The Holy Kingdom Quolia's disaster investigation team had been dispatched. After negotiations with them broke down, Atou had brought the matter to a close through annihilation, swiftly dealt with the corpses, and was now reporting to his sovereign, Takuto.
"Witches... that's something I never once heard of in 'Eternal Nations', right?"
"Yes, Lord Takuto. This encounter has only reaffirmed my conviction: this world is not the one from 'Eternal Nations'. While parts of the game system may apply here, we must assume its underlying mechanics are fundamentally different."
Since arriving in this world, Takuto and Atou had been gathering all manner of information.
One conclusion they had reached was that this world was distinct from the game "Eternal Nations."
The primary basis for this judgment concerned civilization.
The Holy Kingdom Quolia and the El-Nar Spirit Contract Union were entities that never appeared in "Eternal Nations." Furthermore, the existence of the Saintess, the figure who had led those two nations to power.
This, too, was something entirely new to them.
They had cornered Emuru, a lover of legends, and extracted various stories from him from dawn till dusk. But the tales of this world—including those about the Saintess—differed greatly from what they knew from "Eternal Nations," shocking them profoundly.
Many other elements pointed to this world's unique laws.
'Otherworldly transmigration' was indeed the perfect term for it...
Takuto recalled the fantasy genre that had been popular in certain circles before his death.
"Even when you analyze the memories of the Holy Knight you captured, it's the same, right?"
"Yes. Although I could only perceive the thoughts they held strongly just before death, I gleaned a fair amount. They had lived relatively peaceful lives up until their current predicament, and for the past several decades, had experienced no large-scale military conflicts. No powerful leaders were identified either. If we judge them as players, they are undoubtedly at a beginner's level."
"And amidst all that, the Northern Provinces are in turmoil."
The unique ability Atou possessed: acquiring the abilities of defeated units.
They learned this for the first time after coming to this world, but this ability also allowed him to read the strong emotions the target held at the moment of death.
This mechanism, which did not exist anywhere in the game, was both convenient and a source of anxiety.
It was proof that their common sense and rules did not apply here, and a warning bell that if they continued to run the nation following the game's settings, something catastrophically wrong would inevitably happen somewhere along the line.
Though Takuto felt an uncanny sense that he was being told this was not a game but reality, he pushed that thought aside and turned his attention elsewhere.
His focus landed on the northern provincial disturbances of Quolia, and the witch said to be their cause.
These were the matters that should be prioritized above all else right now.
How would this uncertain event affect their nation? If Quolia were to fall, would they be next?
More immediately, was there truly no chance that Quolia would turn its gaze toward them after the annihilation of the previous survey team?
Various concerns surged, swirling into a torrent within Takuto's mind.
"It was fortunate they were preoccupied with the anomaly in what they call the Northern Province, meaning Quolia had no military surplus. It reduced the risk of them sending a large force our way."
"So the two Holy Knights they sent as scouts—outcasts, really—were also meant to be disposable in case something went wrong?"
"Most likely..."
"Having enemies within your own ranks is a problem that's hard to deal with, isn't it?"
The information Knight Verdel had possessed was limited, but quite valuable.
They learned that because Quolia operated under a provincial system, conflicts between provinces were fierce, and they constantly sabotaged each other.
Furthermore, there was the sluggish decision-making process that inevitably plagued such a massively scaled-up, complex political system.
The Saint's oracle had indicated signs of calamity within the Great Cursed Realm, but confirming it would cause domestic upheaval they wished to avoid.
Hence, they conducted their investigations furtively, trying to hide their efforts. It was beyond foolish—it could be called a grave transgression.
Takuto sighed at the flaws inherent in their organizational system, yet shook his head, realizing this was probably unavoidable for a nation to maintain such immense scale.
"Everyone in our ranks is bound by loyalty to Lord Takuto. We need not concern ourselves with the troubles of that kingdom."
"Thank you."
Nonetheless, the existence of the witch and the problems Quolia faced were undeniably working in Mynoghra's favor.
Because Quolia was pouring its strength into handling the northern disturbances, a more relaxed situation had been created for Mynoghra.
For that, perhaps they should be grateful.
The silence maintained by another good civilization, the El-Na Spirit Pact Union, is eerie, but at least they show no signs of moving unless we act first, which means this situation too only benefits us, Takuto thought.
There were many concerns, but killing them off and having it turn out well in the end was preferable, in Takuto's view, to a peaceful resolution that would see their expedition return home.
The longer the concealment lasted, the more advantageous it would be for them. Ideally, he wanted to avoid revealing their existence until they had created at least one more Hero.
...There was not a shred of pity for the dead within him.
"Um, Takuto—"
"Did you find any information about the Witch?"
Atou began to ask a question, but Takuto cut her off. He had been so absorbed in thought that he missed what Atou said.
Of course, for her, Takuto was the absolute priority. Since the King was asking a question, there was no reason not to answer.
However, the opportunity for her to brace herself and pose the same question as before would not come again for some time...
"Unfortunately, there is very little information on the Witch... However, we did learn that her forces have caused military-scale damage to Quolia's armies and cities, and we have one of the two confirmed names."
"What is it?"
According to the Holy Knight's memories, two Witches were currently confirmed in the Holy Kingdom of Quolia.
That they had already inflicted large-scale damage was startling enough, but what truly interested him was their identity.
What kind of being was the Witch who was thought to be Atou?
Reflecting the memories of the Holy Knight Verdel, Atou bitter spat out the name that troubled her King.
"—The Glutton Witch, Erakino.
That was the name in the memory."
What did that name truly signify? It certainly seemed to refer to that Witch's ability, but either way, it was undoubtedly something terrible.
Of course they knew, but they also knew the one belonging to evil...
"Maybe there are others like us out there..."
The turmoil in the Northern Provinces seemed to be recent.
In fact, it was said that no such information had come in before the dark elves were exiled from the country.
If that was the case, the timelines overlapped.
Which meant Takuto and Atou. It was a strange coincidence with the period when Mynoghra had arrived in this world.
The possibility that another faction had come to this world besides themselves...
A flicker of unease crossed Atou's expression. If her fears were to become reality, it would clearly be a grave situation.
"What shall we do? If they share the same evil attribute, there might be some degree of friendliness towards us..."
"Hmm... I can't quite put my finger on it, but I don't think we'd see eye to eye."
"Y-you're right..."
Takuto made that calm judgment while stroking his chin.
Atou could only nod in agreement with him, looking slightly troubled.
It made sense, after all. The evil beings they knew were entities whose ideologies were far removed from the concept of understanding others...
"Basically, anyone with the evil attribute is totally bonkers. Plus, they're always trying to destroy the world, aren't they? What's the point of destroying it?! Stop doing things without thinking of the consequences!"
"Their fundamental purpose is usually to destroy the world and themselves along with it..."
"I've had my fill of those typical villain moves."
"I understand..."
Evil beings generally don't get along.
They uniformly possess a scant sense of camaraderie or fellowship.
Subordinates and citizens are basically just pawns to achieve one's goals, and other nations are enemies regardless of their attributes.
Of course, there may be exceptions, but it's best not to expect too much.
It was already clear that Mynoghra, which desired peaceful activities, would inevitably become oil and water with any force in the current situation.
"The issue is whether, if there's an entity moving the Witch in the Northern Province, it's a civilization from 'Eternal Nations' world."
"Civilizations in 'Eternal Nations' are all powerful. If they come, it will be inevitable that chaos will erupt in the world."
"Even without that, the Witch herself almost certainly already possesses hero-unit-class combat power... This is troublesome."
"While there are various factors, an entity that has enough power to suppress a great nation's army. Just thinking about it makes one sick. We really need more heroes in our country as well."
The time would surely come when they would face each other.
Takuto vaguely thought so. Their goal was to solely advance Mynoghra's prosperity.
They had no intention of attacking first, but situations often arose where circumstances wouldn't allow that.
It was only natural to consider that forces incompatible with their policy would turn their fangs toward them.
There might not be much time left. Takuto let out a deep sigh at the unpleasant world situation.
"Maybe we should consider heroes other than Isla. It might be better to choose units with higher combat capability."
"Yes, we should have the mana required for hero production gathered soon. ...However, the required mana and technology level increase with each hero produced. Reconsideration will be necessary."
Producing heroes required various resources, mana, and technological power.
Currently, there was a plan to somehow prepare the necessary costs for creating an additional hero, but doing even more would require an enormous amount of time.
In other words, the choice of the next hero had to be made with utmost caution.
If they summoned the convenient hero Isla, whose combat ability was questionable, they could quickly end up in checkmate.
Takuto remembered how the numerous child insects produced by Isla during his past gameplay were wiped out in a single turn by an enemy hero's magic.
The Witch, and the Holy Maiden. He had no choice but to be extremely cautious in selecting their military strength.
Therefore, he resolved to employ contingency measures to address the various matters at hand, and decided to make a substantial shift in his policies.
"Operations should be flexible. We adapt to the circumstances as they arise—and on top of that, I'd like to change our initial policy just a little."
"Yes. In what way will the changes be made?"
"Allies, perhaps. I'd like to establish a friendly nation as a safeguard, just in case."
"Wh— An ally? Is... is that even possible?"
Atou's surprise was entirely understandable.
It was a strategy that would be taken for granted in the management of any nation, but for the socially inept Takuto, it presented a rather high degree of difficulty.
Moreover, for Mynoghra—an evil-aligned nation—it was an exceedingly difficult strategy.
He honestly could not see a path to success.
"If there's something in it for them... that's the gist of it. Of course, it'll have to be limited to nations with a neutral alignment, but..."
"Hmm, a nation near the forest? If anomalies truly are occurring in the world, the other party will eventually have no choice but to soften their stance."
"We won't know until we open the lid and look inside, though."
The human city located closest to the Great Cursed Realm. Continued investigation would be necessary, but depending on the circumstances, there was a chance they could reach out.
The impression from their first encounter would be terrible, but even so, as long as the other party wasn't a nation aiming for hegemony, there was room for negotiation.
Furthermore, through exchange they could obtain various resources, materials, and goods.
They, too, had something to offer the other side.
In the event of an emergency, cooperating to strike at a common enemy would also be possible.
Takuto carefully observed the mapping that surfaced in his mind as he determined their future course of action.
It was a strategy bordering on a gamble—there was always the risk that their negotiating partner could become an enemy—but if it succeeded, their foothold would be considerably more secure.
Perhaps it would be best to adopt a slightly more aggressive posture here.
Takuto's final judgment was this.
"Then summon the Dark Elves, and let us urgently finalize the details of the policy."
Atou moved to comply with the order at once.
She gave Takuto a hasty farewell, as if urging that good deeds should not wait, and headed for the settlement.
Takuto, who had offered her words of encouragement, sat alone on the throne in the empty palace, gazing into the void.
On his face, which was still, no emotion of any kind could be seen.
=Eterpedia===
[Witch] Unit Type
Witches are special units.
Only seven exist in the world at any given time, and each possesses powerful abilities and combat capabilities from the start.
Furthermore, many Witches possess abilities that inflict debuff effects on enemy units, and defeating them requires a massive army or the presence of an identical Witch or a Holy Maiden.
Once defeated, they cannot be reproduced, so while they require careful management, they are also key units for gameplay.
The currently identified Witches are as follows:
"The Seven Calamities of Idoragia, Certified Disaster Witches"
Witch of Sludge, Atou
Witch of Sipping, Erakino
****
****
****
****
**** ―――