Side Story Chapter 10: Rodcorte and the two's decision
It seemed that Vandalieu had undergone a Job-change to Guider.
The Job that was a requirement of being a champion, the Job that Bellwood and Zakkart had acquired.
It was difficult to believe, but it was true.
But the situation that he had caused as a result of acquiring the Job was even more difficult to believe.
"To think that he would guide people to Vida's circle of transmigration system exactly as they are!"
Rodcorte could not suppress his shuddering as he struggled to deal with the errors that were occurring in unison.
Vida's races such as Vampires and Ghouls had been converting people to members of their own races using rituals. These rituals involved giving their own blood to these new members or submerging them for days in mud mixed with their own blood; they differed depending on the race. But these methods all took a great deal of time and effort.
And the charm of changing race usually did not overcome the people's fear of such a change. Alda and the other gods had taught them to fear it.
Vampires could acquire near-infinite lifespans, but they would become unable to walk beneath the sun ever again. And most would be opposed to having to slurp the blood of others in order to survive.
And other races such as Ghouls, Scylla, Lamias and Arachne had remarkably different appearances from ordinary people, so it was natural for people to fear and avoid such changes.
Alda had focused on making sure that the anecdotes of saints, epic poems about heroes and myths about himself would spread and make the people hesitant about becoming members of Vida's races.
These were more exaggerated than similar stories on Earth; Vampires would be rejected by maidens that they desired as their brides and fall to ruin, crying words of grief such as, "So you would choose the sun over me as well?"
The fact that some still chose to become members of Vida's races of their own will was a headache-inducing problem, but that was a mild pain compared to what was happening right now.
Vandalieu had undergone a Job-change to the Demon Guider Job and started to unconsciously guide the people. To Vida's circle of transmigration system!
The human and Dwarf citizens of Talosheim had already been transferred to Vida's transmigration system without their races ever changing.
The reason that Vandalieu was guiding his citizens to Vida's circle of transmigration system was likely because he had been taken into Vida's system himself.
This was a dreadful situation for Rodcorte, just like the pseudo-reincarnations that Vandalieu had been conducting.
"As their races have not changed, the people have no clue whatsoever as to what has happened to them. Only us gods know the secrets of the circles of transmigration, and, of course, we cannot reveal those secrets."
The citizens of Talosheim had no way of knowing that the circle of transmigration system that they belonged to had changed. Even Vandalieu, who had guided them to the new system, was unaware.
For people, no visible ritual had been conducted, and no changes to their bodies or minds occurred despite being moved to another system, so they didn't know what had happened. And even if this became known to Alda and the gods who served him, it was unlikely that they would know what needed to be prohibited.
He would be left with no choice but extreme options such as declaring Vandalieu as an enemy of the gods and ordering the people to exterminate him.
This would make no difference to the current situation.
"As I thought, there is no choice but to erase Vandalieu."
Since he had become a Guider, Vandalieu would continue to guide others unconsciously. Not every person would respond to his guidance, but the high standards of living in Talosheim would be incredibly attractive to them.
In the end, as always, the only option that Rodcorte had was to erase Vandalieu.
"No, aren't there other options like trying to reconcile with him?" asked a voice.
"More importantly, there's something I don't understand. Why did we die?" asked another.
Two reincarnated individuals were looking at Rodcorte through half-closed eyes.
An earnest-looking woman, Shimada Izumi. A man with a somewhat vacant-looking face, Machida Aran. The two of them had suddenly died and found themselves here; Aran had not even been aware that he had died.
They had been watching Rodcorte for a while as he groaned to himself for reasons that they didn't really understand.
The two of them didn't know the specific details of the circle of transmigration systems, but they could understand that the god before them had come to a conclusion through some very extreme thought processes.
"Shimada-san, do you know what happened?" asked Aran.
"Hey you, what did you do with your Calculation, your only redeeming feature? Or should I call it Laplace's Demon?" said Izumi.
Aran's cheat-like ability was Calculation, which had also been known by its codename, Laplace's Demon, in Origin. This ability gave him computational power on the level of a supercomputer, or perhaps even greater. As long as he had enough information, he could even predict the future to a certain extent.
"Don't be so unreasonable," Aran protested. "What are you trying to ask me to calculate when I've got no information to work with?"
If he didn't have enough information, super-advanced calculations such as predicting the future was impossible. Also, these calculations were only calculations, nothing more. They were vulnerable to errors due to unexpected and unknown situations.
"I suppose that the only thing I know is that I wasn't killed by you, Shimada-san?" he said tentatively.
"You're right about that," said Izumi. "You were killed in an explosion. A string of hand grenades came flying from the wall, and that was it. I was further away so I didn't die instantly, but it seems that I lost consciousness before I could cast any spells and died soon afterwards."
"Ah, what's known as 'near-instantaneous death*?'"
"Yes, near-instantaneous death."
"Then the ones who did it are… Murakami's group? If grenades came through the wall, I'd have thought it was Kanata, but he's already dead," said Aran.
"What about the intelligence agencies of each nation?" Izumi suggested. "My ability is convenient, but it was hated by many, so I think it's possible. Now that I think about it, Hiroto's ideals are a problem as well."
"They're working as an NGO that doesn't belong to any specific organization or government," said Aran. "We acted like superheroes, so it's true that a lot of people liked us, but a lot of people hated us as well. Especially my Laplace's Demon and your Inspection, Shimada-san.
Shimada Izumi's cheat-like ability was Inspection, which allowed her to see through all kinds of falsehoods. It wasn't merely seeing through lies; she could see through every kind of disguise, forgery, CG footage and illusion.
She had often complained that this ability had made the magic shows that she had enjoyed on Earth very dull, however.
It had been Aran's Laplace's Demon and Izumi's Inspection that had allowed the capture of the Metamorph, Shihouin Mari.
But although the two of them possessed powerful abilities, they had little in the way of strength in combat. They both had considerable talent in magic, and they did receive training to some extent. However, they hadn't fought as combatants on the frontlines like Kanata and Mari.
That was why the two of them were never sent to dangerous places, being left to process information behind the scenes for the Bravers, but… it seemed that they had been targeted for this.
"But considering the method and timing… there isn't anyone among Murakami's group who has a similar ability to Kanata, is there?" said Aran.
"Probably not," said Izumi. "But maybe it's possible to achieve something similar by combining multiple abilities."
"Well, now that we've died, there's nothing that can be done even if we figure it out. Ah, if things were going to turn out like this, I should have eaten more fried chicken, pizza and Terra burgers."
"You're right, I would have liked to get married at least once… impossible. I can see through the lies of men, even if I don't want to."
The two of them were calm despite having just died, but this was the second time that they had died, and they had lived for forty-six years in total between their lives on Earth and in Origin. And since it had happened so suddenly, they hadn't had time to feel anger or regret.
And they were in the company of not the ones who had killed them, but each other, friends who had died together, so they weren't too upset.
Ah, it has restarted, Rodcorte thought as he looked up at Izumi and Aran. "So, about your next lives -"
He explained to them that they would reincarnate in Lambda, and that he wanted them to kill Vandalieu, just like he had done with Kanata.
Unlike Kanata, the two of them listened calmly. Even as they learned that the Undead that the Bravers had faced in Origin was Amamiya Hiroto and now Vandalieu, they didn't lose their composure.
"Absolutely not," Aran said flatly.
"In fact, I'd rather die than doing something that reckless," said Izumi.
"As I thought," said Rodcorte. Unlike the time with Kanata, he had been expecting them to refuse. Unlike Kanata, as well as Tanaka and the others who had died after him, these two were not suited for fighting at all.
It wasn't as if they didn't have any qualities for fighting whatsoever, but they had chosen a path in Origin other than training those powers and skills.
But feeling guilty of the sin of essentially having abandoned Vandalieu in Origin and considering the fact that he was originally a student attending the same school, Aran and Izumi were hesitant to simply refuse this request.
They could see that if they remained quiet, the other reincarnated individuals and Vandalieu would kill each other.
"Looking at what this person is doing, it's hard to even say what Amemiya-san would do," said Izumi. "Even considering that we couldn't save him, if you apply the common sense and ethics of Earth and Origin, what this person is doing is…"
"Crime and terrorism," said Aran. "Of course, that's only if you apply the common sense and ethics of Earth and Origin. Especially the creation of Undead; it's an act that tramples on the sanctity of the dead before it's a crime of property damage."
Even from the viewpoints of Izumi and Aran, this was what Vandalieu was doing in Lambda. But never mind it being a different nation, this was an entirely different world. Considering that this was likely just how things had turned out when he had used death-attribute magic, and considering that he had no affinity for any other attribute, they couldn't condemn him unconditionally.
In fact, considering the way that Vandalieu had been treated in Origin, they even felt respect for his strength of will. At the very least, they themselves would have found it impossible to put the philosophy of, "The good you do to others is good that you do to yourself," into practice.
In fact, while Vandalieu had killed over a hundred people in the Hartner Duchy, he had saved over a thousand.
However, they couldn't be certain that the other reincarnated individuals would think the way that Izumi and Aran did. Amemiya and his followers likely wouldn't try to erase him right away, but…
"Now that we understand the situation, I'll ask one more time. Can't you reconcile and persuade him peacefully? He was originally a Japanese person, and given the information that you've given us, I think negotiating will be possible," said Izumi.
At the very least, it seemed that Vandalieu would listen to what had to be said. Though it also seemed likely that he would simply listen and walk away without saying anything afterwards.
Izumi and Aran hadn't been present when Vandalieu's second life came to an end, but from his point of view, that was likely incredibly close to being a similar offense.
"Shimada-san, how would you persuade him peacefully?" Aran asked.
"Well, convince him… though it doesn't seem like he would listen. How about things like offering him favorable conditions?" Izumi suggested.
"Can you think of any conditions that we and this god could offer him that would be favorable for him?"
"… I can't think of anything."
This was something that they had never thought about during the time that they had lived in Origin.
Forgiving small crimes, plea bargaining with the appropriate judicial branch, guaranteeing safety, reduction of prison sentences, release on parole. These were the primary methods that the Bravers had used to bargain with criminals, but… none of these had any meaning to Vandalieu, who had been reincarnated in Origin.
By offering a reconciliation, it might be possible to prevent a battle to the death between Vandalieu and the other reincarnated individuals. But it was unlikely that he would be able to stop creating Undead. The scales would be too unbalanced away from his favor.
Also, neither Izumi nor Aran had any connections or organizations now. Once they reincarnated in Lambda, they would just be individuals with special abilities.
Even if they were born into the royal family of a great nation or the family of a merchant with an enormous fortune, it would still take nearly two decades for them to rise to positions where they would have any political influence to speak of.
It was difficult to imagine that anything they could offer would be of any significance to Vandalieu.
"The only thing that I can think of is information about the other reincarnated individuals, but… giving that to him would be protecting ourselves rather than reconciling," said Aran.
"You're right. Then, what else…"
"Normally it would be money, a social position, honor or women. Is there anything else?"
Though its population was small, Vandalieu was already the ruler of his own nation. His citizens gave him their absolute support, and he was served by countless members of the opposite sex. Was there anything that could be offered that would convince him peacefully and allow a reconciliation between him and Rodcorte?
"It's impossible," Izumi concluded.
"You're right," Aran agreed. "Even if we told him that we would serve him with our powers, it seems like he would just tell us, 'It's troublesome so I don't need you.'"
"Yes… considering that's how he is."
The biggest problem for a peaceful persuasion and reconciliation was Vandalieu's emotions towards the reincarnated individuals.
If they were compulsive emotions like hatred and a desire to kill, the two of them would still have some hope. According to Rodcorte's information, Vandalieu was rational, or he was at least trying to be. That was why Izumi and Aran, who hadn't directly caused Vandalieu any harm, might have been able to negotiate with Vandalieu, depending on how they approached him.
But the emotions that Vandalieu felt towards the reincarnated individuals were unhappiness and disgust.
They were simply troublesome and it was tedious for Vandalieu to even become involved with them. They were bothersome and an eyesore, so he didn't want to see them or have anything to do with them. Considering how he had treated Kanata, this was how he felt.
Simply having anything to do with Izumi and Aran would be unpleasant for Vandalieu.
"What other… oh yeah, can't you resurrect his mother who gave birth to him in Lambda?" Aran suggested. "You're a god, aren't you?"
"That is impossible," said Rodcorte.
"No, I mean, the rules aren't meant to be bent, but can't you make an exception in this case?"
"It is not a problem with the rules; it is simply impossible."
It seemed that Aran had assumed that the reason Rodcorte refused to resurrect a dead person was because there were rules that gods were not supposed to interfere directly with the world, but Rodcorte was simply unable to resurrect Darcia, Vandalieu's mother.
Darcia was a Dark Elf, a being who would be reincarnated by Vida's circle of transmigration system. Rodcorte could not directly intervene.
Rodcorte could not mention these circumstances to humans, even if they were reincarnated individuals, so Izumi and Aran were not convinced. But they saw that Rodcorte had no intention of saying any more, so they started considering other ideas.
But no bright ideas occurred to them. In the end, they settled on a very simple plan to convince Vandalieu.
They would appeal to his emotions. It was like bringing the relatives of hostage-holding criminals in order to appeal to them.
"What do you think, Shimada-san?" asked Aran. "He was your classmate, wasn't he?"
"… I don't think he had any friends; even I wasn't his friend," said Izumi. "It was over twenty years ago, so I'm not certain, but I don't remember ever seeing him talking to anyone."
As her image would suggest, Shimada Izumi had been a class representative on Earth, but she had almost no memories of Vandalieu, who had been known as Amamiya Hiroto back then.
He hadn't caused any problems, but he hadn't been particularly exceptional, either. He had never become involved with any other students. He had been a boy who was always a part of the background.
Though Izumi searched her memories, the only thing that she could remember was that she didn't remember anything about him.
If there was anything that could work, it would be Naruse Narumi, whom Vandalieu had risked his life to try and save before he died on Earth, but… Izumi hesitated to suggest that they bring her up. She had been among those who dealt the final blow to him in Origin, and there was no telling whether he had any interest in her now.
"So, someone in Origin who could persuade Vandalieu… there aren't any, are there?" said Izumi.
"Have you been listening to me?" Rodcorte asked her.
"Sorry, it was just a wild idea. Forget it," said Izumi.
"I will answer you just in case," said Rodcorte. "He did not have a single family member, friend or lover."
"As I thought."
It was obvious that the father and mother who had sold Vandalieu in Origin would not be suitable for persuading him.
There were those involved in the research laboratory, but Vandalieu had killed as many of them as possible after being killed and becoming an Undead himself.
"The only ones left are the members of the Eighth Guidance, but… they're hostile towards us," said Aran.
"They wouldn't cooperate with us, would they," Izumi said in agreement.
The leader of the Eighth Guidance, the girl who had been rescued by the Undead Amamiya Hiroto, was a self-proclaimed priestess of death who called herself Pluto. She had made it clear through her criminal acts that she held a fierce hatred for the Bravers and agencies that conducted research into the death attribute.
The reason she had accepted Murakami and several other former Bravers as allies despite this was unknown, but it was unlikely that she had been uninvolved in Izumi and Aran's deaths.
She and the other central members of her organization formed what was more of a cult-like group of fanatics than a terrorist organization. Even if she was killed and brought here, it was unlikely that she would cooperate with the reincarnated individuals.
"It is possible that she could be used as a hostage against Vandalieu, so I am planning to summon her here when she dies, however," said Rodcorte.
Izumi and Aran looked at each other.
Isn't this guy way too cowardly for a god?
Maybe he's cowardly because he's a god.
Being a god, Rodcorte overheard this silent exchange between the two, but just like Kanata, he paid no heed to them.
"Then isn't there anyone on Earth who could persuade him? Ah, on second thought, you don't have to answer. Show us our records and we'll use that to decide," said Izumi.
"Also, can you make it so that we can use our abilities?" asked Aran. "I think it will help somewhat."
"Very well," Rodcorte replied.
Izumi and Aran looked at the video and audio information from Earth that was given to them by Rodcorte to see if there was anyone who could possibly persuade Vandalieu.
Among the other high school students who had survived the school field trip, there was… nobody. There were none among the upperclassmen and underclassmen who hadn't been on the field trip, either. Because he had been working a part-time job, Amamiya Hiroto hadn't taken part in any club or committee activities, so he hadn't been acquainted with anyone other than his classmates.
As for the place that he worked at… he had only performed work such as organizing endless piles of letters, early-morning paper deliveries and handing out leaflets - work that didn't really provide any proper human interactions. It seemed that he hadn't had any dependable senpais, close co-workers or kouhais, either.
Deciding to go further back in time, Izumi and Aran searched further to see if there was anyone from his middle school days… and found themselves feeling dizzy, as if they would be overwhelmed by the total lack of human relationships.
When they checked the records of his elementary school days, they really were overwhelmed by the total lack of human relationships and began to feel headaches.
"… He had quite a miserable childhood," said Izumi.
"Continuing on and on with a 'dark school life that can be found anywhere' that isn't grand or dramatically horrible is amazing in its own way, isn't it?" said Aran. "But seeing how he was in high school, you'd have never imagined how he behaved and talked as an elementary school kid."
Normally, people would have at least a single new person in their lives, but Amamiya Hiroto didn't have a single one in his entire lifetime. Of course, it wasn't as if everyone had bullied him, but just because they didn't bully him didn't mean that they were on good terms with him. He had been someone who was part of the background. Just like he had been in high school.
Now that they had come this far, they had a bad feeling about this and felt that there was no other option but to look at the records from Amamiya Hiroto's family.
"Seeing his suspicious behavior as a child, I can guess what we're going to see, but…" Aran murmured. As he looked at the record, he saw that his suspicions were on the mark.
But without giving up, he saw that the uncle and his wife who had adopted Amamiya Hiroto, and his younger cousin, were still alive. Thinking that perhaps they had changed their ways and they could perhaps apologize to Vandalieu in order to help convince him, Aran looked through their records as well.
What he saw was pitiful.
After Amamiya Hiroto had died in the incident, his uncle's family took the money from his life insurance, the entirety of the fortune left behind by Hiroto's parents and the condolence money that people had given them to live even more luxurious lives than before.
However, starting with this money, their business failed. The project that they started to try and recoup these losses also failed. This process repeated itself several times and, in the end, they gradually lost their fortune.
Once their financial situation worsened, the uncle and his wife began to abuse their own son. They were unable to maintain their sanity now that Amamiya Hiroto, their punching bag, was gone.
They had still managed while they were still wealthy, but now that they were at the end of their rope, they needed a target to take out their stress on. As Amamiya Hiroto was dead, their son had been chosen as their new punching bag.
Of course, their son did not quietly accept his fate as a punching bag. Unlike Amamiya Hiroto, who had been treated as such since childhood, he was already a university student by the time this had happened. He left the house and distanced himself from his parents.
And so the family separated. Now that his outlet for stress was gone, the uncle began harassing his subordinates horribly at his company, and him being sued for this was the final straw. Now that they had lost their entire fortune, he and his wife divorced.
After that, the uncle became homeless. His ex-wife managed to live on welfare for a while, but was then arrested for theft. After that, she went in and out of prison for theft and other petty crimes.
Ironically, their son got the live-in job that Amamiya Hiroto would likely have taken after graduating high school, barely managing to earn enough to sustain himself. But he never worked seriously, so he was still doing subordinate work.
It was likely that a few years after the uncle turned cold on some unknown roadside, it would be his son's turn to live on the streets.
The only thing that they had in common was that they both whispered to themselves, "I want to go back in time." They wanted to go back to after Amamiya Hiroto had died and they were able to spend their large sums of money as they pleased.
Seeing these records, Izumi and Aran were at their wits' end.
"Even if we had them meet Vandalieu after they died, it doesn't seem likely that they would sincerely apologize to him," said Izumi.
"They might apologize insincerely, since he's a powerful person now," said Aran.
In any case, it didn't seem like they would be useful to persuade Vandalieu.
"But considering how miserable he was, I admire him for not being in despair and hanging himself before dying on the ferry," said Aran. "He was surprisingly positive and forward-thinking."
"So it seems," said Izumi. "But it's strange that he became so popular as soon as his third life began. It's not as if he suddenly learned communication skills. If he could do that, he would have made at least one friend on Earth."
The truth was that the circumstances seen in the records of Vandalieu's past on Earth and the circumstances in Lambda were completely different. Vandalieu had been surrounded by people who were his enemies and people who were not his enemies. In Lambda, he had many enemies, but he also had many allies.
It was hard to imagine that they were simply after Vandalieu's power, either.
Aran responded to Izumi's doubts.
"It's probably the effect of that Death-Attribute Charm skill," he said. "From what we've seen in the records, the way he treats people hasn't changed much from when he was on Earth. It seems that he's still not good at getting closer to others on his own, either. But I think he had a similar ability in Origin as well. That would explain why the Eighth Guidance are so fanatical."
"I see… it's no wonder he's loved by the Undead," said Izumi.
They had come to a conclusion as to why Vandalieu had such rich human (?) relations in Lambda, but the situation that they were in had not changed at all.
"I'll ask just in case. Isn't there any way we can have his real parents from Earth persuade him?" Izumi asked.
She was asking whether it was possible for Rodcorte to summon the only people who had ever shown love for Amamiya Hiroto on Earth, the ones who had died in an accident before they knew what was going on. But as expected, the answer was not a good one.
"Amamiya Hiroto's parents on Earth have already been reincarnated," said Rodcorte. "They have lost memories of their previous lives and are now living their new lives in separate places. If you still think it is wise, I can summon them here when they die."
"Ah, that would be meaningless," Izumi said.
In Rodcorte's circle of transmigration system, there was no heaven or hell. It was normal for people to be reincarnated straight away once they died.
Thus, Vandalieu's original parents, the only people that he might possibly feel a desire to meet, had long since lost their memories and been reborn as completely different people.
"Just to be sure, where are his parents and what are they doing?" asked Aran.
"His father has been reborn as a single mother who is managing a restaurant in France while raising her two children," said Rodcorte. "His mother is being raised."
"Raised?" Aran repeated.
"In a certain household, as a pet tortoise."
As to be expected with reincarnation. People could be reborn with not only a different race and gender, but even as a member of a different species.
"Th-this is hopeless," said Aran. "Shimada-san, let's give up on this."
"Wait, Aran," said Izumi. "Isn't your favorite saying, 'No matter what, there is always a way?!' What about your Calculation?!"
"I've been using it for a while, but there's almost no chance of persuading him," said Aran. "If the two of us beg for mercy or make a promise not to harm him, our chance of success is almost a hundred percent, but…"
Rodcorte looked at the two of them and thought that it would be best to not have them reincarnate in Lambda. He had known that they were unlikely to become assassins for him, but not only would they not get involved with Vandalieu, they were likely to become hindrances for the other reincarnated individuals.
But it was impossible to have them reincarnate anywhere but Lambda now. He didn't even consider cursing them like he had done with Vandalieu. If he did, it would only give them more reason to become Vandalieu's allies.
It was possible to completely erase their memories and personalities before reincarnating them, but Rodcorte had a far better idea.
"Then how about you do not reincarnate and become my Familiar Spirits instead?" he suggested.
This idea was to make these two his Familiar Spirits. Hearing this, Izumi and Aran looked up at Rodcorte with suspicious expressions.
Normally, one would feel honored to be spoken to personally by a god. But it seemed that Rodcorte's image in the minds of these two had already collapsed.
"Familiar Spirits? Are you telling us to become nuns?" asked Izumi.
"No, Familiar Spirits are not clergymen or followers," said Rodcorte. "Perhaps it will be easier for you to understand if I described them as angels."
"Describe them with more simple terms," said Aran.
"… Assistants, support staff, system engineers."
These were the descriptions that Rodcorte gave when he complied with Aran's request. There was no mystery or divinity to these descriptions, but this was the truth, so there was no helping it.
Aran looked dejected upon hearing this answer, but Izumi's expression stiffened and she asked another question.
"What would change by us becoming Familiar Spirits? Can you influence our wills and actions as you please?"
"You will ascend to become living beings with no physical bodies… you can interpret this as a transformation," said Rodcorte. "I have no intention of restricting the freedom of your thoughts and actions, but I will punish you if you act disloyally.���
"I see… In other words, it's like being employed at a company," said Izumi. "Other than the fact that we probably can't return to being humans again. So, what do you want to make us do?"
"Assist in the transportation of souls in Lambda, Earth and Origin through the circles of transmigration," said Rodcorte.
Rodcorte was trying to turn Shimada Izumi and Machida Aran into his Familiar Spirits and have them support his circle of transmigration system. With this, they would never become involved with anyone whose soul didn't return to the circle of transmigration, let alone Vandalieu.
Even if they were on Vandalieu's side in their minds, they wouldn't be able to do anything for him.
In fact, they would not be performing any hostile acts that would cause Vandalieu harm, so Rodcorte thought that it would be easier for them to agree to this.
And it was also true that Rodcorte had been wanting support personnel to help him deal with the errors that Vandalieu had been causing.
Izumi and Aran looked at each other and discussed this, but it seemed that they had come to a conclusion very quickly.
"Alright," said Izumi.
"It's out-of-character for me to be an angel, but I want to see Murakami and the others' faces when they come here, too," said Aran.
The two of them agreed to become Rodcorte's Familiar Spirits.
As long as immortality did not exist, their fellow Bravers would come to this place once they died in Origin. Other than being able to warn them not to do anything reckless, they believed that this was for both Earth and Origin's sakes.
It seemed that Rodcorte felt no sense of danger, but if he continued to aim for Vandalieu's life, it was certain that one of them would eventually die or end up in a state very close to death.
But Rodcorte governed the circles of transmigration in not only Lambda, but Izumi and Aran's homeworld of Earth, and Origin as well. These could not be allowed to stop.
They had to make sure that the circles of transmigration in Earth and Origin would continue functioning even if something happened to Rodcorte.
That was what the two of them had decided to do.
Of course, Rodcorte understood these intentions, but as he didn't feel any risk that his own life would be in danger, he decided that these two would actually be more useful if they became capable of doing these things, so he turned them into his Familiar Spirits.
"Now then, I, Rodcorte, the god of reincarnation, shall make you two my Familiar Spirits," Rodcorte declared. "Be sure to work hard from now on."
As particles of light fell from his raised hands and poured onto Izumi and Aran, they ascended to greater beings. And then the two of them had this thought:
At least we're divine in appearance. Even though we're just support staff.
Liked it? Take a second to support Novels on Patreon!
Chapter 103: The disappointed half-Vampire and the mad Pure-Breed Vampire
Despite having no scales, Vandalieu had acquired the Title of Scaled King.
The Scaled King Title was normally something that Fidirg, the Dragon God of Five Sins, bestowed upon the those who had solo-cleared the D-class Dungeon known as the Lizardmen's Nest as proof that they were the new ruler of the marshlands, so apparently having scales or not made no difference.
Next, though it was unclear how effective this would be, Vandalieu tried to acquire Fidirg's divine protection (or rather, make him grant his divine protection), but Fidirg had replied that it was impossible and hung his head.
"Huh… What do you mean?" asked Vandalieu.
"That is, my current state is insufficient…"
"Divine protections are normally things that a superior being bestows upon an inferior being, so…"
"For example, it'd be effective for a fox to borrow a tiger's power. But there wouldn't be any point in a tiger borrowing a fox's power. It's kind of like that…"
It was an easy-to-understand explanation of divine protections that would likely cause people to lose their faith in gods.
And it seemed that Fidirg, the Dragon God of Five Sins, was the fox and Vandalieu was the tiger.
"I see," said Vandalieu. "So, you're saying that it's impossible because you haven't fully recovered yet?"
The truth was that Vandalieu, who was capable of manipulating the Demon King's fragments perfectly and possessed a greater total Mana pool than Fidirg, would not be so different in status from Fidirg even if Fidirg had fully recovered. In fact, it would not be strange to think of Vandalieu as the superior being, as he had more freedom with a physical body and possessed weapons that were capable of slaying gods.
But this was how Vandalieu had interpreted things.
Although the being before Vandalieu was prostrating himself and begging for his life, no matter how little dignity he had, he was still a god. Gods were beings that were capable of creation, incredible miracles and cursing people with terrible wrath.
Vandalieu simply assumed without thinking that this god would be far greater than him once the god fully recovered.
"No, even if I were to make a full recovery, I am not such a great being," Fidirg replied honestly.
He's making himself seem small for now. He's not someone I can underestimate, Vandalieu thought, thinking more highly of him now.
Fidirg could only see the gaze of dead eyes looking at him, so he was completely oblivious to this misunderstanding as well, however.
"Still, when I tried to grant you my divine protection, I touched your soul, and, how do I put it? Its shape is…"
"Perhaps I could describe it as beyond unworldly…"
"Could it be that you've eaten one of us evil gods or one of our followers?"
Fidirg did not have the state of mind to see the misunderstanding. He was too busy with having learned that Vandalieu's soul was not that of a person.
The shape and color of a soul was unique like a fingerprint; there were no two that were alike. But the shape of Vandalieu's soul was simply too strange. Even if the Demon King's fragments were taken into account.
"No, not that I remember," said Vandalieu.
"Has there ever been an incident where you touched a cursed item or something similar, and your Attribute Values and skills changed right afterwards?" Fidirg asked.
"I did read a cursed book once," said Vandalieu. "My Mana increased by fifty million, and I became able to extend my tongue."
"THAT'S IT!" all of Fidirg's heads shouted together.
The forbidden tome that Vandalieu had read after trespassing into the Mages' Guild of the city of Niarki in the Hartner Duchy. Fidirg suspected that this tome had contained an evil god or a follower of similar status, and Vandalieu had absorbed him.
"Boy, spit it out, you must quickly spit it out!" shouted Zadiris.
"Bocchan, you mustn't eat strange things!" exclaimed Rita. "You'll get a stomachache!"
"No, I think it'd be amazing if all he got was a stomachache… and it's not like he ate it, right?" said Vigaro.
"And that was over a year ago; is it not too late to spit it out now?" said Princess Levia.
Ah, I'm getting déjà vu, Vandalieu thought in a carefree manner as Zadiris and Rita held him upside-down and shook him up and down.
"Was he your friend? If so, then I'm sorry," said Darcia, apologizing. "I'm sure Vandalieu didn't mean any harm."
"No, I do not believe that there were any who turned away from the Demon King who would hide in a book."
"And judging from what we have heard about that book, it seems that there was a trap that takes over the minds of any people that read it."
"Quite frankly, he got what deserved, being absorbed like that."
Fidirg seemed satisfied now that he had solved the mystery.
The truth was that Buburdura, the evil god of the magic tome, had been an evil god who was part of the remnants of the Demon King's army, so he was not a companion or friend of Fidirg; he was an enemy. And, of course, Fidirg felt no sense of racial unity with the other evil gods, so even if an evil god from the same foreign world as him were to be annihilated, as long as they weren't allies, he would simply feel happy that he had one less enemy.
"However, I believe that this is one of the reasons I cannot grant you my divine protection," he said.
In fact, Fidirg was grateful that there was now a proper reason that proved that he wasn't simply refusing to grant a divine protection because he didn't want to regret it later.
"I-I see. Well, it's impossible, so it can't be helped," said Vigaro.
"Th-that's right, it can't be helped," said Rita.
"Indeed. How about you raise your heads now?" Zadiris suggested.
Everyone other than Vandalieu was a little intimidated by Fidirg. They couldn't tell the difference between the two by the size of their Mana pools, so they feared Fidirg, who was the Dragon God of Five Sins, more.
One might wonder why they feared someone who was prostrating themselves, but considering that this pitiful being was a monster that was larger than a castle, it was understandable.
No matter how pitiful and miserable it looked, for Vigaro and the others, a god was still a god.
"Then please grant your divine protections to the Lizardmen and suitable individuals from Talosheim instead," said Vandalieu. "In exchange, I'll place a statue of you in the Church."
The statues of Alda and his gods had all been removed, so there was plenty of space in the Church of Vida.
"This is something that I could not have even wished for!" Fidirg's three heads exclaimed.
An increase in the number of people praying to him would mean that the recovery of his power would accelerate. It made no difference to him that he would not be the only god worshipped by those people.
"Also, I have a few questions, so please answer them," said Vandalieu.
"I understand."
And so, Vandalieu and his companions came to know the truths of what had happened a hundred thousand years ago that almost no people of the current age were aware of.
They had acquired a certain amount of information about the past from Ternecia, whose soul Vandalieu had already broken, but she hadn't been in a particularly prominent position during the battle between Vida and Alda. In contrast, while Fidirg had not been particularly influential, he had been the commander of a battalion.
Most importantly, Ternecia had lost more than half of her sanity, so the fragmentation and distortion of the memories of the distant past was severe. But the memories of Fidirg, whose mental structure was different from those of mortals, were almost completely accurate.
Vandalieu and his companions learned of the achievements of Zakkart and the other creation-minded champions, and the circumstances surrounding their destruction at the hands of the Demon King. They learned of the state that Zakkart had been in when he became a parent of the True Ancestor of the Vampires.
And they learned that Zantark and the other subordinate gods had fought on Vida's side, and now they were scattered all over the world.
Vandalieu had thought that Vida and her allies had been more alone while fighting against Bellwood and the other champions, so he was happy to learn the truth that she had many allies on her side. And the fact that some of her allies were those who were considered to be evil gods was a greatly beneficial piece of information.
The fact that they could be negotiated with was valuable as well, even if they weren't Vandalieu's allies now.
"Well, I won't be negotiating with Hihiryushukaka, though," said Vandalieu.
This was only natural, as Hihiryushukaka was responsible for his father's death. According to Ternecia, he had sent a Divine Message with an order to kill Vandalieu, and it didn't seem that he would be interested in talking things out, either.
Incidentally, as one would expect, Fidirg was unaware that Vandalieu's soul was a combination of Zakkart, Ark and the other creation-minded champions.
Despite being a god, he did not possess the eyes to know the hundred-thousand-year-old history of a soul by simply looking at it.
"So that is what happened," said Zadiris. "They never did anything good, did they, those people of Alda's."
"Wouldn't this cause chaos among Alda's believers if it was known to the people on the outside? What do you think, Van?" asked Basdia.
"… It's probably impossible for us to convince anyone of anything," said Vandalieu.
"That's true," said Darcia. "Vandalieu is a Dhampir, Basdia-san and the others are Ghouls, I am a spirit and Levia-san and the others are Undead. And the one who told us this information is an evil god."
Everyone here was someone who would be persecuted at best, slaughtered at worst, by the believers of Alda. The peaceful faction would likely listen to Vandalieu's words, but it was difficult to imagine that they would believe a truth that was inconvenient to the gods and heroes they worshipped, a truth that was different to the truth that they had believed as soon as they had become conscious.
And the source of this information was a grotesque evil god; there wasn't a single piece of hard, immovable evidence.
Even if he were to wear a Magic Item that made it impossible to lie, which Vandalieu wasn't sure existed, people would simply think, "The poor thing, being fooled by an evil god and being made to believe such lies."
"Now then, I'll ask another question for a change of mood," said Vandalieu. "You seem to be on Vida's side now, but why is it that you didn't have the Lizardmen worship Vida?"
Fidirg's own revival was important, but Vida's revival should have been much more important to him. Despite that, there were no signs of the Lizardmen having worshipped Vida. Their generations passed more quickly than those of humans, but there still should have been remains of shrines.
Tens of thousands of years have passed since Fidirg created a Dungeon to produce Lizardmen to be his followers. If he'd made even a tenth of them believe in Vida as well during that time, wouldn't Vida's revival have progressed more as well? Vandalieu thought.
But Fidirg had a unique, proper reason for this.
"That is true, but that would have been harsh on me."
"Vida did indeed seem to have had her divinity taken from her by Alda, but even so, she was one of the most well-known goddesses in this world. Even now, there is a steady number of worshippers who pray to her."
"But I'm a nameless evil god. If I don't make my own believers, nobody would pray to me."
In other words, it seemed to be a problem of how well the gods were known. Even now, there was a steady number of believers in Vida who were not members of the races that she had created. Despite the beliefs regarding the races originating from Alda's followers, Vida was still considered a goddess of equal rank to Alda and significantly respected.
But Fidirg's name was nowhere to be seen in historical records. Because he was a nameless evil god, there was absolutely zero chance of people coming to believe in him through normal methods. In fact, when he had awakened, he had found that he had no followers at all.
That was why he had made the Lizardmen worship only him. Having believers of other gods praying to him would have provided him with some power, but he would gain more power if those believers worshipped only him.
And even if Fidirg had made the Lizardmen pray to Vida, it would have made a great deal of difference to him, but for Vida, it would only have been a drop in the bucket.
To give an extreme example, it would have been like pouring half of the water in a cup into a lake.
"I see, I understand now," said Vandalieu. "Now then, about the other fragments of the Demon King��"
Vandalieu and his companions asked question after question about the Demon King's Fragments, the other evil gods that had joined Vida, the gods such as the Sun Giant Talos, the current status of Vida's new races, the situation of the continent's southern region and Vida's current state, but what Fidirg knew was limited to what had happened up to the point that he escaped the battle with Vida a hundred thousand years ago.
"In any case, I slumbered for tens of thousands of years after that, so I do not have the slightest idea as to what the others are doing."
"I did search the area that I can see, but… that's limited to half of these marshlands. Just a hundred years ago, I did get the feeling that I heard something. But by then, I'd already been sealed by Luvesfol, the Raging Evil Dragon God, so it might have just been my imagination."
"However, I do believe that Mububujenge, the Evil God of Degenerate Corpulence, is within the Noble Orc Empire.���
"The evil god of octopuses*?"
"No, degenerate corpulence. It means, to become degenerate and fat."
For a moment, Vandalieu had thought that this was a god of fishermen and marine products, but it seemed that he was actually a god who ruled over corpulence.
The boar beast-king had betrayed the beast-god Ganpaplio and used the power given to him by the Demon King Guduranis to give birth to the Orcs and Noble Orcs. The Orcs had apparently been created first, and then the Noble Orcs created after them in order to act as the Orcs' commanders.
But the boar beast-king had been defeated and sealed away by the champion Farmaun. After that, the Demon King had failed to find a successor to the boar beast-king and apparently assigned numerous subordinates, including Mububujenge, the Evil God of Degenerate Corpulence, to command the Orcs and grow their numbers.
And so when Mububujenge had accepted Zakkart's invitation, the Noble Orcs and Orcs that had been serving him then had changed sides as well.
"… Eh, are they allies?" asked Vandalieu.
"Muh, then they could have executed him instead of exiling him," Zadiris grumbled.
The Ghouls, who had suffered greatly at the hands of Bugogan, and the Ghoul King Vandalieu, were not pleased by this.
They likely didn't have any ill thoughts against the Noble Orc Empire, where Bugogan had been defeated in a power struggle and essentially exiled, but they didn't know to react if the Noble Orcs were to suddenly tell them, "We're actually your allies, buhibuhi!"
"And we were going to have a Noble Orc buffet once things settled down in the marshlands," said Vandalieu.
"Everyone was looking forward to it, too," said Vigaro.
"…" Fidirg shuddered.
Noble Orcs were Rank 6 at minimum, and a hundred thousand years ago, there had been no small number of Noble Orc individuals who had surpassed Rank 10. Even now, their empire likely possessed more military might than medium sized human nations. But Fidirg could clearly imagine Vandalieu and his companions turning that empire into a pork buffet.
"Err, well, they were allies in the past, but it is uncertain as to whether they are allies to us now…"
���After that battle, there might be some who went off to do as they pleased, though I cannot say for certain…"
"But I think it'd be best to check."
This was quite a strange viewpoint, but Fidirg couldn't provide any guarantees on Mububujenge's personality, either. The relationships between evil gods who had formerly been in the Demon King's army was such that they would steal each other's achievements and betray each other when given the opportunity, so there were no bonds of trust between them. They had communicated with each other to some extent after accepting Zakkart's offer and changing sides, but apparently, they had simply been "acquaintances from the same place."
There had been some exceptions where evil gods had good relationships with each other, but most of those relationships were described as "abnormal."
It seemed that because they were evil gods, even if they were all gods, their mental structures were all different.
And although Fidirg didn't know this, there were those like the Pure-breed Vampires who obeyed evil gods, such as Ternecia and her two former partners. They changed sides once, but now that Zakkart and the other creation-minded champions had been destroyed and Vida had become unable to act, there was no being certain that they would be allies.
"Well, I understand," said Vandalieu. "Let's try making contact when the time comes."
"Hmm? Not right after you return?" Fidirg asked.
"There's a place that I personally want to visit before that. I don't think it will take that long, though."
"I see."
"More importantly, this is the last question. Would your power be useful for creating a Homunculus?"
Vandalieu's question contained an enormous amount of silent pressure, as if to say, "If it would, then hand it over, right now."
Fidirg cowered instinctively as he answered.
"Homunculus? I am not well-versed in Alchemy, so…"
"Even when I created monsters, I could only create Lizardmen… After that, I left it to the Dungeon."
"I-I think I could manage making one with scales."
"… Scales," Vandalieu repeated.
"I didn't have any scales, did I?" said Darcia.
The two of them could only shake their heads in response to this very disappointing answer.
Vandalieu returned from the Scaled King's Nest, having acquired resplendent treasures and the 'Scaled King' Title. The Lizardmen swore absolute loyalty and obedience to him.
Perhaps due to the effect of the 'Scaled King' Title, some of the Lizardmen had started to become affected by Demon Path Enticement. At this rate, the Lizardmen would be able to remain loyal citizens of Talosheim for a thousand or two thousand years, as long as Vandalieu still lived.
And now that his leveling had finished, he set about with Eleanora and Bellmond's surgeries.
Name: Vandalieu
Race: Dhampir (Dark Elf)
Age: 8 years old
Title:[Ghoul King],[Eclipse King],[Second Coming of the Demon King],[Guardian of the Cultivation Villages],[Holy Son of Vida],[Monstrosity],[Scaled King](NEW!)
Job: Demon Guider
Level: 68
Job history: Death-Attribute Mage, Golem Transmuter, Undead Tamer, Soul Breaker, Venom Fist User, Insect User, Tree Caster
Attributes:
Vitality: 1438
Mana: 815,878,554 (+163,175,710)
Strength: 601
Agility: 552
Stamina: 806
Intelligence: 1,663
Passive skills:
Superhuman Strength: Level 5
Rapid Healing: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)
Death-Attribute Magic: Level 9 (LEVEL UP!)
Status Effect Resistance: Level 7
Magic Resistance: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Dark Vision
Demon Path Enticement: Level 1
Chant Revocation: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)
Guidance: Demon Path: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)
Automatic Mana Recovery: Level 6
Strengthen Subordinates: Level 6
Venom Secretion (Claws, Fangs, Tongue): Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Enhanced Agility: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Body Expansion (Tongue): Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Strengthened Attack Power while Unarmed: Small
Enhanced Physical Ability (Hair, Claws, Tongue, Fangs): Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Thread Refining: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Mana Enlargement: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)
Active skills:
Bloodwork: Level 3
Surpass Limits: Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)
Golem Transmutation: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)
No-Attribute Magic: Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)
Mana Control: Level 6
Spirit Form: Level 7
Carpentry: Level 6
Engineering: Level 4
Cooking: Level 5
Alchemy: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Unarmed Fighting Technique: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)
Soul Break: Level 8
Multi-Cast: Level 5
Long-distance Control: Level 7
Surgery: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Parallel Thought Processing: Level 5
Materialization: Level 4
Coordination: Level 4
High-speed Thought Processing: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Commanding: Level 4
Plant Binding Technique: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Thread-reeling: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Throwing: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Scream: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Dead Spirit Magic: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Insect Binding Technique: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Blacksmithing: Level 1
Artillery Technique: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Unique skills:
God Slayer: Level 6
Grotesque Mind: Level 6
Mental Encroachment: Level 5
Labyrinth Construction: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)
Demon King Fusion: Level 2
Abyss: Level 1
Demon King fragments:
Blood
Horns
Curses
Experience gained in previous life not carried over
Cannot learn existing jobs
Unable to gain experience independently
There was a noise resembling the sound of a ripe fruit being smashed, and blood, flesh and bone fragments scattered across the ground.
"HYIIIH! Gubamon-sama, Gubamon-sama has gone mad!"
"Please calm yourself, Gubamon-sama!"
The one that the blood, flesh and bone fragments had belonged to was a Vampire, as were the others who were watching, completely petrified. They were all Noble-born Vampires, who had all lived for at least several hundred years.
These were Vampires worthy of being the villains in epic heroic songs and the tales of saints that the protagonists would fight difficult battles against and only barely manage to defeat. They were the powerful noblemen who haunted the darkness of the utmost depths of the underworld.
But right now, they were pitiful creatures that were screaming and trying to escape a single old man.
"What is this… do you have complaints about my actions… You bastards, you are traitors, aren't you!" Gubamon glared at the Vampires with bloodshot eyes.
A beautiful, lady-like Vampire woman gave a bloodcurdling scream. In the next moment, her entire body twisted limply and fell apart, as if it had been ruptured.
"Run! We're going to be killed!"
"UWAAAAAH!"
"NOOOOO, HELP MEEEEEE!"
Letting out tears, nasal mucus and screams that would normally be let out by their victims, the Noble-born Vampires fled.
Gubamon showed no signs of giving chase.
"Every single one of you, you traitors! Even though I, Gubamon, have given you eternal life through my blood! Birkyne's dogs!" he spat, his shoulders heaving up and down.
He was cursing these Vampires as if he intended to put a hex on them, but there was no proof that any of them were traitors.
In fact, Gubamon was an ally of the Pure-breed Vampire Birkyne. There was no evidence or information that suggested that Birkyne had any intention of harming him.
But Gubamon had convinced himself that Birkyne was trying to turn him into a puppet, just as he had tried to do to Ternecia, and that some of his subordinates had betrayed him and joined Birkyne's side.
These were nothing more than delusions created by Gubamon's paranoia, but none could make him open his clouded eyes.
The bonds of trust between the Pure-breed Vampires that worshipped Hihiryushukaka, the Evil God of Joyful Life, had barely held together up until now, but now they had collapsed entirely. For Gubamon, even the Vampires that he had given his own blood to could not be trusted.
Gubamon had spent a large amount of time indulging in his own hobbies. Unlike Ternecia, who had exceptional, highly loyal retainers known as the Five Dogs, he had no subordinates that he could trust.
In fact, he had become unable to even remember the names and faces of the Vampires that he had killed just moments earlier.
"At this rate, that Birkyne will… What… what am I to do? Oh, that's it! There is no need for me to surround myself with those that I cannot trust! So then, I simply need to turn all of my subordinates into Undead, do I not!"
Gubamon's warped, twisted mind gave birth to the most terrible of ideas.
But he himself had no doubts whatsoever that it was a good idea, and he quickly began gathering the pieces of flesh before him with space-attribute magic.
"These would not be fit to add to my collection of Undead heroes, but no matter. I am magnanimous, after all, hihihi. My subordinates can now become a part of my beloved collection; I am sure that they would happily offer me their lives. After all, I am the one who granted them eternal life!"
Name: Zadiris
Rank: 8
Race: Ghoul Wizard
Level: 70
Job: Philosopher
Job level: 51
Job history: Apprentice Mage, Mage, Light-Attribute Mage, Wind-Attribute Mage
Age: 297 years old (Has undergone age reversal)
Passive skills:
Night Vision
Pain Resistance: Level 3
Superhuman Strength: Level 1
Paralyzing Venom Secretion (Claws): Level 2
Increased Mana Recovery Rate: Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)
Mana Enlargement: Level 2 (NEW!)
Active skills:
Light-Attribute Magic: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)
Wind-Attribute Magic: Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)
No-Attribute Magic: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Mana Control: Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)
Alchemy: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Chant Revocation: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Multi-Cast: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Surpass Limits: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Housework: Level 1 (NEW!)
Monster explanation:
[Ghoul Wizard]
A race title that can only be achieved by Ghouls who have exceptional skill in multiple attributes of magic and have performed much diligent study. Almost none have appeared since the Ghoul race was born, and there are almost no documents recording their existence, even in the archives of the Mages' Guild.
However, their existence was recorded in the notes of an ancient philosopher, and according to his description, they are wielders of fearsome magic while also being wise leaders.
However, many researchers believe that he confused these Ghoul Wizards with Ghoul Elder Mages, and are skeptical of their existence.
Liked it? Take a second to support Novels on Patreon!
Chapter 104: There's nothing that can be done, but I want rice
There were several men on a mountain in the region that was formerly the Sauron Duchy, now occupied by the Amid Empire.
Tentacles were twisting and crawling around in front of them, hitting the water surface and sending muddy water into the air.
"This thing, it's still alive?!"
"Fire, fire!"
The panicked archers hastily nocked arrows with their tips covered in a green fluid in their short bows and pulled back their bowstrings.
"Don't panic, it's already dead!" shouted a young man with characteristic bangs and a well-featured face, but several arrows fired by the archers buried themselves in the ominously-quivering creature with thudding noises.
But the tentacles wouldn't stop writhing. The young man clicked his tongue and reprimanded the archers.
"I explained this beforehand; the lower bodies of these things don't stop moving for a while even after they've died. Even if you cut their heads off or split their upper bodies in half, they keep squirming around for a bit. Octopuses…"
The young man was about to explain that octopuses were the same, but stopped himself. He had grown up in a coastal town, but he had just remembered that many of the archers were from inland regions, so even if they knew that creatures called octopuses existed, they would have only seen them as dried food products or pickled in vinegar.
"They're like lizard's tails," the young man said. "They flail around for a while, don't they?"
This was actually for a completely different reason, but what the young man needed to give the archers right now was not proper education, but composure.
"I-I see."
"Indeed… As expected of Vice-captain Rick, you're so knowledgeable."
This goal was accomplished; the archers regained their composure and lowered their bows. The arrows that they used and the poison coating the arrowheads were special, so they couldn't be fired wastefully.
"Don't relax too much; we'll have to put it on display once it stops moving," said Rick.
"What will we do about the Magic Stone and materials?" asked one of his subordinates.
"Don't touch them, of course," said Rick. "We're short on money, but it would be bad if by some small chance someone found out that we were the ones who have been killing these things."
"That's true, too."
Seeing his subordinate return his disassembling knife to its sheath, Rick waded into the marsh towards the creature that had lost its balance and toppled over… the Scylla woman.
Her eyes were still wide open in disbelief as Rick grabbed her loosely-hanging, mud-covered hand.
"Sorry, but I'll take this back," Rick murmured. "I'll be using it for the next one as well, you see."
And then he took the ring, which he had given to her just moments before, from her thin finger.
"Dispose of her."
The archers obeyed Rick's order and switched from their short bows to hand axes, and set about turning the Scylla into a repulsive mess.
They severed all of her tentacles and hacked into the upper body below her neck, with their blows particularly focused around her breasts.
"Vice-captain Rick, this occurs to me every time, but why do we cut their chests up so much? And wouldn't it be faster to use Axe Technique to cut them from the waist below in one go rather than cutting their tentacles off one by one?" another subordinate asked.
"This is more humiliating for them," Rick replied. "I don't understand it, but the tentacles on the lower bodies of Scylla are apparently equivalent to a woman's hair, a part of their bodies that they are supposed to be proud of. And the chest symbolizes maternity for women who worship Vida-sama; it's the place that contains the heart, which is Vida's holy symbol. The same applies for these things. If we want to desecrate these bodies, this is the best way, even if it is troublesome."
And the reason that the men didn't damage the faces was to ensure that the other Scylla who discovered the corpses would be able to identify them easily.
"I see…" the subordinate murmured.
In other words, it wasn't wasted effort. They were aiming for the body parts of cultural and symbolic importance.
Even if they aren't people, how can he destroy bodies in such a rational way? the man wondered, his face turning pale.
"Don't make that face," said Rick, giving the subordinate a small, bitter smile. "Do I look like I'm doing this because I enjoy it?"
"Eh? But don't you hate Scylla, Vice-captain?"
"It's true that I hold Scylla in contempt. But even so, I respect myself. I don't have any bizarre interests like poisoning women and toying with their corpses." Rick's bitter smile grew wider, and then his face straightened into a serious expression as he continued. "This plan is indeed something that we can never tell others about in pride, something disgraceful. It can't be called justice; it's something that only scum would carry out. But I want you to remember. We are in a vastly weaker position. We can't achieve victory by being picky with our methods, and if we can't achieve victory, we can't save this nation. Our companions, and even the Scylla that we've killed, will have died for nothing. We mustn't disappoint them. I want you to believe in me and my older brother, and follow my lead."
"Yes, Vice-captain Rick Paris! We will follow you wherever you may go!" the men declared in unison, overcome with emotion from Rick's speech.
Perhaps they saw their commander who showed no hesitation to dirty his own hands, as well as themselves, as solitary heroes. Perhaps they were intoxicated on the feeling of superiority from the knowledge that they were fighting for a noble cause.
And then Rick and his men tied the Scylla's corpse to the trunk of a tree growing on the marsh's edge and left after applying the finishing touches.
A gruesome corpse covered in blood and mud was abandoned there, along with the tentacles and pieces of flesh floating in the mud of the marsh.
A beautiful, red-haired woman was tied to the operating table by sturdy chains that had been wrapped around her limbs over and over again.
"…"
She was wearing only a single strange, thin cloth, leaving the pure-white skin of the area where her thighs joined into her back exposed. There were curved, stiff scars visible there.
As a beautiful, yet mysterious song echoed out, hands so white that they looked as if they had been covered in candle wax closed in on her silently.
"Scalpel… or rather, claws."
"Incision."
"Administer Potion."
"Part number three."
The hands were skillfully carrying something out.
They showed no hesitation as they used claws instead of scalpels to make incisions on the woman's skin. Their movements were accurate and there was a surprisingly small amount of bleeding.
However, the surgery was being conducted without any anesthetics, so each time an incision was made, the woman's spine and shoulders trembled, and heavy breathing that sounded like small moans escaped her lips.
"Last of all, apply the Potion and the surgery is complete. Thank you for your hard work."
"Mmm, this was excellent work, Master."
"~♪"
"Eh?! It's already over?!" Eleanora, who had been lying on her stomach, raised her head.
"It's finished," Vandalieu replied. He sheathed his claws and removed the chains that were binding Eleanora before starting the post-cosmetic-surgery tidy-up with his surgery assistant, Yamata. "I explained beforehand that your surgery wouldn't take very long, didn't I, Eleanora?"
The cosmetic surgery carried out by transplanting the body parts of the Live-Dead Ternecia would have been considered a large-scale surgery on Earth, despite Eleanora having scars in only a few places.
It involved not only transplanting the skin, but the flesh and blood vessels beneath it.
However, with Vandalieu as the surgeon and Eleanora as the patient, it was a simple procedure.
Vandalieu used Spirit Form Transformation on a part of his body, fused them with Eleanora's body, suppressed her blood vessels and used the skillful judgment of his claws and the drugs secreted from them to stimulate their regrowth.
Eleanora was also a Noble-born Vampire who could grow back any body parts that she was missing. Due to her Status Effect Resistance skill, anesthesia was almost completely ineffective on her, but she was resistant to pain to begin with, so she could endure this much without any problems.
… Despite that, Eleanora herself had wanted her limbs to be bound, saying that it would be a big problem if by some small chance her body started to move.
"But… a little longer…" Eleanora mumbled.
"With medical science in its current state, it can't be helped," said Vandalieu.
Medical science was powerless when faced with a healthy body.
Seeking an ally, Eleanora glanced toward Yamata, but three of its heads were busy singing while the other six looked back at her with dull, lifeless eyes.
Yamata was one of Ternecia's finest works; it was a Zombie with the body of a high-rank Dragon-race Hydra specimen as the base and the upper bodies of beautiful women of nine different races attached to the Hydra's necks. Vandalieu had taken a liking to it as well, saying that it was incredibly convenient, so it had performed all kinds of work with the Surgery skill, but its intelligence was still on the level of an ordinary Zombie.
It did little other than obey orders, and its thinking capabilities were about the same as a small child's.
But the one who became Eleanora's ally instead was Luciliano.
"I do not mind being shown more," he said.
He was standing in this place with a cool expression, but Eleanora hadn't acknowledged him as a member of the opposite sex. His words of, "Ah, I have no interest in anything but Undead," that he had spoken before the surgery had been too convincing.
"The process of the combination of Ternecia's parts with your body is extremely fascinating," Luciliano continued. "At first, they rejected each other, but the moment that the Blood Potion that Master created with his own blood was applied, they combined before my very eyes and there was not even any need to perform stitching. This is a true transformation."
As Luciliano said, Eleanora's body had no visible scars or stitches from the surgery. As body parts had indeed been transplanted, there was nothing to be done about the skin being of a slightly different color in places, but even these looked like they were going to assimilate properly soon.
"So that is how it is, Master. Will you not perform a little more transplanting surgery?" Luciliano requested.
"Like I said, she's already healthy," said Vandalieu. "Eleanora, please drink another bottle of Blood Potion afterwards, and then go and rest."
"It cannot be helped… ah…!" As Eleanora gave up and drank the Blood Potion with small noises coming from her white throat, her eyes began to sparkle in a bewitching way.
Perhaps because blood was included in its ingredient list, Blood Potions appeared to have different effects on Vampires.
"Is this alright, Master?" asked Luciliano.
"Hmm, it doesn't seem to be harmful, so it's probably fine," said Vandalieu.
"Danna-sama, I am a little anxious." Bellmond, who had been observing the surgery from the edge of the room, had broken out in a cold sweat at the sight of the mysterious-looking Eleanora.
I will make such a face? How unthinkable. Being as unsightly as I am, if I were to make such an expression, Danna-sama will shun me and… I do not have the confidence that I will be able to suppress my desire to end my own life in self-hatred before that happens.
Bellmond was frightened, but preparations for the surgery were already complete, and the mood didn't really allow for her to say that she wanted to back out now.
"Can you not at least make me completely unconscious before performing the surgery…?" she asked.
"If you're unconscious, the function of your Rapid Regeneration skill decreases, and it will be problematic to have you drink the Potion afterwards, so it would be very helpful if you could stay awake," said Vandalieu. "It will be fine. Yamata will be singing, and although the pain will continue throughout the whole thing rather than just at the beginning, we will hold you down."
But it wouldn't be over so quickly that it would be finished before Bellmond could count the stains on the ceiling. Unlike Eleanora, Bellmond required many different parts to be transplanted.
"Then how about forcing me into an Out-of-body Experience with your magic, Danna-sama?" Bellmond suggested.
"It's not like I can't do it, but that would use up an extra process for my Parallel Thought Processing," said Vandalieu. "In the unlikely event that something happens, I want to have room to work with."
Since his patient was Bellmond, a Noble-born Vampire with strong Vitality, it was unlikely that a serious medical error would occur, but even so, it was probably best to prepare for the worst.
"Kuh, as to be expected of you, Danna-sama. You have no weaknesses," Bellmond said, praising Vandalieu with a groan.
"That's not true," said Luciliano, slurping his fern tea that he had made himself. "His own personal feelings and interests are not involved."
"Fufufu, rest assured. Everything will turn into pleasure soon," said Eleanora.
"Eleanora, please hurry and leave the room, put on your clothes and rest," said Vandalieu. "You're making Bellmond feel anxious," said Vandalieu.
Vandalieu's spirit form clones carried Eleanora out along with her whole operating table, as if they were going on a little trip.
"This way~."
"Let's go and rest, shall we~?"
"Ah, there are so many Vandalieu-samas~ ♪"
Vandalieu had known things would come to this and readied an extra operating table, so everything was still fully prepared.
"Still, this Blood Potion, does it really have those kinds of effects?" Vandalieu wondered.
When he drank it himself, other than its healing effects as a Potion, it just seemed sweet and easy to drink.
"Well, that is how it is," said Luciliano. "It is made of your own blood, after all."
It seemed that even Vampires didn't have an appetite for their own blood.
Suddenly, they heard the slurping sound of saliva.
Yamata, who always wore an empty expression, showed the light of a primitive hunger in its eyes when it looked at Blood Potion. It seemed that Blood Potions were extremely delicious to Vampires and Zombies, just not for Vandalieu.
Even with Vandalieu's skill, Bellmond's surgery took over ten hours.
Eleanora had only needed her skin and the underlying flesh to be replaced, but Bellmond needed bones in certain parts and several organs transplanted as well, so perhaps Vandalieu should have been proud for having completed it in only ten hours.
"When I examined you with Spirit Form Transformation, several of your organs were damaged, so let's take this opportunity to renew them as well," Vandalieu had said.
Bellmond had become a Vampire, so this didn't even affect her ability in battle, let alone her everyday life. However, Vandalieu had taken this opportunity to go as far as to perform organ transplantation.
If Vandalieu wanted to repair these in the future but the Live-Dead Ternecia somehow became unusable, it would be a pain, after all.
It is difficult to tell whether Danna-sama is an optimistic person or a pessimistic one, Bellmond thought as she sighed.
She got up from the bed she was lying on and headed towards the full-length mirror that had been prepared under the assumption that the patients would want to see the results of the surgery.
This was a mirror that had been created by Princess Levia heating up some sand and Vandalieu using Golem Transmutation to remove impurities and turn it into a glass with the appropriate shape.
"He truly is incredible," Bellmond murmured to herself. "Even royals and nobles would be astonished by this mirror."
Does Danna-sama not know how much a smooth mirror made of glass would be worth? She wondered as she looked at the reflection of herself in the crystal-clear mirror.
And then she hardened her resolve and dropped the robe that she was wearing.
"…!"
The mirror reflected an image of someone that was Bellmond, but at the same time, wasn't her. She was so different that she gasped and almost activated her Demon Eye on herself in surprise.
Her previously scar-covered skin had changed color where new skin had been transplanted, looking as if it was covered in strangely-shaped bruises, but it was very smooth.
Her chest that was almost non-existent, where her skin had been clinging to her ribs in places, was now large and soft. She had been surprised by its weight right after the surgery, but seeing it like this was even more astonishing. It quivered a little every time she moved, and it was heavy.
As for her abdomen, it had become a little thicker, as not only the skin, but flesh and organs had been transplanted as well.
But this didn't make her appear fat. Bellmond had been too thin to begin with. Now she had more feminine curves, and it was likely that many would be attracted to them.
But these weren't the parts of Bellmond's surgery that Vandalieu had spent the longest on. The part that had taken the longest was the bewitching curve of her bottom - or rather, the long tail that had been transplanted just above it.
This was the tail of a monkey…-like monster that had been defeated in the Scaled King's Nest, a tail around the length of Bellmond's entire body, covered in glossy fur.
It was apparently a mutated variant of a Chimera, but nobody had known what it was called. Vandalieu had thought that it resembled a Japanese chimera, but Luvesfol, the Raging Evil Dragon God, had fled, so nobody knew its exact name.
But this long tail with its shiny, silver-colored fur was beautiful, so Bellmond had no complaints.
Simply attaching the tail would have been simple, but Vandalieu had even gone as far as to tamper with the inside of Bellmond's brain in order to connect the muscles and nerves so that she would be able to move the tail as she wanted.
As Bellmond had once been a forest-monkey-type Beast-person, there had been a dedicated part of her brain for controlling the movement of her tail, but it had apparently disappeared because so much time had passed after she lost her tail.
Vandalieu had used death-attribute magic to regenerate that part of her brain.
"… It is fortunate that I asked Luciliano-shi to vacate the room," she said.
Bellmond couldn't keep up with discussions of medical knowledge that didn't exist in this world. The only thing that she understood was how unsightly a condition she had been in during the surgery… particularly when the changes had been made to her brain.
But enduring it had paid off; Bellmond was able to move her tail exactly as she wanted to. Her memory of the past wasn't very clear, but she even got the feeling that it moved more dexterously than the tail that she had been born with.
The same applied for the rest of her body as well. Less than a day had passed since transplantation, and yet there was no numbness. When she pinched herself, she could feel the pain. If she brushed her fingertips against her skin to tickle herself, she could feel it.
It was difficult to think that this skin and flesh had belonged to someone else.
Of course, she felt a little discomfort from her figure changing considerably. She could move her fingers and toes the same as before the surgery, but she would have to take care as she went about her everyday life.
At the very least, she would have to replace all of her clothes with new ones. Her previous clothes wouldn't be able to contain her chest, hips and buttocks. The only clothes she wouldn't need to replace were her shoes.
"You have put a great amount of effort into this, Danna-sama. You must take responsibility for giving me such a body… What is this?" Bellmond checked her Status, just in case.
Vandalieu, who had been sleeping in the bed next to Bellmond, called out to her. Naturally, ten hours of surgery had been very tiring work for him.
Of course, it was also a time of day where children were supposed to be asleep.
"What's wrong?" he asked. "Ah, before that, is it really alright for me to open my eyes?"
"So you were awake. How skillful of you to wake up without opening your eyes," Bellmond remarked.
"On Earth, if you wake up and see something, all kinds of tragic, comical things can happen," Vandalieu explained.
There was a phenomenon commonly known as the 'lucky sukebe.*' Incidentally, Vandalieu had never encountered this kind of phenomenon.
"I am sure you already saw enough to grow tired of it in the surgery room," said Bellmond. "And I was someone who was picked up through your compassion, Danna-sama… Leaving that aside, there are a few abnormalities with my Status."
"Abnormalities? Did you gain a Status Effect? Then we must go back into surgery."
With his eyes still closed, Vandalieu got up from his bed. He had conducted surgery on muscle, fat, organs, bone, nerves and even the brain, so he had expected that there might be some kind of side-effect.
The chance of such a side effect appearing was much higher for Bellmond than Eleanora. That was why he had chosen to sleep close by.
"No, it is likely a different kind of abnormality from the kind that you are fearing, Danna-sama," said Bellmond.
"Bellmond, I understand that there is no danger to your life right now. But if we don't do anything about the side-effects, the risk of it becoming worse is -"
"The race title in my Status has changed from Noble-born Vampire to Abyssal Vampire."
"Wow, that was unexpected."
Vandalieu hadn't imagined that the side-effect would be a race change.
According to Bellmond, her Rank and Attribute Values hadn't changed, nor had she gained any new skills, but… there was no way that there would be no changes to her after her race had changed.
It was best to think that the changes hadn't shown themselves yet.
After that, it was confirmed that Eleanora's race had also changed to Abyssal Vampire.
"Could it be because you drank too much Blood Potion?"
It seemed that it wasn't a bad thing, so for now, Vandalieu would just need to conduct follow-up examinations.
『The levels of the Surgery, Alchemy and Guidance: Demon Path skills have increased!』
The clattering sound of a wagon's wheels turning came from the night sky.
"Hahahaha! This is a truly exhilarating experience!"
With his piercing crimson eyes shining, the Nightmare Carriage Sam was running around in the moonlit night.
"What are your thoughts, Bocchan?!" he shouted.
"If I come out onto the coachman's seat, I feel like my face will become distorted from the wind pressure, so I'll pass," replied Vandalieu, who was relaxing inside the carriage.
Sam was currently running through the sky even higher than the clouds with his Air-running skill. The atmospheric pressure was different from that of the ground surface, and the cold air was harsher than the middle of winter.
The Undead Sam and the horses that were a part of him had no problems with this, but Vandalieu would be attacked mercilessly by these conditions if he were to leave the carriage. They were rather harsh conditions to endure in exchange for a sense of exhilaration.
"But you really are convenient after all, Sam," Vandalieu remarked.
"Jyuuh, this is so pleasant that I would never imagine that we are flying… or rather, running through the air, my lord," said Bone Man.
"So… high…" Rapiéçage groaned.
"Hey, Van, I want to look outside!" said Pauvina.
The inside of the carriage had the same atmospheric pressure as the ground's surface. The airtightness of Sam's carriage should have been nonexistent, but his Comfort Maintenance skill suppressed the effects of not only the atmospheric temperature, but the atmospheric pressure and wind pressure as well.
"Pauvina, let's look outside before we reach the ground," said Vandalieu.
"Eh~!" Pauvina made a noise of complaint.
"Eeegh," Rapiéçage groaned.
"Eh~♪"
"Yamata, you don't have to sing," said Vandalieu.
"Antenshon pleeease, would anyone like a drink~?" asked Rita.
"Rita, that's 'attention,' not 'antenshon,'" Vandalieu told her.
Tonight, Vandalieu and his companions were headed towards the former Sauron Duchy, which was now under the occupation of the Amid Empire.
Their objective was, of course, to acquire the seeds for Sauron rice, which was apparently similar to Japonica rice. The other objective was to meet the Scylla, another of the races created by Vida, and to gather information.
According to Kasim and his friends, who had originally come from the Sauron Duchy, there had been a self-governing dominion of Scylla that originated in the distant past in the Sauron Duchy, though they had never actually seen it. Only certain merchants and noblemen visited it, so they didn't know any details about it, either.
It wasn't clear whether Death-Attribute Charm… Demon Path Enticement would have any effect on the Scylla, but Vandalieu was Vida's Holy Son. There was a reasonable chance that they would treat him well… if they believed him, that is.
And if they were troubled in any way, he would offer a trade, set up a Dungeon so that he could go back and forth from the dominion, establish trade and sign a military treaty for times of emergency.
Our territory and fighting strength has expanded, but Talosheim is in a closed-off, remote area of land. Unless we assertively make moves on the outside rather than just staying holed up in the city, we'll be checkmated eventually.
Of course, conducting just diplomacy on the outside wasn't enough, but -
And if I become known as the Demon King and the world treats me as an enemy in the future, I want those who can become powerful allies.
Vandalieu had already acquired two fragments of the Demon King and more dangerous-sounding skills and Titles than he cared to count. If he were to fail in becoming an honorary nobleman in the future, it was possible that he would become a target of extermination to the whole world instead.
Thus, Vandalieu wanted the Scylla of the Sauron Duchy to be his allies to begin with. The Amid Empire, which was an enemy to Vandalieu and his companions no matter how he looked at it, was currently ruling the Sauron Duchy. It was unlikely that any disputes with the Orbaume Kingdom would arise from damaging the surrounding areas to some extent.
Also, he wanted to gain information on Heinz and the remaining two Pure-breed Vampires if possible. Vandalieu had discovered several of Gubamon and Birkyne's hideouts from information that he had extracted from Ternecia, but they had already been vacated.
It seemed that they had already taken countermeasures to deal with Vandalieu.
He had to gather information from scratch once more. It would be simple if he could use Heinz to kill their close aides, but…
"Bocchan, we are crossing the mountain range soon!" Sam announced.
Incidentally, the reason Vandalieu was traveling through the skies rather than using the Labyrinth Creation skill to teleport was because he could only teleport the plants, ghosts, insects and those infested by the insects with him, but Sam could carry a large number of people at once.
However, the upper skies around the mountain range had become magical skies, known as Devil's Skies, inhabited by high-Rank monsters capable of flight, including Rank 10 Hurricane Dragons.
"However, we have a guest!" said Sam.
There was a Hurricane Dragon, releasing lightning and letting out a roar at this strange intruder that was entering its territory. It was a powerful monster that even Sam, who was under the effects of Guidance: Demon Path, would be no match for.
"Sensei, you're up," said Vandalieu.
"Sensei?" Bellmond repeated. "Well, I shall be going."
"Bellmond-san, at times like these, you have to say, 'doore*!'" said Darcia.
"Doore, doore!" Pauvina squealed.
The two of them were in high spirits for some reason.
"I-I see. Doore?" After complying with their request, Bellmond leapt out onto the coachman's seat and then into the sky.
"Now then, please back her up," said Vandalieu.
There was a roar from the torrent of Knochen's bones, which had been flying behind Sam, as it assaulted the Hurricane Dragon along with a poisonous breath attack. As its movements slowed down, metal threads wrapped around its wings.
Despite being Rank 10, a single Hurricane Dragon could not defeat the coordinated attacks of the Rank 10 Bellmond and the Rank 9 Knochen.
Name: Basdia
Rank: 7
Race: Ghoul Amazoness Leader
Level: 55
Job: Magical Warrior
Job level: 79
Job history: Apprentice Warrior, Warrior, Apprentice Mage, Mage
Age: 31 years old (27 years old in appearance)
Passive skills:
Night Vision
Superhuman Strength: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)
Pain Resistance: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Paralyzing Venom Secretion (Claws): Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Magic Resistance: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Intuition: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Active skills:
Axe Technique: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)
Shield Technique: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)
Archery: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Throwing: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Silent Steps: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Coordination: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
No-Attribute Magic: Level 3 (NEW!)
Wind-Attribute Magic: Level 5 (NEW!)
Water-Attribute Magic: Level 5 (NEW!)
Mana Control: Level 3 (NEW!)
Cooking: Level 2 (NEW!)
Surpass Limits - Magic Axe: Level 5 (NEW!)
Liked it? Take a second to support Novels on Patreon!