If the true power of a SLG lies in the collective violence of a nation, then perhaps the essence of an RPG's power lies in the individual violence of a hero.
In a corner of the Dark Continent south of Dragontan, Yuu, who had just bisected a Hill Giant roaming the land as if it were mere spoils from a stroll, waved toward Takuto as though it were the most mundane thing in the world.
"This is my current strength. At least against the stray monsters in this Dark Continent, it's an easy win no matter how many come at me!"
"So strong! You're so strong, Master!"
The hero Yuu defeats an enemy, and a slave girl heaps excessive praise.
How many times had he witnessed that scene? At the very least, he now understood that the player known as Yuu Jinguuji possessed combat abilities far beyond the norm.
"Truly beyond my expectations. Against Four Heavenly Kings-class foes, this would be an instant kill. It's no wonder you managed to surprise-kill the Demon Lord."
(Even a hero needs strategy to be tough. As expected of a hero—or should I say, a player.)
While not an immediate enemy, there was certainly a possibility, under the right circumstances.
If they ever clashed, he would absolutely need a plan; Takuto recognized him as a formidable opponent.
Still, it wasn't without weaknesses.
"However, no matter how strong you are, there are problems. In fact, that's the biggest crux."
"The numbers, huh..."
To excel individually also meant being fewer in number.
Change the basis of the contest, and that fighting strength could be easily overturned. A one-on-one duel wasn't the only form of battle.
Yu seemed to understand this well.
"Right, see? Heroes are insanely strong in small-scale fights, but it's insanely rough when you're swarmed. I can maybe handle one, but protecting multiple people is just impossible. In stories, they might pull it off, but my power is fundamentally game-based. That's the harsh reality of being an RPG hero."
"Even a hero can't fight 24 hours a day. That's an unassailable truth."
"I have to eat, bathe, and of course, sleep. If they overwhelm me with sheer numbers in a wave attack, my mind would break first."
Was the hero financially—or more precisely, in terms of daily living—struggling?
That had long been one of his speculated weaknesses.
Unlike the nation of Mynoghra, the hero's living foundations were extremely fragile.
No matter how powerful one's abilities, neglected logistics would cripple them.
That was precisely why he had reached out to them.
This was one of the purposes Yuu had deduced.
They would provide numbers and logistics; he would provide individual power.
It seemed a bit like giving away too much, but viewed differently, it was a perfectly fair transaction.
"That's right, that's right! I just want the master to live in peace! I only need the master..."
"Thanks. Even if it was just you, I'd be happy like that!"
"You're wonderful, master..."
Though their acquaintance was short, he had come to understand Yuu's character well.
He was, in a word, honest, straightforward, strong in his sense of justice, and possessed a bright, attracting personality.
If he were in a class, he would undoubtedly become the leader, and if he saw a bullied child, he would be the first to defend them and condemn the bully.
Yet he wasn't completely serious all the time; he was weak towards girls and could be a bit smooth.
He couldn't help but wonder how popular he must have been in his previous life, but asking would only confirm his own inferiority, so he refrained.
In any case, his current interest seemed focused on that incredibly innocent, master-obsessed original character slave girl.
He honestly related on the point of having someone he loved; this was another reason for forming the alliance with him, but it was too embarrassing to tell anyone.
"Flirting in public like this! I don't think this is good! Don't you agree, Takuto? Relationships between men and women—modesty comes first!"
"Y-Yes, Atou. Yeah, that's right!"
Atou was always complaining about Yuu and the girl's relationship being unsatisfactory or improper.
It’s not just that she’s wary of me as an opponent—it seems she also dislikes how my views on healthy gender dynamics are detached from hers. However, the composed part of Takuto keeps pointing out that the man and woman in front of me aren’t so different, so whenever this topic comes up, I can only give a vague response. For me, Atou is what the slave girl is for her. Perhaps he’s harboring the exact same goal I once had. At the very least, I need to re-evaluate and raise the importance I place on the slave girl, who is a significant figure to him as a player. Come to think of it, I’ve just been calling her “the slave girl”—but what exactly is her name?
“Shall we start getting ready to head back, Yu? It doesn’t seem like any enemies worthy of demonstrating your strength will show up if we keep going.”
“Ah, yeah. She can use a few magic spells too, but I’m pretty sure you know about Brave Questus, right? Then I can explain the utility magic later.”
The sky had turned red. It seemed to be around sunset. I wanted to confirm the scale and power of the magic firsthand, but I’ll leave that for another day. For now, Takuto decided to call it a day and asked one final question he needed to clear up.
“Yeah, if you have questions about that or anything else, we can go over them as we go. But about your OC, or rather—the girl over there—”
“Yes! I am my master’s slave! His first slave!”
“Ah, yes. About this ‘first slave’ girl—what was her name again? Was there some reason you never called her by name until now?”
Feeling like he needed to sort this out once and for all, Takuto braced himself and asked. If it turned out to be something like “the girl I like,” he wasn’t sure how to react, but at least he resolved not to laugh…
“Um, it’s a bit of an embarrassing name, so could you keep it a secret? Or as a nickname… yeah, let’s go with Ai.”
“Ah, did you maybe accidentally change her name?”
“Gah! Me! Why didn’t I just give her a normal name back then! If I’d known this would happen! If I’d known this would happen!”
It seems his beloved slave girl has a rather sparkling name.
Well, considering she's kept in strict slave attire despite her appearance, his dedication must have been quite strong.
The only issue would be that he himself at the time never foresaw that original character being exposed to public scrutiny.
"What's wrong, Master? Is there something odd about my name? I love the name you gave me, you know! After all—" *Mmph!*
"Issei, that's enough! Like I always say, it was the single greatest mistake middle-school me ever made! The me inside is crying and writhing over it, so please, just settle for the nickname, okay?!"
What a pitiful person.
He shed tears internally. If hero unit name changes had been possible in "Eternal Nations," Takuto might have ended up in a similar situation.
His relationship with this person going forward was uncertain, but at least for now, he would be kind to him.
"Ah, what sort of name could it have been? Takuto seems to have some idea..."
"Let's leave it be, Atou. Pretending not to know is a form of kindness."
"I-I see..."
"That's right. Pretending not to know prevents anyone from getting hurt."
Personality-wise they were complete opposites, and Takuto generally found him difficult to deal with, but in this moment alone, he felt a gentle kinship.
"Huff huff... I feel like I showed a pretty ugly side just now, but I appreciate King Takuto not saying anything... Alliances are great!"
"Well, even without an alliance, I think keeping quiet about such things is a kindness. But let's get back on track. So, having such power yet proposing cooperation—the bottleneck was uncertainty about numbers, right? That just the two of you wouldn't be enough?"
"That's mostly right. My goal doesn't necessarily require killing the enemy, but they might not feel the same. So if possible, I wanted to increase allies in a way that wouldn't cause a clash of interests."
I see. He grasped the general situation.
If Yu's words were true, they needed to be even more wary of the Succubus.
She was clamoring for a full-faction meeting, but in reality, she might be plotting to trap them...
Of course, the same could be said of Yu.
Either way, the full-faction council will allow for that verification. It was good that the lingering doubts wouldn't just fester, making things straightforward.
"I recall hearing the Succubus have absorbed the El-Nar Spirit Contract Union into a massive force... If they've taken in the Saint and the elves as well, it's understandable to be wary."
"Yeah, word is the Succubus player is already teamed up with another player. With two players and the Elf Saint on their side, a solo player without any real power base is at a definite disadvantage."
"Hey, nobody told me that!"
My expression hardened.
What kind of thing was he suddenly bringing up?
The man in question didn't look malicious at all. In fact, he wore a look that almost asked, 'What? Did I do something wrong?'
(That's the crucial part! You should have mentioned it when offering cooperation! At least tell me after we've formed an alliance!)
Considering our relationship, I hurled a barrage of insults silently within my mind.
But the man himself seemed unconcerned with the gravity of the situation, offering a quick, "My bad, my bad," as if that alone sufficed to take responsibility for this colossal blunder.
"Huh? Didn't I mention? The enemy's got three Elf Saints, two players, and the Succubus's sexy ladies. Pretty wild, right?"
This was far beyond "wild."
We had nearly walked right into a conference hosted by our enemy's overwhelming force. The premises had been overturned completely since earlier. Initially, I'd considered traps or schemes from the RPG faction regarding the alliance, but it turned out the other side was simply backed into a corner too.
Takuto heaved a dramatic sigh. There were few who caused him this much mental fatigue.
He'd held a casual, comfortable thought about allies when forming the alliance with Fonkavun, but it seemed Pepe had just been an exceptionally good find.
"Could it be you tend to act a lot on impulse?"
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
Yuma, finally noticing the barb, or perhaps realizing the omitted information was critically important, at least had the grace to look flustered. He waved both hands frantically, trying to smooth things over.
"No, that's not true! Right, Ai?"
"That's correct! Master always acts with deep thought and insight! Master is amazing! Well, the specifics of how or what are difficult for me to explain, but in short, Master is incredible!"
"Thanks! With those words alone, I can become stronger than anyone!"
If you could become stronger, I wish my head would become stronger too.
I strongly wish for that, but the slave girl Ai's encouragement apparently doesn't extend that far.
Alongside Vittorio, now Shūji Jingūji.
People who are not kind to Takuto's stomach have been rapidly increasing in his vicinity lately.
(Isla... it truly hurts to have lost you. It truly hurts.)
If her capacity for understanding and acceptance were here, they would be at least a little more bearable.
Even if Isla's strength were lacking, she would have worked alongside Takuto through the hardships.
The woman called the sole conscience among the heroes of Mynoghra, he felt an aching longing for her.
"For now, let's return to the meeting room and share information. I'll also arrange introductions with the people from Fonkavun, so get along, okay?"
Even so, if Isla were here, the only words she would have for him would be:
"If you are king, such difficulties are nothing at all, surely?"
Well, to put it simply, it meant, "You are the great king of ruin, so do your best!"
"Ooh! Introductions! That sounds amazing!"
"Amazing, Master!"
"Heh heh heh, now you see how great our king is? As a king, one must always think of the state and see two or three moves ahead!"
(Can't be helped. I'll just have to act as if Isla is watching over me and give it my all.)
Watching the three of them energetically bustling about, Takuto sighed.
I suppose I would have enjoyed myself if I had been there too, but as they say, things didn't quite work out that way.