Something Very Important

…Again?

I let out a sigh at the scene that had suddenly spread out before my eyes—an empty wasteland under a night sky.

At least compared to last time I got abducted here, I felt calmer… like my thoughts were clearer. Maybe I was just getting used to it.

“Did you need something?”

“To be summoned by such a beautiful young maiden and immediately sigh—what a spoiled man.”

When I spoke to the empty air, an answer came back at once.

“You know this? Anyone who calls herself a ‘beautiful young maiden’ is, even if she’s actually cute, almost certainly a pain in the ass.”

“I see. Then that means I’m one of the rare exceptions.”

A black-haired beauty appeared from nowhere—Fio—shrugging with a smug look on her face.

“Ahh, what a pain.”

When I said that from the bottom of my heart, Fio dropped the smug look and puffed out her cheeks.

“But you wanted to see me, didn’t you?”

“Huh?”

“You know I can read hearts, yes? Even the deepest parts you don’t consciously notice…”

“N-no way!?”

I wanted to see her!?

I’d never even thought about that… D-don’t tell me my subconscious secretly wanted to meet her!?

“Well, that was a lie.”

Alright. I’m going to deck her.

“Being short-tempered is bad for you, you know?”

“You’re the one who keeps provoking me!”

Fio shook her head like “what a bother,” and I had the urge to plant a knuckle right into her forehead.

Honestly, would one punch really be so bad? Should I just do it? One good hit?

“How vulgar.”

“And you read my thoughts and then criticize me?”

“The problem is that you have no refinement. You should repent.”

“….”

“Well, setting that aside. Today I have even less time than last time, so I can’t play with you much.”

“We talked for like three minutes and I’m already exhausted. Can I go home?”

In this dream-like place, I felt tired enough to collapse… Was she some kind of specialist in “deal mental damage” magic?

“I’m not especially good at that type of magic… but I can do it.”

“…You can?”

I’d been wanting to research magic in this world, but the mage among Calmos’s subordinates could only use a bit of offensive magic and some defensive magic to block enemy spells, and didn’t really know what other magic existed.

At first I thought, “What kind of mage is that?” But apparently in this world, mages were born able to use magic, and in the Lumoria Kingdom, magic wasn’t systematized as an academic discipline. People who could use it just… sort of used it by feel.

What a waste… Couldn’t we create a research institute or something? Their magic wasn’t the same as ours, which needed magic-stone charges, so for the future, I really wanted to learn more.

“To the east there is a great magical empire. Over there, magic has been systematized as scholarship—why not go and see?”

“Oh? There’s a country like that. Sounds interesting.”

“When you have time next, I’ll teach you about magic too.”

“That’d help a lot, but… what’s your business today? You said you don’t have time, right?”

Magic was seriously interesting, but she’d dragged me here, so I should get the point quickly.

“Yes. When we met last time, you picked so many fights that there was something I couldn’t tell you, wasn’t there?”

…My fault, huh. Fine. I’d be the adult here and nod magnanimously.

“Yeah. Sorry about that.”

“…I can hear all of that, you know. Well, whatever. You wanted to be able to strengthen yourself using magic stones, didn’t you? You can now.”

“Huh?”

What did she mean? Character strengthening was possible? Wait—seriously?

“By the time I summoned you here last time, I had already made it possible to do the ‘character strengthening’ you talked about. In the throne room, just will it. Sitting on the throne would be best, I suppose.”

“For real!? That helps a ton!”

Manpower problems: solved. Holy crap, that was huge!

“Y-yes. If you’re that happy… it feels like I did something good…”

Fio scratched her cheek, looking a little embarrassed.

“No, this is way beyond ‘something good.’ Seriously, thank—wait. ‘By the time you summoned me last time’?”

“Yes, yes—being thanked so much is embarrassing. Ah, right, there are some cautions—”

“Hold on. You made it possible last time, and you just… didn’t say anything?”

I wouldn’t call it suffering, but I’d definitely been stressing over that a lot, you know?

“It couldn’t be helped. I intended to tell you last time, but there wasn’t enough time.”

…Was that true? I felt like last time you spent the ending bullying me at full power…

“The world isn’t so simple. It was beyond my control.”

“…No. This is clearly your petty personality being the problem. You said something like you were going to teach me something useful but decided not to, right? That was this, wasn’t it?”

“Did I, now?”

Fio looked away, playing dumb. Or maybe she really was senile.

“…Old hag.”

At my mutter, Fio turned a radiant smile on me.

“So you don’t value your life, do you? Overlord Fels (lol).”

“That’s my line, granny. Say my name one more time.”

“(lol)”

“What kind of name is that, you bastard!!”

“And you! Calling a young maiden an old hag—what outrageous slander!”

“Hah! A truly young maiden wouldn’t care if someone called her an old hag! The fact you reacted proves you’re self-aware!”

“W-—gh! Y-you…!”

Fio choked on her words, and I pressed the advantage!

“Hah-ha! Looks like you can’t even talk back! Sorry! I cut you with the razor called ‘facts’! I’ll apologize! …My bad!”

I apologized with a refreshing grin and one hand raised. Fio’s face went bright red as she clenched her fists.

…Wait. She was blushing like that. Was she embarrassed?

Just as I was savoring victory, Fio—still clenching her fists and grinding her teeth—suddenly slumped, as if all strength drained out of her.

“…That’s cruel… You… I did it because… you were struggling…”

“Hm?”

A faint mutter leaked out from the bowed head.

“…Yeah, last time I got mad and didn’t tell you… and you were troubled because of it… so I thought I had to tell you quickly… and… so I forced myself…”

I couldn’t see her face, but the way she was clenching her hands looked different now… and if I looked closely, her shoulders were trembling too.

Oh, no… Did I go too far?

“…So I pushed myself… even for a short time… and told you… and then…”

“H-hey, Fio?”

This was… really bad.

I moved closer as I called her name.

But Fio didn’t look up… and something went drip, drip from around her face to the ground.

“A-and… even then… you… sniff…”

D-did I make her cry!?

Panicking, I rushed over and apologized with everything I had.

“F-Fio, I’m sorry! It was my fault! You pushed yourself and—”

“Your jaw is wide open!!”

“GAH—!”

With an outrageous impact, my consciousness went black. The last thing I saw was Fio, beaming as she thrust her fist triumphantly into the air.

“…No, isn’t this messed up? It was a dream, right? Why does my jaw still hurt after I woke up…?”

Rubbing my aching jaw, I complained in the throne room.

Was that one of those things where mental damage carries over to the body?

Come to think of it, she’d said she could use mental-damage magic… What a monstrous old hag. Next time I meet her, I want to do it wearing a full-face helm.

Anyway, setting that aside… strengthening.

If that bastard wasn’t lying, then in the throne room I should be able to strengthen myself and my girls.

Being able to increase the number of diplomats and development staff would be a massive help, but for some reason, I didn’t feel like sincerely thanking Fio.

I mean, she’s the one who suddenly dragged me into this world in the first place. That’s not something you thank someone for.

I’ve had a lot of trouble because of her… though I won’t say I haven’t been enjoying myself.

Still, I needed to question her more.

Why did she pull me into this world? What exactly was she?

She was probably stalking me even now, so maybe she’d explain the next time we met… but she might also say “no time” again and leave without saying anything important.

I couldn’t tell whether she was ally or enemy…

No. She was an enemy. A very clear enemy.

I concluded that while still rubbing my aching jaw.

Anyway, I’d derailed. Time to try strengthening. She said I just had to will it, right?

The next moment, my view switched, and a character enhancement screen I’d grown familiar with in the game appeared.

It startled the hell out of me because the perspective changed so suddenly… Someone please praise me for not screaming.

It felt like activating Hawk Eye.

I could still feel my body, but what I saw was somewhere else—like wearing a VR headset. Controls… same as Hawk Eye: if I focused my intention, I could move things.

For now… should I try giving one of the maids a development-oriented ability…?

No. That was game logic. Here, I should probably ask what they wanted first.

Then, for a trial run… I’d strengthen myself.

I should be able to confirm the total number of magic stones here… Oh? The total exceeded one hundred million, the old game-era cap.

That was a relief… We’d had two income cycles before the war with the Lumoria Kingdom, but thanks to obtaining Yōntsu Territory, we’d had enough magic-stone income to more than recoup facility upkeep, everyone’s magic recharges, and several rounds of troop summons.

Now I wouldn’t have to summon troops while secretly sweating bullets…

If we took all of the Lumoria Kingdom, it’d be absolute heaven.

And now, at this timing, strengthening was possible. The magic-stone cost would be big, but this could solve our manpower shortage.

Which made me want to create new characters next… I should test that too.

There’d been no point in creating new characters if I couldn’t strengthen them, so I’d put it off.

For now, let’s strengthen Fels… As a test, I’ll raise a stat a little.

But my Martial, Leadership, and Command were already maxed… So I’ll raise Intellect?

It affected the power of wartime stratagems and the strength of magic, but Fels was a meathead type, so it wasn’t that high.

Though… if I raise my Intellect, doesn’t that mean I’ll get smarter? Yeah. Intellect… I have to raise it!

And man, controlling it by thought was nice. Alright—raise Intellect from 80 to 85, confirm… There. Am I smart now? Should I try doing three-digit multiplication?

Thinking stupid things like that, I casually glanced at the magic-stone total.

It shone with the brilliant number of fifty million.

…Huh?

Haha… must be a misread. Fifty million—no way…

I forced my eyes open as if they’d bloodshot and checked the remaining amount again.

One… ten… hundred… fifty million.

W-w-w-what the hell!?

Why was it only fifty million!?

I had a bit over a hundred million just a moment ago, right!?

Why!?

Wait—no—what? Was it my fault!?

Because I strengthened myself…?

But, like—wasn’t it one million per +1 in the 80s!?

I got cocky and raised it by five… So that should be five million. One times five times a million is… fifty million? No, no, five million!! My newly raised Intellect says so!

I got confident because income finally looked stable… I used five million, right?

Fels? Tell me I’m right?

Calm down and count the total again, okay?

See… no matter how many times I count, it’s fifty million!!?

You’ve gotta be kidding me!!

Was this… a difference from the game era!?

I mean, the required amount was written when I strengthened, but at a glance, five million and fifty million look the same! Commas—put in your commas! Make the UI properly!

I want to call customer support and complain!!

Give me compensation magic stones, damn it!!

…No. I’ll admit it.

This was my mistake.

I got cocky and pushed things through without confirming.

I just dumped fifty million into a stat I barely even used…

Ah, crap… my heart is breaking.

Fifty million… I think Calmos said Lumoria’s population was around one million…?

Even after we finish installing the magic-collection devices, it’s ten million a month… five months to recover fifty million… and installing them won’t be quick… With our current development staff, it wouldn’t be surprising if it took months to set them up across the kingdom…

And we don’t even control the whole kingdom yet…

Aaaaaaah… I screwed up…

I want to punch the Fels from a few minutes ago straight in the jaw…

“Haaaaaaaa…”

Even if it was self-inflicted, I let out a massive sigh.

Ah… I’m gonna die…

Still in that ocean-deep, sinking mood, I closed the enhancement screen and clutched my head—when the throne room doors flew open and Ilmit rushed in, pale-faced.

“Fels-sama—this is terrible!”

The tone didn’t sound that terrible, but Ilmit’s face was dead serious, so something had definitely happened.

I switched gears and asked in Overlord Mode.

“What happened?”

“M-magic stones—”

At that single phrase, a coldness ran through me like an ice blade stabbing into my gut.

“The magic stones suddenly vanished! We’re investigating, but about half of them—vanished all at once! I’m terribly sorry!”

“…It’s fine. Don’t worry. That isn’t a problem.”

“Eh?”

I am Fels… Overlord Fels.

By some twist of fate, I got thrown into another world after becoming an overlord, and then I casually burned through half the nation’s precious resources…

Just an ordinary gamer.