Chapter 134: Seven Sages of Destruction Sounds Better Than Four Heavenly Kings
Time flowed on.
The journey of Rhodes and Serie continued.
They now found themselves in a dwarven village at the foot of a volcano. He could even smell the faint scent of sulfur in the air. Weren't these dwarves afraid of a sudden eruption, of this place becoming another Pompeii?
Their arrival had caused a small stir; an elf and a human, traveling together, was an unusual sight.
"Hey! Outlanders! Need your weapons repaired, or looking to buy some tools?"
An old dwarven blacksmith, with a beard that would make Somme green with envy, poked his head out of the only shop in the village, his voice booming.
"Thank you, but not at the moment."
Rhodes waved him off with a smile and held out a few gold coins. "But could I ask you a few questions?"
At the sight of the gold, the old dwarf's smile widened. "Of course," he said, taking the coins with his rough, calloused hand. "As long as I know the answer, I'll tell you."
"That's a volcano, isn't it?" Rhodes said, pointing to the smoking crater in the distance.
"Aye," the dwarf nodded, unconcerned.
"Aren't you afraid it will just erupt one day?"
"Nah. The last time it erupted was two hundred years ago. It won't be for at least another hundred. And besides, the heat helps us with our forging."
"Alright then. Have you had any monster attacks recently?"
The village was located in a more northern region, and the further north you went, the more monsters you were likely to encounter. He was just looking for a bit of information.
"Monsters?" The smile on the old dwarf's face vanished, and his expression turned grim. He spat on the ground. "Bah! Don't mention those damned bastards!"
So there were monsters nearby. He was a little intrigued. The peaceful journey had been getting a bit boring. A little monster hunting, a few quests... it would be a nice change of pace. And the elven miss was probably getting a little restless herself.
"Could you tell me more?"
"It was about a month ago," the old dwarf said. "A strange demon came and took over one of our mines. Several of our lads went to fight him, but he beat them all back. And he calls himself one of the 'Four Heavenly Kings'. Hmph! What a load of nonsense."
"'Four Heavenly Kings'?" Rhodes raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Serie. A glint of understanding passed through her golden eyes, and she gave him a look that clearly said, 'look what you've done'.
He felt a little guilty. He remembered, long ago, when he had been joking with Eirik, he had said something about how a truly powerful organization had to have Four Heavenly Kings, and how sometimes, the Four Heavenly Kings could be more than just four people.
Who knew Eirik would have actually used that on the demons. But... did that mean a part of him was still in there? It was a slim hope, but a hope nonetheless.
"Was anyone injured? And what kind of magic did the demon use?" Serie asked.
"A strange magic," the old blacksmith said, his face grim. "Anyone he hit would turn as hard as a rock. We had to get a specialized mage to turn them back. A real bastard, he is."
"'Petrification magic'," she mused. "What do you think, Rhodes?"
"My lord, I believe there is something fishy about this," he said in a theatrical voice.
"Idiot," she scoffed. "Let's go. Be careful. I wonder if holy magic will be effective."
She then turned and started walking in the direction the old dwarf had indicated. He quickly followed, not forgetting to give the old dwarf a final wave. "Thanks, old man. We'll go check it out."
"Hey! Young'uns! That fella is powerful!" the dwarf shouted after them, but they were already gone.
The mine was not far from the village, but the landscape was much more desolate. The few trees that remained had an unhealthy, black-red color, and the air was filled with the smell of something burnt, and the faint, but unmistakable, scent of a demonic aura.
Not long after they had entered, they came to a clearing with clear signs of a battle: scorched earth, broken weapons and armor, and a few scattered, grayish-white rocks that were clearly out of place.
"This must be it," Serie said, stopping and sensing the residual mana in the air. She gave him a look, and he immediately understood and began to cast his own spells. The "Heavenly King" was nearby.
After he had cast a defensive spell on both of them, he said in a lazy voice, "Come on out, you 'Heavenly King'."
His voice was not loud, but it echoed through the clearing.
"A keen sense, for a human," an emotionless voice replied.
From behind a large rock, a tall, slender demon with a pale face and two horns on its head emerged. It held its chin high with a practiced arrogance, its eyes fixed on Rhodes.
"Why don't you introduce yourself first?" Rhodes said with a smile, already preparing to cast a spell of his own.
"Hmph. You may call me 'Latran of the Four Heavenly Kings'."
"The Four Heavenly Kings?" Rhodes let out a small chuckle. "If I may be so bold, Lord Latran," he said with a "sincere" expression, "how many of you are there?"
"Seven."
"Pfft—"
Serie couldn't hold it in. A small, almost inaudible, snort of laughter escaped her, and she quickly schooled her features, but the 'I-knew-it-was-you' look in her eyes was unmistakable. This man... first Eirik, and now the demons themselves had been poisoned by his nonsense.
"What is the meaning of this?" Latran asked, a little confused.
"If I may be so bold, Lord Latran, your title is a bit... inaccurate."
"What!?" His face darkened. "You dare to question the honor bestowed upon us by His Majesty, the Demon King!?"
"Not at all. I just feel that it doesn't quite... suit your strength," Rhodes said, waving his hand. "See, the 'Four Heavenly Kings'... it sounds like there are only four of you. But there are seven. It's a bit of a let-down, isn't it?"
Latran paused for a moment, as if considering this. "There is some truth to what you say," he admitted.
Serie just continued to stare at him, wondering what he was up to.
He ignored her and slapped his thigh. "See! That's what I'm saying! Seven powerful beings, all crammed into four titles... it's just a waste! I suggest you change it to something a little more... grand, something that better reflects your numbers."
"Oh?" Latran was now completely drawn into his line of reasoning. "And what title would that be?"
Rhodes cleared his throat and announced in a solemn tone, "'The Seven Sages of Destruction'. Seven sages of destruction. Doesn't that sound much more impressive?"
"The Seven... Sages of Destruction?"
Latran repeated the name, and a flicker of genuine interest and consideration appeared in his eyes. "It does sound... more fitting... than the 'Four Heavenly Kings'."
"And more befitting of His Majesty's dignity and your own strength!" Rhodes quickly added, striking while the iron was hot. "Right?"
And as Latran was momentarily distracted by his new, more impressive title, Rhodes struck.
(End of Chapter)
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