Chapter 2425 - Mynoghra 18

"Sorry about that, Pepe."

"Don't be, buddy! It's no skin off our backs, since Dragontan really is a town with no value! Wahahaha!" Pepe burst out laughing.

"Haa…" Tonukapoli sighed. "This little fool never fails to open his big trap without thinking…" She shook her head, then took control of the situation. "All right, if I may speak, King Takuto? As we said in the official missive we sent you, Phon'kaven is considering ceding the town of Dragontan to Mynoghra. In return, we would like to request you provide us with something to bolster our military, whether that be boots on the ground or the technology to help us reach your level, such as weapons or research."

"And what good is Dragontan to us?" Takuto fired back.

"Tch!" Tonukapoli clicked her tongue.

Negotiations between nations are wars without bloodshed. Neither side has any pity for the other—only the strong get what they want in the end.

Takuto was merciless on that front as well. He cornered his prey by repeating the same words he'd just chided Elder Moltar for without an ounce of shame. His creed was to squeeze every last drop

out of the other side, even if they were an ally nation. In negotiations, the only person in the wrong is the one who can't negotiate a better deal for themselves. Although he held back just enough not to let his comments strain the future of their alliance.

"..."

Tonukapoli fell silent.

Phon'kaven was at a disadvantage. Dragontan had little to no value without the Dragon Vein Mine. What value it had was diminished by it being on the verge of collapse as a functioning town and requiring considerable work to rebuild it.

Their disadvantage grew greater yet because they still didn't know what Mynoghra was bringing to the table. When you don't know what your opponent's hand is, while your hand is unilaterally devalued…crushing defeat is bound to come in no time.

But Phon'kaven had its fool. A boy who did the most unexpected and crazy things but shouldn't be taken lightly for a single second.

Pepe stopped staring dreamily out the window and suddenly jumped into the conversation as if a brilliant idea had struck him.

"There's a great value to you. Dragontan has some very lovely people! Yessiree, it has lots and lots of people!"

Now that's getting straight to the heart of it, Takuto thought, impressed.

Pepe likely knew the true state of affairs within Mynoghra.

What Mynoghra severely lacked was people.

Dragontan's buildings could be instantly built with Emergency

Production as long as they had Mana. As it currently stood, Mynoghra could build an endless supply of facilities if they exchanged the gold coins they'd obtained from Brave Questers' monsters for Mana. Dragontan's failing government and lack of public order could also be handled by the Brain Eaters, which had skills specifically designed to solve those problems.

But obtaining and maintaining a population was an entirely different matter.

There was no quick hack for instantly obtaining a population, and it took time for an already existing population to increase. Mynoghra's unique race, the Homunculus, may have a high fertility rate, but even they had real, physical limits not usually present in a game. At the very least, it'd take several years to create the next generation, and that was several years too many, given Mynoghra's current predicament.

Time was not on Mynoghra's side.

As long as a clear threat to Mynoghra's existence still existed in this world, strengthening the empire's national power was imperative, and it could be said that the lack of a population was the greatest weak point preventing them from moving to the next stage.

From the outset, what Mynoghra had always wanted from Phon'kaven was people.

"People, eh? Hmm, I'm not sure about that," Takuto hummed, purposely trying to sound disinterested.

"They're all lovely people. I'm sure they will be very much to Mynoghra's liking!" Pepe pressed with his usual cheer, his eyes sparkling, his smile deepening. "Don't you prefer things to be livelier too, my best bud?"

Was Pepe just pushing forward in his own airheaded way, or was he intentionally spinning the conversation in his favor? Either way, the boy Takuto considered a friend was an expert negotiator he shouldn't underestimate for even a second.

"My country lacks strength. Your country lacks citizens. So why don't we trade what we have for what we lack?! I'm absolutely positive doing so will let us make our countries even better!" Pepe was right. He'd stated an undeniable fact.

Increasing Mynoghra's population was an incredibly appealing deal to Takuto. And if they could change the Dragon Vein Mine's Mana to Earth Mana, that would unlock various Terraforming Tactical Magic as well. This would avail him to a variety of extremely effective methods for developing the barren Uncharted Territory, instantly increasing the speed of urban development.

A lot more research was required to unlock the various technologies necessary to prepare Mynoghra's true army. It didn't matter how dedicated the Dark Elves were to their research when their numbers were too limited to even make a dent in the technology trees.

Ultimately, the number of citizens an empire has directly correlates to its national power.

Meanwhile, this deal would also massively benefit Phon'kaven.

Phon'kaven's biggest roadblock to expansion lay within its meager military strength. They couldn't safely expand their territory within the Barbarian-infested Dark Continent without some kind of definitive weapon to give them the upper hand in protecting their cities. Being unable to expand outside city walls delayed the cultivation of new farmland. And they couldn't increase their crop yield from existing farms due to the barren nature of the Dark Continent.

A Food shortage meant they had to rely on imports from other empires, depleting their coffers and impoverishing the nation across the board.

A thorough investigation of their territory showed the entire empire of Phon'kaven was suffering from rampant poverty. Borrowing Mynoghra's strength would instantly change the tides for them.

It was unclear how much they knew about what Mynoghra planned to offer, but the weapons Takuto brought would perfectly serve their goals. With renewed, overwhelming military strength, they could pacify the surrounding areas and cultivate the land under safer conditions. Their potential as an empire would be further maximized if they made use of the Earth Mana drawn from the Dragon Vein Mine they joint-owned with Mynoghra.

Takuto knew that the Beastmen had high reproduction and fertility rates, although not quite on the same level as Mynoghra's Homunculus. Adding them to Mynoghra's roster would absolutely help the empire prosper in the long run.

The contents of this agreement offered significant benefits for both sides.

Takuto felt like he was traveling down the path his opponent had laid out for him in advance, so he decided to throw out several more hard-hitting questions to shake things up.

"What are your thoughts on the Dragon Vein Mine?"

"Like when it comes down to the finer management details?" Pepe cocked his head to one side. "We can decide all that later, with good terms that respect our great friendship!"

"But, Pepe, the people have their own will and pride that they abide by. Won't they all just flee?"

"You can only have a will and pride if you're alive. Besides, not everybody has the same strength and courage as soldiers."

"They will become evil if they join my country. You need a whole lot of mental fortitude and courage to take that leap."

"Really? I'm not so sure about that. Mynoghra is a great country. The food is tasty, and there's so many awesome things! Plus, all the

Dark Elves seem oh-so-very happy! Isn't that the case, Mr. Moltar?" Elder Moltar's eyes widened in surprise when the conversation suddenly turned toward him. As soon as he realized everyone was looking at him, he reluctantly answered, "Hrm… Of course. All of us

Dark Elves feel truly blessed to have become citizens of our king." "..."

"Y-Your Majesty…" Elder Moltar said nervously.

"Thanks, Elder Moltar. I'm happy to have you, too."

"You honor me!"

Takuto let his little gaffe go as he had a good idea why Elder Moltar was reluctant to answer. Actually, it wasn't quite right to call his reaction a gaffe. After all, considering his position, Elder Moltar couldn't have given any other answer.

"I'm extra positive that our countries will get along even better if some of our people become Mynoghra's citizens!" Pepe continued. "Dragontan will become the bridge between us!"

He might actually be a move or two ahead of me, Takuto thought in awe of Pepe.

People who become citizens of Mynoghra get to keep their free will, aside from being saddled with absolute loyalty toward Takuto Ira and Mynoghra. Pepe sounded out that fact through his little exchange with Elder Moltar. He'd likely already guessed as much through prior interactions with the Dark Elves.

While becoming a citizen of Mynoghra will change a person's alignment to evil, it doesn't overwrite their identity or feelings to make them an entirely different person. With that in mind, it should be easy to persuade Phon'kaven's people to immigrate to Mynoghra.

In other words, one slip of the tongue increased Dragontan's value and gave Phon'kaven the advantage.

Pepe only turned the question toward Elder Moltar to confirm what he already knew.

Ultimately, Phon'kaven was trying to say: "You want people, right? Both your side and our side can make that happen without a hitch."

Of course, Mynoghra didn't want to agree when they were trying to gain the advantage by drawing attention to how difficult it'd be to actually obtain the promised people. But the talks would break down right here and now if they didn't agree. After all, the meeting would only end in a disadvantage if they didn't both find something to gain from the other.

"True. Good relations are very important."

Takuto put his mind into high gear examining the advantages and disadvantages to both sides as he simulated where the conversation would go next.

On Mynoghra's side of things, they would accept the former Phon'kaven citizens as immigrants. Even if they became naturalized citizens of Mynoghra, they'd never be able to forget their homeland. Of course, the game mechanics would force them to be loyal to Mynoghra, but their feelings and memories would remain intact. This was proven by how the Dark Elves still hadn't forgotten their hatred toward the Elves or their racial pride.

This left some discomforting unpredictable variables in the picture if the relations between Mynoghra and Phon'kaven ever became strained. Game mechanics being what they are, the new citizens would inevitably side with Mynoghra in the end. But Mynoghra wanted to avoid doing anything to make its citizens unhappy.

After all, citizen Happiness directly correlates to how much Mana they produce.

This particular mechanic from Eternal Nations would tie Mynoghra's hands. A lot more weight would be put on the alliance with Phon'kaven if Mynoghra accepted their people. And while there were plenty of advantages to strengthening their current alliance, there were close to zero disadvantages.

Proposing something that would essentially be an act of cultural infiltration was definitely an aggressive strategy, to say the least. Takuto didn't know how far ahead Pepe was looking or what his take really was, but if nothing else, his approach was profound.

"A bridge between us…hm? I see. That's certainly a good plan." Is this where we should compromise and find common ground?

Takuto decided to accept the compensation they had prepared as something of value to Mynoghra. As a result of accepting that, Mynoghra would have to give more in exchange, but it was a valid enough exchange to merit that.

Of course, Mynoghra had a lot to gain as well. As Pepe said, this strategy worked not only in favor of Phon'kaven, but also in Mynoghra's favor as well. Just as it made it harder for Mynoghra to break off the alliance, it placed the same restraints on Phon'kaven.

The mortal mind is complex. The domestic turmoil that would result from sending their own citizens to naturalize into another country and then turning on that country would be immense. What was once taken as a peaceful cessation of territory could abruptly be considered a betrayal and abandonment, leading to distrust toward the nation's leader and the potential for civil war.

In other words, Phon'kaven's hands would be tied just the same as Mynoghra's. No matter how the dice may fall, they couldn't betray each other. That would be the outcome of this agreement.

"Oh yeah! I remember hearing there are more Dark Elves living in the main Phon'kaven territories… It might be a good idea to talk to them about becoming Mynoghra's citizens! And hey, while we're at it, why don't we put out an open invitation to all of Phon'kaven's citizens to see if anyone else is interested!!" Pepe continued, putting his stupid, seemingly thoughtless genius on display and dominating the negotiation floor in the process.

The Dark Elves couldn't fully conceal their excitement at his proposition. Yet again, he beat Mynoghra to a matter they should've brought up first.

Interesting. He's skilled at knowing just what people want, Takuto thought, feeling a little despondent at the idea he might've lived an easier life if he'd been even a quarter as good at reading and playing people as Pepe was.

"H-Hold your horses there, Pepe!" Tonukapoli interjected in a flurry. "Now you're just making arbitrary decisions! We never discussed allowing such a thing!"

"Eeeh? It's your job to make these things work after I say them, Granny Tonukapoli. You can just talk them into it like you did last time! You're good at convincing people!"

"You…foolish child!"

"Besides, do we even have enough food to feed all of our citizens right now?"

"Spirits, child! Whose side are you on?!"

Takuto found Pepe very entertaining…and secretly quite skilled, to boot. He was okay with not deciding on the finer details of their exchange today. Mynoghra could provide them with Food supplies to a certain extent using Mana.

I'd feel bad if this caused Tonukapoli to get stomach ulcers from all the stress he's causing her, so maybe I should ease her concerns a bit here, Takuto thought.

But before he could say anything, Pepe spun toward him and looked him straight in the eyes with a serious expression that belied his usual boyish playfulness. "I feel like we put you in a bad spot recently, Takuto. We couldn't do a thing during the attack on Dragontan. We should've been the ones shouldering the loss of life during that battle."

Takuto let a moment of contemplative silence pass before speaking his true thoughts on that matter. "We were up against forces that wanted to destroy and conquer the world at large. Mynoghra would've clashed with them sooner or later. Phon'kaven isn't at fault."

"Then that means the blame lies with the bad guys who brought war to our gates!"

"And also with us for failing to be perfectly prepared for them."

Yes, everything went wrong because of insufficient preparation. No, not just that—a naïve outlook on the situation brought about this tragedy. That didn't only apply to Phon'kaven, but also to Mynoghra and Takuto too.

"That's why we should be prepared for anything that comes at us next time, Takuto! We need overwhelming strength to defeat anyone who comes to our doorstep with whatever reasons bring them there."

Pepe's words drew everyone in and applied to both countries.

Is this what people usually refer to as a charismatic speech? Takuto mused, deeply impressed with his little ally and very much of the same mind. Being prepared is imperative. We need to be overwhelmingly prepared with an overpowered military and devastating national power. That's what an empire needs no matter what they're up against.

"We can provide you with people. What can you provide us with?"

He really is an amusing opponent, Takuto thought, laughing on the inside.

Power isn't defined solely by brute force. Everything that goes on in the world is complex, and various factors continually affect people and the world at large. Power, in the truest sense, is how much you can influence and affect people and things other than yourself.

In that sense, Pepe's genius insight and simpleminded yet eccentric approach to taking the initiative could be considered power. And Takuto was the type who was very fond of such people.

"Elder Moltar," Takuto said, giving the signal.

"Yes, sire! Everything is ready on our end, but…are you certain you wish to proceed?" Elder Moltar asked.

"It just goes to show Pepe was the better negotiator. Well, in the end, this exchange equally benefits us both."

Takuto decided to change his tactics. He switched to putting all his cards on the table instead of playing them one by one. If the other side was going all-out with what they were offering, then he should do the same. If Pepe and Phon'kaven were going to throw their lot in with Mynoghra, then Mynoghra needed to respond in kind. Even if the day would come when they would have to revisit this alliance for Takuto to achieve his ultimate goal, today was not that day. Right now, they were still friendly allies.

"Pepe…do you want power?" Takuto asked in a scandalous whisper, purposely putting on airs. He'd often heard that phrase used in stories from his past life and always wanted to try saying it once himself.

"I do!"

"Then it's our turn to surprise you."

That's right. It's our turn to toy with them. I'll offer them power that's a million times more valuable than anything they could imagine. I'll make it so there will never again be a force that can stand up against our alliance.

"In that case, I'll show you what it means to wield real power." "Yay! I can't wait!"

Tonukapoli and the rest of Phon'kaven's citizens in attendance paled in stark contrast to Pepe's delighted, carefree grin.

<-x-X-x->

Chapter 9: Incalculable Power

REAL power. Antelise ruminated over what Mynoghra's king had said as she held back the sliver of hope and ocean of anxiety threatening to wash over her while she waited to see what Mynoghra was about to unveil. Antelise was no uneducated, innocent villager with a childish outlook on the world—she had a solid guess about the kind of dangerous goods Mynoghra had prepared for them.

A new type of weapon usable by ordinary soldiers. Mynoghra had likely concluded that was what Phon'kaven wanted from their missive and brought them just that. Antelise could tell that was the case from the sound of many hard items lightly clanging together in the delegation's carts.

Phon'kaven's original intent behind sending that missive was to ask for Tactical Magic even their people could use or monsters they could control. But physical weapons met their demand just as well. Actually, weapons would give them immediate access to various strategies over Tactical Magic, which required already skilled Mages with the talent and time to learn. It was also better than trying to learn how to control monsters that might turn on them.

The only real concern that came with weapons would be them leaking to the enemy or the enemy making their own versions, but that was hard to complain about until they saw what they were working with. After all, they didn't even know what kind of "weapons" Mynoghra would show them.

"All right, I think that handles all the prep work," Elder Moltar announced. "Thank you everyone from Phon'kaven for going along with our sudden request."

"Y-You needn't thank us, Sage Moltar," Antelise responded. "But are you certain about this location? People are more likely to see us here… I don't know what you intend to show us, but I can't imagine it's something you want out in the open?"

"Hoho. Your concern on our behalf is greatly appreciated. However, the power our king has created is so destructive, it stands out regardless of precautions taken to conceal it."

"I-If you say so…" Antelise sighed, scanning her surroundings to see what exactly Mynoghra had prepared.

Mynoghra's delegation had brought everyone to the lawless slums on Dragontan's outskirts, where thugs and other riffraff congregated. Squalid buildings that were far from livable tightly lined the narrow alleyways, their crumbling exteriors making them look more like ruins. It was in this peculiar place that several scarecrows were lined up in equal intervals. These scarecrows, usually used for training soldiers, were decked out in the heavy plate armor imported from Qualia.

Antelise's mind raced as she stared at the training dummies from afar. So, they brought us ranged weapons? Maybe a type of crossbow? The general consensus on crossbows is that they're little more than a scholar's toy with far too complex mechanisms to be suited for mass production. Did they reengineer it to be suitable for combat? If that's the case, I'm a tad disappointed.

It was only by coincidence that Antelise had learned about the crossbow, which used complex mechanisms to modify the bow and arrow to give it deadly accuracy, longer firing range, and stronger penetration power. She had the opportunity to handle one while she was still living in El-Nah when one of her clan leaders showed it off after getting it from only the Spirits know where. Back then, the Elven Archers criticized it as useless in actual combat because its complex structure increased the chances of breaking and becoming unusable in the field. Perhaps Mynoghra had succeeded in developing a crossbow that solved those issues.

But…that theory didn't sit well with Antelise because Elder Moltar mentioned the weapons were so destructive they stood out. From what she knew of the crossbow, she couldn't imagine any ranged weapon of the sort drawing that much attention. Either way, Dragontan's training grounds should've sufficed for showing the weapons off, as small and confined as they were. And yet, Mynoghra politely shot down their proposed use.

Meanwhile, the district they requested for their demonstration might've been considered no-man's-land but was still open enough for spies and other unwanted onlookers to sneak a peek. Antelise had stationed soldiers to keep people away, but she'd been mayor long enough to know to always expect the unexpected.

There was no way Mynoghra didn't know the risks of holding the demonstration there. The only logical conclusion was that the weapon they'd developed was no crossbow, but something so powerful and flashy it couldn't be hidden.

"Elder Moltar, we've finished unpacking and checking over the firearms. We're ready to fire any time. How would you like to proceed?" someone asked Elder Moltar, who was giving orders beside Antelise while she was lost in thought.

The person in question was one of Mynoghra's key players, Emle. Antelise had already exchanged several letters with her, so she felt like she was getting together with an old friend when they finally met. Their races got along about as well as cats and dogs, but Antelise was personally fond of the Dark Elf and her friendly disposition.

Emle used a lot of technical jargon in her conversation with Elder Moltar, which proved this new weaponry had established terminology. It sounded much further from known technology than Antelise had speculated.

"Hrm, I see. I'll go inform His Majesty and the Staff Holders then.

Please excuse me, Mayor Antelise."

Antelise rushed to craft a politician's smile when Elder Moltar suddenly addressed her.

Looks like the show's about to get started. Antelise took a deep breath and braced herself for what was about to come.

"Oh, one last question before you go…"

"Hm? Is something the matter?"

Emle had called Elder Moltar to a stop before he could leave. She seemed to still have something to run by him. Antelise debated whether she should listen, but since they didn't seem to mind her presence, she decided to stay put.

"I'm sorry, but who should serve as the first shooter? Warrior

Captain Gia's handpicked team is getting ready, just in case…"

"Hrm…" Elder Moltar looked around them as he slowly stroked his beard. Then a mischievous grin crept onto his face as if he'd thought up a devilish idea. "You do it, Emle."

"Yes, sir. Then we'll go with— W-Wait, m-me?!" Emle cried in a hysterical voice, clearly startled by his suggestion.

Ahh, I can tell she goes through hell, too…

Feeling like they were more alike than she first thought, Antelise warmly watched over Emle as she started getting ready in a fluster.

◇◇◇

"LADIES and gentlemen, thank you for your patience. We would now like to put on a demonstration of Mynoghra's premier weaponry for the esteemed members of Phon'kaven gathered here today," Elder Moltar said, acting as the facilitator of the demonstration about a half hour after they'd gathered.

Mynoghra's King Takuto Ira quietly watched over him from the simple viewing area set up a slight distance away. From the same area, Phon'kaven's Staff Holders, civil officials, and various military officers watched on with a myriad of expressions as the curious demonstration began.

"What Mynoghra brings to the table is a new type of weapon that a single individual can use," Elder Moltar continued in his booming, baritone voice.

So I was right. Antelise was delighted her theory hit the mark…and also a bit disappointed it was going to be a crossbow, after all.

"A weapon meant for waging war must meet a variety of requirements: anyone can use it, it's easy to learn, easy to operate, and difficult for the enemy to steal. Most of all, it must excel at killing. Such a weapon is needed in large quantities and at low costs. Naturally, there will be times when an elite force or a powerful and complex spell will be the key to winning a battle. However, for every ace, there needs to be a capable military to support them so they can achieve the end goal. The combat capability of the ordinary soldier can never be overlooked if you wish to win.

"…If I may be frank, I humbly believe you have experienced strong feelings of chagrin over the way the war with the Barbarians played out. Your people must be wondering why their peaceful lives must be threatened by such an inferior, unintelligent race. I'm certain you are wondering if there is any power you can obtain to crush those cretins into the ground where they belong. Wondering if there is a method you can employ to teach any fool who dares mess with your great nation a lesson.

"…Our empire has prepared just such a method for you today."

He's good at drawing people in, Antelise thought, listening to Elder Moltar's speech with such rapt attention she didn't even realize she was clenching her fists.

Elder Moltar used the mysterious atmosphere unique to Mynoghra and demagogy to draw in his audience and incite excitement and interest in them.

"Now, this here is Emle, a civil official with our empire who has almost no combat capability. Her knowledge and scholarly talents have greatly contributed to our empire, but her physical prowess lacks so much she'd lose to even a child, not just an ordinary soldier."

"Ah! Ehehe…"

Emle entered the scene upon Elder Moltar's introduction. Was she nervous from all the eyes on her? She repeatedly bowed her head as she strode to her mark in the middle of the square.

Antelise and several of Phon'kaven's people leaned forward when they saw her. She seemed to be holding some sort of staff. No, parts of it closely resembled the shape of a crossbow, especially the grip. But everything else, the firing end in particular, was different. This weapon had nowhere to nock a bow and was oddly long.

What in the Spirit realm is it used for? Everyone from Phon'kaven wondered, their eyes glued to the curious weapon. They also wondered how the woman who didn't look like a trained soldier would use it.

"But you needn't worry. Allow me to repeat that a good weapon is one anyone can use, easy to learn, easy to operate, and difficult for the enemy to steal. Most of all, it must excel at killing. Those are the necessary conditions that must be met," Elder Moltar repeated to assuage their doubts. Then he gave the order that sounded the beginning of change for Phon'kaven. "Show them, Emle."

"Y-Yes, sir!!"

Time seemed to flow slowly after that. Emle fiddled with several spots on the weapon, slowly raised it toward the target, and positioned herself to fire.

There was a moment of absolute silence…and then… A cadence of terrifying pops exploded.

"Aaah!"

Antelise paid no attention to the fact that she'd instinctively let out an adorable-sounding scream as she quickly turned her eyes toward the training dummy serving as Emle's target. All that remained of the once solid iron armor defending the dummy was pitiful scrap metal pumped full of holes. She had no idea what had happened. The deed was done the moment she heard the loud pops.

"Wh-What…?" Antelise uttered in more of a groan than a voice.

How should she describe what she just witnessed? It was terribly difficult to put into words. The only thing she knew for sure was that the dummy dressed like a soldier and placed at a distance from them had been devastated in an instant. Smoke billowed from the tip of the staff-like weapon and a strangely pungent odor permeated the air.

Mynoghra's delegation carried on a conversation as if this was the expected result, while the canine Beastmen wrinkled their noses at the offending odor.

"Hrm… Your aim was off, Emle," Elder Moltar remarked. "How many hours have you trained with it?"

"Um, I believe I spent two hours being taught how to use it and another eight actually practicing…" Emle answered.

"I see. You need additional lessons," Elder Moltar concluded. "However, I'd still give you passing marks. You may stand down now."

Emle bowed deeply to the onlookers, then jogged away as if glad to be done. But Antelise didn't have the wherewithal to give her a passing thought.

"In just t-ten hours?!" Tonukapoli cried out in a voice laced with surprise and excitement. "That's all it took to be capable of that kind of destructive force?! Is that what you've been trying to tell us? What a weapon you've prepared for us!!"

Antelise internally nodded along with the elderly Staff Holder.

The weapon was just too dangerous and anomalous.

Antelise had already gained a fairly good grasp on who Emle was through their letter exchange. She couldn't have been opposed to violence, given she'd served as adjutant to the Dark Elf Warrior Captain, but judging from her physique, she must've held that position for her intellect rather than her brawn. Meaning that her physical capabilities were on par with an average person, making her no different from any other ordinary citizen if you took her intelligence out of the equation.

Put another way, an average person just blew holes through plate armor made from solid metal. The silence hanging over the square made plenty of sense when you stopped to think about the implications there.

I thought it looked like a modified crossbow, but boy, was I off! Antelise thought, putting a hand to her head. What the Seven Saints is that thing?! I can't even begin to guess what makes it loose its arrow! Was that even an arrow?! It moved too fast to tell!

The supposed arrow shot out and hit its mark, turning the armor into a beehive in the blink of an eye. The hard and heavy armor designed to protect the wearer from all kinds of attacks was rendered to scrap metal in a split second. You didn't have to be combat-savvy to guess what would happen to the person wearing that armor.

This weapon was too deadly for anyone to have. What made the whole thing a lot more terrifying was that Mynoghra said they'd already prepared a wagon's worth of the weapons for them.

This will change the way war is waged! No one will ever be able to employ close-combat strategies again if they're up against this ridiculous power!

"Just seeing Emle use it doesn't really show off what this new weapon is capable of," Elder Moltar said, taking charge. "Gia, it's the

Warriors' turn."

"Men, it's time to show the results of your training. Don't let our king down," Gia commanded.

"Yes, sir!!" the Warriors responded as one.

Mynoghra didn't know or care about Antelise's inner turmoil. They continued with their demonstration, not even giving a passing glance toward the Phon'kaven attendees, whose brains still hadn't fully caught up to the shocking reality put on display before them.

"Target mark two through three! Two seconds of continuous fire! Guns at the ready!"

"FIIIIIIRRRREEEEE!!"

A cadence of booms several times louder than before brought the targets to their holey demise. Antelise bore witness to what could only be called overkill as her ears rang from the sharp cracks. It was just so one-sided. She couldn't think of many who could defend against such an attack. A High Paladin, and perhaps a Mesial Paladin, might be able to sense they were being targeted in time to evade it.

In other words, soldiers inferior to those elites couldn't escape this rain of death brought into existence by the King of Ruin.

Hahaha… Seriously, what the Seven Saints did I just witness?

What does Mynoghra intend for us to fight against with these? Antelise barely suppressed the dry laugh bubbling up in the back of her throat at the overwhelming power she'd just seen on display. She also felt excited for the first time in a long time.

What kind of military gains could Phon'kaven achieve if their soldiers were equipped with these weapons? They'd be able to form the most elite troops on the Dark Continent, save for Mynoghra's own forces. Of course, they'd have to put countermeasures in place to prevent the weapons from getting into enemy hands, but at least they would no longer have to worry about rogues trashing their towns or Barbarian invasions.

If I'd had one of these weapons, I could've turned those so-called merchants into blood splatter before they'd wreaked so much havoc on my town, Antelise thought. This is like a powerful drug. The change it'll bring is too tempting!!

"With that, ladies and gentlemen, we bring our demonstration of Mynoghra's latest pride and joy—the gun—to a close," Elder Moltar said with a bow.

Silence reigned as everyone from Phon'kaven failed to react to the excessive, inconceivable power and Mynoghra gave them time to process it. However, there was one person who seemed to be looking around curiously. That person was Mynoghra's king, Takuto Ira. He almost seemed disappointed they weren't all gasping in surprise.

It wasn't that they weren't surprised—their brains were frozen in shock.

Then again, an ordinary Elf couldn't possibly be capable of correctly guessing what the King of Ruin was thinking. Thus, Antelise pretended not to notice his curious glances and instead concentrated on trying to wrap her mind around the impossible. Her efforts to instinctively avoid engaging the king were dashed by his voice clearly resounding through the silence.

"I was hoping for it to have a little more impact," he said out of the blue. "Caria, Maria, you're up."

"Okey-dokey!"

"Cary's on it!"

Surprised whispers rose from the rest of Mynoghra's delegation, implying what was about to happen next wasn't on the agenda. Only the king's confidant and the two girls he called on seemed to know exactly what was about to happen.

"All good here!"

"We're ready to go."

Antelise was at an utter and total loss for words. The twins she considered friends answered their king with cheerful voices as they brought out two giant contraptions that didn't look like something young girls should or would be lugging around.

No way… Could that also be one of their so-called guns?!

This weapon had a completely different design from the ones used by the Warriors. It looked twice as long as the other guns and had a far more complicated build that clearly wasn't meant to be carried around.

What in the world happened to the girls that they can carry something that looks so heavy around like it's as a light as a doll? Actually, maybe I need to change the way I look at them? Our last encounter more than proved that they are bona fide citizens of Mynoghra.

While Antelise's surprise was merited, there was something even more deserving of her attention right now.

In general, size directly correlates to how much strength something has.

In El-Nah, some Elemental Champions use massive longbows for greater range and penetration.

Going off that one example, just how much power and range was packed into the giant weapons each girl was wielding?

"Show them how amazing a gun can be."

"FIRE!!"

The air crackled and the ground exploded. The house behind the totally annihilated target blew into pieces with what sounded a lot like a giant wasp zooming by. Small cylinder-like objects sprayed from the gigantic gun, and from the tip of the shining staff, countless arrows rushed toward the target with unfathomable speed and destructive intent.

Phon'kaven's sturdy buildings were constructed from wood and clay. The hardened clay walls weren't easily destroyed and were highly resistant to flaming arrows and the like. One such building had just been smashed to pieces as easily as kicking over a sandcastle.

It was only now that Antelise understood why they'd insisted this new weapon be tested in the outskirts because it was so destructive it'd stand out no matter what…

The townscape had completely changed before her eyes in a matter of a few seconds.

Suddenly remembering the painful ringing in her ears, Antelise sluggishly covered them with her hands and continued to stare, speechless.

"I regret to inform you this particular weapon will not be included with the items we will be providing you. We hope you take this demonstration of the overwhelming military power we have at our disposal as a sign of our intentions to have continued friendly relations with your nation," Elder Moltar said, nervously trying to smooth over his king's unexpected addition.

"So, what do you think?"

The King of Ruin's pleased voice rang through the devastated square.

Even Pepe could only gape at what he saw.

◇◇◇

"NOTHING…remains…"

Around the time Mynoghra's delegation returned to Town Hall to continue the negotiations, Antelise was giving orders to several of her staff to clean up the town square that was no longer boxed in by dilapidated buildings.

"Do you have a minute, Antelise?"

"Yes, Lady Tonukapoli…?" Antelise turned around to see Scimitar-horned Tonukapoli behind her. Antelise probably wasn't just imagining the heavy exhaustion on the older woman's face. She had no doubt her own face looked ragged with stress.

"I know you requested a long-term leave, but…I have to ask you to postpone your plans indefinitely."

"Haha…ahaha…" Antelise laughed dryly. "All right…"

Antelise felt like a fool for worrying she wouldn't have a job after the town was ceded to Mynoghra. Phon'kaven lacked talented officials. From the look of things, she was going to be slaving away as a workhorse for a while yet.

Did I pick the wrong career path? Antelise wondered woefully, though it was far too late for regrets.

< -x-X-x->

Chapter 10: Treaty

THE following terms were agreed upon between Mynoghra and Phon'kaven:

1. Phon'kaven will cede the town of Dragontan to Mynoghra.

・Mynoghra will accept any townspeople who want to become naturalized citizens.

2. Mynoghra will provide firearms, ammunition, and the necessary equipment and tactics associated with them free of charge to Phon'kaven.

・This clause will change to providing the weapons at a cost once Phon'kaven's military meets a strength threshold determined in another document.

3. Roads will be built connecting Mynoghra to Phon'kaven to strengthen trade and defense between the two nations.

4. Dragontan's Dragon Vein Mine will be jointly managed by the two nations and operated as determined in another document.

5. Both nations acknowledge they will continue to work together against global threats.

The specifics would be decided and put into writing by the civil officials, but that more or less covered the main points of the treaty.

Thus, on this day, the town of Dragontan became a part of Mynoghra.

But that was easier said than done.

This was only the beginning of a long process, considering how much work was involved in transferring territory from one empire to another.

◇◇◇

TAKUTO summoned his right-hand woman to Mynoghra's Palace for a private meeting to discuss future policies.

Only a handful of people knew that Takuto and Mynoghra were originally from the 4x strategy game Eternal Nations. Isla used to be one of them, but now it was just Takuto and Atou who understood Mynoghra originated from a video game and ran by its rules. Thus, it was only a matter of course that they needed to meet in private, away from the Dark Elves, to examine their situation with the game mechanics in mind.

"Even in the game, it took a few turns for a ceded or conquered territory to change affiliations. We probably shouldn't expect an instant turnover," Takuto remarked.

The results of the negotiation tied them to Phon'kaven more than they liked, but it was within acceptable limits to strengthen their alliance.

However, they bled what mattered more than gold in the process—precious time.

Just because Dragontan belonged to them on paper didn't mean that it'd be theirs the second the ink dried—cutting through all the red tape to make the transfer stick was eating a lot of their time.

"That's true," Atou nodded. "At least it shouldn't take as much time to restore the bare minimum governing systems and operate it as a Mynoghra territory thanks to the peaceful transfer."

"Yeah. Easiest town get ever," Takuto responded with a grin. "Everyone who matters in Phon'kaven seemed happy with the trade, so we basically caught a lucky break with this one."

"Just one additional territory opens up a lot of new things we can do, too!" Atou exclaimed.

In Eternal Nations, there are two ways to acquire towns. The first method is to send out colonizers to an unoccupied territory and create the town from scratch. The second method is to obtain an already existing town from another empire by cession or subjugation. Both methods take time and money, but the peaceful transfer of territories is the most cost and time efficient method in the long run.

A satisfied smile spread across Takuto's face at this unexpected gain. "Things are going to get busy," he said, switching gears to the less exciting aspects of this new development. "We don't know when hostile forces will show up again. We've got to keep our domestic affairs flowing smoothly, strengthen our military, bolster our national power, maintain our alliance with Phon'kaven…and the list goes on. Busy doesn't even begin to describe how hectic things are gonna get."

"But we've finally reached true empire management," Atou pointed out.

Yes, this was where the game really started to take off.

Empire management was one of the main things that made people crazy addicted to Eternal Nations.

Some of that appeal was present when Takuto built up Mynoghra's capital with the Dark Elves in the Accursed Lands, but their settlement size had nothing on the joys of managing a town or city. Dragontan's current population was estimated to be around 3,000. The number had shrunk significantly, with people using the Barbarian invasion and the cession of the town as an excuse to leave, but Dragontan had plenty of potential to grow. Takuto would have a lot more things to manage and execute now.

That said, the danger and greater threat to Mynoghra was still ever-present. Now wasn't the time to be overly optimistic, but Takuto was still excited about entering his favorite phase in the game.

"We sure have," he said. "Okay, why don't we consider what forces to send to Dragontan first? Let's take care of their Food here at the capital and have the townspeople focus their efforts on restoring the town."

Mynoghra's military forces could be replenished with Emergency Production at the drop of a hat. Mynoghra could only produce basic units at this point, but with enough of them, Dragontan would become a strong town with a great defensive front. They also needed to expand Dragontan's already existing troops. Takuto was going to train the naturalized townspeople who served in the town's Defense Force to make them a force to be reckoned with.

"We're loaded thanks to the morons from a certain RPG dying for us," Takuto laughed dryly. "All right, let's move things along at a fast pace."

There's a mountain of things to do.

Takuto concentrated all his efforts on bolstering national power, as if pushed in that direction by some invisible force.

◇◇◇

MEANWHILE, the town of Dragontan was at the height of confusion and chaos. The decision to cede the town was made in haste, and the townspeople didn't even have time to process what was happening. They were only informed about the change by a sign in the middle of town. Asking the people in charge of their district didn't amount to any kind of informative answer, either.

Still, whether we like it or not, the world moves at a rapid pace around us.

Change wouldn't wait for them just because they whined about it, so the townspeople were forced to respond to the upheaval in their lives after it'd already happened.

"Mama…I'm scared…"

"I-It'll be all right, sweetie. I-I'm positive our new king has good intentions for us."

The same applied to the Beastmen mother and daughter who barely scraped by in an impoverished corner of Dragontan's residential district. They were easily identified as Catkin from their fluffy triangular cat ears and tails. The father had fled during the Barbarian Invasion. They'd managed to survive until this day off their meager savings and handouts from neighbors. Families with similar circumstances could be found throughout Dragontan.

The district commissioner had told the mother that Dragontan had been transferred from Phon'kaven to the empire of Mynoghra. Naturally, as residents of Dragontan, mother and daughter would also automatically become citizens of Mynoghra. Anyone opposed to the change was allowed to move to another town belonging to Phon'kaven, but the mother and daughter duo didn't have the resources to even consider it. The only option available to them was to go along with the change like a person pulled out to sea by an unforgiving current.

Today was the day the district commissioner told them they would receive food rations. Apparently, their new country would provide food to impoverished residents like them. Their kitchen stockpile had long since been emptied. The mother and daughter, who'd given up on life, thinking all that was left for them was to starve to death, frantically suppressed their anxiety and got ready to head out to retrieve their rations.

"Be a good girl and come with mommy to get some food, okay?" "O-Okay…"

The biggest rumor in town was that Mynoghra was an evil empire. Word had it that their people bristled with hatred and anger toward all that was good and spared no mercy for those who defied them. Those rumors, which originated from a soldier who actually saw Mynoghra's king at the talks between the two countries, quickly spread among the townspeople, striking terror in them.

What will become of us? the mother wondered. Until now, they were able to live reasonably decent lives despite being poor, but there was no guarantee even that much would be allowed under their new rulers. Given the rumors, it wasn't hard to imagine they might end up as sacrifices in some sort of unholy ritual.

The mother didn't want to think Phon'kaven had sold them, but it was hard to have much faith in her former rulers when they'd failed to properly respond to the Barbarian Invasion. She couldn't shake her doubts and fears. But there was no one they could turn to for aid, anyway.

The mother held her daughter's trembling little hand and opened the door leading outside for the first time in days. All the while praying to the Ancient Spirits: Please, just grant us the bare minimum necessary to survive…

"GYGYGYEEEEEEEE!"

A gigantic insect zoomed past the mother and daughter just as they set foot outside. Surprise hit them before fear. The giant creature, unlike anything they'd seen before, kept on running without even giving them a passing glance.

As the pair patted down their hair, tousled by the sheer speed of the creature, they finally realized they'd witnessed something supernatural. Yet they felt no fear. The insect in question was already long out of sight. Just the sound of its bizarre chittering let them know it was still somewhere in the vicinity.

"M-Mama, Mama! A big bug! A big bug just…!"

"I-It certainly was a big bug, wasn't it?"

Offering her excited daughter a faltering smile, the mother led her in the direction the mysterious insect came from.

Rumor had it that various evil monsters served Mynoghra. That insect must've been one such monster. It seemed to be patrolling the town, as they saw it whizz past them several more times after that. The bug ran so ridiculously fast, it looked more like a blur than anything, but the two figured they didn't have to worry about it since it wasn't bothering them.

Mother and daughter were experiencing what it was like to be a part of Mynoghra. They felt more baffled than afraid, and soon surprise would be the strongest emotion they'd experience. They ran into the source of that surprise the second they exited the alleyway onto the main street.

"F-Feels like a different town, doesn't it…?" the mother said.

"It does! It does!" the daughter cheered.

The town was alive and bustling like never before. Piles of what could only be relief supplies and more raw building materials than should be possible to obtain in the barren Dark Continent filled the street. It appeared all the materials were for rebuilding the town, and all of Dragontan's former residents were working feverishly to get the job done.

Dark Elf officials were telling the townspeople where to carry supplies and what to do with them. Their foreign attire and overwhelming energy made it easy to tell they were from Mynoghra.

Mother and daughter were used to the streets of Dragontan being stifling and deserted, especially with the recent Barbarian issues. Where did that feeling go? They weren't even part of the hustle and bustle, but they found their enthusiasm growing just watching everyone acting like they were getting ready to put on a big festival. Something strange crossed in front of them as they were reveling in this odd new sense of excitement.

"HEEEY! Where should we put this Flesh Tree sapling?!" one Dark Elf asked.

"Whoops… Where was that supposed to go?" another Dark Elf responded and suddenly started to converse with someone who wasn't there. "Oh, right! Yes, Your Majesty! At once! I'm ever grateful for your direct order, sire!" Then he turned back to the other Dark Elf. "His Majesty says to bring it to the empty lot across the way! It seems the Beastmen workers are leveling the ground there."

"Hold on, did you just receive direct orders from His Majesty?

Spirits on rocks! I'm so jealous of you, man!"

"Hahaha! His Majesty is always watching over us! C'mon, let's get a move on!"

On top of the wooden cart pulled by the Dark Elves was a mansized tree. It was different from any tree the mother and daughter had ever seen. Its limbs twisted and curled as if defying the laws of nature, and for some reason, it even had hollows in its trunk that could eerily be mistaken for eyes and a mouth. Freakish fruit that looked unfit—or rather, heretical—for mortal consumption hung from its branches.

"Mama! Mama! Look at the funny tree! It's a tree…right?"

"Um, good question, sweetie. I feel like we shouldn't look directly at its fruit, but…I'm pretty sure it is a tree?"

They called it a Flesh Tree. I definitely heard them say it's a Flesh Tree… the mother thought.

The most disturbing part was that the tree seemed to be dexterously swaying its branches to wave to her daughter. Seeing that, her daughter excitedly waved back, but did she even know what she was responding to? Dancing and singing trees existed only in stories. They didn't suddenly break into a jig or walk around in reality. Then again…maybe the mother was the one who was wrong here since the tree was literally waving to her child as she watched.

She put a hand to her aching head as she led her daughter, who was still giddily waving to the mysterious tree as it was rolled down the road, toward their destination.

"Okay, I think this is the place, sweetie."

"Wow! There's so many peoples, Mama!"

"There sure are. Hold on tight to Mama's hand and don't get lost."

They finally made it to the town square. This used to be where various wartime supplies, such as swords and arrows, were left out for the fight against the Barbarians, but now it was where Mynoghra distributed food supplies and gave instructions to the townspeople.

The guidepost at the entrance to the square had images and words drawn on it that even the uneducated working class could understand. After confirming what they should do with one of the nearby Dark Elves on guard duty, they got in line to receive their rations.

As the mother looked at the long line ahead of her, she marveled at how obediently the townspeople were waiting. Phon'kaven was a multiracial empire, so naturally the townspeople naturalized into Mynoghra were also diverse in race, culture, customs, and temperament. The mother couldn't help but find it strange to see people who normally never listened to anyone being awfully compliant.

"Line up for rations over here! Come one and all, precious inhabitants of Dragontan! Citizens of our MIGHTY KING! EAT TO

YOUR HEART'S CONTENT AND INCREASE YOUR LOYALTY TO THE

GREAT KING OF RUIN, TAKUTO IRA! WAHAHAHAHA!"

"Mama, who's that birdie?"

"One of our new country's soldiers, I'm sure. Be sure to greet them properly."

"Okaaay!"

The person she assumed was a soldier working at the ration distribution center was dressed in bizarre attire. His entire body was wrapped in a black robe, and he wore a mask shaped like a bird's face. The soldier, whose hands were hidden inside gloves to avoid exposing any skin, distributed supplies to the townspeople in a jovial voice that belied his spooky appearance.

Maybe something inhuman is slithering underneath all those clothes? Mind reeling with such surreal thoughts, the mother patiently awaited her turn.

Funnily enough, the soldier was indeed a monster just like the mother had thought—he was one of Mynoghra's Brain Eaters. Obviously, the mother and daughter had no way of knowing that, and the daughter cheerfully greeted him when their turn finally came.

"Good morning, mister! I'm Toto! I'm this many years old," she said, holding up four fingers. "Who are you?"

"Well, good morning to you, polite little miss! I'm the Brain Eater, Shigeru! I'm a newborn zero-year-old!!" the soldier said, making a circle with his gloved fingers.

His perky demeanor melted the daughter's heart and made her look past his strange appearance. Taken by him, Toto broke into a toothy grin and jumped with joy.

"We have lots and LOTS of rations to give to good little children!" Shigeru exclaimed. "His Majesty lavishes rewards on all exemplary and loyal citizens!"

"Ehehe, zanks!"

"Thank you very much, sir." The mother accepted the ration bag in her daughter's stead and politely bowed to the soldier. Then she glanced behind her to confirm the line wasn't too long before making up her mind to ask the question gnawing at her. "Excuse me…but I would like to consult you about something. I'm a single mother, and I can't find a job that's willing to hire a woman with a young child, so I was wondering if you could help me…"

Mynoghra was currently distributing necessary supplies to everyone, but that wouldn't continue forever. If the mother didn't find a job soon, they wouldn't survive after the handouts ceased. She considered leaving her daughter alone at home while she worked, but that'd be far too dangerous at her age, and so she gave up on the idea. With few soldiers around to keep the peace, young children were often kidnapped and sold.

The mother had asked the soldier about it, hoping he could use his ties to find her a side job she could do at home, but she got an entirely unexpected answer in return.

"I see! My work has nothing to do with that kind of thing, so I haven't a clue how to help! WAHAHAHA!"

Ah, it's not just the mask that's birdlike, but also his brain…

His jovial laughter was rather refreshing, but his answer didn't contain even a shred of what she'd hoped to hear. He was just someone assigned to distribute supplies. Maybe she'd picked the wrong person to ask. She'd hoped he could introduce her to someone who could help.

Someone stepped in and offered a helping hand before the mother could press the issue.

"You needn't worry about that."

"Oh? Who are you?" the mother asked.

"I guess you could say I'm these birdbrains' boss," said the Dark Elf girl who showed up just in time. She lightly bowed her head in greeting. "I'm Caria."

If she's their boss, does that mean she's a commanding officer? the mother wondered. She couldn't conceal her surprise at this girl having such a high rank when she clearly wasn't much older than her own daughter.

Whether or not she was aware of the mother's thoughts, Caria proceeded to explain things professionally to the woman.

"His Majesty has given orders to preferentially distribute rations to single-mother families, families with sick people, and families with no able-body workers. Taxes will also be exempt until Dragontan is fully rebuilt. After that, we plan to establish exemption and welfare systems depending on citizen needs."

"I'm sorry, but what exactly does all that mean…?"

The mother was confused by all the complicated words. She never received an education since Phon'kaven had no school system or requirements for its people to learn. She desperately tried to understand the complex terms and systems the much younger girl spoke of with ease. Apparently, her confusion showed as Caria nodded with understanding and rephrased her answer.

"It means that His Majesty won't abandon any citizens as long as they put in the effort to survive."

"Oh! That makes sense! Thank you for explaining!"

Now that was something the mother could understand.

Is it normal for the king of an evil empire to be so charitable and benevolent? she wondered for a brief moment, before her doubts dispersed for some strange reason.

"You have His Majesty King Takuto Ira to thank for everything good that happens," Caria said emphatically.

"Of course! I'm forever grateful to the great King Takuto Ira for his boundless mercy!"

Everyone had talked about how frightening the empire of Mynoghra was. About how it was full of villainous people who harbored hatred and anger toward all that was good and just and never forgave anyone who defied them. But when the mother interacted with them, she saw how merciful and generous they were.

She was moved to tears. Her relief gave way to gratitude, and loyalty bloomed in response to King Takuto Ira's benevolence.

We're being protected and cared for.

All the anxiety about their future weighing on her like a ton of bricks vanished. The mother finally felt like a weight had been taken off her shoulders.

Aaah, what a wonderful country Mynoghra is! I want to be useful to this country even though we're poor and powerless! Driven by a sense of impatience to be useful, the mother promptly decided to discuss what they could do for their new country as soon as she returned home with her daughter.

It still didn't feel real that they had become Mynoghra's citizens. There was much for them to learn, but pride glimmered in both their eyes.

"Stop it! Lemme go, you monster!"

The mother and daughter's cat ears suddenly picked up on a ruckus. They glanced toward where a large Oxman was being dragged away by another bird-mask soldier.

Did he cause trouble? The mother felt like her optimistic thoughts and hopes for the future had been tainted by the man's unruly scream, which irked her. As she watched with a frown, her daughter Toto suddenly spoke up.

"Miss Caria! Miss Caria! What's wrong with him?"

"Good question. Do you know, Mr. Shigeru?"

Shigeru's neck snapped unnaturally in the direction of the commotion, which he closely assessed.

"Hmm…?" After a moment, he slapped his hands together as if he suddenly remembered the reason. "OOOOOH! If I remember correctly, he's a ROGUE who was trying to EXTORT rations from INNOCENT citizens! He was planning to make some money on the

black market with it. He's about to be SKINNED alive as

PUNISHMENT."

"There's your answer, Toto," Caria said matter-of-factly. "They caught a bad person, so he's going to get skinned."

"Wha-?! S-S-Skinned?!"

They received an awfully gruesome answer. The uncanny soldier and his commanding officer acted like that was the most natural thing in the world. They were about as casual about it as two people sitting down for tea.

"Right as rain," Caria said. "Please watch for yourselves if you have the time."

"U-Uhhh…"

The mother was torn. Criminals need to be punished, even more so during a crisis. The death penalty wasn't out of the question for someone who dared extort precious rations from the powerless.

But…death by being skinned alive? That raised an eyebrow. Especially being invited to watch it happen. Sure, she'd heard about public executions, but not ones that involved skinning.

The mother was struggling to accept the situation when her daughter started tugging on her sleeve.

"Mama! Mama! I wanna watch! I wanna see the bad man get skinned!!"

"Whaaat…?"

Her daughter just said the most outrageous thing. Her eyes sparkled and her whole body trembled with excitement.

What's so exciting about seeing a criminal get skinned? Here I thought we could finally live in peace, but now I worry about my daughter's future…

"W-We'll only watch for a few minutes, okay…?"

"YAY!!"

Dubious nature of the execution aside, everything in life can teach you a lesson. There was plenty for the mother and daughter to learn from watching the criminal die painfully. Besides, the mother couldn't shake her own budding desire to watch.

I've suffered for a long time. I deserve some entertainment, she thought as she bid the Brain Eater and Caria farewell.

"Enjoy!"

"TAKE CARE!!"

The mother headed to the execution site feeling exhilarated as she lightly chided her daughter not to make such a fuss by skipping and waving the whole way.

.

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

.

< -x-X-x->

Chapter 11: Rebuilding

ROUGHLY two weeks had passed since Dragontan officially joined Mynoghra. Although there was still some lingering confusion over the change, the town officials were finally starting to get the hang of things, and business was mostly back on track.

Antelise Antik, the town mayor, continued to be the most influential and powerful political figure even after all the changes. After a lot of back and forth, she ended up joining Mynoghra and was appointed to continue serving as mayor.

At first, she was very leery about becoming evil, but her motivation and loyalty skyrocketed when she received direct permission from the king to drink on the job, because that's what evil does. If that wasn't wonderful enough, His Majesty even prepared her a treasure trove worth of Heavenly Nectar. Now she could openly chug high-class liquor during work. She felt invincible and unstoppable now.

Antelise was currently grappling with her endless workload at her much tidier desk.

"Mayor Antik, I brought the documents you asked for. It's the draft of a standard education plan for the townspeople."

"Thanks. Leave it on that pile there, please."

The civil official trainee, who'd entered the mayor's office without knocking on the already open door, left a stack of white paper on Antelise's desk. Antelise stopped what she was doing to briefly flip through those documents, and once she confirmed it wasn't urgent, she tossed them into the bottom rack of the file organizer sitting on the corner of her desk marked "Unprocessed." The trainee sympathized with the drafters of the plan that got immediately put on the back burner.

"Is it okay to toss it aside like that?" he asked, curious.

"Hm? Yeah, this is just a draft on how to best educate the townspeople. Now that we've decided to build a Learning Institute, we're planning to create a system to raise the basic education level of our people. Anyway, it's nothing I need to tend to right now, so it's on hold till later. Oh, if you give me a second, I'll get together some documents I want you to deliver to another department for me," Antelise said, pulling stacks of paper out of her desk drawers and the filing cabinets behind her. Her office had gone from chaotic mess to organized chaos, so she knew exactly where to find what she was looking for.

The civil trainee was actually one of the guards she'd spoken to on the watchtower and personally selected to work for her at Town Hall. It was an unusual appointment but relatively common in Dragontan right now. Major personnel reorganization was currently underway since the town's defenses had been completely entrusted to Mynoghra's creepy crawlies.

What they needed more than anything right now was educated people to keep the government running. For that reason, anyone who could read and write was reappointed to work for Town Hall.

The former guard was one such person whose life was shifted by this major reform. He seemed to dislike this position that required him to use his brain, but working for any government means you have to go along with reassignments, regardless of how crazy and high-handed they are. This was why his Wolfman partner remained a guard to this day because he'd failed the test given for reassignment.

It was hard to say who was the luckier one.

The Human former guard was in for a massive salary increase, but he had to learn and remember a lot for his new position. He partially resented his former coworker for escaping this job that required him to put his half-dormant, barely used brain to work twenty-four-seven.

Pushing back the trivial dissatisfaction in his heart with his loyalty to his new empire, the guard-turned-civil-trainee was doing his best to help with the reforms that Mynoghra was strongly promoting. However, since this new post involved work of an entirely different nature from his former job, every day consisted of failure, confusion, and fumbling to grasp what he needed to do. Even now, he couldn't fathom the degree of priority and importance belonging to the draft Antelise had put on hold, and he scrunched up his face trying to figure it out.

"So…that's a draft on how to raise the basic education level? From what I gathered, it's a proposal covering the various things to be taught to commoners, too, right? I thought only nobility and the powerful get taught stuff…?"

"Even commoners need a basic education. It looks terrible and is inefficient if the king's people can't read. Make sure to get yourself enough knowledge, so you don't ruin His Majesty's image either, all right?"

"I-I'll try not to…"

The trainee couldn't really argue against that, but something about it still didn't sit well with him.

Antelise watched the man's expression waver with his desire to be loyal to the king's decree and his dislike of studying. Her mind filled with thoughts about how things were rapidly changing for their town.

Basic education will be required for almost any job in the future. It's hard to even obtain the skills for an occupation without the ability to read and write.

Anyone working in the town government knew Mynoghra was investing a lot to rebuild and prop up Dragontan. Their wide range of recovery measures used a lot of money, human resources, and materials. Some of those measures made a lot of sense, but what really took the government officials by surprise was Mynoghra's strong push to educate the townspeople, even if it took time. Their efforts extended to the commoner class, considered not worth educating before now, and many people adverse to change were grumbling about it.

Increasing basic knowledge across a whole population tends to lead to the acquisition of new concepts and breakthroughs. This push showed how much importance Mynoghra placed on researching new technologies and, at the same time, proved they were wealthy and powerful enough to devote national power to education.

With what she knew of the size and scale of Mynoghra as an empire, Antelise thought it was a bit reckless to carry out such a drastic measure. What made that recklessness plausible?

The answer lay with but one person—the great King of Ruin, Takuto Ira.

Everything was only possible due to the profound wisdom and power of their new leader and king.

I mean, after being taught a ton of stuff from Mynoghra, I've really come to see the importance of education. It makes a lot of sense why His Majesty pushes to educate the masses when you realize how inferior Phon'kaven's technology is compared to the countries up north.

The harsh environment of the Dark Continent was the main reason Phon'kaven lagged so far behind the countries on the Lawful Continent. The barren land made it difficult to grow crops, and savage Barbarians ran so rampant that they constantly threatened life and property. Making your home on this continent meant living side by side with danger and little reward.

Educating the masses costs money, time, and manpower.

Even children were considered a valuable source of labor within Phon'kaven. Once a child could speak, they were expected to help with their parents' work, and the apprentice-like guidance they received in that endeavor created the next generation of craftsmen and workers. With that system in place, most citizens considered receiving an education an indulgence permitted only to the rich and privileged classes. The harsh reality was that just struggling to survive was the most the majority of people could strive toward in this barren land.

However, that reality was completely upended the moment Dragontan came under Mynoghra's rule and reaped the benevolent rewards bestowed upon them by the King of Ruin. In a sense, Dragontan's inhabitants could be said to be living civilized lives for the first time.

As wonderful as that sounded, the townspeople were still put through a series of shocking changes at an alarming rate. One corner of the town could look completely different from one day to the next, and the familiar day-to-day procedures for work and daily life changed just as quickly.

Dragontan was undergoing such drastic reforms it was basically being rebuilt from the ground up.

"Maybe it's just me, but everything's changing and moving ahead at such a rapid pace, I'm having a hard time keeping up with it," the civil trainee groaned.

"We can move things along quickly because we're getting a nearinfinite supply of Food and Materials from Mynoghra's capital. Not to mention we're being protected from trouble inside and out by the Riflemen troops wielding those outrageously overpowered guns," Antelise said, partially agreeing with the trainee. Her thoughts went to the Riflemen squad, who played a big part in making the policy reforms go through rapidly.

The town's Riflemen, selected from the elite of the elite among their ranks, had already completed the minimum required training and were working toward exterminating the Barbarians in the area while also doubling as patrolling security. They were extremely effective at their jobs and had put a complete stop to the farmland being destroyed by invading Barbarians. If that wasn't incredible enough, they were on course to completely eradicating all the Barbarian dens surrounding Dragontan.

At this rate, they'd eventually be able to set up large-scale agricultural settlements outside of Dragontan too. Although it goes without saying that restructuring Dragontan and getting it back up and functioning as a proper town came first.

Antelise put sticky notes on the documents that had already been settled by the department in charge. As she worked, she suddenly remembered the important task she'd assigned the trainee the other day.

"By the way, how goes the intelligence gathering on other countries?" she asked.

Dragontan hadn't closed its borders despite going through a chaotic upheaval. Trade with Phon'kaven was still going strong, and they continued to do business with peddlers from the Lawful Continent.

Information is often worth more than money.

Even though Antelise's office was understaffed, she redirected some of her budget and staff to gather information on other countries. Of course, this was on direct orders from Mynoghra and, by extension, King Takuto. Contrary to the casual manner in which she asked her question, she was actually on pins and needles, worried that doing anything less than perfect might incur her new king's wrath.

"So far, we've just been collecting intel on rumors and the state of things in their cities, but it's been going pretty smooth," the trainee responded.

"Huh. That's surprising. I thought you'd have a harder time of it. Is your primary source of information the peddlers and mercenaries?"

"Precisely. Those types will go the extra mile when money's involved. And their prices are absurdly higher than usual. They're completely taking advantage of the situation, that's for sure."

"Mynoghra is backing us in every way, but there are some things we'll have to learn to handle on our own. Fortunately, they've given us plenty of money, so it's my opinion that we pay the higher prices. It'll prime the pump and make them sing like a songbird when we need them to."

Relief spread through Antelise to learn information gathering was going smoother than she'd anticipated. She thought the merchants and mercenaries would stop doing business with them once they were associated with an evil empire, but that didn't seem to be the case.

Dragontan was currently going through a sort of transitional state. The appearance and atmosphere of the town would supposedly grow more ominous as time went on, but for right now, aside from the large-scale reconstruction, it hadn't changed much from before. This in-between state might've been what kept the merchants coming without thinking twice. It was anyone's guess how people from other countries might feel about it in the future, given what Mynoghra was like.

"Got it," the trainee nodded. "Then I'll tell the person in charge to bring the list and cost estimate of the items to be purchased from the merchants later, so please look over it when they do."

In any event, they could collect information and purchase supplies without issue right now, which was critical to Mynoghra and Dragontan.

"Make it a top priority," Antelise told him. "Still, I can't believe we're making lists and cost estimates now… I can't believe how much these more tedious, smaller-scale tasks have increased."

"Isn't having a structure in place a lot less tedious than having to deal with he said, she said blame games?"

"You can say that again. It's nice to work for a government with thorough checks and balances in place—it seriously cuts down on headache-inducing problems. I'm getting better at signing approval for matters every day, so I can't complain."

"Speaking of approvals, I'd like to deliver the ones you've already signed to our wonderful staff, who've been working around the clock. Can I yet?"

"Yes, yes. Here. Take it with you."

It seemed like Antelise had taken her idle chatter a little too far. She handed over the papers she'd already prepared to the civil trainee, not minding that he was chiding her for talking too long. She watched as he withdrew from the room before swiping a bottle of ale off the floor under her desk and popping the cork.

"M'kay, time for some good ol' work. Nothing like downing a bottle of nectar while whiling away the hours with paperwork."

◇◇◇

[Notes on the Dragontan Urban Development Plan and the Cursed Land]

Urban development is proceeding roughly as planned. Unoccupied houses with unknown owners, which have increased due to the exodus of townspeople, are to be collectively requisitioned by the government, and after appropriate repairs are made, they will be provided to residents looking for housing. In addition, dilapidated buildings, such as those in the former slums, should be knocked down.

Buildings should be made sturdier to combat the eventual influence Mynoghra's Cursed Terrain will have on the land. We are also continuing to construct specific facilities such as Magic Research Institute, Market, and Training Grounds.

As for the Dragon Vein Mine, since it will take time for both Phon'kaven and Mynoghra to inspect and make decisions on how they want to jointly manage it, the area is to be classified as a restricted zone.

[Food Production Plan]

Dragontan's food production capacity is extremely poor in terms of supplying the town's needs, and many residents have nutritional and developmental problems.

Therefore, the main priority is to provide food with high nutritional value produced by His Majesty.

At the same time, we plan to popularize the Flesh Tree fruit and actively seek cooperation in adopting dishes using it at bars and other food joints to help the townspeople become more familiar with this new ingredient.

[Domestic Road Construction and Distribution Network

Development Plan for Allied Countries]

A highway will be built connecting Mynoghra's Imperial Capital to the town of Dragontan to facilitate a more manageable distribution of goods. The capital's logistics team will handle developing the territory within the Accursed Lands, which is challenging to navigate due to the dense forest and uneven ground. Dragontan will also dispatch an official to help with planning, but the primary focus for Dragontan is rebuilding the town itself.

At the same time, a distribution route to Crescent Moon, the capital of Phon'kaven, is also set to be developed and maintained.

[Information Gathering]

All taverns, canteens, and inns in the city are under the direct control of Mynoghra and operated as key locations for information gathering. In addition, we will provide specialized training for store owners and employees to nurture personnel who can collect higherquality information. The primary objective is gathering information on the internal state and changes occurring within potential enemy empires, such as the Holy Kingdom of Qualia and El-Nah Alliance of Elementals. The secondary objective is gathering information on Phon'kaven and the other smaller nations on the Dark Continent.

Information gathering is under the direct control of Mynoghra's capital, and Dragontan is responsible for gathering information as ordered.

◇◇◇

A myriad of projects were being carried out in tandem. All the information and directions given by Mynoghra's capital were carefully looked over and processed in order. Almost everything involved new ventures that would reform the way the town was governed; none of these matters could be taken lightly.

In addition to the above four plans, construction plans for recreational facilities and plans to strengthen the city's defense facilities, such as the extension of the outer walls, were also on the agenda. However, those were a lower priority and were currently on hold, along with the establishment of educational institutions.

"I still have an endless workload, but it's a lot easier to handle when I have hope for the future," Antelise remarked to herself.

She felt fortunate to no longer have to worry about what tomorrow would bring. The power displayed by the king of Mynoghra gave the residents of Dragontan an indescribable sense of relief, even a kind of drug-like euphoria.

Is this what it means to become evil? Antelise wondered as she concentrated on getting her work done. She had a lot of busy days ahead of her. Dragontan was still in the process of being fully transferred over. Although it now belonged to Mynoghra on paper and by affiliation, it would take a while yet for it to come completely under their control.

"Uh, let's see, where did that directive go? Ah, there it is."

That day would come in the blink of an eye with how busy they were.

Antelise scanned the most recent directive to come in from the capital.

[Dragontan Cession Completion Ceremony and…]

"…One more month to go, huh? I've gotta work my butt off to ensure everything gets done in time."

Antelise was being rewarded more than enough to be satisfied with her work. She'd make sure she pulled off the tasks assigned to her, even if it shortened her lifespan.

She lovingly stroked the ale bottle gifted to her by the king and chugged its contents. Then she braced herself and pushed forward in her duties, working toward the day she was certain would have vital significance to Mynoghra…and the rest of the world.