"What?!" Fjord cried, startling the poor girl. "The El-Nah Alliance of Elementals was destroyed?!"
It seemed Idoragya as a whole was experiencing more turmoil and chaos than anyone had realized. Fjord had been aware that things were amiss in El-Nah. It was common knowledge among clergy of a certain rank, even if word hadn't spread to the masses yet.
Simply put, El-Nah was invaded by yet another Witch…
But Fjord was confident that El-Nah wasn't the kind of country to be destroyed by a lone Witch. They had Elemental Champions on par with Qualia and Lenea's Paladins, and they even had their own Saints. Elves were at their strongest in the verdant forests that covered their territory, and they knew those wooded depths like the back of their hands.
Every imaginable situation pointed to El-Nah's victory.
For that reason alone, Qualia hadn't intervened and took a waitand-see stance despite knowing about the new threat. They wholeheartedly believed their holy brethren, their sworn allies, would seize victory. That belief, that hope, crumbled like sand before their evil adversaries.
"…I see. That works in our favor."
"P-Pardon? Wh-What did you say?" Lytrain asked, her lips quivering as her super-hearing picked up on Fjord's quiet utterance.
Fjord was unfazed by her question. "I simply said yet another outrageous problem has occurred," he continued. "We still don't know the whereabouts of the Witch behind the Northern Disturbance, and the emergence of more Witches is a worrying development for us all. The forces of evil are infesting the world. Now is the time for us Warriors of Light to fight bravely as guardians of Arlos's world."
"Um…I suppose so," she responded, sounding unsure.
"Now then, Saint Lytrain, please tell me everything you can. We lack adequate information to slay our foes. We should share what we know and develop countermeasures against the forces of evil." "O-Okay…" Lytrain mumbled.
"Thank you," Fjord nodded, prompting the insecure girl to tell him what she knew so he could discover her true intentions. ◇◇◇
FJORD obtained several crucial pieces of information and shared what Qualia might want to know in return. He didn't think the young Saint would remember every detail, and he feared the repercussions if she left anything out. However, what he had learned from her informed him that the world as a whole was in crisis. Never in his wildest dreams did Fjord think the El-Nah Alliance of Elementals would fall. He needed to revise their response to El-Nah.
On the bright side, Lenea now had more time, albeit not much.
Qualia and El-Nah bordered each other on the Lawful Continent. A massive mountain range physically separated the two countries. Exchanges between the two could only be made by taking a narrow and steep path that cut through the mountains, or by making a detour around the northern or southern part of the range. This terrain had become a natural fortress separating Qualia and El-Nah, which hindered Qualia from gathering sufficient information on their ally.
In other words, even if the now-conquered El-Nah set its sights on Qualia next, their only option was to take their armies through the detour route, which would naturally slow their march. And if they took the southern route that traveled along the Dark Continent, they would encounter Lenea first…
That's a problem for another day… I've got more pressing matters to deal with right now.
Fjord was painfully aware of his ever-growing pile of problems. Adding one or two more problems to the pile was inevitable. There wasn't anything he could do to stop the problems from coming in, even if it was becoming fatal to their fledgling nation. Encasing his heart in ice, Fjord decided to handle the problem sitting in front of him first.
"I understand the situation now. I appreciate you sharing this crucial information with us," he told the young Saint. "However, someone of your standing, Saint Lytrain, needn't have come all the way out here just to tell us this. Please tell me what really brings you here."
"Ah, um, well…" She fidgeted and averted her gaze.
Every piece of information she shared was of grave importance. But that wasn't a good enough reason for Saint Lytrain to come herself, not when Qualia's military strength had been weakened by the Southern Province's secession led by two of their former Saints. It was common knowledge that the Mystic Saint never left Central.
That left only the Scribe Saint to fend off all attacks. The fact that ElNah was defeated and conquered meant that their former allies, the
Elves, would become their enemies. This also included the three
Saints belonging to the Alliance…
They had no reason to send the Scribe Saint, the only decisive battle weapon Qualia possessed now, to personally inform Lenea of the situation and ask for their cooperation. In which case, the young lady had an entirely different objective in coming here. For example, a terribly personal objective…
"U-Um…please let me see— I mean, please act as the intermediary between High Paladin Verdel and me," Lytrain nervously but clearly stated her objective.
I knew it, Fjord thought.
He gently nodded to reassure the anxious girl. Then he averted his gaze slightly, his expression growing grave as he recalled her relationship with Verdel.
"Verdel…" he said, sounding thoughtful. "Ah, right! That reminds me, he was your adoptive father, wasn't he? Forgive me for not remembering sooner. I see, I see. So you came here worried that something happened to your father during the political upheaval."
"U-Um, er, uh-huh…"
Fjord took her robotic nod as a yes. As a man not used to smiling, he had to force his stiff cheek muscles to twitch upward to assuage her fears. "High Paladin Verdel is currently assigned to a mission in this city. He's doing well, I assure you."
"Um, well, he never responds to any of the letters I send anymore…" Lytrain said, sadness and worry lacing her quiet voice.
"I see. That's because he was on a covert infiltration mission until just recently. He was isolated from all contact due to the nature of his job. I promise he wasn't ignoring you, Saint Lytrain."
"Really? He wasn't…?"
As he watched the nervous tension slip away from Lytrain's face, Fjord fished through his memories for more details on the girl's relationship with the gruff High Paladin. It had originally been nothing more or less than an ordinary relationship between daughter and the Paladin who'd adopted her. Whether he had been pushed into the adoption out of harassment from one of the opposing factions or he'd simply awoken to his paternal side, Verdel had taken in and formally adopted the orphaned girl. This wasn't a particularly rare occurrence for Paladins, who were instructed to behave as model citizens.
The real problem came in when his daughter ended up being chosen as one of Arlos's Saints. It doesn't take much to realize why things went south from there. Whether it was due to jealousy, or a desire to reduce their political influence, Verdel and Lytrain were separated, and groundless rumors were spread about them. In the end, their parent-child relationship was forcefully dissolved.
For as many allies High Paladin Verdel had, he had twice as many enemies.
Lytrain loved and adored her father as a daughter. And Verdel loved her as a daughter. Unfathomable jealousy and contempt surrounded what should have been one of the most natural relationships there is.
…Although their story had already come to an end.
"S-So, um, y-you see, I have a favor to ask of you, Commander Fjord…" Lytrain began, her fingers tightly clenching the book until they turned white.
"You needn't say another word, Saint Lytrain," Fjord said, cutting her off before she could finish her request. He knew exactly what she wanted. "Please leave everything to your humble servant, Fjord. I'll promptly arrange for you to meet with High Paladin Verdel."
Arranging for such a thing was a piece of cake for Fjord in his position, and he believed it was in the best interest of the forlorn girl seated before him.
"D-Do you mean it?!" she cried, her face lighting up.
"On one condition," Fjord said, holding up his finger. "It pains me to bring this up, but please understand untoward rumors are circling about you and High Paladin Verdel. Of course, I know that those despicable scandals are nonsense spread by infidels blinded by jealousy. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees with me."
"Um…that's…"
"I'm sorry, that was very indirect of me. Please forgive me. Age has a way of making you say more than necessary. To put it simply, nothing good will come of you taking any public action right now, Saint Lytrain. I'll take care of all the arrangements, so I would like to request you meet with High Paladin Verdel—your father—in private.
Can you agree to this condition?"
"Y-Yes! Th-That's easily within my p-power!"
Her father was the only thing on her mind now.
It was said that the Saints were picked by God and had to offer up something in return for receiving his blessing. So what did this young girl sacrifice? Verdel might've been the only family she had, but her excessive level of attachment to her father seemed related to the price she'd paid.
In any event, her circumstances meant little to Fjord. He couldn't let her be the catalyst that brought Qualia barging into Lenea's affairs because of the phantom. He needed to keep her focused squarely on her father. Luckily, she seemed uninterested in everything but her father, so Fjord's proposal was a win-win.
"Glad to hear it," Fjord said. "Fortunately, my men are tightlipped. I swear to you that word of what occurred here today will not get out as long as you keep it to yourself."
"O-Okay… I can do that." She nodded several times.
"I know it might come across as a strange request, but our country is still in the process of reform. I would like to suppress any information that would cause further confusion at this time," Fjord explained as simply as he could. He saw Lytrain furrow her brows in a perplexed look. He put his hand to his head, realizing he said too much. "Forgive me, I've gone off on another tangent. Let me tell you the meeting place and time now."
Lytrain's whole face lit up like a flower in full bloom with that comment. She pulled a pen from her chest pocket and jotted down the information he gave her.
"Thank you very much for relying on me, Saint Lytrain," Fjord said, satisfied with her reaction. "We might be of different sects, but we believe in the same God. We want to do whatever it takes to remain on Qualia's good side. Especially with trouble brewing in El-
Nah."
"Th-Thank you for helping me too!" Lytrain exclaimed.
"I'm glad we could confirm our countries have the same goals. I will convey what you told me today to Saint Soalina of Blooming Burials and Veiled Saint Fenne. I apologize that it isn't the nicest guest quarters, but please allow me to escort you to an empty room in the Order's lodgings. You can wait there until the designated meeting time," Fjord said, naturally escorting the girl to the reception room door. He quietly opened the door and checked to ensure no one was in the hallway.
"E-Excuse me…" Lytrain said to his back.
"Is something the matter? Please let me know if something is on your mind."
"I heard that G-God descended to give his blessing when L-Lenea was founded," she said nervously. "Um, does God really exist?"
Fjord's eyes widened. A Saint shouldn't doubt God's existence. Lytrain seemed to have realized her mistake after the fact, and she started waving her hands around, as if to reject she ever said anything.
Fjord's steely expression fell when he saw her panicking. Instead of telling her not to worry about it, he lightly shook his head and offered her a gentle smile. "Yes, God does exist. And he is watching over us from a closer place than we realize."
Lytrain placed a hand on her chest and smiled, relieved by his reply. Fjord watched her for a long moment before escorting her to her quarters.
<-x-X-x->
Chapter 6: Insight
AMID the dysfunction plaguing the Divine Nation of Lenea's political center, someone was enjoying the dumpster fire much like a third party watching a disaster movie rather than being a part of it.
Sludge Atou was the person in question.
"I don't have the full picture, haha!"
In the private chambers assigned to her within St. Amritate Cathedral—Lenea's empire-management headquarters—Atou gave up trying to find an impossible solution to the problems bombarding the country. She decided to just wait until the idea came to her.
Now that she was free from her role as Mynoghra's second-incommand and had her own room, Atou could enjoy flopping back onto her bed and rolling around like it was nobody's business.
.
---------------->
.
"Ahh," she moaned. "Lazing around in bed in the middle of the day is the best…"
She was enjoying the ultimate laziness possible. She would be in for a full four-hour lecture from Elder Moltar if he ever found her like this in Mynoghra.
Unfortunately, she was affiliated with Lenea—or, more accurately, she was an NPC belonging to a tabletop role-playing game now. So there was no one to give her harsh but honest advice when she shut herself away in her room and took a nice, long breather. Not that anyone here had any right to critique her.
Although the Game Master had fundamentally changed her alignment to his own, Atou was originally a Witch belonging to an enemy empire. Lenea needed to treat her like a ticking timebomb that could go off on them at any moment—not someone they'd want getting involved in running their nation, no matter how shorthanded they were. At the end of the day, Lenea's leadership found Atou's natural airheadedness to be too much to handle now that she was freed from the constraints of being affiliated with Mynoghra.
But Atou's attitude wasn't the only issue Lenea had.
"Still though, there's a limit to how lazy you can be," Atou said to herself. "Saints Soalina and Fenne seem kinda reserved and estranged from each other, and Witch Erakino is a pushover. And Commander Fjord, the guy who actually does all the work, has gone kinda AWOL, doing his own thing. And then there's me, holed up in my room because I find their prickliness disagreeable… Huh? Putting it like that, it seems like the Commanders of this nation are relatively screwed, doesn't it?"
Lenea's problems stemmed first and foremost from a lack of unification among its leadership. Standing at the top of the food chain were two inexperienced Saints, with a Witch and a Game Master thrown into the mix as oddballs. The priests governing the cities and villages had begun doing things at their own discretion due to the delay in instructions from the Cathedral. And then there was the mess with the Order of Paladins, resulting in Fjord openly avoiding the Saints.
Lenea was currently like a multi-headed beast, where each head was trying to take the body in a different direction, resulting in it going nowhere.
"Keep this up, and King Takuto will conquer them in no time. Isn't that right, my king?" Atou asked the peculiar Takuto doll she was lovingly embracing. The lump of cloth and cotton she'd spent all her time crafting into a makeshift doll was far from perfect, but it spoke volumes about how much free time she had to kill.
She wasn't entirely uninterested in the Paladin Murder Cases. The serial murders were the work of none other than Takuto, after all. They might be adversaries now, but as a woman who lived by a Takuto-first mindset, Atou had no reason not to devote her thoughts to matters where he was concerned. And so, it had become her daily routine to stare at the Takuto doll on her bed and speculate about her former master's schemes.
Assuming King Takuto is the one causing this series of incidents, he must have a reason for it. Well, I know his primary, most wonderful objective is getting me back. But this is a very roundabout way of doing that.
Atou heard someone hastily running through the hallway outside her room. She assumed it was the sound of a clergyman rushing back to work after oversleeping during his short nap. Atou no longer had any concept of work, so his plight was none of her concern.
Is he playing it safe because he's wary of the GM's abilities? No, that can't be it. King Takuto must have established some sort of defense against the GM's ability since they still can't identify the culprit behind the murders. If he does have a defense against it, you'd think he'd rescue me right away.
Warm sunlight streamed into the room through the windows. Atou was still evil-aligned, but perhaps her association with the TRPG forces dulled the negative effects of sunlight, as it comfortably lulled her into sleepiness.
What is King Takuto thinking? Or rather, what is he waiting for?
Atou had asked herself that question a thousand times already. The answer didn't make itself known as time idly passed by in vain. She kept circling back to the thought that he hadn't established a countermeasure yet, but the Paladins wouldn't keep dying if he hadn't. The most straightforward conclusion would be that he was doing this to reduce enemy numbers—but that wasn't it. Murdering the Paladins was the means to an end—not the end objective in and of itself.
Takuto was trying to do something through these murders.
No matter how she thought about it, Atou couldn't figure out what that something was. She felt it was something he couldn't do if Lenea's leadership was unified and had proper communication.
Atou held the Takuto doll over her head and stared at it hard. She must've squeezed it a little too tightly, because his already deformed face crumpled under her grip.
"C-Could it be…you're actually a tad angry, King Takuto?"
Atou suddenly had a very bad feeling. Even if she hadn't willingly pierced Takuto's heart, her tentacle definitely did the deed. There was no guarantee she hadn't incurred his wrath by betraying him, whatever the circumstances that led to that heinous act.
Once the thought occurred to Atou, her anxiety swelled, and she felt like she could hear the crushed Takuto doll whisper, "…I hate you, Atou."
"I couldn't live with myself if that's true!" Atou cried at the top of her lungs.
She heard someone bang loudly on the wall from the next room over to shut her up, and she clapped a hand to her mouth. She wasn't reacting that way out of consideration for the person next door—she wanted to dispel the discomforting anxiety eating away at her.
"King Takuto is definitely the type to never forgive those who oppose him. Anyone who underestimates him is doomed. His revenge is always a hundred times worse than what was done to him. He's like an unstoppable knife that has left the concepts of mercy and forgiveness behind once unleashed! Oooh, please forgive me, my king! What have I done! I've gone and failed you!!"
The malice and murderous intent gleaming in Atou's crimson eyes belied her words. She would kill Takuto if he appeared in front of her. She held reverence akin to a budding love for him, yet she could still kill someone who meant so much to her. Was that the result of the GM's brainwashing? Or was it simply her innate nature? Either way, Atou had the right mentality to be labeled a Witch.
"But, my king? What methods are you using to make this possible?" she wondered. She came back to this same question, despite never finding the answer. "No Hero in Eternal Nations has an ability that could help, as far as I know. Even if you had summoned that swindler of a Hero, he shouldn't be capable of sealing the GM's abilities and causing the series of mysterious events that are happening now…"
Until now, Atou had been trying to figure out Takuto's abilities and methods from how he'd been killing the Paladins. But that was of minor importance when it came to the bigger picture. She felt like she was overlooking something fundamental. Without remembering that fundamental factor, she couldn't put the pieces together.
With the knowledge she had of him right now, Takuto should have never survived the injuries he'd sustained in Lenea's surprise attack. Some sort of gimmick had to be at work—some sort of game mechanic—but nothing in her memories fit.
"Hmm…mmm…?" she groaned.
Or at least, there shouldn't have been anything that fit.
"Wait…? I feel like I'm forgetting something."
She had this niggling feeling like a splinter stuck in her finger. The answer was almost on the tip of her tongue. And yet she couldn't recall enough to form a full thought about what that was. It was that kind of strange sensation.
As someone who'd played hundreds of thousands of rounds with Takuto and who knew almost everything there was to know about Eternal Nations, she couldn't shake this nagging feeling.
The problem was that this was an improbable premonition to have about Takuto Ira. Under any other circumstances, she would have forgotten all about this disconcerting feeling. But luck was on her side this time.
"Oh, that reminds me, there's a perfect way to deal with things I've forgotten. I'm a member of the TRPG club, so I can roll the dice for answers, too," Atou realized in a moment of divine insight.
It was impossible to learn anything to do with the Paladin Murders. Lenea had reached a dead end no matter how many times they tried, changed their questions, or how they went about it. It was also impossible to unravel Takuto's secrets directly. Erakino and the others experimented in every way possible and never got anywhere.
But it should be easy to derive the identity of Atou's inkling of a suspicion. She had merely forgotten something. How could Takuto possibly prevent her from remembering what she already knew?
She didn't need to use the GM's overpowered abilities for something as simple as this. She could just roll the dice herself. If her roll failed, then…she could hunt down Erakino and ask her to put in a request with the Game Master, even if she hated the thought of it. Thinking of it that way, it was an easy task with no downsides.
"It's a tad inappropriate given the situation, but I feel kind of excited!"
It shouldn't be that big of a deal, since it was something she couldn't remember even when she tried. There was something novel and entertaining about using another game's mechanics, especially when she'd lived her whole life as a 4x game character.
Everything is fun the first time you try it. Even if nothing comes of it, I'll still get to experience something new. With that casual feeling, Sludge Atou rolled the dice.
"Um, rolling for Insight! Make me remember what I'm forgetting about King Takuto!"
[Atou rolls 1d100=98 for Insight
Outcome: Success. Atou can more easily recall her memories!
]
With that, fate changed.
"Huh? What a strange ability. I assume it succeeded? Let's see, hm, I'm starting to remember now. Takuto Ira, who has taken on the name of the King of Ruin…"
Atou nodded along to the memories for a bit, until one suddenly made her jaw drop and her eyes spread wide. The excitement gave way to her face draining color…
"…No! It can't be!!"
She finally remembered the bit of information she'd forgotten since coming to this world. That revelation dealt a fatal blow to her.
◇◇◇
"YOU want to…talk?"
"Yes, that's right, Saint Soalina. To tell you the truth, I have some reservations about this phantom. I would really like to consult you on the matter."
In an unknown, deserted corner of St. Amritate Cathedral, Saint Soalina received a peculiar request from High Paladin Fjord. She couldn't read his intentions behind the highly irregular proposition. And the situation she found herself in was even weirder. It was strange enough that he had found her in this seldom-visited reference room deep below the Cathedral. It was even stranger that he wished to speak completely alone and out of sight. If that wasn't alarming enough, she felt an overwhelming, mysterious pressure coming from High Paladin Fjord, unlike anything she'd sensed from him before.
Something about him differed greatly from all the other times he'd consulted her and given reports.
"Um, then please let me gather the others—"
"…Don't."
He shot down her hesitant suggestion. It seemed he wanted to consult her about something he didn't want Fenne or Erakino to know about. Soalina's suspicions ballooned, but being bewildered was about the only thing she could do right now.
"Please let me confirm this with you alone, Saint Soalina. If my fears are founded, then we must proceed with the utmost caution." Fjord had picked the one phrase she couldn't refute.
What was he about to confide in her? Soalina could only give a reluctant nod in response to his overpowering intensity.
<-x-X-x->
Chapter 7: Orders
THE night before a storm can sometimes give people an incomprehensible sense of eeriness. A strange feeling accompanied the uncommon rain shower sprinkling the Dark Continent that night.
"Hrm…"
Elder Moltar scrutinized a scrap of paper where he sat at a small, temporary desk erected for him in Dragontan's mayoral office. Written in neat penmanship was the riddle Takuto had left for him to solve upon his resurrection. The riddle wanted him to figure out how Takuto had survived the surprise attack.
Written on it were the following seven true statements in the king's own words:
1. I took a direct hit from Atou's attack and died on the spot.
2. Saint Soalina's flames also caused my death.
3. I don't have any recovery skills to heal my own injuries.
4. It was me, not a body double, an alter ego, another organism, or an illusion that was attacked.
5. I didn't die and resurrect or loop.
6. I escaped this crisis without the intervention of a third party.
7. All of these events actually happened.
Seven statements comprised the entire riddle and contained all the secrets. The elderly sage had difficulty wrapping his head around the confounding riddle with all the prerequisites built into it.
"No matter how I think about it, I can't come up with an answer… I know His Majesty used a method we aren't privy to, but what could have possibly saved him from those circumstances?"
At the end of his rope, Elder Moltar leaned heavily back in his chair, the wood groaning beneath him. The light cast by the candles on top of the desk wavered with the movement, and the sound of rain pelting the ground outside was soothing to the ears. The quiet relieved some of his mounting fatigue. Elder Moltar massaged his aching shoulders and was about to finish up his remaining work, when—
"Oh man, you're still trying to figure that out, huh?" —someone suddenly spoke to him from behind.
"Ooooooooh! My king! I'm sorry you had to see me slacking off like this. I would have come to you myself if you had summoned for me—" Elder Moltar responded to his king as usual, but he trailed off when he realized this conversation shouldn't be possible. "Y-Your
Majesty! When did you get here?!"
"That's the second time I've heard that tonight. Makes me kind of happy that everyone's so surprised to see me when I show up like this though."
Laughing like a child who'd successfully pulled off a prank was none other than the king of Mynoghra—the being Elder Moltar worshiped and served with all his heart and soul. Elder Moltar's nervous tension shot into high gear, and his brain seemed to shortcircuit from information overload at his liege's sudden appearance.
"Y-Your Majesty," Elder Moltar stammered. "How in the Dark
Continent are you here?! Weren't you infiltrating Qualia?!"
He needed the answer to that question more than any other. It was unfeasible for Takuto to be in Dragontan when he was infiltrating Qualia—or, more precisely, Lenea—to retrieve Atou.
Dragontan was a long distance from the Divine Nation of Lenea. It didn't matter that they were relatively close geographically—it still took days by foot to make the journey. Of course, it was far too irreverent to compare their king's physical prowess to that of peddlers and travelers, but even so, it should take him several days at best.
Monsters had also appeared on the border between the two continents, bringing a contingency of Paladins and Phon'kaven elites there to deal with the threat. Going through such a dangerous zone for a quick visit was too risky and would take longer than it was worth.
"You could say that. I used magik."
Elder Moltar scratched his head at the suggestive, irregular way Takuto emphasized magic. But since he left it at that, Elder Moltar refrained from inquiring further.
The complex abyss that is magic knows no bounds.
Surely King Takuto had skills and spells that Elder Moltar did not. As the old sage attempted to convince himself with that logic, the conversation progressed in a different direction.
"Anyways, where's everybody else? Are they already asleep?"
"No, we were just taking a brief break. I'm sure they will be back soon…" Elder Moltar paused for a moment before bellowing, "Forgive me! My liege's return is of the utmost importance! I will go fetch the others at once!"
"Nah, you don't have to rush them…" Takuto couldn't help but remonstrate Elder Moltar when he saw him getting too worked up for his age. But he broke out into a cold sweat when he heard what the old sage had to say in return.
"Nonsense! We have a literal mountain of things to tell and ask you about, Your Majesty! Time is of the essence! I will promptly gather the council members, so please wait here for a spell! You hear me?! Don't you go wandering off now! Wait right here! Right HERE!" "Haha…hahahaaa…"
I'm in for a real squeeze here, aren't I? Takuto thought.
Takuto had been leading his Dark Elf subordinates around by the nose since the surprise attack. Of course he had proper cause, and it'd brought about good results. Even so, he finally had to face the reality he'd been ignoring—he was in for an earful and there was no getting out of it.
◇◇◇
"MY king!! How it pleases me to see you safe and sound! Please punish us for failing you!"
"I am so, so relieved to see you. I was really worried for a moment there…"
"Welcome home, Your Majesty!"
"Welcome back, Your Majesty."
Gia and Emle wept upon reuniting with their king. Meanwhile, the Elfuur Sisters were far more casual with welcoming him back since they had been communicating through telepathy the whole time. Aside from the prominent council members, Mayor Antelise and several other high-ranking officials had gathered.
Takuto sat down on the couch with a sheepish smile as more than a few people expressed joy over seeing him.
"Wow, is it just me, or is it getting hot in here?" he joked.
They had gathered in the town hall's reception room. Takuto lounged on the guest couch, and the Elfuur Sisters took their natural positions on either side of him. Elder Moltar and Emle sat directly across from them, while everyone else stood at attention around the two couches, adding quite a bit of tension to the room.
They should've met in a much larger room, but Takuto had rejected the idea, leading to this odd arrangement. He felt their voices would be heard better in a smaller space, especially with the downpour outside. Everyone felt a little bad for those who had to stay standing, but none complained or even thought about such a trivial detail.
"Okay, now that we're all here…where should we begin?" Takuto said, starting the meeting. "First things first, have you prepared everything I asked for?"
Everyone knew what this meeting was really about. The time had finally come for the carefully planted seeds of revenge to bear fruit.
"Yes, everything is going according to plan," Emle answered first. "We've stabilized things domestically and controlled the information the citizens can access without a hitch."
"Some citizens may harbor doubts about your absence, Your Majesty, but nothing more than that," Elder Moltar swiftly interjected. "The Divine Nation of Lenea has been spreading their nonsensical delusions, but it hasn't influenced anything domestically."
"Okay. Good job."
The domestic situation seemed to be under control. Takuto could confirm the situation by using his Commander authority to see through his citizens' and units' eyes, but it was reassuring to hear a status report in person as well. He'd had some concerns about pulling back and handing control of his empire over, but his people had lived up to his expectations in every way. Although it goes without saying that the adults—starting with Elder Moltar—were about as useful as a fish out of water in the beginning. The two girls sitting on either side of Takuto deserved the most credit for getting the job done.
"As for Phon'kaven, they're currently dealing with the monsters that appeared on the continental border. They seem to be encroaching into Qualia's—pardon me, Lenea's territory. How would you like to proceed, Your Majesty?"
"I've already consulted with Pepe on the matter, so we don't need to take any other action," Takuto replied. "Our allies want to get some actual combat experience and fertile land, so considering the future, it's the right decision for them to take what they can. We don't have any reason to interfere."
Takuto could feel everyone's questioning gaze on him. They were all wondering: "When did you get the chance to meet with Phon'kaven?" He could tell them, but they had more important things to discuss with their limited time, so Takuto brushed over it.
He could explain his magik some other time. What mattered was telling them the results of the negotiations between their two nations—not how they'd negotiated. Elder Moltar and the others seemed to understand Takuto's intent, since they didn't comment. They also didn't inquire about what the Commanders of both empires had decided to do beyond what Takuto had deigned to tell them.
"Sounds like we're good to go on the domestic affairs side," Takuto continued. "Regarding military affairs, how many rapid response squads have you put together? I put in the request through
Caria and Maria to have the squads formed."
A rapid response force was crucial to this operation. Mynoghra needed at least one squadron that could be put into immediate action. Since the force needed to be a decent size, it was crucial that it was made up of not only Mynoghra's strongest soloing units, but also squadrons of Dark Elf Warriors armed with guns.
"We were able to slap one together. I mean, we really slapped it together… I never, ever wanna do that again," Maria complained. "The Warriors came together without issue, but the birdbrains and the buggies kept throwing tantrums, saying they won't listen to anyone but Your Majesty. It was a realest pain to make work. Aren't you glad you could go out and have fun while we did all the work?" Caria said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"I-I see…"
Seeing how the twins were moodier toward him than usual helped Takuto realize it was still nighttime, even if the moon wasn't out. I really put the girls through a lot so I could fulfill my own ambitions. I need to take the time to properly thank them and reward them for it later, he thought, keeping the wry smile causing his lips to twitch in check. Fortunately, their hard work had paid off in spades.
"Allow your humble servant, Gia, to explain the particulars," Gia interpolated. "Our armed Dark Elf Riflemen squad is ready to sortie on your order. In addition to that, we've formed a Monster Squadron, consisting of the designated number of Bugs under your control. They're on standby in the Accursed Lands."
"Good, good! That's perfect."
"Then I take it we're finally declaring war on Lenea and dispatching our army? Please allow me to serve as the vanguard!" Gia requested in a rumbling voice. "I'll make up for failing you by rescuing Lady Atou from the clutches of the enemy!!"
"Ah, yeah, I plan to assign you all to handle another matter. I'll be the one to take back Atou," Takuto avowed, promptly shutting down Gia's proclamation.
Everyone shared confused looks. Gia always declared his intentions to run recklessly into the heart of battle, but all of
Mynoghra assumed they would be marching their armies into Lenea this time. They assumed that, while Mynoghra's forces fought against Lenea's Order of Paladins, a special squadron would break off to rescue Atou and attempt to take out the Saints. They believed that Takuto's infiltration into the enemy nation was the preliminary step toward that end.
But Takuto easily dismissed their preconceptions. It seemed to them that the grand scheme of things was yet to make itself known.
"But then…I can't save face by serving as your shield or the outrider!!" Gia cried.
"Yeah. The thought is enough. To be brutally honest, we're up against an opponent that's too much for you to handle."
Takuto's remark threw cold water all over Gia and the rest of the hotheaded bunch. They had tried not to think about it, but the cruel reality was that Mynoghra's forces couldn't deal the killing blow against the enemy during Operation Rescue Atou.
"Your Majesty… What in the world are we up against?" Elder Moltar asked on behalf of the group.
On that fateful day, they had tasted true despair. Their king had been slain before their very eyes and their do-or-die resistance was nullified.
What kind of trickery had been at work? What kind of ability or skills had been used?
The enemies' abilities were as cloaked in mystery as Takuto's miraculous resurrection.
"We're up against people who've got the power of a tabletop RPG. Their powers are much like mine…while also entirely different," Takuto told them in a quiet voice.
"A tabletop R-P-G?" Elder Moltar repeated, trying to sound out the unfamiliar phrase.
Since it was a term no one recognized, they assumed it came from the Land of the Gods King Takuto often mentioned, but that was the extent of their speculations.
Even Takuto realized they needed an explanation on this topic, so he went with a vague answer, rather than outright ignore telling them anything as he had with several other topics that evening.
"Hmm, it's hard to explain. Put in the simplest of terms, it's an ability that allows you to decide the outcome of actions by rolling dice."
The shocking truth had finally been revealed to them.
A tabletop RPG's ability was essentially a Gambler's ability. It treats every action as a gamble and allows the intervention of fate indicated by the dice. In other words, no matter how hard you work and how much power you have, if you're unlucky, you'll die, and no matter how incompetent and powerless you are, if you're lucky, you'll live.
A series of ad hoc matches that negate all preconditions—that was their opponent's power in a nutshell.
From there, Takuto revealed the additional information he'd gleaned during his time away. He briefly explained the Game Master's existence, the Witch who served under him, and about the Saints who'd accepted the Witch, joined hands with her, and taken over Qualia's former Southern Province together. He clarified how they were up against forces just like them, just with different players.
The news sent shockwaves through the Dark Elves. They knew they were up against Saints, but not that they'd joined forces with evil. Nor did they ever imagine that the enemy Witch and her master were equivalent to gods, like Takuto. What surprised them most was the truth behind the strange power that negated all resistance the day the enemy had attacked.
"So, if I'm understanding this right, my liege, our attacks didn't connect because the dice roll resulted in our failure?" Elder Moltar speculated.
If that was how it worked, then the enemy had a higher chance of failing if one thing went wrong. But the enemy won the day, meaning they continued to beat the odds with every roll, or so Elder Moltar assumed.
"No, that happened because the GM forcibly issued a
successful outcome with his authority as Arbiter," Takuto corrected.
This revelation was so out of left field it took time to comprehend.
"The enemy ringleader—the Game Master, or GM for short— has the power to determine the outcome of any event," Takuto explained. "For example, even if something comes up black, if he says it's white, then it'll become white. No matter how strong of an army we put together, we'll lose the second the GM decides to make his victory the outcome."
This additional information rendered everyone—including the Elfuur Sisters—speechless. Their opponent wasn't gambling and leaving their fate to chance. They were cheating from the start—they would always pick the outcome most in their favor. There was no game to be played—their opponent had already rigged the match for their victory and Mynoghra's defeat.
"Atou was only stolen because of this crooked ability. If he'd played by the rules, it wouldn't have been easy for him to take her even if his rolls succeeded. He forced the outcome," Takuto spat, his expression and tone twisting with the bitterness he felt.
He regretted the loss of Atou more than his personal defeat. Their enemy was that powerful.
"Your Majesty, is Atou…is Lady Atou all right?!" Emle cried out, unable to keep herself in check once Atou was brought up.
Everyone was sick with worry over their Hero's safety. As a fellow woman and someone who'd relied on Atou for all sorts of things when it came to managing Mynoghra, Emle felt twice as much concern for her than the rest. Tears swam in her misty eyes and her voice quivered as she asked after Atou.
"Atou…"
Emle shuddered at the quiet way in which Takuto uttered her name with an undefinable emotion behind it. She was worried that perhaps Atou was in a far worse situation than any of them dared imagine. A part of her had optimistically believed Atou was okay because Takuto had been, and he'd even gone in person to infiltrate the country that took her. But Takuto's single utterance swept her groundless optimism away, replacing it with an avalanche of crippling anxiety.
Takuto took a good look at everyone's pained expressions and did his best to play it cool as he explained Atou's current status. "HHow do I put it? She was taking it easier than I expected, so I don't think you've got to worry about her."
"Huh?" was the collective reaction. The general confusion threw the heavy atmosphere out the window as everyone pierced Takuto with curious, questioning gazes.
"…Pardon me, my liege, but what do you mean by 'She was taking it easy'?" Elder Moltar asked on behalf of everyone else. Deep creases formed between his brow as he stroked his beard.
"It means she wasn't doing a lick of work. She was lazing about every day, eating all of Lenea's delicious local specialty dishes…"
That shut the room up. All the seriousness shattered just like that. The twins sported awfully evil smiles as the veins bulged in their temples, and even Emle—the most worried of the lot—cradled her head in her hand, utterly exasperated.
Mynoghra's Hero, whose safety everyone was concerned about, had somehow completely adapted to life with the enemy.
"She surrrrre became a free spirit after she was released from being my subordinate…" Takuto whispered darkly.
No one dared respond to him. He refrained from mentioning it to preserve her honor, but he'd actually observed Atou's every move without her knowledge. He had witnessed everything from her loveydovey exposition on him during her meetings with the Saints to the conversations she held day and night with the ugly Takuto doll she'd stitched together. Only Atou was unaware of him. She'd definitely roll around on the floor, screaming into her arms in embarrassment if she knew he was watching. Luckily, Takuto vowed to take those memories to the grave with him.
"W-Well, I mean, she was Brainwashed! It makes sense the enemy has messed with her mind, right?! We need to get her home, pronto! It'd be terrible to leave her like that!!"
Takuto attempted to help her save face, but it was a poor attempt. As it was, Atou was a free spirit even when she served him, so no one believed his insistence that it was the Brainwashing's fault.
Everyone felt confused and angry, wondering what was wrong with her. They also felt relieved to know she was safe. In the end, the Dark Elves accepted it as a part of Atou's eccentricity and switched gears to focus on what they could contribute to dealing with the crisis facing Mynoghra.
"But, Your Majestyyy, how'll we defeat the baddies?" Maria asked.
"That's an excellent question, Big Sista," Caria chimed in. "We're guaranteed to lose if our foes wield godly powers. I don't see any weaknesses we can take advantage of. And then there's Miss Atou. She might be out of a job, but she's still with the enemy. We need to free her from the Brainwashing before bringing her home…even if she's become a jobless shut-in."
The twins still sounded like they had an ax or two to grind.
Maybe I should've come during the afternoon? Takuto thought, feeling a bit weak in the knees confronting the girls when they said exactly what was on their minds. But their concerns were valid and worth considering.
The TRPG system made Lenea a force to be reckoned with. There wasn't any margin for error with the GM using and abusing every aspect of those mechanics.
He had the power to adjudicate all matters. A game master's authority should be wielded with moderation and good sense, but once they stop playing fair, there's almost no way to resist their power.
Yes, almost none.
In other words…there was still a means to resist.
"Few things in this world are perfect. And when it comes to humans, imperfect is a more apt description. Even godly powers have flaws when wielded by mortals."
Takuto had succeeded in hiding his actions from the GM using a certain method. That success was what Takuto wanted most from his venture into the lands of Lenea—a hint about how to defeat the infallible authority of the Arbiter.
Takuto had returned to Dragontan only after laying all the groundwork for his next big operation.
"Boo, don't be a meanie!"
"H-How did you do that?!"
Annoyed complaints rose from either side of him.
Did I say something to upset them? Takuto panicked for a moment until a rare moment of insight helped him realize what they were upset about without them having to spell it out for him. In short, it was time to reveal the truth.
"Ah, yeah, I guess it's about time to check your answer! I mean, I did think I made it overly complicated…" Takuto pointed to Elder Moltar's chest as he spoke, then formed a square with his fingertips.
Elder Moltar contemplated what that gesture meant for a few seconds before saying "Oooh!" and pulling a scrap of paper out of his chest pocket.
Takuto watched as Elder Moltar gingerly laid that paper on top of the table, and then he regaled them with the tale of what had happened that dark day. What he did to survive that day…
◇◇◇
"OKAY, why don't we go over it one more time? The primary objective behind this operation is to recover Atou. The secondary objective is annihilating the enemy Saints and Witch," Takuto said in a commanding voice.
No one said a word.
"I'll deal with the GM's Arbiter ability. It has a fatal defect."
They were speechless because they caught a glimpse of Takuto's power.
"What I need you to do for me is help clean up after the fact. It's a bit much for me to wipe an entire country off the map alone, after all."
They were having a hard time wrapping their heads around it all. They could see how it was possible. Takuto's ability was on par with the GM's when it came to godliness. However, everyone struggled to process what even made him think about wiping a country off the face of the planet. They could only guess that a being without a soul would be capable of such thoughts.
"The whole continent will likely be plunged into chaos after we finish this operation, but it is what it is. This is what they get for taking Atou from me."
They only understood that they were looking at a being not of this world—a being beyond their imagination—a truly godlike entity.
"Oh, right, why don't we come up with a good operation name while we're at it?!" Takuto said cheerfully. "Um…let's go with
Operation Decapitate the Divine Nation!"
At the same time, they learned that he possessed enough malevolence and evil intentions worthy of calling himself the King of Ruin, and most of all, beneath his boyish smile was an evil so great it threatened to overwhelm anyone who attempted to define it…
"Be thorough with the clean-up, okay? I'm the type who gets even with those who've wronged me."
The King of Ruin gave his empire orders on this day. His operation name and methods mirrored that of his enemies'—just another way he would get revenge.
<-x-X-x->
Chapter 8: Upheaval
A woman let out a ghastly scream in St. Amritate Cathedral's storage room that was originally used to store ritual implements, but now housed official documents instead.
"Wh-What are you doing?! Please stop this!" the young nun cried, her eyes filling with tears. This pitiful former village girl was half-forcefully summoned from a peaceful farming village in the Southern Province and, for some reason or another, ordered to look after the approval forms and other such paperwork stored in this room.
"Oh, just zip it already! I don't have time for you right now! We can clean up later!"
"That's too irresponsible!!"
She was confronting none other than Mynoghra's Hero, Sludge Atou. Frightened though she was, the nun desperately pleaded with her to stop her rampage through the area God had tasked her to protect. Atou ignored her pleas as she turned the room inside out. The stacks of paper neatly organized by the dutiful and meticulous nun had been pulled apart and sent raining down on the room like a paper blizzard by Atou.
Mountains formed from the papers Atou tossed aside once she was finished with them. The nun watched in horror as she remembered all the nights she'd spent sorting those documents, believing they might be needed someday.
Why did I even waste my time? she wondered, tears spilling from her eyes, causing her to question her existence.
"Saint Fenne! This is the room!"
"Ooh! The Veiled Saint came herself!"
A helping hand came just in time to make the situation right. Another nun tasked with maintaining the same storage room had gone and brought back Veiled Saint Fenne.
The woman ransacking the room was a guest of honor with a very delicate position in the Cathedral. Atou wasn't a part of the official chain of command, but telling her to do anything required direct orders from the Saints. She was too important to Lenea to treat her any other way.
I can't believe she was able to bring a very busy, rarely-seen Saint here…! The nun offered up a prayer of gratitude to God, and inwardly cried, If only she came a little faster!!
Setting aside the nun's grievances, Fenne's jaw dropped a little when she saw the carnage.
"Atou… What are you doing, hm?"
Fenne could tell Atou had taken an interest in the old records. Even so, she was going about it all too carelessly and imprudent, even for her. Atou understood Lenea was under immense pressure. Fenne thought it odd that their ally was not only not doing any work but also going out of her way to increase their problems. She stepped into the room, thinking she might need to give the Witch a good scolding depending on her answer, but…
Atou jumped away from her in what could only be called an overreaction.
"…What's the matter?" Fenne asked, confused. "You're acting funny."
Atou was visibly rejecting her. Out of suspicion? As a Saint, Fenne had met many different people and gone through all sorts of experiences, so she was especially sensitive to these types of reactions and emotions. She could easily tell Atou was suspicious of her, but she had no idea why.
The GM's Brainwashing…hadn't been removed. If it had been, Atou would've immediately turned on them and slaughtered every living, breathing thing in the Cathedral. She was simply poring through past records. Fenne thought the more likely answer was that Atou had caught onto something they hadn't and was looking into it.
However…
"Fenne," Atou called her name, her tone serious. "Can you prove that you are really your one and true self?"
"…Pardon?" Fenne squeaked despite herself, surprised by the strangeness of Atou's inquiry. The question threw her for such a loop, she struggled to pull herself back together. "Is this a philosophical question? Or a theological one? We're short on time, so now's not a good time for such a deep discussion…" she finally replied after giving the query some thought.
Fenne didn't know her intentions, but they wouldn't get anywhere if she didn't at least ask. She never expected Atou to question her own existence and become absorbed in deep thinking, but it was a friend's job to hear each other out during such times.
"I was wondering the same thing!" Atou cried. "Aaaah, sheesh! This gimmick is seriously annoying, King Takuto! Fenne, come here for a second!"
"Ah! H-Hey, don't yank on me like that…"
So much for thinking she was being contemplative. Seeing how Atou was essentially making a fuss by herself, Fenne's initial guess was off the mark. If that wasn't jarring enough, Atou's skittish demeanor changed, and she tugged Fenne into the room with her.
"Take a look at this," Atou demanded, waving several documents in front of Fenne's face before she could utter a word of complaint.
Fenne looked skeptically through the papers and quickly realized they were familiar, recent forms.
"These are some of the decrees I issued," Fenne confirmed. "This one is regarding the Order, this is regarding the governance of towns, and this is… What in Arlos's world is this?"
A Saint's decree carried immense legal and religious authority. As the select few capable of receiving God's oracles, the Saints held very delicate positions of power in government. Anyone who worshipped the Holy God Arlos treated the Saints' words as coming from Arlos himself. To convey those holy words correctly, they were always recorded on paper in a specific format.
Truth be told, they had been using the official format in a practical sense to avoid hindrances to the chain of command and the accurate transmission of the decree. Even so, every word had been recorded without mistake and approved by the person responsible for the decree.
One of the pages Atou had handed Fenne was indeed a decree the Veiled Saint had personally recorded. Everything from the unique stamp to her signature was all Fenne's. And yet…the unthinkable had happened.
"…I didn't write this," she said, her mouth drying out.
Fenne didn't recall writing that decree.
"Yo, yo, yo! Hiya there, friends! Anyone know where Soali is?"
A bright voice called out from the doorway, unaware of Fenne's shock over the strange matter brought to her attention. Lured by their voices or perhaps having just coincidentally walked by, Erakino popped her head into the room.
"Uh-oh… Did I come at a bad time?" Erakino's cheeks twitched at the mayhem she saw in the room, and she tried to beat a quick retreat before getting dragged into anything annoying.
Unfortunately for her, Atou and Fenne were faster. They pulled her into the room, where they filled her in on the weird new problem and brainstormed to figure out a solution.
◇◇◇
THEY had the nuns leave and restricted access to the storage room.
In that messy, cramped space where Lenea's elite had gathered, Atou and Fenne scrutinized the contents of the questionable decree, their expressions grim.
"There are multiple contradictions in the instructions given. The schedule for meetings and the like has been altered," Atou pointed out. "How do you manage the schedules, Fenne?"
"I left it completely to the others," Fenne reluctantly admitted, shaking her head as she stared at the paper Atou waved in her face. "If they told me it was to be on this day, at this time, I would've said okay without doubting a thing. Administrative work is foreign to us
Saints."
Every level of government was busy these days because the administrative level had been purged without a replacement. Even Fenne was preoccupied with her immediate workload. The Saints weren't equipped to run a nation. A Saint's job was to hold ceremonies meant to placate and influence the masses, and to ward off enemies with God's Miracle Artes in times of need.
It was a miracle that Fenne and Soalina had pulled the country as far along as they had. In that sense, it was hard to blame them for not questioning their work amid the daily chaos. Sure, that work might've been contradictory and intentionally crafted to breed confusion in their ranks, but they couldn't be criticized for not realizing it.
"What about you, Erakino?" Atou asked her fellow Witch.
"Yeaaaaah, I'm a free soul, so I don't do much…"
Erakino fell under similar circumstances to the Saints. She was a Witch and the Game Master's vanguard unit. She wasn't created to manage a country, nor would she be useful in that position. It would've been a different story if the GM had added that trait to her character sheet, but no one expected they would end up in this position.
And then there was Atou—the sole person equipped to handle empire-management—yet they had put measures in place to keep her far away from the heart of Lenea's governance due to her history with Mynoghra.
"Okay, now for the next question," Atou said. "Don't you think there's been a strange lack of interaction between everyone as of late?"
"Isn't that just because we've all been so busy?" Erakino responded. "Master said the others will come to us for help if they run into trouble, anyway."
"I thought the same thing as Erakino," Fenne added. "I feel like others aren't very comfortable in my presence and tend to avoid me."
Even the contradictory documents Fenne could identify had been written identically to the real thing. The oddest thing was that the fake decrees arranged for even the problems the Saints had overlooked to be properly taken care of, improving the lives of their people and significantly increasing the Saints' clout.
What stood out was a conscious effort to ingeniously adjust things so the people in power had as little time as possible to come together and talk. It was almost as if the person behind the alterations wanted to prevent them from having a unified front.
"It's obvious someone has tampered with the decrees," Atou declared. "I'm positive King Takuto's behind it, but…please give me some time before asking how he did it. I'm still not sure of the answer myself."
"What's the purpose of this, though?" Fenne asked. "I can see how it can hinder us. I wasn't suspicious of anything until you pointed it out. Atou, you once said the King of Ruin's objective is getting you back. Does this have something to do with that?"
"We've been using and abusing the GM's power to deal with the Paladin Murder Case," Atou said. "It would make sense he's doing this to try and figure out how that ability works so he can come up with a countermeasure."
"So, he's creating chaos and trying to find countermeasures and weaknesses he can exploit," Fenne summarized. "That's a persuasive explanation, but is that really all there is to it?"
Fenne scoured her memories. As far as the GM's abilities were concerned, she recalled countless occasions where they'd used it to try and resolve the Paladin Murder Case and repel Takuto Ira. They'd received various information in return, and Soalina even strongly urged the GM to come to their realm to solve the problem. Fenne opposed that plan, arguing they could move more freely if the GM kept his position concealed. Their relationship soured after that point.
That was how unreserved they had been in arguing their points and how open they'd been about everything. But all of that was done in secret with a select few individuals: Soalina, Fenne, Erakino, Atou, and occasionally, Paladin Commander Fjord. They were all trustworthy and confirmed to be themselves by the GM's incessant checks.
Naturally, they had countermeasures in place to prevent eavesdropping, such as the Saints' Barriers and the GM using his Authority to obstruct espionage. Even if the King of Ruin had secretly extended his reach to their land, he wouldn't have had the means to know what they discussed. And that was exactly why Fenne doubted his objective was testing the GM's abilities. Most of all, the GM's Arbiter ability couldn't be negated even if someone knew about it.
Seeing Fenne lost in thought, Atou opened her mouth to say something more and then shut it. She took this as an opportunity to put the topic on hold and gave her suggestion instead.
"Whatever the case may be, we need to strengthen security," Atou said. "Cancel—er, halt—all your plans and get everyone together to talk. If my guess is right, then we are in a bad position— no, we're royally screwed."
"I agree. We need to make certain our opponent doesn't catch on to the fact that we've realized what he's doing. If he has penetrated this deep into our government, he must have a trap laid.
We need to make the first move."
They first needed to get on the same page by pooling what they knew. Three of the five key members of their government were present, with Saint Soalina and Commander Fjord unaccounted for. Fjord was in a particularly precarious position. Despite being in the closest political position to the Saints, his pride as a Paladin had him acting on his own and keeping them out of the loop. Both Fjord and the Order of Paladins were indispensable to Lenea—not playthings for the forces of evil to toy with…
Fenne and Atou's sense of imminent danger skyrocketed to the point that they shifted into full battle mode. These women with superhuman abilities sharpened their five senses to peak level, prepared to take on whatever was coming their way. Their mounting tension was snuffed out by the third member of their group—Witch Erakino.
"S-Say…" she began in a hoarse voice, the color draining from her face.
It was important for everyone to be keenly aware of the imminent threat, but Erakino's reaction seemed unrelated. Both the GM and Erakino had shown themselves to be weak-kneed when it came to unexpected situations, but this felt different from all the other times.
"So, um, I just thought she was, you know, busy with work and all that, but…" Her trembling voice brought a different kind of tension into the room. "Wh-Where is Soalina?"
With that question, her fear spread to the others, and Atou paled.
"Erakino!" she shouted. "Roll the dice!!"
Erakino snapped out of it and promptly shut her eyes to seek help from the Game Master.
[GM: Message
Exercising Game Master Authority.
Display the exact whereabouts of Saint Soalina of Blooming Burials.
Silence ruled for one long moment.
Result: The whereabouts of Soalina are unknown. ]
The worst possible result.
One look at the first teary-eyed expression Erakino had ever made told Atou and Fenne how dire the situation was. The absolutely unsolvable nature of the Paladin Murder Case now applied to Saint Soalina
"Why?!" Erakino screamed. "Wh-What the hell is going on?! Why won't the damn system answer us?! Soalina should be unrelated to that case!"
"Game Master! Can you identify the cause of the error?! It's all or nothing! Please question the system with all you've got!" Atou shouted out of desperation to solve the issue.
Sometimes throwing everything you've got at the wall can make something stick. Atou's quick thinking netted them a single answer to their questions.
[〈!〉EXECUTION ERROR
An Event is currently in progress.
The Game Master cannot execute his Authority.
EVENT NAME
Pursue the Culprit Behind the Serial Paladin Murder Case!]
The truth doesn't always bring hope.
"An E-Event?!" Atou cried, raking a restless hand through her hair.
Now she had irrefutable evidence that the sickening, gnawing hunch she'd had all along was right. She had heard about Events from Takuto. She remembered him mentioning it when Mynoghra was forced to endure its most bitter loss yet.
…An Event was responsible for Hero Isla losing to one of the demon generals from Brave Questers' Demon Lord Army.
But an Event can't be happening now! It just can't! Atou denied with all her heart. Or can it? That Hero can make it happen!
"Are you going to mimic even the events that hurt us, NAMELESS GOD?!" Atou howled at the top of her lungs.
Atou should have known his name better than anyone, but he was a terrifying Hero whose name vanished from memory like a puff of smoke because it didn't exist. He was the Holy God's opposite— the Evil God said to have created Atou from sludge. A being seen as one and the same as the game player—in other words, as Takuto Ira.
This was the name of Mynoghra's god and default Commander in Eternal Nations.
"Game Master! You're listening, aren't you? Summon someone who knows Soalina's whereabouts to us! Right now!" Fenne demanded, calmly moving things along while Atou was too flustered to act.
Fenne had already grasped the nature of the GM's abilities through its constant use, so she instructed him to use it in a way that didn't directly interfere with the Event. Her clever thinking paid off in spades.
A lone Paladin appeared with a bright glow a moment later.
"Whoa?! Wh-What in Arlos's holy name just happened?!"
"You're…the Mesial Paladin we promoted just the other day, yes?" Fenne greeted. "I'll explain what's happening later. Please tell us where Saint Soalina is right now."
The Paladin was so shocked by his summoning, he fell on his butt and restlessly looked around the room. He quickly realized the gravity of the situation by the stern expression on Fenne's pale face.
He squashed his confusion to answer her query.
"Uh, y-yes, ma'am! I, um, believe Saint Soalina is currently at the site of the old Cathedral." The Paladin's eyes went wide the second he told them, as if he'd just said something he shouldn't.
"Why the hell is she there?!" Erakino shrieked at him, erasing the regretful expression right off his face.
"That's because…well…she was going there to speak in secret with Commander Fjord," he said, his voice growing quieter as he spoke. It seemed he was sworn to secrecy about the matter. "I was only told the location in case anything happened. I don't know anything else."
This Mesial Paladin was probably the only person who knew anything. Soalina made him responsible for reporting to the others in an emergency.
The site of the old Cathedral was the church grounds they used before they built St. Amritate Cathedral. A cathedral in name only, the historical building was only slightly bigger than the average church and was constructed from now-decaying wood. It was long unused and too costly to dismantle, so it had been left to fall apart for years. Why would Commander Fjord and Soalina meet in a place like that?
They all knew the answer without saying it.
Evil's reach had finally come for Soalina.
"Let's head straight there… King Takuto's probably caught on to our conversation by now," Atou said. Fenne nodded and Erakino sharply inhaled. "Correction…he might've already prepared for this."
Is there any failure more shameful and despicable than this…? Atou berated herself internally. Her heart hammered in her ears, and terrible thoughts had been racing through her mind since her hunch proved true.
"Brace yourselves. You are up against the King of Ruin, Takuto Ira," she squeezed out, earning silent nods from the Saint and Witch.
They braced themselves with the knowledge they were about to face the incarnation of disaster—the apocalypse-bringer.
<-x-X-x->
Chapter 9: Nameless
THREE shadows raced through Lenea's sky—Sludge Witch Atou,
Slurping Witch Erakino, and Veiled Saint Fenne. Worried about Saint Soalina, they rushed across the rooftops with tremendous
momentum at the speed their latent physical strength and the Game Master's buffs allowed for. The people who noticed them below didn't even have the chance to point them out before they were gone with the wind.
"I'll make this as simple as possible!" Atou shouted loud enough the other two could hear her over the rush of wind. "King Takuto's Hero name is the Nameless Evil God! His ability is…" She kicked off the roof and launched herself into a jump, easily crossing the wide street. Then she took a deep breath and finished in a sonorous voice, "…because he has no name, he can be no one and everyone at the same time!"
Eternal Nations didn't have much flavor text on the Nameless Evil God. The default Commander usually only has the bare minimum of background information to better immerse the player in the world. There are more detailed Commanders you can select instead
of the empire's default, such as Isla, but of all the default
Commanders available, the Nameless Evil God is the most shrouded in mystery.
The one thing Atou could say for sure…was that as long as he was Mynoghra's god, he was capable of bringing unimaginable destruction to the world.
"His main ability is Perfect Imitation! In the game, he couldn't recreate whole characters, only boost his Strength to match theirs, but judging from recent events, it's safe to say there are no limitations to his ability in this world! I hesitated to bring it up because it shouldn't be possible, but now I'm certain that's what's happening!"
Atou came to that conclusion due to several factors. First of all, she remembered the short scene in all of Eternal Nations' vast storylines that depicted the Nameless Evil God's ability to shapeshift into his target. The second reason came from the fact that Takuto was manipulating and tampering with information to a level that could only be done by one of them in person.
And then there was the clincher: activating Events.
Takuto had started an Event that was a mechanic belonging to the RPG forces from Brave Questers. Atou had no way of knowing if the "Pursue the Culprit Behind the Serial Paladin Murder Cases!" Event was actually a part of the Brave Questers series or not. What she did know was that there was no one left to activate Events since they had annihilated the Demon Lord and wiped out his army, putting a definite end to the RPG forces. The only logical conclusion, then, was that Takuto had morphed into someone from the Demon Lord's Army to pull it off.
He had activated one of the Forced Events that had tormented Mynoghra and caused Isla's death. What should have been left in the past came back to life like the dead to drag Lenea down into the pits of hell.
"What the hell?!" Erakino shouted in disbelief. "Why didn't Master see through him, then?! It's impossible for his Authority to fail!!"
"I told you already! It's Perfect Imitation! He's one hundred percent that person as far as the system is concerned!!" Atou explained.
No matter how much you doubted a person, Takuto's imitation was the real thing down to its very last fiber and memory, so there was no seeing through the guise. The imitation was so perfect, it wasn't an imitation anymore. The Evil God incapable of being known, could now imitate any kind of information to become anyone. The known became unknown and vice versa. His ability was like a curse that overwrote reality itself to make it true, eliminating even an inkling of suspicion.
Such was the being known as the Nameless Evil God.
"He becomes the person! That's how he perfectly created decrees without anyone suspecting a thing! That's how he got close to the Paladins without them noticing! That's how…" Atou sucked in a big breath and bellowed, "he mingled with us and observed our every move!"
That revelation silenced Fenne and Erakino. Even the Game Master, who hid in a gap between dimensions existing outside of this world, observing the situation closely, was stunned by Takuto's ridiculous ability.
The Nameless Evil God could perfectly imitate everything. Even the word "imitate" doesn't quite describe his ability. It was more like the moment he defined himself as "something," he became it. The ultimate subterfuge ability when put into action against allies and enemies alike.
Just like Erakino's Slurp forcefully changed Atou's allegiance, what defined the entity known as Takuto Ira was completely rewritten down to the last detail. Since he became that person in every way, it was impossible to suspect anything. Even more so if everyone was forced to acknowledge the pretense that the Nameless Evil God didn't exist in the first place…for he was UNKOWN.
But…that means King Takuto himself is… Atou gnashed her teeth and put even more strength into her gait. Sorrow warped her beautiful face and tears misted her crimson eyes.
◇◇◇
SOALINA stood in eerie silence on the other end of the open double doors. The old cathedral's chapel stood in disrepair, the interior ransacked by thieves who'd yanked anything of value off the walls and floors, leaving broken chairs and tattered tapestries to heighten the melancholy permeating this long-forgotten place. Part of the ceiling had collapsed, and the sunlight streaming through the large hole created an ethereal sight.
Soalina basked under that light in front of the lectern used during sermons.
Saint Soalina of Blooming Burials was the only person in the chapel. Correction: she was the only living person. At her feet was Paladin Commander Fjord, lying dead in a pool of his blood, a gaping hole through his chest, his final expression one of rage and despair… Someone gasped.
Soalina had been staring vacantly at Fjord's bloody corpse, but she sluggishly lifted her gaze to meet Atou and the rest.
"Ah…Erakino…" Soalina rasped.
"Soalina!" Erakino called her best friend's name. It didn't take a genius to guess something terrible had happened, and Fjord's lifeless body told them they had come under attack. "Are you okay?! Did you get hurt?!" Erakino asked at rapid-fire speed.
"Yes, I'm in one piece. However, Commander Fjord is…"
Relieved beyond belief to see her safe, Erakino dashed toward her friend, neglecting to realize her two allies were just as tense and on edge as when they'd set off to look for Soalina.
"C-Come ba—" Fenne tried to stop her.
Atou's eyes widened with surprise at Erakino's sudden move.
Everyone had been tricked…tricked for a whole moment.
Knowing something and actually being able to act on it are two different things. For all their wariness, when they saw her in person, they couldn't tell whether Soalina was a wolf in sheep's clothing or their ally.
Everything from this strangely arranged clandestine meeting to Fjord's corpse painted a vivid picture that this was not their Soalina, but…a misplaced, impossible doubt crept into their head, whispering, "What if we're wrong?" stopping them dead in their tracks.
A moment's hesitation is all it takes to decide the victor sometimes.
Despite knowing that a single mistake makes all the difference between life and death in a battle of the overpowered, no one stopped Erakino from running to Soalina. "How careless of you, Erakino." The outcome was inevitable.
"GAAGH!!"
Erakino spat up blood as something struck her with a loud whump. As she felt a burning heat and searing pain rise up from her midriff, Erakino finally realized that Soalina had attacked her.
.
-------------->
.
"Wh-Why…?" Erakino choked out.
The woman in front of her cackled. Erakino's friend, the most irreplaceable person in her life, the one she'd give everything to save…cackled. Her best friend, Soalina, cackled.
No, it's not her. Erakino used all her willpower to peel back the perception forced on her by an outside source, and she glowered at the enemy standing before her.
"What a noob. You really got me worried for nothing, didn't you…?"
The words Erakino had once used to mock a certain someone had just been thrown right back at her with her best friend's face and contempt-filled voice.
Soalina raised her blood-soaked right hand and swung it down to crack open Erakino's skull, as if she hadn't done enough damage to be satisfied yet…
"Not happening!!" Atou roared.
"O Lord, our maker! Grant my eyes the Miracle to exorcise evil!" Fenne chanted.
Erakino's true allies saved her from certain death.
Soalina's fist was sent flying upward just as it was coming down, and in that moment, a tentacle wrapped around Erakino and yanked her back to safety at lightning speed.
[GM: Message
Exercising Game Master Authority.
Fully recover Witch Erakino's HP.
]
The Game Master activated his Arbiter ability to heal Erakino's injuries.
Based on the outcome alone, everything had been reset back to how it was before Erakino charged into the chapel. Erakino, however, was still in shock as she crouched on the ground, her face paler than a sheet.
"Ghh! Koff! Koff! Haa! Koff…" She coughed and caught her breath.
"Are you all right, Erakino?!" Fenne asked after her.
"I-I'm good," she said, her voice weak. "Saved in the nick of time…"
In the one second they'd let their guard down, their opponent went for their necks. They knew what they were getting into, and they still allowed the enemy to make the first move.
Fenne had repelled Soalina's lethal attack, Atou retrieved Erakino, and the Game Master healed her. If any of these members had been absent, Erakino would've been lost for good.
The three women were speechless before Takuto Ira's abnormal presence and surprise attack.
"Oh dear, it seems I failed. Hehehe."
Laughter echoed through the dilapidated chapel. A cruel tone that didn't suit Soalina mocked them. That disgusting tone that both belonged to her and didn't, spilled from her delicate lips like venom. Chills scraped Erakino's spine and gripped her heart when Soalina's gaze flicked to her.
It shouldn't have been her, but something forced Erakino to recognize the monster before her as Soalina.
Aaah, why in the world do I keep thinking that thing is Soalina?
Aaah, why does looking at it make me think of that kindhearted girl's smile?
Why, why do I think this way when that thing's face has been blotted out by dark shadows, like it's a rift in reality itself?!
"That was reckless, even for you, Erakino!" Fenne berated. "You knew it might not be her from the start!"
"I did, but…but…!"
"I'm afraid Erakino is not the one to blame," Atou interjected. "What you just witnessed—are currently witnessing—is the Nameless Evil God's ability at work. What you know with your head is deceived by false recognition. It's neither brainwashing nor mental manipulation. Since he fully becomes the person, there's no other way to perceive him. That's his power. I had wished with all my heart that I was wrong, however…"
Atou tried to explain that even she and Fenne would have hesitated to attack.
The Nameless God's ability was far worse than anything imaginable.
The person smiling at them wasn't Soalina—it was one hundred percent Takuto Ira. But as long as he continued to imitate Soalina, they would be forced to recognize him as her.
Using a strong will to suppress any doubts or simply bracing themselves to kill Soalina was not a solution. Doubt would flood their mind the second they were slightly rattled. Moreover, Soalina was their friend and ally through and through. And unfortunately, these women weren't capable of attacking a friend.
As foolish as it was with all these Saints and Witches on the same side, not even one had done away with their hearts.
"We can't…approach without a plan," Fenne said wisely. "Atou, can you think of a countermeasure?"
Fenne sought Atou's opinion. She believed, as the closest person to Takuto Ira in the world, Atou was their best bet at coming up with a counter. Although…it was anyone's guess why Takuto simply watched them without doing anything, even when he had the advantage. Everyone felt chills scraping down their spines as he intently stayed in the same spot, as if he was content just to observe them.
"Please summon Soalina here," Atou proposed. "I'm fairly positive…the Event ended now that we've found the culprit. The GM's ability should work now." She glanced at the other Soalina to see how she would react.
Soalina—or the Nameless God wearing her skin—slowly rolled her hand out before her as if to say, "Be my guest."
[GM: Message
Exercising Game Master Authority.
Summon Saint Soalina here.
All Saint Soalina of Blooming Burials have appeared.
]
Sure enough, the real Soalina appeared.
The Event had ended, and the invisible force preventing them from solving who the culprit was had been lifted, just as Atou predicted.
Now that the real Soalina was with them, it was clear that the Soalina on the pulpit was Takuto's imitation. The horror didn't end there, though…
Erakino and the rest felt their guts churn as, even now, they felt the same friendship toward the snickering Soalina with a blurred-out, shadow face.
The enemy was right in front of them.
The battle had already begun.
"Huh? What? Why am I…here?" Soalina asked, looking around the room in confusion.
Before they could fight, they needed to confirm several things with Soalina first. The real Soalina, that is.
"Soalina, where have you been all this time?" Fenne asked, not even explaining the situation.
"Where? I told you that I was going to negotiate with the Phon'kaven representative who has marched his army into our borderlands," Soalina said, her confusion mounting.
She was supposed to be in the rocking carriage headed to Lenea's border to resolve the territorial dispute and take care of the unusual monster problem. She thought she should rest while she could, so she was in the middle of relaxing for the first time in a long time inside the carriage… And then, before she knew it, she was facing the friends she had only just said her goodbyes to a few days prior. If that wasn't odd enough, they were inside a rundown chapel she didn't recognize.
Am I dreaming? she wondered, she was more baffled than panicked.
"Why in Arlos's holy name would you do that? You should have told someone first!" Fenne yelled at her.
"Um, I'm not sure what you mean." Soalina blinked at her fellow Saint. "I spoke with you directly about it, Saint Fenne. Don't you remember?"
Soalina had no idea why she was being yelled at. She went through the proper procedures and received the consent of her allies.
She hadn't done anything wrong. After all—
"Yes, I remember that conversation very well. You were especially proper about it," the Soalina on the pulpit snickered.
—Fenne had encouraged Soalina to go.
Atou and Fenne scowled when they realized what had happened. None other than Takuto-imitating-Fenne had given Soalina a false decree and sent her far from Lenea's capital. Then he morphed into Soalina and comfortably played the part of their friend.
"What? Is that me? Wh-What in the world is going on here?!" Soalina cried, her voice shaky and eyes bulging as she noticed her other self.
They had neither the time nor the composure to explain everything with the enemy standing right there, watching them with amusement. Fortunately, they had an outrageous ability that made the impossible possible.
"Game Master, please use the Arbiter ability to explain the situation to Soalina," Atou instructed.
[GM: Message
Exercising Game Master Authority.
Saint Soalina becomes aware of what's going on.
]
Everything that had transpired without her knowledge was etched into Soalina's brain, making her aware of the King of Ruin's horrifying schemes.
"I-Impossible…! How could this happen?!" Soalina cried, her gaze darting around the chapel as she processed the shocking information dump.
No one reproached her for being confused in their enemy's presence. After all, Erakino and the girls had had the same reaction…
"Looks like all the main actors are here now…" Soalina—no, Takuto—whispered with glee. Everything from his delicate tone of voice to his word choice sounded identical to Soalina, thoroughly disturbing Erakino's group.
The most disturbing thing of all, however, was that even now, he merely maintained his position on the pulpit and took no other action.
Soalina directed her gaze down to Commander Fjord, who lay face-up on the ground. More blood than any Human could lose and
still live pooled around him on the dusty floor. His graying complexion and motionless body proved he was beyond saving.
A Paladin had told Atou's group that Commander Fjord had summoned Soalina to speak in secret. Meaning he was the first to catch on to Takuto's schemes and attempted to resolve the problem alone. The result was…his brutal murder.
You can only be so reckless and expect to survive… Soalina thought, but she had neither the time nor the composure to consider the emotions that propelled Fjord into his foolish actions.
This was a crucial watershed moment. Reckless actions would lead to death and destruction.
"You were observing us this whole time, weren't you, King Takuto?" Atou asked, carefully choosing her words as she tried to discern the intentions of the shadowy creature in front of her. "Or would it be better to address you as the Nameless Evil God Takuto
Ira?"
"You may address me however you please. I'm sure things are complicated for you on their side, Atou," Takuto snickered in Soalina's form, giving off a terrifying and uncanny feeling suited to the King of Ruin…and so unlike the Takuto Atou knew.
Did this eerie, gut-wrenching feeling come from the fact Atou was his enemy now? Or from something entirely different? Unsure of the reason, Atou probed for a way to defeat the enemy, waiting with the utmost caution for that one opening where they could attack him together. Rescuing Erakino was a matter of luck and nothing more. They still didn't know what cards their opponent had hidden under his sleeve…
"I appreciate the advantage it gives us, but I'm surprised you haven't tried anything even after you have all the main actors here and accounted for. Why is that, King Takuto?"
"Surprising, isn't it? You caught me a bit by surprise as well. Had you not been so quick to act, Atou, Erakino's head would have been severed from her body and left in a gory mess on the floor about now. I see your diligence comes naturally, no matter who you serve."
A slight smile tugged at the corner of Atou's lips, but she quickly discarded her pleasure at being praised by her former master.
"I am your enemy," she declared, making their relationship clear. "I still adore and respect you, but I know my place. Allow me to say this as your former confidant: please forgive me for betraying you. I must completely destroy you—the King of Ruin—here and now. For my sake, and that of my friends."
She had just declared an end to their relationship. Declared their status as enemies. Only she knew how much emotion went into those words. The occasional sorrowful expression to cross her visage had vanished, leaving behind a warrior's mask.
"…Absolutely wonderful. Now that is the Sludge Atou I know and love. The one and only Hero I trust with all my heart," the creature wearing Soalina's form responded with delight to what was essentially Atou's break-up speech.
Sorrow and anger welled up within Atou at his words. Would the Takuto she knew say such a thing? Would he be capable of calmly chatting with her after she told him she was going to betray and kill him?
Who—what—in the world was the entity standing in front of her?
Contrary to the confusion haunting Atou to the core, Takuto happily clapped his hands, his emotions showing nothing but sheer delight on this cold day.
< -x-X-x->
AS far as horrible situations go, this was the worst possible scenario.