saying the time they had spent in that fictional world had built immutable, steely loyalty between them… Takuto was wonderstruck by her attitude. He'd initially thought that only Atou, who'd appeared with him in this world, would remember who he used to be. However, judging by what Isla said, the other Heroes remembered him as well. Not only that, but they also treasured the time they'd spent together and still adored him as their king even outside of the game world.

Something about that tickled him pink. He experienced the sentimental feelings one might when reminiscing with an old friend of many years. Then again, since all Mynoghra's Hero units had idiosyncratic personalities, it was more like being reunited with a close buddy who was more of a bad influence than anything…

Takuto stopped himself from thinking about the other Heroes with troublesome backstories and crazy personalities and redirected his attention toward Isla, who'd answered his call.

"I didn't have many opportunities to summon Isla during the game, but I'm still super fond of her. Actually, I'm fond of all the Heroes," Takuto said.

"You basically called on me whenever your strategy using little Atou fell apart."

"Yep, that's right! I always had to rethink my strategy whenever a Hero who could suppress Atou's skills or had higher Strength appeared! That's when I'd implement a strategy using Isla's Bug Rush to wear down my opponent's empire…!"

Takuto always became talkative when it came to his favorite game. Drawing on the memories of those happy days, he brought up all their nostalgic experiences together. After furiously fixing her messed up hair, Atou joined them in reminiscing about Eternal Nations for a while, too.

But while it was fine and dandy to reminisce about the past, Isla firmly remembered there were more important matters to tend to first. She waited until there was a pause in their passionate discussion to suggest they get back on topic.

"By the way, isn't it about time you tell this servant of yours about what's going on, Your Majesty? I'm lonely being the odd woman out."

"Oh, yeah! I forgot!" Takuto said. "Sorry about that. Let me fill you in right now."

It was impossible to tell what emotion was reflected in those compound eyes of hers, but she was clearly perplexed. That was likely why she'd restlessly scanned their surroundings the entire time they were happily talking the hours away.

Their current Palace was strongly influenced by Dark Elf architecture and design, starkly contrasting Mynoghra's Palace ingame. The unfamiliar scenery was likely making the Queen of Bugs uncomfortable.

We need her to get used to things fast, Takuto thought. He decided to devote as much time as he could to getting Isla accustomed to this empire as soon as possible.

"Please wait, King Takuto!" Atou cried. "We shouldn't explain the situation until we know for sure that Isla will faithfully serve you… It's my opinion that we observe her a little longer!"

"Don't you worry your little tentacles, dearie. I won't go taking your Takuto. I'm an all-knowing queen, after all." "PEST!" Atou hissed.

I hope she adapts to this world quickly…

As a general rule, Heroes are selfish and willful. Their backstories portray them as such, and many of the short skits in-game are all about the quarrels they get into with each other. Something immediately set Atou off and had her snapping at Isla. Fortunately, Queen Isla had the dignity not to respond in kind.

Unfortunately, that only caused Atou to explode with anger…

Takuto sighed at the difficult prospect of trying to rein these problematic Heroes in before cheerfully clapping his hands to stop their quarreling.

◇◇◇

"I see. So that's what's going on…"

Isla let out a chirp of surprise that sounded like "Gichichi" after hearing all the details from Takuto. Even the Queen of Bugs experienced confusion and astonishment. Truthfully, she hadn't the faintest idea what was going on, but she forced herself to accept the situation by thinking there must be some meaning to her presence here.

"Yeah. To be honest, there's a lot of stuff I don't get, but I've made it this far thanks to Atou."

"Nonsense. I've only been able to work this hard because you were here with me, King Takuto. I surely would have taken my own life, for the despair would've been too much for me alone."

"Atou…"

"King Takuto…"

"I feel like the third wheel…"

Takuto and Atou entered their own little world.

While her memories of Eternal Nations were vague, Isla remembered that Hero Atou was Takuto's favorite. She thought it was wonderful that they got along well, but she had a terrible feeling she was in for an uncomfortable time if they always acted like a mating pair. However, she decided to save those concerns for a later time. She had her own tasks to attend to.

Isla had no objections to becoming his subordinate. The unit known as Isla, Queen of Bugs existed solely to fulfill her purpose. Her powers existed for Mynoghra and Mynoghra's excellent Commander, Takuto Ira.

"In any case, I understand your strategy. Although I am but a small insect, it would be my honor to help His Majesty accomplish his ambition to create a peaceful empire in this mysterious land."

Isla showed her loyalty by bending down her upper half. Viewing this as satisfactory behavior, Takuto decided to appoint her to her pivotal role in his strategy.

"I leave Mynoghra's defense to you, Isla."

"Oh? Is that all right with you, my master?" Isla asked, tilting her head curiously at his orders.

She was still a newcomer and the first Hero unit to be summoned to this world, since Atou appeared under different circumstances. Her query came with the implied meaning of: "Are you sure it's all right for a Hero with lots of unknowns to be in a position as important as national defense?"

Of course, Isla had no intention of doing something so foolish as rebelling, but it seemed a bit hasty for Takuto to assign her to such an important role at this stage.

"I trust you."

His expression was unreadable. Even Isla didn't understand what Takuto Ira was thinking. Like Atou, she was cognizant of Takuto in his sickbed from within the game. Hence, she comprehended his personality and tastes to some extent and believed she had a general understanding of his philosophies and guiding principles, but…she couldn't claim to possibly know everything about him.

To Isla's eyes, Takuto Ira looked like the drawing of a human figure painted over in black.

Not that it mattered to her—her thoughts immediately switched over to the orders she was given. The reason why Isla was tasked with defending Mynoghra was simple. She wasn't a Hero designed for combat. Naturally, she could hold her own in a fight if she leveled up and gained various skills to make her more formidable. However, her true value was in the skill "Breeder" that could secure infinite combat units and labor units and the Distinct Trait that increased the Strength of all Bug units by +2.

Since her skill range included the entire world, Bug units outside of Mynoghra would be strengthened too, but Bug units rarely belonged to other empires, so there were virtually no downsides. Thus, the basic strategy using Isla involved boosting national power with Bug labor units and boosting military power by producing endless, squishy Bug combat units while remaining within your own territory.

Isla was a Hero whose true value manifested in defensecentered mass-spawning-based strategies. And Mynoghra also possessed a Hero whose true value manifested in offense-based strategies.

"I'm trembling with awe before the trust Your Majesty places in me," Isla said. "I take it that means the one heading to Phon'kaven to repel the Barbarians is—"

"Uwaaah, I'm going to be so lonely!" a depressed girl whined.

If Isla, Queen of Bugs is Mynoghra's defense Hero, then Sludge Atou is the offense Hero. Although she starts off with the weakest abilities, her unique ability to steal her opponent's skills is just pure evil. She was in an especially sweet position to unilaterally deprive the comparatively weak Barbarians of their skills with little risk to herself.

Barbarians have various useful skills such as Enhanced Strength, Regeneration, and Outdoor Survival that could drastically enhance Atou if she obtained them.

Even in the off-chance that Phon'kaven betrayed them, Atou could easily retreat to the Accursed Lands. Since she was telepathically linked with Takuto, they could converse at all times, allowing her to constantly update and consult him at a second's notice.

Dispatching Atou was an obvious choice in this situation and something that she and Takuto had planned on before they met with the Dark Elves. Of course, how they each felt about it was an entirely different story.

Even if they could communicate telepathically, they'd still be temporarily apart from each other. Takuto relied on Atou for many aspects of national management because he still struggled with speaking to others. Without her around, he'd be thrust into the huge challenge of instructing various people by himself. Meanwhile, Atou was also required to carry out their strategy in a highly stressful environment away from her beloved Takuto.

They both felt very much like they were baby birds being forced from the nest by their parents so that they may either learn to fly or perish on the rocks below. However, trials can't be avoided. They needed to harden their hearts and move forward. Takuto made this decision for Atou's sake and his own.

"I'll be lonely too, Atou. But you're the only one I can count on for this."

They exchanged passionate, heartfelt gazes. Even without telepathy, they could understand each other's feelings. In the heat of the moment, they ran toward each other, arms wide.

"KING TAKUTOOOOOO!"

"ATOUUUU!"

They shared a passionate embrace.

Their exchange might be viewed as one typically reserved for an eternal farewell, but even a temporary separation was that serious to them. Something foreboding niggled at them both. They embraced to silence the echoes of their weak hearts that whispered "What if something bad happens while we're apart?"

Much of their concern revolved around issues that might arise on a communication front, however…

"I really am the third wheel…"

As Isla watched the stupid couple, she worried if things were going to be all right with them in charge, but her mission took precedence over those thoughts.

"Ohoho. I'm itching to put my skills to use."

Isla let out a beguiling laugh with a "Gichichi" as she felt gratitude toward the miracle of being granted life in this form when all she'd ever been was game data.

Like Atou, Isla didn't know what had happened to her. But she did know exactly what she was supposed to do: fulfill the great

Takuto Ira's will and make sure he thoroughly enjoyed his new game. She intended to use every fiber of her being to fulfill her raison d'etre.

"Leave the details of our defense to me," Isla declared. "I shall gather all the bugs throughout the world to meet our master's demands."

Now then, how will this game turn out?

Isla had no idea how long this game session would last with her master, but she decided to watch over Takuto with the loving affection of a mother.

-x-X-x-

Interlude: The Staff Holders' Decision

TONUKAPOLI, who'd returned to Phon'kaven's capital city of Crescent Moon, let out a long-suffering moan as she read the petition written on parchment paper.

"Sounds like things have taken a crazy turn."

The sender was Dragontan's Mayor Antelise Antik. Her petition started with a report about her amicable interaction with the visitors from Mynoghra, followed by a summary of the horrific events that came next. Then came her request for an increased budget to clean up town hall, a myriad of complaints about her work, idle gossip about the King of Ruin's fetishes, and a strongly worded appeal urging they let her retire early. Given how chaotic the whole letter sounded, she was clearly distraught.

Sympathizing with the problems Dragontan had and the immense pressure placed on its mayor, Tonukapoli honed in on only the essential points contained within Antelise's frantic letter. Even if her request to retire was legitimate, Phon'kaven was in no position to consider it, much less permit it. Tonukapoli made a note to send her words of encouragement and consolation, along with a large jug of ale. Then she shifted her energy to worrying about Mynoghra's delegation.

"Those twin girls did that…eh? They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but it's still sad to be misled."

Ever since she'd chatted with the girls during their meeting and the feast that had followed, Tonukapoli thought her life would be all the better if she had granddaughters like them. But peel the layers back, and what she got was something rotten to the core.

She had always believed all that stuff about being in for a great deal of hurt if you fall for evil's beautiful disguises was just a device used in shallow fairytale storytelling. But falling for it in real life posed a serious threat that didn't end in a harmless lesson for children. Tonukapoli was reminded of how glad she was to have formed friendly relations with Mynoghra when they did.

Sighing again, the cow-headed elder looked up from the parchment in her hand.

"All righty, ladies and gentlebeasts. Yet ANOTHER urgent letter has arrived by post-horse from Dragontan. This time discussing our all too exciting diplomatic project with the King of Ruin."

Inside the thatched building in the center of the city, where candles mixed with a special herbal solution illuminated the area in a pallid light, the elderly Staff Holders pierced Tonukapoli with their unrelenting gazes.

"The King of Ruin…ehhhh? Truly frightening if it's indeed trueeee."

All the Staff Holders were elderly and each had different beast characteristics. One of them—the deer-headed Staff Holder entrusted with mediating their gatherings—groaned as they looked at the parchment Tonukapoli handed over.

Various paranormal entities permeated this world. They rarely appeared within range of mortals, but they occasionally showed themselves to wreak havoc on the world. Therefore, the Staff Holders didn't for one minute doubt the existence of such a being, although everyone aside from Tonukapoli knew nothing about the King of Ruin.

"Your lower backs would go out if you saw it with your own eyes. You old farts might just die on the spot!" Tonukapoli teased.

"I'd rather not go out that wayyyy."

"But what to do about this new problem? Things got outta hand thanks to a certain reckless little Staff Holder, but can we really let it continue like this?"

Despite concerns about what had happened in Dragontan, no one here held Tonukapoli responsible for it. It'd be a lie to say they didn't each have their own opinions on the matter, but they sympathized with her because nobody knew what they would've done in her position. More than anything else, they just didn't have the time to spare whining about what had already transpired.

They had reached a ripe old age as leaders—they knew a thing or two about how to push aside unnecessary, personal feelings. But even these experienced leaders struggled to come up with something constructive to say after the parchment finished making its way around the room. Mynoghra was so outlandish and out of the ordinary as an empire that it was incredibly difficult to decide how to deal with them.

After a period of contemplation, each elder began to voice their uncertain opinions. And so commenced one of the longest meetings in Staff Holder history.

◇◇◇

"TIME to finalize our decisionnnn."

The deer-headed Staff Hold clapped their hands.

In the end, the meeting went for days until they finally decided to forgive Mynoghra's delegation for the problems they'd caused and continue the friendly relations between their two nations.

No one was all too happy with them jumping the gun, but Pepe and Tonukapoli had already established an alliance with Mynoghra in Phon'kaven's name. This alliance was later sanctioned by the consensus of the Staff Holders, making it formal within Phon'kaven.

Reversing that decision would call their trustworthiness into question and ruin their nation's reputation. Furthermore, while they had various concerns, they saw the value of accepting Mynoghra's assistance when they were being logical about it. Setting aside their gut reactions, being allied with Mynoghra was the lifeline Phon'kaven needed right now.

Problems of this magnitude could be easily brushed under the rug and forgiven.

The Staff Holders possessed the wisdom to suppress their emotions to rationally pursue what was in the best interest of their empire.

"Still, never did I think the day would come when we'd join hands with evil incarnate… How should we apologize to the Ancestral

Spirits when our time has come…?"

"Just blame it on Pepe! It was his decision, so you'd better accept it!"

"He truly did the unthinkable despite you being there with him, Tonukapoliiii."

"If only Pepe was a little more prudent, we'd feel more comfortable with thissss."

"Keep your chin up… That said, you can't call back your die after you've cast 'em."

The Staff Holders naturally began bashing Pepe. Before they knew it, everyone had accepted working with Mynoghra. It wouldn't have been strange for there to be more discord given their nation's growing stressful situation and the shocking details contained within the reports they'd been getting from Dragontan.

But for some reason, there was this mysterious conviction among them, like a strong, unshakeable notion that friendship with Mynoghra was sealed in stone and inevitable. This feeling grew even stronger when the topic shifted to the boy they had nominated as their successor.

Not a single soul noticed the mysterious power influencing them.

-x-X-x-

Chapter 11: Queen Mother

A few days had passed since Atou left for Dragontan with Elder Moltar and some of his support staff and soldiers. Takuto was immediately overwhelmed by despair after losing the partner he cherished most in this world.

"You reeeaaallly can't do anything on your own, can you, King Takuto…?"

"Ugggggggggggggghhhh…"

In Mynoghra's Throne Room, Isla, Queen of Bugs gave her king an exasperated look as he sat perfectly atop the throne like a figurine. For some reason, the great and mighty King of Ruin found himself being lectured by the Hero he'd summoned.

"I cannot believe you are incapable of waking up on your own at this late hour. How in the dark realm did anything ever get done? Hmm?" Isla sighed with a gichichi, her forearms folded at her chest.

Takuto's life had taken a 180-degree turn since Isla took up the mantle of supporting him in Atou's place. Unlike Atou, who was a lot like Takuto when it came to their self-indulgent and carefree ways, Isla was conscientious and fastidious. Up until now, Takuto had lived relatively freely under his authority as King, but Isla wouldn't stand for that, unlike Atou, who devoted herself to spoiling their king.

"His Majesty always sleeps until noon."

"And if he still doesn't wake up, Cary, Big Sista, and Lady Atou go get him!"

Maria and Caria poked their heads around the throne to answer Isla. They were guilty of treason, betraying their king like that, but no one here was willing to take Takuto's side. So he did what he had to and beckoned the girls to sit on both sides of him, using them as adorable shields from Isla's wrath.

Takuto had dropped to a new low without Atou.

"You are one big child…a manchild…"

"Ugh. But—"

"No ifs or buts about it, young man! You are the Commander of our mighty Mynoghra and the King of Ruin who will bring about the apocalypse! How could such an imposing figure sleep past noon and require young girls to rouse him? It's just wrong on all accounts. You will be waking up at a decent hour from now on," Isla instructed in a motherly way that didn't leave room for him to refuse.

If Atou was the type to show her undying loyalty by spoiling him on all fronts, Isla was the type to strictly advise him against his personal desires in order to bring out his true potential as a king. It goes without saying which one was correct.

Still, Takuto lacked the courage to talk back to her, and he knew he was the one at fault. He had no intention of waving around his authority as King for something this trivial and intended for his benefit.

"Blegh. I'll try."

In the end, Takuto was reduced to pathetically hanging his head.

"Good luck, Your Majesty…"

"Big Sista and I will help!"

Maria and Caria were still firmly in the "Spoil Takuto" group, unlike Isla, so they did their best to cheer up their despondent king. Spirits lifted a bit by their kindness, Takuto pulled them both in close for a hug to show his gratitude. They bashfully and respectfully returned his hug. He was relieved to have grown significantly closer to the twins after their rocky start.

Takuto told Isla he'd start his work for the day, feeling like he was in for a load of misery having to actually experience what it truly meant to serve as King.

"Very good. Then please proceed to the office at once. Oh, but perhaps we should clean up your room first— Hmm?"

Just as Takuto stood to go into his office, they heard the clatter of running footsteps coming closer until a familiar face came flying into the room.

"Lady Isla! Is Lady Isla here?! Where are you?!"

"Oh my. Hello there, Miss Emle. Why do you look like you're about to cry? You're ruining your pretty face."

As soon as the teary-eyed Emle spotted Isla in the Throne Room, she dashed over and flung herself into the other woman's torso. Apparently, she didn't notice Takuto behind Isla's ginormous body. Fascinated by Emle's unusual behavior, he gestured to the twins not to say anything and quietly listened to the exchange between the Queen of Bugs and the Dark Elf.

"Lady Islaaaaa! Captain Gia broke the military equipment AGAIN! I can't even count how many times he's done it now! He burns through new stuff too fast! My budget plaaaan! My budget plaaaan is going up in flames!!"

"It is all fine and dandy that he is enthusiastically running military drills, but this is a bit much. Don't you worry, sweetie. Your Isla here will properly put the Warrior Captain in his place. Let's see if we can't fix the budget plans up together later."

"Th-Thank you so much, Lady Isla! Ah, can I stay this way a little longer…?"

"Oh dear. Someone's being a big baby."

Hugged by Isla's forearms, Emle blissfully closed her eyes. From the looks of it, she was overstressed. Both Gia and Elder Moltar had become pretty relaxed after being freed from the troubles of their endless march. Thinking about all the rumors he'd heard about the fun they were having, Takuto wept for the difficulties Emle must be going through, having formerly served as Warrior Adjutant.

"I wanna hug too…" Maria said enviously.

"Miss Emle hasn't noticed His Majesty at all yet," Caria pointed out.

"That's because I'm always asleep at this time."

Showing himself now would only humiliate Emle. Takuto didn't mind seeing her like this, but the same probably didn't go for her. With that in mind, he quietly snuck out of the Throne Room with the twins.

"..."

Takuto became lost in thought as they walked the corridors to their next destination. Noticing their king had slowed down, the girls circled around in front of him and skillfully walked backward as they looked at his face.

"What's wrong, Your Majesty?"

"I was just thinking that Isla's like a mom."

Life in Mynoghra had changed since her arrival. Everyone living in Mynoghra had come to respect and adore Isla so much they even began calling her Queen Mother, despite her frightening looks. She scolded everyone who overindulged like Takuto and counseled all who needed advice like Emle.

As a queen, she excelled at grasping people's hearts and managing large groups. At this point, every Dark Elf living in Mynoghra had been cared for by her in one way or another. She was likely going to head straight to Captain Gia to lecture him on the proper use of military equipment.

She's just like everyone's mom. She's kind, reliable, has something to say about everything, and incredibly scary if you anger her… Takuto thought.

"She is."

"She definitely is."

Both girls nodded wholeheartedly, having experienced her various mothering qualities firsthand.

◇◇◇

AFTER the conversation that clearly established the hierarchy in Mynoghra ended with Gia getting lectured, Isla and Emle were drafting the next national management plan of action. Elder Moltar normally undertook that duty, but he was currently away handling Dragontan's Barbarian problem.

They estimated he'd be away until Phon'kaven had a stable defense, but they couldn't determine how long that would take with the Barbarian source still unknown. Emle took over his role for the time being since he might be gone for a long time.

By all accounts, Emle should've been buried under an impossible amount of work, but Isla wasn't just called a queen for show—she was unimaginably talented at tackling Domestic Affairs, reducing the load bearing down on Emle. Still, it was a heavy responsibility for Emle to participate in the important task of managing a part of the empire. She was bound to snap under the pressure and eventually make mistakes that she wouldn't normally.

"I can't believe His Majesty was there… I'm a failure…" she moaned.

"His Majesty didn't mind," Isla comforted the girl. "Besides, you thought he was still asleep in his bedroom. So the real culprit here is

His Majesty for sleeping the day away on a normal basis."

"N-No…I mean…"

Emle made the right choice going to Isla in tears after a certain incident pushed her to the brink when it wouldn't be resolved no matter how hard she tried. It was also a fact that Isla reminded her of her mother despite her looks, which was why she'd come to depend on her more than she should. The real problem was that she'd broken down in the Throne Room before the King himself, without even knowing he was there.

When she'd realized what she had done, all the blood drained from her face. But regretting it wouldn't undo it. Moreover, the fact Isla and the King thought nothing of it only expedited poor Emle's embarrassment.

"Anyway, missy! Aren't there more important matters for you to tend to? The best way to wipe out a disgrace is to replace it with even more memorable achievements."

"Y-Yes, ma'am! You're right!" Emle exclaimed, forcing herself to change mindsets. Isla gave a satisfied nod.

Isla was absolutely right. It's no use crying over spilled milk, but you can always pour yourself another glass. There were plenty of things she could do to make up for her blunder.

"In that case, I want to get straight to work. I actually wanted to get your opinion on what facility we should construct next, Lady

Isla."

"Oh? The next facility, is it? The Magic Research Institute was completed recently, right?"

Construction, Production, and Research were all currently behind schedule in Mynoghra. This was due to Takuto's decision to expand his defense forces as soon as possible by allocating the bulk of their Resources and Materials to summoning Isla. Doing this accelerated Isla's completion rather than having the process slowed by splitting Resources between various projects at once. This particular strategy brought Isla and her Larva into play at an early stage, but it definitely put the rest of their Production and Research behind schedule.

Great care had to be taken with selecting the next construction project. Mynoghra was surrounded by potentially strong enemies and a world full of unknown dangers. Isla gave her answer taking all of that into consideration.

"…Good question, dear. I want to have Living Reeds ready in case of an emergency."

Isla decided to expand their defenses. Given the high threat presented by the world around them, she'd already made up her mind to prioritize a military facility but chose Living Reeds over Training Grounds.

Living Reeds is a building unique to Mynoghra. This basic facility grants defense buffs to the city where it's built. It also has the ability to attack enemy units, making it an excellent building in terms of defense.

<-x-X-x->

"What do you think of building a Learning Institute instead?" Emle asked. "We've received a great number of petitions from the people on the matter of education. I can honestly understand their desire to prepare a proper educational environment for the next generation since Dark Elves are tasked with handling Mynoghra's intellectual matters…"

"That's true. Mynoghra's citizens occupy vital positions due to their limited numbers. My precious little ones can handle all matters related to manual labor, but the Dark Elves are indeed an absolute necessity for intellectual work."

Emle proposed an emphasis on Domestic Affairs to Isla, whose emphasis was on Military Affairs. Mynoghra's current defenses rested on Isla's shoulders. They also had the Long-legged Bugs, whose Strength had increased with her buffs as well. And they had her Combat Larva in reserve too. As time went on, Isla's combat abilities as a Hero would increase, and they could call back Atou if they needed to.

In reality, they actually had a strong enough defense force. Hence, Emle determined it'd be wiser to devote more Resources toward Domestic Affairs to make up for the time they lost summoning Isla. Isla also thought there was merit to her stance.

Mynoghra wasn't currently at war with any empires. Going to extremes and blowing their budget on high-cost, low-return military assets presented a problem of its own by exceeding their empire's ability to pay for military assets they may not yet need. Besides, their military budget would grow in proportion with their national power, giving them more capital to work with. In that case, strengthening their national foundation should be top priority, followed by military projects.

<-x-X-x->

Plus, Takuto's strategy revolved around Domestic Affairs. They basically just needed a strong enough military to defend themselves.

It's during early-game, when empires are at their weakest, that a single facility can dramatically affect how things play out later.

Just because Takuto would make the final decision didn't excuse the others from thinking about these things themselves. Isla had plenty of experience managing Domestic Affairs as a game character, but she still lacked when it came to applying that knowledge to realworld decisions. Any choice she made would be passed on to Takuto—she couldn't bear disappointing him with a half-baked proposal.

"It's a tricky choice," she said.

Isla and Emle racked their brains as they watched the busy streets in the center of the city bustling with Dark Elves. They tossed several ideas back and forth, eventually concluding that domestic growth was important, but defenses took priority given the present Barbarian threat. Before they could finalize their plan, Isla spotted someone running toward them.

"Lady Isla, do you have a moment?"

It was the younger twin, Caria. The girl proudly showed off her painful-looking burn scars as if they were a badge of honor. Isla didn't understand what drove the girl to do that, given she was still at an age when looks mattered, but she treated her with kindness, figuring there was a greater story behind it.

"Why, if it isn't our darling little Caria. What brings you here, little lovebug? Where's your big sister?"

"Big Sista is looking after His Majesty. The King asked me to fetch you since he wants to discuss some things. He said it can wait until you are finished," Caria conveyed cheerfully, earning an approving nod from Isla.

For a Hero like Isla, Mynoghra's citizens were her charges to protect. She had the additional traits of a Queen, which brought out her maternal instincts despite her monstrous appearance, and she adored all the precious little larva under her authority.

How could she not love a child who perfectly ran her errands?

Isla's motherly side took over, and she scooped Caria up into a big hug with her forearms.

"Wonderful! I understand what is needed of me. You did such a good job relaying your message, lovebug! Good bugs get hugs and kisses!"

"Uwah! Mmph! …Ehehe."

"Lucky…"

Emle enviously watched them, further arousing Isla's maternal instincts. Her excitement reached its zenith, and she was about to scoop Emle into a mantis hug alongside Caria, when it suddenly dawned on her to see what the Dark Elf youngling thought of their proposal.

"Oh, right! I need to hear what you think too, sweetie. You're also one of Mynoghra's precious citizens. I wonder what your take will be, little Caria."

"…Hm? My take on what?" Caria asked, a blank look on her face.

Isla threw Caria up in the air and caught her like a mother might a young child while she explained the gist of what she'd been discussing with Emle. She had her reasons for purposely asking the girl her opinion on political matters.

The Dark Elves were expected to play an active role in academic fields in the future, unlike Mynoghra's main race, the Homunculus. In other words, they would become the empire's future Researchers, Mages, Artists, Philosophers, and the like.

With that in mind, they needed to be groomed to think for themselves and not just be regular citizens who merely tilled the fields without ever aspiring for more. Hence, she decided to get them into the habit of tackling bigger topics from an early age. Caria and Maria needed to obtain even more wisdom than the rest because they were under the direct tutelage of the King to become future leaders.

Isla expected her to put a lot of thought into answering her question.

◇◇◇

"I say go with the Learning Institute, then. It's a facility we have to have eventually, anyway. We can do Living Reeds after that."

"Your wish is my command, my master. I shall inform the builders."

After careful scrutiny, Isla presented the proposal they'd arrived at, and Takuto passed judgment on their plan.

The final decision was to construct the Learning Institute.

Takuto accepted the plan Isla and the others had proposed.

Caria's words were the final deciding factor that clinched it. Mentioning that she and her sister wanted to study to aid the King reminded Isla of the importance of education and helped her decide which path to take.

"By the way, how are things going with our Atou, Your Majesty?"

Isla asked. "She's checking in with you every night, right?"

"Yeah, of course. It sounds like things are taking an interesting turn."

"Meaning she's succeeding in stealing skills from the

Barbarians?"

"Yep. Way more than we could've hoped for."

Takuto grinned wickedly. His delight was evident even though his face was an indecipherable miasma of darkness.

Isla was pleased that Atou was achieving better results than expected and that her strategies were well-matched with the current Barbarian situation.

Change was afoot throughout the world, that much was certain.

The sudden and random Barbarian attacks without a known cause was reason for concern. But Isla was convinced any problem would be blown away like dust under her king's rule, hence why she raised her voice in a "gichichi" laugh alongside him.

<-x-X-x->

Chapter 12: Turning Point

AROUND the time Takuto was having his lifestyle choices improved by his newly summoned Hero, Atou and the rest of the dispatched troops were devoting their all to fulfilling their own mission. But the military actions they took at Dragontan on this particular day stepped outside of defense and into the realm of hunting.

"L-Lady Atou! Word has come in from the Scouts! Five separate Goblin hordes are approaching from the southwest!" Two full-size melons jiggled with that high-pitched report.

"M'kay. I'm on it."

In a temporary tent set up outside of Dragontan, Atou listened to the report given by the town's mayor, Antelise. How many times had they repeated this same tired exchange? Although she was annoyed being interrupted just as she was about to drink the rare tea she'd discovered in Dragontan, Atou looked beyond the horizon outside of the tent, never expressing her inner ire.

A fraction of a second later, a giant tentacle burst out behind her and plunged into the ground. The ground rippled and groaned as the tentacle silently slipped underneath the soil before erupting from the earth to the sound of flesh and bones being ripped to shreds, and the death cries of Goblins filled the air in the distance.

"A good hunt. All right, I'm finished."

"Eeeeeeek! Thank you very much, Lady Atou! Really, I mean it.

Thank you!"

Trembling, the mayor bowed over and over again while offering up words of gratitude, tears in her eyes. Smelling the fear on her, Atou tried to address the other woman as gently as possible, her expression twitching slightly.

"Mayor Antik."

"Eeep! Ah! H-How may I help you, Lady Atou?! Oh, right, did I ever mention that I'm really good friends with the Elfuur Sisters?! Er, well, not that this is something I should be talking about right now. But I just thought you would like to know how close we are!"

Sympathizing with the miserable Elf who was trying her darndest to get into Atou's good graces and secure her own life by mobilizing every connection at her disposal, Atou offered a way out for her before she permanently damaged her stomach lining under all the stress.

"I don't need anything. I just thought you looked a little tired. Why don't you take a break? My job is to stay on standby here, so you are welcome to rest as long as you send a messenger to inform me when more Barbarians show up…"

This was Atou's way of being thoughtful of Antelise, who she felt bad seeing tremble at the slightest movement, her face whiter than a ghost. She knew Antelise couldn't completely leave them because she was the mayor, but she hoped this suggestion might ease her mind.

"S-Since you were kind enough to offer, I think I might do just that. I need booz— I mean, I need a drink for my parched throat!"

"Go enjoy a good drink."

"I will! Thank you so much!"

Antelise bounded away like a startled hare.

Impressed by her speediness, Atou thought back on how the people of Dragontan behaved around her people. While everyone seemed frightened, Atou was relieved they weren't outright avoiding her. The oddly jolly mayor appeared to be maintaining her sanity by viewing this as a part of her duties, but it was incredibly difficult for other races to accept anyone belonging to the forces of evil. As a general rule, Dragontan should've had a harder time accepting Mynoghra's military anywhere near their town…

A silly misunderstanding prevented that from happening.

Funnily enough, the people of Dragontan, outside of the mayor and other top government officials, were afraid but not terrified of Atou because of this little misunderstanding. Though it goes without saying that the reason behind it didn't sit well with Atou herself…

"I presume Goblins no longer pose any benefit to you, Lady Atou?"

"Hello, Elder Moltar…"

Elder Moltar suddenly appeared beside the simple wood chair she was sitting on. Atou greeted him without looking, her bored gaze trained on the horizon as she sipped her lukewarm tea.

"I still don't know how to view the people of Dragontan for thinking you are an octopus Demi-human…"

Indeed, this was the silly reason the Humanoids of Dragontan had comfortably accepted Atou into their midst. Aside from the Staff

Holder's direct subordinates, everyone from Dragontan's Defense Force to the general public believed Atou was an octopus Demihuman.

Word of her being an octopus Demi-human spread like wildfire after Pepe cheerfully declared "You look like an octopus!" when he was startled by her tentacles for the first time. Atou had a hard time accepting the loathsome comparison but understood its usefulness.

"I resent it with all my heart, but…it's better than being avoided like the plague or sending the public into a panic. Let me be clear that the day you say the same thing will be the day you are baptized in tentacles…octopus tentacles…"

"Hohoho! I wouldn't dare!"

Elder Moltar sat down on a chair he procured seemingly from air, laughing loudly at the tentacles wriggling in front of him. Phon'kaven's Scouts were hectically going about their business around them. Some of the subordinates Atou and Elder Moltar brought appeared to be working well with Dragontan's Defense Force.

"By the way, what skills have you taken so far, Lady Atou?"

As Atou was absently thinking real battle made for excellent training, Elder Moltar broke her wandering thoughts with his quiet question, his hands relaxed around his staff.

"Outdoor Survival from the Goblins, Enhanced Stamina from the Orcs, and Enhanced Strength and Regeneration from the Hill Giants.

A Stone Golem was spotted the other day, so I would love to add

Stone Skin to the list next."

Their joint defense operations with Dragontan had already given them excellent results so far. These Barbarians had little Strength and could easily be dealt with by slightly stronger units. They required as little attention as any squishy regular Soldier unit, but that didn't mean their skills weren't useful. Rather, their skills were disproportionately stronger than the units themselves, strengthening Atou more than any of them had expected.

Elder Moltar recalled the properties of each of those skills just by hearing their titles and rejoiced to learn Atou had grown into an even mightier being with their addition.

"Voids, that's a bigger catch than expected. Our king must be pleased."

"Yes! You know it! King Takuto lavished me with praise! I'm going to see to it that I get so much praise when I get home that it gives me cavities!"

"A most auspicious beginning to our mission— Oh?" Elder Moltar directed his sharp gaze toward the hill in front of them, his hand stopping in the middle of stroking his long beard.

Atou lazily followed his gaze to where she spotted a small shadow suddenly appear on top of the hill.

"Another Hill Giant. Hmm. More are attacking than usual today."

No matter how many times they saw the Barbarians randomly appear, they still didn't know what was behind this strange phenomenon. They continued to rack their brains over what could be causing something so out of the ordinary to keep happening.

At first, they assumed Teleportation Magic was at play until Elder Moltar ruled it out with his thorough investigation. He couldn't sense any spells or Magic Power activating. If the most experienced and knowledgeable man when it came to magic said it wasn't Teleportation Magic, then it was unlikely he was wrong.

And if it wasn't that, then they really were appearing out of thin air, but…adopting that theory ignored the laws of physics and ran contrary to logical thought. Then again, the laws of physics didn't have as much bearing on a world of magic.

Their objective to exterminate the Barbarians to protect Dragontan and procure their skills to strengthen Atou was going well, but their investigation into the Barbarians' random appearances had all but come to a standstill. Allowing this problem to persist meant delaying Atou's long-awaited reunion with Takuto, which was unbearable for her.

"What a bother. Who knows when I'll get back to King Takuto if this keeps up…"

"L-Lady Atou! Sorry to bother you! There's a Hill Giant! The

Archers are getting into position! I'm really sorry!"

Antelise tumbled into the tent, looking like she'd just seen a ghost. The faint smell of alcohol wafting from her breath suggested she'd been enjoying her break, but her withdrawn expression was dead serious. Of course, this was a serious situation. The Barbarians called Hill Giants were strong units with a base Strength of 4 and several physical enhancement skills, such as Enhanced Strength and Enhanced Stamina.

A normal army would inevitably struggle and sustain losses against one. Worse yet, one wrong move could lead to the entire army being wiped out in a single skirmish. Hill Giants were too powerful of an opponent for a rural town's Defense Force to take on.

"Yes, I know. The Archers will only get in my way, so please tell them to stand down. I will go personally."

"I can't let you do that! If I ask you to go alone, I'll be in for an earful— Hey! Please wait!"

Atou slowly rose from her chair and stood at the entrance to her tent before she exploded into a full run that left cracks in the hard soil beneath her feet. She did all of this before Antelise could even get close to her. She ran faster than the fastest horse and had already arrived within viewing distance of the Hill Giant's ugly mug.

And so began the pest extermination done in the name of battle.

"GRUOOOOH?!"

"Hi. Now die."

Atou launched herself up to eyelevel with the Giant and slashed its face with the Paladin's Holy Sword with a superhuman jump. The Giant threw up its hands to protect its vital spots, but the slashes released by Atou's reinforced, slender arms easily sliced through its stone-hard skin.

"GUGYAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

With one arm severed at the bone, the Hill Giant furiously swung its huge club around, blinded by its pain. Every time it slammed the ground with a loud bang, Atou dodged the flying debris like an acrobat, spinning her sword in the unique Holy Sword Arte style.

The number of Hill Giants Atou had cut down thus far had already exceeded what could be counted on one hand, not to mention the countless small and medium-sized Barbarians such as Orcs and Goblins that she'd slaughtered as well. They didn't even make for a good training dummy anymore—there was nothing left to gain from eradicating them.

Atou came out to play around with the Holy Sword Artes she'd obtained from Qualia's High Paladin, but the Hill Giant didn't seem like it'd last long enough to make for good practice.

Maybe I should just put a quick end to this with my tentacles.

As Atou debated how she'd like to finish it off while agilely sidestepping its attacks, she noticed Ruin suddenly filling the air around her.

"Oh?"

"Gugyah? GruooooOOH…"

The air grew stagnant and miasma permeated the surrounding area. The ground changed color, and the rugged plants capable of growing in the wastelands rapidly wilted. The neutral-aligned Hill Giant visibly slowed down, its expression distorting with pain. Meanwhile, the evil-aligned Atou felt invigorated.

"Ah, Elder Moltar, I like the touch of flair you added there."

Atou glanced over her shoulder to see Elder Moltar had activated a spell all the way back at their tent in front of Dragontan. He'd likely used the Military Magic spell Land of Ruin. This particular spell, which transformed terrain within a certain distance into Cursed Terrain, was extremely useful for the forces of evil.

Using this spell during battle with any empire that wasn't evilaligned would strengthen Mynoghra's forces while weakening enemy forces. Moreover, they could also use it near their border during peacetime to expand their territory, and it was very easy-to-use magic with a low cost.

This spell was made available by the Ruin Mana supplied by Mynoghra's Palace, but they hadn't had an opportunity to use it in battle before now. Elder Moltar probably wanted to test its effectiveness during these riskless skirmishes.

Once Atou regained her motivation that had hit rock bottom, she promptly tested out her strengthened physical abilities.

"Grah? GUGYAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Atou had been dodging its attacks like she was putting on a bewitching ballet performance at a theater until she abruptly came to a stop. The Hill Giant seemed to view that as a chance to strike and swung down its massive club.

Triumph gleamed in the Giant's demented eyes as an explosive bam shook the ground.

"Hehehe. Light as a feather."

"GRAH?!"

Atou stopped the Hill Giant's powerful attack with one dainty hand. With the buffs granted by the Cursed Terrain, their strength was now as far apart as heaven and earth. Shock and despair contorted the Giant's face. It was forced to face the miserable reality that it was being played with from the start.

"…I love the look on your face. Farewell."

The Hill Giant couldn't get over the shock of its strongest attack being stopped by a tiny, little creature. Atou unleashed a complete Holy Sword Arte right in its face. Sliced from its forehead down to its chest in one straight line, the Hill Giant slowly fell backward, eventually hitting the ground with a loud THWUMP that shook the hill.

Exhaling, Atou stared at the large, fleshy mass making up the Hill Giant's corpse. Wild animals would eat it up over the next few days, but it still wasn't a pretty sight. It was awfully close to town, so she thought it'd be best to bury it. The cleanup job that came after every Barbarian encounter tended to be more backbreaking work than actually felling the creatures.

As Atou was thinking about that, the corpse suddenly started to vanish. Eyes widening with shock, Atou hopped back several feet.

"…What the? It…vanished?"

The corpse continued to fade until it entirely disappeared like a magician's assistant. Atou had never seen that happen before. Alarmed there was a new threat, Atou brought forth all her tentacles and kept her eyes peeled.

But…nothing happened.

Actually, she spotted something small and shiny reflecting the sunlight right beneath where the Hill Giant's corpse had been. Atou moved her tentacle to cautiously pick the object up.

"…A gold coin?"

It was a gold coin unlike any she had ever seen before.

◇◇◇

"HILL Giants can no longer even put up a struggle against you… Nay, they never so much as posed a threat to you from day one, Lady

Atou."

Elder Moltar merrily welcomed Atou back from battle. Not only was he thrilled to see the Hero he admired growing visibly stronger before his very eyes, but he was also pleased his spell worked in real combat.

"I wouldn't be able to call myself a Hero if I struggled against creatures of their level. This is also proof that I've been doing a good job plundering their skills, too… How are things going on your end,

Elder Moltar?"

Atou waved away his flattery as she sat back on her chair and asked about the real mission he'd been sent to accomplish. Takuto had tasked him with investigating and further developing the Dragon Vein Mine. One look at the elderly sage suggested he wasn't having any trouble getting his work done.

"Fortunately, research has also been going smoothly on my end. I must say, I was surprised such a mystical land truly exists. I feel like a boy in a candy shop."

At first glance, the Dragon Vein Mine looked almost bowlshaped, not dissimilar from a mortar for grinding herbs. Crystals of solidified Magic Power formed from years of dense Mana erupting from its center covered the area, climbing the walls and spreading outward. Dragontan's mine had been filled and then blanketed with dirt from nearby in order to conceal it, but due to its sheer size, it couldn't be completely concealed.

Not to mention the un-mined Mana crystals continued to expand and creep out across the land, all but ignoring any attempts to conceal it. Anyone with knowledge of raw Mana could easily recognize its characteristics at a glance. Even mundane peasants were beginning to notice the effects on the nearby land as the incident with the drug dealers had proven.

Atou was enraptured by the magical sight when she saw it with her own eyes. It was no wonder Elder Moltar was electrified by it. Of course, its actual value was by no means confined to its value as a visual marvel.

"Hehehe, that is most fortunate. Large-scale Terrain

Enhancements will become possible once we can use the pure Mana from the Dragon Vein Mine, too. Mynoghra will develop even further once we can use the magic that allows you to instantly transform even a barren Wasteland into a fertile one."

"All of the spells that can be used thanks to Military Magic have such terrifyingly amazing effects. I must admit, I'm eagerly looking forward to the day when we can use magic specialized in Terrain Enhancements."

Elder Moltar and Atou gushed about what the future held. It wouldn't be wrong to say that Mynoghra had obtained an incredibly powerful card. Sure, it was still under development, but they looked forward to the day when it bore fruit and brought immeasurable prosperity to Mynoghra.

"I bet it will knock the robe right off of you. The visual effects are ridiculously elaborate— Oops, I forgot I wanted to ask you about something, Elder Moltar."

"Oh? What might that be?"

Noticing the nearby Phon'kaven guards had walked away during their conversation, Atou decided to see if Elder Moltar could shed any light on the strange phenomenon she had witnessed earlier. It was a difficult phenomenon to wrap her head around, but that was no reason to ignore it or share it with everyone at this stage.

Only fools leave concerns to fester. She needed to report back to Takuto about it too, but it shouldn't hurt for her to do a little investigating on her end first. Thus, she chose Elder Moltar as her soundboard.

"Do you recognize this?" she asked.  

.

----------->

.

Atou handed him the gold coin she got from the Hill Giant.

"Hrm… Let me take a look. Looks like some sort of coinage…and a gold coin at that. Where did you get this?"

"It dropped from the Hill Giant."

"Huh? Draaaped? Hmm? The Hill Giant had this on it?"

"Yes. Is it from any of the nations you know of?"

Items didn't normally drop from enemies in this world. Anything a defeated enemy had on their person would inevitably be up for grabs after they were defeated, but it was implausible for their corpse to vanish and leave something behind.

While Eternal Nations did have an item drop system, it only applied to legendary equipment and items that would drastically influence an entire game session. This coin didn't seem to fit that description.

Atou observed Elder Moltar as he closely examined the coin. By the looks of it, he didn't have a good feeling about it either.

"Hrmm. Nay, I've neither seen nor heard of anything like it," he eventually said after a long pause. "Moreover, the technology used to manufacture such a coin…leads me to believe it isn't from this continent. If you don't mind, I will run it by Dragontan's scholars, but

I believe they will give the same answer."

"Really? Then that means it came from somewhere else… That's more than a little troubling given the fact that the Hill

Giant's…corpse suddenly vanished. That never happened before."

"Barbarians who appear out of thin air, coinage from beyond the continent, and vanishing corpses…this is more than a little disturbing."

Atou tightened her jaw, her brows furrowing.

At first, she thought the Hill Giant had obtained the coin from some poor soul, but that didn't appear to be the case, which meant she could no longer be optimistic about the situation. She was starting to see the hidden thread. If some unknown entity was behind everything, then their empire needed to be put on high alert.

Then there was the Hill Giant corpse that had disappeared.

They appear out of thin air and vanish into thin air when defeated, leaving only money in their wake.

It suddenly dawned on Atou what that sounded an awful lot like.

"Indeed. It's almost like what happens in an RP—" Shock flashed across her face.

"Lady Atou?"

"No way. It can't be possible…"

Atou rose from her chair and hastily held her hand to her ear, and closed her eyes. Just as Elder Moltar realized that was the gesture she made whenever she was getting in touch with King Takuto, a panicked Dragontan Scout tumbled into the tent.

"It's an emergency! A massive Barbarian horde has appeared! Wh-What the Spirits is going on?! There isn't a patch of land without them!"

Elder Moltar sprinted outside the tent with a nimbleness that belied his age and set his sights beyond the horizon.

"Voids… Eternal darkness have mercy!"

Even his slightly diminished eyesight could clearly make out the massive horde blanketing the field.

<2<-x-X-x->2>

Chapter 13: The Quickening

AT Mynoghra's Palace, the lazy king was being cared for by the twin girls atop his throne. It was a common sight seen on a typical day. Although they couldn't completely let down their guard, time was peacefully passing by…until everything changed…

"What's going on?" Takuto muttered in a panic, suddenly jumping up from his throne.

The two girls waiting on him gave their king curious looks since he was acting out of the ordinary.

"What's the matter, Your Majesty?"

"Did something happen?"

"Be quiet for a minute."

Startled by his sharp reply, the girls trembled and hung their heads, not daring to utter another word. What had happened? The girls felt uneasy because Takuto's sudden shift in demeanor meant something had gone horribly wrong.

They wanted to know what was wrong this instant. But the twins were clever enough not to interrupt their king's brooding with pointless questions. He'd answer them when he could.

Besides, Takuto couldn't afford to waste time coddling them right now. He'd normally be much gentler with them, but what he'd just learned didn't allow him to be considerate of others.

He had just received reports of a massive Barbarian horde suddenly appearing to the south of Dragontan.

It's physically impossible for them to have just appeared there.

Did some sort of event trigger?

The first report came from the single Long-legged Bug he had stationed around Dragontan just in case. He initially did that to discover any threats to Dragontan and investigate what was causing the sudden Barbarian appearances… Now it seemed that he'd either succeeded in his investigation or stumbled upon a truth he would've rather not known about.

At any rate, the sight he'd seen through his shared vision with the Long-legged Bug made his blood run cold.

First, I need to have the Long-legged Bug get a detailed grasp of the enemy's strength and order it to destroy them if it can… No, wait. Do I need to confirm if they're the enemy first? No, it'll be too late if I don't act first.

Originally meant to be a Scout unit, the Long-legged Bug excelled at exploration and investigation. It could efficiently grasp the enemy's strength and numbers with its excellent long-distance vision. Plus, as a Bug unit, it was getting a Strength buff from Isla's passive skills.

Even if the Hill Giants were out of its league, it should be able to effortlessly mow down Goblins and Orcs. Long-legged Bugs weren't cheap, but they could be replaced. There was no doubt in Takuto's mind that it was better to go on the offensive here.

How many are there? Holy crap. There are ten whole fricken' doomstacks!!

Doomstacks are armies that ignore immersion and cohesiveness, favoring raw power instead. It was essentially ten armies coming together in a giant horde. Put into general numbers, the enemy's army was greater than ten thousand strong. That was a hopeless number, but Takuto didn't have the time to complain.

He was used to responding to sudden crises. Besides that, he had cut his way out of worse pinches than this in Eternal Nations.

Confirming that his fate wasn't yet set in stone, Takuto calmly gave orders while receiving information from the Long-legged Bug stationed closest to the armies. He needed to whittle down the enemy's numbers as much as he could before they took action. He didn't know what was going on yet, but he understood he was suddenly thrust into a do-or-die situation.

Still standing, Takuto swiftly headed for the Palace exit. Sensing the two small girls trailing behind him, he briefly asked "Where's Isla?" while continuing to work out a strategy.

As Mynoghra's King, Takuto could detect the status and location of all his units. Naturally, he could locate Isla and telepathically send her orders, but he deliberately put the question to the girls. He felt bad for treating them curtly, and conversing with them also helped remind him of the gravity of the things he had to protect.

"Mother Isla is in town."

"Mama—Lady Isla is inspecting the buildings in town. Should I go get her, Your Majesty?"

"Pleas— No, you don't have to."

Takuto changed his instructions after hearing a high-pitched buzzing in his ears. Apparently, Isla had also confirmed the sudden upheaval. The buzzing rapidly grew as loud as a roaring sports car engine, making him want to cover both ears. Just as he set foot outside the Palace, Isla landed in front of him with a heavy thud.

"Your orders, my master."

With that single comment, Takuto remembered Isla had access to all the information coming through her bugs. That made things easier. They were in a fight against time.

Mishandling the massive Barbarian horde could be fatal to Mynoghra. Especially when it came to Dragontan. They couldn't lose the Dragon Vein Mine they'd finally obtained.

Takuto was also worried about Atou. She was currently tasked with defending Dragontan. He believed she could handle any number of Barbarians with her current abilities, but the situation was still dire. There was no telling what could go wrong.

He had a mountain of things to consider and do. In the game, time didn't advance until he finished his turn, giving him ample time to think and plan. But reality wasn't so kind.

In a race against time, pausing too long to think was beyond foolish.

However, Takuto wasn't alone in this world. Reliable subordinates were working with all their might to support him. And he had someone who he trusted with his whole being.

Did his worries reach her?

Just as Takuto's thoughts went to his confidant, she reached out to him telepathically.

"King Takuto, I'm sure you are already aware of this, but a massive Barbarian Horde is closing in on us from the south!"

"I just confirmed it myself. Things have taken a ridiculous turn, haven't they? How are things on your end?"

Isla cocked her head, wordlessly asking, "Are you talking to

Atou?"

Takuto nodded in response while simultaneously processing multiple tasks in his head.

A slow initial response would dramatically affect the outcome.

He didn't have time to be pulled in a million directions. His first course of action was to gather as much information as quickly as possible.

I'll be fine. I'm more than capable of resolving a crisis of this level.

Takuto had an accurate grasp of his abilities and made an objective judgment call based on that. Viewed another way, the Barbarian invasion also meant he could strengthen his Heroes. A siege battle was the perfect event to pump Atou and Isla full of experience by way of Barbarian deaths, and after defeating the horde, they could investigate the root source at their leisure.

His strategy started to go in that direction, but things are never that easy…

"I have something more urgent to report to you first. Before this horde appeared, I defeated a Hill Giant, and not only did its corpse vanish into thin air, but it also dropped a gold coin. I've confirmed it's a currency that doesn't belong to this world." "…Shit!" Takuto swore out loud.

He had completely overlooked that possibly. No, he had actually considered the possibility but pushed it to the back of his thoughts.

If he and Atou had come to this world as game characters, then it wasn't illogical for there to be others like them.

Takuto ground his teeth, vexed by the crisis his lack of forethought had invited.

What an oversight! Why didn't I realize it sooner?! It did cross my mind, but I think I thought it sounded too ridiculous to be true… Dammit all!

Takuto felt like all the pieces were rapidly coming together.

Word had it that Qualia had their hands full with a sudden enemy from the north.

What if that disturbance had something to do with another civilization like Mynoghra getting summoned? What if the Saint's oracle that sent Qualia's Paladins to the Accursed Lands was actually a sign of an emerging civilization? And what if now a new threat had emerged south of Dragontan?

Takuto had been reborn into this world alongside Atou, and they were trying to establish a new empire together. As long as he was living proof it could happen, he couldn't assume the same thing wouldn't apply to the other empires.

Are they from Eternal Nations? If they are, then the Guo-GuoGwago Tribe or KAN'D (The Committee for the Advancement of Natural Disasters) would be the most likely candidates.

Takuto went over the list of likely civilizations from the game.

Barbarians—including everything from Goblins to Orcs and Hill Giants—existed within Eternal Nations as well. Plenty of civilizations could produce them as units or win them over to their side through various means built into the game.

The threat would be immeasurable if one of those civilizations ended up transferring as-is to this world too. Both were evil civilizations with zero interest in cooperating with other empires.

No, it seems unlikely for them to be a civilization from Eternal Nations.

Takuto made that snap decision. He didn't have in-depth details on them yet, but what he'd heard from Atou sounded too different from Mynoghra, which would suggest they were here under different mechanics from Takuto at least.

Analyzing the information they'd gathered thus far told them that the Barbarian attacks had increased at a gradual rate. In the beginning, the Barbarian corpses remained after they were defeated, but now they vanished, leaving a gold coin in their wake.

Were the frequent Barbarian raids their way of testing how strong the enemy forces are? Or should I view the disappearance of the corpses as evidence they were summoned? Is that why the Barbarian numbers suddenly increased?

A massive Barbarian horde suddenly appeared as if on cue, plummeting an empire into crisis and forcing its towns to go on the defensive. It was almost as if this was the start of some story…

The number I confirmed with Long-legged Bug's shared vision is highly abnormal. Not a number a civilization could prepare right after being dropped into this world. Then again, there hadn't even been any signs of another game civilization existing here until now.

The empire had to be of considerable size to prepare an army of this size. If so, it should be nigh impossible to completely conceal its existence.

The Long-legged Bugs had already scouted the Uncharted Territory south of Dragontan to some extent. If there was even the slightest trace of a civilization in that endless expanse of barren terrain, they wouldn't have missed it. At this stage, Takuto was halfsure that his opponent was a hostile army from another world.

"Atou, do you still have that coin? Show it to me." "At once."

Takuto instantly gained access to Atou's sense of sight. He paid careful attention to every detail vividly projected into his mind. He couldn't miss a thing. If he couldn't gather enough information, it was very possible Mynoghra would be destroyed.

Feeling panic starting to roil in the pit of his stomach but still holding onto the calm he'd built up like a steel wall, Takuto dug through his mind's archives to try and place the coin.

"I've never seen this coin before," Atou said telepathically. "It doesn't appear to be from Eternal Nations…but it seems to have been made by a fairly advanced civilization. Do you recognize it, King Takuto?"

This design… I've seen this pattern before!

The coin's design consisted of a round sun with a letter inscribed in its center.

Takuto furrowed his brow. The design tugged on an old memory.

The events of his past flowed through his mind like a projector playing at high speed. It flipped back through his memories from a few days ago to a few weeks ago… Time rewound until it arrived at the memories of what had happened before he came to this world— of when he was bedridden in a hospital on Earth. The various conversations he had with doctors in the hospital room, the news he watched on TV, the books he read to pass the time, and eventually, his memories turned to the various computer and video games he used to play …

"Right, this crest is from…" he muttered as he struck upon what he recognized the gold coin from.

Things had come together almost a little too perfectly that Takuto couldn't shake the feeling it was all a part of some game event. And when he realized that feeling wasn't all that far from the truth, his face twitched.

Something had begun. At this very moment, a grand story was beginning to unfold. And that was the worst possible thing that could happen.

This is bad…very bad… My opponent's strength is a complete unknown.

Takuto clenched his teeth. He was frustrated that his oversight had catapulted him and Atou into a dangerous situation. But he had enough mental fortitude not to throw a child's tantrum over such a thing.

Takuto gave Atou some simple instructions and temporarily ended their conversation. He told her to report back on every detail over their open telepathic link and ordered her to focus on defending Dragontan.

First things first, he needed to hammer out a basic plan of action with Isla. When Takuto returned from the sea of thought and looked up, the twins were gone. He realized Isla had thoughtfully sent them to fetch Emle and Gia and gratefully turned his attention to her.

"Isla, this is bad."

"What's bad, my master?"

Nervous tension ran through Isla's normally calm, motherly voice that belied her looks. She had detected the gravity of the situation from Takuto's unusual behavior. But just how much of the situation had she guessed for herself?

"We've got an enemy empire—one just like us."

"Like us? Meaning they come from Eternal Nations? Is it possible to open up a dialogue with them? If we can negotiate, then it would be best to end things with them as peacefully as possible…"

"Fat chance. I doubt we can even talk to them. They don't work that way. They function under a different set of rules than the world we came from…"

Isla gasped. After repeatedly analyzing her master's shocking revelation, she came to understand that Takuto had established a theory about the true nature of the crisis bearing down on them.

"You know who they are, don't you?"

Takuto nodded. Remembering the pattern on the gold coin Atou showed him, he answered, "It's just a guess, but I would say in all probability our enemy is from…a role playing game."

The same logo as the title of the RPG he'd once played was inscribed on the gold coin.

Forces that could have normally never crossed paths were about to meet in an unknown world…

Volume 2: End

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