Chapter 161: A chance meeting with a goddess
Privel, who had made camp on a floor about ten floors above where she had fought the Cyclopes, woke up from the strange dream.
Being given a crystal and fangs by an enormous Van-kun, I can't say much about Isla.
Normally, wouldn't it be an adult Van-kun appearing in her dreams? A mountain-sized, child-form Van-kun had suddenly come to play. That was the kind of dream it had been.
Well, it's not that weird to have one strange dream, right? she thought, and then she got up. She stretched and opened her eyes.
"Maybe it's that strange dream's fault… My head is spin - Monsters?!"
Privel was startled to see that there were small Dragons lying on the ground around her.
The Dragons, whose eyelids had been closed, woke up and began crying in surprise.
"Shaaah?!"
"Gyaauh?!"
At that moment, Privel's vision distorted and she went into a panic.
"I-I'm surrounded?! Where is everyone?! I-I have to get away!��
Privel had begun training in not only magic but combat abilities as well, but she wasn't capable enough to be able to deal with being surrounded by enemies in all directions.
She began reciting an incantation and tried to gain some distance from the Dragons.
At that moment, Isla appeared from behind Privel and gave her a chop on the head.
"Calm down," she said.
"Haguh?!"
Isla had only held back slightly; Privel staggered upon receiving the blow. And then Pauvina, who had apparently been hiding somewhere, ran to her and pinned her arms behind her back.
"What are you doing?!" Privel demanded, thrashing about to try and escape Pauvina's arms. "Th-there are Dragons right there!"
"That's what we're trying to tell you, look closely. Look where the Dragons are coming from," Pauvina said.
For the first time, Privel noticed that something was strange.
The Dragons were crying, but they weren't trying to attack her or Pauvina, who was holding onto her.
"Look closely," said Isla. "Here."
She took hold of the head of one of the Dragons and held it up for the bewildered Privel to look at closely.
"Where they're coming from, you say…" Privel murmured.
The Dragons were smaller than Wyverns, small enough for her to hold in her arms. The head, which had sharp teeth and horns, continued on into a neck. And when Privel looked past that, she saw that it was connected not to a scaled body, but a tentacle that she was very familiar with.
"Dragons are growing from me?!"
"No, the tips of your tentacles have become Dragon heads," said Pauvina.
The tips of the tentacles of Privel's lower body had transformed into the heads of Dragons.
"You're right… wow, it feels weird," said Privel, patting the Dragon head on the end of the tentacle that Isla was holding.
It wasn't just that the tentacle tip resembled a Dragon head. Its surface was covered in scales that were both hard and smooth, and the horns and teeth were clearly bone, not masses of flesh.
Privel saw her own stiff smile in the vision of the Dragon's eyes, telling her that they were real as well.
The reason her vision had been distorted ever since she woke up was because she suddenly had sixteen extra eyes.
"It seems that you've calmed down. Have you checked your Status?" Isla asked.
"Ah, I'll check it now," Privel said. "Status… My Rank has increased and I've become an Origin Scylla High Druid?!"
Legends told of some Scylla individuals of the distant past having tentacle tips with the form of Dragon or wolf heads.
But none had ever seen such Scylla in reality; even in the Mages' Guild, it was nothing more than a legend recorded in an ancient manuscript.
"To think that I'd transform into a legendary Scylla… I thought it was just a dream!" Privel exclaimed.
"Ah, so you were dreaming after all," said Isla.
"Yeah, this morning's dream was… wait, why are you so calm?! I'm really shocked, you know?!"
"While I was keeping watch, your bodies began transforming, so I thought that was the case. Gizania and Myuze were saying the same, too," Isla explained.
"I see… wait, Gizania and Myuze grew something as well?! Where are they?" Privel asked.
"Isla said it was dangerous, so we carried them far away while you were sleeping," said Pauvina. "Your tentacles would drag on the ground, so we left you alone, though."
"If you three all went into a panic at the same time, it would have been troublesome to get you to all calm down, so we woke you up one at a time," said Isla.
"Ah… You're right, that might have been dangerous," Privel agreed.
Privel and Gizania were powerful due to their large bodies, and Myuze had sickle arms with sharp blades. It would have been a catastrophe if all three of them panicked and thrashed about.
Mostly, it would be a catastrophe for themselves. Isla was far stronger than any of them in hand-to-hand combat, and Pauvina would be unharmed if she held her Orichalcum shield and kept her distance.
"It's okay to come out!" Pauvina called out.
Gizania and Myuze, who had been keeping themselves hidden at a distance, showed themselves.
"Oh, it seems that Privel's transformation was the greatest," Myuze remarked. "What has happened to your tentacles?"
Myuze was sparkling. Her sickle-arms and green exoskeleton had transformed into an emerald-like material.
"I think that you have changed considerably yourself, Myuze-dono… I have merely grown some horns," said Gizania.
Her transformation was not as profound as Privel's or Myuze's. But horns like those of a bull were growing from her temples.
And the part of Gizania's body that Privel felt a sense of threat from seemed to have grown even larger. The chest area.
Startled, Privel looked down at her own chest, but the objects there were the same as they had been yesterday. She looked up and her eyes met with Myuze's, who had been checking her own chest in the same way.
"… For now, I think we should complain about this incident to Van-kun," Privel said.
"I agree," said Myuze.
They were already certain that their sudden, strange Rank increase was due to the guidance of the Vandalieu that had appeared in their dreams.
"Despite receiving an undeserved blessing in the form of Vandalieu-sama's guidance in your dreams, you wish to complain… Ah, I should have slept as well! No, Pauvina didn't meet him in her dreams, so there was no guarantee to receive his guidance by sleeping. Yes, calm down, calm down," Isla said, calming herself down.
"I did see Van," Pauvina confessed. "I received something pointy from him."
Pauvina's shocking words pierced Isla's ears.
Pauvina didn't possess a monster Rank, so she couldn't undergo an increase in Rank that changed her appearance, but it seemed that she had indeed received Vandalieu's guidance.
Isla froze for a moment, then her lips turned upwards in a crescent shape and she broke out into laughter. "Kukukukuh… It's fine, loyalty is not something that is sworn out of desire for a reward. Kufuh… Kihihihih!"
Privel and the others trembled, sensing danger in Isla and taking a step backwards.
"You lot, once you're ready, I'll have you show the results of your Rank increase in real battles," said Isla. "In real battles."
"Eh?! I'm still feeling sick because I'm not used to my vision yet!" Privel protested.
"My head just feels a little heavier… no, my clothes are tight as well?" said Gizania.
"Just like yesterday I'll help you if it becomes too dangerous, and we have Blood Potions as well, so it's perfect. Now then, let us go!" Isla declared.
Privel and the others worked hard at leveling up today as well under the influence of Isla, who seemed to be venting her anger on them.
Incidentally, Myuze had changed race to Crystal Empusa, while Gizania had become an Ushioni.
Meanwhile, Vigaro's cheerful roar and Zadiris's dissatisfied shout echoed out in a deeper area of the same Dungeon.
The S-class adventurer, the 'Thunderclap' Schneider, leader of the Storm of Tyranny, was busy in the days following his meeting with Farmaun Gold and the delivery of Ricklent's message.
He was making his reports to the Adventurers' Guild and Mages' Guild in his hometown and dealing with the merchants and nobles that approached him.
Officially known to be followers of Alda in the Amid Empire, he and his party were national heroes. The Dark Continent's location was roughly known, but a safe route to and from it hadn't been established. Despite that, Schneider and his party had returned safely.
Contact was often lost with those who ventured there, and those that did return safely were those who observed the Dark Continent from a nearby island or those who only explored the outer edges for a short period of time. The Dark Continent was still a place that was shrouded in mystery.
Tremendous success had been expected of them, as if it were only natural for them to succeed. Plants with unknown uses, undiscovered minerals, information and materials of monsters that didn't exist on the Bahn Gaia continent. And most importantly, thrilling tales of adventure.
It was only natural that people would flock to Schneider and his companions in desire of these things.
Schneider's party hadn't headed towards the Dark Continent due to a request, nor had they received monetary offers from sponsors. Thus, they had no obligation to disclose any information to the people gathered around them. But Schneider, who had exercised his numerous special privileges as an S-class adventurer to protect Vida's races, needed to maintain his outwards reputation.
Schneider would grab those he didn't like with an iron-claw grip and throw them into the sky, even if they were important noblemen or merchants, but he couldn't cast away everyone who approached him. He was capable of small amounts of social interaction.
Of course, he couldn't speak of the events that had occurred on the Dark Continent. Farmaun Gold was an old comrade-in-arms of Bellwood, and in the empire, he was worshipped as the god who ruled over the fire attribute in Zantark's place. If Schneider were to tell people that Farmaun had left Alda and was working with Zantark… he would certainly be labeled a heretic.
That was why the whole party had thought of a story to tell the people before returning home.
They told the people that they had disembarked on the Dark Continent, but they ended up in a battle against a true Colossus leading a pack of never-before-seen monsters, forcing them to escape in their ship.
It was a slightly pathetic story, but it would be problematic if they stimulated the people by telling them stories of success, causing a Dark Continent exploration boom, so it couldn't be helped.
Schneider and his companions had in fact brought back remains of monsters that had never been seen before, so this story was persuasive enough. At the very least, none would doubt the story except for Emperor Marshukzarl and his close vassals, who already suspected that Schneider and his companions served Vida.
They would tell this false tale, boast that they would conquer the Dark Continent next time and set sail once more. They would receive the help of the Merfolk that they had once protected, secretly returning to the Bahn Gaia continent, crossing the Boundary Mountain Range and meeting Vandalieu.
That was the plan of Schneider and his companions.
"… That was incredible," Schneider muttered.
"… Yes, I thought for a moment that the Demon King had been resurrected," said Lissana, the incarnation of Jurizanapipe, the evil god of degeneration and intoxication.
The two of them, who had just awoken in the same bed, were both drenched with cold sweat. They breathed heavily, still lying on the bed.
"You two, what kind of dream did you have?" asked the Dwarf Merdin, who had been sleeping in the same bed. She stared at them as if she were looking at something unusual.
Schneider and Lissana had dreamt that they were simply staring at a distant, enormous, grotesque figure that was crawling along the ground.
But they knew that this was no mere nightmare. They had seen each other during the dream.
"A prophetic dream? … It was strange that there were no signs of evil. What do you think?" Schneider asked after describing the dream briefly.
"The strangest thing about that dream was that there were no signs of evil," said Lissana.
Merdin's eyes narrowed, and then she gave a sigh. "You saw Lissana as well, so doesn't that mean that it was an evil god of Vida's faction? It sounds like its appearance was quite different from the one you knew, though," she said with a serious expression.
There were tales of gods fusing with evil gods during the battle against the Demon King's army, and Schneider's party had heard them from Lissana herself. It was possible that the gods exhausted of their power during the battle against Alda a hundred thousand years ago had done the same thing.
That was what Merdin thought, but Lissana shook her head.
"That wasn't a fusion. And there was the presence of the Demon King… but for some reason, it didn't feel unpleasant," said Lissana. "Even though we're covered in cold sweat now."
"Yeah, if it were a god, we'd know for sure… but with that said, it wasn't the shape of a human soul… what was that? … For now, it doesn't seem like a threat to us, though," said Schneider.
For years, he had fought against threats that the average adventurer would never face. And yet, this was what his instincts told him.
"Let's just get over the Boundary Mountain Range as soon as possible. I just realized that we saw that thing in the direction of the Boundary Mountain Range from this bed," Schneider said.
"I wonder if we can go this year. The Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords are irritating," said Merdin.
"If we take our diversion strategies into account, it might be next year," said Lissana.
The next morning, Vandalieu and his party departed the Merfolk nation and headed for the last nation to be visited, the Dark Elf nation.
Legion teleported to them to report that they had successfully delivered Chezare and Kurt's letter to the Legston family of earls.
"Jack and the rest of us delivered the letter properly," said Jack.
"We've placed surveillance Golems and Undead to use as Teleportation points inside and outside the city," said Pluto.
"Thank you for your hard work," said Vandalieu. "Chezare, Kurt and I will be coming with you to receive their response."
How the Legston family acted after receiving the letter would determine their future.
Though Vandalieu had already promised Kurt that he would persuade them, so it was just a matter of what method of persuasion was used… whether it be through words alone or other means as well.
"I hope we can hear a good response, though. I wouldn't want to have to do anything violent to a couple who have just had a baby," Vandalieu added.
While Kurt was serving in the fort in the Sauron region, he had received news from his older brother Alsard, who was the current Earl Legston, that his wife had become pregnant.
He'd received no further information since he had left to live in Talosheim and it had been made to look like he had died, but assuming that nothing had happened, the baby should have been born healthy.
Medical care was still undeveloped in this world, but a family with the court rank as high as that of earl would be able to receive support from mages during childbirth, even if the family was on the decline. The baby was likely fine.
At the very least, there was confirmation from Legion's Enma, who possessed the power to learn the names of the dead, that there had been no deaths of anyone related to the Legston family in recent times.
"Come to think of it, the baby should have been born already. Did you see it?" Vandalieu asked.
But it seemed that Legion hadn't been interested in the baby at all.
"… I'm sorry, I forgot about it."
"We thought it wouldn't really matter if it was dead."
"Come to think of it, there might have been a room that looked like a child's room when we snuck into the mansion. Maybe the baby was in there."
Their task had been to just deliver the letter; they hadn't felt any need to check up on Kurt's nephew or niece.
"More importantly, are you sure it wouldn't have been better to take that marshal's head while we were there to deliver the letter?" asked Ghost. "I think we would have been able to do it… if we could find him."
What Legion had been interested in was Earl Thomas Palpapek, the current marshal of the Mirg shield-nation.
He'd possessed connections with the Vampires serving the now-deceased Pure-breed Vampire Gubamon, and he was the man pulling the strings behind the dull conspiracy to kill Vandalieu and Darcia.
After that, he'd had a hand in sending an extermination force into the Devil's Nest forest that Zadiris's settlement of Ghouls had been living in.
He was an enemy of Vandalieu, albeit an indirect one, and he was an important figure involved in the military affairs of a nation that was an enemy to Talosheim.
"It's not a good time now," said Kimberley, answering in Vandalieu's place. "If we dispose of him, suspicion will fall onto Master Kurt's family. And his excellency the marshal is already in a hopeless situation, so there's no real reason to rush things by killing him."
As a former soldier of the Amid Empire's army, Kimberley knew of some details regarding the Mirg shield-nation's situation. Based on those details, Palpapek was already no longer a threat to Vandalieu and his companions.
"Even if he wanted to dispatch an army, Boss already sealed the tunnel that would let them cross the Boundary Mountain Range safely, and he doesn't even have an army to dispatch to begin with," Kimberley said.
In another few months, it would be four years ago that the Mirg shield-nation's expedition to Talosheim failed. It seemed that the hole left behind by the annihilation of the elite soldiers of the expedition army, including the Black Bull Knights' Order, had not yet been completely filled.
After Earl Palpapek regained the position of marshal, he had worked to bring old soldiers out of retirement to train new ones and gather talented individuals from every region, and an army of a thousand or so was taking shape. But it was little more than for show. That was the kind of state it was in.
The expedition army hadn't been serving to protect the nation during times of peace to begin with. There were enough soldiers left behind to defend the nation in the event of unforeseen events such as monster rampages, the appearances of disaster-designated monster species or attacks from the Orbaume Kingdom.
Thus, it was possible for Earl Palpapek to dispatch this thousand-strong army, provided that he didn't send out any other soldiers with them. But it was unlikely that the Mirg shield-nation's king or the earl himself would allow this.
Considering the overwhelming defeat that they had suffered before, there was no way that results could be expected from an army even smaller than the previous one that would have to cross the mountain range via a far more dangerous route.
"But public opinion might support them. Wanting revenge for what happened four years ago," said Princess Levia.
"I don't think that's the case, Levia. The Sauron region's been taken back by the kingdom, so the kingdom's territory is adjacent to the Mirg shield-nation's border again. Wouldn't they want the army to be well-prepared there rather than going on an expedition?" Kimberley said.
"And we left the Mirg shield-nation long ago, so we're not scared of his influence as a noble, and he can't touch us now that we're on the other side of the Mountain Range… the poor marshal-san. I almost feel sorry for him," said Darcia.
"I wonder what kind of face the earl-san would make if he knew that Darcia-sama, the one killed by his conspiracy, was feeling sympathy for him?" said Saria with a bitter smile.
"We don't even know what his face looks like, Nee-san," Rita pointed out.
"But now that I think about it, he had connections to the Vampires serving Gubamon, didn't he? Bocchan disposed of Gubamon, but how are things between him and the Vampires now?" asked Saria.
"I wonder. Do you know anything about this, Bellmond-dono?" Sam asked.
Bellmond thought for a moment. "The status of earl is the highest rank of nobility in the Mirg shield-nation. This is only a presumption, but it is unlikely that Birkyne, the last remaining Pure-breed Vampire who worships the evil god of joyful life, could ignore him. The earl should have connections to Birkyne's subordinates by now," she said.
Earl Palpapek was being treated as a target of sympathy, but there was no changing the fact that he was a prominent nobleman in the Mirg shield-nation.
Birkyne was also likely struggling with the restructuring of his organization after Gubamon's death, so there was a high chance that his unimportant supporters would be abandoned. But he would have at least prioritized people as influential as Earl Palpapek and sent another Vampire to make contact with him.
That was what Bellmond suspected.
"Of course, even if that is the case, it is difficult to believe that he poses a threat to Danna-sama," she said. "He does not possess any relevant information to pass to Birkyne."
At this point in time, Vandalieu and his companions hadn't entered the Mirg shield-nation except for Legion, who had delivered the letter to the Legston family of earls. That was why Earl Palpapek didn't have any information to leak.
"But it would be an unpleasant sight to see the Mirg shield-nation rebuild its army because we left him alone, and it would be easy to find out where he is while he is busy rebuilding the army, so I believe it best that we dispose of him when Danna-sama finds it convenient," Bellmond concluded.
This was how insignificant Thomas Palpapek was to Vandalieu and his companions, who had already made an informal declaration of war against the Amid Empire that the Mirg shield-nation served and defeated two Pure-breed Vampires.
"Then I suppose we'll go to dispose of him once the Legston family of earls has been persuaded," said Vandalieu. "But there is the chance that they'll have a trap set up in anticipation of us going to dispose of Earl Palpapek, so we can't let our guards down. And according to Eleanora, Birkyne is the type to do that kind of thing."
"I see, so there is a chance that we'll be ambushed… Alright. We won't go near him," said Ghost.
It was uncertain if Thomas Palpapek himself was aware of it, but his life was in a precarious state.
With that discussion over, Legion Teleported back to Talosheim and Vandalieu's party arrived in the Dark Elf nation.
The Dark Elf nation was in the center of the region enclosed by the Boundary Mountain Range, north of Vida's Resting Grounds. It was a nation known as the grave-keeping nation, built around a Dungeon called the Labyrinth Graveyard.
The people that were likely the prominent figures of the Dark Elf nation gathered and gave their blessings to Vandalieu.
"Welcome, Holy Son."
"We Dark Elves give you our heartfelt blessings as you take your place as emperor."
This nation's Dark Elves are even more different from Mom than I expected, Vandalieu thought.
When she was alive, Darcia's personality had been relaxed and she wore highly revealing clothes, though not as revealing as the Ghouls. But many of the Dark Elves of this nation wore robes, with hoods drawn low over their eyes. One could not see their faces without peering beneath the hoods, and even their bodies' outlines couldn't be seen, so it was impossible to tell their gender just by looking at them.
The Dark Elves had even been wearing these clothes at the victory feast in the Noble Orc kingdom, but… Vandalieu hadn't thought that the entire nation's inhabitants would be wearing hooded black robes.
"Umm… Everyone, is that the native way of dressing in this nation?" Darcia asked, unable to endure this strange atmosphere.
"This is the uniform of our nation. The entire nation is on duty to welcome our guests, after all," one of the Dark Elves replied.
"Our ancestors are the clan that volunteered to maintain Vida's Resting Grounds. There are records that say we began wearing these clothes on duty as a way of mourning as well," said another.
It seemed that the suspicious-looking black robes were just uniforms.
"We also often wear this uniform after battle. We feel that the unrest in our hearts that comes after battle subsides when we wear them. Was there no such custom in your homeland, Darcia-dono?" asked a young Dark Elf man.
"Not in the forest that was my homeland," said Darcia. "There was no uniform at all… By the way, is it alright if I ask what kind of clothes you're wearing beneath those robes?"
"There is no problem in answering this question. Everyone is wearing the clothes that they like."
The Dark Elves took off their robes. They revealed their chocolate-colored skin, long, pointed ears and well-shaped facial features.
Many of the clothes worn beneath the robes were lightweight. Some of the Dark Elves were wearing metal or leather armor, but the majority of them were wearing clothes about as revealing as Darcia's.
"Now then, we'll guide you to the resting grounds of the goddess and her champions! Ah, and I'm the current chief of this nation, Gizan," said the young man that Darcia had been talking to, his previously businesslike attitude changing completely as he beckoned the party onwards with a hand.
The Dark Elves all waved goodbye as well.
"They are like completely different people," Bellmond remarked.
"It seems that they become more private the moment they take off those uniforms," said Sam.
Bellmond and Sam seem perplexed by the way the Dark Elves' had changed, but Vandalieu liked the current Gizan and the other Dark Elves more than how they were behaving before.
"Bocchan looks happy," said Rita.
"Is it because you can see their muscles?" asked Saria.
"No, it's because they are more like the same race as Mom now," said Vandalieu.
He thought of the Dark Elf forest that he and Darcia were supposed to have gone to if Darcia hadn't been captured by Heinz's party and killed by High Priest Gordan.
"This nation was originally inside the Labyrinth Graveyard. It is said that Gufadgarn put his greatest efforts into the Labyrinth Graveyard among the Dungeons he created before the Trial of Zakkart. It's here that our ancestors gained strength and built this nation outside the Dungeon as it is today," Gizan explained over his shoulder to Vandalieu behind him like a tour guide. "And the Labyrinth Graveyard is also the only way to safely enter Vida's Resting Grounds, which lies south of this nation."
After her defeat in the battle against Alda a hundred thousand years ago, Vida had fallen into slumber immediately after creating the Boundary Mountain Range to the east and west. It was the gods including Gufadgarn and the surviving Pure-breed Vampires who had built the resting place like a ritual ground for the barrier that protected Vida and Zakkart's remains and safeguarded the inside of the Boundary Mountain Range from Alda and Rodcorte.
Vida's Resting Grounds had been created as the most important facility in the region enclosed by the Boundary Mountain Range; it was a sturdy, dangerous fortress that did not allow anyone to trespass inside.
The entrance that allowed passage into the resting grounds was a gate that connected two separate spaces, built in the deepest part of the Labyrinth Graveyard.
"The records say that the resting ground was built too sturdy, making it impossible for anyone but Gufadgarn to enter and exit. Thus, he was left with no choice but to create a new entrance," said Gizan.
And the Dark Elves had apparently been made to live here to perform rituals and clean the inside of the resting grounds.
After that, Gufadgarn had created Dungeons in the Kijin nation and Drakonid nation as he desired, and once that task was finished, he became motionless like a stone and fell into slumber. This slumber had lasted until approximately a hundred years ago, when he created the Trial of Zakkart and began wandering the world with it.
"There's a strange courtyard in front of the Labyrinth Graveyard, isn't there? That's where Gufadgarn slumbered. Everyone was surprised when he suddenly started moving a hundred years ago," Gizan said.
"Then who is the guardian deity for this nation?" Darcia asked.
"There is no problem there. Gufadgarn told other gods to become the guardian deity of this nation before he fell into slumber. Gufadgarn was never the guardian deity… But although he spoke those words, he apparently fell into slumber before waiting for an answer. It is written on stone tablets that there were disagreements over who would become our guardian deity," said Gizan.
It seemed that Gufadgarn had a very laid-back personality.
"By the way, what is the difficulty of the Dungeon?" Vandalieu asked.
"The monsters appearing inside it are mostly Rank 3 or 4; I believe it is what everyone would call a D-class Dungeon. There are twenty floors, their layouts being bright forests or mountains with only the first floor having a lake. Also, there is a stone monument to Zakkart on every floor," said Gizan.
"… That's not very graveyard-like," said Vandalieu.
"Yes; Undead do not appear inside the Dungeon, either. It seems that Gufadgarn intended for us to gather flowers and fruits to offer to Zakkart inside this Dungeon. Now then, we have arrived at the entrance. I don't believe anyone present will have any trouble, but I will guide you anyway."
With Gizan leading the way, the Labyrinth Graveyard was cleared in less than a few hours. They took the shortest route with the fewest monster battles, ignoring the treasure chests along the way.
Gizan placed a medal with Vida's holy symbol engraved on it onto the altar they had arrived at in the deepest part of the Dungeon, and a gate between two separate spaces appeared.
"Ahead of us is Vida's Resting Grounds…" Vandalieu murmured.
His sense of himself actually worshipping Vida was weak; he merely continued the custom of pressing his hands together before meals that he had learned on Earth. But now that he was about to step into the place where the goddess rested, he felt nervous.
He was casual about going to meet Fidirg, the dragon god of five sins, but this time, he would be meeting one of the great gods who created the world, the mother of all of Vida's races. It wasn't even close to being the same thing.
"Is there any kind of etiquette I need to keep in mind?" Vandalieu asked, not wanting to be rude in any way.
"Nothing in particular outside what would be considered common sense," Gizan replied. "Pranks such as graffiti are forbidden, and you must not litter inside. There isn't much more than that. For us, it is mandatory that we wear our uniform during our cleaning duties."
"Lenient as usual… Well, that's a relief." Vandalieu breathed a sigh of relief and stepped into the gate.
The scenery and his senses changed completely.
"Hmm?"
Plants of all sizes, blooming flowers and fruit were growing as far as the eye could see. There was a fountain at which various birds and beasts were resting, and warm sunlight shone from the sky.
"Thank you for coming," said a voice.
There were two thrones right ahead of Vandalieu. A skeleton wearing rotten armor was resting against the back of one, while a young woman sat in the other.
She seemed to be like an innocent girl, an adult woman and a mature woman, all at the same time. But what was certain was that she had a gentle beauty to her.
However, at the same time, she appeared pitiful.
Several thick stakes had been driven through her limbs that had once undoubtedly been beautiful, and there were wounds that looked like they had been made with a sword all over her body. There was still blood flowing from them; the flowers, beast fur and bird feathers of her dress were stained so darkly that it was impossible to tell what color they had originally been.
But she extended a hand towards Vandalieu and spoke to him, as if she felt no pain from these wounds at all.
"First, let me express my gratitude. Thank you for listening to my request," she said.
Vandalieu didn't know why he was being thanked. But he was sure of one thing.
This was Vida, the goddess of life and love.
Name: Privel
Age: 17 years old
Title: None
Rank: 6
Race: Origin Scylla High Druid
Level: 0
Job: Crystal User
Job level: 45
Job history: Apprentice Shrine Maiden, Shrine Maiden, Mage, Spiritual Mage
Passive skills:
Superhuman Strength: Level 1
Water Adaptation
Dark Vision (Transformed from Night Vision!)
Enhanced Physical Ability (Lower body half): Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Ink Secretion: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Automatic Mana Recovery: Level 4 (NEW!)
Increased Mana Recovery Rate: Level 3 (NEW!)
Mana Enlargement: Level 2 (NEW!)
Active skills:
Farming: Level 4
Unarmed Fighting Technique: Level 3 (LEVEL UP!)
Dancing: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Singing: Level 2
Dismantling: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)
No-Attribute Magic: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)
Water-Attribute Magic: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
Earth-Attribute Magic: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Mana Control: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
Chant Revocation: Level 1 (NEW!)
Spiritual Magic: Level 4 (NEW!)
Parallel Thought Processing: Level 1 (NEW!)
Unique skills:
Merrebeveil's Divine Protection
Jugarion's Divine Protection (NEW!)
Privel��s Rank increased and she became an Origin Scylla after receiving the divine protection and guidance of Jugarion, the eight waters dragon god, one of the Elder Dragon guardians of the Drakonid nation.
The tips of her tentacles have transformed into Dragon heads. Judging from this fact, the legendary Scylla whose tentacles are said to have been Dragon or wolf heads were likely those with the divine protection of not just Merrebeveil, but an Elder Dragon or beast-king as well.
The reason that Privel was able to receive Jugarion's divine protection despite not being one of his followers was because Vandalieu gave her Jugarion's scales and fangs directly in a dream.
Her hard training has mostly been focused on magic, but with this Rank increase, it can be expected that she will improve in direct combat as well. But at this point in time, she is not used to the new organs that she has gained so it is unwise for her to engage in unarmed combat.
Liked it? Take a second to support Novels on Patreon!
Chapter 162: The Demon King Vandalieu gazes at his form from the distant past
Vida, the goddess of life and love, had been awakening and falling back into slumber repeatedly in an irregular pattern. But she opened her eyes, sensing a presence that was too great to be a person's.
This Mana, this presence, Zakkart… it's that child!
The reborn soul that had been her own champion Zakkart, the soul that had been Ark, Solder and Hillwillow, had come to this place.
As Vida gained consciousness, she gathered information regarding Vandalieu from her believers and the races that were her children.
Unlike Rodcorte and Alda, she was able to obtain a vast amount of information about him, and she felt joy and guilt at the same time. It was a vast, deep emotion that the pain from her wounds and the stakes in her body paled in comparison to.
I must bring him here!
With these emotions still fresh in her mind, she summoned Vandalieu to her own Divine Realm. This place, the resting grounds that had been named after her, was a special Dungeon that had mainly been built by Gufadgarn, the evil god of labyrinths. Outside of the mountain range, it was apparently considered to be an S-class Dungeon.
It wasn't difficult to invite someone who had stepped inside it into her Divine Realm.
Ah…
Vida's chest tightened painfully as she saw the grotesque appearance of the soul before her.
It had the shape of a person, but the lengths and sizes of the head and limbs were mixed and matched; its eyes, mouths and ears were completely irregular in number and location. And there were fragments of the Demon King growing from its surface, entwining around it.
Its appearance could be described as a clay doll made by a clumsy child with the finishing touches added by a mad artist.
He had still possessed a human's form when he first reincarnated in this world. He had been shrouded in strange Mana and severely hurt, but he'd still had a human form.
Rodcorte had put together the soul fragments of the four champions whose souls had been broken by the Demon King into a single soul; this was the origin of Vandalieu's soul. That was likely why his soul had possessed a dormant form that was different to that of humans.
One part of the reason that this dormant form had surfaced so greatly was Vida herself. She had taken Vandalieu's soul from Rodcorte's system and had it reincarnate inside one of her own children. In doing so, she had also bestowed upon him the lingering memories from Zakkart's remains and her own blood that was still flowing freely… the blood of a goddess.
And so, Vandalieu had been born and lived up until now as a Dhampir. As a result of Vida's interference, every part of the life that he was supposed to have lived had changed, and his mind had lost its sanity and his soul had taken a grotesque form in the process.
It was unlikely that he could live an ordinary life now.
It was likely the arrogance of a god that had made her ignore his desires and change his life.
But at the same time, Vida was happy.
Despite being in that state, he had listened to her 'request.'
That was why the first words she spoke were not an apology.
"First, let me express my gratitude. Thank you for listening to my request."
She extended a hand to express her gratitude.
Vandalieu blinked his numerous eyes, and his head spun around on his neck for a few moments. "… Request?" he repeated.
He seemed to be bewildered by Vida's words. Despite his appearance being far more like that of an evil god than Mububujenge's or Zozogante's, his emotional expression was very easy to read.
As Vida realized this, her smile grew wider. "It's only natural for you to not remember. When you were reincarnated in this world, I made you a request. I said that I want you to love this world. To love the air, the wind, the earth, the greenery, the animals and the people," she said. "You did exactly that; you loved the world. I truly thank you."
Vandalieu's bewilderment only grew deeper. He did not feel any unpleasant emotions at being thanked, but he didn't understand why such a naturally-fulfilled request would be made of him.
It was extremely natural to feel affection towards the land and environment of the place where one was born and grew up; it was natural to feel love towards the people around oneself.
At the very least, this was true for Vandalieu.
On Earth and even in Origin, he had never cursed the worlds themselves. He had possessed enough expectations and affection for people to think that he would find happiness on Earth by distancing himself from his uncle's family and gaining independence, and even in Origin, enough to save the Eighth Guidance who had been treated as experimental animals like him.
The same was true in Lambda. No, it was only natural for him to feel even more at ease in this world, where he could exercise power that he hadn't been able to gain on Earth and the freedom that he hadn't been able to gain in Origin.
… He did feel that he had killed too many people to declare without hesitation that he loved people. But since he consistently did his best not to kill people, perhaps he was within reason for Vida to forgive him. That was what Vandalieu thought.
But when I reincarnated in Lambda… right after I was killed by my former 'companions' in Origin and cursed by Rodcorte. Given my mental state back then, maybe it's not unreasonable to assume that I would curse the world, Vandalieu thought, satisfied with this explanation.
But as Vida was a goddess, she knew what he was thinking. "That isn't it," she told him. "Vandalieu, in the long-distant past, you were Zakkart, the champion I summoned to this world. At the same time, you were Ark; you were Solder; you were Hillwillow."
"Eh?"
"Their souls were broken by the Demon King Guduranis, but Rodcorte took their fragments and combined them into a single new soul and reincarnated it… in order to ensure that I could not resurrect them."
"… I see. That makes a lot of sense."
As Vandalieu learned that he was once four champions, his bewilderment grew even greater, but at the same time, he was able to understand the strange actions that Vida, Ricklent and the other gods had taken ever since he reincarnated into this world.
Vida had sent Divine Messages to Nuaza, who had become an Undead in Talosheim, and, though indirectly, to Queen Donaneris of Zanalpadna.
The Divine Message sent to Nuaza had been approximately a hundred years ago. That was before Vandalieu had been born in Origin or even on Earth as Amamiya Hiroto.
That was a time where it would be completely unthinkable that she could know of Vandalieu's existence and send a Divine Message.
And then there were Ricklent and Zuruwarn, who had reincarnated the Eighth Guidance members who had died in Origin, including Minuma Hitomi, as Legion and given them their divine protections.
The details of how this had come about were still a mystery, but if Vandalieu was Zakkart and Ark reborn, he could accept these events to some extent.
"But I don't have memories from when I was the champions, nor do I have their power. Even now, I don't feel anything that feels like remembering past memories," Vandalieu said.
He didn't recall any events from before his life on Earth as Amamiya Hiroto, nor did any flashbacks occur.
He had never awakened a special power or talent before awakening to the death attribute in Origin.
Even now, after being directly told by the goddess herself, he had no sense of any of this. He didn't feel anything even when looking at the remains enshrined on the throne next to her… the skeleton of who was likely to be Zakkart.
If it hadn't been told to him by Vida, it wasn't something that he would be able to believe.
… Also, he found it a little hard to believe that he had once been Hillwillow, the source of the incorrect information regarding bushi and ninjas that had become widespread within the Boundary Mountain Range.
"There's no helping that. You were created from the fragments of Zakkart and the others over a hundred thousand years ago, and the powers that we gave Zakkart were not those with properties that would influence you after reincarnation," Vida said. "Umm, Ricklent is better at these kinds of explanations, but…"
"Then I shall answer your desire," said a new voice without warning.
Three people appeared inside Vida's Divine Realm. At first, it seemed to be an old man, a young man and a boy, but in the next moment, they would turn into three women - yet they were a single god.
"Ricklent! You've recovered from the wounds that you received from the Demon King! I was so worried. It's been so long… Now that I think about it, you're the one who told me about that premonition, weren't you? I'm so glad to see you," said Vida.
"Vida, my sister, it is us who have been far more worried about you… Alda was cruel to you," said Ricklent, gazing with pity at the thick stakes impaling Vida's arms and the numerous swords that still protruded from her body.
"It's true that I'm the one who is more severely wounded now," Vida said with a small, bitter smile. "But why are you here? If I recall, there is supposed to be a barrier here, making it impossible to enter from outside the mountain range."
Vida had fallen into slumber immediately after raising the earth to create the Boundary Mountain Range, so she was poorly-informed on the details of the events that had followed.
But as her sleep grew shallow at irregular intervals, she had become able to grasp the situation to some extent now.
According to what she knew, there was supposed to be a barrier that prevented not only gods from descending from the outside, but also from dispatching familiar spirits or speaking to the people within.
And this place, Vida's Resting Grounds, was the center of that barrier.
Even if Ricklent was one of the great gods like her, even if he was the one who was the most exceptional in the use of magic, he shouldn't have been able to enter the barrier.
"This is not my main body. It is something like an image reflected in a mirror. Because I have become worshipped in his nation, it has become possible for me to send my image here." Ricklent's image turned to Vandalieu and lowered his head slightly. "Allow me to thank you again for considering our thoughts."
Vandalieu lowered his limp, misshapen head in response. "Not at all; it seems that it was you who sent Legion to my side."
"… Their form is due to an unforeseen accident. I want you to apologize to them for me," said Ricklent.
He and Zuruwarn had come up with the idea of supporting Vandalieu by sending him the members of the Eighth Guidance, who worshipped him in another world.
They were supposed to have been reincarnated as separate individuals, just as they had been in Origin, but they had been born as a single entity as a result of Rodcorte's interference.
"They don't really seem to mind it, though," said Vandalieu.
Pluto and the others didn't seem deeply bothered by it themselves. It seemed that they had rather positive personalities… though it seemed that they were positive in a way that differed from the ordinary definition of the word. They had taken aberrant actions in Origin, deciding that if only a hellish future awaited them, they would simply do what they wanted to do (take revenge) and then die.
"Even if they themselves do not mind it, it still does not change the fact that it was a regrettable outcome for me," said Ricklent.
"Sorry, Ricklent has always been the type to worry about those kinds of things," said Vida.
"Stop this vague explanation of my disposition. More importantly, how about you inspect Vandalieu's current condition, my sister? It should be possible for you now, while your consciousness is still clear."
"Yes, yes," said Vida. "I'm going to touch you a little," she said to Vandalieu.
A warm hand touched Vandalieu's soul. It seemed that this action alone was enough for her to examine its condition.
"While she is doing that, I shall answer your questions, former and current champion Vandalieu. It is only natural that you do not possess the power and memories from when you were Zakkart and Ark… the obvious outcome," said Ricklent.
Gods such as Ricklent could grant divine protections and power to the people, but souls were always repeatedly undergoing reincarnation. Thus, there would be great problems if the blessings bestowed upon those souls were to carry over into their future lives.
There was no guarantee that a virtuous person would be reborn as a virtuous person in their next life. In the same vein, there was no guarantee that an evil person would be reborn as an evil person.
In many cases, the gods looked at people's personalities and their past deeds, granting their divine protections and other blessings only upon those that they saw fit to receive them.
But once they were reborn, the personalities and past deeds that were the basis of receiving these blessings were reset. This was true for all but the very, very few exceptions like the reincarnated individuals that retained their memories and personalities from their previous lives.
It was possible that a virtuous, wise man might suffer a tragedy early on in his next life that twisted his personality, turning him into a despicable tyrant.
… There was also a significant possibility that they wouldn't even be reborn as people. A warrior who had received the divine protection of a war-god might be reborn as a cow, which would mean that he would be slaughtered and die again soon after.
And if someone was born with a certain god's divine protection, it was likely that their paths in life would be restricted.
Thus, when gods granted their divine protection to individuals, they ensured that they were only effective for those individuals' current lives and would become nullified when they were reborn.
They had granted powers in the same way to Zakkart, Ark, Bellwood and the other champions as well.
"Of course, when the lives of those with divine protections end, they are often summoned by the gods before they are reincarnated and ascend into familiar spirits, heroic spirits or even subordinate gods if they are exceptional individuals. Bellwood, Farmaun and Nineroad all became gods under Alda," said Ricklent. "In these cases, the powers granted to them remain in effect."
"But that didn't happen for Zakkart and the others because their souls were broken, so their powers were nullified, weren't they?" said Vandalieu.
"Exactly. Their memories were also erased when that happened."
"Well, I suppose that's how it is. Memories don't normally carry over to the next life, do they."
The state of the reincarnated individuals including Vandalieu who possessed the memories from when they lived on Earth were an exception… an abnormality.
"Your soul was created for different reasons than others, and its form has changed as well. Therefore, there might have been something remaining after a few reincarnations. However, it has already been reincarnated hundreds, thousands of times over the past hundred thousand years. It is unlikely that anything remains now," said Ricklent.
In Rodcorte's circle of transmigration system, it was common to be reborn as animals and plants rather than humans. Even if something had been left in the soul, it would have simply lived out its mundane life if it was born as a beast or insect, unable to do anything with it.
Even if it was reincarnated as a person, a hundred thousand years ago was long before civilization flourished.
And with hundreds or thousands of reincarnations over a hundred thousand years, it would only be normal for anything remaining on the soul to have been worn away.
"Do you understand?" Ricklent asked.
"Yes," said Vandalieu.
Ricklent hadn't mentioned Rodcorte's circle of transmigration system, but his explanation was enough for Vandalieu to understand.
"I don't feel anything special at all, though."
Vandalieu didn't possess the champions' memories or powers, so even if he was told that he was their reincarnation, he couldn't respond in any way other than, "Oh, is that so." With no particular emotions surfacing, he gazed at the remains of Zakkart, who had apparently once been him.
He didn't feel anything that suggested that this was once him, a person who formed about a quarter of his soul.
It wasn't that Vandalieu felt nothing, however; this was the founder of the Vampire race, the ancestor of his own father, the Subordinate Vampire Valen.
As he thought about this, another question surfaced in Vandalieu's mind.
"I understand that I don't have their power or memories… so then, why did you all lend me your strength?" he asked.
Since Vandalieu didn't possess the memories or strength from when he was a champion, he should have been nothing more than a stranger to Vida, the owner of the hand that was touching him now, and to Ricklent with whom he was having this conversation.
He was a Dhampir now, and as a follower of Vida, he had saved many members of Vida's races. But Vida and the others had begun helping him since long before he was born on Earth.
Why would the gods help someone from another world who had achieved nothing, who didn't even believe in them?
Ricklent shook his head in exasperation. "I do not understand what there is to question about us assisting the one who has inherited the soul fragments of our friends who met a tragic fate - our friends whom we once selected ourselves, summoned to this world and entrusted our hopes with," he said.
"Ricklent said most of what I wanted to say, but that's how it is," Vida said with a bitter smile. "Whether you have their memories and powers or not has nothing to do with it."
Vandalieu's heart trembled as he realized the depth of the emotions that these two gods felt towards the champions - towards him.
"It is not that we - especially Vida - feel nothing towards Rodcorte and Alda. We cannot deny that this is one of the reasons we helped you," said Ricklent.
"Ricklent, you didn't have to mention that. It's true that Rodcorte only thinks about protecting himself and Alda is really stubborn, though," Vida muttered.
… Was this the gods' way of hiding their embarrassment?
"Come to think of it, why is Rodcorte ruling over the circle of transmigration for this world?" Vandalieu asked. "His name isn't mentioned in any of this world's myths."
The fact that Rodcorte ruling over the circle of transmigration for this world meant that he had existed from the moment that life came into existence in it, or even before that. But there was no mention of his name in myths, and there were no records of the details of how he came to manage reincarnation in this world.
On top of that, it seemed that his relationships with the gods of this world were not favorable.
So then, why?
"As regrettable as it is, that was how it was when we gained consciousness," said Ricklent.
… It seemed that there was no particular reason.
"He really was ruling the circle of transmigration before we gained consciousness," said Vida. "He existed before us, so… I'm sure he had his eyes on this world ever since the conflict between Diachmell and Arazan."
The battle between the Black God Diachmell and the White God Arazan, the origin of the world of Lambda and its gods. Rodcorte had likely taken notice of this conflict and kept his eyes on them, foreseeing the birth of a new world.
"… Indeed, if you consider the fact that he rules over the circle of transmigration of Earth, that would mean he has existed since ancient times, far longer ago than several hundred thousand years ago," said Vandalieu.
He didn't know that Rodcorte's circle of transmigration system included animals and plants, but even if it was limited to just humans, Rodcorte would have existed for over a hundred thousand years.
It would depend on whether the definition of humans extended to the Cro-Magnon, the Australopithecus or even the apes before them… but it made no difference to the fact that he had existed since before the world of Lambda was born.
"Before Guduranis appeared, there was nothing inconvenient about it other than him having his say from afar on very rare occasions, but… well, leaving him aside… I've finished examining you," said Vida. "Vandalieu, your soul is very strange, but normal. You're alright even after having absorbed several fragments of the Demon King!"
"Vida, my sister, I know that he is not in a perfect state, but you must not hold back with your words," said Ricklent.
"Even if you tell me not to hold back… Hmm, well, the fragments of the Demon King have fused with your soul, but they've completely become a part of you," said Vida, poking at a fragment protruding from Vandalieu's soul with her finger.
"I wasn't aware that they had fused with my soul," said Vandalieu.
"So, even if you were to die in the future, the fragments of the Demon King that have fused with you aren't the original fragments of the Demon King, so I don't think they will run out of control," said Vida, and then continued explaining without taking notice of Vandalieu's small surprise. "It's like they've transformed from being fragments of the Demon King Guduranis to being fragments of the Demon King Vandalieu."
Vandalieu's surprise grew larger at the second part of her explanation.
It seemed that every time Vandalieu absorbed a fragment, he was robbing the sealed Guduranis of a part of his body.
"So, if you absorb all of the fragments of the Demon King, the Demon King Guduranis won't be resurrected - in fact, he'll have lost his entire body," Vida said.
"I see. Then I'll do my best to gather them," said Vandalieu.
Gathering the Demon King's fragments would grant him more strength, provide more materials to create products from and prevent the Demon King's resurrection. It was killing three birds with one stone.
He was strangely bothered by being called the Demon King even by the goddess, however… was it time to get serious about it?
"Yes, please do," said Vida.
This would lead to Vandalieu gathering strength, but it would not cause any inconvenience for Vida and the other gods.
In fact, this was a very desirable development.
"We'll help you, too… though I say that, I don't think I can do anything in this state. It doesn't seem that I can remove Rodcorte's curses, either," said Vida. "Ricklent, can you do something about it?"
"It is impossible. Even if I were to regain my original strength and status… it is Rodcorte's authority to place destinies, blessings and curses upon souls between their reincarnations. I do not have the authority to remove them," said Ricklent. "Vandalieu, it is likely impossible for you yourself as well. Like the fragments of the Demon King, the curses have become one with your soul."
According to Ricklent's explanation, Rodcorte's curses had fused with Vandalieu's soul as well.
Vandalieu frowned upon hearing this unpleasant piece of information, but if even a god couldn't remove the curses, then it couldn't be helped.
"Then couldn't you help him through the Job and Skill System that you created?" Vida suggested. "By making more undiscovered Jobs or something."
"That would be very helpful, but… it seems that this is impossible," said Vandalieu, looking at the frowns on Ricklent's multiple faces.
"My sister, during the battle against the monsters of the Demon King Guduranis's army, I gained knowledge from Zuruwarn and created a Job and Skill System to strengthen the people. At the same time, I chose some of my Familiar Spirits and had them ascend to subordinate gods to be in charge of Jobs, Skills and Statuses to help manage the system," Ricklent explained.
Apparently, he had turned familiar spirits with no personalities that he had created from his own Mana into subordinate gods to manage the system. They were perhaps similar to AI or servers on Earth.
"But this system was taken advantage of by the Demon King. The monsters gained Ranks instead of Jobs, received the blessings of Skills and became able to become greater on their own by increasing their Ranks without the Demon King and his subordinates having to spend their power on them. I decided to isolate the system so that I would not repeat this failure," said Ricklent.
"What do you mean by isolate?" Vandalieu asked.
"After giving full authority over it to the subordinate gods, I had Zuruwarn cooperate and isolate them in a separate space. At the same time, I ordered them to keep managing and maintaining the system quietly without listening to the wills of anyone, not even me, no matter what happened."
It seemed that Ricklent had gone to quite extreme lengths.
Vida, who was also hearing this for the first time, opened her eyes wide in surprise. "You didn't have to go that far…"
"I could not ignore the possibility that I would lose my sanity during the battle against Guduranis. There were already some gods who had joined the Demon King's army at the time; there was no guarantee that I would not do the same," said Ricklent. "And if I was defeated by Guduranis like the Colossus god Zeno and the others, and then Guduranis took over the system, all of the people including the champions would have lost the blessings of Jobs and Skills, with only the monsters continuing to receive them. The chance of this happening was not zero."
It seemed that this was how much of a threat Ricklent perceived the Demon King Guduranis as. Guduranis had likely been not only tremendously powerful, but an extraordinary user of magic as well.
"After that, you and Zuruwarn fell into slumber during the battle against the Demon King, didn't you? Then is the system still isolated even now?" asked Vandalieu.
"Yes. Zuruwarn and I are awake now, but… I do not know what actions Alda would take if he were to learn that we are not his allies. I knew how my brother was in the past, but now, I question his sanity… it seems that you have made drastic decisions in that regard as well, however," Ricklent said to Vida.
Vida gave an un-goddess-like giggle to brush off Ricklent's comment. While Ricklent and Zuruwarn were slumbering, she had separated herself from Alda and the others, created her own circle of transmigration circle and given birth to new races.
Ricklent's three bodies let out deep sighs. "I suppose some of the responsibility lies with those of us who were defeated due to our lack of strength and ended up leaving the rebuilding of the world to a mere two gods," he said. "Leaving that aside, I added adjustments to the system to be expansible so that it would not have any problems in continuing its function even in my absence. It is unlikely that there would have been any problems unless something extremely irregular were to happen. And such an extremely irregular thing did happen."
"Irregular?" Vida repeated.
"The most extreme of them was the birth of new races that could possess both the Jobs of humans and the Ranks of monsters."
When Vida gave birth to new races, Ricklent had already fallen into slumber. Though it didn't need to be said, she had not consulted things with Ricklent beforehand.
Vida suddenly looked away.
But it didn't seem that Ricklent intended to blame her.
"But if that was the only thing, it could have been dealt with. However, that was not the only irregularity," he said. "During my hundred-thousand-year-long absence, political systems have changed so that it is humans ruling over humans rather than gods. Humans can become slaves, and humans kill each other in tremendous numbers… everything about the world's situation now was irregular to the me that went into slumber."
"Well, that's true," said Vida. "I was surprised whenever I opened my eyes every several thousand years."
Before the Demon King invaded from a foreign world, Vida, Ricklent and the other gods had ruled the humans directly. And then they had fallen into slumber during the war against the Demon King and the war between Vida and Alda that had followed.
It wasn't that they had left the world thinking that the age of humans had come or that it was time for humans to lead other humans.
"And many Jobs and Skills that I did not think of were born. Knights, soldiers, slaves… There are even Jobs and Skills that have almost no differences between them but are displayed by a different name depending on the nation and region. For example, in nations where those with the social status of knights are known as tribunes, one cannot gain the Knight Job, only the Tribune Job," Ricklent explained. "I can only guess at how the system is currently being managed."
This was apparently the reason he couldn't create new undiscovered Jobs or useful Skills for Vandalieu.
Incidentally, the one irregular thing that he didn't mention was Rodcorte sending reincarnated individuals, including Vandalieu, into this world.
Since Rodcorte was a specialist in dealing with souls, he could utilize Ricklent's system even if he didn't fully understand it, granting Skills to the reincarnated individuals and transforming their abilities to use things that didn't exist like cars, aircraft and firearms into other Skills. This was humiliating for Ricklent.
But Ricklent forced that emotion from his mind and continued. "This was likely the best result. After all, if Alda were to become able to manipulate the system, it is possible that all of my sister's children could have lost the blessings of Jobs and Skills. At the time, I had been impaled with stakes like her, so I would have had no way to resist."
"That is a terrifying possibility indeed… By the way, the stakes and swords in Vida's body, are they Alda's curses or something rather than a symbol of the damage that has been inflicted upon her?" Vandalieu asked.
Vandalieu had thought that the stakes impaling Vida's limbs and the swords embedded in her back were visualized images that he was seeing from having entered her Divine Realm, but judging from Ricklent's words, it seemed that this wasn't the case.
"These stakes are the Stakes of Law. While Alda is the god of the light attribute, he is also the god of law, and he has the role of carrying out punishment against the gods. This is a divine authority for punishing gods that have made mistakes… though it was involuntary for me," said Vida. "The swords are Artifacts used by Bellwood to inflict wounds upon gods."
Vandalieu thought for a moment. "If they're not fused with you, then it might work," he said, and then he reached out for one of the stakes impaling Vida. "Excuse me."
He ignored Vida's surprise, and his misshapen hand touched the stake.
���Wait, it's impossible for you to take out these stakes!" Vida cried.
"Yes, it's just like Nemesis Bell… I'm temporarily calling it the holy attribute, and if it's that, I can't erase the effects of the stakes or the Artifacts," said Vandalieu. "But I should be able to 'break' the stakes and the Artifacts. Even if they're made of Orichalcum, this is a Divine Realm, after all."
In a Divine Realm, where an object's material had no meaning, Vandalieu should be able to break the stakes and Artifacts by using Soul Break.
And although Vandalieu used a considerable amount of Mana, the stake that he grasped did indeed break, turning into particles of light.
"No way! He broke it instead of pulling it out?!" Vida exclaimed.
"… I see. The stakes and Artifacts are powers that are specialized for targeting gods. For Vandalieu, who is not a god, it is easy to break them. As expected of the one who was once Ark," Ricklent murmured.
"No, it isn't easy. It takes quite a lot of Mana, you know," said Vandalieu.
"If a mortal can break a divine authority just by using their own Mana, that falls into the category of being easy," Vida and Ricklent said simultaneously.
Now that I think about it, that might be true, Vandalieu thought as he broke the stakes and Artifacts one by one, turning them into particles of light with cracking noises. He cursed Alda and Bellwood with each one that he broke.
And after he had broken about half of them, Vandalieu suddenly noticed something running this way in the distance. It looked like an enormous, four-legged beast, but its silhouette was strange.
It looked like it had four heads.
"I suppose that's Zuruwarn," said Ricklent.
"Eh? That's not an image, is it?" said Vida. "How was he able to get here across the barrier? This is such a sturdy place that on the outside, it's known as an S-class Dungeon created by Gufadgarn."
"He has likely crossed space itself across the barrier."
Zuruwarn, the god of space and creation, approached at a tremendous speed.
"Take this!" he shouted, and then he threw something from one of his four mouths at Vandalieu, who was continuing to break the stakes and swords at a leisurely pace.
It was something resembling a sparkling jewel, and as it touched Vandalieu, it silently went inside him.
And then Zuruwarn toppled over and stopped moving, the tongues hanging out of all four of his mouths in complete exhaustion. "I'm tired… I'm going to sleep."
"Zuruwarn! I'm happy to see you after so long, but please don't sleep! This is my Divine Realm!" said Vida.
"Zuruwarn, what kind of behavior is that for a god?" Ricklent said in disapproval.
"Umm, can I please ask what I was just given?" said Vandalieu.
"Good grief," Zuruwarn muttered as he got up again, yawning as he straightened up. "Vandalieu, I grant you, the violator of boundaries, the divine blessing of the dark gods of Earth."
"… Dark?" Vandalieu repeated.
"Yes, dark. The divine protection of the gods related to the afterworld, the demons of hell, Oni, monsters from ghost stories and other such beings. Negotiating for it was really tiring, so just take it and don't make that face, I'm begging you," Zuruwarn pleaded, seeing Vandalieu making a face that clearly showed that he didn't want the divine protection of such ominous beings. "I mean, there were so many divine beings that were firmly opposed to giving you their divine protection… and it seemed like it would take another hundred years if I were to wait for them to make up their minds."
"I see…"
Why would the gods of Earth, the world in which Vandalieu had died in about thirty years ago, give him their divine protection? He didn't understand at all. In fact, he was surprised that gods actually existed on Earth at all.
But it seemed that Zuruwarn had no intention of explaining this.
Vandalieu decided not to worry about it, thinking that since it was a divine protection, it probably wouldn't be a bad thing to accept it.
And then he broke the final sword. At that moment, the blood that continued flowing from Vida stopped.
"Thank you, Vandalieu, my child. I won't return to normal straight away, but thanks to you, I will be able to begin recovering my power," said Vida. "But it seems like I must bid farewell to you for today."
Vandalieu suddenly looked at his own arms to see that they were drooping onto the ground. It seemed that he had used too much Mana in this soul-only state.
His senses were fading away.
But he had already gained plenty. He had met Vida and was now certain that Ricklent and Zuruwarn were his allies. He had heard the gods speak and, for some reason, even been given the divine protection of the dark gods of earth.
But there was one more thing he wanted to ask.
"This is the last thing I'll ask. In the eyes of you, the gods, aren't I walking on the wrong path?" Vandalieu asked.
After being reincarnated in Lambda, Vandalieu had killed many people. He did not regret this, nor did he feel any guilt for having done so. He was proud of himself for having conformed to the policies of killing as few people as possible and saving as many people as possible, the policies that he had thought of when he was still a baby.
Under these policies, he had massacred the Mirg shield-nation's expedition army and caused catastrophic events in the Hartner Duchy and Sauron Duchy. He would eliminate obstacles that would prevent him from 'saving as many people as possible.' But he would keep the number he killed small, 'killing as few people as possible.'
He had never thought of becoming a perfect saint. If it was to protect his own companions and citizens, he didn't give a damn how many enemy soldiers died. He wouldn't hesitate to gain peace by standing on top of his enemies' corpses. It couldn't be helped that the citizens of enemy nations would come to hate him, so he was prepared for that.
Of course, if things could be settled through discussion, then he would do so, but he had no intention of giving gentle warnings to those who weren't even remotely interested in discussing things.
If he had hated himself for doing these things, he would have done as Rodcorte asked and ended his own life long ago.
But Vandalieu asked this question because he was aware that this was not a sense of values that could be considered ordinary.
Even if his way of thinking was denied, he couldn't change it because that would lead to his companions' ends. But it was possible to make small changes.
The gods smiled, as if to say that it was too late to think about that.
"Our blessings to you, the one who violates the boundaries between the living and the dead, between good and evil. We don't mind, so just do whatever you want," said Zuruwarn.
He was the god of creation, but he was also the god of the destruction that came about as a result of that creation. He would welcome the creation that would come after the destruction of the order established by Alda and the circle of transmigration established by Rodcorte.
As he himself was a trickster, a violator of boundaries, his thoughts were beyond the realm of good and evil.
"There is no right and wrong. We were never gods that discuss good and evil. Now is an age where humans, not gods, rule humans, so good and evil is something that should be decided by the people," said Ricklent.
He was the god of magic and the time attribute. People were creatures that eventually died. Therefore, he had a dry way of thinking regarding people's lives.
"And the new magic that you use is greatly intriguing. You are even controlling it properly. With that being the case, there would be no problem in creating immortal beings," he said.
Since Ricklent was the god of magic, he valued the study of new spells, inventions and knowledge. The Undead that Vandalieu created or tamed were under his control, so there was no reason for Ricklent to find fault in him.
"My child Vandalieu… you, who listened to my selfish requests, I have everything to thank you for, but nothing to blame you for. Do as you please. At the very least, the path you walk is not mistaken in my eyes," said Vida.
Vandalieu was a lovable being to Vida, the goddess of life and love.
She ruled over love. This caused some misunderstandings regarding her among her followers as well, but… she had never preached philanthropy. She had never taught that hating conflict was a bad thing, but she hadn't taught that causing others harm was a bad thing either. She had once taught that one could not forcibly love their neighbor, however.
Life was a competition; eating other life forms in order to live was a natural thing that occurred every single day.
And fighting to protect loved ones was never evil.
If she preached philanthropy and valued a correct way of life, she would never have left Alda and the others and given birth to new races, nor would she have turned Zakkart's remains into an Undead to mate with him.
"Last of all, please take this with you. I'm sure it will help in the resurrection of your mother, my child Darcia." Vida gathered the blood that had flowed from her body into her hands, formed a solid sphere with it and handed it to Vandalieu. "Also, take a good look around these resting grounds. They're called my resting grounds, but to Gufadgarn, the one who built it, it's a mausoleum for Zakkart! He loved Zakkart so much that he called himself Zakkart's first disciple, so I'm sure you'll find hints for clearing the Trial of Zakkart -"
"Vida, it seems that he has already returned to his body," said Ricklent.
"I tried to thank him multiple times, but you started talking every time I tried so I couldn't really find a good timing," said Zuruwarn.
"Ah! I still had things I wanted to say to him!"
Liked it? Take a second to support Novels on Patreon!