While Takuto's consciousness returned and he was already demonstrating his skills in guiding Mynoghra, the cult Ira in Dragontan was also steadily expanding its scale.
What they were currently focusing on was mainly building a base.
Ira's followers had purchased large mansions in the city's commercial district that had once belonged to influential figures, remodeled them, and were using them as assembly halls.
Despite only a handful of days having passed since their establishment, they were already steadily taking shape as an organization.
"Oy, you idiot cult leader. You in there?"
A girl entered a room in the mansion—one of the assembly halls—in a manner utterly lacking in respect or decorum. The room itself was a simple affair, once used as servants' quarters.
She was a goat-type beastkin, rare even in Dragontan. However, her human features were so dominant that only her horns and ears gave it away.
Around fifteen or sixteen years of age.
Her distinctive goat-like eyes and rough demeanor stood out, yet every piece of jewelry she wore was top-shelf. Combined with her beautiful horns and overall appearance, if she would only keep her mouth shut, no man could ignore her.
The girl's name was Yonayona—the number two of the organization, bearing the title of acting cult leader within the cult Ira.
"Mmm~? Yes yes, I'm here~"
Vittorio, who had been musing over something in a room containing nothing but a chair, answered with visible reluctance.
His—Vittorio's—recent situation was, surprisingly, uneventful.
Once the broad organizational structure was in place, he had dumped all missionary work and miscellaneous duties onto his subordinates, and had taken to locking himself in his room like this for entire days on end.
Cult leader of Ira or not, Vittorio was the figure who should have been appearing before followers to deliver sermons. His behavior was a serious problem.
But the religion's teachings were easy enough to understand from the start. Followers held their own gatherings celebrating Takuto's great deeds, and the organization operated with relatively few issues.
Of course, even so, minor errands and troubles existed. When matters arose that only he could resolve, it was only natural that things would eventually reach Vittorio's ears.
"I told you not to interrupt, but honestly, you're not doing anything, are you? Someone who does nothing shouldn't act all high and mighty. Just get to work already, or I'll slug you?"
"Hmm! Are you an abusive boyfriend or something?"
Harsh words, but no more effective than pushing against a curtain.
Vittorio, as always, wore that slimy, unsettling grin, his thoughts unreadable.
The tedious title of Proxy Pope, with all his work dumped onto her, had utterly exhausted Yonayona.
She considered herself well-versed in life's harsh currents, having started as a parentless vagrant, but intellectual work remained something she could never grow accustomed to.
Especially with a superior who did absolutely nothing, shunting every bit of trouble onto her shoulders.
On top of that, her boss's own unreasonable demands only fueled her resentment and anger.
With a long, heavy sigh—she remembered the saying that each sigh chased away happiness—Yonayona glared at Vittorio in a state bordering on resignation.
"Oh! What a piercing gaze! I fear I might... let something slip! By the way, to what do I owe the honor of your visit? There must be a reason you've come all the way to my room. What, pray tell, is the matter?"
Few visitors came to Vittorio's room.
The heretical cult Ira had already slipped from his control and begun acting independently. Few now held any interest in him, a man who had cast aside his role as Pope to indulge in contemplation and shadowy maneuvering.
That was precisely why Vittorio had asked the purpose of her visit, and precisely why Yonayona had come here.
"A summons has arrived from the home country. Time to pay the dues, so to speak. What's the plan?"
Yonayona produced a letter from her breast pocket.
A closer look revealed a seal of state crest in purple wax, clearly marking it as an official document of significant standing.
Until now, for important communications within Mynoghra, Takuto had essentially relied on direct telepathic messages to his subordinates.
But naturally, that was impossible while he was resting.
Hence the deliberately formal method.
A letter stamped with the national seal carried its own weight; it was not something to be treated carelessly, yet Yonayona tossed it lightly to Vittorio.
"How unrefined! Really, wanting to see the face of one's parent—ah! Yonayona, you were abandoned by yours, weren't you? My mistake—"
In an instant...
With the agile movement unique to beastkin, Yonayona, a young girl, plunged into Vittorio's space, then softly exhaled and drove her fist into his stomach with all her might.
"Guho! Violence is not the answer!"
Not particularly adept at combat, Vittorio naturally took the blow, slumped from his chair, and let out a dramatic scream.
However, this was a case of reaping what one sowed, and unfortunately, in Mynoghra, while there were those who would be pleased if he claimed to be subjected to violence, few would see it as a problem.
Naturally, the young girl ignored his protest and continued with her errand.
"You don't need to make unnecessary snide remarks all the time. Just read it, will you? I don't care what happens to you in the homeland, but please spare us the trouble of having your believers and Ira's believers suffer because of it."
"Unn... That devotion is gre~at! But still... Your love for me is insufficient! More love! More candy!"
Trembling with stomach pain but still smiling and giving a thumbs-up.
This was the very devotion that led Vittorio to appoint this young girl as the proxy pontiff.
A devout follower is beneficial. This is true in the sense of it being beneficial for Vittorio himself, but above all, it is beneficial for Takuto Ira.
The devoutly faithful are resistant to temptation and strong against their own desires.
Because they are so deeply dependent on and cling to their faith, they permit no interference from others and advance single-mindedly in the teachings of their religion.
This was no exception, not even for Vittorio himself as the pontiff. They do not even consider authority such as position or status; within their hearts, there exists only the god.
Vittorio, his companions, his country, and even himself...
All are cast outside the mosquito net, cast aside, existing only for the sake of Takuto Ira.
That was the perfect believer he sought, an offering of prayer to the great god.
"Yonayona truly is of excellent character, but that violence is simply too much. Can such a person really serve as Ira's proxy pontiff?"
"Rest assured. Despite appearances, I have hardly ever resorted to violence in my life. I'm gentle to my companions in Mynoghra and to Ira's believers. Surely the god would say the same!"
"Eh? Am I naturally being excluded from your group? I'm also a companion, right? We're companions, aren't we?"
"Just read the letter already."
Trading quips, Vittorio began to read.
The plan he had in mind was progressing smoothly—perhaps even too smoothly.
Yonayona was the ideal prophetess, the perfect figurehead for the Cult of Ira to present to the world.
The catfolk mother and daughter were also promising recruits. Though early followers, their faith was strong and unquestioning.
Other capable individuals supporting the Cult of Ira were gathering as well.
Naturally, the number of believers was steadily increasing, and by now their reach likely extended into Fonkavun's territory through trade networks.
Zealots multiplied, and their prayers flowed toward the god.
The "Cult of Ira"—Vittorio's purpose—was on the verge of being fulfilled.
………
……
…
"Mmmhmm~. Well, well! I see, I see."
Having finished reading the letter sent from the homeland—the Great Cursed Realm—Vittorio wore an unsettling grin and slumped back deeply into his chair.
His demeanor remained as frivolous as ever, giving no clue as to what he was thinking.
Only one thing was certain: he was contemplating something unsavory.
Yonayona frowned. When Vittorio smiled like that and showed such good humor, it was almost always a precursor to trouble.
"Oh, and the messenger who delivered this asked for the scriptures, so I gave them to him. No problem with that, right?"
Yonayona added as a follow-up.
Currently, all authority over the Cult of Ira had been delegated to Yonayona.
Therefore, she did not need to obtain Vittorio's permission, though she had done so just to be safe.
For the time being, once she had dumped the information on him, he would handle the rest in his own way, and at the very least it would not lead the heretical Ira faith in a negative direction. ——That was the calculation behind it.
Due to her origins, she was often viewed with suspicion by some of the faithful, yet she harbored within her the talent worthy of Vittorio's recognition.
"No problem at all! N-none! Making His Excellency Takuto Ira himself aware of this wondrous doctrine — that is what matters! Just in case something like this might happen, creating the holy texts at blinding speed was the right call after all!!"
At those words, Yonayona tilted his head. Huh?
According to what he had been secretly told by Vittorio, Takuto Ira — the god of the heretical Ira faith — had lost all memory and was bedridden. But the words just spoken seemed to directly contradict that fact. The likelihood of it being a lie was thin.
His fabrications had a certain tell, so Yonayona could more or less tell. This was not a lie.
Then there was only one answer that could be deduced.
The resurrection of Takuto Ira.
"Huh? I thought you said the god was bedridden? She recovered?!"
Instantly, his voice jumped up a notch.
As a devout follower of Ira, those words sent Yonayona's spirits soaring to the heavens.
Today's diary entry was already decided, and his remaining plans for the day would undoubtedly consist of offering even more fervent prayer.
Vittorio was no longer within his field of vision. To Yonayona — and indeed to all the faithful — the man was nothing more than that.
"If the god has been resurrected, then it concerns us directly, doesn't it! Nngh — exquisite! My dream has taken yet another step toward reality!"
Vittorio spread both arms wide while swaying his body in a sinister-looking undulation.
It was probably some sort of joyous dance, but Yonayona had absolutely no interest in that sort of thing, so he neither commented on it nor complained.
"So, what's your answer? If you're going to show up, you'll need to prepare, so at least write a will. I'm not arranging a grave for you. Exposure suits you better."
"No, no, no. Please deliver this."
I don't know when she wrote it, but a letter of an unusually cute color was handed over. Yonayona hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should look inside, but since it was handed over without even being in an envelope, the contents were inevitably visible to her. Furthermore, if only a single sentence was written, it was only natural that she would end up reading it, so she couldn't help herself.
It was roughly a reply that couldn't be called a reply, with just one line written: "If I can go, I will." Yonayona held her head in her hands.
That attitude—presumptuous and utterly free, even toward her own lord and even toward a god. Beyond mere exasperation, she even felt a flicker of admiration. At the same time, she fervently prayed in her heart for the heavens to deliver a grand punishment upon this infidel.
"...Don't blame me if you get angry!" she squeezed out from her prayer.
Even to this protest, Vittorio simply grinned as he always did.
◇ ◇ ◇
That eccentric was dozing in a dream alone in his room. The wish that had driven him from the moment he arrived in this world was to plunge headlong into everything, pushing forward relentlessly. Vittorio's control, which every player of 'Eternal Nations' had attempted but none but one had succeeded in achieving.
His divine strategy and cunning plots, never bound by anything. The intellect behind these schemes, beyond mortal comprehension, existed for this very moment; he greedily consumed information and spewed out stratagems like a torrent.
"Nfufufu~"
Everything was perfect. Everything was complete.
By this point, no one could shatter his plans, and no one could deny them. Therefore, Vittorio could hardly contain his excitement at the thought of Takuto's reaction when he understood the strategy that had been laid out.
He couldn't wait to hear what they would make of his dream.
"Dream, dream, dream—"
The peculiar charlatan deceives all.
Even the lord he reveres without cease is deceived—what does he hope to accomplish?
"Dreams shine all the more beautifully the more foolish they are. Don't you think so? My god."
Yet at the end of his prayers, his dream finally comes true.
All of it—for the great player, Takuto Ira.
"The day of celebration draws near! My gooooood!!!"
Vittorio simply dozed in a pleasant dream.