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Chapter 92. No Leads, It Seems

"The Western countries... the Lucas Confederation, I can't help but wonder why they keep invading other nations."

"Isn't it because monsters keep pouring out of the Great Hole?"

"I wondered about that too... Why do monsters emerge from the Great Hole on the Lucas Continent? And if monsters come from there, why are there monsters even on this continent, across the sea?"

That is... a valid point.

"Theodore, how are you doing that?"

"Huh?"

As I was pondering Ivy's question, Jeremiah, looking a bit exasperated, interrupted from the side... Is something wrong?

"How are you talking while fighting?"

"Oh! That’s a clone spell I created. After fighting Frodil, I made some modifications so that it moves based on pre-programmed memories and reacts to magical fluctuations from the opponent."

With this setup, unless the enemy does something truly unpredictable, the clone won't be defeated. It does use more mana, and I have to pre-program sword techniques, which is a hassle, but... as a clone, it’s a big success.

"In conclusion, the reason the Lucas Confederation keeps invading is... because of a food shortage."

"What?!"

Wait, so it’s not because monsters are dangerous or something like that?

"Of course, monsters are the root cause. They can't expand their farmlands because of the constant monster outbreaks. So they’re trying to take control of lands like the less monster-infested Elgrant Empire and Kuria Kingdom."

"Why don't they just trade normally?"

"That would mean becoming fully dependent on the other countries for food, wouldn't it? The Lucas Confederation is older than Kuria, so maybe they have some old-fashioned pride."

Well... a country unable to maintain food self-sufficiency can indeed end up in a bad spot with just a shift in global affairs... What now? If monsters are the problem, solving the Great Hole might fix it, but if it’s food shortage, that’s tough. Maybe if the monsters stopped coming, they could expand their farmlands... but monsters being born like that makes no sense. Could it be some weird curse or something? I have no idea.

If it were a simple matter of hating monsters, it’d be easier.

"Hmm... I never thought we could reconcile with the Western countries, but continuing this war is...”

"Even though it's small-scale, fighting has already begun with the Elgrant Empire."

"Really?"

They're quick to act... Well, I guess that's expected from places that have hated each other for decades. Just a few months after the raid, the Elgrant Empire, not even the main target, is already at war... I seriously doubt reconciliation with the Kuria Kingdom is possible.

"By refusing to bow to the Western countries, the prince is solidifying his position as the next emperor, right?"

"Is that even necessary?"

"The empire isn’t a monolith either, you know."

Well, that’s true, but still...

"Hey."

"Hm?"

When I turned around after being called, there were Ash and Nina, looking battered and clearly angry. Ah... looks like my clone lost. I guess I’ll have to input more combat forms if I want to stand a chance against Ash and Nina.

"I don't feel any progress with the Grimoire. Isn’t it just a mindset issue?"

"That's not the point. Having a chat while fighting us... you've got guts."

"Sorry, but we weren't even really fighting, were we?"

That’s the truth. Even Jeremiah gave a wry smile and didn’t deny it. From my perspective, there was nothing to be gained from the fight... Ash responded quickly to my attacks, but if I mixed in magic, I wouldn’t struggle at all.

"I don't take pleasure in tormenting the weak."

I have to say something harsh here... Otherwise, these two will never change. They probably need to change their mindset for the Grimoire to manifest. It’s something born from the soul... it’s all about their attitude.

Ash isn’t stupid, so he should understand what I’m getting at. Nina... well, she’s kind of an idiot, so maybe not.

"...That’s enough for today. I’ve got a lot to think about."

"I'm not done yet, Theo. I just want to fight you."

Yep, she's definitely an idiot.

After thoroughly beating Nina as requested and asking Elixira for some healing, I sat down between Ivy and Jeremiah.

"Have you found any sign of the ‘End Dragon’?"

"No, none at all."

"Really... does it even exist?"

"Who knows? We don't even know that much... Elixira asked us to find a way to decipher the ancient text, but there were no leads."

"So... Elixira knew you’d been to the Western countries."

"Yes."

I don’t know where Elixira gets this kind of info, but she seems to know a lot. It’s strange how she’s treated like a failure at home... I find her information networks scarier than any raw power.

"Frodil, the Minister of the Interior, was certain of its existence. So... he must have had some information."

"...I wonder if there are any records from when he was alive."

"Who knows? He had no family, so the state probably collected and destroyed them."

Currently, the Kuria Kingdom is busy selecting its next Chancellor and Minister of the Interior. There’s still the power struggle for the next king, stirred up by Froedil, and the supporters of the first and second princes are competing for those two positions.

I’d like to say they shouldn’t be fighting internally right now, but if the next king, Chancellor, and Minister of the Interior can’t get along, they won’t be able to govern effectively. It can’t be helped.

"For now, until we get any new info, it’s best to just focus on your studies as a student. Advancement exams are coming up."

"Advancement, huh... Now that you mention it, I haven’t heard much about duels recently."

"That’s because rankings are determined by the advancement exams. There’s not much point in dueling right now."

"Huh."

"You really don’t care about rankings, do you?"

Yeah, I don’t.

The higher your ranking, the more likely you are to get challenged to duels, right? And the challengers get all the benefits while the higher-ranked have none... It’s like, “You’re strong, so just accept it,” this weird knightly code. They say Magic Knights don’t need chivalry, but they keep this one thing—what’s the point of that?

I’d rather just quietly move up through the exams.