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Chapter 2: Policy Decision
DEEP within the Accursed Lands, in Mynoghra’s Palace, the damage sustained in the previous battle was examined and future policies were being formulated. Sludge Atou took the lead for this empire-management council meeting. A somber air permeated the room in Takuto’s absence.
“To begin,” Atou said, “I believe you are all fully aware of the current situation in Mynoghra.”
Everyone nodded their unspoken understanding.
The last conflict Mynoghra found itself embroiled in involved the Divine Nation of Lenea, which had seceded from the Holy Kingdom of Qualia. Chaos and a series of shocking events punctuated every aspect of Mynoghra’s conflict with the forces that hailed from a tabletop RPG. It all began with a surprise attack and the instant loss of Atou. This was followed up by Takuto’s solo counterattack and retrieval of Atou.
Takuto had brought literal ruin and devastation upon his enemies, fitting his title as the King of Ruin, and no one could predict his actions up to that final battle. That battle made Takuto Ira’s existence known to the world.
Ẁ ĕ ḃ ň о v́ е̂ l Е̌ n ũ m̌_а̂
However, one look at the results…made anyone wonder if it could truly be considered a victory. On paper, everything looked good, with the successful return of Atou to Mynoghra and wiping the Divine Nation of Lenea right off the maps. But the cost was far too great for Mynoghra.
“Let me be straight with you,” Atou continued, her voice grave, “King Takuto is currently suffering from memory loss and is in no position to lead the empire.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Their victory in the last battle cost them their king.
Takuto Ira’s condition was like a neon sign illuminating the precarious situation Mynoghra was in. A kingdom is its king, just as a king is his kingdom. With Takuto taken out of the picture, Mynoghra had plummeted into more dire straits than ever before.
“Has there been any change in the king’s condition…?”
“Unfortunately not.”
W̄ е̄ b̌ n̆о̌ vе l̃_ Еňŭm a
Warrior Captain Gia was grasping at straws when he asked Atou this with a forlorn expression, and his shoulders sagged when he heard her disheartening reply.
The easiest way to explain Takuto’s current condition would be to classify it as a form of amnesia. He retained his ability to communicate and general knowledge, but he’d completely forgotten who he was, as if he lost his sense of self—his identity. He spent his days absently staring out the window from a chair in his private chambers. For some inexplicable reason, he occasionally regained his memories and would converse with Atou if the timing was right, but these moments of lucidity were too brief to govern Mynoghra.
The cause of his amnesia was unknown, and the cure was equally a mystery. The only thing they knew for certain was that they had to act fast to find a stopgap measure to keep the empire running.
“I’m responsible for the king’s malady, but I’m sure you all understand we haven’t the time to debate such things.” Although Atou felt like her sense of worthlessness and powerlessness over the matter would eat her alive, she pushed through it to keep the meeting on track.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
This isn’t over yet, she thought. King Takuto saved me when I fell into enemy hands. It’s my turn to save him. There’s plenty for me to do in his absence.
“It’s our duty to manage Mynoghra in the king’s absence. We must do everything in our power to help him recover as swiftly as possible,” Elder Moltar said.
Е̃ nü mа . ǐ d
“Exactly,” Atou nodded. “I’ve been granted the authority to run the empire as his proxy for now. It’s not a job I excel at, but I’m confident we won’t have any issues in that regard as long as you all continue to cooperate and support me.”
Although Atou had fallen apart in despair over Takuto’s plight for a time, she was now relatively calm and composed. As a unit possessing the necessary functions to serve as a Hero and a Commander, Atou was qualified to manage Mynoghra. With the Dark Elves’ full support, she didn’t have much to worry about on the Domestic Affairs side either.
“Our domestic situation poses no real threat,” Elder Moltar agreed. “Things are different once you look outside our borders, however.”
“Indeed. We need to come up with an urgent response to external affairs,” Atou said. “But any decision we make is a risk without adequate information.”
The real threat to Mynoghra came from the outside.
Elder Moltar’s sharp discernment continued to be a boon for the management council. As he said, the actions of outside forces were of the greatest concern.
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Mynoghra had removed the Divine Nation of Lenea from the playing field during their last battle. They had also completely eliminated Slurping Witch Erakino and Player Keiji Kuhara, who were behind that empire. Unfortunately, everything after that point was shrouded in mystery. Even if the TRPG forces still had stragglers left out there, it was unlikely they would take action against Mynoghra right away. The real issue was the danger of not knowing what move the forces of good would take next.
On the bright side, Mynoghra had a huge advantage in this world that they didn’t in Eternal Nations—the Dark Elves.
“Intelligence gathering is one burden you can set your mind at ease on,” Elder Moltar assured. “While the king rests, his humble servants work. I’ve already dispatched capable agents to get the job done.”
Long before the Dark Elves joined Mynoghra, they worked as assassins and spies. They could fully unleash the talents Takuto approved of even when he was out of commission.
“Excellent,” Atou said approvingly. “So? I take it you’ve uncovered something?”
Emle had been waiting for that prompt to launch into a full explanation of the reports she’d memorized. The information was unfavorable for Mynoghra. In summary, they confirmed that the two Saints had survived and that their whereabouts were unknown. In the end, the two women survived just as Witch Erakino had hoped. Having witnessed their bizarre friendship up close and personal, Atou highly doubted those Saints would stay out of Mynoghra’s way in the future.
Wĕbn̆ о v е l Е n̆ûḿ а
A new concern had been put into play, further adding to Atou’s stress.
“It’s concerning that they’re missing in action,” Elder Moltar groaned. “We best view it as them laying low until they can build up their strength to strike back at us. We should have dealt the death blow to them in His Majesty’s stead…”
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“I agree…” Atou shook her head. “No, I can’t imagine King Takuto overlooking something like that, so he must have had plans for those two Saints as well. The fact that he didn’t enact those plans shows how close to his limit he was at the end there…”
“And with His Majesty’s welfare as our top priority, there was nothing more we could do about them,” Elder Moltar nodded with understanding.
Atou thought back to that day. Takuto was about to finish off Saint Soalina at the very end there. But he stopped at the last second and suddenly chose to retreat. He showed constant signs of fighting off a headache throughout the battle, so it was likely that whatever ailment he was holding off had decided to blow up on him in that final moment.
And that wasn’t all there was to it, either.
Ё n ū m ǎ
Atou clearly heard Takuto click his tongue and mutter, “…Did I go too far?”
In other words, some sort of anomaly occurred that the rest of them couldn’t perceive, forcing him to change tactics. And their current predicament was the result. It was something even Takuto himself couldn’t predict; consequently, it ate away at his very person.
“Miss Atou, what is His Majesty’s current status? What I mean is, well, will he recover if he continues to rest…?” Emle asked, choked up by sadness.
“No. I can’t say with absolute certainty, but it’s dangerously optimistic to assume time will resolve the issue,” Atou said, confronting Emle with the cruel reality of the situation as a lump formed in her throat.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Atou hadn’t just been silently standing by watching this situation unfold. The first thing she did was call upon Maria, whose abilities dealt with addling the mind and causing forgetfulness, and had her examine Takuto in secret from the others. She received a curious diagnosis in response. In short: “Rather than forgetting his memories, it’s like His Majesty never existed here in first place…”
Something strange was going on. The more Atou investigated Takuto’s ailment, the more hopeless the situation seemed. Thus, she concluded that there was a painfully slim chance of Takuto recovering with time. That was all the more apparent from how Takuto had acted at the end there.
W ѐ b̌ń_о̀ v ēl Е n̊u m̃ а́
They needed something to help them out of this plight. And, for better or worse, Atou knew of exactly one solution.
“King Takuto’s condition is likely a direct result of using his abilities,” Atou said. “However, as it stands now, I have no idea what is making it worse or how to cure him.”
Darkness seemed to fall over the meeting room. The despair in the council members’ hearts made them feel like someone had blown out the flame of hope. But Atou’s next words reignited the extinguished candle.
“Thus, I will seek another Hero’s assistance in resolving King Takuto’s predicament.”
All eyes homed in on Atou. Surprise and hope glimmered within their gazes. As the only other person who knew about this decision in advance, Elder Moltar watched the proceedings calmly. But the clear anticipation on the other’s faces indicated their level of excitement. Which just went to show the massive influence Heroes held in Mynoghra.
“The Hero’s name is Gleeful Spin Doctor Vittorio,” Atou explained. “He has no ability to fight, but he excels at using his cunning to overcome any disadvantages. It’s hard to explain his abilities, but…let’s just say that his true value really shines during complex situations where brute force isn’t an option.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Marvelous!” Gia exclaimed. “He sounds perfect for our exact situation! Let us summon this great Hero at once and have him cure the king!”
“Hear, hear! I feared for our future when I heard His Majesty was unwell, but I can finally see the light!” Emle chimed in.
“Indeed. This sounds like the best method to break through our current predicament. From what I’ve heard, His Majesty holds this Hero’s resourcefulness in high esteem. I look forward to meeting him,” Elder Moltar said.
Delighted expressions showed on the faces of the Elfuur Sisters and the several civil officials present for the meeting to take notes. The heavy melancholy hanging over the meeting room was replaced by enthusiasm and optimism.
“We have ample Resources to summon a Hero,” Atou said with tepid calm. “There isn’t anything to prep in advance, so I’d like to do the summoning tomorrow. I know that cunning man will come up with a plan to bring King Takuto onto the road of recovery.”
Determination blazed in the eyes of the Dark Elves who hung on to her every word. They were determined to protect their king and make Mynoghra the sole hegemonic force in the world.
Wе̂ b ńö v̇ е̇ l Е n u̇ mа
The first step toward that was summoning a new Hero. It could be said that summoning this Hero was like firing off the first warning shot to all who dared oppose Mynoghra’s peace.
But someone had to go and pour cold water on their enthusiasm…
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“But…well…I have a favor to ask of you all,” Atou said, fidgeting and pulling a wry face.
The Dark Elves were confused by her attitude, which belied the excitement they expected to see from her. Whether she picked up on their confusion or not, Atou steeled herself and gave voice to a request that was hard to make sense of.
“For just a moment, I want you to imagine someone whose mind is the most twisted in the world, does and says things more annoying than anyone else in the world, and gets under your skin more than anyone else in the whole wide world.”
The Dark Elves were left perplexed once more. What was the point of imagining such a person? They didn’t have a good reason to deny her request, so they all imagined this person they obviously would rather not ever meet.
Е̌ n uḿ a
“That is Vittorio in a nutshell.”
And then Atou lobbed a bomb into the room.
“I’ll be straight with you: I will be livid at first. Just like how the sun will always set and water will always run downhill…Vittorio will put all his energy into picking a fight with me and I’ll respond in kind. That is who we are and the only way for us.”
Often, talented people have sensibilities that are far different from that of ordinary people. According to Atou, Vittorio was just that sort of person. Every time he opened his mouth, he would incite rage in others and leave them uncomfortable. It was impossible to tell what was going on in that twisted mind of his, but he always got results. Yet for all his achievements, his conduct and speech were the epitome of inappropriate and imprudent.
Baca cerita ini hanya di situs resmi Enuma.id!
A Hero who pisses people off just by existing—that was Vittorio.
“What I would like to request of you all,” Atou continued, “is for you to stop me when I snap and try to kill Vittorio. I am seriously not compatible with that conniving rat.”
È.nūm а.
Vittorio was ranked first among the Heroes you don’t want to have as subordinates and first as the Hero you wouldn’t want as your superior in Eternal Nations. And unfortunately for Atou, Vittorio was designed as a Hero who absolutely loved to tease and torment Sludge Atou.
Atou’s heart sank as she thought back to the Hero who made her blow a gasket and lose her head over and over and over again in every single side story added to the game to flesh it out.
“Honestly…just thinking about him…makes my gut churn…” Atou chewed out as she visibly trembled. Her physical reaction displayed just what she thought of Vittorio.
The young lady named Atou had a childish side to her that often belied her role as a Hero who served the evil King of Ruin. It wasn’t all that unusual for her to wear her emotions on her sleeve, but her visceral reaction toward Vittorio took things a step further. This just went to show how the being known as Sludge Atou hated Gleeful Spin Doctor Vittorio to her very core.
“If it was up to me, I’d rather die before we summon that swindler,” Atou hissed. “Unfortunately, to my great displeasure, his brains and ability are second to none. I can say with absolute confidence that no one other than King Takuto can best the schemester in a battle of wits… That is the kind of creature he is.”
The Dark Elves could only nod along with Atou’s impassioned speech.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“ARGH!” She shouted. “Just thinking about him makes my blood boil…”
She hated Vittorio so much that the thought of him made her sick with anger.
Everyone tried to keep their faces straight before Atou’s unhappy outburst. What really sunk in for them was how much she acknowledged Vittorio’s ability despite her utter distaste for the Hero.
All the Heroes were the paramount of supreme power, but just what was this newest addition to the Hero ranks like?
The summoning of a new Hero was waiting just around the corner as everyone fidgeted with excitement and anxiety.
A new period of change was about to arrive for Mynoghra.
Ẇ е̄bn̆o v е̃ l Ѐ ň um a
◇◇◇
THE night before the summoning was surprisingly calm compared to the stormy days leading up to it. It was a quiet, relaxed time with no one to interfere with the two of them.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Atou was standing next to Takuto, who was sitting in his chair absentmindedly staring out the window at the nightscape. Her gaze was gentle as she watched over the master she respected and adored from the bottom of her heart.
“Now that I think about it,” Atou said softly, “this might be the first occasion we have ever shared in such peaceful silence together…”
No one answered her.
Takuto seemed like his mind was elsewhere, and in truth, it likely was. But Atou pressed on talking regardless.
Е nú mа̄ .і̆ d
“King Takuto, deep down I know it isn’t right to admit this, but I almost find our current situation…nostalgic. Back in the day, we used to talk just the two of us until late into the night. Well, not that I could respond to you back then, but I did get to hear all your stories.”
Atou thought back to the distant past. Before Takuto and Atou came to this world, they met every night in Takuto’s hospital bed. Sure, it was just Takuto one-sidedly talking to her through his computer screen—an action most would view as less than sane. Even so, they had formed a real bond during those days. And that bond continued to bind them together to this day.
That was exactly why…
“That’s why it’s my turn to tell you all the stories, King Takuto. Until the day you get better, and we can return to our regular time together…”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
No answer. But Atou wholeheartedly believed her feelings were reaching him. Just like how his words had reached her. Her words would reach him too.
Thus, she spoke endlessly to Takuto until the stillness of night lulled him to sleep, all the while immersing in their nostalgic memories.
Ėn̈ům̀ȧ
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