Chapter 13: Counterplan
TAKUTO and the group that had returned with him to the Dark Continent dispersed to attend to their own affairs. The Phon’kaven envoy was already back home discussing the conference and ensuing chaos with the rest of the Staff Holders and Pepe. Takuto was also holding an emergency meeting at the Palace in the Accursed Lands to report the outcome and discuss future policy.
“So, yeah, the conference was about as much of a Pandora’s box as I’d expected…”
Takuto was in a state of hyper-concentration while controlling his Botchling double, so his subordinates were unable to assess the situation in real-time. This meeting was his first opportunity to report the conference results. After he finished telling them the whole story, the Dark Elves’ expressions soured. They’d attentively listened until that point.
They were optimistic about safety because Takuto had sent a double. They had thought that, at worst, they would lose the Botchling and that Mynoghra would be safe no matter what happened. They were unable to react when they suddenly found out that an event that affected the fate of the empire had occurred without them.
Right now, it took everything they had just to process their emotions.
“I cannot believe the Elven empire has fallen so far…” Elder Moltar lamented. “Still, the whole situation doesn’t make sense. Qualia is the Holy God’s kingdom. It makes no sense for them to join hands with demons like the Succubi, even if they were at a disadvantage.”
“Aye. We know their nature all too well,” Gia added. “They aren’t the type to kowtow to evil without good reason. Viewing us as a threat feels like too weak a reason, if you ask me…”
Takuto had been vague about the Players’ abilities. Not because he didn’t trust the Dark Elves, but because he was being considerate of the fact that they wouldn’t be able to comprehend the logic behind abilities hailing from a video game. Moreover, revealing everything could threaten the authority he held. For this reason, Takuto carefully selected what information to share and explained that the Players’ abilities came from the gods they believed in.
Takuto was genuinely at a loss for how to explain away the equipment from Mr. H’s game. Each was a powerful weapon or item that could have been at the center of a multitude of legends. Mr. H was a Player with an endless supply of these items. He was a whole lot harder to explain than the RPG Player, who could be put into more understandable terms as a Hero from a fairy tale.
“I’m sure they are hiding things too. No amount of hypothesizing will lead to the answer. It is something we should keep in mind, though. At any rate, it’s kind of fortunate that we have narrowed our objectives down to one for now. Never hurts for things to be plain and simple.”
Takuto only restricted information when it came to the Players. It was easy to talk to the Dark Elves about Mynoghra’s abilities because they understood it all as a part of the King of Ruin’s divine powers.
As for the Great Ritual: Dark Nation, Takuto explained it away as a powerful spell he could only use once in his lifetime. The Dark Elves expressed both their gratitude and regret for making their king use such a precious spell, which only made Takuto feel uncomfortable because it was a Great Ritual he would’ve squandered in an attempt to save it for that perfect moment if he didn’t use it now in a time of great need.
“Your power never ceases to amaze me, my liege,” Elder Moltar said. “We, your people, will put everything we have into the tasks you have granted us during the remaining time we have before our fated battle with the Alliance.”
“Good. It’s fortunate that time is on our side. Let’s do everything we can in this window.”
Having time for Domestic Affairs was a huge advantage for Takuto, and for the SLG Eternal Nations. They might not be able to get as much done as they could within the timeframe of the game, but there was still plenty they could accomplish.
Debts must be repaid in full. For them to get payback, Mynoghra needed to become stronger.
“By the way, King Takuto, how long will the Great Ritual last?” Atou asked.
“A year, most likely. It may vary by a few days, but I’m certain it will last about that long.”
“Hmmm…” Atou murmured after hearing his answer.
After parting ways with Yu and the others, Takuto looked into the Great Ritual as soon as he had time. He attempted to sense the flow of magical power, accessed the Eterpedia that existed within his mind, and even meditated and listened to his inner self. He tried all the different methods to measure the most important factor: the grace period.
The duration Takuto had intuited from the start turned out to be correct, and even if it were slightly off, it’d only be by a few days in either direction.
One year.
Everyone understood what that meant. Far too little time.
“A slow and steady build up…isn’t possible in that amount of time,” Elder Moltar said.
“Aye. Considering the sheer size and strength of the enemy’s forces, we need to make drastic changes,” Gia added.
“A year is too short for change on a national scale,” Emle opined.
Gloominess hung over the Dark Elves. Rather than feeling depressed over a premonition of defeat, they had realized that it was impossible to overcome the situation using common-sense methods. They couldn’t think of how to make the impossible possible.
Even coming up with a clever plan and considering it would take several weeks, and they only had a year to do everything. It was fair to say that the situation was dire. So dire that they wouldn’t make it in time if they didn’t act now.
Dark despair was beginning to hang thick in the air…
“Hahaha. You have all lost heart so easily. Have you forgotten? You are in the presence of Mynoghra’s King of Ruin! Your king already has the means to pull off what you can’t even begin to fathom!”
“Oooooh!” the Dark Elves cheered in unison.
Takuto’s confidant, Sludge Atou, cleared the gloom. She was the loyal retainer who had guarded Takuto the entire time he remotely controlled the Botchling from his room in Mynoghra’s Palace.
In fact, she had done little else but guard Takuto while he was preoccupied with the All-Faction Conference. She was probably trying to draw attention to herself by speaking up. It was an underhanded move, bringing up the king like that, but it was also the smartest move to upend the mood.