Silence filled the room. Then Takuto’s blood boiled. He realized he’d been had. He was dealing with a far more dangerous entity than he’d imagined. Tension coursed through both sides of the room.
“Whoa, buddy! Put a lid on that bloodlust of yours! You’re scaring my companion!” Yu spread his arms to shield the slave girl beside him. His shounen protagonist-like behavior worked wonders to help Takuto regain his calm.
Takuto clicked his tongue. Attacking his opponent here was a terrible idea. He might lose the Regalia in the process.
The Ascension Victory is a special victory you can get in Eternal Nations. It’s the most difficult victory in the game, achieved by fulfilling a handful of conditions called Regalia. Among the complex conditions, such as defeating unique units, founding a sovereign empire, and erecting specific buildings, is the acquisition of a treasure item.
One such item is the Regalia Sword.
Why in the world does the Hero’s Sword from Brave Questers count as one of our Regalia? And why the heck can I instinctively tell it is indeed our Regalia? Takuto wondered.
Their games should have no overlap whatsoever under normal circumstances. Takuto had fought several battles with the TRPG and RPG forces, but he had never sensed a connection between them like this before now. That’s why he accidentally let a moment of silence lapse when Yu presented the sword.
But in a sense, this was a good opportunity for Mynoghra. Not only could they glean all sorts of information from this interaction, but above all else, if they could obtain this Regalia, then they would be one step closer to an Ascension Victory.
Takuto doused the excitement burning within him at this unexpected revelation and waited for events to unfold, keeping his calm.
“What I want you to take away from this is that I seriously wanna be friends with you, King Takuto. Our goals have absolutely nothing to do with you guys, after all.”
“I’m dying to know how you know we’re after the Regalia and why the Hero’s Sword can fill the slot of the Regalia Sword, but… I’ll admit, this is an appealing peace offering. But are you sure you want to offer it?” Takuto asked. “The Hero’s Sword is a pretty critical item within Brave Questers as well.”
As the name suggests, the Hero’s Sword is a weapon that symbolizes the protagonist’s status as the Hero. The games have other, more powerful weapons, so it’s not the best piece of equipment. More than its purpose as a weapon, it’s an item that plays a vital role in many ways, as it’s needed to progress through the game and for events with certain characters.
Takuto didn’t know what mechanics were at play with the Brave Questers’ system governing Yu as a Player in this world. But he did know that this sword, which acted as a trigger for various events in that series, was not something to be casually given away.
“…Not to change the subject, but we and you came to this world at the hands of the gods. We’re on the same page there, right? So, assuming this world is a game, what do you think the conditions for clearing it are?” Yu asked with an uncharacteristically serious expression.
Takuto never thought about such a thing before. It was news to him. No…his understanding of it had just now shifted into something different. The very fact that Yu was asking this question showed that, even if there were conditions for clearing the game, they weren’t as easy to understand as one would normally think.
“…Defeating all opposing factions,” Takuto ventured. “In other words, being the last faction left on the playing field. Or is it something else?”
“Nope. The right answer is: only God knows.”
“What does that mean?”
It was clear from his initial question that the condition for clearing the game was not simply surviving until the end, but Yu’s answer was about as vague as they came. Takuto nodded along to encourage Yu to keep talking.
“Right? I wondered the same thing. According to our idiot god, most of the gods participating in this game aren’t in it to win it. But they aren’t just killing time with no thought behind their participation either.”
“Because the gods are all-powerful, it’s difficult to guess their true intentions. Is that what you mean?” Takuto guessed, trying to reason it out despite not being entirely convinced.
“Exactly,” Yu nodded.
If each god has their own agenda, why did they choose to make us fight in this world like this? And besides that, there are way too many complicated things being thrown into the mix with all this game system business and Players being brought to this world. Or is the game itself their goal? What comes after the game? Takuto contemplated the gods’ intentions and what were behind them as he let the slave girl’s praise for her master doing so well at explaining things go through one ear and out the other.
Takuto remembered that there were all sorts of Eternal Nations’ players whose goal was to clear the game under special conditions, such as imposing extra restrictions on themselves and additional challenges. But those types were still generally after winning the game, once they cleared those extra conditions. Then perhaps the gods were more like the type of gamers who enjoy the act of playing the game itself. Recalling the subset of gamers dubbed “enjoyers”, who didn’t care whether they won or lost, Takuto considered that was a valid case for the gods, too.
“What you do in the process is what matters. At least, that’s what the gods want from us,” Yu said.
“In other words, the gods aren’t looking to see us win, but to see what we can accomplish in this world?” Takuto asked.
“That’s what I think.”
It sounds like Yu hasn’t been told by his god what the victory conditions are either, Takuto realized. Which means he’s planning to fight the Succubus faction purely for his own sake and the survival of his faction.
“This Hero’s Sword is a good example of that. It’s a key item in the Brave Questers’ series, but it serves no purpose for our goals. That’s why I was cool with going outta my way to offer it to you. It’s a hecka rare treasure, y’know? Though you might already be aware of that!”
“I’m aware,” Takuto nodded.
An undeniably valuable gift, and one that attested to Yu’s sincerity. And it would be a great shame to turn it down now. Takuto wanted to secure the Regalia Sword, and an alliance with the RPG Hero was appealing, if there were no hidden agendas. Setting aside the Succubus Army, there was an advantage in numbers if they teamed up.
“I don’t know what your goal is, Your Majesty,” Yu continued. “That idiot god didn’t tell me that much. But he did say we should be able to get along, and that’s why I came to you. Actually, when I put it like that, I feel like that idiot god is using me real good. Kinda pisses me off.”