LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 38: Chapter 25
No… ¡No!
Renner Theiere Chardelon Ryle Vaiself resisted the urge to pull her hair out until she tore her scalp off.
She had a mission... One of utmost importance. To secure the recognition of Re-Estize towards Deorum Regnum... No matter what she had to do.
Her plan was, during the meeting following the apparent failure of the envoy from Deorum Regnum, to interrupt the nobles with warlike desires, humiliate them a bit, and cause the recognition to be approved with the public apology of the foolish nobles.
It was simple! Easy even! It shouldn't have been any problem for her.
But… But!
"I'm sorry, Princess Renner. But your brother, the Crown Prince, Lord Barbro, instructed that we cannot let you through due to the intense and impressionable topics for a maiden like yourself." Said the guard guarding the door...
"Ah, I understand~ My apologies then~" Her fake smile trembled, and she quickly turned around to prevent the guard from seeing through her facade.
That... THAT IDIOT! SHE WAS GOING TO KILL BARBRO WITH HER OWN HANDS!
HE! HE! HE WAS DESTROYING HER CHANCE TO HAVE CLIMB!
She took a deep breath, calming her furious thoughts before her rage escaped her smiling and perfect mask of a sweet princess.
Her gaze wandered a bit to her side. To her left. And she looked at her puppy.
Covered in gleaming platinum armor... With tender, innocent blue eyes... Intense blonde hair, perfect for combing... And that adorable, serious face, like a puppy trying to look threatening~
She felt part of her annoyance disappear just by seeing him and imagining all the things she could do with him~... But not all of it.
The idiot Barbro was about to not only prevent her future with her puppy but also kill them all. Renner had imagined this could happen, she wasn't so foolish as not to consider that the noble faction and even the royal faction might not allow her to enter or something like that.
However, she had some plans just in case. Some alternatives. They required more time, some favors, and even the risky scenario of trying to negotiate something else with them...
Although, in almost all scenarios from now on, war was inevitable...
And going to war against that... Thing... Just the very idea of going against a monster like that gave her chills...
She felt the gaze of the agent left by that woman. That 'Shady Devil' who acted as Her channel of communication between that 'Beyond Human Sight,' and Renner, with that man mentioned being the channel between the Demon and the Queen of all those monsters.
If she failed... She would know... Immediately...
There wasn't even a guarantee that the Dark Devil wouldn't kill her at this instant.
Even with Climb here... That Devil was surely capable of killing Gazef Stronoff and Brain Unglaus. That, or Renner was overestimating the ability of that thing too much out of her fear.
"Miss Renner, is everything alright?" Her puppy asked, making Renner snap out of her paranoid train of thought.
"... Yes~ I'm just worried about this emissary matter~ That's all~" She gave him a reassuring smile.
But behind the mask she had maintained for years, she was afraid.
…
The Unseelie Count, an Evil Fairy with no name beyond his name as a summons, hummed cheerfully. Even in his carriage with protections against divination, he was unwilling to abandon his disguise as 'the perfect noble.'
However, behind the human facade, he was honestly happy.
Why was such an evil and ruthless being so cheerful? Well, it was simple, he had completed the mission his lady had given him. He couldn't be happier.
His mission was simply to act as an emissary and propose to Re-Estize the offer after requesting recognition. Whether they accepted or refused was within his lady's plans.
And since his route was also dictated based on his secondary mission, he did not go directly to Deorum Regnum.
Instead, his route had passed from the capital of Re-Estize to quickly traverse the entire southern area. All especially easy thanks to the Seer's Sleipnirs, capable of opening [Gate] and flying as their only abilities besides being faster mounts than common horses. Ironically, they were also stronger than adamantite-class adventurers, as they were level 70 permanent summons created by Superbia herself.
For what purpose? To spread the new word of his Lady, of course~
He was assigned a large entourage of level 50 Devils summoned by Queen Dont. They all had the same objective. To introduce the religion of Deorum Regnum in Re-Estize.
Each was left in a village or small town. No place as important as E-Rantel, or that had the risk of having Adventurers capable of detecting Demons, but they would start with small places.
The Devils should have already used their abilities to erect statues in worship of their Ladies and start preaching Their word.
The Unseelie chuckled, happy to see the carriage pass through the [Gate] of one of the Sleipnirs, leaving him a few meters from one of the nearest cities of Deorum Regnum to Re-Estize. The sacred city named by the unyielding Black Abyss•White Flower; Wercheg.
A beautiful and imposing fortress city with expectations of becoming an important trading city due to its proximity to the borders of Re-Estize, the Slane Theocracy, and the Draconic Kingdom.
The Unseelie Count hummed, satisfied with his work. He would bring good news to his lady.
After all, what could go wrong?
…
Philip Dayton L'Eyre Montserrat, the 3rd son of a low-ranking noble family, looked out the window of his room at the medium-sized town surrounding his family's small mansion.
He was bored… He had nothing to do, and it wasn't as if they gave him anything to do. As the 3rd son, he had low priority in the line of succession, and only in the worst case would he be the heir to the family.
After all, a tragedy would have to happen to his older brother before he got married, and then another to his 2nd older brother before he also got married. Only then would Philip be the sole heir to the Montserrat house.
And for a rural noble family, it was a waste to spend resources on a 3rd son.
In fact, he was sure they would soon kick him out to work in the fields, or serve in the army, in whatever they thought Philip would do best. Well, not really, since they held little importance beyond superficial utility as a minimum pawn to marry into some other family, something unlikely to happen because, again, his family was of low rank, and Philip himself was just the 3rd son.
He clicked his tongue with a frown.
If only his father would listen to his brilliant ideas… They could make the Montserrat house reach the place of the 6 Great Nobles together…
But of course, who would listen to a 3rd son of a rural noble family? So he extinguished the flame of anger, as nothing could be done about it. For now, of course. And while his intellect would surely make him rise from any ugly field or battalion of cowards he was thrown into, it was going to be… Difficult.
At least he wished to find a pretty woman to marry for now… But well, again, Philip's destiny would lead him to great things, but first, he had to deal with the most difficult part.
He blinked when something caught his attention amid his thoughts…
It was a marble statue… Rising in the town square.
He frowned.
That… Definitely wasn't there. And he hadn't drunk a drop of alcohol all day.
He got up to get a better view of the statue…
It was a statue of a woman… Was she… What were they called? A paladin? Yes, a paladin with Angel wings.
He had to admit the statue was a wonderful sculpture. He had never seen something so marvelous.
He shook his head, focusing his attention on the base of the statue… There was a… Man… Preaching? He was dressed in robes in a mix of black and white in harmony, while holding a large book mixing the same colors… At least that's what he could see from this distance.
He frowned once more and quickly prepared to go into town.
…
The armor made of polished and raw platinum appeared. Its bright blue eyes scanned the meeting point.
And it saw only two individuals.
The first was a robust golden armor, with several magical yellow glows along the armor, with wings like yellow fabrics sprouting from the back and being waved by an invisible wind.
A long draconic tail made of golden scales, and a large mane of white hair sprouting from the back of the helmet with two horns and the white mouth. Two bright golden lights could be seen through the eyes of the helmet.
{Golden Armor PNG}
She was sitting lazily and relaxedly in the dusty stone chair, with both feet on the table.
And beside her, there was another suit of armor.
Silver, like a medieval knight, with 'leather' belts and straps, blue fabrics with golden embroidery from the waist and wrists, and a large dark blue cape over the shoulders but under the silver pauldrons.
Her helmet was simple, with a visor with vertical slits like any typical knight's helmet, with a long mane of silver hair from the helmet, almost like her golden companion, with two bright blue lights from within the helmet.
{Silver Armor PNG}
The knightly armor was sitting more firmly and seriously, with arms crossed.
"... Gold... Silver..." The platinum armor greeted simply, using the names that very succinctly described the armored duo.
"Ah~ Tsai-" The golden armor, called Gold by the platinum one, raised a hand in a lazy greeting.
"It's Platinum." The white armor interrupted dryly, with seriousness, almost seeming somewhat irritated.
"Right, right~ Welcome~ We have alcohol, gambling, and women~" He said relaxedly, only to tilt his head back and wag a finger in a scolding or ironic signaling manner. "Ah, no, right~ You didn't approve of making the meeting point a nightclub~" He spoke again, with amusement in his voice, as if telling a joke from the past.
"And it might end up being a battlefield if you don't shut up." The knightly armor sighed, with a rather violent and annoyed tone.
"Woah~ Calm down~ Silver-kun~ Just kidding~" The golden armor raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, but his tone certainly showed that he was incredibly amused.
Silver just snorted irritably.
"... Scarlet hasn't arrived yet?" Platinum asked, looking around to check for the absence of a 3rd member, as, in the worst case, he might be hiding to play a prank or something like that, which Platinum definitely wouldn't find funny.
"Nope~ That maniac is still doing his act of having been killed by Zalaz-kun and Gessen-kun to make them look strong~" Gold laughed.
"If he doesn't come, let's get this started already. Wasting time is one of the things I hate the most." Silver grumbled.
Platinum was about to speak, but a red flash caught the attention of the trio present.
And a powerful appearance was visible. He was as tall as the others, but unlike them, his form was more... Disordered in design, more 'chaotic,' without a particular shape. Helmet, breastplate, greaves, arms, everything was a jumble of undulating plates with a rocky appearance of dark metal, with strong scarlet glows between the armor and the uncovered parts, giving him the name by which he was dubbed.
{Scarlet Armor PNG}
"Scarlet. Later than usual." Silver said to the newcomer.
Scarlet walked toward those gathered.
"Don't expect apologies for the delay. You shouldn't have gathered so quickly in the first place." He exclaimed in an annoyed tone. "Much less to simply satisfy your 'schedule,' Silver." He sat down, prompting a growl from the silver armor.
"Enough. It's not time to pounce on each other's throats. I called you here for a reason. I imagine you all felt it."
The atmosphere in the dusty stone circular room grew somber.
"Cakonyiius..." Gold murmured. After all, his last memory with him was an unpleasant fight... But still... He didn't want him to die... Gold clenched his fists.
"... Yes. Jet was killed." Platinum confirmed, preferring to stick to code names rather than real names.
"And who was the culprit? Anything with that much power could tip the balance of this world." Silver said to the group.
"... I think it's obvious 'who' the culprit was, Silver... Eel never leaves his lair. Mama Bird isn't interested in anything that happens in the world as long as it doesn't really bother her, much less in the depths... Mummy Guy is on the other side of the continent, still as always. Old Joe isn't hostile to any of us. And the Leech isn't interested in the blood of his own kind. This leaves only one option."
"It could have been one of us." Scarlet interjected, almost hoping the others would turn on each other, and also not wanting to arrive at the option Platinum was talking about.
"If it had been one of us, not everyone would have attended." Platinum countered, earning a click of the tongue from Scarlet.
"If we're really talking about this 'Komodo Demon,' then it is more capable than we thought. Between the destruction of Baharuth and the death of Cakonyiius, there's not even a week's difference. We're talking about a Player of extreme power. And perhaps something more... One of 'those' objects... After all, for something to survive his Wild Magic..." Silver trailed off.
"Hey, Platinum. Didn't you have a chance to kill this Komodo toad a few days ago?" Gold asked, almost accusatorily.
"... Yes. I fought it alongside the adamantite-class human adventurer, Titania. The human demonstrated a unique Talent that temporarily equipped her with high-level Player gear... And even so, the Komodo Demon managed to escape my [World Isolation Barrier] with some kind of teleportation. So, there are three possibilities. Either it somehow managed to break through my barrier on its own, possesses one of 'those' objects, or has True Dragon blood and access to Wild Magic, which would rule out it being a Player in the first place." Platinum explained.
... Immediately, all heads turned to Gold.
"W-Wait! I-I don't remember mating with any monster! You know I only like Dragonesses and humanoids!" Gold said hurriedly, almost appearing to sweat despite being an armor. "Though there's that bear..." He murmured while grabbing his chin, recalling it with quite a bit of joy and pride.
With a sigh, Platinum shook his head and prepared to redirect the conversation. "... Anyway, we—"
(Platinum.) A voice interrupted in his head. It was through Wild Magic, so after the initial scare, Platinum calmed down, placing a finger to his temple.
(Yes? I'm busy.)
(It's... Worm... We'll have to talk about my code name later. Anyway, it seems you didn't receive the envoy at your 'hovel.')
(Was that an envoy? A pigeon entered through a window and left me a note smaller than a gold coin with even smaller writing that seemed like it was done by a doctor.) Platinum argued.
(It was for security and discretion!)
(It's useless if I can't understand it!)
He almost wanted to grumble, but the other three armors were staring at him.
(Anyway. What is it? You know I'll go to the Council in 4 years to discuss national matters.)
(An... Envoy arrived. It's from a new country that formed in the former territory of Baharuth.)
Platinum paused and paid close attention to 'Worm.'
(Continue.)
(It's called Deorum Regnum. They offer favorable trade agreements to compensate for the loss of Baharuth and—)
(If it were just that, you wouldn't have called.)
(... They request an alliance against the Komodo Demon in exchange for recognition as a sovereign and independent state.)
If the armor could open its eyes, it would have, but it opened its eyes elsewhere. In a huge floating castle above a desert.
He remained silent for several long moments, thinking deeply at high speed. And he made a decision.
(... I see. They have my vote to support such a state. If they can truly help, they will be welcome.) After all, they needed all the help they could get to deal with a Dragon Lord killer.
(... Understood.) Worm sighed. And with that, the message ended.
Platinum removed his finger from his temple and was kindly greeted by Gold.
"So? Done meditating with Buddha?" He joked. After all, that chubby, bald, golden human was a 'deity' the Players brought in some of their waves to the New World, and it was fun to tease Platinum with that because he had several statues of that 'God' among his treasures.
"... A kingdom has been forged on the remains of Baharuth... They are willing to help against the Komodo Demon."
The room fell silent.
"I don't think something 'newly made' can be of any use against something that killed one of our own, and one of the strongest even." Silver said, sounding very unconvinced by such help.
"However, all support is welcome. Even if it's just an army of common humans, they can serve as a distraction or force to deal with the smaller Demons."
"Re-Estize has already been a site where the Komodo was. Miserable humans have no chance here. It would be easier if I just destroy their entire army and we all destroy the Komodo Demon together. There's no place for the weak, they would just be a hindrance." Scarlet said with a growl at the end, declaring his disdain for weakness.
Platinum avoided sighing, looking at the member who had not spoken until now.
He was holding his chin... He looked deadly serious and thoughtful.
"Gold, any thoughts?" He prompted him to speak.
"Hm... Do you think the queen of that country is hot?" He asked with total seriousness, earning a punch on the nape from Silver. "Ow! Hey! If there's a hot king, I can leave him to you!" He received another blow.
Both Platinum and Scarlet sighed.
"... Alright then. We need to review some information before we can conclude this meeting." Platinum nodded, ignoring how Gold and Silver were trying to slap each other like a pair of annoying children.
He could almost see a pair of bumps on Gold's head if he weren't an armor.
"If you don't like big tits, I can introduce you to my great-great-granddaughter! She turned out to be a very cute loli!"
"NO! AND I DO LIKE BIG-! ENOUGH WITH THIS!" Silver said, almost growling, refraining from continuing, his schedule was being exceeded.
"What a bunch of kids." Scarlet mocked. "Everyone knows big asses are better."
Platinum wanted to groan but refrained while rubbing the temples of his armor.
…
"Ngh…!" Black Abyss let out a pained groan, making Dont worry.
They had been working quietly when Black Abyss suddenly clutched her stomach tightly, doubling over as if she had received a severe blow, or worse.
"... Mishirifus, use a higher-level spell."
"Y-Yes, my queen." Princess Miko stammered. "[Nightingale Pledge]." The figure of an ethereal angel appeared behind Mishirifus for a moment before entering Black Abyss, causing her to sigh somewhat in relief, though she still had a pained expression.
"..." Dont looked at Black Abyss silently, stroking her forehead despite how sweaty it was.
In silence, she 'examined' her inventory mentally, seeing the black, draconic helmet that was all that remained of the Deep Darkness Dragon Lord.
"... This 'Wild Magic'... It's worse than taking a Level 10 attack… Every day after I took that hit… At the same time I received it… I started with burn damage over 50% of my HP, and even though today it was only 15%... It feels like I've been pierced again..." Black Abyss said in a pained tone, but slowly recovering. "It's like he hit me with a damn World Item..."
Dont frowned, deeply disturbed by what Black Abyss said.
"Hmm… Is that so?" She began connecting some dots. "By any chance... Did you leave your World Item with Titania before facing that guy?" She asked seriously, grabbing Black Abyss's hand to help alleviate the pain. She held back the urge to hiss in pain at the Angel's grip, which threatened to break her hand bones due to the difference in physical stats.
"Ah… Yes… It was just a trip and… I didn't think the Dwarves would be a danger..." She said, taking a deep breath.
It didn't take long for Dont to form a theory. It wasn't guaranteed to be 100% correct, but she preferred to use this opportunity to ensure a defense against certain types of items and a possible defense against this magic.
"... From now on, you'll have your World Item with you at all times. I'll give the order for all Level 100 NPCs leaving Titania to inform me so I can give them a World Item, which means only 3 can be outside at the same time unless something arises." She said seriously with a frown. "... It's just a suspicion, but if this 'Wild Magic' has the effects of a World Item as you describe... Only a World Item can counter the effect…" She grimaced. "Though I don't know if it will eliminate the effect you already have on you… This is just a guess, and it might not be world-effect magic but very strong abilities instead."
"... I'd rather endure this agonizing pain than use a World Item to remove it..." The Paladin growled, reluctant to waste something so valuable on something as trivial, to her at least, as her suffering.
"You'll just have it on you." Dont sighed, looking at Mishirifus, who kept casting healing spells and pain-relief spells. "Tell this to Bachelory. From now on, Black Abyss will have Wanda, Maria, or one of the Miko Princesses, including you, by her side until further notice, along with a Mercenary NPC specialized in healing. Inform me of anything related to this 'effect' she has..." The order made Princess Miko shiver, but she nodded determinedly.
"Of course, my queen. It will be done." The Nekomata nodded, more than willing not only to obey a Supreme's order but also to protect, help, and restore the Supreme Lady who was so afflicted by this unpleasant effect.
Black Abyss let go of Dont's hand, sitting up straighter and letting out a sigh, still feeling pain but not as much as before.
"Right… Since this effect started, I completely forgot what we were talking about yesterday… Do you remember the flaming necklace?" Black Abyss said, reaching into her inventory.
"Oh… Right. You stored it, and I forgot to have someone use [All Appraisal Magic Item]..."
"Yes… I couldn't figure out what it was, so it must be something above level 70..." She said, taking out what was actually a ring made of fire from her inventory. Its flames didn't seem to have any effects as she placed it on the table between the two Supremes.
"Hm… I'll have Bachelory examine it. He should be able to tell us precisely what it is." Dont nodded to herself, grabbing the ring and storing it in her inventory.
Then, the Demon Queen looked at the Cat Girl.
"Mishirifus… You must understand that nothing about Black Abyss's condition should circulate in Titania outside the select group. I don't want them talking about it either. And have Maria silence any rumors or gossip about it. This MUST NOT be public in Titania." She ordered imposingly. Even though she was new to being a queen and understanding feelings and people, she was sure that having one of their Goddesses wounded and in pain would deal a brutal blow to morale.
Princess Miko put on her most serious expression and gave a deep bow.
"I won't disappoint you, my ladies."
With her right hand, Black Abyss patted Mishirifus between her cat ears, stroking them with a smile.
"Que buena gatita~ {Such a good cat~}" The Paladin said between pats.
Princess Miko blushed and let out a slight squeak accompanied by a brief purr, even though she didn't understand what the Supreme said.
"G-Gah! M-My apologies, my l-ladies, I-I must go and fulfill my o-order!" She excused herself nervously, earning a smile from the duo of Supreme Ladies as she quickly left the room.
Dont looked at Black Abyss and stroked her hair.
"Soft~" She chuckled. "I have to braid your hair someday~"
"Huh? Ah, yes… It is quite soft. But… Braids? They wouldn't suit me..." The Paladin said, raising an eyebrow.
"Fufu~ We'll see~" She said with an almost malicious smile. Then she softened it. "Everything suits you~" She murmured softly.
"Mm? What did you say at the end?" The Paladin looked at Dont, confused.
The Sniper blinked, and before she could get as nervous as Mishirifus, the Demon Queen took the reins and calmed Dont forcibly, though the nerves remained.
"A-Ah, uh. Ahem. N-Nothing." She said, looking away, earning an even more confused and lost look from Titania's Angel.
…
Philip blinked as he watched in disbelief, while the guard 'escorting' him simply observed the scene in total silence.
"Of course~! Who else could create a utopia of duality~! Angels and Demons living together as one under the wonderful rule of our Goddesses~! Who are they, brothers~!" The Devil asked the small crowd forcefully, who looked at each other until one spoke up.
"Were they… Onics and Movius?" The young man asked the preacher.
"Yes~! But you must say it with soul~! And say it correctly~! The Goddess of Good, Mobius! And the Goddess of Evil, Onyx! SAY IT LOUD, GOD DAMN I-"
"What kind of nonsense is this?" Philip said loudly enough to get their attention, causing the preacher to almost pierce him with a look despite wearing a gentle smile.
Philip felt a cold sweat run down his back, not intending to draw the crowd's attention, and the preacher's intense gaze was quite disturbing.
But with his incredible genius, he coughed into his hand and looked at the preacher.
"Ejem. Excuse me, what are you doing here? Do you know this is the territory of the Re-Estize Kingdom? Here we… Uh… Worship the Four Great Gods…"
"Use to worship~ My dear friend~ The Goddesses of Good and Evil~ The Goddesses of Duality~ Are the future~ Right, companions~?" He asked the crowd.
The peasants looked at each other somewhat uncertainly. A few shrugged and vaguely nodded.
If Dont-Say-My-Name were here now, she would laugh at how easy it was to indoctrinate and even change human ideals when they faced hard times. Similarly, there were others who weren't very happy with the attempt to change their thoughts and opinions, but those who had started to insult and do other nonsense against the Devil were kept away thanks to a couple of non-damaging abilities from him.
"Some may not like it~ But your children will love it~" The preacher said, then looked at Philip.
Philip grimaced, until an old voice came from another place.
"What is this blasphemous pagan talking about!?" It was the priest of the Temple of the God of Fire, one of the only two churches in the entire village, though it was large enough.
He was accompanied by a younger man, the priest of the Temple of the God of Earth.
"I speak of the TRUTH! These poor souls still worship dead gods… But I bring them SALVATION~! THAT IS THE GODDESSES BLA- MOBIUS AND ONYX~! WHO STILL LIVE, AND WILL LIVE FOREVER!" He said with great fervor, earning a few nods from the villagers.
"Well, he has a point…" Some said.
"I could give it a chance." Others assured. But such words disgusted the priest, as well as Philip. Although the latter because of how complicated things would get if a holy war started in his own territory.
"Huh!? Are you listening to yourselves!? Who saved humanity from extinction!? Who lent us a hand when everyone was against us!? That's right! It was the Four who did it! And now you're going to turn your backs on them and pray to these…!? These false pagan idols!?" The Fire Priest attacked.
"Who do you think cures your diseases when you need it?" The Earth Priest said more softly but with a frown.
"BLASPHEMERS! Where were your 'Four' when the Komodo Demon cold-bloodedly murdered millions!? When he destroyed half the capital! They may take your money in exchange for curing you~ But MY GODDESSES GRANT YOU A LIFE WITHOUT SICKNESS OR PAIN~ AND THEIR ONLY DESIRE IS YOUR WORSHIP TOWARDS THEM~! No gold or jewels~ After all~! What use are such earthly and mortal luxuries to Goddesses~!?" He said, raising his hands to the sky with a charming tone.
Amidst his speech, what the preacher insinuated… Free healings? Now, Philip couldn't allow that. Philip was never a man of faith. Rather, he mainly believed in the power of destiny and the legendary and luxurious future it had prepared for him. However, even so, he couldn't allow something like 'free healings' to happen. After all, a percentage of the church's profits went to the noble landowner in exchange for protecting the temples, so if a new religion came offering everything the Four's word offered for free… It would be disadvantageous for business… And since Philip was still part of the Montserrat house, if something serious happened, even as a third son, his father would be forced to pay for church services, which came with a discount due to the aforementioned protection.
"Now prove it! Touch the statue of our Goddess Mobius and receive eternal life!" The preacher said, pointing to the statue, which began to glow, earning several surprised looks. "Without fear, brothers~! If my Goddesses boast of anything, it's being benevolent~ You! Touch my Goddess's feet!" The priest said to a young man who seemed to have a bruise on his eye.
"F-Fine…" He said, somewhat intimidated by the social pressure of having all eyes on him, approaching the statue and slowly placing his hand on the plates that formed the shoe of Goddess Mobius, and… "Eh…?" He stopped feeling pain in his eye, and when he turned around, the villagers saw… They saw his eye was in perfect condition.
"I-It was true…" Some said.
"It-It's a miracle." Others affirmed, but the anger in the human priest's eyes wasn't contained.
This was just the beginning of the conflict between the word of the Four and the Six against the Absolute Gods… And it would not end well for Re-Estize.
On the other hand, Philip grimaced as a clever and incredible plan passed through his head, making him smile while ignoring the theological battle between the preacher and the two priests of the Four.
…
"[3rd Meal: Gluttony]" Upon using the skill, the corpse of a woman convulsed as some ethereal smoke seeped through the palm of the Infernal Archiarchaeologist.
He sighed with satisfaction as he felt his mana recharge and his 'experience' increase.
The gain was minimal. She was a weak woman. But strangely, among weak Semihumans and humans, humans gave more experience. Therefore, just by eliminating most of the population of this city, he had already leveled up.
The Archiarchaeologist hummed with satisfaction as he tossed the corpse aside, while an Infernal Executioner lined her up to be used as a catalyst for another permanent summoning.
His appearance was incredibly different from before.
His claws had extended much more than before, and he had grown several more inches, reaching a height of 2 meters. His shoulders were broader than before, but his slim waist didn't give him as robust a look as one would expect from a being specialized in magic. The spikes on his vertebrae extended further, with his feet almost becoming heels.
The golden crown now had red cracks pulsating through it, turning the once majestic crown into something cruel and malevolent.
He was now a Level 3 Demiurge.
He felt proud of how he had progressed from being a weak Level 34 Infernal Archaeologist to a Level 3 Demiurge in just a few days.
Of course… His personally summoned companion by Her Majesty sacrificed himself so that he could reach this point… And he would cherish the Infernal Protector in his memory for as long as he lived.
He would attribute his success to his fallen companion when he presented himself before Her Majesty.
He shook his thoughts as the Infernal Protector he had summoned passed him another corpse. It was a soldier.
Not just any soldier. It was the particularly strong warrior who managed to defeat a couple of Infernal Soldiers before dying to the summoning skill.
Well, particularly strong compared to the other humans.
"Umu. Once I consume your soul, I will use you to summon something strong." He murmured with a nod.
He grabbed the corpse by the neck and used his skill.
"[3rd Meal: Gluttony]" Again, the ethereal smoke was absorbed by the Archiarchaeologist's hand, and the corpse was tossed aside. He pointed a finger at it and used his last daily summoning. "[Create Mid Demon: Infernal Commander]"
The corpse turned to ashes, and a pentagram of fire appeared beside it.
The powerful Level 48 Demon appeared with a loud roar, before the Archiarchaeologist ordered him to organize the troops.
He was a Demon with Commander classes, obviously. With him, his 'soldiers' could gain improvements equivalent to up to 5 levels.
He looked like a tall and imposing knight in dark gray armor, with golden details, red straps, a terrifying helmet with a strange 'v' shaped visor glowing in red, with two similar marks on the sides of the helmet, what seemed to be metal wings on the sides of the helmet, and a kind of red scarf acting as smoke being carried by the wind.
{Infernal Commander PNG}
The Archiarchaeologist hummed as he contemplated the next step of his plan, which was intertwined with the threads of Her Majesty's pre-planned schemes.
He thought about the humans he had let escape. Several elders, some priests, women, children, and a few soldiers. Among them, an archer or something like that who killed one of the Infernal Mages he had summoned.
It was a waste not to have been able to catch him, but he let it slide.
He had to allow humans to reproduce and grow so he could farm them again.
However, he would farm the existing ones first.
He wouldn't give them time to inform the rest of the country. His attack would be a perfect arrowhead, catching them by surprise.
He grabbed another corpse and used the same skill as before, gaining the small amount of residual experience from the corpse. He hummed with a certain level of joy as he leveled up.
"Hm… Level 61… I don't think I should continue as a Demiurge, because if I level up now, I won't be exploiting its full potential… I should continue improving my classes." He nodded to himself, grabbing the 'unique' class unlocked by the conditions he met. A class that, while insignificantly inferior, like comparing a common cat to a tiger, elevated him one step closer to the level of royalty and power of Her Majesty, the Demon Queen. Although, of course, he would be little more than a mere knight in front of her royalty.
Prince Paimon.
...
It was night time.
And Queen Calca woke up completely sweaty, breathing heavily…
She touched her body, neck, and face, making sure she was in perfect condition and in the real world.
That nightmare… A nightmare about a monster with red eyes like Hell bringing fire, chaos, death, and fire to her kingdom…
She saw him ravage the temples of the Great Gods as if they were nothing but sandcastles, turning his back on them…
She vividly remembered how the Demon slowly turned around to look at her through that black mask but like a mirror, with a red symbol glowing on the mask…
She got out of bed, ignoring the cold stone floor. The floor felt warmer than her right now from the number of shivers running through her body.
She went to the balcony. She looked out over her kingdom.
She sighed in relief knowing it was all just a nightmare. Her kingdom was fine… It was perfect…
There were no Demons, no fire. And the temples of the Great Gods were still standing.
She looked up at the starry sky and thanked the Gods that it was just a nightmare… She prayed it wasn't a vision of the future…
...
Far away from the capital, Pabel Baraja ran with all the energy he had.
He had to get home… Even though he was a few kilometers away and his lungs screamed for rest, and his legs cried out from exhaustion, he couldn't stop.
He had to get to his wife and daughter.
It didn't even cross his mind to report what had happened or warn the forces of Kalinsha.
His priority was his family.
He kept running even though it took him hours.
He could feel the claws of that… Monster around his neck even now.
And that gave him the strength to run. Both from fear and from a determination not to let his loved ones fall into the clutches of such a Demon…
Even if it's the last thing he does.
...
It was nighttime.
And Philip smiled with pride as he had managed to gather enough peasants and guards with the help of the priests of the temples.
They weren't very quiet, they walked to the central square, where the large statue of a paladin woman with angel wings but without a face rose in perfect marble.
Philip looked at the priest of the God of Fire. Kyleos or something like that was his name.
"After you~" He made a somewhat elegant gesture he had seen his brother do.
Kyleos smiled and grabbed one of the rotten tomatoes from the last harvest that were about to be used for compost. But they could afford to waste a little.
"Thank you, young man~ The Four bless your name~" He smiled, before throwing the tomato at the statue.
… Nothing happened. Which made Kyleos smile.
The priest of the God of Water grabbed an orange and threw it too, once again staining the statue…
And so, the peasants and the priests began to throw rotten fruits and vegetables at the statue, insulting the false Goddess it represented.
Philip, on the other hand, organized the soldiers to put ropes around the statue.
He was a genius~
Now he had the favor of the church, ensuring him at least some favors, the support of the followers of the Four~
… The Devil watched from an alley as those inferior and stupid beings dared to… To… Blaspheme against his Goddess. Against his Goddesses.
He clenched his fists with anger but kept his gentle smile, controlling himself.
But a thought made him break out in a cold sweat and shiver…
He had to… Report this to… The Queen of Deorum Regnum… Lady Superbia…
He swallowed hard as he cast [Message]…
…
The Marble Queen, Nitocris Hatshepsut Divinus Deorum, or better known as the Commander of the G.O.D.S. Army, the Superb Duchess of White, the Archduchess of the Pact Palace of Titania… Or simply Superbia, finished listening to the [Message] sent by one of the Devils summoned by Queen Dont…
The Insectoid gently tapped one of her chitinous fingers against her marble desk.
… And kept doing it…
Until she exerted too much force and accidentally split the desk in two.
But she didn't flinch.
She ignored the frightened squeal of the High Succubus acting as her personal servant, or the trembling metal sounds of the Fairy Knights guarding the door to her office.
The Insectoid Moth… The Acheron Moira growled with all the self-control she had, avoiding breaking her perfect composure.
… But this insult would not go unpunished… Especially after hearing the reports from the Shadow Demons and the Shadow Devils in Ro-Lente Castle…
They wanted a war, huh… Those fools… Those useless ones… Those inferior, insignificant, and despicable trash… If they wanted a war so much, she would bring them a massacre.
… But with a deep breath, she avoided doing anything rash to fail her role as Commander as she delicately combed her antennas with a soft touch.
She had to inform her ladies, her Goddesses. They would understand the gravity of this insult, and they would approve of the measures Superbia planned to implement towards Re-Estize.
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Name: Princess Mishirifus Almamba
Creators: MichiXMichi, State-Your-Business
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