Anime Episode 07

"Thus Saith the Elder" is the 7th episode of the "Genjitsu Shugi Yuusha no Oukoku Saikenki" Anime adaptation.

''Souma dispatches his magically-controlled mascot warrior to join an adventurer party. After securing funding with his team of accountants, Souma sets out to build a new port city and network of roads, but runs into opposition from the local residents.''

Summary
The magic in the world can be divided into the six elements of fire, water, earth, wind, light, and darkness. Fire, water, earth and wind each have their own magic attacks, while light is used for healing magic. Darkness is unique and any magic that doesn't fit into the previous five, is labelled as darkness. Those who can use more powerful magic are known as mages. When the mages are assigned to an army, they are sent to the branch corresponding to their element. Fire elementals go to the army, wind elementals to the air force, and water elementals to the navy, earth elementals in the Forbidden Army. Light elementals which are medics are assigned equally to each branch. Souma's Living Poltergeist is considered "other" and is categorized as dark magic, and using it Souma decides to explore the world a bit.

Using Little Musashibo, Souma joins an adventurers party. They quickly recall hearing about an adventurer who uses a mascot costume, who got some skill. Since the quest is at beginner's level, they decide to agree and head out. As they face monsters, Souma quickly dispatches them with ease. While proceeding in the underground passages, they end up facing an unexpectedly large salamander. As his saliva is extremely acidic and fire magic doesn't work on him, the adventurers decide to run. Souma ends up tripping and falling and one of the adventurers, Juno helps him and temporary blinds the salamander with a flashbang, however as the salamander shakes, he drops saliva everywhere and Souma protects Juno with his body. The adventurers manage to escape, and Juno thanks him for helping her out.

Later Souma washes Musashibo and is glad that he added acid resistance to his surface. Liscia joins him and realizes that Musashibo is larger than the first time she saw him. Souma admits that he asked some craftsman to make him a new model and he has been controlling him with his magic. Liscia then realizes he is the Mascot Adventurer she has been hearing about. Souma explains that he wanted to see what the underground passages looked like, but he also had some fun.

Several days later, Souma has his men gathered and thanks them for the sleepless nights and hard work as they can now move forward with Project Venetinova. Earlier, Souma explains that Venetinova will be a new port city, which he intends to make the biggest bay city in the country. Liscia comments they already have Lagoon City in the Walter Duchy as their primary port. She then wonders if he plans for Duchess Walter, but Souma denies, stating he isn't getting ready to start any trouble. Souma explains that after building Venetinova, they will start constructing roads allowing them to more easily control both maritime and overland shipping and distribution. Liscia wonders how that is important and Souma asks her if she knows how prices are determined. Liscia states that the more desired items are expensive, while the less wanted cheaper. Souma confirms, and explains that with better distribution, even if there is shortage of a material somewhere, they can easily and fast bring it over from somewhere else where there is surplus of it, which will gradually decrease the prices. Souma explains that the most desired item right now is food, and as it's something people can't stop buying, the food price is squeezing their household budgets, not allowing them to buy anything else, which causes the nation's economy to stagnate. Souma continues to flatter his men, telling them that the work they've done is more important than that of a hero on a battlefield and even though their names won't be remembered, he will remember their deed for the rest of his life. As a reward, he also gives them five days of vacation. Normally he would also give them medals, but as that requires funds they need for other things, he apologizes and offers them to take a bottle of wine from the castle's wine cellar.

Liscia wonders why Souma doesn't rest as he could use his Living Poltergeist, as they can't afford to lose him. Souma explains that there was too much work to be done and he needed all of his strength to do it. And in case they lose him, they can always summon another hero. As he falls asleep, Liscia kisses him on the cheek and states that the other hero won't be Souma.

The next day, he goes to the future site of Venetinova, where he meets Ludwin Arcs. Seeing the land, Souma wonders why it remained unused. Ludwin reports that they finished marking the territory and construction was going smoothly, but there is something he needs to discuss with him in the tent. Inside, Ludwin informs him that there are people opposing the construction, who lives in a village farther inland. Led by Urup, they insist that a town must not be built on this land, since the territory is the land of Kaijin, the god of the sea, and will incur his wrath. While this may be just superstition, according to Urup, when houses are built there, a large monster comes out of the sea and swallows them whole. Thinking about it, Souma decides to meet the old man Urup.

Going to Urup's house, Souma asks him to tell him more about the Kaijin. Urup explains again that when they build houses, the monsters come and swallow them. Souma then asks him to show him how far the monster territory spreads.

Later Souma discusses the situation and believes that there is no monster, but it's a tale to warn the people to not build houses there as there is a tsunami. Ludwin says he never heard tales of the place being hit by tsunami before. Souma states it's likely because the interval of the tsunami is quite long, from a hundred years to even a millennia. Souma decides to continue with the project, but changes the city's location to avoid the risk of future tsunami. He then warns them that if an earthquake happens, a tsunami may happen as well and when there is an earthquake, people need to evacuate inland quickly. Seeing Souma fired up for the project, Liscia wonders if Aisha likes Souma and as Aisha confirms, Liscia tells her that they should keep supporting Souma, so that he keeps smiling.

Characters in Order of Appearance
Characters in italics debuted here.
 * Kazuya Souma
 * Little Musashibo
 * Liscia Elfrieden
 * Aisha Udgard
 * Hakuya Kwonmin
 * Ludwin Arcs
 * Juno Minazuki
 * Febral
 * Julia
 * Dece
 * Urup

Changes

 * In the subtitled translation, Juno's name is taken as the direct spelling, Yuno.
 * In the light novel, Urup is the only noted holdout over the construction of Venetinova, whereas in the anime there are supposedly more.
 * In the light novel, Kazuya analyzed Urup's story on the spot to deduce the tsunami and earthquake connection, which stunned Urup.
 * Kazuya would ask Urup to continue spreading the story, with alterations to it, to serve as a warning to other people who lived in the area. In the anime, this task was not directly given to Urup nor framed as a story.
 * In the light novel, the construction site of Venetinova was not moved to a nearby location, only altered to accommodate for and minimize loss from possible future tsunami disasters.
 * However, when Kazuya moves Venetinova to its new location in the anime, the new location appears to be the original location in the light novel.

Trivia

 * This Episodes adapts from Light Novel Volume 01 "Chapter 5" & the Extra Story: The Story of a Certain Group of Adventurers''