Great Cursed Realm Mynoghra Capital Municipal Hall
Within the building constructed by the Dark Elves to handle the practical administrative work of governance, as Takuto Ira had intended, civil officials were developing, and even without figures like Mortar or Emuru who traditionally handled all domestic affairs, various operations were now proceeding smoothly.
In the newly expanded conference room today, several Dark Elf civil officials were processing the workload that had ballooned due to the annexation of Dragontan.
"The reconstruction plan for Dragontan is progressing well. The beastfolk are strong, and they follow our instructions closely, so construction is actually ahead of schedule."
Perhaps showing slight fatigue, the official gently massaged the bridge of his nose while reviewing the report before him.
On the desk lay a large volume of documents and approval papers. Along the walls, boards and maps were posted to organize information. In one corner of the room, numerous cans of brightly colored, preservative-laden beverages—referred to as "energizing drinks" and gifted by the King—were stacked in a mountain.
For anyone with ordinary sensibilities, this would likely be a situation warranting at least a complaint.
But for these individuals, who had walked a path of hardship in the past and now served the King and the state with supreme joy, this did not even rank as a hardship.
While some physical fatigue was visible, they proceeded with the progress check on Dragontan's reconstruction plan and the creation of reports and directive documents, their eyes shining with a mental vigor that outweighed their weariness.
"The building-related matters seem to be no issue. However, the residents' knowledge level is lower than we anticipated. It won't have an impact at this stage, but regarding the education plan, we should probably report it to Emuru."
Another Dark Elf spoke up, humming softly while resting a hand on his chin.
The tasks assigned to them by their superior, Emuru, primarily encompassed all aspects of domestic administration within Dragontan.
Of course, the broad policies and their priorities were determined by the King, Takuto Ira, and based on that information, Emuru distributed the work.
Ultimately, review from above was a given, but that did not make it an excuse for lax work.
Rather, considering the usual workload their direct superior, Emuru, already shouldered, they absolutely could not increase her burden with unnecessary trivialities.
"But is it really bad enough to report to Emuru specifically? Consulting with her means, in effect, petitioning the King as well."
Another civil official—the one handling education-related arrangements—voiced his doubt.
It wasn't an attempt to cover up their own shortcomings. Simply, education and intellectual improvement for Dragontan's residents were low priority, and they hadn't felt the need to seek consultation on the matter.
There were countless other matters demanding priority, and finishing those first was the common understanding among all reconstruction staff present.
However, there actually existed a set of circumstances that necessitated a revision of this understanding.
"Actually, I did provide the fertilizer gifted from His Majesty to agricultural workers in Dragontan for a trial run recently."
"Ah, I recall. It was part of the soil revitalization plan for depleted lands, wasn't it? What about it..."
In Dragontan, alongside urban reconstruction, various innovative initiatives were being conducted experimentally under Takuto Ira's directives. The improvement using this "fertilizer from the Kingdom of God" was one such project.
That said, the primary measure for land revitalization was large-scale soil restoration magic utilizing Mana from dragon vein points. Therefore, this fertilizer approach carried more weight as a contingency plan for emergencies and as a verification experiment to measure the effects of combining magic and science. In other words, it too had low priority—to the point where a report seemed almost unnecessary.
Of course, reporting was still important. Yet, throwing everything upward would defeat the purpose of having work delegated to them. That was precisely why the situation needed to be assessed on the spot.
Considering priority levels, minor problems should be handled by them here.
"You surely explained the usage frequency for the fertilizer and pesticides before handing them over? It should have been as simple as periodic application. Was there an issue?"
"I explained it properly. But that rather spirited bovine fellow, the next day, dumped the entire load onto his fields. The fertilizer, the pesticides... a full year's worth, all at once."
"W-Why? Those were gifts from His Majesty, items from the Kingdom of God..."
"He thought that if they were truly that wonderful, using everything at once would yield even more wonderful results. That was his reasoning."
Everyone present clutched their heads in exasperation.
These Dark Elves originally stemmed from assassination units serving elven aristocracy. Basic education was therefore provided to all, and those assigned as civil officials here were distinctly more intellectually capable than even soldiers in the warrior corps. It was precisely because of this that they had misjudged matters—the knowledge level of Dragontan's residents was far lower than they had imagined.
"In other words, common sense doesn't apply. Even points we assume 'anyone with a lick of sense would understand' are beyond them. Old Mortar himself was at his wits' end over this very gap in perception."
"What do we even report to His Majesty? We were told not to worry as problems and losses are inevitable, but this is rather..."
"Don't say it. The only option is to produce results worthy of clearing our name. We can't very well end our lives and slow down the work."
Unexpected trouble always arrives without warning and without courtesy.
It couldn't care less about our circumstances.
The Dark Elves were, in truth, competent. With the loyalty they held toward the kingdom and their king, combined with the abilities derived from their heritage, the reconstruction of the city should have been a trivial matter.
But the reality — and the essence — of all things is that they never go so smoothly.
Just for this matter alone, there were reports to write, shortages caused by wasted resources to adjust for.
Detailed interviews with the affected residents and explanatory guidance were necessary.
Because how problems were addressed and what measures were taken would have major consequences down the line, nothing could be neglected or postponed.
If they pushed things off only for the same problem to surface again, they would surely have to offer their heads before the king this time.
"The king already has expectations of us. We cannot afford to show any more incompetence."
The Dark Elves were working their hardest.
Upon receiving the report regarding this matter, Takuto held his head in his hands, much as the Dark Elf civil official had done before him.
And then he personally offered words of commendation to the civil officials handling the problem.
[The Great Cursed Realm — Mynoghra Palace]
While the Dark Elf civil officials were racking their heads over troubles that cropped up one after another...
their superiors — Emuru, the elder Mortar, and Gear — were likewise being chased down by a torrent of information and mountains of problems.
"Time, money, materials. No matter what you look at, it's never enough. I understood that, of course, but building a city really does require all manner of things."
The elder Mortar muttered to himself as he skimmed through the bundles of reports handed up to him by subordinates.
His responsibilities lay in the magical department and emergency support for other departments, so he had no direct involvement, but even casually skimming through the reports was enough to reaffirm just how arduous it was to acquire and govern an entire city.
"After all, things have been rather forcefully pushed forward. We've even had to ask Caelia and Mearia to take on work... it's come to that."
Recalling her Elfur sisters struggling through unfamiliar paperwork until their heads spun, Emuru let out a bitter "ah-ha" laugh. Still, she couldn't afford to let out a weary complaint and stop here. Everyone present—and indeed, everyone in Mynoghra—knew all too well what kind of results such complacency would bring.
"In principle, we should spend more time on this, but considering the state of the world, we can't afford that luxury," Gear said. Yes—the Threats existed. They were eyeing their precious people, plotting to shatter their peace. There was no knowing when their fangs would turn toward them. It might come tomorrow. To prepare for that, they would give their all today so as not to regret it. This resolve was something they all shared, unspoken.
"Now then. Domestic affairs should be fine; we have capable civil officials in training. So, Gear. What's the situation with the El-Nahr Spirit Pact Union?"
The conversation about Dragontan was swiftly concluded, and attention turned elsewhere. These were critical matters that could never be entrusted to the general Dark Elf populace—issues they, having become key figures in Mynoghra, must now address. It concerned military matters. Specifically, the ongoing anomalies in this world and analysis of other nations.
The Holy Kingdom of Quolia, the El-Nahr Spirit Pact Union. These two benevolent powers had been identified as nations that would clearly oppose them. While other threats existed—like the Brave Questus Demon Lord's forces or the Northern Witches—their vast territories and the military strength they supported meant they could not be underestimated. Especially the El-Nahr Union, who were already in clear opposition to the Dark Elves and whose recent lack of public appearances had become a concern among them. If everything was fine, that would be one thing, but if their silence was due to some reason…
Gear's answer, delivered after using the intelligence network he'd cultivated during his assassin days to investigate, was unfortunately not good for them.
"Information on the El-Nahr has been almost completely cut off. It's possible some form of information blockade is in effect, but… analyzing the few pieces we obtained, there's a high likelihood they are under invasion by some hostile force."
"Is that true!?"
Elder Mortar and Emuru’s eyes widened in shock.
The mind-boggling information was exactly that—a bolt from the blue. They were already struggling with concerns over the witch incident unfolding in Quolia and the looming threat of the Brave Questus Demon Lord Army, so the possibility of yet another anomaly was something even they could not have anticipated.
No—this was the true new threat. It wasn't that a fresh wonder for Mynoghra had appeared; rather, something that had always existed was now only becoming clear.
It felt as though the reason for the impatience and the almost pathological readiness against threats shared by everyone in Mynoghra, including their king, Takuto Ira, was finally being laid bare.
The gazes of Elder Mortar and Emuru pierced into Gia.
Understanding that their look urged him to continue, he nodded silently, then lowered his gaze to glance at the documents in his hands before looking up again.
"It's purely speculation, but I believe the likelihood is high. The main reason is intelligence from channels I can't disclose to everyone, but—well, that's beside the point. Most of the gathered information consists of trivial details, but when pieced together, the picture becomes rather suspicious. There are signs of increased border patrols with Quolia, and commodity prices are skyrocketing. It's not overt, but I hear emergency levies have been ordered under the clan chief's command."
If it were only that, it could be interpreted as a potential invasion of another country. However, if Gia was stating it this definitively, that possibility could likely be ruled out.
Presumably, the answer lay within that intelligence network he couldn't disclose, so neither Elder Mortar nor Emuru pressed that point.
Pointing out even the presence of informants among their bitter enemies, the elves, held little meaning in the current context.
Far more pressing was the new crisis that had erupted. This matter was now beyond their capacity to handle alone; they needed to convene with King Takuto Ira and the hero Atou to determine a course of action.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Elder Mortar suddenly remembered that they hadn't yet heard about Quolia's current situation.
"Come to think of it, what happened with Quolia, Emuru? I recall that country was also preoccupied with the witch from the north..."
"Isn't the situation unchanged? From what I heard from the king and Atou, that being isn't easily dealt with. Well, we know the forces of good are hostile to us. If the witch weakens that nation's strength, wouldn't that be beneficial for our country in the end?"
The words were surprisingly relaxed, coming from a man who had just demonstrated such impressive information-gathering and analytical abilities.
It was precisely this kind of slight tactical softness that made Mortar hesitate to hand over the position of Dark Elf Chief to Gia.
Some disappointment at that inadequacy inevitably slipped out as a cutting remark.
"Ahh... such simplistic assumptions will see you swept off your feet. Truly, that part of you never seems to change."
"Ggh! You fossil!"
"Please don't fight... We're busy enough as it is."
It was Emuru who stopped the two bickering men.
A perfectly logical statement. From her eyes, one could clearly read a look of contempt that said, "Don't waste time on nonsense. This is why men are..."
Whether it was the various events in Mynoghra that had matured her, or the endless mountain of paperwork that had drained her spirit, Emuru had grown even more caustic than before recently.
"Hmph! S-so, how is the situation, really?"
"Y-yes, indeed. It is our duty as the king's retainers to focus on what must be done."
In most cases, men are incapable of standing up to an angry woman.
While breaking into a cold sweat, sensing that the pecking order for the foreseeable future was about to be decided right here, the two men evasively steered the conversation back with humiliating deflection.
What mattered was Quolia's situation. Confirming that had to come first.
Their demeanor was entirely conciliatory.
But in response to their attitude and question, Emuru's face clouded over, and she hesitated, saying, "That's just it..."
"Quolia is... in a rather peculiar state."
The information relayed was even more bizarre than the previous report.
Quolia had relatively deep ties with neutral nations on the southern continent. Thus, some information could be obtained through traveling merchants.
Emuru compiled and reported the information gathered in Dragontan.
Her complexion was poor, and more than suggesting a problem had arisen, it was more accurate to say she was uncertain of how to judge the situation.
The discussion that followed lasted an hour and grew contentious, involving speculation based on the presented information and an enumeration of potential concerns.
"—We must immediately compile the key points and report directly to the king. There is a possibility that the situation is evolving."
When the meeting concluded, the expressions on the faces of the three Dark Elves were grim and tense.
While Mynoghra was undergoing a great transformation, other nations too were being tossed about amidst the surges of a great fate.