"This is... an unpleasant atmosphere."
Atou uttered that impression in a bitter tone the moment he saw the information.
Takuto nodded in agreement with the words of the hero he trusted most from their shared past, then proceeded to explain his own thoughts on this troublesome matter.
"Yes, the situation is clearly suspicious. In both Quolia and El-Na, and particularly in Quolia, information about the witch has completely ceased. Considering the strength of the Demon Lord's army of Brave Questus, it's hard to believe a witch would disappear so easily."
What the two discussed was the situation facing the two great forces of good.
From the information seized during the initial encounter with Quolia, the Holy Kingdom – specifically during a skirmish with its Holy Knights – it had become clear that that country was being invaded by an unknown existence, the witch Erakino.
Of course, Takuto hadn't forgotten about that matter. It had always been listed in a corner of his mind as a potentially threatening entity to monitor regarding Mynoghra.
However, the invasion was occurring in a northern region of Quolia where information was difficult to obtain, and amid the chaos of their interactions with Fonkavun and the outbreak of wars with other game factions, it had slipped entirely from his thoughts.
But contrary to expectations, events were moving too fast.
As if orchestrated with deliberate cunning, the situation had suddenly changed, and they only realized the anomaly upon receiving reports from their subordinates.
They were completely caught off guard. At the very least, it was obvious that a fundamental improvement was needed in their domestic and foreign information-gathering systems going forward.
The report contained information about the disappearance of the witch Erakino.
And simultaneously, an unexplained grand reform was taking place.
--At present, the southern province of Quolia was in the midst of an unprecedented transformation.
The figures publicly moving were the Flower-Burial Holy Maiden, Soarina, and the Veiled Holy Maiden, Fenne-Caumehl.
The influence of the Holy Maidens within that country was immense. However, Quolia, a religious state that was conservative in a negative sense and disliked innovative actions, was abandoning its usual methods and incorporating various measures, which set off alarm bells of suspicion in the two observers.
If even the report painted this picture, what must the actual state of affairs be on the ground?
The citizens of the southern province were filled with hope under the new relief policies and regulatory exemptions implemented through various reforms.
Furthermore, corruption had been eradicated, and those who were properly supported by the people, rather than authority purchased with money, held high positions.
It was all too perfectly done, leaving a tantalizing shadow of someone pulling the strings from behind.
"The unnerving part is their unpredictability. In 'Eternal Nations,' the participating factions were fixed, so we could deduce their strategies to a certain extent, but..."
"Who would have thought the unknown could be this troublesome. It's especially vexing because it makes us hesitate to act, fearing retaliation."
Even within 'Eternal Nations,' there were several nations that favored shadowy maneuvers.
Mynoghra was one of them, but regardless, the pool of candidates was limited, making it possible to roughly anticipate their subsequent strategies.
But this time, things were different.
We couldn't read the opponent's intentions, and since their fundamental motives were unclear, predicting their future moves was exceptionally difficult.
At the very least, it was impossible that the Saintess was truly wielding a great axe of reform across the Southern Provinces out of genuine goodwill.
If such a thing were possible, the Holy Kingdom of Quolia's history wouldn't have stagnated for so long...
"Given our objectives, they are certainly an opponent we will inevitably clash with. Is our priority now to bolster our forces as much as possible and gather intelligence on them?"
"Even with the advantage of modern weaponry, we lack the national strength and intelligence to simply charge in and start punching. In any case, this is still the phase for domestic affairs."
Whichever path we took, our options were severely limited.
This was true for Quolia, but the El-Naar Spirit Contract Union was in the same state.
Information about the Kingdom of Toinaka, a peripheral concern, was reviewed between the two.
Takuto and Atou, who shared a special bond of knowing their past lives, had reached this point through varied experiences. Yet even they, in the current situation, could only choose the path of gathering information while hunkering down on domestic affairs, without taking unnecessary actions.
Mynoghra was not a nation suited for war. The correct strategy was to first avoid the eyes of other nations, focus intently on domestic development, and only when all preparations were complete on every front, go forth to strike the enemy.
Normally, this was still a time for lying low. Prioritizing efforts to increase national strength would have been the foremost goal.
"At the least, we'd like to assemble siege-type units and secure our main attack units. Honestly, the real desire is to retreat into a complete defense mode..."
"Even that defensive capability remains a concern. The Elful sisters are here, true, but their abilities are quite situational. Under a moonlit night, it might be different, but in a daytime battle, we could simply be overwhelmed by raw power."
Atou and the Elful sisters.
Right now, the only ones Takuto could truly count on as combat strength were them. Of course, the Dark Elf mages and rifle squads were doing their best, but there simply weren't enough of them.
Even though they had a military alliance with Fonkavun, that nation was ultimately a foreign country.
One could hardly blame Takuto and Atou for choosing to hole up, knowing the risks of feeling insecure about their military strength and ending up on the defensive.
"But just idly waiting for our national power to grow is both uninspired and dangerous," he said. "We need something new to break the current stalemate. Something... like a [Hero] who can turn the tide no matter what the enemy throws at us."
Takuto fell into silent thought.
Isla's departure had been a heavy blow.
With her, Mynoghra's military power would have swelled to unimaginable levels.
Her abilities, in particular, were specialized for defense, making it highly likely she could handle enemies with even unique abilities.
But lamenting what was already past and devoting his thoughts to it was meaningless.
That was precisely why rushing to summon a new hero to plug that hole was only natural.
It wasn't that there were no other methods, just that this one was overwhelmingly efficient, eclipsing all other options.
However, one problem arose here.
The production of heroes was closely tied to technology. Many could not be produced at all without first developing specific tech.
Even though Mynoghra was a nation with relatively loose restrictions, the technologies currently developed were, to put it mildly, not exactly outstanding. In other words...
"If we were to create a hero, the current candidate list narrows down to one person."
It also meant that the heroes they could produce were severely limited.
"C-could it be...?" Atou stared at Takuto with a shocked expression. Her look implicitly asked if he was serious.
"Correct. The only candidate is him."
Atou's face blanched with despair. Takuto himself did not look pleased.
Even though it was a situation where heroes could be created as long as they had the cost ready, the two's attitudes were rather lacking.
On the contrary, their reactions clearly showed hesitation over something.
What kind of problem could there possibly be? The answer came from none other than Atou.
"That is absolutely not an option! Absolutely! Please don't do it, Lord Takuto! Please stop! That's the one thing I absolutely cannot do!"
Atou, having grasped what her king was thinking, clung to Takuto at a speed invisible to the eye, and immediately burst into a clamor.
At this display, Takuto could only nod in reluctant agreement.
The hero he was considering was, after all, known for having a terrible relationship with Atou, and was a major troublemaker to begin with, constantly causing problems for anyone and everyone.
The impact of bringing this hero into this world was unknown. In the worst case, it might necessitate a complete overhaul of all their strategies.
"I-I'm also just full of anxiety..."
Takuto also began to voice his regret, saying, "Maybe this was a reckless idea after all?"
As if to reinforce this thought, Atou began to recount the infamous "glorious battle record" possessed by that hero.
"Number one on the 'Eternal Nations' ranking of heroes you absolutely don't want as a subordinate, and simultaneously, number one on the ranking of heroes you absolutely don't want as a superior!"
"And also, number one on the ranking of heroes with completely broken personalities. Man... I really wonder what they're actually like? Do they have any loyalty?"
"They have loyalty. The kind of loyalty where, fully understanding both the good and bad things one can do with that loyalty, they'll skip along with a smile while stepping on every mine they can find with full force... that's what that guy is."
"Yeah, I get it. That does sound like him..."
Mynoghra was an evil faction, and it was established that they sometimes possessed thoughts and values far beyond human comprehension.
The prime example of this was that hero, who could be said to embody Mynoghra more than anyone else in a sense.
"That said... right now, producing him wouldn't bring any merit... actually, it would bring demerits, so it's effectively a net loss."
That hero wasn't simply someone with high combat ability.
This was the kind of hero who excelled in indirect and covert tactics, and was difficult to operate in a situation like the present, where clear threats existed.
The true measure of that hero was in the shadowy deeds of peacetime.
"That's right, that's right! So let's stop! Let's stop summoning that charlatan! There are other splendid heroes... there are! There are others!"
"Ah, that's because Atou and Isla were the reasonable ones among Mynoghra's heroes."
For the record, the remaining Mynoghra heroes weren't all quite as bad as him, but they were all problematic in their own way.
While evil-aligned heroes are often depicted as having fractured psyches, Atou and Isla possessed an unusual degree of common sense.
This meant that from now on, every increase in military strength would inevitably come with a corresponding increase in heartburn.
Takuto recalled the leader in the short stories implemented to flesh out the world of 'Eternal Nations' who was constantly dashing about cleaning up after the heroes.
He never imagined he would meet such a fate himself, but considering the abilities the heroes possessed, the sad truth was that he couldn't afford not to summon them.
"Fine, let's hold off on calling him for now. The situation where we need him is when brute force won't work, and a more roundabout, cunning, and unconventional method is required - yes, for example, in the unlikely event something were to happen to me..."
Atou's expression froze in shock at those words.
He never expected to hear such a statement.
"If, by some remote chance, something happens to me, I want you to summon him then. Consider it an order for the future, Atou."
He declared this to Atou. The words sounded almost like a prophecy that such an event was bound to occur.
"I will never allow such a thing to happen! I, Atou, will surely protect Lord Takuto's life! By any means necessary!"
Atou hastily denied Takuto's words.
But Takuto understood perfectly well that in this world, the word 'surely' held no guarantee.
He didn't doubt Atou's loyalty or strength. Even with absolute trust, there were times when things were simply beyond one's control.
Of course, he had no intention of saying such things to worry Atou, so he offered a deflecting smile.
"Haha, thank you for that. It's a little embarrassing to be protected by a girl, though. It would be nice if I could, you know, fight in a cool scene myself."
"Lord Takuto is a civilian, after all, so there are certain limits... and frankly, doesn't it seem like we're already cornered whenever you absolutely have to take the field?"
Takuto nodded at this, acknowledging the truth in the words.
The fundamental duty of a leader was to guide the nation and dictate its policy. It was never meant to stand on the front lines and wield a sword.
In the old world, among the many historical tales of heroes that existed, there were indeed leaders who took up arms and led the charge, but those were exceptions, and moreover, they contained a great deal of later embellishment.
A leader must never fight.
In truth, Takuto had already prepared several back-up measures for direct confrontation.
That did not, however, mean there was any justification for stepping forward.
As Atou said, when a national leader was forced to stand in the path of arrows, the situation was already desperate... it was, one might say, on the verge of defeat.
That was precisely why Takuto did not approve of taking the field himself, and he intended to manage affairs to ensure such an event never came to pass.
But reality was never so cooperative. Up until this very moment, his predictions and plans had been constantly revised.
"Well, anyway, just remember this. If something happens to me, I want you to borrow *his* power."
"Understood. But if something were to happen to you, Takuto, the leader... I can't imagine *that thing* would show any loyalty or diligently rush to solve the problem."
"Coincidentally, I think the same."
He nodded, at length, at length.
If something happened to him, *that thing* would first burst into laughter. And then, it would undoubtedly attempt to solve the problem in the most troublesome way possible for everyone involved.
A conflict arose within him between the desire not to summon it at all, and a morbid curiosity to see what it would do just once.
Takuto offered a wry smile and tried to soothe Atou, who had been puffing out her cheeks in dissatisfaction for some time.
"But well, if it's him, he'll manage somehow."
He concluded the matter and let his thoughts drift to the unseen hero.
Either way, his trust in that entity was profound, both in the negative and the positive sense.
"Well, let's continue to build up our strength. For the ceremony in question... right."
The ceremony to be held a week later is Dragontan's transfer ceremony.
Proclaiming it grandly as a celebration, Dragontan is to be placed under Mynoghra's control in terms of external affairs as well.
However, since Dragontan is already effectively under control, this is being done as a milestone or demarcation. Therefore, it is not a stiff affair, but rather closer to a festival.
The Dark Elves are also bustling about for this day, and Takuto and Atou are looking forward to it in a festive mood.
There are still mountains of things to do, and the world is full of wonders.
But perhaps taking a break for just this day would be permissible.
Thinking such thoughts, I enter into consideration of the next matter.
However...
That day in Mynoghra's history...
The two at this time did not yet know that it would become the longest and most impactful day.
=Eterpedia===
[Earth Mana] Mana Resource
National food production power +10%
"Earth Military Magic" use unlocked
Earth Mana is a strategic resource obtained by converting pure Mana collected from dragon vein holes.
Simply possessing Mana resources gives the nation the ability to improve food production.
Also, "Earth Military Magic," which exerts powerful effects on land improvement through magic units, becomes usable.
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