It's a city of Forngawn, a neutral, multiracial nation
composed primarily of humans and beastmen.
Apparently, the city is named Dragontan.
It seems Dragontan is currently in a state of high alert.
We confirmed attacks from Barbarians like Ogres and Goblins.
If they're under attack,
there's a chance they're generating refugees.
Then for our next turn...
We're dispatching diplomats to the neutral nation of Forngawn!
You're not human, are you?
Correct.
Please be my friend!
There's an aura of darkness so thick about them that I can tell from a glance.
L-Lady Tonukapoli...
Don't attack them out of panic!
This is bad.
The beastmen's instincts are driving my soldiers to fear.
Have everyone wait on standby.
As you wish.
She's not someone we can beat. Though...
If this standoff goes on, then our soldiers might act rashly.
Do you mind if I step in?!
Good afternoon!
My name is Pepe!
Could you tell me your name?!
This fool!
I'm surprised you would seek an audience with our king as well.
We had only just sent a delegation to Dragontan ourselves.
So that's why we happened upon each other?
That's right, Atou!
We actually went through many adventures on our way here!
Yes.
Of course, they were all resolved safely thanks to my actions,
Umm...
I'm so sorry, Lady Atou.
but I told that hill giant that suddenly attacked us!
This boy is a fool.
"You scoundrel, daring to invade Forngawn!"
Oh, are you sure about leaving your men behind?
Yeah.
"Face my magic!"
This miasma is a bit too harsh for our soldiers,
Then I hit it dead-on!
A real solid blow!
so I'll have them wait outside.
That hill giant was so pathetic.
Now,
we're about to meet the king this exceptional monster adores.
It gave me this dumbfounded look.
Well, anyway, point is, if I wasn't there, it would have destroyed Crescent Moon.
I wonder what's awaiting us.
This is our great and powerful king, King Ira Takuto.
We're in trouble.
I can't get a full measure of him.
It's like he's darkness itself!
Well, we just had a terrifying thing move into the neighborhood.
Who would have thought my choice back then would backfire like this.
Grass Tendril Magic!
Brave defenders of Forngawn!
You can rest easy now!
Now that I, a Staff Holder, have arrived—
Man, this is awesome!
Oh! Master Pepe!
We're saved!
The shaman is here to save us!
That's right! Praise me more!
Shaman! Shaman! Shaman! Shaman!
Shaman?!
Quagmire Magic!
Grass Tendril Magic!
Hurry up and finish it off!
R-Right!
Look at what happened to you, Pepe!
Granny Tonukapoli...
Ow!
I told you to call me Lady Tonukapoli, not Granny!
I'm still a healthy, young 240 years old!
Huh? Really?
What would be the point of lying about that?!
Honestly...
You're the only young Staff Holder!
You should be more aware and act like a leader!
I'll try!
Good grief, I'm worried about your future,
and we're about to head to the Accursed Lands too.
We are?
You weren't listening to the elders earlier, were you?!
They've received signs of the apocalypse coming from there,
so they told us to go investigate!
If these Barbarian attacks keep up,
then sooner or later, we're finished.
It's worse for a detached city like Dragontan
since we can't send the army there.
We don't know if the cause of these attacks is in the Accursed Lands,
so we need to hurry.
Now let's hurry up and prepare for our journey!
I see! Take care, then!
You're coming with me too!
If I had just ignored the elders and left Pepe behind...
I never would've brought this child to such a dangerous place.
Nice to meet you!
My name is Pepe!
Please be my friend!
Pepe!
F-Friend?!
P-Please forgive him!
Pepe was nervous, so—
Friends...
Sure.
We're friends now.
Let's all get along.
Huh?!
Yay!
Congratulations on making your very first friend, King Takuto!
Now, applause!
Yeah!
Man...
This...
is outrageous.
Here you go.
Oh, thank you.
This is...
Our nation of Mynoghra prides itself on that being the tastiest drink in the world!
I can't believe something so sweet exists in this world.
I've never seen such high-quality dishware before either.
What kind of drink is this?!
It's apple juice!
Another, please!
This is really, really good!
You have amazing muscles!
You've trained a whole lot, haven't you?!
Huh? Uh...
Oh, watch this!
My magic is amazing!
Oh?
Pepe's social skills are amazing.
He's already started fitting in with everyone.
I could never pull that off.
But friends, huh?
It's my first time having one, so I don't know what I should do!
Poor Communicator
Still, these are also important talks with Forngawn.
I'd like to avoid getting drawn into their pace.
I also need to show friendly intentions to prove that we're not hostile.
All right!
Pepe!
W-Want to play a game with me?
Everyone's giving me a stilted reaction.
That sounds great!
Let's do it!
Here I go!
I win!
I've never played a game like this before. This feels fresh to me.
Let's go another round, Pepe.
Sure thing! Let's play again!
I won't lose this time.
Man, you're a strong opponent!
You picked this up fast for a new player, Pepe.
Your apple juice is delicious,
and this game is fun too.
I'm glad I came to Mynoghra!
I know!
Please sell this to our country!
I bet everyone would enjoy it!
Pepe! You can't just—
Sure.
We were planning to open trade anyway,
so I'm glad Pepe brought it up.
Though there are things I need to confirm before ironing out the details.
It's been very fun playing with a friend.
But from here, it's time for national diplomacy.
That's so good!
Ow!
You're getting too relaxed!
By the way, Lady Tonukapoli...
Hmm? What is it, Lady Atou?
I wanted to ask what reason you had for coming to our lands.
She's brought it up.
The truth is, lately,
our country has been repeatedly attacked by Barbarians.
That's odd.
Barbarians should generally avoid large cities.
That's true.
But they're coming in incredible hordes.
We came here, in part, to further our investigation.
So you're lacking in military might.
Did he uncover that from my attitude?
This is bad.
We won't be able to negotiate if he knows our weakness.
Well, we're able to manage driving them off.
It's just that their behavior is odd.
So better safe than sorry, you know.
That's true.
It sounds a bit too troublesome to ignore.
Yeah.
Well, two of our strongest forces, our Staff Holders, have been sent to investigate.
I hope you'll see that as a sign of our confidence.
It certainly makes sense.
Huh?
What's wrong?
I thought we were sent to out to investigate
because our country will perish if we don't find a way to deal with them.
How could you?!
Did I say something wrong?
Lady Tonukapoli, you have my sympathies.
Hmm?
We have no intention of bringing harm to Forngawn.
I'm grateful to hear that, but...
You might suspect that evil beings like us are up to something,
but our greatest interest is always directed inward.
In short...
Nothing beats peace!
Yes.
Mynoghra is an evil nation that loves peace!
I see.
As for your Barbarians...
Dragontan
Mynoghra
If Dragontan falls, then we're next.
So this matter concerns us too.
Are you willing to help us then?
We went to great effort to build that city for the Dragon Vein Mine.
We would certainly appreciate the help, but...
What do you think, my king?
Friends should help each other.
I knew you'd get it, Takuto!
So, what do you desire in return?
Thanks to this fool's slip, you could take advantage of us as much as you wanted.
The Dragon Vein mine then.
So you saw through it all from the start, then?
We're perfectly happy with joint control of it.
It's not like we need such a vast supply of Mana at present.
Though we would like the right to designate which element it's converted to.
You want to convert the Dragon Vein Mine's pure Mana into specific elements?
That's a technology that'll take us ten more years to develop,
but I take it you've already researched it?
King Ira Takuto, Lady Atou.
Pepe's, well, he's a fool.
He's the greatest fool among us!
However, this child is still our nation's future.
He'll eventually lead Forngawn as a representative of the Staff Holders.
Plus, Pepe is the best judge of character in all of our nation.
So—
Pepe! You decide!
You have that right as a Staff Holder.
Come on, Granny.
I said it from the beginning, didn't I?
Mynoghra and Forngawn have forged an alliance.
I want us to be friends with the people of Mynoghra.
Now, let's reaffirm and discuss the decisions made during our latest negotiations.
Emle?
Yes.
We've agreed to export provisions and toys to Forngawn.
Mynoghra
Forngawn
Food
Metal Goods, Daily Necessities, and Other Consumables
Support Defeating the Barbarians Attacking Dragontan
Joint Control of the Dragon Vein Mine
In return, we'll be importing daily necessities and metal goods.
It will be a relief to have those since we've been relying on our king for them.
Yes. Also, our biggest gain is obtaining access to the Dragon Vein Mine.
Sir Pepe's slip was most fortuitous.
Though his rashness is slightly concerning.
That's true.
Though if it weren't for Pepe...
Then our talks would have probably ended in much more innocuous terms.
Something as tepid as "Let's take our time learning about each other."
If that was the outcome, we wouldn't be able to aid Dragontan in time.
But what if he said that because he was thinking that far ahead?
King Takuto?
Let's set Pepe aside for now.
I think he'll be fine.
Yes.
Then getting back on track,
let's decide our policy on future relations with Forngawn.
Umm?
Yes? Feel free to speak your mind.
What kind of country is Forngawn in the first place?
We don't know.
Thank you!
Yes, good question, indeed.
In order to develop international relations,
we need to learn more details about their values and customs.
That's a blind spot for me,
since the game never concerned itself with those details.
In that case, we'll need to investigate Forngawn first.
However...
Forngawn
Dragontan
Mynoghra
Forngawn's capital, Crescent Moon, is very far away,
so it'll take time to investigate.
Let's put that on hold for now.
We should prioritize Dragontan, since it needs the aid.
Understood.
However, we'll need some kind of formal reason to head directly into another nation.
We're going there to play!
Uh...
That's what Pepe said, right?
That's right!
We can quickly send out a few people to pay our respects before sending a formal delegation.
In that case,
then may I humbly ask,
should I head there myself?
Hmm, I think you're too important for that to work, Moltar.
Oh, right.
He may just be a wise old man to us,
but other nations would see him as the Chancellor and Minister of Magic.
There were some unnecessary comments there, but you're right.
In that same vein, Gia would be our General,
and Emle our Minister of Domestic Affairs.
All of us would be too important for a simple show of respect.
We need someone with appropriate status,
who we can trust,
and who doesn't hold an official post.
We'll do our best!
Isn't that dangerous?!
They're both candidates for leadership.
That's neither too little nor too great status.
I also believe they would be the perfect fit so they can gain experience from this.
"If you love them, let them see the world" mindset
But isn't that dangerous?!
Protective mindset
I'll go!
Our king is worried about what might happen to them if they were to be kidnapped!
Overprotective of the King mindset
Lady Atou, you are our king's most trusted confidant.
It would be an even bigger deal if you went.
Trusted Confidant
Trusted confidant...
Yes, his most trusted confidant couldn't possibly go!
My king.
My king, you told us before, right?
That we're free.
Yeah.
We want to prove useful to you.
That's one thing we wish for with our freedom.
But what if something happens to you?
We're willing to take that risk.
My king, please.
Please, my king!
Fine.
Yay!
M-My king just caved in to the pestering of someone other than me?!
Still, my king,
sending those two by themselves isn't...
Yeah, no need to worry about that.
I have something in mind for their guards.
Hmph!
I-It's not what you think, Atou.
I didn't just cave in to their begging...
Hmph!
You can just abandon me and go on ahead with building your harem!
My king!
Hmm?
You should just tell her what you're thinking.
Uh, Atou...
Well, thank you.
For thinking about me all the time.
I really am sorry about recent events.
I didn't mean to make you worry so much, Atou.
I never would have made it this far
if I didn't have you at my side.
Oh, it's nothing.
I need you.
Please cheer up, Atou.
You're the only one for me, Atou.
Thank you!
Y-Yes, King Takuto...
This is our Clinic.
Where diseases are cured!
Correct!
The Building Cost is low too,
so I had it built.
My king, are you sick?
I'm not.
We're here because your guard is here.
You don't mean them, do you?
Yeah, them!
The unit I just produced a little while ago!