Rita blinked, suddenly snapping back to reality. Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Wait, you wouldn’t have already copied a copy of Moon Soul, would you?!”
“.......”
Rod took a deep breath and nodded seriously.
“That’s right. The situation in the Contested Zone is far from peaceful. Many small countries are backed by larger powers, and we need to maintain a loyal force with a certain level of combat strength.”
Liliya, with a serious expression, pulled out a simple map and unfolded it, explaining the crisis facing the nation to her two colleagues.
“In fact, our current situation is not optimistic.”
Since the end of the Laplas War four hundred years ago.
The west was the most fertile land on the Central Continent, and it was naturally ruled by the only surviving kingdom, Asra.
However, the rest of the land, while not as fertile as the west, was still quite good. It wasn’t anyone’s land originally.
To claim these fertile lands, the survivors flooded in and created their own nations, living as they pleased.
The first to rise was the Wanglong Kingdom, whose capital was located in the south of the Central Continent.
After driving out the Wanglong, they expanded their territory, gained a wealth of mineral resources, and became the strongest nation in the south of the Central Continent.
Later, the Wanglong Kingdom, in its quest to claim all the land in the south, destroyed all the coastal nations, turning Sanakiya and Zikana into vassal states, and even obtained the Silon Kingdom.
They later used the Silon Kingdom as a springboard to advance into the Contested Zone, suppressing the entire region in one go and becoming the strongest nation at the time.
However, the Asra Kingdom and the Milis Holy Kingdom joined forces to stop the Wanglong Kingdom and signed an agreement not to intervene in the Contested Zone.
But in private, every nation coveted the land in the center of the Central Continent.
The three major kingdoms saw the Contested Zone as a chessboard, each controlling powerful pieces and engaging in an endless proxy war.
Once one side won, they would force the victor to become a vassal state.
The idea sounded good, but spies from various countries were secretly active in the Contested Zone.
Once any nation grew strong enough to begin unifying the center, the others would start to pull back, triggering internal unrest and disintegrating the entire nation.
Rod stood on a chair, his finger pressing heavily on the location of Arcadia on the map, explaining his plan to everyone.
“The west of the Contested Zone is separated by the Red Dragon Mountains and the powerful Asra Kingdom. In the early stages, we can largely ignore the Asra Kingdom’s army by eliminating their proxies.”
“However, the Darius who attempted to assassinate me was an Asra Kingdom minister. Since Arcadia will inevitably clash with the Asra Kingdom, the Red Dragon Mountains will become an obstacle for us.”
The Asra Kingdom had been in a state of peace and stability for many years. Their military strength wasn’t something Rod feared.
The only thing that bothered him was the Draconic King, Perkius Dora, hiding behind the Asra Kingdom!
The Draconic King was one of the three heroes who killed the Demon God in the Laplas War four hundred years ago. He was a friend of the first emperor of the Asra Kingdom and had considerable influence in the country.
He currently resides in an aerial fortress, commanding twelve powerful familiars, making him incredibly strong.
For now, Arcadia couldn’t afford to be targeted by him.
This was also the reason why Rod yearned for an S-rank combat power.
Until he grew stronger, Arcadia needed top-tier combat power to counter top-level threats.
Rod paused, his finger sweeping across the Northern Continent, then stopping in the south.
“The Northern Lands are covered in snow and forests. The land is barren and difficult to cultivate, with only a few small nations, so we don’t have to worry about them.”
“The southern part of the Contested Zone is flat, but it faces the Wanglong Kingdom’s power directly. If the Wanglong Kingdom invades, we can directly receive supplies and troops from Sanakiya, Zikana, and Silon.”
“Conversely, if we want to attack the Wanglong Kingdom, we only have one narrow corridor to choose from: conquering these three vassal states one after another!”
Rita looked at the Contested Zone, completely surrounded, like a wild beast tightly locked in an iron cage, with no freedom and no future.
She suddenly looked towards the vast ocean in the east.
“Your Majesty, what about sailing out to sea?”
Liliya glanced at Rita and shook her head, saying regretfully.
“The seas are controlled by the Seafolk. Humans can only sail along the coast and can’t cross the ocean.”
Rod sat back in his chair, his expression serious.
“We don’t need an army capable of occupying and managing nations right now, but we must have a force that will deter the other small nations in the Contested Zone in the shortest amount of time.”
Rita was indeed powerful, but if she acted recklessly and attracted the attention of the spies, directly drawing the Draconic King, that would be a headache.
“In my research, I’ve found that Moon Soul’s adaptability is low, so I’m planning to use the inverse blank key to mass-produce generic Godslaying Armor.”
“Well, the first batch of suitable personnel will be selected from my most loyal maids.”
“What do you think, Rita?”
In Rod’s view, ability could be improved, but loyalty was the most valuable.
Rita’s expression was a bit unnatural. Her slender fingers rested against her forehead, and she sighed helplessly.
“Mass-producing Godslaying Armor… It’s a statement that would make the logistics department faint on the spot.”
Rita glanced at Rod with a rather envious look and said softly.
“But in the face of your unreasonable power, no matter how difficult a task may be, it becomes a piece of cake.”
After all, it was almost a god’s authority.
【This is a map of the world of Mushoku Tensei. The fused world will be slightly different. Also, please give me some flowers and votes!】