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Chapter 5: Colloquy
UTILIZING a body double opened up the ability for Takuto to go more places. This new tactic was none other than a gift from heaven to Takuto, who strove to err on the side of caution when there were enemies with unknown abilities lying in wait. He was going to make full use of this tactic and then some.
And so, Takuto was currently visiting the Phon’kaven capital of Crescent Moon. He put his new mobility to use by going straight to see Pepe in hopes of resolving the stagnant relations between their two nations.
“Hi there, Pepe. Long time no see. Sorry for suddenly dropping in. I wanted to talk to you in person,” Takuto said.
“Don’t worry about it, buddy! I’m always disappearing at random, so I’m good to talk until the sun sets!”
“I-I see. I know I shouldn’t comment on another country’s affairs, but try not to make your people worry too much,” Takuto advised.
Е̂n u m̄ а̄ . ǐd̆
“No worries! It’s all good!”
Just like Takuto, Pepe was the Commander of Phon’kaven. He wasn’t as big of a target as Takuto, but his position still put him in danger. Whether he was self-aware or not, Takuto seriously worried about the boy being cool with casually conferring with the leader of another nation who showed up unannounced, even if they were allies. Setting aside that worry, Takuto decided to thank Pepe for all the things he had done for Mynoghra since the last time they had talked.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“Anyways, I wanted to thank you as the king of Mynoghra for your aid during our conflict with the Divine Nation of Lenea. Your support was just what we needed. Thank you.”
“Well, we owe you guys a lot for all you do for us. What you asked for was a small price to pay in return. The northerners are mean to us, so we were happy to prevent them from coming here too!”
“Not even you can befriend them, Pepe?”
Takuto was offering his official thanks and acknowledgment of their actions as the King of Mynoghra. It was only thanks to Phon’kaven holding military exercises in the borderlands that they were able to restrain a division of Lenea’s Paladins during Mynoghra’s conflict with the Divine Nation.
Еńu m̈ а̄ . і̃ d
For Takuto, the battle with the TRPG forces was a close one that required speed and stealth, so Pepe’s flashy maneuver was a helpful distraction. The original plan was for Phon’kaven to dispatch their army and take effective control of the borderlands, but they ended up ceding the land to Mynoghra.
Is it really okay for us to keep receiving and not giving much in return since Dragontan? Did we worsen our alliance with this arrangement? Takuto worried about all these things and then some, but once he pulled back the curtain, he found the reason lay elsewhere.
“By the way, how’s the gun training and land cultivation going?” Takuto inquired.
“Right! That’s it! That’s what I’ve been wanting to thank you for!” Pepe exclaimed. “Those…Spirits of Ruin, or whatever they’re called, that you lent us have been doing such a good job making Phon’kaven’s lands more fertile by the day! Now we no longer have to spend a small fortune buying food from traveling merchants! Their looks leave a lot to be desired, but they’re amazing regardless! So I’d love to talk business with you regarding that and similar matters, Takuto!”
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The ability to cultivate barren land—that was why Phon’kaven ceded their newly acquired fertile borderlands to Mynoghra. What was the trick to cultivation? Putting the Earth Mana and Earth Military Magic to full-scale use.
Earth Military Magic was a highly effective magic that strengthened a nation domestically by enhancing and improving its lands. The Dark Continent was rife with barren terrain where crops struggled to grow, but by using this magic, it was possible to transform the barren land into fertile land where crops could grow.
Е_n u m̂а̇
Phon’kaven currently had its hands so full cultivating the land around its capital and cities; having to deal with a newly acquired territory far detached from the rest of its territories was nothing more than an unwanted burden. And so Phon’kaven came to the consensus that it would be more profitable to sell the territory they had obtained amid the chaos of war to the neighboring Mynoghra.
They made off with a lot of additional guns and ammunition in the deal, but I suppose that’s cheap when bartering for land. There are only major disadvantages if we fall out with Phon’kaven now. It’s far more beneficial to keep them friendly and powerful, since they aren’t tied to any Players.
“I’m happy taking things in this direction. So why don’t we get this all put into an actual contract during the official negotiations later? Do you mind doing the legwork on your side to make that happen, Pepe?”
“Happily! It looks like things are still tight between our countries!”
Both Commanders nodded with satisfaction. Takuto was pleased that his relationship with Phon’kaven remained strong and that his various concerns had been resolved. Pepe was happy that Phon’kaven was continuing its lucky streak and that there were still many opportunities on the horizon to further increase its national power.
“Glad to hear it,” Takuto said. “Things are getting tense across the continent, after all. It’s best to get along with who we can, while we can.”
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Both nations adhered to this policy and had no ulterior motives at the time.
“You’re talking about the big lady from the other day, right? She had huge boobies!”
Their conversation moved on to a new topic. Takuto wanted to gather more information on this front, so it was a blessing that Pepe brought it up first. He wanted to find out how Phon’kaven and the other Dark Continent nations had taken the recent proposal.
“I agree. Everything about her was…huge. What are your thoughts on her proposal, Pepe?” Takuto prompted.
“I would love to be friends, but who knows? I plan to send an envoy at least!”
“An envoy, huh?”
Е ňum ă. іd̊
“I want to be cautious of interactions with the northerners. I don’t have a personal issue with the north, but there are a lot of people on this continent who despise them. I’m sure the other nations feel the same.”
It was a surprisingly passive and unmotivated response. Or maybe it was the right call considering Phon’kaven’s situation. As a neutral nation located far from El-Nah, there wasn’t much benefit for Phon’kaven to proactively march into their lands for a conference. And from what Pepe said, the other neutral nations had taken a similar stance.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“But I will say while most aren’t all too interested in this All-Faction Conference thingamajig, I believe there are many people who want to speak with Mynoghra’s Takuto Ira.”
Oh? Takuto masked his surprise about this subtle proposal. It was easy to get the wrong idea with how amiably he was able to converse with Pepe, but Mynoghra was an evil empire through and through. They merely kept relations with Phon’kaven because it benefited them.
Why would the other neutral nations want to cozy up to Mynoghra? Avoiding the embodiment of evil tends to be one of the basest instincts of living creatures. Phon’kaven was the exception to the rule because they had a common enemy in the Demon Lord’s Army that resulted in their alliance.
Hm? Have even the neutral nations with territory in the remote hinterlands begun to panic? I should see what else I can learn.
Ēnüm̂а̂
“They want to speak with me, eh? That reminds me, you’ve had a fair amount of contact with the other countries on this continent, right? This is an excellent opportunity to hear your opinions on them, Pepe. Care to tell me?”
Takuto had gathered some intelligence on the Dark Continent nations. However, many of their capitals were located even farther from Mynoghra than Phon’kaven’s, and they were insular countries to start with, so his investigations hadn’t netted much yet.
He planned to leave them alone unless they opened a line of communication like Phon’kaven had, but as Mynoghra continued to grow, so too would the opportunities for first contact. If nothing else, the Succubus Army’s preposterous All-Faction Conference increased the odds of it.
Takuto organized the information he had about the other countries and tried to reconcile it with Pepe’s explanation.
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“Good question. Let’s start with the Maritime Nation of Sutharland,” Pepe began. “It’s a Dwarven country that’s grown in strength mainly through fishing in the coastal waters and maritime trade.”
“I’ve heard of them, but a Dwarven maritime nation really doesn’t fit my image of dwarves. I’ve always had the impression that dwarves were all about mining and technology,” Takuto commented.
Е̃ n ú ṁ а̂ . і́d
“I have no idea what kind of image you have established, Takuto, but it seems Sutharland was originally an inland country. But as you’ve seen, this continent is as barren as they come, so it seems their search for abundance eventually led them to the seas.”
Heh. Takuto kept his awe to himself. It was his first time hearing of a dwarven maritime nation, so it upended his image of them, but that made Sutharland even more intriguing. Seeing as he’d never heard of any of their people coming to Dragontan as merchants or anything else, they seemed to be a relatively insular and obstinate people. At least that part fit his preestablished image of dwarves.
“But your impression of them being into technology might not be that far off the mark. Every single one of their ships is huge and the coolest! Rumor has it they’ve even established trade with other continents.”
“Ooh. Now that’s interesting.”
Takuto had exaggerated his surprise, but he was genuinely concerned. If they were technologically advanced enough to have established trade with other continents, then it was possible they were a much larger nation than he’d thought. They were definitely bigger than Phon’kaven. But it was also a fact that they weren’t big enough to be a threat. If they were that large of an empire, they wouldn’t have been driven to the coastal areas, and it wouldn’t be strange if they were at war with Qualia or El-Nah in search of richer lands…
Takuto was starting to have a clearer picture of the Dark Continent and the neutral nations that called it home.
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“Also, there are a couple of smaller nations that are city-states where the one city itself counts as a whole country. One’s multiracial like us, and the other is a country made up of people who committed crimes or lost in political struggles in the Northern Continent. Both are much punier than us!” Pepe declared.
It sounded like there were about five countries in total on the Dark Continent: Sutharland, Phon’kaven, the two city-states, and Mynoghra. As they were constantly persecuted by the Lawful Continent to the north, they lacked national power and population numbers in comparison.
Sutharland’s technology and maritime trade were attractive, but Takuto couldn’t care less about the city-states. If this were an Eternal Nations’ session, they probably would be destroyed before he knew it or end up destroyed as a test run for new units.
Still, they could be useful. It’s too early to tell.
“I see. Thanks for telling me. Also, don’t go calling them puny in front of anyone else, okay?” Takuto advised.
“Everybody, including the puny countries, are immensely curious about Mynoghra,” Pepe said, buckling down on his use of puny. “It’s been especially encouraging for them to see how friendly of a relationship you have with us. Why don’t we all get together for a meal sometime? I want to eat your food again, buddy!”
Е̇n ům̆_а̊
“Well, I’ll happily invite you over for a meal anytime, but seeing as you’re suggesting it, I take it you’ve already laid the groundwork for this to happen?”
Pepe was really pushing the point. Takuto had a feeling Pepe was making a request here. As it was, Pepe dropped everything to meet with Takuto when he showed up. His excuse that he always wandered off wasn’t a lie per se, but there was definitely a solid reason for Phon’kaven’s de facto Commander to make this much time outside of official hours for Takuto. And now that reason was made clear—Pepe’s greatest concern was what the future held for Mynoghra and the neutral nations.
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“More like all the countries I just mentioned have been hopping on my back, clamoring for me to set up an opportunity for them to meet with Mynoghra as soon as possible. They’re actually actively waiting for your reply, buddy! If you hadn’t dropped by today, I was planning to go see you myself.”
“Hmm…”
“Everybody’s desperate. It seems like the big-boobed lady left a huge impact on them, and not just with the sheer size of her boobs.”
“Ah, that’s why…”
Wе̃ b̃ ñо v ěl Еnum̄а̃
It all made sense now. There was a simple reason why he hadn’t realized it sooner: he’d become desensitized to this stuff with all the crazy things happening around Mynoghra because of the Players. To Takuto, the Succubus’s little act was just a flashy event, but the same couldn’t be said for the normal people who had been living peaceful, albeit poor, lives on this continent.
“There is no magic I know of that would allow you to project yourself directly onto the entire continent,” Pepe said. “Same for the others. And even if it did exist, it can’t be easy to use. That’s why I think everybody’s in a right panic.”
In other words, from the neutral nations’ point of view, they were being summoned by an unknown force with mysterious and powerful abilities. They didn’t know what was lying in wait for them, so they wanted to use Phon’kaven to make a connection with Mynoghra, who possessed equally mysterious and powerful abilities.
I guess this is a case of whether it’s better the devil you know than the devil you don’t.
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From his experience leading a nation in real life—and not just in a game from his past life—Takuto sympathized with the leaders of the neutral nations who were likely so stressed out by this situation it was burning holes in their stomachs. But he had neither the need nor the obligation to concern himself with their wellbeing.
After all, Takuto was Mynoghra’s Commander and a game player who only pursued what was in his and his empire’s best interests.
Ѐnu mа̌. іd
“What do you think, Takuto? Isn’t this the deal of a lifetime?! Don’t let this opportunity slip you by!”
“Pepe, you come up with the worst ideas…”
“But don’t you love this kind of stuff, Takuto?”
In his own way, Pepe was also thinking up ways to take advantage of the situation. Takuto was terribly fond of his innocent approach to things. Childlike nature is just another form of mercilessness.
For the next few hours, Pepe and Takuto talked enthusiastically about the future of this continent. No one knew the exact details, but the exhilarated laughter they shared throughout the exchange told the whole story.
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