That one sorrowful incident, which taught him the utmost importance of reporting, communicating, and consulting—setting that aside, the journey had been exceptionally smooth.
The guide, a succubus met near the border of their domain—that is, where Mynoghra bordered the Succubus-controlled territory—led them safely into the Kingdom of El-Naa, the Elven Spirit Covenant Union. From there, Takuto and the others traveled on foot, arriving at the nearest elven town, now a succubus town.
"So this is an elven city under succubus rule..."
The curious stares of the gathered residents prickled at them from all sides. Takuto, feeling those gazethroughout his body, looked around with equal candor.
The succubus town, as evidenced by the fact it was originally an elven settlement they had conquered, was situated within a forest. Its foundation was elven culture. Many of the buildings bore a familiar aspect. This made sense, as their architectural style was quite similar to the arboreal structures of their close kin, the Dark Elves. The differences lay primarily in the ornamentation designs and, unlike the Dark Elves, a prevalence of white and green color accents on the buildings. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a gentle light over the scene.
It was a landscape that would likely resemble what the capital of Mynoghra, the Great Cursed Realm, might look like if one reversed its elemental affections.
Except for one point.
"Ugh, whoa! There's... there's sexy big sisters everywhere..."
Yu's voice rose in delighted surprise. This was hardly unexpected; the succubus, beings entirely out of place in an elven nation, were present throughout the town. Each and every one of them fixed Takuto's group with mesmerizing, assessing gazes, their smiles lascivious and inviting. Even Takuto, observing this scene through the <Brain Eater>, felt his cheeks flush. For Yu, who was physically present, the experience must have been overwhelming.
Right now, the young man was, true to his age, ogling shamelessly and trying to charm all around him. But that boy's modest dream met an immediate end.
"Mas-ter~!"
"H-hic! Sorry, Aine! I wasn't looking with any impure thoughts! I'm innocent!!"
It was like a romantic comedy, Takuto thought to himself with mild amusement.
At the same time, he felt a small measure of relief. Had the Succubus's allure caused him to make a rash move here, it would have ended badly. In that sense, Ai — pinching Yuu's cheek to keep her in check — was a welcome presence.
Her strength remained an unknown, and in Yuu's own words, she could fight well enough in a supporting role, but...
Setting combat aside, he even wished she would remain as Yuu's external conscience circuit for the time being.
Now then, setting the pair — each enjoying a youth of entirely different genre — aside, Takuto examined the situation in his capacity as King of Mynoghra and a player of Eternal Nations.
A city reveals the nature of its nation.
Whether it treats its people like slaves, or manages them with the indulgence one might show a noble daughter.
Those qualities are reflected with perfect clarity in the expressions and physical condition of the populace, and deception is far from easy.
On that front, the scenery of this Succubus town Takuto had observed left him with the impression of being caught off guard.
Itou — Vittorio, standing beside him — apparently shared that sentiment.
"I'm surprised. I expected the city to be far more crumbling under lust and decadence, but at a glance it appears urban functions are being maintained."
"You thought so too, Itou? Yeah, I figured the men would either be dried up and the whole population wiped out, or they'd have been reduced to livestock. But that's not the case at all. Well, there are plenty of couples being openly affectionate without any shame..."
"The loosening of public morals around that area is considerable, but compared to the Succubus ecology we imagined, it is somewhat puzzling."
The elves in the town had bright expressions, and at the very least bore no impression of being treated cruelly under occupation.
Quite the opposite — there were even young elf males walking arm in arm with Succubus couples in warm companionship, and a middle-aged elf man being accosted by multiple Succubus with troubled looks on his face.
Some displayed public displays of affection so passionately that it was awkward to look at, but even so, it amounted to nothing more than excessive — one could not quite call it depravity.
They are being managed.
Takuto raised his alert level toward the Succubus by one degree in light of this situation.
Perhaps that exchange had caught her attention, as the Succubus who had been silently accompanying Takuto's group until now — in other words, one of their guides — joined the conversation.
"That is only natural, guests. The purpose of us Succubus is not exploitation, but coexistence and prosperity. We did not come to this world to put on an act like locusts."
A slender-framed succubus with an air of cool detachment. For a succubus she was remarkably flat in profile, yet that very quality was oddly alluring.
Career-woman type, was Takuto's impression as she delivered her explanation with a hint of arrogance. He posed a question.
"Do you consider that to be your Queen's will?"
"Yes, yes. Queen Vagia says it all the time. She says, 'Those who can't get it in are to be pitied.' In other words, living together in harmonious debauchery is the one and greatest goal of us succubi."
The one who answered was the other guide succubus. In contrast to the first, this one gave an impression of being small and charming. Perhaps a bit timid, she supplemented in a somewhat frightened tone.
"I see."
The guides had been assigned to Takuto's group under direct orders from the Succubus Queen... that is, the witch Vagia. He didn't know what she had in mind, but if she intended to conduct herself as a national leader, she must hold a position of some importance.
And being in such a position while acting on the Queen's orders meant her words carried weight.
Setting aside the question of motive, it was fortunate that the succubi's intentions had been revealed at this stage.
But at the same time, Takuto understood this was not a good situation.
The elves' assimilation was proceeding far too smoothly.
This meant the plan to incite the elves or support them in carrying out guerrilla operations domestically to erode the nation's strength was no longer viable.
He had considered the possibility of some degree of absorption, but complete integration was among the worst outcomes he could have conceived.
"Coexistence and propagation, you say... Then, does that mean the elves living in this country are, every day, with sexy succubus big sis—ouch! Ow ow ow! Stop, please stop, Ai, I'm sorry!"
"You Master, you stupid pervert! Honestly, if you'd just told me I would have—"
"Hm? Did you say something?"
"I didn't say anything!"
The useless pair were, as always, enjoying themselves.
What are these people doing?
Takuto desperately swallowed the words that had risen to his throat.
After all, he was still considered an elite combatant on an individual level. Both he and Ira had admitted that their intellectual capabilities were utterly lacking, so that aspect was something he could handle himself.
Right people for the right job. It was more important to focus on what one could do than on what one couldn't.
In that regard, there was still plenty Takuto could do.
Specifically, to conduct the maximum possible information gathering before the convening of the All-Species Council.
The sense of unease he'd strongly felt in this town. He believed it would become the key to breaking down their opposition.
"Come to think of it, I don't see any women here. Not Succubi, but elves... What happened to them?"
"Huh? They're busy doing yuri-yuri things, growing them, and so on? Or else they're living out their hobbies or keeping pets, y'know?"
(Wait, they're alive?!)
He mentally screamed a retort. No—his real body in the Great Cursed Realm had almost cried out in shock.
Given the nature of Succubi, they should only be interested in men. Since no Incubi existed to target women, he had assumed the elf women must be in some kind of dire situation.
But contrary to his expectations, it was simply that they weren't present here, and furthermore, the Succubi had apparently made arrangements within their own capabilities to accommodate them.
Getting along with everyone was supposedly the Queen's policy, and it seemed it wasn't merely an appealing sentiment paid only lip service.
"Fortunately, the elf women have also managed to find some accommodation. That said, there are still those who simply cannot accept the situation. Those individuals have formed political organizations and hold daily demonstrations in front of the royal palace to vent their stress."
"I... I see."
"Indeed, it appears to be a well-governed domain. But forgive my blindingly rude question: if you were this considerate towards the elves and other species, why did you resort to invasion? With your beauty and physicality, you could have founded a nation on some empty land elsewhere and attracted migrants, could you not?"
The figure of Atou continued questioning in place of Takuto.
It seemed Vittorio had judged that Takuto was too stunned to act for the time being.
For Takuto, this was actually helpful. While he was admittedly more perceptive than Vittorio, he still overlooked many things.
If I could work alongside Vittorio, I would be able to gather even more diverse information than usual.
In fact, the previous question was a good one. Takuto also wanted to dig deeper into these matters, but asking too many questions could arouse suspicion.
In that regard, if Atou—who had remained silent until now—were to voice doubts, it would feel more natural and likely to draw out answers.
(Well, based on the flow so far, the reason probably seems pretty ridiculous. It seems Vagia has quite the gag-oriented personality, and judging by the atmosphere of the Succubi, maybe they come from some kind of idiot game? If that's the case, their desire to avoid casualties makes sense.)
As he reflected on the conversation and impressions, the vague outlines of the other side gradually became clearer.
At the very least, it could be said he had narrowed things down to some extent.
But...
"...?"
Both Succubi wore expressions that showed they couldn't grasp Atou's—Vittorio's—question.
It wasn't the look of someone who didn't understand the wording or was forbidden to answer. It was the expression of someone hearing a concept for the first time, something utterly beyond their comprehension.
"Oh my? Was the question too difficult? I asked why they chose invasion. If the outcome is the same, wouldn't a more conventional method have sufficed?"
Even with those words, the two Succubi only looked at each other with puzzled, confused expressions.
Rather, they now began exchanging glances, seeming to ponder how they should even answer.
At this point, Takuto understood that the other side did not operate with simple, clear-cut circumstances either, but moved according to their own unique rules and concepts.
After a few seconds, as if confirming his understanding was correct, they finally replied.
"No, that's not it. We never even considered such a thing."
"Expanding is the correct way for living beings, isn't it?"
"I see, of course. That was an unreasonable question on my part. I apologize."
Atou said only that, and brought the conversation to a close.
It seemed that Vittorio had nothing further to ask either.
Takuto sighed inwardly.
It had become clear that, at least at this point, finding any point of compromise between their nations was impossible.
(Well, this is a tough one.)
Initially, they had claimed they were "not locusts."
But if they harbored absolutely no doubt about their own expansion and proliferation, then those words rang hollow.
Takuto turned his gaze toward the town's thoroughfare.
The elf and the succubus looked happy at first glance.
But to Takuto, the scene felt like a fleeting dream shown within the belly of some unknowable being.
=Eterpedia===
[Noble Succubus]Combat Unit
Combat Power: ?? Mobility: ?
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The Noble Succubus ranks third within the succubus hierarchy.
They belong to the aristocratic class and, under the queen's command, manage the lower-ranking succubus.
They also play a central role in the operation of the succubus state.
Succubi possess a nature whereby their combat abilities increase with rank, and a Noble Succubus can sometimes possess combat prowess and wisdom approaching that of a hero.
However, men's tastes vary widely, and there are individuals who become bound to a dud, contribute everything, and end up bankrupt.
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