第９８０堀：敵の姿形 (Part1)
**Chapter 980: The Enemy’s Form**
**Side: Shera**
"Now then. We have reached the point of discussing the Hain Empire, but where should I begin?"
Emperor Eupia, the leader of the Zurable Great Empire, tilted her head in thought. Looking at her appearance alone, she looked no older than Aslin or Firia; in fact, Labyris and I looked more like older sisters compared to her.
However, her demeanor reminded me of Yuki-san and his older brother. Considering the scale and current state of this nation, she likely faced far more hardships than my home country of Gartz. She was a true, genuine Emperor who governed a superpower without a hitch—a leader guiding her people.
And this presence of hers was…
"For now, could you tell us the location of the Hain Empire? And what kind of land it is?"
I looked at Yuki-san as he spoke, then shifted my gaze back to Emperor Eupia. And I couldn't help but think: *I knew it.* Her figure was likely a reflection of Yuki-san’s future, had he chosen the path of hegemony.
In resolving the magic depletion phenomenon, Yuki-san had acted with the future in mind, striving to minimize the amount of blood shed. That was only possible because he had the means known as a Dungeon. Without it, he would have had no choice but to follow the path Emperor Eupia had taken: conquering other nations.
Yuki-san understood reality. He did not operate under the assumption of convenient or idealistic circumstances. It was precisely because he possessed the immense power of a Dungeon that the kind and strong Weed existed today. Without it, even if it meant forcing great sacrifices, he would have walked the path of cutting through the future—fighting while stained in blood, making many enemies if necessary, for the sake of the world and, above all, for our sake.
Just like the Emperor before us now.
None of us, Yuki-san’s wives, would ever say aloud that Emperor Eupia resembled him, but I knew we all felt it in our hearts. That was precisely why none of us could condemn her. We saw Yuki-san’s shadow in her. And Shou-san and Vol-san, who supported her, were like another version of us…
But my evaluation of the Emperor didn't matter right now. What mattered was obtaining information on the Hain Empire. It was abnormal for a country to force such oppressive policies that it tore the nation apart. Understanding what kind of country had fallen into such madness, and why, was essential for us moving forward.
As I shifted my focus, a large map was spread out on the table at the Emperor's instruction.
"Hmm. I cannot see. Someone, bring a step stool. Bring some for Aslin and the others as well."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Indeed, with a map this large spread across the table, it was difficult for the petite Emperor and us to see it properly. However, perhaps Yuki-san’s strategy had worked; Emperor Eupia was now treating Aslin and the rest of us as full-fledged members. I had been nervous about Aslin’s behavior earlier, but it seemed to have worked out for the best. Well, I did make sure she was properly punished for it, and Aslin seemed to understand that, accepting her penalty quietly.
…In a way, that straightforwardness in her actions felt like she was becoming more like Yuki-san. No, if we were talking about that, then we were all the same.
While I was thinking about this, the step stools arrived. We climbed up and were finally able to see the entire map, but since it was my first time seeing it, I had no idea what was where. Furthermore, much like the map of Gartz from the old days, it was merely hand-drawn with rough approximations. To us, who were accustomed to the magnificent maps of Weed, it looked like the level of an exploration map made by children in a school lesson.
"Yuki-dono, we shall explain this to the people of Weed, and at the same time, confirm it ourselves. Now, Shou, first mark our territory."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Shou-san took a pen and began drawing without a moment’s hesitation. I couldn't hide my surprise at her movements. Even allowing for some margin of error, the fact that she could draw so fluidly meant she had a perfect grasp of this continent’s geography and the territorial boundaries of every nation. It was as if she knew the approximate borders of all 47 prefectures in Yuki-san’s home country of Japan by heart.
As expected of the great strategist, the grand advisor—the woman who bore the moniker of "Great Imperial Hope," a name echoing that of the legendary Taigong Wang. If I were asked to do the same with a map of Rogari, I would have to have a tablet in one hand or open a call screen to get the job done. I had met many geniuses, but Shou, the Great Imperial Hope, possessed a talent unlike anyone I had encountered before.
"It is complete. How would you like me to proceed with the explanation?"
"Shou, continue with the explanation as you are."
"Yes. First, please look at the center. The area enclosed by the blue line is the direct territory of the Zurable Great Empire. And this position, nearly in the center, is the Imperial Capital."
As she said this, she placed a dot in the middle of the blue-enclosed area. That was likely where we were currently. Still, as I mentioned, since it was a hand-drawn map without a scale, it was hard to gauge the actual size. If it were just the Imperial Capital, we knew the size of the area under Yuki-san’s Dungeon control, so we could infer from there, but analyzing this hand-drawn map would be quite a struggle. I could already see the hardship the analysis department would face…
As I thought this, the explanation continued.
"…And this green line represents the territory of our Great Empire. This area is governed primarily by local nobles."
"Looking at it again, our Zurable has grown quite large, hasn't it?"
"Indeed, Your Majesty."
At General Vol’s agreement, the others nodded. It was only natural. The range of the Zurable Great Empire that Shou-san was explaining covered nearly half of the continent. Maintaining such a vast territory must be an immense undertaking. It would be a different story if they had technology like Yuki-san’s, which allowed for easy communication and travel to remote areas via Dungeons and calls, but without such technology, I could understand how difficult it must be.
The strength and unity of the Zurable Great Empire, which had achieved this, were evident from the map. When we first arrived in this land, we had been prepared to challenge a country like this.
…As Yuki-san said, choosing the path of dialogue was the right decision. No matter how you looked at it, we would have run out of steam halfway through.
Well, if the Zurable Great Empire had truly been ruling with malice, we would have challenged them regardless. If the goal was simply to topple a nation, it was entirely possible. We could have just sent in missiles or Steve’s special forces to eliminate the leadership.