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Chapter 11: Queen Mother
A few days had passed since Atou left for Dragontan with Elder Moltar and some of his support staff and soldiers. Takuto was immediately overwhelmed by despair after losing the partner he cherished most in this world.
“You reeeaaallly can’t do anything on your own, can you, King Takuto…?”
“Ugggggggggggggghhhh…”
In Mynoghra’s Throne Room, Isla, Queen of Bugs gave her king an exasperated look as he sat perfectly atop the throne like a figurine. For some reason, the great and mighty King of Ruin found himself being lectured by the Hero he’d summoned.
“I cannot believe you are incapable of waking up on your own at this late hour. How in the dark realm did anything ever get done? Hmm?” Isla sighed with a gichichi, her forearms folded at her chest.
Ё n̈.um а. і_d̃
Takuto’s life had taken a 180-degree turn since Isla took up the mantle of supporting him in Atou’s place. Unlike Atou, who was a lot like Takuto when it came to their self-indulgent and carefree ways, Isla was conscientious and fastidious. Up until now, Takuto had lived relatively freely under his authority as King, but Isla wouldn’t stand for that, unlike Atou, who devoted herself to spoiling their king.
“His Majesty always sleeps until noon.”
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“And if he still doesn’t wake up, Cary, Big Sista, and Lady Atou go get him!”
Maria and Caria poked their heads around the throne to answer Isla. They were guilty of treason, betraying their king like that, but no one here was willing to take Takuto’s side. So he did what he had to and beckoned the girls to sit on both sides of him, using them as adorable shields from Isla’s wrath.
Takuto had dropped to a new low without Atou.
“You are one big child…a manchild…”
Ŵѐ b́ n óv̌ el Е nü m̈å
“Ugh. But—”
“No ifs or buts about it, young man! You are the Commander of our mighty Mynoghra and the King of Ruin who will bring about the apocalypse! How could such an imposing figure sleep past noon and require young girls to rouse him? It’s just wrong on all accounts. You will be waking up at a decent hour from now on,” Isla instructed in a motherly way that didn’t leave room for him to refuse.
If Atou was the type to show her undying loyalty by spoiling him on all fronts, Isla was the type to strictly advise him against his personal desires in order to bring out his true potential as a king. It goes without saying which one was correct.
Still, Takuto lacked the courage to talk back to her, and he knew he was the one at fault. He had no intention of waving around his authority as King for something this trivial and intended for his benefit.
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“Blegh. I’ll try.”
In the end, Takuto was reduced to pathetically hanging his head.
Е̂n ù m_а.і d
“Good luck, Your Majesty…”
“Big Sista and I will help!”
Maria and Caria were still firmly in the “Spoil Takuto” group, unlike Isla, so they did their best to cheer up their despondent king. Spirits lifted a bit by their kindness, Takuto pulled them both in close for a hug to show his gratitude. They bashfully and respectfully returned his hug. He was relieved to have grown significantly closer to the twins after their rocky start.
Takuto told Isla he’d start his work for the day, feeling like he was in for a load of misery having to actually experience what it truly meant to serve as King.
“Very good. Then please proceed to the office at once. Oh, but perhaps we should clean up your room first— Hmm?”
Just as Takuto stood to go into his office, they heard the clatter of running footsteps coming closer until a familiar face came flying into the room.
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“Lady Isla! Is Lady Isla here?! Where are you?!”
“Oh my. Hello there, Miss Emle. Why do you look like you’re about to cry? You’re ruining your pretty face.”
As soon as the teary-eyed Emle spotted Isla in the Throne Room, she dashed over and flung herself into the other woman’s torso. Apparently, she didn’t notice Takuto behind Isla’s ginormous body. Fascinated by Emle’s unusual behavior, he gestured to the twins not to say anything and quietly listened to the exchange between the Queen of Bugs and the Dark Elf.
“Lady Islaaaaa! Captain Gia broke the military equipment AGAIN! I can’t even count how many times he’s done it now! He burns through new stuff too fast! My budget plaaaan! My budget plaaaan is going up in flames!!”
“It is all fine and dandy that he is enthusiastically running military drills, but this is a bit much. Don’t you worry, sweetie. Your Isla here will properly put the Warrior Captain in his place. Let’s see if we can’t fix the budget plans up together later.”
“Th-Thank you so much, Lady Isla! Ah, can I stay this way a little longer…?”
Е̌ ň um_а̊
“Oh dear. Someone’s being a big baby.”
Hugged by Isla’s forearms, Emle blissfully closed her eyes. From the looks of it, she was overstressed. Both Gia and Elder Moltar had become pretty relaxed after being freed from the troubles of their endless march. Thinking about all the rumors he’d heard about the fun they were having, Takuto wept for the difficulties Emle must be going through, having formerly served as Warrior Adjutant.
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“I wanna hug too…” Maria said enviously.
“Miss Emle hasn’t noticed His Majesty at all yet,” Caria pointed out.
“That’s because I’m always asleep at this time.”
Showing himself now would only humiliate Emle. Takuto didn’t mind seeing her like this, but the same probably didn’t go for her. With that in mind, he quietly snuck out of the Throne Room with the twins.
Ẇеb̃ n̊ ô v e l .Е̊ň ǔ m ӑ
“……”
Takuto became lost in thought as they walked the corridors to their next destination. Noticing their king had slowed down, the girls circled around in front of him and skillfully walked backward as they looked at his face.
“What’s wrong, Your Majesty?”
“I was just thinking that Isla’s like a mom.”
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Life in Mynoghra had changed since her arrival. Everyone living in Mynoghra had come to respect and adore Isla so much they even began calling her Queen Mother, despite her frightening looks. She scolded everyone who overindulged like Takuto and counseled all who needed advice like Emle.
As a queen, she excelled at grasping people’s hearts and managing large groups. At this point, every Dark Elf living in Mynoghra had been cared for by her in one way or another. She was likely going to head straight to Captain Gia to lecture him on the proper use of military equipment.
W еb̃.nо́.v́ е̌ l Е̂ n̄ŭ m̌.а̃
She’s just like everyone’s mom. She’s kind, reliable, has something to say about everything, and incredibly scary if you anger her… Takuto thought.
“She is.”
“She definitely is.”
Both girls nodded wholeheartedly, having experienced her various mothering qualities firsthand.
◇◇◇
AFTER the conversation that clearly established the hierarchy in Mynoghra ended with Gia getting lectured, Isla and Emle were drafting the next national management plan of action. Elder Moltar normally undertook that duty, but he was currently away handling Dragontan’s Barbarian problem.
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They estimated he’d be away until Phon’kaven had a stable defense, but they couldn’t determine how long that would take with the Barbarian source still unknown. Emle took over his role for the time being since he might be gone for a long time.
By all accounts, Emle should’ve been buried under an impossible amount of work, but Isla wasn’t just called a queen for show—she was unimaginably talented at tackling Domestic Affairs, reducing the load bearing down on Emle. Still, it was a heavy responsibility for Emle to participate in the important task of managing a part of the empire. She was bound to snap under the pressure and eventually make mistakes that she wouldn’t normally.
“I can’t believe His Majesty was there… I’m a failure…” she moaned.
“His Majesty didn’t mind,” Isla comforted the girl. “Besides, you thought he was still asleep in his bedroom. So the real culprit here is His Majesty for sleeping the day away on a normal basis.”
“N-No…I mean…”
Emle made the right choice going to Isla in tears after a certain incident pushed her to the brink when it wouldn’t be resolved no matter how hard she tried. It was also a fact that Isla reminded her of her mother despite her looks, which was why she’d come to depend on her more than she should. The real problem was that she’d broken down in the Throne Room before the King himself, without even knowing he was there.
W е̂ bṅ ō_v е̃_l̀ Еn̄u̇ ṁ а̀
When she’d realized what she had done, all the blood drained from her face. But regretting it wouldn’t undo it. Moreover, the fact Isla and the King thought nothing of it only expedited poor Emle’s embarrassment.
“Anyway, missy! Aren’t there more important matters for you to tend to? The best way to wipe out a disgrace is to replace it with even more memorable achievements.”
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“Y-Yes, ma’am! You’re right!” Emle exclaimed, forcing herself to change mindsets. Isla gave a satisfied nod.
Isla was absolutely right. It’s no use crying over spilled milk, but you can always pour yourself another glass. There were plenty of things she could do to make up for her blunder.
“In that case, I want to get straight to work. I actually wanted to get your opinion on what facility we should construct next, Lady Isla.”
“Oh? The next facility, is it? The Magic Research Institute was completed recently, right?”
Ẅĕ.bnӧ v eľ Е̂n.um̂ а
Construction, Production, and Research were all currently behind schedule in Mynoghra. This was due to Takuto’s decision to expand his defense forces as soon as possible by allocating the bulk of their Resources and Materials to summoning Isla. Doing this accelerated Isla’s completion rather than having the process slowed by splitting Resources between various projects at once. This particular strategy brought Isla and her Larva into play at an early stage, but it definitely put the rest of their Production and Research behind schedule.
Great care had to be taken with selecting the next construction project. Mynoghra was surrounded by potentially strong enemies and a world full of unknown dangers. Isla gave her answer taking all of that into consideration.
“…Good question, dear. I want to have Living Reeds ready in case of an emergency.”
Isla decided to expand their defenses. Given the high threat presented by the world around them, she’d already made up her mind to prioritize a military facility but chose Living Reeds over Training Grounds.
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Living Reeds is a building unique to Mynoghra. This basic facility grants defense buffs to the city where it’s built. It also has the ability to attack enemy units, making it an excellent building in terms of defense.
Е̂ ǹ um â . і̂ d
“What do you think of building a Learning Institute instead?” Emle asked. “We’ve received a great number of petitions from the people on the matter of education. I can honestly understand their desire to prepare a proper educational environment for the next generation since Dark Elves are tasked with handling Mynoghra’s intellectual matters…”
“That’s true. Mynoghra’s citizens occupy vital positions due to their limited numbers. My precious little ones can handle all matters related to manual labor, but the Dark Elves are indeed an absolute necessity for intellectual work.”
Emle proposed an emphasis on Domestic Affairs to Isla, whose emphasis was on Military Affairs. Mynoghra’s current defenses rested on Isla’s shoulders. They also had the Long-legged Bugs, whose Strength had increased with her buffs as well. And they had her Combat Larva in reserve too. As time went on, Isla’s combat abilities as a Hero would increase, and they could call back Atou if they needed to.
In reality, they actually had a strong enough defense force. Hence, Emle determined it’d be wiser to devote more Resources toward Domestic Affairs to make up for the time they lost summoning Isla. Isla also thought there was merit to her stance.
Mynoghra wasn’t currently at war with any empires. Going to extremes and blowing their budget on high-cost, low-return military assets presented a problem of its own by exceeding their empire’s ability to pay for military assets they may not yet need. Besides, their military budget would grow in proportion with their national power, giving them more capital to work with. In that case, strengthening their national foundation should be top priority, followed by military projects.
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Plus, Takuto’s strategy revolved around Domestic Affairs. They basically just needed a strong enough military to defend themselves.
It’s during early-game, when empires are at their weakest, that a single facility can dramatically affect how things play out later.
Just because Takuto would make the final decision didn’t excuse the others from thinking about these things themselves. Isla had plenty of experience managing Domestic Affairs as a game character, but she still lacked when it came to applying that knowledge to real-world decisions. Any choice she made would be passed on to Takuto—she couldn’t bear disappointing him with a half-baked proposal.
“It’s a tricky choice,” she said.
Isla and Emle racked their brains as they watched the busy streets in the center of the city bustling with Dark Elves. They tossed several ideas back and forth, eventually concluding that domestic growth was important, but defenses took priority given the present Barbarian threat. Before they could finalize their plan, Isla spotted someone running toward them.
“Lady Isla, do you have a moment?”
Ẁ е b̈n̆о vе̄l. Е̌ n̂u̇ m̄а̊
It was the younger twin, Caria. The girl proudly showed off her painful-looking burn scars as if they were a badge of honor. Isla didn’t understand what drove the girl to do that, given she was still at an age when looks mattered, but she treated her with kindness, figuring there was a greater story behind it.
“Why, if it isn’t our darling little Caria. What brings you here, little lovebug? Where’s your big sister?”
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“Big Sista is looking after His Majesty. The King asked me to fetch you since he wants to discuss some things. He said it can wait until you are finished,” Caria conveyed cheerfully, earning an approving nod from Isla.
For a Hero like Isla, Mynoghra’s citizens were her charges to protect. She had the additional traits of a Queen, which brought out her maternal instincts despite her monstrous appearance, and she adored all the precious little larva under her authority.
How could she not love a child who perfectly ran her errands?
Isla’s motherly side took over, and she scooped Caria up into a big hug with her forearms.
Ёńûm̄ а
“Wonderful! I understand what is needed of me. You did such a good job relaying your message, lovebug! Good bugs get hugs and kisses!”
“Uwah! Mmph! …Ehehe.”
“Lucky…”
Emle enviously watched them, further arousing Isla’s maternal instincts. Her excitement reached its zenith, and she was about to scoop Emle into a mantis hug alongside Caria, when it suddenly dawned on her to see what the Dark Elf youngling thought of their proposal.
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“Oh, right! I need to hear what you think too, sweetie. You’re also one of Mynoghra’s precious citizens. I wonder what your take will be, little Caria.”
“…Hm? My take on what?” Caria asked, a blank look on her face.
Ẃе ḃ n.о v е̇ l̃ È n̆ um̄ ä
Isla threw Caria up in the air and caught her like a mother might a young child while she explained the gist of what she’d been discussing with Emle. She had her reasons for purposely asking the girl her opinion on political matters.
The Dark Elves were expected to play an active role in academic fields in the future, unlike Mynoghra’s main race, the Homunculus. In other words, they would become the empire’s future Researchers, Mages, Artists, Philosophers, and the like.
With that in mind, they needed to be groomed to think for themselves and not just be regular citizens who merely tilled the fields without ever aspiring for more. Hence, she decided to get them into the habit of tackling bigger topics from an early age. Caria and Maria needed to obtain even more wisdom than the rest because they were under the direct tutelage of the King to become future leaders.
Isla expected her to put a lot of thought into answering her question.
◇◇◇
“I say go with the Learning Institute, then. It’s a facility we have to have eventually, anyway. We can do Living Reeds after that.”
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“Your wish is my command, my master. I shall inform the builders.”
After careful scrutiny, Isla presented the proposal they’d arrived at, and Takuto passed judgment on their plan.
The final decision was to construct the Learning Institute.
Takuto accepted the plan Isla and the others had proposed. Caria’s words were the final deciding factor that clinched it. Mentioning that she and her sister wanted to study to aid the King reminded Isla of the importance of education and helped her decide which path to take.
“By the way, how are things going with our Atou, Your Majesty?” Isla asked. “She’s checking in with you every night, right?”
“Yeah, of course. It sounds like things are taking an interesting turn.”
En̆ ǔ m̆ ä
“Meaning she’s succeeding in stealing skills from the Barbarians?”
“Yep. Way more than we could’ve hoped for.”
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Takuto grinned wickedly. His delight was evident even though his face was an indecipherable miasma of darkness.
Isla was pleased that Atou was achieving better results than expected and that her strategies were well-matched with the current Barbarian situation.
Change was afoot throughout the world, that much was certain.
The sudden and random Barbarian attacks without a known cause was reason for concern. But Isla was convinced any problem would be blown away like dust under her king’s rule, hence why she raised her voice in a “gichichi” laugh alongside him.
Е̃ nu m̀ а .і d̆
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