Chapter 5: Negotiations
Chapter 5: Negotiations
IN most situations, a man has no leg to stand on before a woman’s wrath.
The same held true of the King of Ruin and his loyal subordinate, proving even they weren’t an exception to the rules that govern the relationship between men and women.
Takuto, the man who’d become the commander of Mynoghra in this new world, was presently imploring his direct subordinate to cheer up after his careless decision ruined her mood.
“C-C’mon…cheer up, Atou.”
“Hmph! I’m not in a bad mood or anything.”
The aura she was exuding begged to differ.
She had every right to be annoyed when Takuto had so arbitrarily decided to waste their precious, limited Mana supply on some measly Dark Elves. He hadn’t expected it to upset her this much, so he’d spent every moment since apologizing in hopes her mood would improve.
It would have if he’d realized the girl was more irritated that he’d failed to consult her than at the wastefulness of his actions. But that was asking too much of a boy who’d spent the bulk of his life in the hospital with little to no interaction with the opposite sex.
On the bright side, his desperate attempt to appease her with endless apologies seemed to gradually wear Atou down until she felt bad about not forgiving him.
“Okay! How about this? I’ll do anything you say if you forgive me!”
“I-Isn’t doing anything going a little too far? I’m not that angry…” Atou chewed out, staring up at Takuto from under her long lashes.
She was starting to worry her master might abandon her if she continued to act coy. She planned to forgive him as soon as he gave her good reason to.
“I can’t do this without you, Atou. I need you.”
“K-King Takuto…”
Frankly speaking, Atou was easy to win over.
For the most part, this girl put her master first, so one or two nice words from him and she was ready to let bygones be bygones. This was unavoidable when Takuto was her whole world, and especially when her whole life—though restricted to the confines of a video game—had been spent by his side.
“I’m sorry for being so stubborn too! I’m a disgrace of a subordinate for objecting to my mighty King’s decision.”
“I’m the one who’s sorry! We came to this world together, so I should’ve consulted you first. Will you forgive me?”
She nodded, and with that, they put the affair behind them.
Overall, neither viewed what happened as much of an issue. They just felt like acting more dramatic to liven up the conversation—their trust in each other was as strong as ever.
But the next problem they had to discuss was more serious in nature.
“Thanks. With that settled, there’s something I wanted to consult you about. Are you up to helping me figure out a solution?”
“Of course, my king! So what’s bothering you? If it’s about our remaining Mana, I believe we should still be safe with the minuscule cost associated with the amount of food you produced…”
“No, that’s not the problem. This is on an entirely different scale,” Takuto imparted with a grave expression.
Atou grew anxious over how much he seemed to be struggling to broach the topic. It could be said the concerns of her esteemed master easily eclipsed her own.
“Did something upset you, my king?”
“Not quite. You remember how we talked with the Dark Elves?”
“Yes…?”
Their abrupt encounter with Dark Elves wasn’t that long ago. Atou replayed the short conversation in her head, but as far as she could tell, they’d handled things well. They’d successfully deceived the Dark Elves into believing their side was stronger without revealing any of their cards.
No problems should’ve arisen from their encounter, but…Takuto’s concerns lay in an entirely different sphere of thinking.
“To tell you the truth, er, I struggled to speak…”
“How so?”
“Didn’t you notice, Atou? Even I thought it was a little strange. I can hold a proper conversation with you, but I suddenly couldn’t talk when other people showed up.”
Atou replayed the events in her head again. She definitely thought his word choice was a little weird. But she chalked it up to him purposely being curt to stop from accidentally giving away too much information and ruining their act.
She’d simply assumed he was roleplaying as a powerful being who left all trivial talking to his minions. At the time, she’d even been so impressed, she’d thought, My king is so impressive to pull this off on the spot!
Sweat trickled down Atou’s brow. What she sincerely hoped wasn’t the case was about to come true.
“Come to think of it, I can’t remember ever holding a decent conversation with the nurses and doctors at the hospital. I have basically no experience talking to others. I think there’s a word for people who can only speak to people they are close to…”
“Oh no…”
Atou trembled. She shook from head to toe. She just remembered her master’s previous life, the slightly troublesome sway it held over him now, and the colossal misunderstanding she’d been operating under.
“It seems that I have…a communication disorder…”
A single tear slipped from Takuto’s right eye as he spoke. He had a burdensome affliction that made it difficult for him to communicate with strangers.
“Please don’t cry, my king!!”
Atou rushed to his side faster than the eye could follow and clung to his arm. That was all she could do for him now.
Takuto wept over his inability to communicate. Atou also wept over the fact her master couldn’t converse well with others.
Even for the Hero of Ruin, who’d once gained infinite power and destroyed the world in a single stroke, this was one enemy she couldn’t defeat for her master.
Meanwhile, the King of Ruin let his grief run wild.
“I’m no king, Atou! It’s far too lame to be the King of Ruin with such severe anxiety. I can’t go on living!”
“It will be all right! Even if you can’t speak to others, you’ll be just fine as long as you talk to your Atou, my king! From this day forth, I shall become your exclusive speaker! I shall serve you for the rest of my days, so it’ll all work out in the end!”
“Yeah, but how can an uncommunicative king give orders or negotiate with foreign nations? I need to talk, don’t I?”
Atou fell silent. She paled over failing to have the answers for him.
Tears streamed down Takuto’s cheeks again.
“I want a full life reset. Take my memories too! Let’s restart from scratch,” he moaned.
“It’s not that bad! You needn’t let it trouble you so! Kings don’t need to be verbose. Kings are solitary! They keep themselves above all vulgarity. You’re presenting the image of a powerful man who only speaks to his trustworthy subordinates!”
Had Atou ever raised her voice this loud before?
She projected her voice as loudly as she could to push through her argument and wash away her master’s apprehension. Although her words were just loud and unconvincing, she was fortunate that Takuto Ira was easily swayed by anything she said. As such, her frantic shouting managed to quell his depression.
“Aw, Atou! Thank you for trying so hard to cheer me up…”
“Don’t you fret, my king. We will slowly but surely rehabilitate you. You will definitely become capable of speaking to the masses. You have me! You have me, so please! Don’t think about starting a new game and erasing the past!”
“Yeah. Sorry. I guess I was feeling a little defeated. You’re right, though. I don’t have to be an excellent speaker when I have you.”
“Yes, yes! That’s the spirit. If Eternal Nations taught us anything, it’s that you can solve any problems in life as long as you have power and wealth!”
“Thank you, Eternal Nations. And thank you as well, Atou. I have the best confidant in the world…”
They hadn’t solved a single problem, but they both seemed satisfied with the answer they reached. And while it might be hard for someone else to understand, this conversation managed to tighten their bond.
As they gazed into each other’s eyes, they were filled with a torrent of emotion until they reached peak excitement.
“ATOOUUUUU!”
“KING TAKUTOOOOO!”
The dam holding them back broke, and they shared in a passionate embrace.
“GIGIGYEEEEH!!!”
A disturbing shriek interrupted their intimate moment.
“……”
Still embracing, they looked over their shoulders to find Long-legged Bug oddly trembling behind them, watching them with its rolling eyeballs. They’d no idea what those grotesque eyes were trying to express, but it was horrific enough to shatter the moment.
“Oh yeah, I forgot I summoned him back to base.”
“Honestly, this bug can’t read the room. Shall we just recycle the unit?”
“That’d be a waste of Mana, so no.”
Having the bug present soured the mood—or rather, it brought them back to reality.
Takuto casually released Atou and perched on top of the stone dais. He would’ve rather stayed that way, but Long-legged Bug’s piercing gaze was unsettling. As for Atou, she was understandably upset.
“What do you want anyway, bug? Learn some tact, you blundering insect! King Takuto and I were in the midst of deepening our relationship.”
“GIGYEEH.”
“Hm? Oh, I see. It looks like the Dark Elves are close. They must’ve come to take the rest of the food.”
“Oh, right. I forgot about them.”
As the player, Takuto could sync his mind with the Long-legged Bug and its abilities. This particular Scout unit’s special ability expanded the player’s field of view. The ability worked even in the middle of a complex forest covered by the fog of war, letting Takuto see the Dark Elf clan approach them through its googly eyes.
Apprehension filled him. Like he’d just told Atou, he had serious communication problems. He wasn’t confident he could get through a second negotiation smoothly. But he had someone there to dashingly rescue him from this crisis—his confidant, Atou.
Immediately picking up on why he looked so stricken, she promptly offered a plan.
“An excellent idea just dawned on me. I shall take over any negotiations with those Dark Elves. All you have to do is watch!”
“Really? You don’t mind?”
“Really. Please entrust this task to me. In my humble opinion, you will come across as more dignified by remaining a man of few words.”
“Hmm…Mmm…” he groaned.
Takuto was grateful for the offer. He would love to leave the negotiations to her. But was that really something he should permit? He was King and she his subordinate. He didn’t care about hierarchy, but he worried his attitude about these things might put more of a burden on Atou.
“Or do you find me lacking, my king?”
Atou held her hand over her heart, her expression brimming with confidence that silently told him to trust her.
Takuto was secretly relieved by her reaction and also ashamed for underestimating her ability.
What did he have to fear? She was Mynoghra’s legendary hero, Sludge Atou.
The Hero of Ruin annihilates all enemies and crushes every obstacle underfoot.
The girl of infinite possibilities and limitless power was asking him to leave the task to her.
There was but one answer for the King who’d been given absolute trust and loyalty.
“You lack nothing, Atou. Can I entrust this to you?”
“Hehehe! Your every wish is my command, my king.”
Crimson eyes locked onto him as she swept into a deep bow. Her bewitching expression brimmed with absolute confidence, suitable for a hero who would bring ruin to the world.
◇◇◇
“THANK you for granting us the honor of being in your mighty presence, O Great One. I am Moltar Cordal Mazaram, chief of the Dark Elf clan you generously bestowed mercy upon.”
A Dark Elf detachment showed up before Takuto shortly after he learned of their approach from his scout. They were led by a weather-beaten old man. He wore his silver hair and beard long and proud, though they were ravaged by the effects of malnutrition.
He lowered himself to his knees before Takuto and Atou, with his battered staff thrust into the ground for support.
Beside him was Dark Elf Warrior Captain Gia, who they’d met yesterday. Seeing as Takuto recognized most of the faces there, they appeared to have selected the same members for this mission.
But having a different leader now changed their demeanor. Or perhaps they’d discussed how to act beforehand.
Atou gave a satisfied nod to return their proper greeting.
“Good. You know proper manners for a Dark Fae. Don’t beat around the Flesh Tree. I can tell you came here for a reason. Out with it.”
“I heard our younglings behaved without manners during your prior meeting. Allow me to apologize and also extend my sincerest gratitude on behalf of my clan for kindly providing us with much-needed rations.”
“…It is only natural for underdeveloped Dark Fae to lose their presence of mind before a mighty being. My king is not so narrow-minded as to let trivial things affect him.”
Manners can make or break certain situations. Those in power are obligated to dole out appropriate punishment for lapses in decorum. Thus, it was only proper to show some displeasure and offer a word of warning regarding their behavior.
Atou, however, was only interested in Takuto and nothing else. One glance in his direction told her he wasn’t bothered by their offense either.
Why would he be when he was a normal young man from a modern land?
He didn’t place much value on strict forms of politeness. Thus, she applied no personal feelings to something he’d determined wasn’t a problem.
As far as this matter was concerned, Atou could indeed be called Takuto’s loyal pawn.
The fact that the Dark Elves invaded the Accursed Lands without permission was left unquestioned, and their behavior was also dismissed as trivial.
In reality, they didn’t actually have the authority to be treating the Dark Elves this way, but Elder Moltar had no way of knowing this as he lowered his head to show his gratitude for their lenience.
“Our entire race is ashamed of our pettiness before your generous benevolence. Please grant us the honor of knowing your name, so that we may pass down the tale of the great debt of gratitude we owe you forevermore.”
Atou turned her head toward Takuto. She was seeking his permission to tell them his name.
He never did give his name during their last encounter. While part of it had to do with his lack of social skills, it was also due to his decision not to provide more information than necessary. But his opinion changed after taking some time to think about it.
Rather than live a miserable life cowering in fear, he might as well grab life by the horns, even if that was the riskier option.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained—that was one life lesson the game had taught him. With that in mind, he permitted Atou to answer them.
Atou had but one thing to do now that she had his stamp of approval. She took a small breath and proclaimed his name with imposing pomp.
“You are in the presence of King Takuto Ira, the Ruler of Ruin, Lord of the Apocalypse. Remember his great and noble name! When referring to him, you shall address him as King Ira or King Takuto Ira.”
The Dark Elves’ heads sank even deeper with Atou’s proclamation.
Takuto’s name was now known, and it became engraved in their hearts along with fear and awe.
Atou nodded with satisfaction.
This was how Takuto’s name first became known in this world.
It was at Atou’s sole discretion she introduced him as Takuto Ira, the Lord of the Apocalypse. She purposely made a point of preventing them from calling him Takuto because she understood the special relationship calling someone by their first name entailed.
By doing so, she drove home the relationship she had with her master before everyone present. And it was because she was busy coming up with such schemes that she missed what Takuto hadn’t—the elder Dark Elf shuddered upon hearing the title she gave him.
“Oh, and my name is Atou. Be sure not to address me with the same formality as King Takuto. He is the Supreme King deserving of respect at all times—I am just his loyal subordinate. You are welcome to forget my name.”
“King Takuto Ira and Lady Atou… I have etched your glorious names into these weary bones. I swear I will impart this knowledge to the rest of the clan so that they too will engrave your names into their very souls.”
“Excellent. Now take your food and be gone. Most of it won’t last indefinitely. Just because my king can produce infinite amounts with a wave of his hand does not justify letting good food go to waste.”
Atou sounded bored with them, which was actually true; she’d already lost interest in negotiating. She only existed for her master, Takuto. She understood that like the back of her hand and wanted it just as bad.
She wouldn’t even care to speak to others if it wasn’t for him. The sooner these talks were over with, the sooner her master would praise her.
“P-Please wait! You see, we discussed how we can repay the King for saving us and were wondering if he wants us to pay tribute?”
The Dark Elf chief poured cold water all over Atou’s wishes to be in her king’s arms. It seemed they weren’t finished talking yet.
Atou frowned and pondered their unusual request since it wasn’t a grave enough offense to upset her.
“You wish to pay tribute? Ha. Can you provide something that will satisfy my king?”
“I am ashamed to admit it, but we are too ignorant to even imagine what might please the mighty King Takuto Ira. May we first hear directly from His Majesty what he—”
“I see. You have nothing we need then. You are in no position to offer anything anyway.”
Atou waved them off, sighing as she shook her head.
They’d offered to pay tribute, but Atou highly doubted starving refugees had anything of value. Of course, she couldn’t completely deny the possibility of them possessing a rare item such as Artifacts. Even with that slight chance hanging in the background, she chose to prioritize removing them from her king’s presence.
At the beginning of the game, when the player’s empire is still in the fragile, foundation-building stage, even the smallest missteps can prove fatal.
Atou was most wary of the Dark Elves bringing their problems to Takuto. In particular, she feared the people who’d chased them out of their territory and continued to hunt them becoming Takuto’s problem.
“We might not be, but…if we don’t—”
“I told you we don’t need your tribute.”
“You did, but—”
“What are you being so elusive about? My king is a busy man. Are you scheming something?”
“I would never!”
Atou’s annoyance showed, eliciting visible panic from the Dark Elves. After all, she didn’t try to hide or suppress the jet-black murderous aura seeping from her.
Atou’s passive abilities—Hero, Evil, and Fanatic—each had the effect of multiplying her basic combat strength. And with her special ability to steal abilities from the units she defeated, she had the potential to grow stronger with each battle.
The Dark Elves, on the other hand, were too starved to make use of their full strength. In their current state, Atou could easily wipe the field with them. If she wanted to, she could cut down the Mage and Warrior units, then go wipe out the entire Dark Elf clan in less than ten minutes.
And that cold-blooded murder would prove very beneficial to her and Takuto if ethics were thrown to the wind.
Yep, this is taking a really bad turn!
Takuto quickly abandoned his wishful thinking that these talks would end peacefully. As it was, Atou had drawn a critically wrong opinion about the Dark Elves. Her attitude toward them was extremely negative, and looking at it objectively, she came across as a subordinate whose life was made more difficult by having to deal with her king’s whims.
Just speaking with them was unpleasant for her, but she had taken on that role per her king’s wishes. Hence, she tried to bring the conversation to a close to quickly get rid of the nuisance. It was only natural for her to view the situation that way.
On the other hand, the Dark Elves couldn’t let things end that quick. This negotiation was make-or-break for the pitiful clan. It was a turning point that would determine their fate. Even if this single encounter lengthened their lives, there was no next time.
They’d no food and no guarantee they would find a safe place to live. Therefore, even if they seemed a little suspicious, it was quite natural for them to actively try to negotiate with Takuto and Atou.
Of course, Takuto didn’t blame Atou for having a narrow-minded view that was laser-focused on him when he could analyze everything objectively from the dais. But he also wasn’t going to permit a battle in their present situation.
Deciding he needed to step in, Takuto cleared his throat and raised his voice despite his nervousness.
“Atou.”
“Yes, my king?”
Atou was quick to respond. She whipped around at the sound of her name and flew to Takuto’s side faster than an arrow. Then she placed her hands on the dais and leaned her face close to his.
Her displeasure was apparent on the cute pouty expression she made sure only he could see. She also seemed frustrated that the conversation wasn’t going anywhere. She brought her lips to his ears so only he could hear her whirlwind of complaints.
“King TA-KU-TO! These people suck at negotiating! They also seem to be plotting something! They’re bad people. Let’s kill them. Let’s kill them all!” she whispered vehemently.
“Now, now, let’s not be hasty…!”
Takuto stopped just short of saying, “You didn’t do a great job negotiating either.”
She’d started off fine, but had derailed into being a bit unacceptable toward the end. Then again, he was even worse, having pushed the whole matter on his young-looking subordinate, just because he had trouble talking to strangers.
Regardless, it was undeniable that Atou and the Dark Elves had gotten off on the wrong foot. Atou seemingly wanted to be rid of them quick, but the Dark Elf chief had good reason not to back down.
Her attitude all but screamed not to approach them again. Trying to forcefully end the conversation flustered them even further. She only acted that way to put as little social pressure on Takuto as possible, but it only fostered a greater misunderstanding between both parties.
“They’ll only cause harm if you let them live! Annihilating every last one of them here and now is best! They deserve to have their heads hanging from a pike for all to see, King Takuto!”
“Whoa, hold your horses! Listen, I’m sure they want to negotiate with us—they’re offering tribute! You know how we’re an evil civilization? Don’t you think they’re acting a little funny because they’re suspicious of our motives for helping them?”
“Oh! That’s a good point! Then what should we do next?”
“Let’s ask for something in return to convince them the debt is paid. That way, they can feel reassured and be more comfortable opening up about what they really want. But man, that old elf is pretty interesting.”
I want to enjoy talking with them more too, Takuto thought. He wasn’t starved for conversation by any means, but the Dark Elves piqued his interest.
Atou looked at Takuto, who’d seen right through to the core of the issue, with adoration twinkling in her eyes, and she confidently responded in a much happier mood.
“Y-You never cease to amaze me, my king! I’m awed by your insight! I completely understand what you want now. Please leave the rest to me. I will take care of everything.”
“Hey! Wait!”
Atou spun around and returned to the negotiating table.
There’s no way she understands…
Takuto knew that, but was afflicted by the greatest game penalty—the inability to communicate. He’d no choice but to leave negotiations to her.
“Hehe. So that’s what this is all about. Now I understand…” Atou crooned seductively. “I swear, you people are so foolish I don’t know what to do with you.”
The Dark Elves lowered their heads even closer to the ground, sensing something sinister in her sudden shift.
“I would have never noticed if my king hadn’t pointed it out. To think you see King Takuto as no different from some measly evil spirit.”
“N-No! We wouldn’t dare! Believe me, Benevolent One!”
“Silence. My king’s word is absolute. And rejoice: he has taken your tasteless suggestion into consideration and deemed you Dark Fae worthy of a contract. Put simply, we will receive some kind of tribute in exchange for the food. Satisfied? Your kind should understand a contract with us is absolute. Are you relieved now?”
“Y-Yes, milady! Thank you very much for your gracious compassion.”
Moltar simply expressed his gratitude without refuting Atou’s speculation further. He did so partly because he knew the dangers of acknowledging what he thought of her king and because he realized the longer he spoke with Atou, the more hostility they earned from her.
“Then we need to receive something of equal value. Hmm, what do you have of value to us…?”
Atou twirled toward Takuto, her angelic eyes pleading with him. He knew what she wanted without her asking. Her eyes begged, “Help me, King Takuto!”
Ditz…
Takuto’s impression of Atou nearly suffered a blow because of how quickly she gave up after talking smack, but he adored her so much, any blunders she made were neutralized by his special feelings for her. It turned out that while Atou could be his spokeswoman, he’d have to make all the important decisions when it came down to it.
“Ask about the outside world.”
“My king is interested in the outside world. You people came from a faraway land, yes? Tell us everything you know about the greater world. We shall view that as compensation for the food and consider the contract complete. Is that satisfactory?”
“Absolutely! In that case, this old man shall offer you everything I have learned over my many years.”
Joy showed on Moltar’s face for the first time. He and his people were overcome with relief to be asked for the cheapest form of compensation imaginable. This was never a problem they had to worry themselves ragged over if they hadn’t been operating under a big misunderstanding.
Why is she so good at interpreting what I desire but turns utterly useless when I leave everything to her?
Takuto contemplated the reasons for Atou’s curious behavior, but it wasn’t a question with a set answer, so he forced himself to just accept it for what it was.
Negotiations were now well on their way to an amicable close. But he’d noticed something that made him question if this was all they wanted.
“You must leave this forest after our contract is fulfilled.”
“Y-Yes, milady.”
Oh, that shook him.
Atou didn’t pick up on it as usual, but Takuto didn’t miss the apparent dismay flashing across Moltar’s face. This helped Takuto swiftly put together the pieces and figure out what they wanted based on how they reacted.
“We will permit you temporary asylum. You likely need time to recuperate before moving on. However, you cannot stay long. Remember that.”
The life of an exile can’t be easy. They probably don’t have anywhere else to get food after what I gave them runs out.
During his last, sudden meeting with the Dark Elves, they’d mentioned they were driven out of their land. According to Long-legged Bug’s report, their clan had around five hundred members, which wasn’t an easy number to suddenly convert into nomads.
Offering Takuto tribute was probably also meant to improve their standing with him. He was certain they were there to use this opportunity to negotiate permission to reside in this forest and receive food from him regularly.
Them staying too long is honestly a nuisance. Refugees from a different alignment will only hinder building our empire. Plus, there’s no guarantee they won’t bring trouble to our door.
Just like in the real world, racial differences cause various conflicts in Eternal Nations. People with different cultures, mindsets, and ideas of good and evil are destined to clash.
Takuto had no intention of stupidly pushing hot coal under the rug, only for it to cause a fire later.
“We would be eternally grateful if His Majesty permitted us to reside in this forest long-term—”
“We can’t permit that. This land belongs to my king, and he desires peace and quiet. Oh, and one more thing: if you don’t want to throw away the lives we saved this day, don’t mention this place to anyone else.”
So that’s what they were after. Before any other problem, there’s the issue of the territory belonging to Mynoghra eventually becoming cursed. In-game, cursed land has a negative status effect on good and neutral aligned units. I have no idea what it’ll do in a real-life setting, though.
That was the primary reason why Takuto didn’t actively stop Atou from trying to drive the Dark Elf clan from the forest.
Cursed territories are advantageous for evil races. They provide various civilization benefits, but they are always disadvantageous when interacting with neutral and good aligned civilizations.
Of course, Takuto had no way of knowing if things worked the same way as in-game. Maybe there wouldn’t be an issue. He definitely needed to test to be sure. But Takuto was strangely convinced that the game mechanics did indeed apply to this world. For those reasons, as much as he hated to do it, he needed them to leave.
But I’d feel so awful just up and abandoning them. I’ll feel horrible if they go off and die in a ditch somewhere after I gave them food.
Takuto may have given them food on a whim, but that was produced with Mana he couldn’t replenish yet.
Were they about to go on an aimless journey and die after he’d prolonged their lives with his limited resources?
That was just as bad as them being a nuisance. Rather than sympathy, he was frustrated by the idea of his actions becoming meaningless.
“W-Well then, Great King Takuto Ira, thank you for permitting us to have an audience with you. Men, as we are before His Majesty, be sure to quietly carry away the food.”
Is there another way to solve this?
The talks were about to end.
Elder Moltar and the Dark Elf Warriors seemingly decided not to risk Atou’s wrath by arguing the point. Their exhausted faces spoke differently, however.
Mynoghra’s King—a being who should possess infinite power.
As the man who’d been called Eternal Nations’ legendary top player, Takuto felt as if he was being put to the test—that if he failed here, he’d be mocked as incompetent.
“Hey, you guys.”
As soon as the words left his lips, Takuto had found his answer. He finally realized how game-changing the civilization of Mynoghra was and his own power as its king. If he felt like it, this wasn’t a problem he needed to waste precious time mulling over.
“Become my citizens.”
Takuto had found an ingenious way to solve everything. Deep down, he was confident this option was possible. He almost wanted to laugh at himself for not thinking of it sooner.
But what met Takuto when he looked at the people before him with a confident smile turning up the corner of his lips were slack jaws and eyes that seemed to ask, “Are you crazy?”
The Dark Elves naturally questioned his sanity, but even Atou gave him the same look. He immediately realized he’d massively screwed up presenting his plan and fought back his tears as his inability to express himself reared its ugly head again.
Silence fell over the clearing—everyone was trying to figure out what the King meant.
Takuto didn’t think his comment would command this much attention, and he was hit by a tidal wave of remorse. It’s often said that introverts become depressed when they recall conversations they’ve had with others. Takuto was a perfect example; he quickly regretted saying anything at all.
“Wh-What was that, King Takuto?” Atou queried.
Takuto remained silent. He actually wanted to be left alone to wallow in his misery, but Atou wouldn’t stand for that. She needed to confirm what he wanted and how to proceed with the negotiations from there.
“P-Pardon me. I need to speak with my king. Stay where you are. Do not draw any unfounded conclusions in the meantime!” Atou hastily ordered Moltar and the warriors, her expression distraught from Takuto dropping such an unexpected bomb.
Seeing the panic on her face as she approached made Takuto wish he could start this game over again. He’d made too many sloppy moves from the start; he wanted a clean reset.
He always did that when a game map got off to a bad start, but unfortunately for him, this world wasn’t a videogame. There was no new game menu. And so he was stuck explaining himself to Atou, who demanded an explanation.
“Wh-Wh-What are you thinking?!” she whispered.
“E-Exactly what I said. I thought we could just make them our citizens. C’mon, don’t look so shocked. It makes me feel worse… Sorry I suck at talking.”
“Y-Your comment was fine… But those things are neutrally aligned, you know?”
“So they are,” Takuto hummed, rubbing his chin with his hand.
Although he was just beating himself over screwing up, Atou’s shocked expression was quite funny, which had the mysterious effect of calming his restless mind. Once he stopped panicking, he swiftly weighed the pros and cons of his suggestion and felt confident that his offer was based on sound logic.
Takuto stared at himself reflected in Atou’s uncertain eyes and explained his plan to her as if speaking to a child.
“I want to use the Refugee skill to recruit them. Remember how that was part of the game?”
“I do. But I worry about the conflicts that might arise when we produce Mynoghra’s main race, the Homunculus.”
Civilizations in Eternal Nations are assigned various races, such as Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Demons, etc. These distinctly different races each possess their own goals and dispositions, adding extra flare to the game, especially with the ability for races to immigrate and become refugees in another civilization.
The complex nature and variety of playstyles were a part of this game’s appeal. And naturally, that meant Mynoghra also had its own unique race. Suggestively named Homunculus, the race boasted even more germane characteristics than its name.
“Okay, Atou, I want you to remember exactly what the Homunculus look like,” Takuto gently instructed, bringing unfounded relief to his perplexed subordinate.
Regaining her calm, Atou pulled out the information she’d mentally filed away about the Homunculus and blanched.
“Those things are soulless, after all. They’ve a high fertility rate and great food and resource bonuses, but that comes at a price—crappily low Mana and technological development. They’ll be more of a disadvantage than anything while we can’t aggressively expand our empire.”
Atou was well-aware of the downsides Takuto laid out. While the Homunculus were a race that specialized in one thing and failed at everything else, they were a powerful asset with the right strategy.
Takuto and Atou had plenty of experience working with various strategies to tackle every situation thrown at them. It wouldn’t be difficult for them to develop a tactic to incorporate the Homunculus in their plans for world conquest, once they were ready to produce them with Mana. Except they took an entirely different issue with their use.
“Think back on the Homunculus’s character designs, Atou. Can you really stand looking at that forever?”
The Dark Elves jumped when Takuto glanced and pointed in their general direction. What he was actually pointing to was the Long-Legged Bug hiding behind them in defense mode. Its googly eyes seemed to gawp at them as they rolled around in their sockets.
Atou was immediately reminded of Mynoghra’s native race in the early stages—bulging eyes, disproportionate body parts, constantly quivering whether they stood still or moved, just like their bug scout, except in deformed humanoid form.
“Ugh! Double ugh! I forgot Homunculus look like extremely deformed humans because they tried to imitate humanity to blend in better. Seeing them in the flesh is liable to make me puke…”
Things that were originally suitable for game graphics appeared frighteningly realistic here. What someone can tolerate and even enjoy in a game is entirely different from wanting to experience it in real life.
It was hard to estimate the kind of mental damage it’d do to them, living with those disgusting creatures every day. Atou, at least, had misgivings about the adverse effects on both of them from running a country full of googly-eyed, slimy citizens.
“And there are advantages to accepting the Dark Elves as citizens too. It’s always been a struggle balancing the inefficiency of Mynoghra’s research-related facilities. With them on our side, our research speed will no longer be a problem.”
One of Mynoghra’s civilization traits is getting access to the Homunculus race. The player can expand their empire at an explosive speed using Homunculus with their fast reproductive rate, high productivity, and minuscule penalties for decreased citizen happiness and hygiene.
This allows the player to take advantage of one of the best benefits of being an evil civilization: the ability to forcibly expand industry without worrying about pollution tanking citizen happiness.
These are the traits and strengths unique to playing as Mynoghra. The downside is the huge handicap placed on research and development, putting them massively behind other empires when it comes to technological advancement as a way to balance the game.
But it’d be a different story if they invited the suffering Dark Elves to join their empire. Their presence would effectively counter any research penalties. And obviously, Takuto could still produce Homunculus as long as he had sufficient Mana.
Meaning it was still possible to secure explosive fertility and productivity generated by soulless drones. Going by the notion of there being a right person for every job, inviting them was a smart move.
In the game, Mynoghra’s evil alignment made it extremely difficult to accept immigrants and other races, but this situation might classify as a lucky random event in their favor.
“They’ll bring a lot of benefits to our empire, but even more than that is…well, you know?” Takuto said, bringing them back to the topic of grotesque looks and zombie-like citizens.
“I strongly believe citizens capable of civilized conversation are a necessity for our great Mynoghra. Or rather, for my mental health…”
“What a coincidence. I was just thinking the exact same thing!”
Takuto’s proposal, which was initially considered insane, actually went over well when he explained it. There was never a problem with his strategy, only confusion evoked by his poor choice of words.
As good of a plan as it was, the potential results were unknown. Atou still had reservations.
“But will they function as proper citizens?” she asked.
“We won’t know until we try. There might be game limitations we don’t know about. As long as they maintain a certain degree of happiness, there shouldn’t be any trouble—I think.”
“Do you think this is a game world? It doesn’t feel quite the same to me…”
Atou had absolute faith in Takuto. If that was her king’s conclusion, then it must be true.
Still, they didn’t know much about this world. She was concerned about any potential deviances from the game world creating dangerous problems for them down the line.
“Well, we can figure that out as we go. Either way, we’ll be able to get a lot of information from them. Let’s solve the problem at hand for now. Do I have your support in this, Atou?”
“There are too many uncertain factors… Ngh… I can’t decide what is right. I’m sorry.”
At that moment, Takuto thought Atou’s behavior was very game-like. She was quick to act when she understood what he wanted, but dangerously slow when it came to making a decision herself.
She probably wasn’t aware of it, but Takuto sensed there was something at a fundamental level interfering with her and causing this unnatural indecisiveness. But he wasn’t going to point it out to her. It wasn’t that big a deal to him. He was happy as long as he had her, and Atou was satisfied as long as she had him.
“Don’t sweat it. I’m the king and you’re my subordinate. It’s my job to make the hard decisions. Let’s accept them into our empire as citizens.”
“Your decision has cleared up all my doubts. I shall inform them of your decree—um, is it all right if I do that?”
Her unconfident question embodied the shame she felt at not being more helpful. Frustrated that he wasn’t better at expressing himself and not wanting her to ever lose confidence, Takuto put on his best smile. This was a sign of affection he only ever showed her.
“You don’t even have to ask. Who else would do it? I’m counting on you.”
“Please leave everything to me, my king.”
With their private talk finally over, Atou faced the Dark Elves.
Entirely unaware of the contents of their conversation, the Dark Elves could only anxiously await the King’s decree, as handed down by Atou.
“My king meant exactly what he said.”
“L-Lady Atou, could you please explain what His Majesty is thinking in terms we can understand in our ignorance?”
“My king is going to build an empire. If you become his citizens, he will guarantee your safety under his mercy and might.”
Elder Moltar and the rest were taken aback by this unforeseen proposal. Before coming, they’d considered all the different situations that might occur during negotiations with the King of Ruin and prepared their responses. But they never could’ve prepared for this.
“My king knows all. He laments the situation you are in and has shown you his great mercy. Nothing more, nothing less,” Atou declared like a thunderclap.
Through her tone and word choice, she was essentially asserting there was nothing more to it than that while also warning them not to question his decision.
But Moltar and the Dark Elves were too busy racking their brains trying to decide how to respond to the King’s abrupt proposal to heed her.
“I tremble with joy before the great King’s boundless mercy… Pardon my rudeness, but may I inquire what will happen to us if we were to become his citizens?”
“I wish I could promise eternal happiness to you, but that’s not what you want to know, is it? To put it simply, you would become evil.”
Everyone was stunned.
Atou came right out in the open and gave them a clean and concise answer. It was easy to understand. Her meaning was clear. But, at the same time, it was such a preposterous and life-changing statement.
“Yep, that’s right.”
Elder Moltar’s gaze unknowingly went to the King, who was nodding along quite happily with his subordinate’s response, like it made all the sense in the world. Not even an old sage who’d lived two hundred years could be easily convinced by this simplified explanation that they’d just become evil.
“Perhaps it would be more appropriate to explain in greater detail, but we aren’t obligated to do that for your people at this time.”
Atou deliberately condensed the explanation. They weren’t Mynoghra’s citizens yet, and they could still reject joining.
Naturally, she’d every intention of slaughtering them all the instant they spurned her king’s mercy to keep word from getting out. Still, she decided sowing unnecessary worry in them by sharing that bit of information was pointlessly foolish.
Besides, Takuto had said he’d welcome them as citizens. All they had to do was joyously accept, making tedious explanations a waste of time anyway.
“The decision is yours. I have nothing further to say. Whichever you choose is your destiny.”
The Dark Elves didn’t seem to realize her usage of “destiny” included whether they lived or died based on their reply.
Atou had absolute faith Takuto would solve any empire-management problems that might arise one way or another. With that said, she placed great importance on her king’s interests. It wouldn’t hurt for things to play out in the best direction for all parties.
So she hummed aloud, her fingers lightly placed on her lips as she gazed thoughtfully into the distance before saying, “But in my personal opinion, this side is surprisingly fun.”
An eerily kind smile crossed her face.