"Well I can help a little with that part.  This general region is known as the human kingdoms.  We're in the Re-Estize Kingdom, to the South and Southwest is the Slane Theocracy, to the Southeast is the Holy Roble Kingdom. The Baharuth Empire is to the West.  Beyond that is a mix of sea and non-human countries."

"And the Slane Theocracy are the ones involved in this mess?"

"Well thats what it looks like. The knight's uniforms are from the Empire, but it sees more likely that the Theocracy was trying to frame them than that they were cooperating."

"Seems that way to me, too, but I'll see what I can gather. Thank you for the help."

"It is I that should be thanking you."

"You're welcome. It wasn't a problem for us, and - we were there to help."

Somewhat later and back at the castle Nigun spills the beans like a Bell carrying a crock of chili.

The awakened God-kin could have beat the Dominion Authority but it would be a close fight unless they had the relics of the gods equipped or teamed up. Any of the old dragon lords could have done it for sure, but they've gone downhill in the last couple of centuries.  Still maybe if they teamed up. The elf king claims to be that strong but hasn't actually taken the field in Nigun's lifetime so he thinks it may be a bluff. Fluder might have had a chance but just barely. Same for most adamantite adventuring groups. 

Well. Takeko was hardly the most powerful person in Yggdrasil, but - that's very telling about this world.

For that matter...

What are the capabilities of the Slane Theocracy? And are other worlds known to this one?

The God-kin are on the Theocracy's side.  They also have the relics of the gods which include weapons and armor that boost the God-kins fighting power by an immense amount, and a mind control device.  This is in addition to a strong conventional military with five other scriptures as or more powerful than the one he lead.  

Well there's the afterlife and the demon world.

'Relics' sounds potentially worrying, but also like an opportunity if she can seize them. Mind-control - is more of a resource-wasting nuisance in Yggdrasil than an actual threat, but that's not something she wants to screw around with and risk being better here than there. She sends a quick message to Soreiyu that he needs to finish developing those subversion protocols he'd been spit-balling.

(She's fairly confident they can take the army. Given his relative strength assessment, she's also fairly confident she can take the God-kin, but she'll avoid risking taking them all at once, especially if they have their relics.)

She tells him to elaborate on the demon world, and whether the God-kin, so boosted, could have taken the Dominion Authority.

Boosted they definitely could, and um you summon demons from there. He doesn't know what its actually like.

(On the one hand, 'literally another world' could cover any weirdness. On the other, that would be a hell of a weirdness on its own, and Takeko prefers keeping her cards close to her chest.)

Who leads the Slane Theocracy? What sort of politics can she expect of them?

The Pontifex Maximus is the head of state but most big decisions are made by the council, which also includes the six cardinals of each god, the head judge, the head of the legislature (which is its own relatively unimportant thing), the head of the magic research institute and the Grand Marshall.

Interesting. How are they likely to react to her and her forces?

They will try to destroy you as threats to humanity.  Probably, you might be able to negotiate with them, but that will be their first thought.

"Why would they think we're threats?"

...Because your not human.

"They'll notice, even if we hide non-human features?"

I mean if you used disguises from the start you that might work, but the royal court leaks like a sieve and Gazef will totally mention it in his report.  Not to mention all the villagers.

...Great.

And there's no assurances they can easily make of their good will?

He might be able to convince them if you release him, and he explains how you thought you were just rescuing the villagers.

Ah, yes, how exactly does slaughtering villagers while posed as the empire's men advance the theocracy's goals...?

The kingdom is on fertile land with other human countries providing a buffer against attack.  It was supposed to serve as a breeding ground for strong humans but instead it has become weak and is exporting its degeneracy through organized crime.  So we want the highly competent empire to conquer it.  This was supposed to kill Gazef while making tensions worse.

(Supremacist idiots. Great.)

Why does the theocracy want the empire conquering this kingdom?

Because the empire would make better use of there resources.  They have high economic productivity, and a system that allows them to identify and train potential magic users and talented fighters. Also the Bloody Emperor would but an end to the crime syndicates.