﻿\setgamedatatitle("Shuka  \nConquest of the First City, Tojin")

\text
――It was way beyond just groping her ass.
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\text("Caym")
...Sorry.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
This time, I won't forgive you. I told you twice, didn't I?
Not to go out to Shuka.
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\text("Caym")
............Sorry.
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\text("Risbell")
I can't hear you, and I don't intend to listen. I've already
given up on your war meetings and your attitude, so that's
fine. But!
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
At the very least, I'd like you to keep your promises. You
understand, right? Didn't you learn that when you were
little?
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\text("Caym")
...............Sorry.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
I won't forgive you. As punishment, you'll be working all
day today. No sex and no illusion stones for you.

\endtext

\text
Tojin had fallen.
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\text
With the Tojin defense squad watching, the sight of the
Demon Lord being made to sit in seiza and getting scolded
was truly pathetic.
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\text
Normally, Caym would just let Risbell's lectures go in one
ear and out the other――
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\text("Risbell")
I'll be holding onto this illusion stone collection until
your work is done. If you slack off, I'll throw them out
without mercy.
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\text("Caym")
Nngh...
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\text
With his precious collection taken hostage, he couldn't do
anything about it.
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\text("Beatrice")
...If she was worried, she could've just said so honestly.

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\text("Margaretta")
That's just how Risbell is.
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\text("El")
...But, she's still pretty soft on him, isn't she?

\endtext

\text("Spacchio")
Let sleeping gods lie... We've still got work to do. Let's
go, guys.

\endtext

\text("Agri")
Sorry, boss...!
\endtext

\text("Noro")
...I'm sorry.
\endtext

\text
In all that, the only one who tried to help was Tiela.

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\text("Tiela")
Um, Caym-sama. You went out on reconnaissance, didn't you?
Did you find anything?

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Ah, that's right. Risbell, calm down for now and listen.


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\text("Risbell")
...What is it?
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\text("Caym")
Right. It seems the Diabolica in Shuka have been forcibly
detained.
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\text("Risbell")
That report came in while you were away, Caym-sama.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Hmm, as expected of my subordinates. Well done. ...So, did
you hear the reason why?

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\text("Risbell")
To isolate them before they could rebel in response to the
Demon Lord's army, right?
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\text("Caym")
That's part of it... but there's a bigger reason. It's an
omen of disaster.

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\text("Risbell")
...Excuse me?
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\text("Tiela")
An omen of disaster... you say?
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\text
At Caym's words, Risbell and Tiela exchanged glances.

\endtext

\text
Caym gathered the Tojin defense corps and his subordinates,
and explained to them what had happened to the fortune
tellers.
\endtext

\text("Tiela")
The Diabolica in the country will destroy Shuka... is that
it?
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\text("Risbell")
If it were just one, maybe, but for all the fortune tellers
in the country... that is certainly unnatural.

\endtext

\text
Risbell glanced at the Tojin defense corps.
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\text("Defense Corps")
I-It's true... I was at the palace at the time, I saw it
myself.
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\text("Defense Corps")
Everyone said the same vision came to mind... a future where
Shuka is destroyed...

\endtext

\text("El")
Then it's like a prophecy, isn't it?
\endtext

\text("Tiela")
That's right. I've heard that sometimes the spirits deliver
revelations in that way.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Hmm... Even so, is it possible for so many humans to receive
a revelation at once?
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\text("Tiela")
If the fortune tellers can communicate with the spirits...

\endtext

\text("Caym")
I've heard that there aren't many humans who can communicate
with spirits.
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\text("Tiela")
Yes. So I think it's safe to say it's almost impossible.

\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
If that's the case... then the only possibility is...
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\text
With Brightleaf, who knows spirits well, denying that
possibility, there were only a few answers left.
\endtext

\text
The conclusion they reached was that the omen was extremely
artificial.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
So someone... made those fortune tellers 'see' that omen.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
You mean someone showed that kind of hallucination to a
large number of people at once? But for what purpose...?

\endtext

\text("Beatrice")
To wipe out the Diabolica, obviously. Only a handful could
pull off something like that. It's basically manipulating a
whole country.
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\text("Margaretta")
Manipulating a country... Could it be that spy?
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\text("Caym")
Such cunning tricks. In that case, let's gather the nearest
beautiful fortune tellers and get the details...

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...Caym-sama?
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\text("Caym")
...Right, I'll get back to my duties.
\endtext

\text
Under Risbell's gaze, Caym quickly retreated back to the
labyrinth.
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\text
Watching his retreating figure, Risbell let out a sigh,
feeling a twinge of unease.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
(Someone manipulating the country from the shadows... Who
could it be?)
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\text
....................
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\text
............
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\text
......
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\text("Wenjin")
What a disgrace, General! To let the Demon Lord's army take
Tojin from us!
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\text("Civil Official 1")
Isn't the defense of Shuka the duty of you military
officers? And yet you let the Demon Lord's army defeat you
so easily...
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\text("Civil Official 2")
You sure talked big about leaving the war to you.
\endtext

\text("Honju")
............
\endtext

\text
A few hours after the fall of Tojin.
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\text
The emergency war council was a complete mess.

\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
At this rate, we'll just be inviting an invasion of
Shinrenga!
\endtext

\text("Honju")
............
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\text("Wenjin")
Do you understand!? I'm saying we can't trust you with the
defense of this country!

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
(So, what exactly do you plan to do then?)
\endtext

\text
There's no way a civil official who knows nothing of war
could serve as commander.
\endtext

\text
Even Wenjin understands that much, and Two-Shin should know
it too.
\endtext

\text
And yet, even Two-Shin...
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\text("Two-Shin")
............
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\text
...was just watching how things unfolded, not even trying to
intervene.
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\text("Magahime")
(...What on earth are you thinking?)
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\text
If that man―Caym―were here, what would he have said?

\endtext

\text
I can't say for sure, but even so, I probably wouldn't be
feeling this anxious right now.
\endtext

\text("Honju")
My apologies, Magahime-sama. For this defeat... I am
prepared to accept any punishment.

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
I don't mind. As long as you make up for it.

\endtext

\text("Honju")
Yes, ma'am.
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\text("Wenjin")
Magahime-sama! That's far too...

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Far too what? It's only natural to leave war to the
soldiers.
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\text("Magahime")
Or are you saying you'll fight in their place?

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Honestly, what are you thinking, starting infighting at a
time like this? Is this really the time for that?

\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
M-Magahime-sama, you're too soft on the General! I'm just
scolding them for their blunder in your place...

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\text("Magahime")
I never asked you to do that! Don't use me for your own
purposes!
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\text("Wenjin")
I-I...
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\text("Two-Shin")
That's enough, Wenjin. ...Let's reinforce the defense forces
in each city. We can't allow any further invasions.

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
...I'll leave it to Honju.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
(...This is the worst. I say we don't have time to fight
among ourselves, and yet...)
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\text
With Two-Shin's interruption, Magahime only sinks deeper
into self-loathing.
\endtext

\text
At the very least, she wishes they could set aside factional
squabbles at a time like this.
\endtext

\text("Honju")
...You seem tired. Why don't you take a little rest?

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
...Yeah. I think I will.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Haaah～～...
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\text
The moment she reached her room, Magahime collapsed onto her
bed.
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\text("Magahime")
'You seem tired,' huh... Well, yeah, I probably did look
pretty pathetic...

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
Ahh... I wish I could act as free and wild as that Demon
Lord...
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\text("Magahime")
Always dragging each other down, all year round. Even now...
We're really hopeless.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
...Maybe I should just surrender to the Demon Lord's army
already...
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\text
If she could just escape from the tense, backbiting
bureaucrats, maybe she'd feel a little better.
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\text
Surrendering to the Demon Lord's army―those are words she
could never say in front of them.
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\text
In the end, the only way to break the current situation is
to defeat the Demon Lord's army.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
It's Caym. Don't forget it―because that's the name of the
man who's going to make you his.
\endtext

\text("Magahime")
...Make me his, huh.
\endtext

\text
―All in all, he's an idiot, a fool, a complete moron.

\endtext

\text
As she remembers Caym, those words flash through her mind.

\endtext

\text("Magahime")
...I really don't want him to think I'm an idiot forever.

\endtext

\text
Magahime begins writing a letter. To the only friend she can
rely on.
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\text
Bathed in moonlight, three figures stand in the throne room.

\endtext

\text
Two-Shin, Wenjin, and a mysterious spy.

\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
Two-Shin-sama... I'm sorry about earlier.

\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
Don't worry about it. Rebel against Magahime all you want.
After all, she's not the king of Shuka.

\endtext

\text
Even as queen, she's still just a child. And since she's
pushed the bureaucrats away, she has no allies.

\endtext

\text
Just a little prodding and she falls apart like that.
Two-Shin actually finds it amusing.
\endtext

\text("Spy")
...But is this really okay? They've already taken over one
city.
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\text("Two-Shin")
Yeah... Now we don't have to bother leveling the ground.
\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
More importantly, you came to see me―does that mean
something happened?

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\text("Spy")
Yes. I have something to report. It's about Magahime-sama.

\endtext

\text("Wenjin")
Something about her?
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\text("Spy")
It was a few hours before the Demon Lord Army attacked.
Magahime-sama was in contact with a Diabolica who seemed to
be the Demon Lord.
\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
What...?
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\text("Spy")
The Demon Lord has a bad habit of sneaking out of the
labyrinth and using 'reconnaissance' as an excuse to chase
after women.
\endtext

\text("Spy")
Magahime-sama must have just happened to be there at the
time.
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\text("Two-Shin")
...Did the Demon Lord know she was Magahime?

\endtext

\text("Spy")
Yes.
\endtext

\text
Caym's womanizing is, of course, something the spies have
already reported.
\endtext

\text
There's a good chance he'll come to see Magahime again.

\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
Keep an eye on Magahime. If possible, get proof of her being
with the Demon Lord.

\endtext

\text("Spy")
...Leave it to me.
\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
Yeah. Let's hope things go smoothly.
\endtext

\text
If they could capture that moment on a vision stone, it
would be the ultimate trump card.
\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
(The army's power is waning, and the bureaucrats and
rank-and-file soldiers are already in my grasp... The tide
is in my favor.)
\endtext

\text
But the biggest source of anxiety in all this is this spy.

\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
By the way, there's something I want to ask you.
\endtext

\text("Spy")
What is it?
\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
You've heard about the 'omen of disaster,' haven't you?

\endtext

\text("Spy")
Yes. That Diabolica will destroy Shuka... or something like
that.
\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
Was that your doing?
\endtext

\text("Spy")
No, it wasn't. I'm human. I couldn't do something like that.

\endtext

\text("Two-Shin")
...I see. Then that's fine.
\endtext

\text
The spy answered immediately, as if they already knew what
would be asked.
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\text
And this spy knows something. That alone was reason enough
to be wary of them.

\endtext