The two sides finally got down to business. That is to say, this was the reason Fonkavun had come to the Great Cursed Realm — the purpose behind their actions.
Of course, Tonukapoli would not reveal everything about her true objective — investigating the source of the barbarians and finding a solution.
Showing your hand was the same as showing your weaknesses, and no matter how friendly the other party claimed to be, it would put her at a disadvantage in the negotiation.
So they peppered their explanation with a few bluffs, sticking to the story that they were merely concerned about the barbarians and conducting a preliminary survey of the Great Cursed Realm to develop countermeasures, including the elimination of the root cause.
What absolutely must not be discovered was that they were falling behind in responding to the barbarians. That their forces were insufficient and that support for Dragontan was not reaching where it was needed.
This point was explained with the utmost care.
And yet.
"Your forces are lacking, aren't they?"
Ira=Takuto's words cut straight to the heart of their situation.
Such a blunt statement, under normal circumstances, would be the greatest insult one could hurl at the other party. Even if it was true — no, precisely because it was true, she would have been well within her rights to fly into a rage.
But Tonukapoli's heart was not particularly shaken by those words.
After all, she understood that this being existed on a plane entirely separate from ordinary people.
His words were not born from the kind of sensibility an ordinary person would have.
He had simply spoken aloud what he felt.
If that was the case, getting indignant about every little thing would be wasted effort. Worse, it would only make her appear flustered and give the opponent an opening to exploit.
That said, letting his observation — that their forces were lacking — go unchallenged would be bad. She needed to make a move here.
Tonukapoli arranged her expression into one that was as gentle and composed as she could manage, and replied slowly and calmly.
"Oh, no, no. If we really put our minds to it, we could handle it just fine. We've been driving them off, after all. It's just that the barbarians appearing without warning are a genuine threat, and there's always that one-in-a-million chance. The other stubborn staff-bearers insist that preliminary research is essential first."
It was perhaps a somewhat strained excuse, but it was not without logic. Especially the part where she attributed the inability to take concrete action to delays in internal decision-making — that would carry a fair amount of persuasiveness.
Furthermore, she emphasized the threat of the barbarians to the Mynoghra contingent.
Barbarians appearing spontaneously had never been confirmed before. Most of them — or rather, common sense dictated that they came from distant lands. If so, they could be spotted in advance, and if they appeared in large numbers, there would be prior signs.
Dangerous creatures suddenly materializing within one's own territory like springs bubbling up from the ground — for a nation, that was about the highest level of crisis imaginable.
She hammered this point home while delivering an eloquent speech designed to redirect Mynoghra's interest away from her own nation's strength.
"You're absolutely right, Tonukapoli. The phenomenon of them appearing without warning is especially baffling. Dealing with them is straightforward enough, but finding a genuine root solution is another matter entirely. Would that be an accurate way to put it?"
"That's exactly it, Lady Atou. That's precisely why we've been investigating why the barbarians appear so suddenly. Though, I must admit, we hadn't anticipated meeting your nation."
"We were just as surprised. We had been preparing to send a diplomatic envoy to establish contact, but..."
Perfect. Tonukapoli silently congratulated herself.
She had deflected that beautifully.
Just as she'd expected, Mynoghra's interest had shifted to the barbarians. Now there was no need to worry about them hatching some dark scheme regarding Fonkavun's decline in national power.
All that remained was to secure some measure of support, and it would be a resounding victory.
After all, the Great Cursed Realm where Mynoghra existed was close to Dragontan — a place where barbarian incursions could very well occur.
The Great Cursed Realm was a complex, labyrinthine region, which was likely why the barbarians hadn't headed that way so far, but there was no guarantee that would remain the case in the future.
Moreover, if Dragontan were to fall, the barbarians could use it as a base. In that scenario, the level of threat would be incomparable to their current sporadic raids.
Tonukapoli had the pride that, since it was their own city, they would never allow it to fall — but what Mynoghra thought of the matter was something else entirely.
In other words, it was not Mynoghra's problem alone. Fonkavun's representative, Tonukapoli, had deftly seized on this.
"Still, the location of Dragontan is rather problematic. I don't mean to meddle in another nation's affairs, but with it being an exclave like that, it must be difficult for everyone in Fonkavun to defend it properly."
"Hmm? Ah, well, there were various circumstances. We decided to put down roots in that location."
There was still another matter Tonukapoli had to deflect.
Dragontan housed a dragon vein opening. That site, where pure Mana geysered forth, was a miracle they had stumbled upon during their exploration of the land.
It was a quantity of magical power far beyond what any human could hope to control. Even ritual magic did not require Mana on such a massive scale.
Currently, they had no means of utilizing it, but conversely, if the technology to harness the dragon vein's Mana were perfected, it would grant them enough power to leave other nations in the dust.
That was why they had forcibly established Dragontan and continued their research in secret.
If the barbarian problem hadn't arisen, the Military Magic technology would likely have been completed by now.
Bemoaning the unfairness of the world, Tonukapoli lied in an utterly unchanged tone.
"Is that so. Well, building a city at some distance does make it easier to assert territorial claims over the surrounding land as well. You mentioned there were circumstances — things don't always go smoothly in this world, after all."
"Couldn't agree more. If those barbarians hadn't shown up, I'd be sitting back in my homeland enjoying a cup of tea right about now... That said, meeting Lady Atou and Mynoghra — and above all, meeting King Ira=Takuto — there's fortune even in misfortune, I suppose.
...Well, the fact that we can send two staff-bearers on reconnaissance — I'd like you to view that as proof of our nation's resources."
"I'm glad we met Fonkavun."
"Yes, yes, absolutely, Lord Takuto! If the world were full of people like everyone in Fonkavun who we could converse with so openly, we could all live much more peacefully."
The atmosphere of the negotiation was thoroughly amicable.
This tightrope walk had apparently been navigated safely.
The fact that Pepe hadn't stuck his nose into the negotiation where it wasn't wanted had also helped. If he'd been actively jumping into the conversation, things would not have gone this smoothly.
At that moment, Tonukapoli felt a strange sense of disquiet stir from somewhere deep inside her chest.
She suddenly wondered why Pepe had been so quiet.
"Huh!?"
"?"
Everyone turned their startled gazes toward the source of that exclamation.
Standing there was Pepe, who had not uttered a single word up until now.
His childlike face wore a complicated expression as he stood with his arms crossed, lost in thought.
What on earth had happened? Was there a difficult part in their earlier conversation?
"Is something wrong?"
Before Tonukapoli could even ask, King Takuto posed the question.
Having heard what anyone else in this room — except Pepe — would have asked, Pepe, still wearing that same troubled expression, gave a small nod and spoke his thoughts aloud.
"Weren't we investigating the Great Cursed Realm because if things kept going like this, our country would be destroyed, and we needed to find a way to escape the crisis?"
"Pepe... honestly, you..."
"Ah, huh? Did I say something wrong?"
"Well, it's... Lady Tonukapoli, how should I say this, I sympathize..."
"..."
And so a quiet time fell over the room. Everyone present had nothing but silence at their disposal.
As for Tonukapoli, all she could do was hold her head in her hands.
And who could blame her? National secrets had just been spilled carelessly onto the negotiating table. Even she was not so silver-tongued that she could smooth over a situation like this.
In fact, no matter who it was — even someone of extraordinary talent — it would be difficult to navigate this predicament.
That was how damning Pepe's words were. They had placed Fonkavun in a truly dire position.
But even when driven into a corner by a slip of the tongue, the future could take on various colors depending on how the other party reacted.
"Atou."
"Yes, Lord Takuto."
...And as it turned out, regarding Fonkavun's future, the situation was heading in an unexpectedly welcome direction.
"Lady Tonukapoli. Please rest assured — we hold no malice or ill will whatsoever toward Fonkavun."
With an attitude that suggested she was communicating with her lord through some invisible link, the young girl before them stated Mynoghra's position.
Her expression was somewhat troubled. Tonukapoli understood that she was showing sympathy for their blunder, but the earnest gaze behind it made it clear that her earlier words had not been meant as an insult or a joke.
"I know this may be hard to believe, but our interest has always been directed inward. It may seem strange that we beings of demonic origin harbor no malice toward the outside world, but that is our wish — and moreover, it is Lord Takuto's wish."
These unbelievable words came from her lips.
Beings of demonic origin were generally said to wish for the suffering of all living things and the destruction of the world.
A claim that was nothing short of anomalous within that established consensus.
But she could not simply dismiss it as a lie — that much was obvious from the welcome they had received and from the Dark Elves who followed them.
Without bothering to hide her confusion and agitation, Tonukapoli shook her head and turned to Takuto.
"But beings of demonic origin are supposed to be... No, it's true, we also think that nothing happening is for the best, but..."
"Peace is best."
"...Mmm."
Once someone said that, there was nothing more to be said.
Tonukapoli's heart was not made of steel, nor was she an ignorant fool — she could not bring herself to press Ira=Takuto on the matter any further here.
But peace. That was what he'd said.
Honestly, suspicion was practically oozing from every pore. But if by some chance it was true, nothing could be more aligned with their own interests.
"We simply want to live each day quietly, in peace. Rather, what worries us is that other nations might meddle with us and disturb this tranquility."
"Right. It's not like we could even have a conversation with Quolia or Il-Nar..."
"Do you understand now?"
"We've been dealing with all sorts of trouble ourselves."
Tonukapoli nodded in understanding. That was only natural.
No matter how much Mynoghra loved peace and harbored not the slightest thought of invading other nations, the rest of the world did not work that way.
Even Fonkavun — a multinational state composed of various races and cultures, with an understanding of diverse traditions — found decisions difficult.
As for those who blindly believed in the benevolence of gods and spirits and offered prayers at every spare moment, how they would react was as plain as the nose on one's face.
Hmm. Tonukapoli entered a mode of forward-looking thinking.
When the truth eventually came to light, Fonkavun would be forced to make a decision.
The forces of good who championed orderly dominion, demanded submission and obedience, and imposed their laws.
And the forces of evil who declared their desire for peace and tranquility, seeking friendship and dialogue.
Whichever side they aligned with, the only thing certain was that it would be troublesome — and her head already hurt thinking about it.
"Still, I see your point. In light of these developments, we can no longer claim to be uninvolved. Some kind of action seems to be called for. Your Majesty... what do you say?"
"Friends should help each other."
"As expected of Lord Takuto!!"
"You, Pepe, could stand to keep quiet a little longer!"
"Ouch! You're hitting me harder than usual today!"
While Tonukapoli had been racking her brain, the decision regarding support had already been made.
With the thought that it didn't matter anymore, she decided to simply go with the flow.
She had already realized that attempting to grasp the bigger picture with her own limited capabilities would only give her a headache.
Completely abandoning all thought at a critical juncture was arguably an act of extraordinary foolishness, but she had not lived to her age for nothing.
Her final trump card was still intact, and right now, it was functioning quite well.
"Mmm, His Majesty has said as much. We may be able to help with the matter of Dragontan. Besides, barbarians with diverse abilities are valuable adversaries for us as well..."
"Yay!!"
Watching Pepe's joyfully raised hands and elated expression, Tonukapoli felt a measure of confidence in Mynoghra's support.
She hadn't assessed their true capabilities, but judging by Atou, who served as their chief advisor, they should be dependable. The barbarians would be no match for them — that much was certain.
If that was the case, then the purely defensive policy they had been pursuing could be shifted, and large-scale investigations into the source of the barbarian incursions could be conducted.
She had been considering abandoning Dragontan under these circumstances. Not only had the city's survival been all but guaranteed, but the emergence of a ray of hope was truly wonderful.
Pepe's slip of the tongue had chilled her to the bone, but had the situation not moved in a positive direction as a result?
Of course, they had been exposed and the opponent had extracted this much in return. She should reciprocate appropriately.
At the very least, the household goods demanded in the previous trade deal would be clearly insufficient.
Now then — what would they ask for?
Tonukapoli steeled herself and asked for their decision.
"It's a generous offer. But in this world, no word is more suspicious than 'goodwill.' You're a nation too. You don't move without profit. And thanks to that idiot, our underbelly is on full display. — What do you want in return?"
"The dragon vein opening."
Atou answered with a beaming, carefree smile.
The immediate response laid everything bare in an instant.
At this moment, and this moment alone, Tonukapoli cursed her own shortsightedness and carelessness with all her heart.
It seemed the other side had been several moves ahead of her the entire time.
"As expected... you saw right through us..."
Now that she thought about it, she had never once engaged in negotiations with a foreign power before.
Realizing this, she understood that somewhere deep inside, she had harbored a pride in her own abilities.
Even so, she simultaneously resigned herself to the fact that even fully prepared, it was doubtful she could stand as an equal against that nation.
(Well now, I guess I can't really call Pepe an idiot after all.)
She laughed, somewhat self-deprecatingly.
The situation was about as bad as it could get. The dragon vein opening was arguably the most critical secret Fonkavun possessed.
Even in the harsh environment of the Southern Continent, the reason they could still hold hope for the future was precisely because they were counting on the vast Mana that the dragon vein provided.
It was nothing less than Fonkavun's most vital pressure point.
If they demanded that, it would become exceedingly difficult to stand as equals with other nations in terms of national power. At the very least, she would never be able to hold her head up before Mynoghra.
"We could manage it jointly, you know? We don't actually need Mana on that massive a scale right now. Though we would like to designate the conversion elements ourselves."
"Converting the pure Mana from the dragon vein into elements... That's the first I've ever heard of such technology."
"Oh my. Have we been outplayed?"
With those words, Tonukapoli understood that they were already caught up in a great current of history.
From the very beginning, it had been fundamentally impossible to deceive them, and at the same time, she couldn't afford to fall out with them.
It seemed the only path remaining was to join hands with those who possessed magical technology that was several steps ahead of their own.
If that was the case, then she simply needed to steel herself. In for a penny, in for a pound.
Tonukapoli let the somewhat nervous, difficult expression she had been wearing collapse, and with a hearty laugh, she relaxed back into her chair with an air of relief.
She had made up her mind.
"King Ira=Takuto, and Lady Atou. Pepe, you see, is an idiot. The biggest idiot in our entire nation!"
Shrugging her shoulders, she spoke with a sense of amusement — and yet, somewhere within, a note of pride.
This sudden confession caught even Atou and Takuto off guard, and they seemed at a loss for words.
Incidentally, the Pepe who had been called the biggest idiot was rolling around laughing, apparently finding something hilarious.
"Well... I wouldn't be able to comment on that myself."
"Don't be mean!"
The two from Mynoghra gently chided her.
Their considerate, almost un-demonic behavior only made Tonukapoli laugh even louder before she added, "But still..."
"That guy Pepe. He has the best eye for reading people in the world. In our nation, better than anyone... He's the single best judge of character we have. He's never been wrong. Not once."
Fonkavun had played its card.
It had decided to stake everything on the talent that Pepe possessed.
The greatest staff-bearer in the nation's history.
The talent of a great leader who would carve a path through the nation's darkest hour.
Every nation possessed an ultimate measure — something capable of deciding its very fate.
The form that ability took varied depending on the era and the nation's policies, and Fonkavun was no exception.
A rule that no one in the world — not even Takuto and the others, beings from the outside — knew about.
"Pepe! You make the call. The staff-bearer has that authority."
"Oh, come on, Granny. I've been saying it from the start..."
What activated in that moment — secretly, unknown to anyone in the room, unknown to anyone in the world — was...
"I want to be friends with the people of Mynoghra."
It was called the 'Grand Ritual.'
"So it's settled. In the names of Tonukapoli and Pepe, staff-bearers, we hereby request a formal friendship between your nation, Mynoghra, and our nation, Fonkavun. Agreed?"
"With pleasure."
And so an alliance was formed.
It was entirely the decision of Tonukapoli and Pepe alone.
For a matter of this magnitude, they would normally have to return to their homeland and consult with the other staff-bearers.
That was the expected course of action, and this kind of unilateral decision could have been — and perhaps should have been — denounced as an abuse of the staff-bearer's authority.
But they had made their decision.
What that decision would bring was an unknown quantity, yet for some reason, both visitors from Fonkavun carried within their hearts an inexplicable conviction that this was the right choice.
=Eterpedia===
[Perfect Negotiation]Grand Ritual: Fonkavun
In critical negotiations that determine a nation's fate, brings about results that exceed all expectations.
Transforms every negative factor into a positive one, painting the outcome in the best possible light.
※This effect can only be used when the leader is in the state of "Silly Pepe."
※Once used, it can never be activated again.
―――
=Message===
Grand Ritual [Perfect Negotiation] has been activated.
From this point forward, the inter-nation affinity between Fonkavun and Mynoghra can never fall below "Friendly."
※This excludes drops in Mynoghra's favorability caused by deliberate acts of betrayal by Fonkavun.
The impact of this negotiation's outcome on Fonkavun's future is "enormous."
―――