Takuto was in unusually high spirits that day, and it was obvious to anyone.
This was only natural, as the time had finally come for him to devote his attention to the domestic administration he so loved.
Recently, numerous troubling events had occupied his mind, such as investigating the Holy Kingdom's expedition force and tracking the movements of neighboring nations.
Now that these matters had reached a temporary conclusion, the resulting mental space was doing much to lift his mood.
His subordinates seemed to sense the improved temper of the king they served, and the meeting about to convene began with a relaxed atmosphere, despite a light undercurrent of tension.
"Thank you all for gathering here despite your busy schedules."
The chair was, as always, Atou.
She offered a light smile as she surveyed the attendees.
Present were the pillars of the nation.
Elder Mortar, War Chief Gia, and Emuru, who had transitioned from adjutant to secretary.
Joining them were Mearia and Kyria, who attended to Takuto. Naturally, Atou and Takuto were also there.
"Then, let us begin our enjoyable work on domestic matters. First, let's have a status report. Construction department."
"Yes. I am Emuru of the Construction Department. The construction of the royal palace is currently complete, and we have ample labor capacity. During the free time, we focused on replenishing lumber, so our materials are also sufficient. We are able to commence new construction projects."
"I see. Thank you. While we have this surplus, it would be wise to build a new facility."
Atou nodded in satisfaction at the prompt and capable response. True to Emuru's words, the city's construction capacity was currently available.
While leaving valuable labor idle was something to avoid, the facilities available to the Mynoghra civilization brought various benefits to the state.
The underlying strategy was to prioritize expanding the facility network first.
"Takuto, shall we proceed with the next building as discussed previously?"
"Mm."
Atou's question met with a nod from Takuto.
In truth, they had already discussed the direction of Mynoghra in advance.
Even so, holding a meeting like this served a purpose: to distribute work among their subordinates, spread out the labor, and prevent any problems from slipping through the cracks.
At their current scale it might still be manageable, but once the nation grew larger, one person could no longer handle it alone.
Unlike a game, they were bound by the realistic constraint of having to process a vast amount of information, and it was this that drove Takuto and the others to adopt such measures.
"Then Emuru. Next, please construct the Magic Laboratory. Your people possess affinities for sorcery, and magic units consume the least amount of human resources. Furthermore, focusing on magical technology is a sound judgment given our nation's direction."
"I understand. I shall relay this to the practical staff as soon as the meeting concludes."
The selection of buildings had actually been a headache. There were many appealing candidates, such as the Gorge and Mire, which increased population growth at the cost of greater food consumption, and the Living Vine, which granted a defense bonus when enemy units laid siege to the city.
But both were rejected on the grounds that they required time to produce results.
Thus, the Magic Laboratory was chosen—a prerequisite for producing powerful magic units and increasing the city's mana output.
The fact that this facility needed to be rushed despite having a relatively low priority in normal gameplay was itself evidence of how they had grown sensitive to threats and were focusing on building up military strength.
"Now then, domestic affairs—the resource situation... Who's handling this?"
"That would be Emuru, serving in a dual capacity. Domestic food supply is progressing smoothly. Timber and stone supply, of course, but even iron goods, which we cannot produce ourselves, are being supplied thanks to the king's aid. However, given that we are consuming mana all the same, I'm afraid the balance of revenue and expenditure is somewhat unfavorable."
The reason the dark elves, who had arrived carrying only the bare minimum of belongings, had managed to give shape to a city in such a short time lay in Takuto's ability to summon materials.
His power to produce goods from the world he had originally come from provided them with iron implements, clothing, and all manner of other tools that would normally be difficult to obtain.
Naturally, this consumed a fair amount of mana, but Mynoghra's current population was roughly five hundred.
At that scale, the supply costs were not a problem.
That said, this too was a brute-force solution that only worked because their population was so small.
"Emergency production by way of mana is just too convenient, isn't it? Still, it's a necessary expense, so we use it freely. Raising mana production capacity through facilities and research remains a high priority. Oh, and I'll give you a bit of extra pay as well—for the trouble of pulling double duty."
"Thank you."
Watching Emuru bow her head gracefully, Atou keenly felt their shortage of personnel. Still, that matter remained shelved for now. He could only hope time—or perhaps some dramatic shift in circumstances—would resolve the problem.
"Then, since the topic of magical power has come up, shall we receive the research report?" he said.
"That would be my duty," the old Mortar replied. "This time, with the completion of Military Magic, the use of magic on a military scale has become possible. Currently, only I can use it... but with the Mana of Ruin supplied from the palace, we can execute powerful offensive spells. Though, given our King's policies, I suspect we won't be using them actively."
"Indeed. The magic of Ruin is convenient, but it's utterly useless for domestic affairs," Atou agreed.
The Tactical Magic research that Elder Mortar had spearheaded was already operational in the field. Timely—or rather, calculatedly timed—its completion had immediately brought Mynoghra a powerful military card, a synergy of effects.
Furthermore, once the next building, the Magic Research Institute, was developed, they would be able to produce even more magic-focused units. Their military strength could only increase from there.
Of course, as Atou's troubled expression made clear, the magic of Ruin could only be used for attack, which was a troublesome limitation for Mynoghra, a nation that prioritized internal development.
"Regarding research, let us proceed with the magical school's Six Great Elements as originally planned," Atou decided. "This may take some time, but choosing other research offers little merit."
It was too late to research Refinement or Fortification Construction now; the benefits were minimal, and opportunities to apply them were too few. After all, both Takuto and Atou agreed that magical research was far more attractive.
This would inevitably make Mynoghra a nation heavily tilted towards magic, but specializing in a specific field was also an orthodox national strategy, and thus was deemed acceptable.
"Then finally, the military report," Atou announced.
"Reporting on behalf of the Warrior Chief, I am Gia," she began. "The newly born forces consist of five Long-Legged Insects in total. They are primarily assigned to reconnaissance missions in the uncharted territories nearby. However, unlike the Great Cursed Realm, the forest here gives way to open plains. Since we are prioritizing stealth, we cannot conduct large-scale investigations at present."
"Understood. Surrounding intelligence is reported to our King regularly. Continuing reconnaissance while maintaining stealth is becoming somewhat risky," Atou considered. "Assign the Long-Legged Insects to patrol duty around the nation's borders."
"At your command... Additionally, if I may be so bold to make one point. Regarding research, if we were to complete the Advanced Hunting you mentioned previously, the Long-Legged Insects could evolve into Neck-Hunting Insects, allowing us to secure an even more powerful military force."
At Gia's proposal, both Takuto and Atou inwardly groaned. While reopening a settled matter at this juncture was a foolish move in terms of timing, the content of her suggestion was certainly worth considering. Moreover, it was evidence that the soil was fertile for subordinates to think proactively.
In truth, Advanced Hunting had already been a candidate in prior consultations. Under normal circumstances, it should have been the chosen research subject.
Then why was it not adopted? The reason was simple: because there were no animals in this forest whatsoever.
That Gear could not consider this point showed she still had room for improvement.
Atou decided to offer a little admonishment mixed with ample praise later, and rejected Gear's proposal.
"While it is an attractive suggestion, we will proceed with research as it currently stands, magic-centered. Bolstering our overall magical-related technology is the urgent priority. What is the production status of Isla?"
"I shall report on that matter. We have already secured sufficient timber and food resources. The production from the Human-Flesh Trees and the highly nutritious fruits the King has created have yielded excellent results. However, we are somewhat behind schedule regarding mana."
"How does it look to you, Takuto Ira?"
All the reports and policy decisions had been made, and the question was posed: was everything satisfactory?
Takuto observed the scene with a look of deep emotion.
He had explained the general flow to Atou, but everything was being advanced through their consultations.
The sight of them holding loyalty to the state and striving with all their might to fulfill their duties was a joy to behold, and he even felt a deep affection for them.
"This is fine as it is. Everyone is working very hard."
This unusually long remark caused all his subjects to bow their heads deeply.
Everyone, subjects and citizens alike, understood that the King seldom spoke much. Therefore, they could sense the weight contained within those words.
Filled with the joy welling up in his chest, the meeting deepened its discussion further.
◇ ◇ ◇
Before long, the time for domestic affairs ended, and the moment arrived to discuss the reality they were reluctant to acknowledge.
That is, the myriad of problems that plagued their minds.
"Now, let's align our talk a bit regarding matters outside the country. The Holy Kingdom of Quolia shows no movement as of now either, I see?"
"Yes. Currently, no suspicious activity has been observed. They still seem bewildered by the problems arising in the Northern States."
The question was posed to Gear as if seeking confirmation, and the answer that returned was exactly as she had anticipated—an affirmation of the current situation.
"That was a royal procession. Given that, despite some delays, we should be able to complete Isla's production at a reasonable pace. As for hostile candidate nations, things are stable for now. That leaves the issue of increasing our population—does anyone have any thoughts on this?"
"We believe our kin are still out there. If we were to welcome them, perhaps it could ease the concerns our great king harbors. — If you would leave the persuasion to this Mortar, I am certain our brethren would bow their heads to the greatness and mercy of our king."
"Yes, our king also holds deep sympathy for the plight of your Dark Elves. Rest assured, he will not abandon you. In that case, how many of your kin do you estimate there are?"
"Not so many. Perhaps a thousand, maybe two thousand..."
"Hmm, I see... Even if we were to accept them, that number would still be far from sufficient. — Takuto, could you offer some wisdom on this matter?"
The baton now passed to Takuto.
Initially, they had wanted at least five thousand citizens. With that many, they could bolster the intellectual ranks and shift labor to Pseudo-Humans or child drones.
But it seemed the Dark Elves were even fewer than imagined.
Furthermore, as old Mortar reluctantly admitted, there was no guarantee they were all still alive.
The strategy of accepting the weaker Dark Elves to earn their gratitude had worked out better than expected, and Takuto was beginning to relish it. Unfortunately, it seemed he lacked the luck to catch a second loach.
"I'll put it on hold for now."
Takuto, who had been explaining something to the twins, finally stroked his chin and gave only that one-word reply after being addressed by Atou.
It seemed that even with his experience and intellect, this problem was difficult to solve.
Rather, this situation itself could be considered abnormal.
After all, in a normal game, one would play over decades or even centuries. Population was naturally expected to grow over such long periods of in-game time. It was only natural to seek a quick way to increase population when it was suddenly lacking.
"So it's not that easy after all. You two should make more children."
Population was directly tied to national power. Despite the major bottleneck, no solution was in sight, and Atou shot a sullen look of dissatisfaction at old Mortar and Gia.
But sometimes reality was harshly pressing down on her. In other words, as Emru answered on her behalf.
"Lord Atou. These two... aren't married."
"Because our work is our family," they replied in unison.
Emuru let out a weary sigh while the two thumped their chests with self-satisfied expressions.
Ah, these are the type who glorify being single. People with absolutely zero intention of ever marrying.
Making that judgment, Atou quickly gave up on them and turned to the promising candidate present, Emuru, seeking agreement.
"Is that so. Then Emuru, you'll have to do your best..."
"I am, um, currently recruiting a romantic partner..."
"This is hopeless."
That was Atou's final verdict. By all accounts, Emuru gave off an attractive aura, but her position probably created various complications.
Regretting having poked into the thicket of dark elf romantic affairs, Atou hastily changed the subject.
"L-Let's drop this topic! We got sidetracked! Next, next! We'll decide our policy regarding the neutral nation of Fonkavun! This is the main agenda!"
The temporarily loosened tension snapped back instantly.
It could be said that how they handled this town, situated just outside the Great Cursed Realm, was the critical issue that would decide their fate.
Mismanaging the situation could lead to war in the worst-case scenario. With the enemy's national power an unknown variable, they absolutely had to avoid that choice at all costs.
"Regarding that matter, I have a report which supersedes mine," spoke Gia, the warrior chief commanding all military forces. "It appears the aforementioned city is in a heightened state of alert."
The group collectively furrowed their brows, sensing the complexity of the situation in the report's content.
"A heightened alert? Does that mean our presence has been discovered?"
"No, this is based on distant observation, but we've confirmed intermittent goblin attacks. It seems they're tightening their vigilance against demi-humans and similar barbarian tribes."
Barbarians are essentially hostile units that belong to no nation.
Atou judged as she listened to the explanation that while they had been like pesky insects in the early stages of "Eternal Nations," they apparently functioned similarly in this world.
Defeating them wasn't overly difficult, but if scouts were attacked, it would be disastrous.
Dealing with them required forming an army, making them a troublesome presence.
However, some barbarians possessed special abilities.
Killing them brought no favor, nor would it incur the wrath of any faction. Atou privately schemed, thinking that if the timing was right, they could be defeated.
Defeating a wide variety of units increased Atou's power.
No matter what, she had to remain powerful. That was the mission she had set for herself.
"Just handling the situation seemed very difficult; it made me nervous just watching."
Huh? Atou tilted her head.
She was sure the attack was by goblins. Considering the technological level of this world, defeating them should have been easy.
That puzzling situation troubled her thoughts.
"Are reinforcements not coming from the home country?"
"From what we've confirmed, the town is in an exclave-like position, so they likely cannot send reinforcements easily. Or perhaps the home country itself is in a similar situation... that is the speculation."
"Hmm... difficult to dispatch troops because it's an exclave. Is this region really that dangerous due to barbarians?"
"It's an unexplored area, so there are relatively many demihumans. Goblins, orcs, and kobolds are commonly heard-of races."
"But barbarians attacking a city is unthinkable, old Mortar. Incidental encounters with a marching army are one thing, but even they would know the recklessness of assaulting a city."
Gia and old Mortar began exchanging various opinions.
However, it didn't seem to yield much constructive result, and in the end, only the fact that it was unclear was determined.
"In the current situation, information is insufficient. More importantly, if they are being attacked by barbarians, there's a possibility of refugees emerging. If we can successfully take them in, we might be able to increase the population."
In ordinary nations, not every settlement necessarily possesses adequate defensive capabilities.
A city of sufficient size might repel foreign threats with sturdy stone outer walls, but for villages primarily focused on agriculture and herding, they would be virtually defenseless.
Naturally, if barbarian expulsion cannot be carried out properly, they would be the first to suffer the consequences. Even if they luckily escaped, the inevitable result would be the creation of refugees with nowhere to go—a simple and predictable theory.
While even nations might be overwhelmed by refugees, fortunately, here both land and food are in surplus.
As long as the acceptance of becoming evil is permissible, the only remaining necessity is the individual's resolve.
Of course, this scheme, explained with such composure, was secretly instructed to Atou by Takuto.
"Lord Atou, is there no possibility of those refugees betraying us?"
"We only need to keep watch. By stationing military forces in the cities, we can suppress any rebellion from the populace. Among Mynoghra's units... among Takuto's subordinates who have yet to be summoned, there exists a type perfectly suited for such a role."
"Oh! That is most reassuring!"
He deliberately omitted the explanation that "their appearance is a bit... peculiar."
Within Atou's judgment, it was just barely acceptable. Whether that would align with the sensibilities of the Dark Elves, however, was an unknown.
That said, their effectiveness is guaranteed. Units of the type called Brain Eaters possess a secondary ability to increase a city's public order.
They are units that can be produced once the next level of technology is unlocked, and are highly valued in a strictly defensive playstyle, as they complement medical units that heal the injuries of other units.
"Furthermore, if their own peace of mind is guaranteed, the thought of betrayal is unlikely to arise easily. Wouldn't you agree?"
"Your words are sound."
"Either way, we should soon seek friendly contact and progress discussions with that nation. If we can curry favor, well and good; if they are hostile, well, that is for that time. A settlement obtainable by any means would be ideal, but let us not be too ambitious."
At these words, everyone nodded.
They agreed with Atou, endorsing the policy.
This signaled the end of the meeting.
"Then, the plan is set. For the next turn—oh, excuse me, the next policy is to dispatch an envoy to the neutral nation of Fonkavun. We shall not rush them; please consider the most friendly approach possible to initiate contact."
I deliberately didn’t bring it up, but the reason Takuto is so fixated on that particular city is simple. Dragon veins exist within it. As a map resource that produces Mana, the Dragon Vein Wells are things that must be obtained, no matter the cost. Ideally, it would end amicably, but there are various methods available. Takuto adds this surprisingly proactive policy to his choices. The time when Mynoghra would first be recognized as a nation was drawing very near.
=Message===
New construction facilities and research projects have been selected.
Constructing! [Magic Research Institute]
Researching! [Six Great Elements]
Producing! [All Insect Queen Isla]
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