Chapter 159: Nation visits continued
Having cleared the Ogres' Nest, Vandalieu and his companions returned to the Kijin nation to eat dinner.
That night, Vandalieu was invited to the Divine Realm of Garess, the god of warriors, in his dream. There, he talked with the generations of Kijin kings that had become Garess's familiar spirits and heroic spirits after their deaths.
After fusing with a god of the Demon King's army like his master Zantark, Garess had the upper body of a fair-looking young man, but his lower half had become grotesque.
"The Dhampir who is served by Black Goblins, Anubises, Orcuses, Ghouls and Vampires, you who have absorbed fragments of the Demon King and gained the respect of the Kijin. I wish to bestow upon you the Title of 'Oni Emperor,'" Garess said in a solemn tone.
"For what reasons?" Vandalieu asked.
"Frankly, I thought I would take this opportunity to catch up to Fidirg and Merrebeveil."
Despite his initial stubborn-looking appearance, Garess's actions were easy to see through, as might be expected of the guardian deity of the Kijin.
"During the age of the gods, I… gave more teachings, such as what battle means and what kind of resolve is needed to become a master of battle, but… it seemed that they were difficult to understand for the Kijin, the children of Zantark-sama and Vida-sama. If I did not explain things so that they were easy to understand, my Divine Messages were not understood at all…"
It seemed that he had taught philosophical concepts in the past, but his personality had changed to match those of the Kijin.
The Kijin kings that had become Garess's familiar spirits and heroic spirits gave bitter smiles.
"I'm sorry about that. I had no idea what you were talking about when I was still alive."
"Was it about three generations before Tenma that the Kijin became able to think a little?"
"The women who became kings used their heads, too. Not me, though."
"Leaving that aside, we leave the ones that are living now with you. In fact, you should take some of them with you. Choose them using standards other than their muscles."
"If I have to choose them based on standards other than muscle, I'll hold off on answering for now," said Vandalieu. "Well, please leave it to me. I made a kindred-spirit, and it seems that my mother and Princess Levia are getting along well with Yura-san, too."
The Kijin nation was surrounded by Dungeons, so if he could introduce Explorers' Guild Cards to make it possible to teleport between floors, it would make the Kijin's everyday lives much easier.
Vandalieu wasn't hesitant at all to offer his help in this way since he had become good friends with Oniwaka and his mother and Princess Levia seemed to have become friends with Yura.
But Garess had a difficult expression on his face. "Oniwaka… I am a little hesitant to offer you a candidate to become the next Kijin king… No, I do not intend to ignore Oniwaka's own desires.��
"Hmm? No, won't it be alright if we visit each other's countries and stay for pre-decided lengths of time?" Vandalieu suggested, since he had no intentions of recruiting the first child of the king of another nation.
"Coming and going… then I suppose there will be no problem. Please take care of that child. Now then, I must give you the 'Oni Emperor' Title and your companions my divine protection… and this as a present," said Garess, casually grasping his own grotesque lower body, breaking off several of the protuberances on it and offering them to Vandalieu. "This is a part of me, the guardian deity of the Kijin. Through this, even one without Kijin blood flowing through their veins should be able to lead the Kijin more effectively if they possess the aptitude for it."
"Thank you for this important gift," said Vandalieu, and then he woke up.
But the part of Garess that he had received was nowhere to be found. It was likely not a physical object.
"Well, since I��ve received it, I should be able to use it when I need to."
『You have acquired the 'Oni Emperor' Title!』
Vandalieu's party departed the Kijin nation and headed for the next nation that he was planning to visit.
"Vandalieu-sama! Please make sure to come and get me later!" said Tarea, who was remaining behind for a while to continue exchanging smithing techniques.
"Vandalieu, make sure you come and visit again!" said Oniwaka.
Partway through the journey, Darcia gave him a warning for some reason. "Vandalieu, even if you're challenged to tests of strengths at the other nations, you can't use your tongue anymore. You definitely must not touch people's faces with it," she said.
"But Mom, my tongue is quite effective as a weapon," Vandalieu protested as he licked the Gehenna Bee eggs that Quinn was continuing to lay in Sam's carriage to make them clean. "It's flexible, and since it's mostly made of muscle, I can use it to land striking blows. And it also gains bonuses from the Unarmed Fighting Technique Skill. It's easy to catch my opponents off-guard with it, and even if it gets cut off, it's regrown by my Rapid Regeneration Skill, much faster than an arm or a leg."
He continued licking the eggs as he explained the advantages of his tongue. He looked just like a worker bee.
Incidentally, Quinn was next to him, continuing to lay new eggs from the bee abdomen that protruded from her waist. She was not only laying them but looking after them properly as well, but Vandalieu was doing her work for her as well as a worker bee, so she didn't have much to do in that regard.
"Bocchan has completely become a loving parent… leaving that aside, we understand why your tongue is effective as a weapon, but you can't use it," said Rita.
"Please don't hit your opponent's face with it. It was only on Oniwaka-san's cheek, but even so, Yura-san made a real fuss about it!" said Saria.
It seemed that Yura hadn't simply become close to them.
She had become a friend, but at the same time, a difficult person to negotiate with.
"Danna-sama, Darcia-sama is not saying that it is cowardly or damaging to your reputation to use your tongue. It is just that perhaps you used it on the wrong person… as you did it to the face," Bellmond said ambiguously.
Hearing her speak like this, Vandalieu started to think that there might be a problem.
It was true that it might have been a bad idea to attack the face with his tongue. If it were to hit the lips, it would be a kiss, even if Vandalieu didn't mean for it to be one.
Oniwaka, the only son of an important family, had his cheeks licked in a public place. Yura couldn't be blamed for using that fact to negotiate.
"I used my tongue thinking that it was the same as a punch or kick, but now that you mention it, it might have been problematic," Vandalieu said, scratching his head.
It didn't seem that Oniwaka himself had minded, but Vandalieu started to feel bad for what he'd done. He decided to apologize later.
"No, Your Majesty. Things might become more complicated if you apologize. Yura-san was ecstatic about offering Oniwaka-san," said Princess Levia.
"It seems that you get along well, and she said it should definitely happen for the sake of a prosperous future for both nations. She was really enthusiastic; she said that we should decide a time to discuss things," said Orbia.
According to these two, it seemed that Yura didn't mind, either. That was good, but Vandalieu was confused as to why she was offering her son.
And then he suddenly realized.
"… Could it be that Oniwaka is a daughter, not a son?"
"… So, you didn't notice," said Darcia.
"Danna-sama, Oniwaka is apparently a historical childhood name, used by the first child of the Kijin king," said Bellmond. "It seems that this name was in the records left behind by the champion Hillwillow, and it originates from the Kijin ancestor believing that it was the name of a famous Oni and naming his own child after him."
"Incidentally, her real name is apparently Yuuma," said Saria.
Vandalieu finally realized that he had mistaken things all along.
"Well, you can't really tell, can you?" said Rita. "Her voice is high but husky, and she's always wearing armor. We didn't know either until Yura-san told us at the feast."
"Her tone and behavior are like those of a boy, too. She loves muscles as well. Her face is a girl's face, but with so many male-like factors, it's impossible to notice," said Orbia.
Despite Rita and Orbia defending him, Vandalieu started to feel overwhelmed.
"When I asked her what kind of women she liked at the feast, she said that she preferred someone with more muscle than herself, so I thought it was strange, but… to think it was a jou-chan, not a boy," Borkus muttered.
"No, she is very much a tomboy of a princess," said Sam. "So, what will you do now, Bocchan?"
"… It would be strange to start treating her as a girl now, so I will treat her as a kindred-spirit as I've done up until now," said Vandalieu. "But if I have to fight at the other nations, I'll make sure not to use my tongue anywhere above the neck."
"Ooohn?" Knochen groaned.
"Jyuuh, the society of people is troublesome," Bone Man remarked. "To think that problems would arise just from having a mouth and tongue."
"Even though licking each other is so comforting, too," said Vandalieu.
It seemed that Knochen and Bone Mans' views were different from those of people; they seemed to find it strange that the living were saying these things.
The next nation to be visited was the Harpy nation, and Vandalieu received many challenges from the Harpies. But it wasn't because they doubted Vandalieu like Oniwaka and the others had; everyone considered it as an event and challenged him because it was a 'rare chance.'
But the challenges were not fights.
"On your marks… go!" Princess Levia shouted.
At her signal, Vandalieu and the land-type Harpies began their athletics race.
"I can't fly through the air, but I won't lose on the ground!"
The land-type Harpies were those with large bodies and short wings. They were Harpies with the features of flightless birds such as ostriches, emus and moas.
Of course, they couldn't fly, but their legs' running strength was not at all inferior to that of the Centaurs and Arachne.
"One loss is enough!" said Vandalieu.
As he ran on all fours, sending the dirt beneath him flying with his claws, he was just as impressive as the Harpies.
"It's enough, but…"
However, he was losing in actual speed. It seemed that even the Ghouls' secret four-legged running technique couldn't match the speed of the land-type Harpies.
The land-type Harpies cheered as they ran through the goal. They receded into the distance at an incredible speed.
"We won!"
"Yay, the emperor is last!"
"… So, speed is about muscle, not the number of legs," said Vandalieu.
He continued running even after receiving his second loss, feeling respect for the lean, slender legs of the land-type Harpies.
"Your Majesty, the things extending from your shoulders aren't front legs; they're arms. Have you forgotten?" Princess Levia asked him uncertainly, having followed him from the starting line.
"So, this is Danna-sama's second defeat," said Bellmond, making a written note of this fact.
"Don't worry about it, Vandalieu. Neither of them was a competition that you're good at. And doing your best is more important than winning!" Darcia said in encouragement.
Incidentally, his first defeat was in a dance showdown against Harpies with very brightly-colored plumes. Naturally, he had been utterly crushed.
"But I'm sure a lot of Harpies would have come to Talosheim if he won the dance showdown," Saria whispered.
"Maybe it's a good thing he lost," Rita whispered back.
Darcia, who was in between them, agreed with them. "It's not that I dislike political marriages, but I'd like him to have girls that he can get along with."
That was the kind of interaction that Darcia wanted her son to have with members of the opposite gender.
Vandalieu was not an adventurer or a noble; he was a king, one that would formally become emperor at that. But he was liked by many, regardless of his social position.
That was because he had the Dark Demon Path Enticement Skill that had transformed from Death-Attribute Charm. It was a charm-type Skill that affected Undead, certain members of Vida's races such as Ghouls and Vampires, insect-type and plant-type monsters, and even certain humans. And its power and effective range was greater than it had been to start off with.
And they would probably continue increasing.
Thus, it was impossible to avoid more people being around Vandalieu in the future, and half of the people around him would be female.
If Vandalieu didn't like that, he would have no choice but to shut himself away in his own room.
Thus, Darcia and the others had consulted the men in secret and decided that they should 'select' those around Vandalieu rather than 'limit' them.
… If left alone, it was likely that Vandalieu would just have more and more people around him.
"Oniwaka-sama seemed to get along with Bocchan quite well, however," said Sam.
Darcia and Sam's daughters told him that they weren't particularly opposed to it.
"Father, the details are the problem. If the parents decide things on their own but the feelings between them don't go well, they won't last long!" said Saria.
"That's why we're not opposed to it. We just think that we should see how things go for a little while first!" said Rita.
They were discussing a marriage between the emperor and the first-born child of a nation that would come under his rule, but in the area within the Boundary Mountain Range, where the sense of values of Vida's races were widespread, political marriages where the feelings of the couple were ignored were considered to be a taboo. The goddess they worshipped was the goddess of life and love, after all.
"And I don't think the Oniwaka kid… no, jou-chan, likes the kid in that way," said Borkus.
"Right. They just look like rascals that are playmates; there doesn't seem to be a single shred of attraction…" said Kimberley, who had been present during the clearing of the Ogres' Nest.
The truth was that Oniwaka had treated Vandalieu the way they had described it.
And her taste was in people with more muscles than herself. Even if one included the muscle of his tongue, Vandalieu would not match that taste.
"It is too early for the season of love to come for her," said Bone Man. "Regardless of what happens between her and our lord, I believe we should watch and wait."
"Oooohn."
Bone Man and Knochen, who were animal-like in nature, brought an end to this discussion on Oniwaka.
��By the way, Darcia-sama, I understand that we'll be 'selecting' those around Danna-sama, but how will we be 'selecting' them?" asked Bellmond, having noticed that no standards had been set other than Vandalieu getting along with them.
It was normal for parents to have requirements for the people that their children dated, so Bellmond thought that this might be true for Darcia as well.
"Let's see…" Darcia put her hands on her cheeks and pondered this question.
She might have told Vandalieu her opinions in the past, but she had recently become completely unconcerned. And such trivial details wouldn't remain in her memory, as she was just a weak spirit.
So, she thought about it again… to find that nothing came to mind.
"What should I do? Maybe I don't have the right to have a say in Vandalieu's relationships," she said.
In fact, this is what she thought when she looked back.
Darcia had left the forests of her homeland and dated a shadowy man in a human town. She had continued to date him even after learning that the man, Valen, was a Subordinate Vampire belonging to a group of Vampires that worshipped an evil god. As a result, she had given birth to a child.
From the view of an ordinary Dark Elf, she was quite the thankless daughter to her parents.
Bellmond hastily searched for the words to comfort Darcia, who seemed shaken after having realized this… and then she realized something herself.
"Now that I think about it, I have never interacted with the opposite gender before. Though I have been assaulted one-sidedly before," she said.
Bellmond had been exiled from her homeland because of the Lamia blood that she possessed, which expressed itself in her pupils and tongue. After that, as a young girl she had been assaulted by humans and then taken in by Vampires. She had then spent the majority of her ten-thousand-year-long life as the guard of her master's hideout by an underground lake.
She had been hurt before, but she had never experienced companionship.
"In my case… my partner tricked me and killed me, so I can't say anything about having good eyes for partners," said Orbia.
"I hadn't even decided on a fiancé," said Princess Levia.
"… In my previous life, just once with a drone bee," said Quinn.
"It doesn't even need to be said for us sisters," said Rita. "Does that mean we're all out?"
"Someone who has had proper interactions with the opposite gender… the Ghouls won't do, so… that's right, let's ask Fester-san and Lina-san when we return! We can ask Legion's Jack and Hitomi-san, too!" said Rita.
"No, let's calm down," said Princess Levia. "Rita, there's no reason to be hasty."
"Yes, don't be hasty. By the way, what are you talking about?" asked Vandalieu, who had come back on the back of a land-type Harpy.
"We're here to give you back the emperor!" said the Harpy.
And so, the discussion was discontinued.
The third competition in the Harpy nation was acrobatic flight. Vandalieu could take the form of a strange bird by materializing his spirit form in the shape of wings, but they were specialized for transporting people, so it was thought that he wouldn't be able to overcome the speed and maneuverability of the Harpies.
But Vandalieu betrayed everyone's expectations and flew through the air skillfully with the wings of the Cemetery Bees equipped with Group Binding Technique protruding from his back.
"Triple mid-air spin~"
Buzz-buzz-buzz.
"He's good, but something's wrong here?!" one of the Harpies exclaimed.
But as the rules allowed for the use of wings or even no-attribute and wind-attribute magic, Vandalieu took his first victory without a problem.
Next were the challenges at the Centaur nation, but as they were a race with the lower bodies of horses, the first challenge was a race.
But the event was an obstacle course.
"We are a race born with the lower bodies of horses! Therefore, we cannot survive in the harsh lands within the Boundary Mountain Range if we cannot manipulate our lower bodies more skillfully than humans manipulate theirs. That is why we have this challenge. We shall challenge you like the Harpies, new emperor!" declared Sylvari, the king of the Centaur nation, a Centaur with feathers and tattoos resembling those of native Americans.
Vandalieu seemed confused as he looked at the designated obstacle course. "… I get the feeling that I'll have more of an advantage with this compared to a regular race. Are you sure about this?" he asked.
The obstacles placed on the obstacle course were three walls that tested one's ability to jump, a balance beam that tested one's balance, an uphill section that tested one's leg strength and a flaming hoop that was presumably for testing one's agility and courage.
The obstacles other than the walls and uphill sections were all too big for humans, as they were Centaur-sized.
Ignoring the strangely circus-like obstacle at the end, most of the obstacles seemed to be disadvantageous for the Centaurs.
That was why Vandalieu wanted to make sure that the Centaurs were alright with this.
"It is fine," Sylvari said boldly, crossing his arms and nodding. "This is the course that we normally use for competitions during festivals, so naturally, its difficulty is perfect for us. Since you are competing with two legs, it won't even be a handicap… or it shouldn't be, but you sometimes use four or eight legs." His manly eyebrows frowned in doubt. "According to rumors, you can use up to twelve legs. Could it be that you would win easily even without such a handicap? The truth is that the children are watching, so I don't want to look pathetic… I won't ask you to give me the victory, but can you make it a close competition?" he whispered, suggesting to fix the match.
His eyes glanced towards the Centaur and Harpy children that were observing with the rest of the Centaurs, including a particularly strong-willed-looking girl with the lower half of a black horse.
Incidentally, Sylvari was in a long-distance marriage with the Harpy nation's queen.
"Things haven't gone well between me and my daughter recently. Please," Sylvari said, seeming to have a complex with regards to leg count.
"I won't use the Demon King's fragments, so I'll only use four legs," Vandalieu assured him.
"I see! That's a relief. Let us have a clean race, Emperor!" Sylvari said, regaining his dignified, manly tone once more.
He reached for Vandalieu's shoulders, but… since the difference in height between them was too great, he patted Vandalieu's head twice.
Talking to Sylvari reminded Vandalieu of Privel. Was she still leveling in Dungeons now?
"… I said this in the Harpy nation, but the objects protruding from Danna-sama's shoulders are arms, not front legs," Bellmond reminded him as his mind wandered.
Incidentally, Vandalieu did his best, but King Sylvari came out on top with sheer ability alone.
"Now then, Emperor, please perform the duty of the defeated that I explained before. It is just a formality, so you just have to touch me with the brush," said King Sylvari.
There was a rule that the loser of this match would praise and brush the winner.
"Oh no, I will perform it politely," said Vandalieu, producing the 100% Demon King's fur brush that Tarea had made.
As a result, King Sylvari fell without even lasting ten minutes, as did the Centaurs wanting to be brushed after seeing that.
"Amazing. I was sure that Bellmond-san was just particularly sensitive," said Orbia.
"So now you understand," said Bellmond. "I am neither particularly sensitive nor unskilled at restraining myself."
"It's because the brush was made by Tarea, and the Demon King's fur has power too… maybe?" Darcia wondered.
"Jyuuh… just what in the world was the Demon King?" said Bone Man.
"No, I have to wonder about that. It was the first time Tarea was made to make a brush with the Demon King's fur, and it was definitely the first time the kid used it to brush someone," said Borkus.
"Incidentally, I also used spirit form massaging," said Vandalieu. "The Centaurs seem to get muscle stiffness in the area where their upper bodies are connected to their lower bodies."
"Their hips, in other words. They might get along with Tarea-san," said Rita.
"A discussion on lower back pain? It seems like a talk for old people," said Saria.
"You two, it's a problem shared by races like Scylla and Arachne that have a gap between their upper and lower bodies, so don't poke fun at them," said Orbia. "Well, I'm a Ghost now, so it has nothing to do with me," she added.
And so, all of the influential warriors of the Centaur nation and Sylvari's family were defeated, leading to Vandalieu taking a default victory in the rest of the challenges.
"Ah, we don't need to challenge you. We accept you as emperor."
There was no challenge from the Lamia nation.
"Why?" asked Vandalieu in surprise; he had been looking forward to it a little.
Queen Tanato and the other Lamia explained.
"We know that you are of worthy character to become the new emperor even without challenges."
"Our nations events are magic, song and instrument performances, so the results are obvious before even trying, right?"
"And you know, your reputation is pretty good in our country, so we thought there was no need."
Challenging the emperor was not simply to test his strength, but to test his character as well.
Whether the emperor would respond to the challenges, fight in accordance with the rules set by the nations, stay angry even when reasonable demands were made and respect the nations even if defeated. That was what the challenges tested.
"Well, I kind of guessed that at the Harpy nation," said Vandalieu.
Generations of emperors thus far had come from the Noble Orc empire. It was difficult to imagine that they had performed well in races against the land-type Harpies and Centaurs or acrobatic flying.
The same was true for Budarion, the Noble Orc who was supposed to have taken these challenges. Vandalieu couldn't imagine Budarion running like the wind or dancing gracefully through the air. Jumping through the ring of fire seemed particularly impossible.
Thus, he had suspected that the importance was in something other than the competitions.
"Eh?! You noticed?! Then all of this was just an act?!" one of the Lamias exclaimed.
"No, I did suspect it but they were fun, and I took the challenges in a natural way," said Vandalieu.
"Oh, is that right? Then it's fine."
"It seemed that the Lamias had watched Vandalieu at the Harpy and Centaur nations and decided to acknowledge him as emperor.
And as they explained, given the types of events in the Lamia nation, they knew that Vandalieu would take one victory and two losses without needing to conduct the challenges.
"You have a good reputation for being good at taking care of eggs, and you apparently have a legendary Orochi as well. Please bring it the next time you visit."
"Orochi?" Vandalieu repeated.
The reason Vandalieu had been said to be good at taking care of eggs didn't need to be explained. He had been joining the worker Cemetery Bees in taking care of the eggs laid by Quinn… frequently, of his own free will.
It seemed that the Lamias and Harpies, who were oviparous as well, favored an emperor who could take care of children.
But what was this mention of an Orochi? Legends of the eight-headed serpents had likely been left in the records of the champions, just like the legends of bushi and ninja. Vandalieu could imagine that various misunderstandings had been made, leading to the Lamias respecting and worshipping them.
"Ah, Yamata," he muttered, searching his memories and remembering the Hydra Zombie Yamata, whose heads had been replaced by the upper bodies of nine beautiful women of different races.
"That's right, that's right! It's a Zombie, but it's an Orochi, isn't it? One of our nation's past queens increased her Rank enough to become an Echidna, but none have become a Yamata-no-Orochi before, so everyone took notice of her."
It seemed that someone had spread news of Yamata to the Lamia nation.
And so, the day after Vandalieu finished his visits to the Harpy, Centaur and Lamia nation, he headed for the last three nations that he was planning to visit before going to Vida's resting place - the Drakonid, Merfolk and Dark Elf nations.
Title Explanation:
[Oni Emperor]
A Title thought of by Garess, the god of warriors, and his familiar spirits and heroic spirits. They bestowed Vandalieu this Title to strengthen the connection between them. Naturally, there are no precedents of someone gaining this Title.
It strengthens charisma towards monsters and races whose titles contain 'Oni.' Also, though this is a result that was not expected by Garess and the others, it gives an overall increase to the effects of Guidance: Dark Demon Path on Undead.
Note: The 'ki' in Kijin is the kanji for 'Oni.'
Monster Explanation:
[Harpies](Records from human society)
A race created by Vida that possess the wings and talons of birds in place of arms and legs.
They are considered to be one of the races born when Vida mated with monsters, but according to one theory, they are a race created when she mated with one of the beast-kings, just like the Beast-people. But as the bird beast-king had been cursed by an evil god, Harpies were born instead of bird-type Beast-people. However, few support this theory other than believers of Vida and the Harpies themselves.
They are a unisexual race of females. They are born in eggs and mature to adulthood in approximately ten years. Their lifespans are, in general, approximately a hundred years. There are three types of Harpies - ordinary-type, hunting-type and land-type. Ordinary-type and land-type Harpies have a base Rank of 3, while hunting-types have a base Rank of 4.
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Chapter 160: A path that continues in a dream
"Welcome to the Drakonid nation. It has been some time, Emperor Vandalieu-dono. So… why are you in a fighting pose?" asked the female Drakonid warrior who had come to welcome Vandalieu… the female swordsman Rowen who had been sent as a representative to the Noble Orc kingdom.
"I thought that there would be a battle to start off with," said Vandalieu.
"… Ah, so that is how it was at the Kijin nation. I'm sorry to say that it is impossible for us to do what they do," Rowen said with a bitter smile.
Perhaps it was a little lonely for a guest to the nation to be greeted by only one person, but in the land within the Boundary Mountain Range, everything outside the gates of the nations was a Devil's Nest where monsters prowled.
If large numbers of people came out for a grand welcoming, there was the risk of monsters flooding in towards this abnormal event. Thus, it had become custom for only a few skilled individuals to welcome guests, like Kidoumaru who had waited alone at the Kijin nation.
"Us Drakonids are a race that thrives on battle, serving the role of managing the Dungeons that appeared on the eastern side of the mountain range as a counterpart to the Kijin nation to the west. But we teach that one should not take part in needless struggles," said Rowen. "And one of our guardian Elder Dragons, the crystal-horned dragon god Lioen, has sent a Divine Message telling us explicitly to not fight you."
It seemed that Lioen had become very nervous after his experience of meeting Vandalieu in Mububujenge's Divine Realm.
To Vandalieu, it had been nothing more than a slight irritation that he had already forgotten about, however.
"Then what about a dance competition or acrobatic flying? If it's a drinking competition, I'd have to have Borkus represent me, though," said Vandalieu.
"No, we will not have any competitions of that sort. Drinking competitions are strictly forbidden," Rowen said.
It seemed that many Drakonids loved alcohol, unable to stop themselves from drinking until they were in a stupor after the first sip… Even with resistance Skills, they would continue drinking until the limits of those Skills were overcome.
Thus, ways of drinking that encouraged others to drink more were forbidden in this nation.
"So, there won't be any challenges…" Vandalieu muttered in disappointment, as he had been looking forward to it a little.
But as his voice was flat-toned as usual, Rowen took no notice of that.
"That is why the four Drakonid Elders are hoping that this time will be spent on discussions and a meal together," she said.
The four Drakonid Elders were the spokesmen of the four guardian Elder Dragons that protected the Drakonid nation; they were the politicians that managed the nation in a parliamentary system.
Vandalieu realized that he had to respond to these politicians wishes.
"… The four Drakonid Elders are particularly interested in discussing the importation of curry powder," said Rowen.
"Come to think of it, I gave the remaining curry powder to this nation as a gift after the victory feast in the Noble Orc kingdom, didn't I?" said Vandalieu.
It seemed that curry had charmed the tongues of the Drakonid nation's politicians.
"Vandalieu, you can conduct diplomacy involving things other than muscles, too. I'm proud of you!" said Darcia.
"Gourmet diplomacy, I suppose," said Vandalieu. "Well, I don't think it was just the power of curry powder."
And so, Vandalieu was given a warm, peaceful welcome into the Drakonid nation.
The nameless B-class Dungeon that Vandalieu had created as a result of his failed attempt to create an A-class Dungeon before he left to visit the other nations. Privel, Gizania and the others hoping to accompany Vandalieu in clearing the Trial of Zakkart were leveling up in here.
"… This is a B-class Dungeon, right?" asked Privel.
"It should be. At the very least, that is what he said," said Gizania.
The two of them had just finished stripping the Magic Stone and particularly valuable materials from some enormous, one-eyed Cyclopes.
Munching noises filled the air.
The remaining meat and organs were being devoured by the Zombies Rapiéçage and Yamata, who could gain Experience Points (though in a miniscule amount) by consuming dead flesh. They were not able to finish eating all of the huge Cyclopes, however.
"… I want… jaws."
"Kugigih… Not enough… fangs."
The two of them were patchwork Zombies, with Rapiéçage possessing the limbs of an Ogre and Yamata possessing the torso of a Hydra, but their mouths were those of women. The amount they could consume at one time was limited, and many of Yamata's upper bodies did not have fangs. Thus, they faced difficulties when eating raw monster corpses.
Cyclopes were Rank 8 monsters that were considered to be a race of descendants of the true Colossi that became monsters. They were over five meters tall, possessing a fearsome amount of monstrous strength and Vitality as one would expect from their appearance.
They were ferocious and preferred solitude, seeing even other members of their own race as enemies outside of breeding season. Thus, they did not form groups to attack their enemies; this was true for Cyclopes both in Devil's Nests and inside Dungeons.
That was supposed to be the case, but the Cyclopes in this Dungeon were attacking in groups.
"The monsters appearing in this Dungeon ignore the boundaries of common sense as if it were only natural to do so," said the Empusa Myuze with a sigh as she wiped the blood and fat from her sickles with a cloth.
It was a well-known fact that monsters that appeared in Dungeons behaved differently from normal, as their minds were controlled by something else.
Even monsters of different races would cooperate with one another to eliminate intruders from the outside. Other than when monster rampages occurred, they didn't climb the stairs connecting different floors, nor did they pursue or ambush intruders. They didn't move between floors of their own will.
They avoided the pitfalls and other traps, knowing their locations by instinct.
However, even monsters spawning in Dungeons did not have their minds completely controlled by the Dungeon's will. Thus, it was impossible for them to behave in a way that was too different from their natures.
An example of this impossible behavior was these Cyclopes, a race that was supposed to prefer solitude, forming groups and using teamwork, albeit in a poor fashion.
"The monsters are hiding inside the pitfalls and chasing us into stairwells… they are free, just like natural monsters," said Myuze, as if complaining.
"It seems likely that Vandalieu-sama's will for this Dungeon to be an A-class Dungeon has manifested in the Dungeon's difficulty surpassing the limits of a B-class Dungeon," said the Vampire Zombie Isla.
Her calm analysis was something that one would expect from a Vampire who had lived for tens of thousands of years.
But in the next moment, a trance-like expression suddenly appeared on her face as she placed a hand to her chest and looked upwards.
"The monsters that spawn in Dungeons created by Vandalieu-sama have no souls. That's why this Dungeon has complete control over the monsters' minds. In other words, this is a part of the trial given to us by Vandalieu-sama! This difficulty shows how much Vandalieu-sama expects from us! Ah, my lord, I will overcome this trial, so please watch over me!" she declared, passionately swearing loyalty to Vandalieu once more.
"… Isla-dono, I have to question the value of shouting with an unpleasant expression on your face on a child's education," said Gizania.
Isla was one of the strongest, most dependable people in the party. She would not be defeated even when facing multiple Cyclopes on her own.
But she was a little troubled, often shouting words to a Vandalieu that only she could see.
"Pauvina-chan, was this person always like that?" Privel asked.
"No, she didn't shout like that until she got that collar from Van," said Pauvina.
"… So, she was always like that."
Isla had always been a little insane even while she was alive, but she had managed to keep it under control to some extent. However, it seemed that she had lost all restraint after becoming an Undead… though it seemed that her former superior Eleanora hadn't noticed, as she had half-ignored Isla.
Incidentally, when Vandalieu was nearby, Isla lost sight of everything except him, so her speech and behavior became close to normal. That was why Vandalieu was the only one who was unaware of her eccentricity.
"It's amazing that she's way stronger than us. When Vampires become strong, is it normal for them to turn into strange people like Eleanora and Miles-san?" Privel wondered.
"Don't compare me to that woman," Isla said sharply, turning her head at the mention of her rival's name.
"It seems that you have suddenly regained your sanity," said Myuze.
It was likely that Eleanora wouldn't want to be compared to Isla, either. Incidentally, she was currently with Braga and the Ghoul group, leveling up on a deeper floor of the Dungeon.
They were already capable enough to accompany Vandalieu to clear A-class Dungeons and the Trial of Zakkart, but the Dungeon that was newly-created by Vandalieu seemed to have piqued their interest.
"I'm just swearing my loyalty to Vandalieu-sama. To treat that as the behavior of a mad person is… well, it's fine," Isla muttered. "Just to be sure, are we continuing to clear this Dungeon?"
"Hmm, it's starting to get a bit hard for me. I'm not injured or anything, but sorry," said Pauvina as she exhaled, having finished wiping off the Cyclops blood and fat on her mace.
"No, I'm amazed that you were able to follow us this far," said Privel.
It was amazing that Pauvina, who had just turned six years old - about nine years old if converted to human years - was able to participate in clearing a B-class Dungeon at all.
At this age… even a noble child or the child of a first-rate adventurer receiving special education for gifted children might be fighting against a single Rank 1 monster under adult supervision at most.
Pauvina had participated in a battle against Cyclopes, contributing without being a hindrance to her companions. Even considering the fact that she was three meters tall and equipped with a Death Iron mace and Orichalcum shield, her strength was astounding.
"But I couldn't defeat any of them," Pauvina said. "Stopping their attacks with my shield was the most I could do."
Still, she hadn't been able to defeat any Cyclops on her own; it seemed that drawing their attention and acting as a diversion had been the most she could do.
"I'm telling you, the fact that you can stop them is amazing," said Privel.
"I think even with an Orichalcum shield, ordinary people would be knocked down," said Gizania.
Not receiving any great injuries while drawing the attention of a Rank 8 monster was no small feat. The strength of the Orichalcum shield was a large factor, but even without that, Pauvina had strength unimaginable for someone of her age.
"But the Trial of Zakkart is impossible. It's become hard for me to level these days, too," Pauvina said.
It would probably be impossible for her to participate in clearing the Trial of Zakkart, a Dungeon of even greater difficulty than an A-class Dungeon. There was still over a month left, but she had reached a wall in her development.
"Developmental walls really stop your Level from going up, don't they? I defeated a ton of monsters today, but I haven't even gained a single level," Pauvina complained; this was her first time encountering such a wall.
Everyone other than Rapiéçage and Yamata, who were still eating, gave her bitter smiles as they agreed.
"Apparently everyone hits multiple walls. I'm on my second now, I think," said Privel.
"This is also my second wall," said Gizania. "Van-dono overcomes them forcefully by defeating powerful enemies, so I think it didn't seem so troublesome when watching him, but it really does take time."
Developmental walls where it suddenly became difficult to increase one's Level normally took time to overcome. Several months at the shortest, up to several years. There were even some who had faced a developmental wall for more than ten years.
The time needed to overcome them depended on talent and hard work, and whether the individual was blessed with the opportunity to do so.
"It's only natural for it to be troublesome. If they were overcome easily, there wouldn't be any adventurers in this world burning out and retiring at D-class. But you have Vandalieu-sama with you. You can definitely overcome it. The rest of you, too," said Isla, encouraging Pauvina, Privel and the others with teachings from the outside world as one would expect from a senior.
Indeed, as they received the effects of Vandalieu's Guidance: Dark Demon Path, it might take time, but they would certainly be able to overcome their walls.
In fact, it was due to the effects of that Skill that Pauvina hadn't encountered a developmental wall until now.
"But it would probably be best for you to put that effort in the shallower floors or in Class Dungeons," Isla added.
"So, that's better after all? It's true that we can't really fight as we are now," said Pauvina.
The amount of Experience Points gained in battle depended on how much one contributed to the battle. One could gain more Experience Points by repeatedly fighting weaker monsters that one could defeat on their own than by fighting powerful enemies that they could only contribute small efforts against.
There was a way to forcibly overcome developmental walls by using enemies that were far beyond one's own ability, but such powerful enemies were not so common.
"Then once we leave the Dungeon, shall we use our Cards to go to a floor that only has monsters of up to Rank 7?" Myuze suggested.
"In this Dungeon, we can have surprise encounters with Rank 8 monsters, though," said Pauvina.
"Well, surprise encounters aren't so common, so it's fine… I hope," said Privel.
"Finished… eating…" Rapiéçage groaned.
"Go… up?" asked Yamata.
As Rapiéçage and Yamata had finished eating and everyone had finished resting, the party returned to the stairs of this floor to return to the outside for now.
"By the way, Gizania-dono, when did you start referring to Vandalieu-dono as Van-dono?" Myuze asked.
"No, it is just that Princess Kurnelia said that I should refer to him in a more intimate way… but I could not call him Van-dono straight away," said Gizania.
"So you're practicing while Van-kun isn't here," said Privel. "I don't think Van-kun would mind, would he?"
"No, I don't think so," said Pauvina.
Meanwhile, Vigaro and the others were on a deeper floor, fighting a horde of Minotaurs, demi-human monsters with the heads of bulls.
When Ogres inhabiting Dungeons with closed-space layouts like caverns or ruins increased their Rank in a particular way, they became Minotaurs.
They possessed the heads, hooves and tails of bulls; their appearance was considerably different from Ogres and their offspring were born as Minotaurs rather than Ogres. But even in present times there were Ogres that became Minotaurs as their Ranks increased.
Their base Rank was 5, but the weakest of the enemies that Vigaro and his companions were fighting now were Rank 7 Minotaur Berserkers and Minotaur Shield Knights. Behind them were Rank 8 Minotaur Mages, and a Minotaur General was commanding the horde.
In terms of individual strength, groups of Cyclopes were stronger, but under the command and control of a Minotaur General with the Commanding Skill, the Minotaur horde was stronger overall.
And as monsters spawning in Dungeons created by Vandalieu had no souls, their coordination would not crumble out of rage or fear.
"But since their morale is fixed and doesn't increase, it's easy to deal with them once you get used to them," Basdia commented.
"It is easier in a way," Zadiris agreed. "There are no changes to their movement patterns, so it is easy to tell what they will do next."
The two of them were defeating the Minotaurs one after another.
Basdia's axe, whose power had been increased by an enchantment, split the shield of a Minotaur Shield Knight and deflected the halberd of a Minotaur Berserker, sending it flying into the ground.
Using the effects of the Chant Revocation Skill, Zadiris cast floods of Light Blade and Light Cannon spells one after another to finish them off.
"It's a bit hard for me," said the Black Goblin Braga in a bitter tone.
With his exceptional agility as his weapon, he normally faced his enemies head-on in a bold fashion, slipping into their blind spots and tearing through their vital spots. He was a Rank 7 Black Goblin Ninja Master that was capable of pulling off this counterintuitive fighting style, but he was a little perplexed as to how he was supposed to fight a horde of Minotaurs.
"These guys don't even flinch when I slit their necks. They don't falter even when I slash their arteries and blood gushes out of them. They don't stop fighting until the moment they die. The monsters in King's Dungeons are more Undead-like than King's Undead," he said.
Braga's fighting style was difficult to describe as that of a scout, but he showed his true value when taking his enemies by surprise. However, these were enemies that did not falter even when taken by surprise, enemies that did not stop fighting even when they received fatal wounds and were seconds away from death.
It seemed that he was confused because these enemies were so different from ordinary enemies.
"Isn't it fine if you destroy their heads or decapitate them with a single attack?" asked Basdia.
"Basdia, I don't have the strength for that. I can cut their heads off, but I become more exposed," Braga explained.
Minotaur skulls were solid, their thick necks covered in muscles even more resistant than bone. It was difficult for Braga to kill them in the space of just a few seconds with the method that Basdia had suggested.
"Then you have no choice but to attack several times rather than finishing the enemy with one attack. That Minotaur Mage is trying to do the same to me, isn't it? Watch and learn," said Eleanora.
The moment she finished speaking, a rock spike appeared from the ground and impaled her right foot. It was an earth-attribute spell cast by the Minotaur Mage.
"The idea is to stop my movement like this and then let the few remaining Minotaurs at the front finish me off," Eleanora explained.
But her expression didn't change; she made use of her Superhuman Strength Skill to smash the spike impaling her foot and continued stepping forward. Of course, a considerable amount of blood flowed from her wound, but as she was an Abyssal Vampire, the bleeding stopped in an instant due to her Rapid Regeneration Skill.
"Do you understand?" Eleanora asked Braga, engaging in a fierce battle with a Minotaur Shield Knight with her sword and shield.
"… I do, but I have a feeling it's not of any help," said Braga.
Eleanora was a Rank 11 Vampire Marquis and had experienced a large number of Jobs; the Minotaurs were nothing but small fry to her.
"Really? These guys make for quite good references. Especially the way they use their shields. They might be better than me," she said.
Even though she had a high Rank as a monster, she had the weakness of the Levels of her Skills being relatively low except for Swordsmanship. She was working with Braga and the others to find enemies with skills about even with hers that she could practice against in order to overcome that weakness.
There were the training grounds where she could practice real battles against the Zombies that were heroes while they were alive, but the difference in Skill Levels between her and the Zombie heroes was too great, so she couldn't use them as a reference.
"As expected of enemies known as Shield Knights," Eleanora remarked.
Each time her sword collided with the Minotaur Shield Knight's shield, it produced a deep crack in it, and then the shield finally broke.
She cut down the Minotaur Knight with her sword and then decapitated the Minotaur Mage behind it with a single slash.
A trance-like expression appeared on her face as she kicked down the Minotaur Mage's torso, which was spraying blood like a fountain.
"As expected of a Dungeon that Vandalieu-sama created for us!" she exclaimed. "I can feel Vandalieu-sama's expectations of us becoming stronger…"
"I think that Eleanora's illness has become worse recently. What do you think, Mother?" Basdia asked Zadiris.
"Before, she was relatively normal except for when she was around the boy," said Zadiris.
"The exact opposite of Isla."
Basdia and Zadiris had the time to exchange their opinions on Eleanora's eccentricity as the Minotaurs had been reduced to only a few, including the Minotaur General. But there was one man whose face had been constantly wearing a difficult expression during the battle.
"Muuuh…!" he groaned.
It was Vigaro. But it wasn't because he was struggling with the battle. The three of his four arms that weren't holding his shield were swinging axes skillfully; Minotaurs were often slaughtered by a single one of his blows.
But Vigaro didn't feel any happiness from this, nor did he gain any confidence in his own strength. The wrinkle between his brow only continued to deepen.
"Something is wrong. My axes are missing something!" he groaned.
Indeed, Vigaro was in a slump.
His Axe Technique Skill had reached its developmental limit of Level 10. There was no other way to develop it any further except awakening a superior Skill.
But Vigaro was failing to grasp what was needed for this. He felt like he wasn't far away from understanding something, like the tips of his claws would reach it if he extended his hand, but it was just a little too far away for him to take hold of it.
He had been in this state for a while now.
"It's not enough!"
Swinging his axe in rage, he split the Minotaur General's head down to his chest. The Minotaur General's sturdy Obsidian helmet was no different from paper.
As blood rained down on Vigaro, he searched for the next enemy… only to realize that all of the Minotaurs had been defeated.
"Muh… still no good," he muttered. "I thought that it would work this time, since the enemies were monsters that use axes as well."
He lowered his axes in disappointment.
Zadiris stood on tiptoes to give him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Be patient," she said. "The Trial of Zakkart will appear this year, but it is not like the boy's life will end there."
Vandalieu would resurrect Darcia and live happily ever after in Talosheim as the emperor. The end… no, that wasn't how things would end.
It was true that the Trial of Zakkart was a critical point in Vandalieu's life, but it wasn't his final goal. With that being the case, Vigaro would have plenty of opportunities to fight alongside Vandalieu in the future.
Vigaro understood this.
"You're right. But it's just frustrating," he said. "It's like the feeling of having a piece of meat stuck between my teeth that I can't get out; I can't calm down."
He wasn't trying to rush himself, but it seemed that he was irritated that he could not reach new heights with his Axe Technique.
"With your skill, it might be better for you to train with the Zombie heroes rather than this Dungeon. Their skills are reliable, after all," said Eleanora.
"Their combat skills are incredible, but they aren't good references for me," said Vigaro, shaking his head at Eleanora's suggestion.
Since he had four arms, arms that were long enough to touch the ground from a standing position at that, his movement and the way he used his axes were very different from humans.
"At times like this, we should just let him keep doing as he likes. And we haven't cleared this Dungeon yet, so let's see how things go until we defeat the Dungeon boss," said Basdia. "More importantly, learn from Braga's example and go help disassemble the Minotaur bodies."
"Ah yes, Minotaur tongues are Jadal's favorite," said Zadiris.
With Basdia's words, the party decided to continue observing Vigaro's slump for now and began disassembling the Minotaurs. Even though their objectives were to clear the Dungeon and improve themselves, they still wanted to earn their keep.
It was decided that the blacksmiths of Talosheim and the Drakonid nation would study techniques in each other's nations, curry powder would be exported and cooks from the Drakonid nation would study in Talosheim.
These discussions went smoothly, but the other talks and bride offers of the four Drakonid Elders took a long time.
"Emperor-dono, how about you take my granddaughter once she is born?"
Of course, it was Princess Levia who turned most of these aside before Vandalieu had to deal with them.
"Ojii-san, let's discuss that after she is born," she said.
In fact, it might have been harder for Rowen, of whom unreasonable demands were being made.
"Rowen, you need muscle! If you put on more muscle, you can gain the emperor's favor!"
"Jii-sama, my life depends on the speed of my sword. My movements will become slower if I put on needless muscle. Do you intend to slow down the sword of your own granddaughter?"
At night, Vandalieu was summoned to the Divine Realm of the four guardian Elder Dragons of the Drakonid nation, including Lioen, the crystal-horned dragon god. Like Garess, the god of warriors, they tried to give Vandalieu a Title - 'Dragon Emperor' - but unfortunately, this failed.
"Why?!"
"Perhaps because I don't have many Dragons among my companions?" Vandalieu suggested.
No matter how influential the beings granting him the Title were, a Title too contradictory to his nature would not be displayed in his Status. It seemed that this was true for Vandalieu and the 'Dragon Emperor' Title.
In fact, even including the Undead among Vandalieu's companions and subordinates, there were few beings related to Dragons. There were the Lizardmen, Armans and Zombie dinosaurs, but they were likely considered to be in a different category from Dragons. The only Dragon Zombie was probably Leo.
"It cannot be helped. Take this as a gift instead."
"You should take this from me as well."
The four Elder Dragons broke off their own scales, claws and fangs and gave them to Vandalieu. They told him that they would make it possible for him to become more powerful if given to suitable beings.
"That looks really painful. Are you alright?" Vandalieu asked.
The Elder Dragons were doing the same thing as Garess, but unlike him, what they did looked visibly painful.
"It's no different from granting divine protections. It's not a problem," Lioen replied.
Vandalieu showed no reservation and took them. Of course, when he woke up, there was nothing in his hands.
The next day, Vandalieu and his companions headed for the Merfolk nation, which was at the southern end of the Boundary Mountain Range, even further south than the Majin nation. It was decided that Vandalieu would stay in a residence at the seashore.
Among the races created by Vida that did not possess a monster Rank, Merfolk were the most different in appearance from humans; they had the lower bodies of fish. Of course, they spent most of their lives in water, so most of the Merfolk nation's facilities were underwater.
However, there were races other than Merfolk in the Merfolk nation, so there was a town on land for them as well. That was where Vandalieu and his companions stayed, and where they conducted discussions with the prominent figures of the Merfolk nation.
But Vandalieu transformed his tongue with the Demon King's proboscis and stuck it above the water's surface, allowing him to do something similar to snorkeling, to look around the Merfolk nation on his own.
"Good day, King! Where are you going with this anglerfish Merfolk?!" one of the Merfolk exclaimed, having mistaken the quietly-swimming Vandalieu for a Merfolk with the characteristics of a deep-sea fish because there was a luminescent organ of the Demon King on the end of an antenna of the Demon King protruding from his forehead.
"Hello, I'm angler-Vandalieu," Vandalieu said.
"… Vandalieu-dono, I believe you possess the Dark Vision Skill. Is lighting really necessary for looking around inside the ocean?" the Merfolk king asked, a serious expression on his face.
"… Sorry, I was just playing around."
"The light will attract fish and plankton and reduce visibility, so please stop that."
Vandalieu quickly withdrew his antenna.
He looked around and saw a wondrous, beautiful nation with houses made of stone and enormous spiral shells, decorated by coral and seaweed ornaments.
But the city was concentrated in an area that was shallower and closer to the land than Vandalieu had imagined.
Among the nations within the Boundary Mountain Range, this nation was the only one that was not sandwiched by the mountains, but it was actually surrounded by cliffs, whirlpools and Devil's Seas, which were dangerous Devil's Nests in oceans. Thus, it seemed that they had to live in the seas along the edge of the continent, unable to venture into the outside ocean.
"And there are some among the Merfolk who are not adept at swimming," explained Tristan, the god of the seas, who had summoned Vandalieu to his Divine Realm on the night that Vandalieu had arrived in the Merfolk nation.
He was a subordinate god of Peria, the goddess of water and knowledge, and one of the parents of the Merfolk race.
"They're not adept at swimming despite being Merfolk?" Vandalieu asked.
"The lower bodies of Merfolk are those of fish, but some of them have the lower bodies of seahorses and monkfish."
"… I see."
It seemed that there were all kinds of Merfolk. Those with the lower bodies of fish were proficient at swimming, but it seemed that there was no rule that stated that all Merfolk were good at swimming. Incidentally, it seemed that there were no Merfolk with the lower bodies of crustaceans, shellfish or jellyfish.
"By the way, I wanted to ask you something regarding your guidance… Could you not change it to Demon Dark Path? I think it would be a good change, as it could then be read as maameidou."
Note: Dark Demon Path = 冥魔道 (meimadou) By switching the first two kanji around to 魔冥道 (mameidou) which is similar to the katakana pronunciation of mermaid.
"Is it possible to change the name of one's own Skills?" Vandalieu asked.
"My apologies, that was a joke to loosen my own nerves," Tristan said. "Now then, onto the main topic… I have a request for you regarding my former brethren, Yupeon and the other gods that joined Alda's forces."
Yupeon, the god of ice. He had been a subordinate god of Peria like Tristan, but he had joined Alda's forces, not Vida's.
He had never come into direct contact with Vandalieu, but his spirit clone had resided inside Ice Age, the Artifact spear that was wielded by Mikhail, who had been a hero of the Mirg shield-nation while he was alive.
Darcia's resurrection had been delayed because that spirit clone destroyed Vida's legacy, the resurrection device, that had been kept beneath Talosheim. On top of that, he had insulted Vandalieu and destroyed Bone Wolf and Bone Monkey, who had later become Knochen.
In the end, Vandalieu had broken and destroyed the spirit clone, but that incident had caused Yupeon, the source of the spirit clone, to become a sworn enemy of Talosheim.
But as Yupeon was a god, Vandalieu had previously thought that he wouldn't be able to face him… but he had recently been summoned by gods frequently, and he had defeated an evil god only last year.
A battle against Yupeon could not be ruled out as impossible.
"… There are things that can and cannot be asked," said Vandalieu.
He had remembered his hatred and anger towards Yupeon. A countless number of horns and fangs of the Demon King emerged on the surface of Vandalieu's grotesque soul.
He was likely intending to suppress his anger, but Tristan felt a great pressure, incomparable to the pressure Lioen had felt when he spoke to Vandalieu improperly.
It was a good idea to lower the tension with a joke, Tristan thought.
"… If it comes to a battle against Alda's gods, like your battle against Ravovifard, and they surrender and beg for their lives, I want you to hear them out. For the sake of the world," Tristan said.
"For the sake of the world?" Vandalieu repeated.
"That's right. Our master Peria-sama fell into slumber and I was forced out of my position as a god of the water attribute by Alda. There should not be enough gods in the world managing the water attribute right now. The other attributes are in a similar state, with the exception of the light attribute."
As one of the generals of the army that had been on the losing side of the battle, Tristan couldn't even imagine how Alda and his subordinates were maintaining the world now.
But the great gods were absent and the subordinate gods on Vida's side had been exiled or sealed away. There was no doubt that there were not enough gods now.
Believers of the gods of Alda's faction had ascended to become new gods over the past hundred thousand years, but both their numbers and abilities were barely enough to give the gods a temporary peace of mind.
"If Vida's forces overcome Alda's forces, wouldn't there be enough gods once you and the others return to your positions as gods?" Vandalieu asked.
"After the battle, even if we were to win, many of the gods on Alda's side will be exhausted, and we will not be unharmed, either," Tristan said. "Therefore, I want to avoid too many gods being lost… though I think that things will hold together for a few thousand years even if there are not enough gods, and we will manage if Merrebeveil, Fidirg and the others participate in maintaining the world and become accustomed to the task."
The latter part was the plan if the gods on Vida's side were to win the upcoming battle.
The evil gods who had once been a part of the Demon King's army but changed sides had never been involved in the maintenance of the world. The gods on Vida's side expected that the world could be maintained if they were to cooperate.
… As a result, there might be more Devil's Nests forming, strange creatures and plants being born and bizarre natural phenomena occurring, but those were already happening now. They had decided that this would be better than the world being on the verge of destruction.
"I see," Vandalieu said with a nod. "I understand. If they surrender, I will think about accepting their pleas for mercy."
"I thank you, our champion," said Tristan, relieved that Vandalieu had agreed quicker than expected.
Xerxes, the god of battle flags, and Garess, the god of warriors, had thought that it would be impossible to convince Vandalieu and given up on even trying.
They had thought this because they had heard that Vandalieu's personality generally didn't allow him to discard his hatred. However, even Vandalieu wasn't so hell-bent on gaining revenge that he would cause the world's destruction in the process.
But there was one point that he would not yield on.
"Even if I can win, it will likely not be an easy battle," said Vandalieu.
"… No, I think your chances against Yupeon are quite good," said Tristan.
Yupeon had been one of the more influential gods among Peria's subordinate gods, but he had been close to Tristan's equal. Even if the difference had grown somewhat in the past hundred thousand years, he knew that it was unlikely that Yupeon had gained as much power as Ravovifard.
It might be a different story if Yupeon were to completely descend into a vessel in this world, but if that wasn't the case, Vandalieu would almost certainly be victorious.
"Even if that's the case, I can't imagine that Yupeon and the other gods of Alda's forces will surrender so easily. In fact, won't there be quite a lot that will refuse to surrender even when faced with destruction?" Vandalieu asked.
His enemies were gods, after all. They had a different sense of values to that of humans.
And even humans threw away their lives for the sake of their religion. Vandalieu couldn't imagine that the gods that were worshipped by such humans would surrender and lower themselves to denying their own teachings so easily, even if their lives were at stake.
"In that case, I do not mind if you devour and destroy them. All I wanted to say is that if they do surrender, I want you to 'have no choice' but to spare them, for the sake of the world," said Tristan.
He also felt hatred for the way that he had been treated a hundred thousand years ago, and the way that the Merfolk, his children, had been treated ever since.
He and the other gods had once been brethren, brothers-in-arms. But they were enemies now. If Yupeon and the others refused to change their ways of thinking and insisted on causing harm to his children, coming to a firm decision was the natural thing to do as a god.
"I am relieved to hear that answer," said Vandalieu.
The moment he spoke those words, Tristan's coral-reef-like Divine Realm faded and disappeared. It seemed that the audience was over.
However, Vandalieu didn't lose consciousness.
"Hmm?"
Normally, he lost consciousness when he returned from a Divine Realm, and it would be morning when he woke up.
He wondered if he had been summoned to another god's Divine Realm, but that didn't seem to be the case, either.
He wasn't losing his consciousness, but it was rapidly becoming less clear. He was in a state where he didn't have any senses, and he felt like his thoughts were becoming duller as well.
"I see, so this is a dream…"
Vandalieu realized that he was having a dream for the first time in a while.
At the same time, he also realized that the protuberances and scales that he had received from Garess, Lioen and the others were in his hands.
As his mind had been dulled, he couldn't think about the significance of this, but there was something like a path in front of him, so Vandalieu began crawling along it.
Name: Braga
Rank: 7
Race: Black Goblin Ninja Master
Level: 75
Passive skills:
Dark Vision
Status Effect Resistance: Level 4
Enhanced Agility: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)
Intuition: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Detect Presence: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)
Strengthened Attribute Values when equipped with Ninja Equipment (Medium)
Active skills:
Short Sword Technique: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)
Throwing: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)
Silent Steps: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)
Trap: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Dismantling: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Unlocking: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Surpass Limits: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Assassin Technique: Level 3 (NEW!)
Surpass Limits: Ninja Tools: Level 1 (NEW!)
Coordination: Level 3 (NEW!)
Unique skills:
Human Slayer: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
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