I have only read the WN and I remember Hibiki and Ilumgand talking about their ideals and future society developments, so I am pretty confident it was in there (though I also read the manga, but pretty sure it was in the WN).

As for Rotsgard, my memory is that it is an unaffiliated city-state that is essentially used as a neutral academy city that other country’s nobles send their elite and gifted for education. The thing that made Makoto want to set up base there in the first place is that it is unaffiliated with a greater power, so he would not be asked to do things like espionage against other hyuman powers.

I am really looking forward to the next couple episodes. Makoto has been holding in a lot of anger/frustration with the world around him, so it is about time for that come bursting out.