Chapter 1 : C1 part1
Different World Nation Alchimyra -The Weakest King and the Unrivaled Army
Chapter 1 part 1
“The Game”
The progress of science is remarkable. Things that were once only dreams have become commonplace in today’s world.
The gaming industry is no exception. In fact, it can be said that it is a relatively easy field to realize such ‘dreams’ or ‘fantasies’.
There are even some game companies that have turned their ‘childhood desires and longings’ that could only be expressed in two dimensions into reality using the latest technology. Well, that’s just part of the charm.
In short, it can be said that there has always been a certain group of people who are fascinated by fantasy and science fiction worlds. And in gratitude, the people of the past have brought these worlds to life, albeit in the form of games. Even he, who has just graduated from high school and is enjoying a carefree college life, is benefiting from their efforts.
This is a fourth-generation virtual reality (VR) game that is known as the ‘Full Sensory Projection System’ or simply ‘Full Dive’ for short. It offers an immersive, bodily sensation-based VR experience
This is a type of game that uses a revolutionary electronic device operation technology called BCNI (Brain-Computer Interface Nano-Interface), which employs a brainwave reading method. In essence, it reads the player’s thoughts and translates them into a virtual reality output.
Not only does the ‘Full Sensory Projection System’ output information, it also incorporates a mechanism to receive sensory input from the virtual reality world, enabling players to experience feedback from all five senses – not just sight and sound. This innovative feature has opened up new possibilities in gaming
In other words, the ‘Full Sensory Projection System’ made it possible to offer players a second world – a complete virtual reality experience.
As a result, the VR virtual reality games utilizing the “Full Sensory Projection System” became a huge hit, with numerous titles being created and the world going wild for it.
And among them was a game titled “Tactics Chronicle”.
As you might expect from the title, it’s a kind of miniature war game that falls under the category of strategy simulation.
The game is about building a nation, nurturing it, defending it, attacking other nations, and ultimately becoming a great power.
The genre of government management strategy SLG simulation games has been around for a long time, especially as an offline single-player genre. As you might expect from the title, it’s a miniature world of strategic simulation games.
This work’s title, however, has a fantasy element of “a human king leading a nation of monsters,” giving it a slightly more RPG-oriented gameplay style as its characteristic.
Furthermore, this game is unique in that it incorporates fantasy elements where a human king leads a nation of monsters, giving it a slightly RPG-like gameplay.
Moreover, this is the first title in this genre to use the “full sensory projection system,” and with the reputation of being developed by a game company known for their thorough attention to detail, it generated a lot of buzz before its release.
After three postponements, the highly anticipated release of “Tactics Chronicle” was finally launched, much to the delight of many players. The game, which had already generated a lot of buzz due to being developed by a reputed game company known for their thorough attention to detail, did not disappoint and succeeded in captivating the hearts of many gamers.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that this game is a masterpiece, on par with only a handful of titles released each year.
“Well, of course I’m going to buy it.”
In an empty room, he murmurs to himself.
He doesn’t have to make excuses, but it’s normal to line up and buy the game on the eve of its release.
This game company is known for not disappointing their core users with their releases, so he had been eagerly anticipating it for some time. As such, the anger and sadness he felt upon hearing the news of the third delay of the release date were profound.
Finally getting his hands on the game, he became addicted to it. He was completely immersed in the world of “Tactics Chronicle” to the point where he had no time to play other games.
The day he first played the game is etched in his memory with remarkable clarity.
On the first day of release, when he was still in middle school, he ran home at lightning speed after getting his hands on the game. As soon as he entered his room, he dived onto his bed and assumed the role of a king named 【Helian】, or his character name, Tsukasa Misaki, in the world of [Tactics Chronicle]. He could still vividly remember that day.
As far as the eye could see, there spread a magnificent vast grassland. And in the midst of it stood a wooden cabin, all by itself. This was the land of the beginning of [Alchimyra], ruled by King 【Helian】.
At first, what he felt was the wind.
The gentle touch of the green wind brushing against his cheek.
The sound of the wind stroking the tall grass was like the ripple of waves, reaching his ears.
Then, he smelled the fragrance of flowers and the earthy scent of the land.
And finally, the overwhelming presence of the grassland spreading out before him.
For him, who had only played console games before the third generation, it was a level of realism that even moved him to tears.
“Alright, let’s start revitalizing our country. Our adventure begins here!!”
He remembers the day he shouted those words, running towards the empty grassland as if he were a child filled with excitement he could not contain. He could never forget it.
And thus, led by the three monsters, Helian took his first step into the world of [Tactics Chronicle], marking the beginning of his journey.
Years have passed since that day, in real time.
[Alchimyra], led by King Helian, has experienced periods of growth and decline, and has overcome tumultuous times with other players, eventually rising as the dominant superpower in the world after many twists and turns.
And today, just like any other day, Helian logged into the game without getting tired of it. He was welcomed by various monsters that had gathered in the capital to celebrate the 150th anniversary of its founding.
＋ ＋ ＋
「Wow, it’s truly spectacular, isn’t it?」
“As expected, it’s truly magnificent,” exclaimed the king of Alchimyra, Helian, as he breathed out in admiration.
From the balcony of the castle, King Helian looked down at the city below. He saw a spectacular sight – renowned monsters from all over the world were gathering with their armies in the capital’s central square.
Beastmen, demons, oni, giants, elves, dwarves, and dragons.
As I watched various races gradually gather, the visible fruits of my efforts filled me with deep emotion. Seeing the various legions I had stationed at each base marching in an orderly fashion to join the assembly was enjoyable just to watch.
In this game, performing 【events】 would raise the morale and loyalty of your army, as well as the happiness of your citizens, depending on the degree of accomplishment.
Furthermore, as a commemorative ceremony, the National Founding Festival is considered a [special event], which has a significantly greater effect. There’s no reason not to do it.
Furthermore, this event was also an opportunity to quell the rebellious spirits of the recently annexed Ogre faction, killing two birds with one stone.
To think that the Ogre faction would pick a fight with our country during this time when all of our army commanders are gathered, they must have some guts.
“As a matter of fact, the behavior of the ogre clan was not only foolish, but also showed how low their intelligence was. Even if they didn’t have any legion commanders, what was the boss ogre thinking by leading such a small force that could be easily suppressed?”
…Well, there’s no other way to put it, but the AI programmed into the Boss Ogre was particularly foolish.
“Oh, the Eighth Legion is here too. Dragons really stand out, don’t they?”
From above, a dragon descends gracefully to the ground – a magnificent creature that could easily raze a city on its own. And yet, here, in the square of Archemira, they come down in groups.
Some may see it as a scene from h**l, but leading the flock is the red dragon, the commander of the Eighth Legion. In other words, this dragon flock is also part of the [Alchimaira] army.
“I should start preparing for the event too.”
With the group of dragons soaring down behind me, I turn on my heel.
Recalling the effort it took to persuade the proud dragon clan to join our ranks, I can’t help but feel a sense of emotion, thinking to myself, “I can hardly believe that our country has come this far.”
Afterwards, I changed into ceremonial equipment in the office and passed a few minutes before checking on the <map> to ensure that each legion was in formation. Various stage equipment to enhance the speech effect had also been installed. Everything was in place and ready to go.
It’s about time for “her” to arrive.
Having known the behavior pattern of the NPC (non-playable character) designated as the king’s confidant, Helian counts down towards the door of the office.
「５……、４……、３……、２……、１……」
At zero count, a modest knock echoed through the door.
“Come in,” Helian responded, and as the door opened, there she was, just as expected.
“Excuse me, King Helian.”
She announced herself with a quiet voice and entered the room, appearing to be in her early twenties.
The person who entered the room quietly is a woman in her early twenties, with silver semi-long hair styled in a wolf cut. Her narrow, slanted eyes sparkle with an amber light from beneath her bangs. She is also tall for a woman, standing at around 170 centimeters with a good posture and a straight back, giving the impression of a capable and mature adult woman.
The upper half of her body was only covered by a waistcoat that wrapped around from her left shoulder, passing through her chest. Her right shoulder and navel were left exposed.
On the lower half of her body, she wore only a subligar to protect the outside of her thighs, with a loincloth loin cloth wrapped around her waist like a traditional ethnic skirt. As a result, she gave the impression of showing a lot of skin overall.
This is the result of her preference for close combat and emphasis on mobility, and each of them can be counted as first-class armor.
In addition, on top of her equipment-clad body, a triangular pair of dog ears, signifying her wolf-like race as a beast person, poked out through her hair. Moreover, a bushy and sizable tail sprouted from her waist, swaying gently from side to side.
She is none other than the close aide of the king and the commander of the First Legion, Leve of the Moon Wolf, Managarm.
“Preparations for the ceremony of the Founding Celebration are complete. Please move to the stage.”
She combined several important keywords to form an automatically generated line and bowed politely to Helian, the king player.
“Understood. Thank you for your hard work.”
Although Helian felt a tinge of disappointment for perfectly timing the meeting, it only goes to show how seriously he takes playing this game.
Though it’s just a game, it’s still a game. “If you’re going to do anything, do it seriously” is Helian’s motto.
“Let’s move to the stage. Follow me.”
“Understood.”
Following the <key keyword> spoken by Helian, Leve, the commander of the first legion, follows him as he leaves the office.
At first, Helian was simply impressed by the well-made AI and he fondly remembers the day he started playing.
Perhaps he was feeling sentimental as they approached the milestone celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding.
“Now, what should I include in my speech?”
As he walked, he tried to come up with the words for his speech
Even though the outcome of the “speech” action is always certain no matter what is said, it’s precisely by paying attention to it that you can immerse yourself more deeply in the world view and enjoy it.
Time is a finite resource, so we should use it effectively and intensively. In other words, we should enjoy it to the fullest.
“Alright. Should I go for a lieutenant colonel-style this year? After all, he’s the one when it comes to speeches,” he thought.
As Helian was making up his mind to give a speech in the style of a lieutenant this year, a certain event happened as he was walking down the hallway towards the stage.
“……hmm?”
I can see flickering noise at the corner of my vision.”
Wondering if the connection rate with the dive equipment had dropped, Helian peered into the system window, but it remained at the normal value.
As Helian tilted his head in confusion, he began to hear not only visual distortion but also the sound of noise.
「Geez, why now of all times? This is supposed to be a grand ceremony event… Come on, get it together, organizers. Not just our own country, but I’m sure many other countries are also celebrating their founding festivals, right?」
With a sigh, Helian stopped and thought, “Well, it might get fixed after a while.” He decided to wait and see if the noise would calm down, but just then, something happened.
“――Huh!? Wh-what is it!?”
Suddenly, the sense of balance went awry. The red carpet laid out in the hallway began to sway in view. It felt as if I had been thrown into an old-fashioned drum washing machine. My sense of balance in all directions was thrown off and I couldn’t stand properly. I had to sit down in the hallway.
“Hey hey hey, what is this!?”
Despite shouting, the inexplicable phenomenon did not subside. Next, immediately after feeling a brief sense of floating, a jarring impact hit the entire body as if being thrust upward from below. It was as if the car they were riding in had momentarily flown through the air before plummeting down.
As if it were a signal, the balance finally began to return. The noise also subsided and after a good ten seconds, vision and hearing stabilized.
“At last, it settled down… What on earth was that? A bug? I hope it’s not some kind of natural disaster event.”
As he stood up, he grumbled in frustration.
“It’s just unacceptable for an event like this to happen and ruin such a beautiful day.”
“Helian-sama! Are you alright!?”
Leve rushed over and carefully examined Helian from head to toe, as if checking for any injuries.
“Oh? Ah, I’m [fine]. Don’t worry about it.”
Since the NPCs reacted quickly, it’s unlikely that the recent event was a bug. This leads me to believe that it was most likely a natural disaster event.
Given the earlier shock, it could have been an earthquake or even a falling meteorite.
Either way, it is an unwelcome natural disaster. The damage to facilities over a wide area will take time to repair and lower citizens’ happiness.
As I worried about it happening today of all days, the view from the window in the hallway suddenly changed, catching my attention.
The sentence could be further improved depending on the context and the intended tone of the piece.
“……Huh?”
Looking down at the town from the window, it seems to be thriving. That’s a relief. I couldn’t spot any collapsed buildings, fires or even craters.
Then, what’s the problem, you may ask? It lies outside.
As I look outside the castle walls that should overlook the vast grasslands that cover the town, I find myself looking at a dense, oppressive forest. It’s as if I’m gazing upon some jungle or woodland.
“What is this? Is this some kind of terrain-interference type extreme magic?” he wondered aloud. “No, but the Third and Fourth Corps are currently stationed in the capital. It’s highly unlikely that a single chanting spell could break through their cooperative chanting wards. And with the presence of the Sixth Corps, they would have definitely detected any conspicuous group chanting or ritual chanting in advance… which means…”
This isn’t the work of hostile forces.
And yet, the sudden fact that the capital is now covered in a forest is perplexing.
“Is this a natural disaster event? Or perhaps a divine trial event?”
Either way, it doesn’t change the fact that it’s not a good situation.
“Th-this is…?!”
As Leve stood a little behind, she murmured as if trembling in fear. From her demeanor, it could be inferred that she was afflicted with the bad status effect [Fear].
“How unusual. Despite having the trait [brave] in her [characteristics], which should give her resistance, the fact that she has succumbed to a high-impact event like [fear] suggests a serious problem. This is troublesome.”
“Relax, Leive. Let’s go back to the office for now. Follow me.”
Giving instructions to Leve to follow using the key language keyword, they hurriedly headed towards the office.
Upon arriving at the office, there was a communication device called the Treasure Orb. As soon as they arrived, they touched the large orb placed on the side table and immediately activated it.
Now that I have activated the pearl, I can use it to communicate with the other bases where I have placed similar communication devices.
I immediately attempted to access the nearest location to determine the extent of the impact of this event.
“Hmm? Access denied? No, actually the list of available connection destinations isn’t even showing up?”
“I wonder why. This has never happened before.”
It’s strange.
It has never happened before that the list of destination choices as a connection option does not appear, even though it’s not uncommon for a location to be already taken or jammed by hostile forces, causing access to be denied.
Helian opens the <map> with a perplexed expression.
“….What!?”
With a sense of disbelief, Helian exclaimed that although the <map> was visible, none of the locations under his control were displayed.
Furthermore, the entire area outside of the capital was displayed in a gray color, indicating unexplored territory.
Helian is left speechless as he gazes upon the dull <map> where the world he had once explored and completed to perfection is now tinted grey, with only the capital city displayed as a lonely dot.
“Is this a serious bug?”
Alchimyra, now a superpower, should have explored every corner of the world… or so he thought.
“Come to think of it, I’ve heard something about this before. I think there’s a theory that there is only one continent in the world and that there are multiple worlds on a single planet…”
The game [Tactics Chronicle] was designed so that all players would not gather in one open world, but instead several worlds with a certain number of players participate in each.
And in this game [Tactics Chronicle], there are as many ways to enjoy it as there are players.
While the fundamental concept of this game [Tactics Chronicle] is to cultivate followers and build a great nation, there are countless ways to enjoy it depending on each player’s preferences. As a result, as time passes, each world starts to exhibit its own unique characteristics.
In a certain world, there was a player who, since the founding of their nation, foolishly neglected military affairs and poured all their efforts into domestic affairs.
Its name was “Zank Kingdom,” apparently a parody of a pacifist country from an old robot anime.
Moreover, there seemed to be many good-natured players who found this amusing, and as a result, “Zank Kingdom,” a pacifist state parodying an old robot anime, continued down the path of becoming an internally-focused great power, solely devoted to domestic affairs such as technological research, protected by several surrounding nations.
“And then, they set out on a journey to the space skies.”
“I mean, seriously, what the heck?”
“Why are they breaking through the atmosphere?”
“Wasn’t this supposed to be a fantasy game?”
“While we’re battling goblins, something sci-fi is starting.”
“Hey, someone is playing a different game over there.”
“This civilization gap is hilarious.”
“Wait a minute. I feel like something is hovering over our country. That thing isn’t a satellite orbit cannon, is it?”
The dedicated bulletin board turned into a festival, and chaotic chats of cries and screams filled the air.
The highly advanced [Zank Kingdom] observed the planet from their magic artificial satellite floating in the stratosphere and discovered another continent. This continent was about the same size as their own, but it was jammed and difficult to see clearly. Nevertheless, they managed to confirm the presence of several countries on the continent.
In other words, while it had been previously assumed that “world” meant a single world server, there was suddenly a theory that there might be several continent worlds within a single world server.
Unfortunately, [Alchimyra] led by Helian hasn’t discovered any other continents.
Due to the great storms that have occurred since the beginning of time, they have not been able to penetrate the open seas and have not even confirmed that the world is round.
However, it is not strange to assume that there may be another continent beyond the great storms if they were to pass through them.
And now, the fact that the <map> Helian is looking at is colored in gray to indicate unexplored areas, suggests a high likelihood that the continent ruled by Helian’s < Alchimyra > has never explored it, indicating that it is an unknown continent.
In short, this means…
“Forceful teleportation? So you’re saying that during the God’s trial event, the capital was forcibly teleported to some other continent? Oh man, are you serious?”
“I can’t believe they would do something like this during the National Founding Festival, it’s insane! I swear, I’m starting to hate the game’s management team.”
“Wait a minute.”
However, if we change our perspective, can we really say that this is an entirely bad event?
While it’s been a long time since our country, Alchimaira, has become a superpower. We have already explored every inch of our territory and have been focusing on wars with the allied nations and internal affairs for the past few decades of game time, with little to no real adventure.
However, if we consider the emergence of unexplored territory, it could be a welcome change. The prospect of embarking on exploratory play once again to discover new countries or resources is quite exciting.
Perhaps it was because I remembered the first day of gameplay when I cut through the unknown with my own hands, but surprisingly, I was able to switch my mindset smoothly.
Moreover, think about it.
Although each base had dispersed its military power, the celebration of the founding of the country had called back the commanders and their main forces to the capital.
A restart in a new continent from that situation would be like a “strong new game”.
“There may be concerns that there are already powerful nations on this continent. However, on the other hand, I have at my disposal elite troops belonging to the superpower Archimayra, which has established itself as the uncontested dominant force in World #3. With countless strategies at our disposal, we can overcome any challenge that may arise.
At the 150th anniversary of the nation’s founding celebration, the king and his elite troops were sent flying to the new continent. However, the elite army led by the king achieved remarkable success on the new continent. With newfound resources in hand, they returned victorious to the beloved citizens waiting for them on the old continent.
Wow. If we imagine a vision of the future, this would be quite an exciting event.”
“Heh… Hehe, hehe.”
The excitement couldn’t be contained.
A feeling of determination welled up within.
A suppressed smile escaped Helian’s lips.
“He-Helian-sama? Is something the matter?”
Leve’s anxious gaze was directed towards him.
It was a fresh expression and gesture that he had never seen before.
…Ah, so when Leve is in a state of ‘fear,’ they become this submissive.
The contrast with their usual demeanor isn’t bad at all. Moreover, the gestures are quite realistic. The AI team at the game company has done an excellent job.
“Leve, it seems that our country’s capital has been forcibly transferred due to an event. In that case, we need to first assess the current situation of our nation.
I will be sending minimal instructions to each division from now on. You, too, should contact the leaders of each division and strive to gather information to understand the current situation.”
“…Understood! I will do as you wish.”
I watched as Leve, bowing deeply, departed, and activated the touch-panel holographic display in mid-air.
Summoning the tactical virtual window for issuing commands, I swiftly gave instructions to each division one after another.
“The First Division will continue to serve as the King Helian’s advisors.
The Second Division will be responsible for confirming the safety of residents and maintaining public order.
The Third Division will focus on treating the injured and inspecting and maintaining the capital’s barrier along the outer walls.
The Fourth Division will engage in long-range surveillance and investigation outside the city using magic.
The Fifth Division will support the Second Division and, along with the Seventh Division, provide emergency repairs for any damaged facilities.
The Sixth Division will collaborate with the Fourth Division to concentrate on gathering information from both inside and outside the capital.
The Seventh Division will inspect and repair various facilities.
The Eighth Division will conduct aerial reconnaissance over the capital region and maintain vigilance in the surrounding areas.”
“However, all divisions are strictly prohibited from engaging in actions that would provoke foreign nations.
First and foremost, understanding the current situation within our borders takes top priority.
This serves as the fundamental principle, and beyond that, each division will adapt and respond flexibly according to the instructions of their respective leaders.”
After issuing a series of orders, I leaned back, allowing my weight to rest on the chair’s backrest, and gazed up at the ceiling.
“It’s getting interesting…!”
In an empty office, Helian’s face lit up with a challenging smile.
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Thank you for reading.