﻿\setgamedatatitle("Shuka's Internal Affairs 1")

\text("Honju")
A Demon Lord in this day and age, huh? What a bunch of
outdated fools.
\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
Whether they're a Demon Lord or not doesn't matter! The fact
is, they've occupied Fargan. If we ignore this, it'll come
back to haunt us!
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
(Can this be over already...?)
\endtext

\text
―At the same time, an emergency meeting with bureaucrats was
being held in Shuka.
\endtext

\text
Shuka, a coastal nation sandwiched between the Vermilion Sea
and the great Alda Forest.
\endtext

\text
Even in this country far from Hados, they couldn't hide
their unease at the Demon Lord Army's advance.
\endtext

\text
Except for Empress Magahime and the top two bureaucrats...
that is.
\endtext

\text("Military Officer 1")
Why are you all so scared, anyway? In the end, we're the
ones who have to fight them... You lot just watch from your
safe little perch.
\endtext

\text("Civil Official 2")
What did you just say!? We're not the only ones fighting
here!
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
(I'm just being ignored... Ugh, this is so boring.)
\endtext

\text
Among the humans, a considerable number of Diabolica have
been appointed as military officers, while the civil
officials are all human.
\endtext

\text
All the Diabolica military officers have held their
positions since before Hados fell.
\endtext

\text
Even after its fall, their power and strength have kept them
at the core of Shuka―one of the few spared from
discrimination and persecution.
\endtext

\text
Maybe that's why they're all meritocrats, arrogant, and
greedy to boot... or so Magahime thought.

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
(Do both humans and Diabolica end up like that when they get
old?)
\endtext

\text("Civil Official 2")
We should strike before they get too cocky!
\endtext

\text("Civil Official 3")
Indeed. We should send the army right now and crush them.

\endtext

\text("Military Officer 2")
No, that would leave us open to Kiros.

\endtext

\text("Military Officer 2")
...Even if Hados falls, their next target will be Lusario.

\endtext

\text("Military Officer 3")
Otherwise, they'll get pincered by us and the elves. Even if
Lusario claims neutrality, they'll have to deal with any
trouble that comes their way.
\endtext

\text("Civil Official 2")
And what if Lusario falls!?
\endtext

\text("Military Officer 1")
You think they can make it through that forest?
\endtext

\text("Military Officer 2")
Honestly, it'd be best if they wiped each other out. If we
get that forest, invading Kiros will be a breeze.

\endtext

\text("Honju")
Well, that's if everything goes perfectly. But things never
go that smoothly.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
...Sigh.
\endtext

\text
What exactly have they learned from the past?

\endtext

\text
Not a single person noticed Magahime's sigh.

\endtext

\text
No―there was one man, but perhaps because he was the
chancellor, he didn't say a word during the meeting.
\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
..................
\endtext

\text
Meanwhile, the military officers let their fantasies run
wild, and the civil officials only grew more irritated.
\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
...In the end, they're still Diabolica. They just don't want
to kill their own kind, is that it?
\endtext

\text("Military Officer 2")
What?
\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
According to the intel, that bandit army... their leader is
apparently a Diabolica.
\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
And their goal is to restore their homeland, Hados...

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
............
\endtext

\text("Military Officer 1")
...What are you getting at?
\endtext

\text("Civil Official 1")
You should know, being a military man. Just how much money
and effort it takes to maintain an army...

\endtext

\text("Civil Official 3")
It's not something one person could possibly do alone.
\endtext

\text("Civil Official 2")
It's only natural to assume they have collaborators.
\endtext

\text("Military Officer 3")
You bastards...!
\endtext

\text("Civil Official 1")
And on top of that, their goal is to restore Hados. In these
times, that's even more difficult.
\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
They've got power and money... and it's safe to assume other
demons are lending them a hand. Right, officer?

\endtext

\text("Military Officer 1")
Mock us any further and I'll take your head right here―

\endtext

\text("Honju")
Hey, calm down.
\endtext

\text("Military Officer 1")
But, General...!
\endtext

\text
Honju―the supreme commander of the military―restrains his
subordinate. Keeping his hot-headed men in check is part of
his job.
\endtext

\text("Honju")
That's not what I meant. But we do need to keep an eye on
things.
\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
General, we're talking to those Diabolica over there. You―


\endtext

\text("Magahime")
...Enough already. This is pointless.

\endtext

\text("Military Officer 1")
...
\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
Tch...
\endtext

\text
As the room falls silent, Honju... and then Two-Shin, speak
up.
\endtext

\text("Honju")
Either way, we should leave the spies alone. We need
information.
\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
Yes, that's probably for the best. What about Kiros?

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Just in case, send some rats over there too. Well, they
probably won't make a move for a while either.
\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
Understood.
\endtext

\text
For now, all they could do was wait and see.
\endtext

\text
Making a careless move and exposing their backs to Kiros was
out of the question.
\endtext

\text
But ignoring the Demon Lord's army wasn't an option either.

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Alright, that's it for today. If this keeps going and
someone turns this place into a bloodbath, I am not cleaning
it up.
\endtext

\text
The bureaucrats began to leave. Magahime called out to
Two-Shin, who was at the end of the line.

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Chancellor, do you have a moment?
\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
What is it?
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Try not to do anything pointless. This isn't the time for
infighting, is it?

\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
Pointless, you say?
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
To me, it is. You haven't told the military officers about
the bandit leader, have you?

\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
They just didn't catch it. It's not like I'd do something
like that, would I?
\endtext

\text
With that, Two-Shin finally turned on his heel to leave.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
...That smile of yours is so suspicious.
\endtext

\text
Especially since he's the central figure among the civil
officials, she couldn't help but think so.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Sigh... Everyone is just so utterly pointless.

\endtext

\text
Even so, Magahime looked up at the ceiling and laughed.

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
(...But the Demon Lord's army led by Diabolica, huh. I
wonder if they'll come for my throat...)

\endtext

\text
If the war situation tilts that far, that'll probably be the
end of Shuka―
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Hehe... Maybe it'll at least keep me from getting bored♪

\endtext

\text
Magahime's luscious lips curled into a bewitching smile.

\endtext