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Chapter 8: Reception
TODAY was the day of the diplomatic meeting between the leaders of Phon’kaven and Mynoghra. Antelise, the mayor of Dragontan, was pensively gazing into the horizon from the town gates, waiting to welcome their state guests, including the King of Ruin, Takuto Ira.
Ugh, I wanna go home… Well, I guess this is home now. I’d rather die in a ditch than go back to El-Nah, Antelise thought morosely.
The duty imposed upon Antelise was to welcome Takuto and guide him and the rest of the Mynoghra diplomatic mission to Town Hall, where the meeting was being held. Although Pepe and Tonukapoli would conduct the main negotiations at Town Hall, Antelise was also required to attend as mayor. The pressure of the heavy responsibilities placed on her was mind-numbing.
Even now, she was stressed to the point that it hurt physically and her stomach clenched and churned when she thought of the day ahead. She’d normally drown the pain out with alcohol, but she couldn’t risk that on such a day as today, so she was reduced to a pitiful Elf who could only plead with the Spirits to make sure things came to pass as peacefully as possible. Sadly, the Spirits she wanted to ask for help had foreseen the disaster to come and had long since fled.
Then again, since transferring Dragontan to Mynoghra was already considered a done deal, Antelise’s wish for peace was a lost cause even if there were still Spirits around to hear her plea.
Ẁӗ b̃ no v̇е l Е n̄ ū mā
He won’t wanna eat me, will he? I’ve met and chatted with Atou and Sage Moltar a few times before, but…their king’s probably on a totally different level, right?
It wasn’t like she’d had zero contact with Mynoghra before now. She’d worked with Elder Moltar and Atou, two key officials, several times and had even gone through quite the first experience with their people when the Elfuur Sisters came for their initial visit.
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She might’ve actually interacted with Mynoghra more than anyone else in Phon’kaven, including the Staff Holders. So she felt she understood the general disposition of that country’s citizens. And that was exactly why she felt the highest amount of tension and wariness over their king’s visit. The picture Mynoghra’s people painted when they spoke of King Takuto Ira made him out to be larger than life and beyond imagination.
This is the moment of truth, Antelise! You must receive our diplomatic guests without causing them any disrespect! That’s your job as mayor! Antelise told herself. Look at it this way: get through this little welcoming moment, and then Pepe and Lady Tonukapoli will take over the rest! You’ve got this! Just make it through a few minutes!
The cession of Dragontan to Mynoghra was basically a done deal—that’s how desperate Phon’kaven was, even by Antelise’s estimation. How the people living there would be handled would depend on the direction of their negotiations, but taking the relationship between the two nations into account made it seem likely they wouldn’t be mistreated.
In the midst of her tightly wound nerves, Antelise found herself thinking: If Dragontan ends up becoming Mynoghra’s, then I’ll inevitably be dismissed as mayor. I have no intention of ever returning to El-Nah, and it’s not like I could even if I wanted to. What should I do with my life now?
Ѐ ň ú ḿ a
As those concerns and a tinge of loneliness crossed her mind, a strangled cry from the watchtower broke the chilly silence.
“Ah, ah, ahhhhhh…”
Antelise glanced in that direction and saw the soldier she’d conversed with just the other day pointing toward the horizon like he’d seen a ghost.
She immediately knew what had perturbed the soldier without having to ask—something worse than a ghost had come.
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“Our guests are visible in the direction of the Accursed Lands!!” the Wolfman announced loudly.
His voice pulled Antelise out of her pensive thoughts and back to the moment. She trained her gaze on the direction of the Accursed Lands, where Mynoghra’s diplomatic mission should be visible.
W̌ е b̆n о v е̄ l Е̇ǹ u m̂а̀
…At first glance, it looked like such a small delegation. Of course, it only looked that way because of the distance—the actual size was still vague. At the very least, their numbers had to be whatever was appropriate to join a king on a diplomatic mission.
But honestly, numbers didn’t mean a damn thing in this moment.
Antelise and the soldiers scrutinizing Mynoghra’s diplomatic mission from in front of Dragontan’s gates saw a tower of darkness that pierced the heavens exuding from the whole group.
Ah, we’re screwed…
Antelise was dominated by a sense of doom that made her clamp her mouth shut even though she didn’t remember opening it. She was overwhelmed by an emotion she’d never experienced before. No, it wasn’t a foreign emotion, but rather fear that was so palpable it didn’t feel like fear anymore.
What Antelise felt like she was experiencing was: DEATH.
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Strangely enough, everyone who laid eyes upon the king’s retinue experienced the same feeling: death was coming.
Amid the tension dominated by chilling terror, the closed gates slowly opened, and a giant flag was raised from the watchtower to welcome the diplomatic mission. Antelise made the right decision, telling everyone what they should do in advance and having them practice. She felt like praising the Dragontan soldiers for having the courage and grit to pull off their jobs under these bone-chilling circumstances.
Time progressed slowly as everyone stared open-mouthed at the same spot, unable to school the shock and terror from their features.
After what felt like a painful eternity, the group of people who looked smaller than a grain of rice in the distance had become large enough to see who they were, signaling the hour of the greatest do-or-die moment in Antelise’s life.
Calm down, calm down. You can take a moment to gather your thoughts if you have to—just don’t offend our guests, she told herself as she took a deep breath and looked directly at their diplomatic guests.
The diplomatic mission led by Mynoghra’s king came to a deliberate stop in front of Antelise.
Èn̈ ûm̈ а́ .і̌ḋ
She already knew from prior interactions that Mynoghra’s people weren’t fond of overly ceremonious exchanges. But this was understood to be a formal meeting between two countries, meriting the bare minimum of formalities.
In other words, Mynoghra was waiting for Phon’kaven to receive and welcome them in.
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Antelise was careful yet quick to rake her gaze over the people accompanying the king. Mynoghra’s delegation had more people than she’d expected. There were a number of Dark Elves she recognized, along with several others wearing outfits she’d never seen before.
Large wagon carts trailed behind them as well. The carts weren’t drawn by horses, but by gigantic bugs that let out disturbing chittering noises—a fitting retinue for the King of Ruin.
Disturbing as that may be, it was still within the range of oddities Antelise had prepared herself for. The real problem was what kind of people were a part of the king’s retinue.
Antelise’s eyes were drawn first to the Dark Elf’s former chief, Elder Moltar. He currently held the position of Chancellor and Advisor within Mynoghra, and was the most versed in politics among the group. He was also Mynoghra’s Minister of Magic and a Mage who spent night and day researching dark magics beyond Phon’kaven’s wildest nightmares. He was known as the Curse Sage back when he ran with the Dark Elf Assassination Brotherhood.
Е́n_u m̂ а̀ . i̇d̂_
The danger lurking behind his grandfatherly smile was not to be taken lightly.
Antelise’s gaze then shifted to the Minister of Defense and Military Affairs, Warrior Gia. He was infamous for his fierce and merciless personality all the way back when Antelise used to live in El-Nah, and rumor had it even then that the number of people who’d fallen at his hands was so great, keeping track was an exercise in futility. His nickname was The Assassin. His dark skillset and loyalty belonged only to the King of Ruin now.
The two girls standing on either side of the king like maids were the Elfuur Sisters. Rumor had it that the king was personally providing them with a special education to train them to become future leaders—as sketchy as that sounded.
They had visited Dragontan as envoys from Mynoghra before and continued to maintain a good relationship with Antelise. These two girls were originally the only ones Antelise thought she could talk to without feeling queasy, but the darkness they exuded had grown a thousand times worse since their last encounter, making Antelise particularly uneasy now.
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Antelise glanced at the king’s most trusted confidant, Atou, last. This girl, fundamentally different from the Dark Elves in both origin and being, stood quietly by her king. Antelise had little to note about her. Much to her horror, she’d learned from all their interactions thus far that this girl, with powers that easily surpassed human understanding, had absolute trust in her king and was equally trusted by him.
Going by looks alone, it was hard to wrap her head around this beautiful girl being Mynoghra’s strongest weapon. But it was undeniable that if Atou felt like it, she could instantly massacre everyone in town.
Ёn̄û m а
As someone privy to all the information Phon’kaven had gathered during the Great Barbarian Invasion, Antelise sharply inhaled through her teeth as it sunk in how truly dark and evil of a being was standing before her.
And if Atou is darkness incarnate…then…then…the being she obeys implicitly must be…
Antelise forced her trembling body to move and jerked her gaze toward that being.
The King of Ruin. Takuto Ira.
It just stood there calmly, like a friend who came for a stroll in your neighborhood.
This is…the King of Ruin.
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The king’s attire was a tad strange. He wore a luxuriously designed robe draped over his head to conceal his appearance.
I can’t see his face or read his expressions like this, Antelise thought, staring at his face as much as she could without being blatantly rude.
…Beneath the robe was a void of nothingness and a pair of glowing eyes.
“Eeep!” Antelise cried out, then clamped a hand over her disobedient mouth.
Cold sweat cascaded over every inch of her body and her heart pounded so loudly it could be its own drum circle. His gaze seemed to know everything about her, as if watching her from beyond the logical world. In an instant, it bound Antelise’s heart with fear and tried to drag her into the depths of hell. Just as she thought her heart was about to stop from the shock, the king suddenly looked away.
Е ṅum̂ ӓ. і́d̆
“Haaa…haa…” Antelise gasped for air.
I narrowly escaped with my life there, she thought as she tried to catch her breath.
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The king’s gaze strayed a little below her eyes and continued to stare at her like a lifeless void. Antelise didn’t know why Atou suddenly started whispering with displeasure into his ear, but she had a strange feeling it wasn’t because of any offense on her part.
Actually, the king acted completely opposite from what she’d expected. In her wisdom, Antelise understood the meaning of his actions. The King of Ruin was being considerate of her by looking away, so she wouldn’t collapse in fear. He must have heard her loud cry, yet not only did he not call her out for it, but he kindly dropped his gaze to her chest instead!
Did he don that deep robe in order not to stir up fear by exposing his appearance to the masses? Such actions didn’t belong to an apocalypse-bringer who wished only for ruin—at the very least, he was reasonable enough to be considerate of his allies.
Antelise was grateful that Mynoghra was Phon’kaven’s ally, even if that alliance left a lot to be desired. At the same time, she deeply resented the fact that they were allies.
W е̊ b̂ ñо v̌ ël̊ Ĕn̊ ǔ m а̃
Spirits! Did Pepe and Lady Tonukapoli seriously understand what they were doing when they allied with this MONSTER?! He ain’t something that we can deal with on equal footing!!! If everything goes to hell, it’s not my fault!!
Antelise shouted and cursed in her thoughts, unable to shake the feeling he could read her mind. She needed to at least vent internally about the overwhelmingly outrageous predicament she found herself in before she blew her top. That just went to show how much shock she was in after meeting the King of Ruin.
However, just as it sounds like a wild tale for an elephant to considerately visit the home of an ant, it was even more of a delusional stretch for the root of ruin to peacefully visit the home of puny mortals.
Antelise’s mounting confusion and inner turmoil were unavoidable given the situation.
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Calm yourself, Antelise. You’re dealing with someone who’s being considerate of you. It’ll be okay. Nothing’s gone wrong. You still haven’t committed an irreversible mistake.
Fortunately, many of Dragontan’s residents had left town already. Everyone else was under strict orders from the mayor not to go outside until curfew was lifted. Decorum usually dictated that the townspeople should welcome their international guests as well, but they were in no position to cater to such formalities.
W е́ b ňöv él̆ Е.n um̆ а
Antelise had made the right call, telling everyone to stay home despite knowing it was discourteous. If her predictions based on what Tonukapoli had told her were correct, then none of Dragontan’s townspeople would be able to withstand the King of Ruin’s grueling gaze.
Antelise had, of course, told Mynoghra as much. She’d prepared a better-sounding excuse for them, and they’d gladly approved of not having a large welcome party. Elder Moltar, Mynoghra’s contact point for Antelise, was even kind enough to offer her words of consolation despite being on the receiving end of what could’ve been taken as a slight against king and country.
If only Antelise could accept their thoughtfulness and kindness at face value, then this incident could’ve been used as a cute story to show off the budding friendship between Phon’kaven and Mynoghra. But something about their attention to detail when it came to being considerate of how people viewed them made Antelise sick to her stomach.
I can’t stay silent forever. It looks like the soldiers have steeled themselves as well.
Less than a minute had passed. Having just experienced a lifetime of fear, anxiety, and bewilderment in that short span of time, Antelise took a steadying breath and swept into the deepest, politest bow of her life.
“Welcome to the town of Dragontan, King Takuto Ira of Mynoghra. I am Antelise Antik, the mayor of Dragontan. On behalf of my town and country, we would like to extend a hearty welcome to you and your people.”
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Putting on an amicable smile was one of the secret weapons Antelise had honed throughout her life. She hadn’t had much use for it since getting buried under the exhausting work required of her as mayor of a fringe town, but she was glad to discover her weapon hadn’t dulled.
Her battle began for real now—she needed to receive her guests without a single misstep.
“Cool. Thanks.”
Aah, so this is what the voice inviting you to ruin sounds like. The maddening claws of fear clawed at the inside of Antelise’s chest. I’m confident the negotiation table will be a million times more confusing and chaotic than I’d imagined.
She felt like she was facing a heartless void.
What will the King of Ruin ask for during these talks and what will he offer in exchange? Antelise’s chest was plagued with anxiety and disgust of a different nature from fear. If the Spirits will hear me, my only wish is that these negotiations end without blood and tears.
Ӗnum а. ī d
The bilateral talks began with no Spirits to bring her modest wish to fruition.
◇◇◇
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THE meeting room prepared within Town Hall was awfully understated for the leaders of two countries to gather for negotiations. Then again, they had chosen a frontier town that was strapped for people to hold their meeting rather than a capital city. Besides, Phon’kaven didn’t have the financial leeway to build a stately international conference center just to show off and make jobs like some other countries, and Mynoghra would much rather get their business done and over with than waste time on pomp and circumstance.
Thus, they chose this modest meeting place to satisfy both sides.
Everything about these international talks went against the norm—and that didn’t stop at just two international leaders meeting in this shabby, old, cramped conference room at the edge of the Uncharted Territory.
“Long time no see, my best buddy Takuto! I’ll give you Dragontan, so gimme something in return, pretty please!”
Е́ n u m а. і d̂
The first words uttered when the two Commanders came together proved these were going to be very unusual talks indeed. Phon’kaven’s Commander, Pepe, jumped straight to offering Mynoghra Dragontan without much in the way of small talk.
Takuto always took the unbeaten path himself, but even he had to stop himself from cracking a joke at such an outlandish start. Obviously, Pepe jumping the gun wasn’t planned for. Tonukapoli shot him an irate look as she cradled her head in her hands and Antelise blinked rapidly, her mouth falling open.
Meanwhile, Mynoghra’s council members couldn’t hide their shock either. Elder Moltar was drenched in a cold sweat as he fiddled with his beard and Emle dropped her pen. Even Takuto was a bit disappointed Pepe got the first strike in before he could confirm who was attending the meeting.
“It’s nice to see you again, Pepe. Hmm, even if you ask me to give you something, I’m not sure what that something should be.”
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But the ball was already rolling, and he couldn’t stop it now.
Okay, time to buy a little time, Takuto thought, purposely beating around the bush with his answer to drag things out. He liked Pepe’s simplicity and out-of-the-box approach to things, but it wouldn’t do to let the other party take the initiative completely out of his hands.
Е̄n̄ ŭ m̃ а̊
It didn’t matter that both sides already had a general idea of what they were there for—this was still supposed to be formal negotiations held between two empires, not talks that took place after accidentally encountering each other like the last time they met. Takuto also wanted to avoid a messy conclusion to clarify the power dynamic between the two empires going forward.
Takuto put a finger to his chin, pretending to be considering what he could give them as he scanned the room.
The major players in attendance on the Phon’kaven side were Staff Holders Pepe and Tonukapoli and Mayor Antelise of Dragontan. Other than them, there were several soldiers on guard duty and a few civil officials taking notes and organizing documents.
Takuto did his very best not to let his gaze drift toward Antelise’s ample bosom as he shifted his attention to his own delegate members.
Elder Moltar was there to support him and back him up during the talks, while Emle was there to take minutes. Atou and Gia were present as well, but more in a guard capacity. Waiting in the next room were the Elfuur Sisters, some Dark Elf Warriors, and the Brain Eaters. Takuto’s diplomatic contingent made it impossible for them to lose in case of attack and was a tad excessive for a meeting with a friendly ally nation.
Well, it’s obviously an extreme lineup when I brought all our aces with me. If I learned anything from what happened to Isla, it’s to never split our forces and let individual units get taken out alone. That’s why I had everyone come along.
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Takuto chose the safer, albeit a little over the top, route of bringing the brunt of his forces with him since Mynoghra’s capital was relatively close to Dragontan, and they could march right back home should the enemy invade while they were away.
At any rate, few people were participating in the actual talks. However, the Commanders with the authority to make the final decision were present on both sides, and Takuto also had his whole council in attendance, so they could actually get somewhere with their negotiations. Takuto also didn’t want to neglect his Domestic Affairs for long by staying away, so he was prepared to finalize things today.
How should we play our cards next?
“Hohoho. That’s a difficult thing to come up with, indeed, my king,” Elder Moltar joined in the fray after Takuto bought them around thirty seconds. “Our country is still in the early development stages. The hard fact of the matter is, there isn’t much we can provide you with due to how inadequate we Dark Elves have been in serving our mighty king.”
Elder Moltar wasn’t called a Sage just for show. He immediately noticed the meeting was shifting in Phon’kaven’s favor and subtly knocked the reins out of their hands.
Pepe already mentioned ceding Dragontan to Mynoghra as the basis for their exchange. Now the real negotiation was over what Mynoghra could and would give in return. Phon’kaven planned to take as much as they could in the exchange, and Mynoghra planned to tighten its purse strings as tightly as possible, so they were indirectly yet keenly sounding each other out. Although it goes without saying, most negotiations don’t play out this fast.
Ẃ е b̂_n о̄v̀ ѐl̆ En̄um a
This was the point when both sides would usually try to confirm the intentions and goals of the other party. And they would’ve tried to ease the tension in the room by discussing their joint efforts in the last war first.
Why do we have to waste time on such tedious formalities? Oddly enough, the Commanders of both countries were of the same mind on that front.
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“There you go being all modest again!” Pepe exclaimed. “You served us such amazingly delicious food last time, my best bud. Don’t you still have loads of goodies you haven’t shown us yet? Plus, you brought those big bug-drawn carts with you, right? Show me what’s inside!”
“I didn’t bring anything that’s that big of a deal, Pepe,” Takuto countered smoothly. “Just something I thought you might need.”
“I’m positively positive it’s something uber awesome!” Pepe said in a singsong voice. “I’m really looking forward to it! This is so exciting!”
He’s perceptive…too perceptive. I know we made the carts stand out, but it’ll be hard to get the conversation to flow the way we want if we show our hand now.
Ë n ů m ӓ
Takuto had no intention of stupidly giving in to Pepe’s request at this point in the game.
“Hohoho!” Elder Moltar broke into the conversation with a jovial laugh. “We can only hope our small offering pleases you, Master Pepe… By the way, Lady Tonukapoli, I’ve heard that your country has several other Staff Holders. What did your fellow Staff Holders have to say about this matter?”
“Hm? Mm…” Tonukapoli hummed, dragging out her response. “They had a lot to say but accepted it in the end. This fool here convinced them by saying we have to offer at least this much as a token of gratitude for the Great Barbarian Invasion and our continued friendly relations with your country. Although…the Dragon Vein Mine is another matter entirely.”
“We are certainly happy to go ahead with joint management of the Dragon Vein Mine, just as we’ve discussed before,” Elder Moltar smoothly replied. “His Majesty also desires as much. However, ceding us the whole town seems like quite a bold move, don’t you think? I was taken by surprise when I first heard the news.”
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“…Let’s just say it was the best move we could think of,” Tonukapoli conceded. “I can only hope that it helps you understand how much our country values Mynoghra.”
“In that case, pray tell how receiving this town benefits our nation…?” Elder Moltar inquired, not holding back.
Ӗ ṅ um а
“Hey, Moltar!” Takuto interjected. “You shouldn’t say such things. Dragontan’s a lovely town.”
“Oooh, forgive me, Your Majesty! I accidentally let my mouth run on about rude things because I was so concerned with what value it’d bring to Mynoghra and you.” Elder Moltar turned from Takuto to address the Phon’kaven members. “Please laugh it off as the ramblings of a senile old man, friends.”
Mynoghra’s delegate succeeded in shifting the topic toward Dragontan’s value. They had to sort of force it in that direction, but neither side expected the other to follow much procedure. All that mattered was to reach a profitable agreement, and the more profitable it was for Mynoghra, the better. Any means were acceptable to get the desired result.
“Sorry about that, Pepe.”
“Don’t be, buddy! It’s no skin off our backs, since Dragontan really is a town with no value! Wahahaha!” Pepe burst out laughing.
“Haa…” Tonukapoli sighed. “This little fool never fails to open his big trap without thinking…” She shook her head, then took control of the situation. “All right, if I may speak, King Takuto? As we said in the official missive we sent you, Phon’kaven is considering ceding the town of Dragontan to Mynoghra. In return, we would like to request you provide us with something to bolster our military, whether that be boots on the ground or the technology to help us reach your level, such as weapons or research.”
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“And what good is Dragontan to us?” Takuto fired back.
“Tch!” Tonukapoli clicked her tongue.
Negotiations between nations are wars without bloodshed. Neither side has any pity for the other—only the strong get what they want in the end.
Takuto was merciless on that front as well. He cornered his prey by repeating the same words he’d just chided Elder Moltar for without an ounce of shame. His creed was to squeeze every last drop out of the other side, even if they were an ally nation. In negotiations, the only person in the wrong is the one who can’t negotiate a better deal for themselves. Although he held back just enough not to let his comments strain the future of their alliance.
“……”
Tonukapoli fell silent.
Е n̂ũ m̄а
Phon’kaven was at a disadvantage. Dragontan had little to no value without the Dragon Vein Mine. What value it had was diminished by it being on the verge of collapse as a functioning town and requiring considerable work to rebuild it.
Their disadvantage grew greater yet because they still didn’t know what Mynoghra was bringing to the table. When you don’t know what your opponent’s hand is, while your hand is unilaterally devalued…crushing defeat is bound to come in no time.
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But Phon’kaven had its fool. A boy who did the most unexpected and crazy things but shouldn’t be taken lightly for a single second.
Pepe stopped staring dreamily out the window and suddenly jumped into the conversation as if a brilliant idea had struck him.
“There’s a great value to you. Dragontan has some very lovely people! Yessiree, it has lots and lots of people!”
Now that’s getting straight to the heart of it, Takuto thought, impressed.
E̊.ň ùm.а̊ .ǐd̃
Pepe likely knew the true state of affairs within Mynoghra.
What Mynoghra severely lacked was people.
Dragontan’s buildings could be instantly built with Emergency Production as long as they had Mana. As it currently stood, Mynoghra could build an endless supply of facilities if they exchanged the gold coins they’d obtained from Brave Questers’ monsters for Mana. Dragontan’s failing government and lack of public order could also be handled by the Brain Eaters, which had skills specifically designed to solve those problems.
But obtaining and maintaining a population was an entirely different matter.
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There was no quick hack for instantly obtaining a population, and it took time for an already existing population to increase. Mynoghra’s unique race, the Homunculus, may have a high fertility rate, but even they had real, physical limits not usually present in a game. At the very least, it’d take several years to create the next generation, and that was several years too many, given Mynoghra’s current predicament.
Time was not on Mynoghra’s side.
W̃ëb nov̄ еl Е ňūm.å
As long as a clear threat to Mynoghra’s existence still existed in this world, strengthening the empire’s national power was imperative, and it could be said that the lack of a population was the greatest weak point preventing them from moving to the next stage.
From the outset, what Mynoghra had always wanted from Phon’kaven was people.
“People, eh? Hmm, I’m not sure about that,” Takuto hummed, purposely trying to sound disinterested.
“They’re all lovely people. I’m sure they will be very much to Mynoghra’s liking!” Pepe pressed with his usual cheer, his eyes sparkling, his smile deepening. “Don’t you prefer things to be livelier too, my best bud?”
Was Pepe just pushing forward in his own airheaded way, or was he intentionally spinning the conversation in his favor? Either way, the boy Takuto considered a friend was an expert negotiator he shouldn’t underestimate for even a second.
“My country lacks strength. Your country lacks citizens. So why don’t we trade what we have for what we lack?! I’m absolutely positive doing so will let us make our countries even better!”
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Pepe was right. He’d stated an undeniable fact.
Increasing Mynoghra’s population was an incredibly appealing deal to Takuto. And if they could change the Dragon Vein Mine’s Mana to Earth Mana, that would unlock various Terraforming Tactical Magic as well. This would avail him to a variety of extremely effective methods for developing the barren Uncharted Territory, instantly increasing the speed of urban development.
A lot more research was required to unlock the various technologies necessary to prepare Mynoghra’s true army. It didn’t matter how dedicated the Dark Elves were to their research when their numbers were too limited to even make a dent in the technology trees.
Ultimately, the number of citizens an empire has directly correlates to its national power.
Meanwhile, this deal would also massively benefit Phon’kaven.
Phon’kaven’s biggest roadblock to expansion lay within its meager military strength. They couldn’t safely expand their territory within the Barbarian-infested Dark Continent without some kind of definitive weapon to give them the upper hand in protecting their cities. Being unable to expand outside city walls delayed the cultivation of new farmland. And they couldn’t increase their crop yield from existing farms due to the barren nature of the Dark Continent.
E n̊ũ m̈ а . і̂_d
A Food shortage meant they had to rely on imports from other empires, depleting their coffers and impoverishing the nation across the board.
A thorough investigation of their territory showed the entire empire of Phon’kaven was suffering from rampant poverty. Borrowing Mynoghra’s strength would instantly change the tides for them.
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It was unclear how much they knew about what Mynoghra planned to offer, but the weapons Takuto brought would perfectly serve their goals. With renewed, overwhelming military strength, they could pacify the surrounding areas and cultivate the land under safer conditions. Their potential as an empire would be further maximized if they made use of the Earth Mana drawn from the Dragon Vein Mine they joint-owned with Mynoghra.
Takuto knew that the Beastmen had high reproduction and fertility rates, although not quite on the same level as Mynoghra’s Homunculus. Adding them to Mynoghra’s roster would absolutely help the empire prosper in the long run.
The contents of this agreement offered significant benefits for both sides.
Takuto felt like he was traveling down the path his opponent had laid out for him in advance, so he decided to throw out several more hard-hitting questions to shake things up.
Е ñ um̀а_. і̊ ḋ
“What are your thoughts on the Dragon Vein Mine?”
“Like when it comes down to the finer management details?” Pepe cocked his head to one side. “We can decide all that later, with good terms that respect our great friendship!”
“But, Pepe, the people have their own will and pride that they abide by. Won’t they all just flee?”
“You can only have a will and pride if you’re alive. Besides, not everybody has the same strength and courage as soldiers.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“They will become evil if they join my country. You need a whole lot of mental fortitude and courage to take that leap.”
“Really? I’m not so sure about that. Mynoghra is a great country. The food is tasty, and there’s so many awesome things! Plus, all the Dark Elves seem oh-so-very happy! Isn’t that the case, Mr. Moltar?”
W̌ е̂ b̌n̆ о v̂е l Ēnu ṁа
Elder Moltar’s eyes widened in surprise when the conversation suddenly turned toward him. As soon as he realized everyone was looking at him, he reluctantly answered, “Hrm… Of course. All of us Dark Elves feel truly blessed to have become citizens of our king.”
“……”
“Y-Your Majesty…” Elder Moltar said nervously.
“Thanks, Elder Moltar. I’m happy to have you, too.”
“You honor me!”
Takuto let his little gaffe go as he had a good idea why Elder Moltar was reluctant to answer. Actually, it wasn’t quite right to call his reaction a gaffe. After all, considering his position, Elder Moltar couldn’t have given any other answer.
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“I’m extra positive that our countries will get along even better if some of our people become Mynoghra’s citizens!” Pepe continued. “Dragontan will become the bridge between us!”
He might actually be a move or two ahead of me, Takuto thought in awe of Pepe.
People who become citizens of Mynoghra get to keep their free will, aside from being saddled with absolute loyalty toward Takuto Ira and Mynoghra. Pepe sounded out that fact through his little exchange with Elder Moltar. He’d likely already guessed as much through prior interactions with the Dark Elves.
While becoming a citizen of Mynoghra will change a person’s alignment to evil, it doesn’t overwrite their identity or feelings to make them an entirely different person. With that in mind, it should be easy to persuade Phon’kaven’s people to immigrate to Mynoghra.
In other words, one slip of the tongue increased Dragontan’s value and gave Phon’kaven the advantage.
Pepe only turned the question toward Elder Moltar to confirm what he already knew.
W̃_eb.ńо ṽе ĺ_ Е̇n u̇m а̇
Ultimately, Phon’kaven was trying to say: “You want people, right? Both your side and our side can make that happen without a hitch.”
Of course, Mynoghra didn’t want to agree when they were trying to gain the advantage by drawing attention to how difficult it’d be to actually obtain the promised people. But the talks would break down right here and now if they didn’t agree. After all, the meeting would only end in a disadvantage if they didn’t both find something to gain from the other.
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“True. Good relations are very important.”
Takuto put his mind into high gear examining the advantages and disadvantages to both sides as he simulated where the conversation would go next.
On Mynoghra’s side of things, they would accept the former Phon’kaven citizens as immigrants. Even if they became naturalized citizens of Mynoghra, they’d never be able to forget their homeland. Of course, the game mechanics would force them to be loyal to Mynoghra, but their feelings and memories would remain intact. This was proven by how the Dark Elves still hadn’t forgotten their hatred toward the Elves or their racial pride.
This left some discomforting unpredictable variables in the picture if the relations between Mynoghra and Phon’kaven ever became strained. Game mechanics being what they are, the new citizens would inevitably side with Mynoghra in the end. But Mynoghra wanted to avoid doing anything to make its citizens unhappy.
Wеb̊ n о v̆ ӗl̃ Е n̆ũm̆ ӓ
After all, citizen Happiness directly correlates to how much Mana they produce.
This particular mechanic from Eternal Nations would tie Mynoghra’s hands. A lot more weight would be put on the alliance with Phon’kaven if Mynoghra accepted their people. And while there were plenty of advantages to strengthening their current alliance, there were close to zero disadvantages.
Proposing something that would essentially be an act of cultural infiltration was definitely an aggressive strategy, to say the least. Takuto didn’t know how far ahead Pepe was looking or what his take really was, but if nothing else, his approach was profound.
“A bridge between us…hm? I see. That’s certainly a good plan.”
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Is this where we should compromise and find common ground?
Takuto decided to accept the compensation they had prepared as something of value to Mynoghra. As a result of accepting that, Mynoghra would have to give more in exchange, but it was a valid enough exchange to merit that.
Е̇ ň ū m̂ a
Of course, Mynoghra had a lot to gain as well. As Pepe said, this strategy worked not only in favor of Phon’kaven, but also in Mynoghra’s favor as well. Just as it made it harder for Mynoghra to break off the alliance, it placed the same restraints on Phon’kaven.
The mortal mind is complex. The domestic turmoil that would result from sending their own citizens to naturalize into another country and then turning on that country would be immense. What was once taken as a peaceful cessation of territory could abruptly be considered a betrayal and abandonment, leading to distrust toward the nation’s leader and the potential for civil war.
In other words, Phon’kaven’s hands would be tied just the same as Mynoghra’s. No matter how the dice may fall, they couldn’t betray each other. That would be the outcome of this agreement.
“Oh yeah! I remember hearing there are more Dark Elves living in the main Phon’kaven territories… It might be a good idea to talk to them about becoming Mynoghra’s citizens! And hey, while we’re at it, why don’t we put out an open invitation to all of Phon’kaven’s citizens to see if anyone else is interested!!” Pepe continued, putting his stupid, seemingly thoughtless genius on display and dominating the negotiation floor in the process.
The Dark Elves couldn’t fully conceal their excitement at his proposition. Yet again, he beat Mynoghra to a matter they should’ve brought up first.
Interesting. He’s skilled at knowing just what people want, Takuto thought, feeling a little despondent at the idea he might’ve lived an easier life if he’d been even a quarter as good at reading and playing people as Pepe was.
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“H-Hold your horses there, Pepe!” Tonukapoli interjected in a flurry. “Now you’re just making arbitrary decisions! We never discussed allowing such a thing!”
“Eeeh? It’s your job to make these things work after I say them, Granny Tonukapoli. You can just talk them into it like you did last time! You’re good at convincing people!”
“You…foolish child!”
“Besides, do we even have enough food to feed all of our citizens right now?”
“Spirits, child! Whose side are you on?!”
Takuto found Pepe very entertaining…and secretly quite skilled, to boot. He was okay with not deciding on the finer details of their exchange today. Mynoghra could provide them with Food supplies to a certain extent using Mana.
Wе bṅ о̃ v е̊l Е̌ nu ṁ â
I’d feel bad if this caused Tonukapoli to get stomach ulcers from all the stress he’s causing her, so maybe I should ease her concerns a bit here, Takuto thought.
But before he could say anything, Pepe spun toward him and looked him straight in the eyes with a serious expression that belied his usual boyish playfulness. “I feel like we put you in a bad spot recently, Takuto. We couldn’t do a thing during the attack on Dragontan. We should’ve been the ones shouldering the loss of life during that battle.”
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
Takuto let a moment of contemplative silence pass before speaking his true thoughts on that matter. “We were up against forces that wanted to destroy and conquer the world at large. Mynoghra would’ve clashed with them sooner or later. Phon’kaven isn’t at fault.”
“Then that means the blame lies with the bad guys who brought war to our gates!”
“And also with us for failing to be perfectly prepared for them.”
Yes, everything went wrong because of insufficient preparation. No, not just that—a naïve outlook on the situation brought about this tragedy. That didn’t only apply to Phon’kaven, but also to Mynoghra and Takuto too.
Еnu m̌ а. і̌ d_
“That’s why we should be prepared for anything that comes at us next time, Takuto! We need overwhelming strength to defeat anyone who comes to our doorstep with whatever reasons bring them there.”
Pepe’s words drew everyone in and applied to both countries.
Is this what people usually refer to as a charismatic speech? Takuto mused, deeply impressed with his little ally and very much of the same mind. Being prepared is imperative. We need to be overwhelmingly prepared with an overpowered military and devastating national power. That’s what an empire needs no matter what they’re up against.
“We can provide you with people. What can you provide us with?”
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He really is an amusing opponent, Takuto thought, laughing on the inside.
Power isn’t defined solely by brute force. Everything that goes on in the world is complex, and various factors continually affect people and the world at large. Power, in the truest sense, is how much you can influence and affect people and things other than yourself.
Е̄ n̂ ũ m̄ а̊ .і́d
In that sense, Pepe’s genius insight and simpleminded yet eccentric approach to taking the initiative could be considered power. And Takuto was the type who was very fond of such people.
“Elder Moltar,” Takuto said, giving the signal.
“Yes, sire! Everything is ready on our end, but…are you certain you wish to proceed?” Elder Moltar asked.
“It just goes to show Pepe was the better negotiator. Well, in the end, this exchange equally benefits us both.”
Takuto decided to change his tactics. He switched to putting all his cards on the table instead of playing them one by one. If the other side was going all-out with what they were offering, then he should do the same. If Pepe and Phon’kaven were going to throw their lot in with Mynoghra, then Mynoghra needed to respond in kind. Even if the day would come when they would have to revisit this alliance for Takuto to achieve his ultimate goal, today was not that day. Right now, they were still friendly allies.
“Pepe…do you want power?” Takuto asked in a scandalous whisper, purposely putting on airs. He’d often heard that phrase used in stories from his past life and always wanted to try saying it once himself.
Dilarang mengopy novel dari Enuma.id.
“I do!”
“Then it’s our turn to surprise you.”
That’s right. It’s our turn to toy with them. I’ll offer them power that’s a million times more valuable than anything they could imagine. I’ll make it so there will never again be a force that can stand up against our alliance.
“In that case, I’ll show you what it means to wield real power.”
“Yay! I can’t wait!”
Tonukapoli and the rest of Phon’kaven’s citizens in attendance paled in stark contrast to Pepe’s delighted, carefree grin.
W̌ ē b̄ n̂ӧv̈ѐľ Е̄n̊ ŭm̊а̄
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