Rather than receiving a report, it was probably more accurate to say he had spent the majority of the time offering his appreciation. Still, because their anger and dissatisfaction had been so severe, the good fortune was that he had grasped the details of the matter without needing to bother asking for a confirmation. Takuto mentally recreated Vittorio's actions, attempting to deduce their underlying intent. It was an eccentric operation that took a form quite different from the direction he had initially imagined, but Takuto could gauge its true meaning. "The 'Cult of Ira,' huh? Even if that ridiculous name is a feint, I'm starting to get a sense of what he wants to do." Having traced Vittorio's actions to the point of understanding even the parts he hadn't obtained as information, Takuto let out a slightly amused chuckle and spoke the words everyone most desired to hear. The true intent behind Vittorio's actions, which had plagued Atou and the residents of Mynoghra until now, was revealed. In other words, this was equivalent to clarifying the details of the strategy Mynoghra was currently executing. Furthermore, while he had a rough estimate, it also meant the cause of Takuto's memory loss and its remedy had become known. Perhaps for his subordinates, that latter point was even more important. "Does this have some connection to Lord Takuto's health recovering? Honestly, his actions have been utterly random, and I simply couldn't grasp what the intent was..." "Of course, there's a meaning. There's a clear connection to my physical recovery. Well, to put it bluntly, gathering faith is what's important." For Atou, who prioritized Takuto's well-being above all, he had desperately needed to confirm the details. Indeed, this time Atou had been powerless. But if he knew the mechanism, dealing with the same problem should it arise in the future would become easier. In that regard, Takuto's answer was highly suggestive for them. That is, it was a fact that Vittorio's actions were explicitly supportive of Takuto's revival. Once this answer was obtained, the possibility that Vittorio had been acting thoughtlessly or had an agenda other than Takuto's recovery was eliminated. "Faith—that is to say, prayers, become the source of the king's power." The one to realize it first was Elder Mortar. Being summoned after Takuto, Vittorio had pushed him down one rank in the order of wisdom, but the knowledge backed by the passage of time still allowed no equal among the others. He assembled the information like a puzzle and arrived at the answer in an instant. And once the answer was presented, it was relatively easy for those present to grasp its meaning.
"In other words, Vittorio established a new religion to worship Lord Takuto, thereby gathering more faith to Takuto, and orchestrated the return of his power?"
Atou pondered this with a hint of wonder as she voiced her deduction.
It wasn't an argument that particularly resonated with her, but as far as she could tell, it was indeed certain that prayers seemed to be the source of Takuto's strength.
In fact, he was currently revived.
Though it was still impossible for him to exercise his capabilities as a leader, the undeniable fact that he was here, holding a meeting with everyone in good health, spoke for itself.
"That's largely correct. The power of Takuto Ira, the Ruinous King, depends on faith—or rather, it would be more accurate to say that the Nameless Evil God I possess draws its power from faith. The more people direct their prayers, the more my power recovers."
In other words...
Takuto Ira was a player and existed as the leader of Mynoghra.
And within the game called "Eternal Nations," the leader of Mynoghra was set as the Nameless Evil God.
The Nameless Evil God was a deity.
As a deity, its power was sustained by the prayers of those who believed in it.
If exhaustion had occurred from forcefully using that power, then strengthening the faith of the believers would recover it.
This was the conclusion the wise ones had reached, guided by Takuto's suggestion.
"So, as the King's followers increase from now on, His Majesty will progressively regain his power?"
"Given that the national scale of Mynoghra is still just a few thousand people, and he was able to perform such a miracle already, wouldn't it be even more amazing if the number of people worshipping the King increases further?"
"Hmm... Indeed, a fine point, Emuru. Considering it that way, the establishment of a state religion to produce those who offer more fanatical worship becomes inevitably understandable!"
Mortar and Emuru, the two who could more or less keep up with the conversation, showed excitement as they spoke. Atou looked around...
Gear and the Elful sisters seemed unable to follow the complex discussion at all, but the two who could follow it were deepening their admiration and reverence with the air of having reached comprehension.
Of course, they appeared to think of the existence called the "Nameless Evil God," much like the "Ruinous King," as just another facet of Takuto, but...
As for Takuto himself, he neither confirmed nor denied it, merely watching the exchange with a gentle smile.
(But was it really true?)
Atou remained unconvinced, no matter how she thought about it.
Indeed, the Nameless Evil God was a god.
In the setting of "Eternal Nations," this was stated, and while Complete Imitation did not function in the game, its existence was certainly part of the lore.
But, as far as she knew... nowhere was it written that the existence of a god within "Eternal Nations" depended on faith for its power.
(Takuto is hiding something? If so... why?)
Her feeling was closer to bewilderment than mistrust.
Like Gear and the Elful sisters, Atou wore a question mark on her brow as she suddenly recalled a query she had once posed to Takuto.
It was a small, thorn-like doubt that had been embedded deep in her heart ever since she faced the Soarina he had imitated in the Renea Divine Light Kingdom.
In other words—was Ira Takuto nothing more than a fake, merely a unit from "Eternal Nations" called the Nameless Evil God, being imitated by its ability?
Did the real Takuto not exist anywhere, and were they, the game characters, the only ones dancing ridiculously?
She wanted him to deny that this was the case. Even though she believed, she felt a vague anxiety.
When she asked, she had been prepared for the worst.
But the answer was unexpectedly simple. Takuto, as always, wore the gentle smile she liked and told her to rest assured.
It’s okay. The human called Ira Takuto is, indeed, the Ira Takuto you know.
If it were all an illusion and only the game characters were moving with self-awareness, then there would be no Game Master and no need for such hardships.
If Ira Takuto did not exist, then the memories of the many playthroughs they had overcome together would not exist either.
The brilliant days they had walked together were utterly true, without a hint of falsehood.
For some reason, those words from that time came back to her now.
(Takuto would not lie at a time like this. But...)
That day, he had said at the same time. "This is a secret between just the two of us. Since it'd be embarrassing if word got around, let's make sure nobody hears about the time we played that game."
——Once more, sealed with a pinky promise.
At the time, she had been overjoyed at the special treatment, and she could certainly concede now that talking one-sidedly to herself on a screen — when she was nothing more than a game character back then — was an embarrassing memory.
Now, however, she questioned it.
Could the reason for pressing so hard really be nothing more than that sense of embarrassment?
No —.
The person he didn't want hearing it, the person who must not hear it, was none other than Vittorio.
Takuto was still hiding something.
Not knowing what that was, Atou glanced sideways at Takuto's profile.
"Hmm... what's wrong, Atou?"
"Oh, n-nothing! It's nothing at all!"
To her flustered reply, he answered, "I see, well, as long as it's nothing," and then deliberately winked at her.
That gesture — a signal meant for the two of them alone — confirmed to Atou that her suspicions were correct.
Vittorio's objective was not entirely in line with Takuto's wishes.
Just like his master, he had slipped another purpose into the mix, one that remained hidden beneath the surface.
It would surely determine the future of Mynoghra — no... of Takuto himself.
Takuto must have sensed that already. That was precisely why he hadn't told her the full truth.
Takuto and Vittorio. The thoughts of both remained inscrutable.
Yet the battle of wits, each reading the other's hand, had already begun — or so it seemed.
"Well — we've gone off track a bit, but shall I continue? Vittorio's objective has been identified. That said, leaving it unattended would be a problem in itself — and with that in mind, I'd like to verify one thing. Do you have the holy scriptures?"
"Um... the scriptures, you say?"
Atou echoed back the question.
It felt like the conversation had taken a rather abrupt turn.
Misunderstanding that his words hadn't conveyed the meaning, Takuto went "Ah," and looked up at the ceiling with a light gesture of thought.
"Would it be clearer if I said the Bible? Oh, but since it's heresy, maybe the 'Heresy Book'? Well, whatever. Anyway, I'd like to read it. If there's one, could you bring it to me?"
Atou looked around, checking if anyone had acquired a copy of the scriptures.
But since everyone else was showing the same attitude as Atou, they didn't seem to be a reliable source.
Observing every single action of Vittorio, whom they had so despised, and grasping its details—it was probably an unreasonable demand when considering their inner feelings.
Now that the king had revived and regained his composure, though, one might wonder if even that was one of the ploys Vittorio had employed...
But why?
The needlessly verbose religion—the doctrine of the 'Heretic Ira'—had gathered a surprisingly large amount of information without anyone making a specific effort to investigate.
The content was simple. It simply and solely praised and revered the god, Takuto Ira.
To put it bluntly: Takuto Ira is amazing! Cool! Strong! Invincible! Supreme!
That was the doctrine. It was content even a child could understand, and precisely because even a child could understand it, the speed at which it spread was astonishing.
It didn't seem to be something important enough to require a specific scripture, but...
Without saying anything, Atou looked at Takuto with a questioning gaze, curious.
"I'm... interested in it."
With genuine interest, as if looking forward to something, Takuto answered with a light smile.
However, the added words—'as soon as possible'—made it clear that the scriptures held significant meaning.
Motionless upon the throne, the Ruin King's hand was about to be played.
=Eterpedia===
[Land of Wine and Flesh]Structure
Population Growth Rate +10%
City Happiness +10%
Food Consumption +20%
―――
~ All-day revelry with drink and feast
Mistakes of the night are bound to occur ~
The Land of Wine and Flesh is a structure unique to Mynoghra.
It grants bonuses to resident happiness and population growth rate, but conversely, it has the demerit of increasing food consumption.
Prerequisite: Construction of the Cannibal Tree.
―――
=Eterpedia===
[Workshop]Structure
City Production +20%
―――
~ The amount of iron decides a nation's fate ~
The Workshop increases a city's production power.
It is also required for producing specific weapons and structures.
―――
=Eterpedia===
[Sideshow]Building
City Happiness +5%
City Culture +5%
City Income +5%
―――
The Sideshow is primarily a venue where street performers showcase their skills. It has the effect of increasing culture and, depending on the scale of the city, generates a small amount of income. In Evil Nations, it very rarely displays prisoners from hostile nations, etc. In such cases, the evaluation from Good Nations decreases.
―――
=Eterpedia===
[Freak Show]Building
City Happiness +10%
City Culture +20%
City Income +10%
※ Unlock production of "Imperfect" units
―――
――You can feed them! Now, get inside the cage!
It's okay, you can feed him! Here, please, step into the cage!
Come on, quickly! Into the cage! He's starving! Please, feed him!
~Employees of the Menagerie of Aberrations~
The Menagerie of Aberrations is a unique structure to Mynoghra.
Within its walls are exhibited aberrant beings that defy the very concept of an animal, sights unseen anywhere else.
This building increases the happiness of the city's residents and generates income proportional to the city's size.
Furthermore, it unlocks the production of combat units known as "The Deformities."
It is a structure of high capability, but conversely, its construction cost is massive—exercise caution.
―――
=Eterpedia===
[Spirit of Ruin] Magic Unit
Combat Strength: 7 Movement: 1
"Ruin Affinity +1"
"Malice"
※ Unlocked upon completion of research on the Six Great Elements
―――
Spirit...?
Ha, you call that a spirit? Give me a break.
That is no spirit. That is something else... something far worse.
~Elf Spirit Channeler~
The Spirit of Ruin is a magic unit that becomes available for production through the unlocking of the Six Great Elements.
While functionally similar to a standard mage, its possession of Ruin Affinity means its combat capabilities are enhanced by an increase in Ruin Mana.
Moreover, since he possesses aptitude for all magical attributes, military magic can be acquired according to strategy.
———
=Eterpedia———
[Aberration]Combat Unit (Magical Beast)
Combat Power: 13 Movement: 2
"Predation""Cannibalism""Regeneration""Malevolence"
※Producible at the[Menagerie of Aberrations]
※Abilities change based on the type of terrain where it is produced
Forest:"Mimicry""First Strike""Ambush"
Wasteland:"Tracking""Pursuit""Insight""Encirclement"
———
The description is tricky... Let's see, imagine making a dog, a cat, an insect, a bird, and a human out of clay.
Then you scramble them all together into one.
...That's probably the closest it gets in terms of appearance.
~A Visitor to the Menagerie of Aberrations~
The Aberration is a combat unit unique to Mynoghra. It possesses high sustained combat capability and a wide variety of abilities.
Furthermore, the Aberration has the trait of gaining abilities corresponding to the terrain of the city where it is produced.
Therefore, you must choose the city to construct the[Menagerie of Aberrations]based on your strategy.
The production cost is high, but it is a powerful unit with abilities worth the cost, no matter which terrain it is produced in.
———