The Great Cursed Realm of Mynoghra. The palace. The council chamber. Dark Elves, summoned for an urgent matter, listened with expressions of undisguised dissatisfaction as Takuto explained.
"On this matter, while we acknowledge the King's decision, we cannot offer our full consent."
Reports from players of the RPG faction. A summary of the situation regarding the construction of a cooperative framework with the Hero Yuu. The reactions that came back from his subordinates were epitomized by the words of old Mortar.
Takuto, who understood perfectly well that they were not voicing objection for idle or drunken reasons, received that reaction with extreme composure.
"Yes, I expected you'd say that out of concern for me. ...What do you think, Vittorio?"
The hero of verbal gaffes, who had unusually joined this meeting and was listening quietly without causing a ruckus, was the one Takuto turned to. Since he was here, it would be wasteful not to use him.
"Oh? My opinion is needed? If the great and wonderful Takuto Ira is here, who surpasses me in every way, my shallow insights are surely unnecessary. After all, I'm probably not needed in Mynoghra anyway... Seriously, that's rough. Want me to cut my wrist?"
It was a flippant attitude, but it was conveniently suited to stirring up the room. While Takuto ultimately held the final authority in Mynoghra, forcing his will upon the Dark Elves here would be a poor move. It wasn't so much concern for them as it was a desire to avoid paying unnecessary costs in the future.
That was why he needed to persuade them with a mix of hardness and softness, to make them accept the decision.
Incidentally, Atou was not present. She would undoubtedly side with the Dark Elves, and if he put her in a meeting with Vittorio, a fight would break out, and in the worst case, time would be wasted.
"If you really want to slice your wrist, aren't there plenty of girls who'd be happy to do it for you? Look, those Elful sisters over there, for instance. —Getting back to the topic, I believe this alliance holds certain benefits. However, I also want to hear opinions from a perspective different from my own."
"That bunch of little shits over there is giving my wrist a heated gaze... Well, even a hero is basically a destitute ruffian. Wouldn't an opportunity to flatter a powerful ruler and get good food and women be appealing?"
"...I hadn't considered that perspective. Ah, yes. They don't have a nation, so they have to earn their own keep."
While the main intent was to have him discuss other merits to convince the Dark Elves, some unexpectedly interesting opinions arose.
Having lived as a national king until now, Takuto had enjoyed a life without material wants.
Given that even food could be sourced via emergency production, it couldn't be denied he had underestimated what it meant to live in this world.
"In my homeland, defeating monsters supposedly drops gold, but that doesn't work here, does it?"
"Hmm. Should I upgrade the lodging grade and, additionally, offer some spending money? I'm not sure what effect an 'impression boost' would have, but... well, it's a somewhat underhanded tactic."
"Once the belly is full, one learns manners, Your Divinity! Surprisingly, such practical aspects are crucial, you see! Not everyone can kill off primal desires and possess lofty wills!"
The Dark Elves' reactions softened slightly.
"Would that be a valid reason, then?" was the gist of their response. Like the witch Erakino, they perceived Kamiya Yu as an otherworldly being employing bizarre abilities. In other words, he fell into the same category as the hapless Demon Lord army and the TRPG faction. It was hardly unreasonable for them to be stubborn and dismiss any talk of cooperation.
Easing that perception bit by bit and guiding them in the desired direction was also a hidden purpose of convening this meeting.
Of course, Takuto himself hadn't slackened his vigilance towards the RPG faction...
"Besides, we've already accepted the Regalia. They've shown such courtesy; we wish to avoid treating them with disdain. Treating them roughly solely because of potential danger would call into question my dignity as king."
"Couldn't you just ignore that and rip them off?"
"That's not how it works..."
The reason it couldn't be done wasn't due to Takuto's personality.
It was because of the Dark Elves, who were currently fixing him with gazes that looked ready to shoot Vittorio for his earlier suggestion to break promises.
Honestly, Takuto recognized that betrayal and defection were the lifeblood of war. But they did not share that view.
The Dark Elves harbored a dream centered on the existence of Mynoghra's King, Takuto Ira.
Their king was, above all, wicked; above all, majestic; and above all, an absolute existence inviolable by anything.
It was because they so strongly shared this image as a race that they remained so devotedly loyal to Takuto.
In a sense, they too harbor fantasies about the being known as Takuto Ira. Any act that would shatter those fantasies must be avoided above all else. Otherwise, the nation would crumble from under them...
"Come to think of it, why didn't they go to another country? It wouldn't have been strange for them to head to El-Naa, the current Succubus nation, or even Quolia, right?"
"If a young man went to a Succubus nation, he'd be devoured nine times out of ten. And Quolia is a theocratic state, so it's bound up in obligations—no way!"
Vittorio answers Emuru without missing a beat. The neutral nations aren't mentioned simply because of insufficient national power. Process of elimination leads to Mynoghra, which maintains peaceful relations with neutral nations, being the safest option... If you lay out the facts again, you start to feel that Yuu is actually in a surprisingly difficult position.
"Either way, isn't it premature to judge given the current situation? Of course, we should maintain vigilance and surveillance, but will Mortar and the others accept this for now?"
"It leaves a bitter taste, but if it is necessary, there is no helping it. The Regalia that person presented to the King is essential to our great wish in Mynoghra. All we can do is increase our vigilance to ensure the King comes to no harm."
It seems the Dark Elves' opinions have shifted toward agreement. It's a reluctant consent, but for Takuto, as long as consensus is achieved, that's all that matters. After all, the future of his relationship with Yuu remains uncertain. The problem would only arise if the will of Mynoghra as a whole was divided.
"Then, Your Majesty, please permit us to add Lord Vittorio to the surveillance detail of the hero Yuu."
"Vittorio? Why him of all people?"
Gear speaks up with an objection. In truth, the request itself was understandable from the flow of conversation, but Gear, who openly dislikes Vittorio, making the proposal piqued his interest. Feigning ignorance and asking for the reason, he received an interesting answer.
"As much as it pains me to admit, Lord Vittorio's abilities are genuine. His eye for judging people is second to none, except for the King. If that is the case... he is perfectly suited for the duty of surveillance."
"Hmm..."
It is a truly reasonable wish.
Vittorio's multiple abilities are fundamentally specialized in urban disruption and the confusion or brainwashing of units.
However, the arts of human manipulation he possesses as part of his settings are well-suited for discerning human agility.
While it may not reach the level of a spy unit, it is not an unreasonable request to identify suspicious movements or statements.
Advising choices that serve the state and king by suppressing personal desire continues to feel reliable.
Even so...
(Well, it's practically impossible that Vittorio himself would take on the surveillance task as Gear expects, so this request won't pass anyway!)
One could say Gear still has much to learn.
Fundamentally, including Vittorio in the operation from the start was a mistake.
If his interest happens to align conveniently with theirs, adjust the operation later. This is the basic method for utilizing Vittorio.
But Gear, not understanding this advanced user method, has promptly become Vittorio's plaything.
"I'm moved! I am deeply moved!! What loyalty! What trust! Lord Gear, I— I have misunderstood you!!"
"Hey, stop shouting! And stop spitting, it's filthy!"
"Our misunderstanding is resolved now, right? Lord Gear and I are, what would you say, best buds? Super close friends? That sort of thing, right!?"
"I said stop spitting! More importantly, were you even listening!?"
Can you actually perform the surveillance task properly?"
"Hmm, how about it? Could I? No, I probably can't. I can't do it, Lord Gear. So you should try harder yourselves, you were the one who brought it up, right?"
"Stop with that nonsense! Today I'm finally going to cut that joking face of yours from your torso!"
"Mmmph! Violence!"
Gear and Vittorio begin making a racket, clamoring noisily.
Mortar and the others look exasperated.
"Well, it looks like this meeting won't be resuming for a while..."
Takuto reached a state of resignation, but since his main objective was achieved and there was nothing further to discuss, he stood up from his seat.
He had managed to smooth things over somewhat. He had feared a stronger backlash from the Dark Elves, but if things could be contained to this degree, the rest should be manageable.
"Alright then, I'll leave it to you."
Leaving the ensuing commotion to those remaining, Takuto exited the room.
The Elful sisters, spotting an opportunity, slipped out at the same time and flanked Takuto, peppering him with questions.
"Your Majesty, what do you think will happen with this matter?"
"You looked really happy, Sire."
"Hmm, hard to say?"
Takuto's ambiguous reply was delivered with an expression that, as Mearia had noted, was thoroughly cheerful.