Fonkavun is a multi-species nation primarily composed of human tribes with unique customs.
While its founding is unclear, it holds the second-largest territory among the scattered nations in the southern continent of Idoragia.
In terms of civilization, it lags one stage behind the northern continent, having only recently begun producing iron tools and establishing a basic system of state governance.
A key characteristic is their ancient worship of spirits, distinct from the elemental spirits revered by elves—these are more indigenous beliefs.
They worship the spirits of animals, insects, trees, plants, even rocks and the land itself, and practice divination using bones and hides.
Though their civilization level is not particularly high, a somewhat pastoral atmosphere that permeates the nation has had positive effects, allowing them to enjoy a gentle prosperity without internal strife despite being a multi-species state—until now.
"Mountain men! The mountain men have appeared!"
In Fonkavun's capital, Crescent Moon, they had been suffering massive damages from daily subhuman raids.
These were people accustomed to lives removed from war. While they possessed a certain level of military strength, their training was far from robust.
Their weapons were hastily crafted and crude.
The outer walls were earthworks not designed to withstand major incursions, and the city within comprised fragile, vulnerable structures.
Their adversaries were civilization-hostile subhumans—commonly known as savages.
From goblins to orcs and kobolds, and sometimes rarely seen dangerous creatures, they launched raids to threaten the inhabitants' very right to exist.
Today's attack came from one of the most dangerous among them: a Hill Giant.
"Someone! Tell the priest with the staff! The mountain men are here!"
"Send out archers! Don't let them enter the city!"
Standing at a height that could easily look down upon the residents' homes, this giant humanoid monster was what they called a mountain man.
It had smooth, unnerving skin; a muscular, brawny physique; bloodshot, bulging eyes; and sharp, protruding fangs that spilled from its mouth.
Though its intelligence was extremely low, it possessed more than enough brute strength to compensate.
A single blow from the club in their hand would reduce an ordinary soldier to a mere chunk of flesh in an instant.
Though not on the level of a Cyclops—the superior race among giant-kind—they were nonetheless powerful demi-humans.
Under normal circumstances they would inhabit only the deep mountain regions far from any settlement, never venturing out of their own territory. So why were they assaulting a city?
No answer to that question was forthcoming, but the demand for a response was inescapable.
"Damn it! The earthen wall damaged in the last attack hasn't been repaired yet! At this rate they'll break into the city!"
The beastman stationed as an early-warning scout—a man with a keen nose—spat the words out with a face twisted as if he were crushing a bitter insect between his teeth.
Archers in the watchtowers were already raining desperate volleys down upon the creature, but it was nowhere near enough to stop it.
The distance to the city was terrifyingly close.
Even with the detection abilities of the beastman race, the thing materialized from nowhere and its assault was nearly impossible to predict—hence the utter lack of preparation.
One week had passed since the last attack.
The earthen wall—shattered by a total of three Hill Giants—still had not been fully repaired, its restoration hampered by the ongoing need to respond to sporadic goblin raids.
Spear-wielding soldiers charged in bravely in a desperate attempt to repel it, but the sheer difference in physique translated directly into a gap in combat power.
Even among races gifted for battle, they could do little more than dodge the creature's attacks—stopping its advance was utterly beyond them.
What the Hill Giant aimed for was the gap in the unfinished wall. And beyond that gap lay the city streets of Crescent Moon.
As if it had been aiming precisely for that opening, the giant lunged forward, and every last person present painted a hopeless vision in their minds—the Hill Giant breaching the city, the carnage that would follow.
"Vine-arm magic! Now then—how's that?!"
A young boy's voice rang out with startling clarity across the battlefield, and the next instant something stirred at the Hill Giant's feet.
"GRAAOOHH!"
"That's—staff-wielder magic! Reinforcements?!"
The Hill Giant began to struggle against something unseen, and then its movements ground to a halt.
Eventually, it stumbled to the ground as if tripping over something, and the beastman watched countless blades of grass spread out and converge upon its massive form, a look of joy surfacing on his face.
The grass extending from the giant's feet moved as if it possessed a will of its own, tangling tightly around its limbs and completely halting its movements.
"Rest easy now, brave soldiers of Fonkavun! With me, a staff-bearer, here, things are about to get truly amazing!!"
"Oh! Pepe!"
The young boy appeared from a gap in the collapsed earthen wall and made his way down to the soldiers. Skipping along, he climbed onto the Hill Giant, which was immobilized by the magical grass.
"Heh heh heh! As expected of me! I am incredible! Waaah!!"
The young boy's voice rang out triumphantly across the battlefield.
He wore a robe so long it dragged on the ground, clearly too big for him, with the hem of his shirt slovenly protruding from beneath his shorts. This boy was the priest they had been waiting for.
The priest who presided over rituals and wielded miracles in Fonkavun.
Among them, the highest-ranking staff-bearer.
In other words, the absolute authority and leader within Fonkavun.
There were twelve of them, beloved by the earth and the spirits of beasts, capable of wielding their divine power.
The potent magic they unleashed, and their exclusive right to bear the long staffs laden with religious significance.
Filled with respect and reverence, they were called "staff-bearer."
Pepe was the youngest of them. The most youthful, the one with the most promising future.
He had been the first to respond to this recent disturbance, rushing to the aid of the soldiers who were struggling, and had spectacularly defeated the Hill Giant.
His reassuring encouragement and cry of victory involuntarily heightened the soldiers' excitement.
Before they knew it, they were surrounding Pepe, who was shouting triumphantly atop the Hill Giant, shouting frantic words of support.
"Priest! Priest!"
"Waaah! Louder!"
However, there was one unfortunate problem.
Everyone present on the field had forgotten.
They had forgotten that his second name, bestowed by other wielders of the staff, was "Fool."
"GRAAAARR!!!"
"Gyaaaaaaaah!!"
"The priest!!"
The Hill Giant, its movements restricted by the Vine Arm spell, tore free from its restraints with all its might.
Naturally, Pepe, who was riding on top, was thrown clear.
Getting carried away and failing to deliver the finishing blow had come back to bite him.
The giant's massive eyes rolled in their sockets, glaring at Pepe as he tumbled across the ground. Just as it moved to crush his small form underfoot...
The real reinforcements finally arrived.
"—Earth Marsh spell."
"Groo? GRAAAARR...."
The timing was perfect.
The spell's activation was swift as a falcon.
The very instant the Hill Giant raised its foot, a sudden morass of mud formed beneath its planted leg, causing the giant to taste the ground's chill once more.
"—Vine Arm spell."
Added to this were the grassy bindings that coiled around it.
The wielder of the staff who arrived later was not so foolish as to miss this opening.
"What are you standing around for?! Take it out now while you can! Aim for the eyes!!"
"Y-yes!!"
"Gyaaaahhh!!"
A single death rattle.
Arrows and spears aimed precisely pierced the skull of the colossal monster, bringing its life to an abrupt halt.
The soldiers' gazes turned to the new staff-wielder.
She walked with a crisp stride, wearing a vaguely displeased expression.
Renowned for being strict and unforgiving day in and day out, that was the person who appeared.
It was an elderly minotaur woman, a beast-kin with a bovine head.
The old minotaur assessed the Hill Giant's condition from a distance.
Once she had a swift young soldier confirm its demise, she finally announced the end of the raid to the soldiers and offered words of commendation.
Of course, this was not the end for them.
Treating the wounded, retrieving fired arrows, disposing of the Hill Giant's corpse—there was a mountain of tasks to be done.
And for the old minotaur, the true hero of this battle, an extremely important task only she could handle awaited.
Namely, lecturing the foolish, thoughtless staff-wielder.
"Oof!"
"What a sight you are, Pepe! A staff-wielder should have more spine!"
"Nnh!? Ah! Tonukapoli!"
Pepe, struck soundly on the head with a mature wooden staff, finally realized he had been shaken dizzy after being thrown by the Hill Giant.
Focusing his blurred vision, he saw his master, Tonukapoli, whom he had been taken care of since childhood, also a staff-wielder.
Her demeanor made it crystal clear that a harsh scolding was imminent.
But he responded cheerfully, his expression nonchalant—indeed, he even wore a pleasant smile. "Snaring the mountain man with your grass-arm magic was fine. But what was that about! You had the nerve to celebrate victory first! I'm always telling you that Hill Giants have Supernatural Strength, so you need to finish them quickly by aiming for their vitals!"
"Hmmm...? Oh! Th-that's right!! I forgot!"
"Ouch!"
"You fool! If you die, it's all for nothing! Why do you forget such important things?!"
Second reprimand. This time, a large bump was forming.
No matter how many times he was told, this boy simply wouldn't grasp it. While this was nothing new, Tonukapoli's irritation grew with each occurrence.
Pepe was recognized by everyone as an idiot. In Fonkavun, the only one who didn't acknowledge this was Pepe himself, which was precisely why this troublesome boy's constant blunders were such a headache for Tonukapoli.
"But Grandma..."
"Drop that 'Grandma' right now! You've become a staff-bearing priest yourself! How long are you going to keep acting like this? It's pathetic!"
"But..."
"Besides—I'm still a fresh and lively two hundred and forty years old!"
Having lived that long, you'd be a great-grandmother. These were the words that earned Pepe the third poke of the day.
◇ ◇ ◇
With the Hill Giant's attack ended, Tonukapoli and Pepe came to report the general circumstances to the remaining staff-bearers.
The building was thatched with straw and stood in the center of the town.
More than a residence or facility, it was better described as an ancient ceremonial hall.
In that place, lit only by the quiet glow of candles, several elders praised Tonukapoli and Pepe for their valiant efforts.
"You've worked hard. Ah... Tonukapoli, Pepe. I'm sorry. If only we were a bit younger..."
"It's fine! The elders shouldn't push yourselves too hard at your age! Shall I massage your shoulders?"
Without manners, and with a grating voice. Utterly rude, and to top it off, her shoulder massage was clumsy.
The true nature of foolish Pepe was already on full display.
She was a Rod Bearer, respected and revered by all the people of the nation. Yet, despite holding the same position, she was so brazen and did as she pleased, leaving even the ancient elders exasperated.
"As usual, she's terrible in every way... Hey, Tonukapoli. What's happened to your training of her?"
"Ugh! Even I'm at my wit's end with this fool!"
"But still. She was the successor we had our eye on. There was no one else with the talent to become a Rod Bearer..."
For Fonkavun, the Rod Bearer held a special meaning.
Those with the talent to hear the words of the Nature Spirits—the very gods they worshiped—were, in truth, extremely rare.
The fact that the ancient elders had not retired as Rod Bearer despite their advanced age was proof that a successor had not appeared for a long time. Therefore, the emergence of Pepe, hailed as a prodigy of unparalleled talent, was a joy beyond their wildest hopes.
Though, perhaps the excessively talented genius had gone too far around the bend and become a fool...
"Hmph! Our nation has the worst luck, bar none!"
"I agree with that..."
"Ufufu, everyone is so good at joking!"
"She's being serious, Pepe!"
As you can see. The talent was there, but her fatally thoughtless nature was the thorn in their side.
Still, the situation Fonkavun found itself in was not so optimistic that they could afford to indulge in such trifles.
The fact was, in this recent assault, had things gone one step differently, there would have been casualties.
Perhaps that was why the conversation about Pepe was swiftly concluded and they turned to the main issue.
The ancient staff-wielder, whose clouded eyes were now so white one could hardly see half of them, opened them wide and spoke to Tonukapoli.
"We must go to the city of Dragontan."
"Oh my? Finally rousing your heavy waist, are you? I thought you'd just leave them to die, given how you've ignored every plea for reinforcements that's come through."
"Don't say that, Tonukapoli. We ourselves are at our absolute limit here..."
The city of Dragontan.
It was the settlement constructed closest to the Great Cursed Realm, where Mynoghra existed.
They had long feared its inadequate defenses, but the staff-wielders were already stretched thin defending other cities.
Taking comfort in the fact that the barbarian raids were relatively weak, they had managed to muddle through, but it seemed the situation had finally reached a critical point.
"Hmph! This is what happens when you get greedy and try to surround a dragon vein cave!"
Tonukapoli spat out, though she too understood the importance of the dragon vein cave.
The "tactical magic" they were currently researching, once perfected, was predicted to allow the purification of potent "Earth Mana"—capable of enriching a nation—directly from the dragon vein caves.
That was why, despite the considerable distance, they had forcibly established a city.
But now that decision was placing their comrades in dire straits.
"What do we do about this? If we try to call reinforcements from the other cities, they're all at capacity."
"We'll just have to hold on ourselves, now won't we? For all we look like, we are staff-wielders after all."
"Somehow that sounds like a line you'd say right before dying on the battlefield! —Ouch!"
A sharp poke.
Wondering if the ancient's constant prodding was making Pepe stupid, even as he thought it, he turned his mind to the more critical problem.
The next move was already in mind. But conveying it would be bitter for them as well.
"By the way, there's a small favor I need to ask..."
"...What is it? Just say it already, you're creeping me out."
Even Tonukapoli frowned at the elder's deliberate evasiveness.
Despite knowing she was of a straightforward nature and preferred clear speech, he chose this manner of speaking.
Bracing herself for some outrageous trouble being dumped on her, she listened.
"Divination shows disaster looming over the Great Cursed Realm. Go investigate, with Pepe."
Understanding the weight of those words, Tonukapoli closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
Tonukapoli and Pepe currently held the top two positions of power within Fonkavun.
In other words, the nation of Fonkavun had decided to make a major gamble here.
"Depending on how things go, we might be taking out the root cause of the barbarian raids all at once. What, so our side has to risk our necks too after all?"
"My apologies. For making you take on such an ungrateful task."
"Well, it's not like it's guaranteed to end in the worst-case scenario! At best, we can only pray the gods of beast and earth watch over us!"
The journey might be smooth, but the destination would likely be harsh.
Tonukapoli almost let out a rare word of complaint about dragging Pepe into this too, but she swallowed it just in time.
She, and Pepe too, were staff-bearers. With status and power came the natural burden of responsibility.
This was simply the moment to exercise that responsibility.
"Stay well, Tonukapoli."
"Same to you—don't go dying on me!"
Retorting with her usual spirited defiance, Tonukapoli fired back.
But she had absolutely no intention of dying.
Rather, she intended to fulfill her duties so perfectly that she would leave the elders with a debt they could never repay, even in a lifetime.
"Well then, let's get ready! My staff's already raring to go — it's been so long since we've had something like this!"
"Please be careful out there, Grandma Tonukapoli!"
"Sounds like you weren't listening! You're coming along too, you big fool!!"
"Ow!"
………
……
…
Such lighthearted exchanges had taken place about a week ago.
Now Tonukapoli was regretting that judgment call to a painful degree.
They say the foolish ones are the most endearing.
And Pepe was no exception where Tonukapoli was concerned.
She had braced herself for a dangerous mission, but she had been too soft about it.
Never in her wildest imagining had she expected it would become a death trap.
Perhaps she had been overconfident in her own strength.
Some part of her had held the optimistic notion that, at worst, only the accompanying soldiers would suffer moderate casualties.
This could be called the darker side of Fonkavun's pastoral people manifesting during this expedition.
This day marked the first contact between Tonukapoli's Fonkavun forces and Mynoghra.
"Dark Elves? But this aura is rather unsettling..."
"Oh my? You're all..."
Dragontan, the city built around a Dragon Vein cave.
They took a short rest at that location and had not been traveling long toward the Great Cursed Realm when the encounter occurred.
It was a girl with an eerie atmosphere, followed by a warband of Dark Elves.
Unlike the people of the Northern Continent, in the multi-racial nation of Fonkavun, Dark Elves did not face discrimination.
But that was only true of the Dark Elves they knew...
The group before them was cloaked in such dense darkness it was apparent at a glance.
Especially the girl standing at the forefront.
She was particularly conspicuous.
Tonukapori's instincts screamed alarm, as if the Hill Giants they had seen before were mere infants compared to her.
Glancing past them to the Great Cursed Realm looming in the background, the bull-headed priest understood the situation had already escalated beyond his control.
Though she was trying to hide it well, for an expert of her caliber, it was as plain as day that the Great Cursed Realm had been utterly corrupted by forces of evil.
An indescribably dense malevolence had emerged from that forest and was bearing down upon them.
"You're not human, are you?"
"...Correct."
The girl answered Tonukapori's question quietly.
Just her words alone wrapped him in a bone-deep chill of terror. Despite the sweet voice of a lovely girl, it contained nothing but sheer dread.
"Lord Tonukapori! Wh-who are these people!?"
"I'd like to know that too! Listen, don't you dare make a move!"
Tonukapori issued instructions to his soldiers in a flustered manner.
Bringing only beastmen as supposed elites was a poor decision. Though incapable of even basic magic and uncertain in communing with nature spirits, their beast instincts allowed them to sense the dark magic, showing visible unease. All of them were frightened by the presence of darkness, and from their wariness and instinct alone, they seemed ready to fly into a rampage at any moment.
Those of the dark ones were said to hate humanity and seek to destroy all living things. All living creatures likewise felt an instinctive revulsion toward the existence of darkness. Whether they were inciting the barbarians remained unknown. Their strength was an unknown quantity. But Tonukapoli's senses were screaming that they should not fight. That they could not win if they did. That they should flee immediately.
Within the slow, dragging flow of time, Tonukapoli desperately considered their options. "Gia, have everyone hold their positions until I give the order."
"By your will."
...Atou, too, gave instructions to Gia in a quiet voice.
Fundamentally, Atou trusted no existence outside of Mynoghra. Furthermore, the encounter brought to mind the Holy Kingdom's reconnaissance team. The likely development was obvious, but the task commanded by King Takuto was separate. They had devised some strategies for the trip to the city, but this sudden encounter was unforeseen. Though they wished to ease the tense atmosphere, the opponent—especially the beastmen soldiers—were so wary that any clumsy action risked triggering an immediate clash. That had to be avoided at all costs.
Atou's group felt the same tension within themselves.
Tension bred tension, and fear of an unwanted future restrained each side from making a move.
Even the act of speaking felt like it might trigger some colossal blunder; such was the anxiety that kept both armies from daring to twitch a finger.
Just when it seemed this standoff would reach its breaking point and erupt into battle—
"Excuse me, if I might!"
A blunt, brash voice sliced through the air, like someone stomping with all their might on thin ice.
All eyes converged as one.
A figure sprang forward in front of Atou’s group, hand shot up stiffly.
Being likely the shortest person present, he moved to a conspicuous spot and beamed with a full-faced smile, apparently delighted with himself.
…It was the simple-minded Pepe.
Even Tonukapoli, the appointed overseer, was left gaping, momentarily stunned by this utterly unpredictable action.
Before the rest of their brains could catch up with the sudden shift in the situation, and before either group could rush to intervene—
"Hello! My name is Pepe! Let's become friends!!"
A lively greeting from the one boy utterly incapable of reading the room rang out across the space.
=Eterpedia===
[The Simple-Minded Pepe]Leader
~Because he’s simple-minded, he doesn’t discriminate; because he’s simple-minded, he fears nothing.
And because he’s simple-minded, he gets along with everyone.
We should all learn more from him~
[Friendly Disposition]
Impression towards all Leaders +2 points.
Impression increase rate given to all leaders +50%
<Egalitarian Inclination>
No impression variation occurs based on race or attributes
<Trade Inclination>
All profits gained through trade +20%