Chapter 85 - 165

Chapter 165: Improve yourself and let us compete

There were two figures standing in a wasteland some distance away from the Majin nation, a dangerous region where Rank 5 monsters roamed, a place the average adventurer wouldn't survive a single hour.

"GAAAAAH!"

"UOOOOH!"

The 'Sword King' Borkus raised his black greatsword into the air. Vigaro, the four-armed Ghoul, let out the roar of a lion as he swung his axe sideways.

The air vibrated as the two weapons collided, the shockwave shaking the boulders nearby as if they were flimsy toys. Even monsters that were normally ferocious had fled like mice in fear of these two.

"You've grown stronger, haven't you, Vigaro! Not as strong as me, though!" Borkus shouted, a provocation mixed in with his words of praise.

Neither of them showed any killing intent. But Borkus had accepted Vigaro's request of a match with the same spirit and equipment as a real battle.

Vigaro frowned and let out a low growl. "It does seem that my skill isn't as great as yours yet."

His combat ability had clearly increased. When Vigaro and Borkus first met, Vigaro was far below Borkus, completely unable to defeat him unless Borkus was taken completely by surprise. Even with only a single arm and a sword with only the handle remaining, Borkus would certainly have defeated Vigaro in a battle.

But in Talosheim, he had acquired a Job and gained strength rapidly.

I have the superior Attribute Values, but the difference isn't great enough for the match to be decided by that alone. Jeez, these members of Vida's races that have Ranks get stronger twice as fast as everyone else, Borkus thought.

When members of Vida's races like Ghouls and Vampires that possessed Ranks gained Jobs, their Job Levels and their Monster Levels increased at the same time, so they developed more quickly than humans or monsters. Borkus learned of this from watching the development of Vigaro and the other Ghouls.

… They didn't stand out much compared to the Dhampir who was developing at a steep diagonal angle away from common sense, however.

"But I received guidance! I received advice from a strangely tall, skinny Vandalieu that appeared in my dreams!" Vigaro exclaimed.

"… I've said this a few times, but are you sure that wasn't just a dream?" said Borkus.

"Honestly, I sometimes think that might be the case. But thanks to that dream, I've mastered it!"

The tension in the air had loosened for a moment, but now, it returned again in an instant.

"So, you did awaken your superior Skill! Alright, I'll put it to the test!" Borkus declared.

"Yeah, I'll show you my power now that I've gained what I was lacking!" Vigaro roared.

He normally wielded three battleaxes and a shield, but now, he threw his shield into the air over his head.

"Huh?"

For a moment, Borkus thought that Vigaro was just making a show of throwing away his defense to devote himself entirely to attacking, but he raised his greatsword nonetheless, not letting his guard down.

And then he saw a fifth arm silently extend from Vigaro's back and snatch the shield out of the air.

"… Huh?!"

"Here I come!" Vigaro roared.

"Wha -?! Wait, what the hell is that you just grew from your back?!" Borkus shouted, his discomposure clear.

But the now five-armed Vigaro closed in quickly.

Three of his arms, which were longer and more flexible than those of a human, were wielding battle axes, while the remaining arm grasped the ground to support his body.

"Tch!"

Despite his discomposure, Borkus defended against the three axes, which were all aiming at different parts of the body with different attack timings, with his greatsword and defensive movements. And then he swung his weapon back in retaliation.

"GAH!"

But the shield held by the arm growing from Vigaro's back deflected Borkus's blade. Taking advantage of this opening, Vigaro swung his three axes and unleashed a fourth attack from his free elbow aimed at Borkus's legs. He positioned himself low against the ground, attacking from a position that would be difficult for Borkus, a Titan Zombie, to deal with.

"Leaving the reason that you've grown an extra arm aside, it seems that you're using your fifth arm to maintain your defense with your shield while using your free arm to adapt to the situation," Borkus observed. "But it's not good enough!"

Borkus's powerful front kick deflected one of Vigaro's arms. And then he ignored two of the axes and moved straight forward, closing the gap between him and his opponent, and swung his sword down.

"GYAOH?!"

Vigaro immediately tried to stop the attack with his shield, but he was smashed into the ground by this attack from above, his fifth arm unable to withstand the power of Borkus's sword.

"Guh… I still can't use them properly. Spirit Form and Materialization," groaned the defeated Vigaro.

The fifth arm growing from his back was not a part of his body, but his spirit form that was extending from it.

"Now that you mention it, I had a feeling it looked a bit transparent. But I'm surprised you managed to learn those Skills when you're not even Undead. What a weird guidance," Borkus muttered.

"The tall, skinny Vandalieu tore off a part of himself and then told me to eat it. I did, and then it grew from my back. When I woke up, I was a Rank 10 Ghoul Astral Tyrant and I'd acquired those Skills," said Vigaro.

"… That dream's a nightmare. Never mind that, what's the name of your superior Skill? An old buddy of mine had Axe King Technique, but yours is different, right?" asked Borkus, pulling out the one axe that had buried itself in his leg.

The names of superior Skills were different for each person. The most popular ones were 'X King Technique,' but there were many cases where the Skill names were different due to the Skill owners' fighting styles and mental factors.

"It's Death Lion Axe Technique," said Vigaro. "At the moment, I can't maintain my fifth arm for long because of my inexperience and lack of Mana, but I'll catch up to you soon."

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it," said Borkus.

Meanwhile, Basdia was watching the fired-up conversation between the two men.

"They asked me to come to make sure that nearby monsters wouldn't interfere, but… I wasn't needed, was I? Well, I got to see something unexpectedly valuable, considering that I was just killing time while Jadal comforted Mother."

As a warrior, she didn't dislike heavy scenes like this, and she was satisfied at having been able to witness a battle between two exceptional fighters.

And then she grouped up with them to treat Borkus's leg, which had been almost severed due to the reckless way that he'd fought.

Incidentally, she had become a Rank 9 Ghoul Amazoness Chief before seeing Vandalieu in her dreams, but she was still waiting for her advancement to Rank 10.

While Borkus and Vigaro engaged in their fired-up conversation, Vandalieu was inside a certain Dungeon.

The Palace of Hell.

This was the ninety-nine-floor, high-difficulty Dungeon in the Majin nation. As a palace, its interior structure was like the inside of some kind of building, but the environmental hazards were top-class, such as the pools of magma in the courtyards and entire buildings that were made of ice.

Other than the monsters that were simply animals with Demon-like features, like Devil Octopuses and Demon Apes, the monsters of the Dungeon were all actual Demon-type monsters, which were moving, condensed masses of contaminated Mana.

Monsters like Lesser Demons could be defeated with a little caution for their great physical ability and moderate ability in magic. But the weakest Demon-type monsters that appeared in this Dungeon were Rank 7 Greater Demons, Lava Demons and Frost Demons.

They were sly and highly capable in combat and the use of magic, and their most prominent feature was that they possessed numerous special abilities. These came in great varieties, such as spells that were cast with Chant Revocation, special venom, roars that damaged the minds of those who heard them, great regenerative abilities and the ability to temporarily become invisible.

And as Vandalieu and his companions travelled deeper into the Dungeon, there were even more powerful enemies, like groups of Rank 9 Demon Generals and Rank 10 Archdemons led by a Rank 11 Demon Lord.

And although the materials that could be taken from the monsters were valuable and had high monetary value, almost none of them were suitable for consumption. Thus, those who came to clear this Dungeon had to bring their own food.

Because of this Dungeon's nature, even most of the Majin, who were highly capable in combat and could acquire Jobs that allowed them to tame Demon-type monsters, couldn't manage more than reducing monster numbers in the shallow and middle floors.

That was supposed to have been the case, but… Vandalieu casually walked down a corridor whose floor and walls were made of polished stone.

"Hmm… we've only had a handful of fights so far," he said, looking at the Demons lined up on both sides of the corridors like palace guards.

They weren't monsters tamed by the tamers of the Majin nation; they were ordinary monsters that inhabited this Dungeon.

Despite that, they showed no signs of intending to attack Vandalieu or those following behind him.

"Perhaps they have been charmed by you, just like the Undead we encountered in our first Dungeon, Bocchan?" suggested Sam, who was carrying the luggage in his carriage, remembering the Dungeon that he and Vandalieu went into during their hidden journey out of the Mirg shield-nation.

"It seems that it's different from my charm and guidance," said Vandalieu, looking at the Demons.

He extended a hand, and the Demons standing in front of him trembled slightly. There was fear in their reptile-like eyes.

"It seems that I'm scary to them," Vandalieu said.

The Demons feared Vandalieu so much that they had abandoned their instincts as Dungeon monsters to attack and impede the advancement of intruders.

"Monsters of Dungeons are scared, huh. This would be unthinkable in any ordinary Dungeon…" muttered Godwin, the Majin king.

The minds of monsters spawned inside Dungeons were influenced by the Dungeons to eliminate intruders and cooperate with other monsters to some extent to achieve this task.

But unlike monsters spawned by Vandalieu's Dungeons, monsters spawned by ordinary Dungeons had souls. Thus, Dungeons did not control their monsters' minds completely.

There were cases where monsters would run and hide from overwhelmingly powerful enemies or become tamed by those with very good compatibility with the monsters.

But there were almost no such cases for Demons.

They were beings created when corrupted Mana gathered to form bodies and souls inhabited them. No matter how strange most monsters were, they had desires and instincts as living organisms, but Demons did not.

They had no limited lifespans; they were able to continue living forever without sleeping, eating or reproducing. It wasn't that they couldn't do these, but they were nothing more than leisure activities for them.

Thus, it wasn't rare for Demons to simply throw their lives away for fun. The more powerful Demons were, the stronger this tendency was. They didn't value their lives, surrender or try to flee from battle.

The reason they couldn't be tamed by those who were not Majin, who possessed special characteristics as a race, was because of these un-organism-like values.

"Hmm, I wonder why? I haven't really even fought any Demon-type monsters before," said Vandalieu.

"Though this is but a guess, perhaps it is because you possess the Demon King Title and the fragments of the Demon King?" Sam suggested.

"That's probably it," Godwin said, hitting the palm of his hand with the fist of his other. "It's said that Demon-type monsters began forming after the Demon King created them to be his own servants. They're probably trembling in fear of the increased presence of the Demon King inside you, kid. But since there are a lot of things different from the presence of the Demon King Guduranis, they won't obey you. That might be the state that they're in."

"I see. That might be how it is," said Vandalieu. The Demons didn't confirm or deny Godwin's theory, but he was convinced.

"I am still unable to tame even a single Lesser Demon… and yet, Archdemons are as meek as cats before His Majesty. Perhaps I should say that it is to be expected, but…" The 'Liberating Princess Knight' Iris Bearheart, former leader of the resistance who had survived after receiving fatal wounds by transforming into an Obscene-Majin Succubus, let out a sigh.

She had transformed from a human to a Majin through the 'Blood Cocoon' ritual carried out by Godwin, but less than a year had passed since then, so she couldn't handle Demons well like natural-born Majin yet.

"Iris… that is something that even normal Majin take ten years to learn. It is nothing to be disappointed about," said the spirit of Iris's father George, who resided in the dark magic sword, the Orichalcum holy sword Nemesis Bell that had been remade by Vandalieu into Nemesis George.

Iris had acquired the Cursed Spirit Swordsman Job, which was a Tamer-type Job, but the only monster following her was the spirit of her own father George. Even then, she had been reunited with her father because Vandalieu had given him to her, so she wasn't aware that she had tamed a monster, nor did she have the experience associated with doing so.

And the monsters she was trying to tame were Demons, which were more intelligent than beasts and yet had completely different mental structures from humans. It was only natural that she would struggle to tame them.

"Hmm, do you want to try a Demon Centaur next time?" suggested Godwin, who had become a second 'father' to Iris after conducting the ritual to transform her into a Majin. "You're used to handling horses, right?"

But his daughter did not give a favorable response.

"Judging from its name, that Demon isn't a horse, is it?" said Vandalieu.

"That's right, Your Majesty. They are Demons that have the lower bodies of horses like Centaurs. They might look similar, but they are monsters that are different from horses and Centaurs, so… I don't know if knowing the Mount Skill would be of any use," said Iris.

Demon Centaurs were low-Rank Demons like Lesser Demons, with great mobility on the ground making up for their inability to fly.

Of course, they were completely different from military horses and horses that were used as mounts.

"Godwin, could you not at least use Demon Horses?" said George.

"Those are just Demon-like horse monsters," said Godwin. "Even if Iris tamed one, it wouldn't count as proof of Iris's adulthood, George."

"But even if you make her do something that she is inexperienced in -"

"George, that's being just a bit over-protective. Your way of raising children doesn't match mine at all!"

It seemed that George and Godwin often disagreed on how to raise their 'daughter' Iris.

As Vandalieu looked up at Iris, she averted her gaze in embarrassment.

"As a Majin, I am still a minor, so… I am treated as such by those around me, and it seems that my fathers are influenced by that as well," she said.

In the Majin nation, Majin that had not been deemed worthy of being adults were treated as minors, regardless of their appearance or real age. Iris was no exception.

Even the renowned Liberating Princess Knight of the Sauron region was nothing but a newborn chick.

"I see, fathers worry about their daughters' upbringing, too. Now that I think about it, I also did… no, even now, I do still worry about them," said Sam, feeling sympathy for George and Godwin as he remembered his own daughters.

Though if Saria and Rita were to hear this, they would respond with, "No, Father is just strange."

"I have been complaining that I want to become an adult as quickly as possible, so the two of them have been giving me as much knowledge as they possibly can," Iris explained.

"I don't think you need to be in such a rush, Iris. I think it would be good for you to think of this as a time to learn and take your time in expanding your strengths," said Vandalieu.

"What you say is reasonable, Your Majesty, but I am referred to as 'Ohime-chan' by the people of the Majin nation… the thought of this continuing for years is unbearable."

"Ah, that might cause you some stress."

Iris was being treated as a child by the people of the Majin nation and even the human, Dwarf and Elf citizens. That was how the nation's system was, so it was only natural for them all to treat Iris that way.

But Iris likely felt pathetic, as she had been an adult in human society until last year.

"Now that I think about it, Kachia and the others said that they weren't treated that warmly by the Ghouls right after their transformations," said Vandalieu, remembering Kachia and the other former female adventurers who had lost hope in living and transformed into Ghouls to live new lives as his followers.

In other words, just like Kachia and the others back then, Iris still hadn't adapted to her new, vastly different environment and social position.

Vandalieu touched her hand that wasn't holding George to cheer her up, thinking that as someone more experienced, he should give her some advice.

"Iris, you might not be able to believe this, but you'll get used to it one day. I was completely bewildered when I was reborn, too," he said.

He had felt very uncomfortable being raised as an infant after his second reincarnation, this time as Darcia's son.

But his moments of bewilderment and confusion had gradually become less frequent. At the same time, the personality of Amamiya Hiroto of Earth and the Undead of Origin changed, becoming Vandalieu of Lambda.

He still possessed the memories from his previous lives, but he could no longer remember how he had endured so many irrational circumstances and continued living on in Japanese society.

"I see… I thought that you would have adapted straight away, Your Majesty," said Iris.

Sam and even George and Godwin, who had been arguing until moments ago, found interest in this conversation and joined in.

"Is that true? I believe that when I first met you, many aspects of your speech and behavior were not very child-like," said Sam.

"Even recently, I feel that rather than being a child… you often behave in strange ways," said George.

"Yeah, I think ordinary children would be scared if they were carried around in iron-claw grips," Godwin agreed.

As they said, Vandalieu had many visible un-childlike aspects. He was expressionless and his voice was flat-toned, and he appeared calmer than was appropriate for his age. Vandalieu could understand this.

"Well, even if I get used to this world, it's not like I forget my memories and experiences from my previous lives. I was reborn as a baby with my previous memories and personality, but various things might be different for Iris," he said. "The Vampires like Eleanora and Bellmond might be more similar to her."

The Vampires outside the Boundary Mountain Range considered themselves 'born' from the moment they transformed from their previous race.

Whether they had been twenty years old or six years old at that moment, they were treated as immature individuals in Vampire society. Their positions in those societies progressed as they improved the Skills they gained by becoming Vampires and became accustomed to their superior physical abilities to use them better.

Eleanora and Bellmond had been Vampires of a faction worshipping an evil god, so unlike Iris, they had not been raised with love.

"Hmm, even if we wanted to ask the Pure-breed Vampires in Vida's Resting Grounds to use as a reference, they only wake up perhaps once in a thousand years," said Godwin.

"Couldn't you ask other Majin who were transformed from other races?" said George.

"One of my grandma's older brother's girlfriends was apparently an Elf who transformed into a Majin, but that happened tens of thousands of years ago. She turned into stone at Vida's Resting Grounds ages ago. Unlike the Pure-breed Vampires, almost none of us Majin wake up after becoming stone."

"No, I am aware that the two of you are always thinking out of consideration for me. I am simply not accustomed to it yet, please don't concern yourselves about it," said Iris, stopping this discussion between her two fathers regarding their daughter.

The relationship between the two fathers and their daughter would be considered peculiar in human societies, but it seemed to be a good relationship.

"Really? Well, we shouldn't have this family council in a corridor with Demons standing petrified on either side. But still… I've defeated this Dungeon's boss multiple times, and even I've never been feared this much by the Dungeon's Demons," said Godwin. "How about you take the position of Majin king as well, kid? I'm sure you'd be able to serve as the Majin King in your spare time."

The greatest duty of the Majin nation's king was to periodically clear the Palace of Hell.

The Palace of Hell, which was created by Gufadgarn, the evil god of labyrinths, had the role of preventing the haphazard generation of Dungeons and Demons all over the inside of the Boundary Mountain Range by gathering the polluted Mana and generating Demons inside it.

But superior monsters, even Demon-type ones, possessed too much intelligence and could break free from the Dungeon's influence on their minds about a hundred years after they were spawned. In such cases, they would display troublesome behaviors such as going outside or lurking on shallow floors to ambush intruders.

It was necessary to cull the superior Demons periodically in order to prevent this.

Godwin had performed this task twelve times. But it seemed to him that Vandalieu would be able to do this even more easily.

Indeed, the moment he suggested this, unrest spread among the Demons lined up on both sides of the corridor. Their eyes, which were normally filled with joy even in their dying moments, were now open wide as if to scream, "PLEASE DON'T!"

"I'll decline," said Vandalieu.

It wasn't that he was being considerate towards the Demons, but of course, he had to decline.

"As I thought. But why? I know it's weird for me to say this, but it's quite easy being the king of this nation as long as you're strong. You'd even be able to make more heads and arms to do deskwork, kid," said Godwin.

"Father, perhaps it is because he knows that you are only saying this because you dislike the deskwork?" said Iris.

"Godwin, your term is over in a few more decades, so you should persevere," said George.

"No, I was just thinking that I should quit being king and devote myself to raising my child," said Godwin.

"I am not enough of a child to warrant that!" Iris said in a strong tone with a swing of her tail, seeming to dislike being used as an excuse.

"Muh, if you have a proper reason like that, then… but depending on how I resurrect Mom, she might return to being a baby, so I can't just take on more work like that…" said Vandalieu, thinking seriously about the matter.

"Don't fall for his words, Your Majesty!" Iris said, reprimanding him.

The four of them showed no signs of tension as they proceeded down the corridor and went through the door at its end, entering the chamber in which the Dungeon boss awaited them.

The Dungeon boss, the Archdemon Lord, attacked without showing any fear for Vandalieu. But even that only ended up being a single battle against a Rank 12 monster; it was questionable as to whether this could be counted as going through a Dungeon more difficult than B-class Dungeons in order to prepare for the Trial of Zakkart.

Unlike the contests of strength in the Kijin nation, Vandalieu made use of his Demon King fragments and buried the Archdemon Lord without difficulty.

"Come to think of it, there's going to be a bodybuilding tournament where contestants compete in physical beauty. Why don't you enter to take a break from training?" Vandalieu suggested to Iris and the others.

"Oh, that sounds good. It's an invitation from the emperor, so the civil officials won't complain, either. We can build our relationship, too~♪ We might as well enter, right, Iris?" said Godwin.

"Godwin, how can you suggest that your unmarried daughter enter a competition of physical beauty? Iris, you mustn't enter," said George.

"Chichi-ue, please stop talking as if I wish to enter. Those costumes… It is very much impossible for me. Standing on a stage with a single boomerang-shaped piece of underwear is unthinkable," said Iris.

"No, it's only the male contestants that wear boomerang underwear," said Vandalieu. "The clothes for the female contestants are similar to the latest fashion trends of the Majin nation."

"I see, then… no, I shall decline," said Iris.

She had almost nodded for a moment, but upon remembering what the latest fashion trends in the Majin nation were like, she realized that she would not be able to endure such embarrassment.

『The Level of the Labyrinth Construction Skill has increased!』

One day in May, when half of spring had passed and the beginning of summer was approaching, Kurt Legston was sitting in the audience seats of the theater, watching the faces of his acquaintances as they competed in physical beauty on a stage with oil on their bodies.

"… I can't understand His Majesty's interests at all," he muttered.

'The First Vida's Revival Celebratory Bodybuilding Contest' was unfolding in this theater.

Kurt had been born as the third son of the Legston family of earls, which took turns in assuming the position of marshal in the Mirg shield-nation, and he had continued his life as a military man after being recruited by Vandalieu. He had no hatred for muscles.

In fact, he admired those with well-trained bodies. But that admiration was for physical abilities that manifested from minds that could endure steady training and the muscles that formed as a result.

In contrast to this, the main purpose of this bodybuilding event was to compete only in the appearance of those well-trained bodies.

The contestants struck poses, the men wearing boomerang underwear while the women wore bikini-type clothing.

Even now, Vigaro was showing the biceps of each of his four arms, while Borkus twisted his body to show off his femoral muscles and the muscles on his arms.

Kurt did know that the average knight's neck would be broken if they received a punch from one of those arms, but he saw no combat-related meaning in the poses themselves.

"Haven't you entered, Kurt? Participation alone awards pomegranate juice and V-oil," said his older brother Chezare Legston, who had entered the theater partway through the contest, taking a seat next to Kurt.

He had become Talosheim's general after becoming an Undead, and he was effectively the prime minister now.

"… Ani-ue, please stop with the jokes. Do you want to see me strike poses with a smile, wearing only a single pair of underwear? I have no intention to embarrass myself and enter a competition I have no hope of winning in exchange for pomegranate juice and oil… though I do know that the oil is a valuable commodity," Kurt said with a dejected expression.

As he had once been a knight of a knights' order himself, he had quite the well-trained body even now. But he was aware that he had no hope of winning against the favorites of each category like Vigaro, Borkus, Godwin and Miles.

Thus, despite giving Kasim and Haj gazes of pity as they participated in the contest on the stage, he had no intention of joining them.

But V-oil… the special oil that Vandalieu had created by extracting oil from the Demon King's blubber and adding various other ingredients to it, was perhaps valuable enough to embarrass himself for. It was effective in treating a variety of conditions, such as dry skin, burns and hair loss. It was apparently also good as a beauty product.

Incidentally, it was the oil that all of the contestants had put on their bodies.

But Kurt's hairline hadn't retreated from the front line of defense, so he could likely do without it.

"It's not that you have no chance of winning. The event is divided by gender into four weight categories, for a total of eight categories. Maybe you can't take first place, but you should have hope for achieving top five," said Chezare.

"Then you should have entered, Ani-ue. Undead that aren't Skeletons can enter, can't they?" said Kurt.

"I'm sure you know that even when I was alive, I was more suited for managing military affairs than showing my valor as a knight or commander. My body reflects that," said Chezare.

He had far less talent for being a warrior than Kurt; he didn't have much confidence in his physical beauty or physical abilities.

"If His Majesty didn't take me in, I would never have even become a general," he said.

"… Though you say 'taken in,' you were killed and turned into an Undead, and what you're doing now is mostly the work of a prime minister," Kurt pointed out.

"Leaving that aside, Kurt, a vassal shouldn't ever say that they 'can't understand' their master's interests."

Just as there were subordinates on Earth who took part in the hobbies of their superiors, it wasn't rare in the human societies of Lambda for vassals to join their masters in their hobbies. Fishing, hunting, poetry, gourmet food, musical performances, board games and such.

In the human societies of Lambda, relationships between vassals and their masters continued for longer than modern-day Japan, especially for nobles and knights. Thus, these activities were even more important.

Vassals could have the masters they would serve for their entire lives decided from birth, one day marry the daughter of their superior or the relationship could even fail completely, resulting in the vassals being imprisoned for treason by suspicious masters… though this last possibility didn't occur very frequently in reality.

In any case, it was normal for vassals to have some interest in their masters' hobbies.

"… Knowing His Majesty, I can only imagine him saying, 'Everyone is different,' Ani-ue," said Kurt.

"Chichi-ue and Alsard-aniue are going to take their families and flee their nation," said Chezare. "His Majesty is taking them in, so how can we not devote ourselves to him?"

"Well, that's true."

With multiple uses of Legion's ability to teleport to hold secret meetings, it had been all but confirmed that Chezare and Kurt's family, the Legston family of earls, would defect to Talosheim.

This was the result of Chezare and Kurt, as well as Vandalieu himself, persuading them.

… Chezare and Kurt's father, Cecil Legston, seemed to have complicated emotions upon learning that one of his sons had become an Undead and the other had betrayed his motherland, but he hadn't expressed them before Vandalieu.

He had learned that the son that had become an Undead was much livelier than he had been while alive, and that both sons had become more successful than in the Mirg shield-nation. In addition to that, Isla, who had been on the expedition of four years ago, had explained the truth behind it.

With her Unique Skill, Transformation, she had transformed herself into the mercenary leader that she had joined the expedition army as, greatly helping to persuade the two.

"Even if he himself doesn't mind, that doesn't mean we can simply keep relying on his kindness. I know that," said Kurt. "I know that, but… no, I suppose I do understand the event that's taking place now."

Chezare looked in the direction Kurt's gaze was directed as he changed his mind. The men's division had ended and the women's division had started.

Basdia, Jeena, Borkus's daughter Gopher and Gizania struck their poses in turn.

"Kurt… well, you're not the only one," Chezare muttered as he heard the men's cheers and whistles.

They were equivalent to the high-pitched cheers of the women when the men's division had been going on.

"They stand on a stage in light clothes to compete in physical beauty; even the contestants knew that this would happen. That's why His Majesty created security Golems to ensure that the audience wouldn't get onto the stage," said Kurt.

But he didn't notice the large sigh of relief coming from Iris, who hadn't known this and was now very glad that she wasn't participating.

"Some of them are wearing clothes that cover more than their usual clothes, aren't they?" Kurt added.

"That's true, but… By the way, I wonder if Chichi-ue is going to bring everyone like we suggested," said Chezare.

During the discussions with the Legston family, there had been several moments when Vandalieu had said, "There are probably things that are difficult to say with me here" and sat outside to keep watch with Legion.

At those times, Chezare and Kurt had included several suggestions on what they should do if they decided to desert the Mirg shield-nation along with their words of persuasion.

"Alsard-aniue said that he doesn't have any concubines yet… we investigated carefully, but it doesn't seem that he has any illicit lovers that he's keeping hidden," said Kurt.

"Then I suppose it will be his long-serving servants, those with nowhere else to go, his loyal knights and their families," said Chezare. "Perhaps it is a good thing that the family lost power due to the incident involving me. It makes managing the numbers much easier."

Normally, there would be no problem in leaving behind any hidden lovers and all the servants but a few. But Vandalieu taking care of all of these would certainly have an effect on the Legston family's impression of him.

They wouldn't force Vandalieu to try and bring everyone, and they would likely take their own family's situation into account, but the image of Vandalieu inside Cecil and Alsard worsening would be unavoidable.

"Since His Majesty said that, he's the kind that looks out for those in weak positions," said Chezare. "As that's how this nation was built, I don't think there are any problems. In fact, I was one of those in a weak position when I died."

Their master Vandalieu had always been on the side of the weak on Earth and even in Origin. There was a difference in how weak he had been in each world, but he had always been in a weak position, on the side that was thrown aside and discarded.

Thus, he had been sympathetic and ignored his own gains and losses to extend his hand to the spirits of a nobleman's former servant and his daughters who had been killed by bandits, a girl who had been attacked by adventurers, the dead people of the Titan nation that had been destroyed by the Mirg shield-nation, the cultivation village built by refugees chased from their homelands and the Scylla race that had been forced into their own secluded territory.

It wasn't that he thought the strong were bad, hated royals and nobles or detested the wealthy.

But he didn't think that the weak were always right, nor did he think that justice lay with either side.

However, he always directed his gaze towards the weak first.

It wasn't logical; that was just his nature.

"I don't have any complaints, either. I was taken in along with all of my subordinates, too. But I think it's a way of thinking that isn't compatible with the royals and nobles of human societies. And this doesn't need to be said to you, Ani-ue, but until just recently, our family was an ancient and honorable, upper-class family of earls in the Mirg shield-nation," said Kurt. "For the sake of our nephew's future, please, don't do anything strange, Oyaji-dono."

"It's not that I don't trust Chichi-ue and Alsard-aniue, but…" Chezare muttered.

Even if Cecil and Alsard wanted to discard everyone other than their own families, Vandalieu wouldn't reject them. He had made a promise to Kurt, and he would take the situation into account.

But this would inevitably lead to a difference in the way they were treated after they came to Talosheim. To Vandalieu, Cecil and Alsard would be nothing more than 'Chezare and Kurt's father and older brother,' nor would he ever need to rely on them.

They were unlikely to be neglected, but they wouldn't be put in important positions, nor would they be trusted.

Chezare and Kurt wanted to avoid that as a family, so they prayed that Cecil and Alsard would listen to their advice, for the sake of their newly-born nephew as well.

… They wanted to believe in them, as they were family, but at the same time, their unease didn't disappear, knowing that they were in shaky positions because they were nobles.

The spectators of the contest, who didn't know anything about Chezare and Kurt's situation, looked at them curiously as they put their hands together, facing the stage.

"I wonder why those two are praying?"

"… Maybe they really loved the female contestants' poses?"

Name: Vigaro

Rank: 10

Race: Ghoul Astral Tyrant

Level: 2

Job: Demon Warrior

Job level: 7

Job history: Apprentice Warrior, Warrior, Axeman, Axe Master, Magic Axe User, Great Axe Master, Berserker

Age: 173 years old

Passive skills:

Dark Vision

Monstrous Strength: Level 2 (Awakened from Superhuman Strength!)

Pain Resistance: Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)

Paralyzing Venom Secretion (Claws): Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)

Strengthened Attribute Values when equipped with an axe: (Very Large) (LEVEL UP!)

Magic Resistance: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)

Endless Sexual Stamina: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Slaughter Healing: Level 1 (NEW!)

Physical Resistance: Level 1 (NEW!)

Active skills:

Death Lion Axe Technique: Level 1 (Awakened from Axe Technique!)

Unarmed Fighting Technique: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)

Commanding: Level 5

Coordination: Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)

Deforestation: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)

Dismantling: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)

Shield Technique: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)

Surpass Limits: Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)

Surpass Limits - Magic Axe: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)

Parallel Thought Processing: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)

Spirit Form: Level 2 (NEW!)

Materialization: Level 2 (NEW!)

High-speed Thought Processing: Level 1 (NEW!)

Unique skills:

Zozogante's Divine Protection (NEW!)

Garess's Divine Protection (NEW!)

Monster explanation:

[Ghoul Astral Tyrant]

A monster race title achieved by Vigaro when his Rank increased after he received Vandalieu's guidance. It is thought that this race title can be achieved by a Ghoul Arch-tyrant that acquires the Spirit Form and Materialization Skills.

As Spirit Form and Materialization are Skills that are almost impossible to acquire for anyone but Astral-type monsters and Undead, it is thought that Vigaro is the first Ghoul Astral Tyrant in Lambda.

His strength in combat has increased remarkably after the awakening of his superior Skill, but he is still unaccustomed to using it, so he is unable to use it to its true potential.

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Chapter 166: The lawless area in the capital

In his own Divine Realm, Rodcorte regretted the decision that he had made approximately three years ago.

That decision was having the 'Perseus' Samejima Yuuri reincarnated in the Legston family of earls.

It had been immediately after the 'Gungnir' Kaidou Kanata's soul was broken by Vandalieu. It was the time when Rodcorte had become significantly more wary of Vandalieu. But three of the reincarnated individuals, including Perseus, had refused to fight Vandalieu, saying that they wanted nothing to do with him.

And so, Rodcorte had reincarnated them in environments where they would likely one day be forced to confront Vandalieu whether they wanted to or not.

"The decision should not have been an incorrect one at the time," Rodcorte murmured to himself.

Vandalieu had already acquired the Dead Spirit Magic Skill at the time, but he hadn't acquired the Guider Job, and while the Demon King's blood resided in his body, he hadn't ever activated it… or least, Rodcorte hadn't been aware that he had.

And because Vandalieu had thought of the Mirg shield-nation and the Amid Empire that ruled it as threats at the time, he had always been vigilant against them but never made any moves into the enemy nations himself.

That was why Rodcorte had predicted that there would be time before Perseus and the others would have to face Vandalieu, at least enough to develop to some extent… at least enough for them to become adults or teenagers at the very least.

In order to protect the reincarnated individuals' minds, Rodcorte had made it so that their memories and personalities would not return until five or six years after their reincarnation. It could be assumed that one of the reasons Vandalieu gained strength at an abnormal rate was because this safeguard had been removed for some reason, resulting in him regaining his memories and personality immediately after being born and then gaining strength on his own in order to survive.

Rodcorte guessed that this advantage was what had allowed him to defeat Gungnir and destroy his soul at the age of seven. At the same time, he had also guessed that this development would not continue for much longer.

The races of Lambda were far superior to the humans of Earth and Origin in physical ability and fighting strength, but they would always encounter walls in their development process.

Even Vandalieu, who was born as one of Vida's races - a Dhampir - shouldn't have been an exception to this.

"But less than three years after that, he developed so much that he was able to crush members of the Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords, who are among the strongest of Lambda's humans. Ah, there was an Elf and a half-Elf as well, right?" said Aran.

"Elves and Dwarves count as humans in that world," Izumi pointed out. "More importantly, what are we going to do? About Samejima… Sarua. At this rate, he'll be taken to Talosheim soon."

Rodcorte remained silent.

To think that Vandalieu's development hadn't stopped… in fact, it had accelerated, defying Rodcorte's expectations. Now that things had come to this, having Perseus reincarnated in the Legston family of earls, with whom Vandalieu had connections to, could only be called a mistake.

If Perseus was reincarnated in the family of the marshal that had sent the Mirg shield-nation's expedition army to Talosheim, born to a father who had lost his younger brother and his family's reputation with the expedition's failure, would he not feel a desire to fight against Vandalieu once he became an adult?

"That's probably what you were thinking, but… I think you should have thought more about the circumstances that humans face," sighed the 'Oracle' Endou Kouya, who had joined Aran and Izumi in becoming Rodcorte's familiar spirits.

The hatred for Vandalieu of Cecil Legston and the rest of the Legston family of earls was far less than Rodcorte had imagined.

It wasn't that they had no hatred at all, but most of it was directed at the commanders of the expedition army who had made the expedition happen and the filthy traitor who had connections to the Pure-breed Vampires, Earl Mauvid. And it was the Amid Empire's government who hadn't stopped that traitor.

At the time, information regarding Vandalieu had been even more limited than it was now, and the Legston family had only known of him as 'something terrible that haunts the other side of the Boundary Mountain Range.' That was one of the reasons, but their negative feelings were directed towards the Amid Empire, with whom they had already felt discontent to begin with, and Earl Mauvid, whose existence they clearly knew of.

That was the same after Vandalieu had made contact with them and met them face to face.

Chezare, who had been presumed to be dead, had become an Undead and was now in the important position of what was essentially a prime minster. And the family's third son Kurt had survived, becoming one of Vandalieu's important vassals. Cecil and Alsard had complicated emotions regarding these truths.

Aran had looked through and analyzed the records, and his conclusion was that their emotions towards Vandalieu were that they wanted to thank him but weren't sure whether it was appropriate for them to do so.

It would have been normal for the Legston family… no, almost any ordinary family in the world, to raise their voices in anger at the fact that their relatives had been turned into Undead and cry over the fact that their peaceful post-death rest had been disturbed.

That was what Rodcorte had expected.

But the Undead Chezare appeared no different from when he was alive other than his pale face and dead eyes. He possessed almost all of his memories and knowledge, and he had appeared before his father and older brother looking far more content than he had when he was alive.

It seemed that this had caused the Legston family to greatly question everything that they had known about Undead that was considered common knowledge.

As a result of several discussions after that, it had been secretly confirmed that they would defect to Talosheim. Of course, they would take Sarua with them.

"'Depending on how we interpret this, this might become a large chance to kill Vandalieu. Samejima… Sarua will successfully infiltrate Talosheim and will be a family member of an important vassal. Nobody will suspect him. Information gathering will be smooth from now on, too…' You're not thinking anything along these lines, are you?" Izumi asked Rodcorte through half-closed eyes. "That's impossible," she added, before Rodcorte could reply. "You don't even need to ask for Aran's Calculation and Kouya's Oracle to know that. You know, us Bravers have no experience in long-term undercover investigations. Excluding Murakami and his friends, that is."

In Origin, the Bravers had originally been an organization that carried out rescue missions in disasters and accidents. With the extermination of an Undead that had appeared in a secret research laboratory of a certain military nation… Vandalieu, they had started fighting against terrorists and armed groups as well, but ordinary criminal investigations were carried out by the nations' law enforcement agencies.

Thus, Sarua didn't have the skills needed to act as an undercover agent for years at a time. The abilities that he had been given by Rodcorte wouldn't be of any direct use for this purpose, either.

"It seems that he has forgotten his memories and personality from his previous lives, so he's an ordinary baby, but… once he regains them, he'll be suspected right away," said Izumi.

Vandalieu's origins had been made public in Talosheim. If Sarua acted too strangely, he would certainly be questioned.

"I'll ask you just to be sure, but can't you do anything about it? You're a god, aren't you?" said Kouya.

Finally, Rodcorte spoke. "It is impossible. Not unless I use an extreme, irreversible method such as descending upon the world of Lambda with the resolve to use every ounce of the power that I have stored up, walking into the Mirg shield-nation's city and releasing Perseus's soul from his body to reclaim it."

"… That's something a space monster would do, not a god. And you said 'release,' but don't you mean that you're just going to kill him?" said Kouya.

"His soul will not be broken, so there will be a future for him. Of course, that would only be the case if I am not destroyed. The options available to me are limited because I am a god," Rodcorte said.

Sometimes, especially in worlds like Earth and Origin where the existence of gods hadn't been made clear, humans would deny that any gods existed, thinking that the irrational things that happened in front of their eyes would not be allowed if gods did exist.

But the opposite was true. It was because gods existed that irrational things were allowed to happen. That was just how it was.

"His memories, personality and power from his previous lives returned temporarily when he met Legion and heard Vandalieu's name, but he has forgotten them again. His Attribute Values have returned to those of an infant, too. Therefore, I cannot offer him any help from here," said Rodcorte. "Normally, the body would not be able to handle those until it is at least five years old, so he would be fortunate just to have returned to normal without any lasting damage."

It seemed that he had become careless from repeating the reincarnation process. This incident had taught Rodcorte that. He would be more careful from now on.

"Vandalieu is able to guide souls away from my system, into Vida's system. As an ordinary baby with his mind not having returned, Perseus's soul will certainly be led to Vida's system," said Rodcorte.

And once his mind did return, the fact that he was a reincarnated individual would quickly be discovered.

Needless to say, it would be impossible for the other reincarnated individuals to rescue him after that.

The other two who had been reincarnated at the same time as Perseus were babies like him; Rodcorte couldn't send Divine Messages to them.

Asagi and his companions had been reincarnated on the Orbaume Kingdom's side of the continent, so it didn't seem physically possible for them to reach him in time… and even if they did, it wouldn't be feasible for them to smuggle themselves into the country and then kidnap the eldest son of a family of earls.

The Legston family were even more unknown to Asagi and his companions than Vandalieu; they were nothing more than inhabitants of an enemy nation. It was questionable as to whether they would even be able to have a conversation with the Legston family, let alone convince them.

As for the 'Noah' Mao, she had already made her preparations to leave the Bahn Gaia continent and was waiting for her ship to leave.

There was no use in even trying Murakami and Kanako's groups, though each group had their own reasons for that.

"Thus, there is nothing I can do," Rodcorte concluded, giving up on Perseus.

There was a small hope. Perseus might not be guided before regaining his memories and power, or he could die in an unfortunate incident before being guided.

In such circumstances, Rodcorte would be able to reach out a hand and save him somehow.

As long as neither of these happened, Rodcorte had no choice but to treat Perseus as a precious sample.

Unlike Minuma Hitomi, who was one of Legion's personalities, none of Lambda's gods had laid hands on him. Would he still be guided?

If he was, would he still be able to use the cheat-like ability given to him by Rodcorte despite belonging to Vida's circle of reincarnation system?

Perseus was an experimental subject to investigate these questions.

Rodcorte was a god who ruled over reincarnation, in charge of maintaining and managing a smooth system. That was why he didn't take human emotions and circumstances into account like Kouya had suggested.

To him, humans were nothing more than resources that provided souls to pass through the conveyor belt that was his circle of reincarnation system.

Rodcorte had continued to exist this way long before the first organisms were born on Earth. Without even realizing it, he had become a god for whom it was normal to ignore the emotions of nature, humans and gods other than himself.

Even now, he was aware that Aran and his other familiar spirits were discontent with his decision, but he did not reconsider his thoughts.

The only thing Aran and the others could do now was pray that their companions' souls would not be broken.

Vandalieu flew through the night sky over the Mirg shield-nation's royal capital with Flight, holding a map in one hand.

He had completely covered himself with a black cloth just in case, but he was using Blind Spot, the Dark King Magic spell that almost completely erased his presence, so it was unlikely that he would be noticed.

… Though the spirits inside the royal capital always flocked to Vandalieu whenever he came here, so if there was a Spiritualist in the city, they would notice something abnormal.

Well, there was no way to conceal that, so it couldn't be helped.

I'll run away in the unlikely event someone interferes, and I just need to accomplish my objective and then go home.

If he was surrounded by guards or stopped by adventurers, he just needed to run; he was strong enough to do that. Knowing this, he looked down at the townscape below him, getting serious.

Indeed, there was nothing that caused a reaction from Vandalieu's Danger Sense: Death spell.

Well, being overconfident isn't good, so I've done everything I can.

He had set up surveillance Golems and Undead around the houses of the Legston family and their relatives to watch for any suspicious movements. He asked the spirits whether there were any powerful enemy forces like the Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords.

And the desertion of the Legston family of earls and those related to them was already complete.

They had gotten inside Sam's carriage, then Vandalieu had equipped Sam with Group Binding Technique, then Legion had used Teleportation to bring them to Talosheim.

After that, Vandalieu had come back here once more with Legion's Teleportation.

None of the things that Chezare and Kurt had worried about had happened.

They were likely giving a detailed explanation of Talosheim to the Legston family right about now.

… Come to think of it, Sarua-kun froze and stared at me. Am I really that scary? Vandalieu wondered, touching his own face as he remembered Chezare and Kurt's young nephew.

The reason for Sarua's strange behavior was that he had regained his memories and personality once more and become unable to move as he noticed Vandalieu staring at him. But Vandalieu had not yet noticed that Sarua was a reincarnated individual. He hadn't even expected such a thing to be possible.

That was because he assumed that even Rodcorte wouldn't be that stupid.

Since he was unaware of the situation on Rodcorte's side and also not particularly aware that he had gained power at an extremely abnormal speed, that was a natural assumption to make.

A reincarnated individual reborn into a noble family of the Mirg shield-nation, one involved with its army at that, could be killed before they even became old enough to be self-aware.

That was why neither Vandalieu nor Minuma Hitomi of Legion were suspicious of Sarua.

Now then, Earl Palpapek's mansion is…

Vandalieu followed the route he was supposed to take, looking at the map drawn for him by Cecil Legston. According to the information he had received from him and Alsard, Thomas Palpapek had placed his family in a second residence under the pretense of receiving medical treatment, and there should only be a few servants and guards in the mansion now.

It's very helpful that his family isn't in the mansion. It's because Mom's reincarnation is in sight that I have to dispose of him.

Vandalieu had to reduce the chance of Earl Palpapek plotting to kill his mother a second time to zero. That was why he had to kill him now while he still could.

With these thoughts in mind, Vandalieu looked at the mansion in front of him and noticed something strange.

The spirits were clamoring, telling him that it was dangerous. And he could sense an extraordinary presence inside the mansion himself, too.

But the reaction from Danger Sense: Death was dim.

Why? Is there a really strong enemy that I know inside? Vandalieu thought doubtfully as he changed the shape of the mansion's wall with the Golem Creation Skill and snuck inside.

As Thomas Palpapek entrusted his belongings and his life to an old man, he made an expression that was as if he was holding back a deep sadness.

"Don't make that face, old man. It's just in case, for a very unlikely situation," Thomas said.

But the expression on the face of the old man, the steward who had been serving the Palpapek family since Thomas was a boy, didn't change.

"… Bocchan, why not assemble all of the knights serving your family right now… all of the forces that can be mustered from the Adventurers' Guild? No, should you not escape to the royal palace instead?" the steward said.

"I can't do that, old man," said Thomas.

But the old man didn't stop speaking. "You are someone that is absolutely needed by the Mirg shield-nation now; no matter what the circumstances that you cannot tell this old man are, His Majesty the king should not refuse you. He should do everything in his power to help you."

The old man's words were mostly correct. Thomas was someone who was necessary to rebuild the shield-nation's army, and he was the most capable among the people of the military-related families of earls.

The Mirg shield-nation's king would do almost anything to protect him. The old man was confident that even if Thomas had stained his hands with criminal acts, the king would cover it up.

And if the circumstances that Thomas faced were enough for a king to abandon a man that was essential for his nation… if Thomas were the leader of a large-scale criminal organization, or if he had assassinated an important person in the empire that the Mirg shield-nation served, the steward would have taken notice of such circumstances, no matter how well Thomas had hidden them.

Since that wasn't the case, Thomas should be able to get through by clinging to His Majesty the king.

"It is true that this would become a large debt to the royal family, and things may become difficult in the future as a result. But it would all be worth it if it means that you live on, Bocchan," the steward insisted.

But Thomas's answer didn't change.

"Old man, I can't do that… That would mean exposing His Majesty the king, and the entire royal palace, to danger," he said.

The old man was astonished by this response. And then he felt a hunch. The master he had served had stepped past a line that he shouldn't have; he had stepped on the tail of a being that he shouldn't have disturbed.

"How… How could this be… Bocchan… this old man is filled with regret," the steward said.

"Don't say anything more, old man. If you can't confirm that I'm alive tomorrow, follow what's written in this will and take care of my wives and children," said Thomas. "If I'm still alive tomorrow, burn the will and continue serving me as you have done until yesterday."

"… As you wish," said the old man as he took Thomas's will, and then he left the room.

When the old man's footsteps could no longer be heard, another voice spoke.

"It's like you're bidding goodbye to this life, Earl-sama. Is that how little you trust us?"

The voice spoke in a rough tone that was unthinkable to direct at Thomas, who was an earl. Normally, such an insolent person would be reprimanded on the spot.

But Thomas didn't raise his voice as he responded. "I do trust you," he said. "It's because I trust you that I've paid you a great sum of money to protect me, without going through the Adventurers' Guild, keeping your existence a secret from the old man and my wives."

The owner of the voice undid his spiritual magic spell and revealed himself. He was one of the people who had sent Thomas a letter about ten days ago. They had offered to protect Thomas from Vandalieu in exchange for a great sum of money and keeping their existence a secret, and Thomas had seized this chance as his last hope.

"And it was you people who said that something is coming today. You even told me to send the servants and knights out of the mansion until then," said Thomas.

"It's not like I've forgotten. I'm still sober today, see," said the other man. "It's only considerate to send away the servants and small-fry that would only get in the way, isn't it? Even we wouldn't be able to win while protecting more people in addition to you. But… couldn't you have had everyone leave?"

There wasn't a single servant left inside the mansion. But there were still about ten knights that served the Palpapek family.

Thomas had sent several of them outside the mansion to protect the steward, but the rest of them hadn't left the mansion, stubbornly refusing to obey even Thomas's orders.

"That really is not because I don't trust you people, but because they are knights, they cannot leave this place," said Thomas.

Even if he were to explain to them that they might die, leaving their master alone because they valued their own lives would be more problematic for knights.

"I think a living dog is better than a dead lion, but I suppose the adventurer business is different from being a knight," said the other man.

Knights were defined by their honor; their families' meals and their social status were provided by that honor. Thus, the knights that served Thomas, the marshal that was building the nation's army, could not leave his side.

"More importantly… is he actually going to come?" Thomas asked.

A short while ago, a man had appeared in Thomas's office and given a warning: "I don't know what it is. But it's definitely coming this way. It's probably the Dhampir that you're afraid of, Danna."

"Yeah, it's not something as unreliable as a gut instinct. The spirits are withering. Nobody would notice other than spirit users that are as skilled as me, but… it seems like you've made an enemy of someone terrible," the man said.

Thomas gave a bitter smile. Someone terrible indeed.

If he had known this ten years ago, he would have cut ties with the Pure-breed Vampires and tried to support Vandalieu.

If he had done that, perhaps the Mirg shield-nation's independence would have been merely a small problem.

Now that Thomas thought about it, not having done that might have been the greatest of the mistakes that had led to the current situation.

"Oh, he's come into the mansion. He's skillfully putting your loyal knights to sleep and headed this way right now," the man said.

Hearing these words, Thomas stood up from his chair and shook off the impossible delusions in his mind. A nervous, sweaty hand grasped the handle of the sword at his waist.

The sword was a high-class Magic Item, worthy of the head of a family of earls that controlled the nation's army. It was a top-class item among magic swords below legendary-class that could currently be created by humans. But even this weapon and Thomas's ability to fight provided no peace of mind against the enemy that was approaching now.

"Where are the other four of you?" Thomas asked the man.

"One is hidden and focused entirely on defending you. The other three are a little further away, as a part of a strategy to defeat the enemy. And I'm waiting here with you, exposing myself, to draw his attention," said the man.

These words provided much more relief to Thomas than his weapon. The five most powerful people on the Bahn Gaia continent were with him.

"Now that you've calmed down, he's here," the man said.

Before he even finished speaking, the door opened without warning. A white Dhampir boy silently entered the room.

Thomas's mind froze in response to the fact that Vandalieu had arrived with no introduction whatsoever other than the man's brief words.

Meanwhile, the Dhampir boy… Vandalieu, looked from Thomas to the other man in confusion.

"I'll ask just to be sure. Between the military-nobleman-looking person and the person with the nice body and mohawk, which of you is Earl Thomas Palpapek?" he asked.

"Wait a second, there's no way someone like me could be a nobleman. And what do you mean, nice body?!" protested the man… the dark-skinned man with a mohawk and leather clothes with sharp, aggressive-looking decorations.

Vandalieu stared intently at him. "I thought it could be possible," he said.

He thought that if there was an emperor like him, it was possible for a man with a nice body and the fashion sense of a 90's punk could be a nobleman.

"No, there's no way. I've never seen even the stupidest, most useless of noblemen have hairstyles like mine," the man said.

Thomas's mind rebooted and he interrupted the words of the man… a member of the S-class adventurer party known as the Storm of Tyranny, the spirit-user by the name of Dalton.

"Dalton-kun… keep your jokes in moderation. Though I suppose if one is as strong as you are, making small talk with the enemy is something like a greeting," he muttered, looking at Vandalieu once more.

Vandalieu's special features matched the description given by the adventurer from seven years ago. He was small for his age, and his size coupled with the paleness of his skin made him look frail.

But if one looked past the fact that his presence was so weak that it felt like he would vanish with a blink of the eyes and the fact that he was as expressionless as a doll, they would see that the lack of openings in his movements was abnormal.

It was clear that he possessed high-Level combat-related Skills.

"I'm the Mirg shield-nation's marshal, Earl Thomas Palpapek," Thomas said. "So you're the 'Ghoul King' Vandalieu?"

"Yes. I'm the 'Ghoul Emperor' now, though," Vandalieu said, swallowing his saliva and looking up at Thomas.

Other than being a little more well-featured than most, Thomas appeared to be an ordinary military nobleman. He was quite skilled, but it seemed that Vandalieu would be able to beat him to death quite easily without even using the Demon King's fragments or even any magic.

The reaction from Danger Sense: Death was quite dull, too.

That was the great difference between Vandalieu and Thomas's first impressions of each other.

"So, why are you here, Dalton-san? Are the other people of the Storm of Tyranny here as well?" Vandalieu asked.

"Of course, they are protecting me -"

"Protecting this old man," Dalton said, cutting Thomas off. "Incidentally, I'm the only one that's in this country right now."

Thomas looked at Dalton, startled.

Dalton took no notice of this and continued speaking. "Ah, by the way, I'm a Dark Elf, not a dark-skinned human. Look," he said, removing a Magic Item that disguised him and revealing his long, thin ears.

Thomas stumbled backwards in shock, but neither Dalton or Vandalieu even glanced at him.

"Oh, so you were a Dark Elf after all. By the way, is that hairstyle and that fashion for your disguise as well?" Vandalieu asked.

"Hmm? No, they're just my own tastes, but… are they old-fashioned? The elders of my hidden village told me that this was the latest fashion of their own generation," said Dalton.

Vandalieu imagined a hidden village that had probably been full of Dark Elves with mohawks at the time.

"… I'm glad Mom wasn't influenced by that," he muttered. "Leaving that aside, why were you doing something like that? Was it to make contact with me?" he asked Dalton.

Making use of Thomas Palpapek, the one responsible for the death of Vandalieu's mother, in order to make contact with Vandalieu. Naturally, this was a plan that had been thought of by both Emperor Marshukzarl of the Amid Empire and the Pure-breed Vampire Birkyne.

But neither of them had executed this plan.

One of the reasons for that was because it was greatly questionable as to whether Thomas Palpapek would be useful as bait in his current state. But the largest reason was because the objectives of both Marshukzarl and Birkyne could be summarized as wanting to erase their hostile relationships with Vandalieu.

They feared that they would be seen as enemies just by making contact with Vandalieu when he came to kill Thomas. Laying a hand on Thomas might be considered as interference with Vandalieu's revenge and have the opposite effect from what was intended.

And since even the Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords couldn't be relied upon to deal with Vandalieu, Marshukzarl had chosen a more reliable method.

As for Birkyne, there was a high chance that Vandalieu would simply bury his close aides, those equivalent to Ternecia's 'Five Dogs,' if he dispatched them. Thus, he had decided that this was a poor way to try to placate and make use of Vandalieu.

The only ones who had executed this plan was the Storm of Tyranny. However, the way they had executed the plan was strange if their objective was simply to meet Vandalieu.

"No, that's not really it. The truth is we're doing all kinds of things now so that we can cross the Boundary Mountain Range to see you, but we're scared that if we move our assets like the funds in our Guild accounts around too much, troublesome guys will catch onto us," said Dalton. "So, we secretly sent this request to this earl to have him supply the money, and then that's when you showed up tonight."

Dalton and his companions had a considerable number of connections, but they didn't have their own intelligence network. Thus, in the current situation where they were not in contact with gods like Farmaun Gold, their ability to gather information was inferior to Marshukzarl's.

However, they had known that Thomas had been deeply involved in the incident in which Vandalieu's mother Darcia was killed. Though they had never found solid evidence, they had also been certain that he was involved with the Pure-breed Vampires who worshipped an evil god, too.

That was why they had conducted this fraud. By making it seem that Vandalieu's presence was lurking around, by making it seem like they knew things.

"Well, there was the fact that the spirits around here have been moving strangely these days, and Schneider and Lissana apparently saw you in their dreams, so we thought that something was probably going to happen, but… it's almost a complete coincidence that we could meet tonight," Dalton continued. "By the way, has something happened in relation to the goddess lately? I've never been able to acquire the Familiar Spirit Descent Skill, but I suddenly acquired it without warning."

Thomas had been listening to this conversation unfold in confusion, thinking that it was a part of the next plan, but he interrupted Dalton now. "Wait! You bastard, what are you saying?!" he shouted.

Dalton grimaced. "To put it simply, we're followers of Vida, and I'm a Dark Elf, a member of the same race as this guy's mother, the one you had killed. We tricked you. This is enough of a pleasant memory for you to take into the afterlife, right? I've just told you top-secret stuff that very few people know, like the emperor and his close aides."

"Wha -?! You bastaaaards! You tricked me?!" Thomas shouted in rage, drawing his sword.

"Well, yeah," Dalton said lightly, not even taking a fighting stance. "So, what will you do? I don't intend to get in your way. Should I dispose of him for you?" he asked Vandalieu, who wasn't showing any killing intent or anger whatsoever despite having come here for revenge.

At that moment, Thomas's face stiffened not with anger, but fear.

He had remembered that his unsheathed magic sword and own fighting strength offered no protection against this enemy.

"I gratefully accept your kind thoughts," Vandalieu said to Dalton, and then he gazed at Thomas with eyes that were filled with nothingness.

Thomas had a resolve to face death, but it fell to pieces at that moment.

The Storm of Tyranny, whom he had been relying upon as his most powerful allies, had turned out to be a gathering of Vida followers and members of Vida's races, and they had been tricking him from the very beginning. The shock of learning this was too great for him.

And now that his hope had vanished, Thomas's mind had lost the support that it needed for him to face his own end.

"Wait. It's true that I am one of the causes of your mother's death. I admit it!" Thomas shouted.

There was something behind Vandalieu's bottomless-swamp-like eyes, gazing at Thomas. The hand holding his sword trembled in fear.

"But in this nation… in the Amid Empire and all of its vassal nations, having children with Vampires is considered a crime! It has been for hundreds of years, ever since the empire's foundation! Your mother should have known that!"

"She probably did. I've never confirmed it with her, but I do think that she knew," said Vandalieu.

Meanwhile, he was making a choice from the decorations that Thomas was wearing. His belt buckle? Cufflinks? No, I'll take that ring that has his family crest on it.

"In other words, my father and mother are criminals in this nation. From the view of this nation, my mother being burned at the stake was nothing more than the passing of judgment. Which means that my hatred is unjustified. After all, I'm taking revenge for my parents who knowingly broke a law that has been in existence since the foundation of the nation," Vandalieu said.

Thomas's face loosened for a moment. "Th-that's right, so…"

"So, Earl Palpapek, as someone who has been making deals with Vampires who worship an evil god, who will you ask to stop this Dhampir from carrying out his unjustified revenge?"

Thomas's face stiffened once more.

"In the end, what determines what is white and what is black in this world is power. The authority of kings and nobles, the will of the people, the violence that overrides these. Whether hatred is justified or not, if there is enough power to eliminate those who would oppose it and carry it out using force, then that's enough. With that being the case, my unjustified hatred is just as valid as the way you people oppressed Dhampirs and the other races created by Vida," said Vandalieu, approaching Thomas one step at a time, as if to torment him. "By the way, aren't you going to summon anyone to oppose me?"

Thomas felt a deep despair. He knew that there were none who could stop Vandalieu.

His own strength didn't even need to be mentioned, and he didn't know whether his remaining knights were even still alive…

He gave an unconscious glance in Dalton's direction.

Dalton gave a scornful laugh. "Did you want something from this Dark Elf, Earl-danna? You yourself are a traitor of the nation who was making deals with Vampires worshipping an evil god, aren't you? According to your law, that's another crime worthy of beheading, burning at the stake or hanging, you know?"

"For the sake of the nation, this nation, I swallowed that bitter pill and still had to remain standing!" Thomas shouted.

"… I mean, it's not that I really care about what happens to this nation," said Vandalieu.

Startled by Vandalieu's voice, Thomas returned his gaze in front of him just as a countless number of insects and plant branches emerged from within.

"To tell you the truth, I'm not interested in your motives and why you did those things," Vandalieu said. "Because no matter what they are, my hatred and fear will not fade away."

As Thomas heard the grinding of insect jaws and saw a woman with branches emerging from her back, he realized that this was the end for him, no matter what he said.

But even though he understood it, his mouth didn't stop speaking.

"… The only one involved in the incident in which your mother was killed is me. My family, my servants and my knights are all uninvolved. They don't know anything, so -"

"More importantly, aren't you going to use that sword?" Vandalieu asked. "If you are, I don't mind waiting."

Thomas remembered that he was still holding his sword.

Overcome by an impulse that he couldn't resist, he activated martial skills and swung his sword at Vandalieu.

"Kuh! Rapid Reaction! Instant Flash!"

His footsteps had never been so nimble; his sword had never felt as fast in his entire life as it did now.

It was a terribly slow movement compared to the charge of a Rank 12 Archdemon Lord, however.

Vandalieu effortlessly deflected Thomas's magic sword with his claws, sending it flying away. Emptiness filled Thomas's eyes.

"Now then, please eat everything other than his right hand," Vandalieu commanded.

The insect monsters including Pete and Eisen's branches flooded in towards Thomas. His dying screams were quickly drowned out by the sound of their feeding.

And as Thomas's soul emerged, Vandalieu grasped it, broke it and devoured it.

"I don't give a damn what happens to your family and vassals," he muttered.

He became briefly intoxicated by the flavor that filled his mouth as he devoured Thomas's soul and the refreshing feeling of having taken revenge against one more enemy.

Thomas Palpapek had been an earl, but still a mere human. It was something in Vandalieu's mind that made him feel like his soul was more delicious than that of a familiar spirit. It was said that the sense of taste was affected by the current state of mind, after all.

But doesn't that mean I've been wanting to kill my enemies by devouring them? Hmm, this might be a dangerous thought. I'll be more careful next time, Vandalieu thought as he savored the aftertaste of Thomas's soul. Ah, my Level increased, too.

Pete was holding Thomas's right hand in his mouth, offering it to Vandalieu. "Gishaah."

"Hmm, thank you," said Vandalieu.

At that moment, Dalton, who had been calm until Thomas's death but was now a little shaken by Vandalieu's un-childlike behavior and the way he had killed Thomas, called out to him.

"Ah. Could I have a moment? I'd like to talk about what's going to happen from now on."

Dalton had heard some things from the raging evil dragon god Luvesfol whom he and his party had partially sealed and from the heroic god Farmaun Gold. But Luvesfol had only experienced a single battle with Vandalieu in which the marshlands had been taken from him, and Farmaun didn't know the details of what Vandalieu was capable of either.

But there were various things that Dalton needed to talk about and decide upon with Vandalieu, which was more important than asking questions about each and every thing that he had just witnessed.

"We can't really do it here, so I want to change locations," he said.

"Very well. But I have two more tasks that need to be done now, so can we discuss things while I do them?" Vandalieu asked as he re-absorbed Pete and the other monsters into his body.

Dalton frowned. "It's not that I don't understand how you feel, but… I can't recommend that you go to the Baby Bird's Relaxation or Lakira."

The former was a high-class inn with proper security, where the servants including the old steward had fled to, and the latter was the town in which the Palpapek family's second residence was, the location of Thomas's wife and children.

Dalton didn't have favorable emotions towards this nation's nobles, and he hadn't lived a life that made him qualified to explain the meaninglessness of revenge. But the sight of women and children being devoured alive wouldn't be a pleasant one. That would be even more true if the one carrying that murder out was someone who was loved by the goddess.

Dalton was hoping that Vandalieu would give up on that.

"No, I'm going to the base of some criminals called the Ahrai Family," said Vandalieu.

It seemed that Dalton's guess had been wrong.

"I-is that right? Then it's fine. By the way, why are you mentioning a mafia group like the Ahrai Family?" he asked.

"I'll explain on the way," said Vandalieu. "By the way, if you're hungry, would you like to eat something? If you don't mind dried fish, I can give you some right now."

"No, that's not why I mentioned an inn!"

"My dried fish and other food has become strangely delicious lately. I'm confident in it, you know? Or would you prefer some fruit?"

As they shared this conversation, Vandalieu left the Palpapek mansion with Dalton, holding Thomas's ring in his hand.

The only thing he had left behind was a chipped magic sword and a large puddle of blood.

Name: Gizania

Age: 36 years old

Title: None

Rank: 8

Race: Ushioni Samurai Master (Large-build Arachne)

Level: 17

Job: Onimusha

Job level: 7

Job history: Apprentice Warrior, Warrior, Swordsman, Samurai, Magic Sword User, Samurai Master

Passive skills:

Night Vision

Superhuman Strength: Level 9 (LEVEL UP!)

Strengthened Agility: Level 6

Strengthened Attack Power when equipped with a katana: (Large) (LEVEL UP!)

Enhanced Physical Ability (Carapace, compound eyes, body fur): Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)

Strengthened Attribute Values: Loyalty: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)

Strengthened Attribute Values: Demon Path: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Thread Refining: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)

Rapid Healing: Level 5 (NEW!)

Venom Secretion: Level 1 (NEW!)

Active skills:

Katana Technique: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)

Armor Technique: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)

Unarmed Fighting Technique: Level 6 (LEVEL UP!)

High-speed Travel: Level 3

Surpass Limits: Level 8 (LEVEL UP!)

Coordination: Level 4 (NEW!)

Surpass Limits: Magic Katana: Level 4 (NEW!)

Parallel Thought Processing: Level 1 (NEW!)

Familiar Spirit Descent: Level 1 (NEW!)

Unique Skills:

Zanalpadna's Divine Protection

Garess's Divine Protection (NEW!)

Monster explanation:

[Ushioni Samurai Master]

A race that was born when Gizania, an Arachne Samurai Master, received Vandalieu's Guidance.

Horns resembling those of a bull have grown from her temples, and the physical strength of her entire body has increased. Also, she has gained regenerative abilities and the ability to secrete venom.

Her chest has become larger, but as this occurred without warning inside a Dungeon, Gizania was a little troubled by this - in terms of her armor's size.

Skill explanation:

[Divine Enemy]

A superior Skill awakened from Hostility. It includes the effect of Hostility, and further increases damage dealt to gods and their followers such as heroic spirits and familiar spirits, as well as to those who have received the divine protections of gods.

This effect also applies against those who have activated the Familiar Spirit Descent Skill or its superior versions.

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