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1Recuperation
2
3The Mountain. I
4
5 
6
7You
8
9Ask me why I stare
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11At the mound on the horizon?
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13Why I wander so silently, eyes upcast?
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15Why my gaze so longingly turns to that towering visage?
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17 
18
19For I walk there not among men of flesh, but among gods of heaven
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21For there stands only the silent whisper of the stars
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23And the gentle sweep of the water,
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25frozen, as the world, in time.
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27 
28
29There, I drift, free of care,
30
31Free of worldly woes. And there,
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33Like the cherry-blossom down the stream
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35Drifts,
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37To a world only heaven knows, I
38
39Disappear...
40
41 
42
43~ Writes with Dew
44
45
46This place is pretty great: the air's fresh, and the view's beautiful and invigorating too. Lorist thought.
47
48They were in a valley near the Garilos mountains in Arriotoli's barony. She had built a hunter's cabin there and usually left two people to guard it. The nearby mangrove forest was a valuable source of timber. Their patterns were especially sought after by the rich. Arriotoli had been surprised to discover such a huge mangrove forest nearby and instantly laid claim to it.
49
50The forest came with two other key products, one being raspberries. Each was slightly smaller than a blueberry, but thin-skinned and juicy. They sold for a premium more often than not. Raspberries grew on shrubs in mangrove forests and matured in the 8th or 9th month. Since raspberries couldn't be kept for long, they were dried or made into fruit wine. Raspberry wine was expensive because people believed they had medicinal and aphrodisiac qualities, both of which made it very popular with the nobility. The second product was red mushrooms. They sported a bright cap and were delicious. They bloomed shortly after the rainy season for a few nights, which was the only time in the year they could be harvested. They were one of the continent's favorite cheap delicacies. They were especially popular in soups, but worked in almost any dish. The forest was a small treasure chest, a godsent for House Dina. Just the two harvestables alone made the household 30 gold a year.
51
52The three-floored hunter's cabin stood on the forest's edge in the valley. The bottom most floor was stone, while the other two were wood. There was even a beacon above the third floor. It looked like a small fort.
53
54"Wolves come down from the mountain in search of food in the winter," Arriotoli explained, "so the cabin has to be fortified enough to keep them out and the guards inside safe. The beacon is to call for help in case a large group of bandits or poachers show up, or the watchmen are in trouble for some other reason."
55
56The ground floor had four small rooms and one large communal area with the stairs. The first of the rooms was the stable, the second the pantry, the third a small vault, and a workshop. The workshop had a small kiln and could make and maintain basic tools. The second floor had three rooms that fanned out from the stairwell which also functioned as the dining room, two were bedrooms and the third a kitchen. The dining room had a small table and four chair. A stag head hung on the wall above the table.
57
58The ground floor might as well have been underground, for it was pitch black inside without windows and had to be lit with torches. The first floor, however, had windows, small as they were. Glasswork being as primitive and expensive as it was in this time, the windows were essentially just rectangular holes in the wall. The two bedroom-walls had two hinges boards that could be closed or opened, whilst the kitchen's window had a thin skin cover. The cold dominated most of the year here, even summer was cool, so the windows were closed most of the time, and the inside was still lit with braziers. Everything stunk of soot and smoke.
59
60The bedroom to the left of the stairs was slightly smaller, the walls wrapping around the stairs that ascended to the third floor. It was the tallest of the three floors, and had the best lighting. It had two slit windows, and a murder hole in each of the outer walls, which let light reflected off the ground or snow into the room as well without letting the wind and cold air in too much. A trap-door-like contraption in the ceiling led to the beacon on the roof.
61
62A bamboo pipe brought water over from the nearby stream. It ran by the house about 16 meters away. The steep ledges behind the house, down which the stream flowed, let the water run into the house on the first floor. It ran through a series of pipes, each with a tap in to use the water, down the house and into a pond in the yard, which overflowed back into the stream. Some of the pond's water ran into a trough in the stable.
63
64"Not bad. I should be able to survive here," commented Lorist. He could see the fields and the castle at the foot of the mountain from the platform on the third floor. The village of Howak stood in the distance at the entrance of the valley.
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66"It's too run-down, Your Grace. It's severely lacking. Should we go get some cutlery, candles, and clothes?" asked Reidy.
67
68"No. Have you seen watchers use silver and gold cutlery and candles? We're pretending to be watchers, best play the part. We can make our own utensils. Go fell a tree for some bowls and forks later. We'll use torches. As for clothes, just head further up the mountains and get deer or wolf pelts or something. Also, didn't Arriotoli mention the two phony herbalists will be here again in another a couple of days? We should scavenge a few herbs."
69
70"As you wish, Milord."
71
72Lorist was surprised that the couple came all the way to the cabin when they returned. Fortunately, he and Reidy had scavenged a lot of herbs. They weren't cleaned or dried yet though. There were also a lot of holey wolf pelts in the yard.
73
74"Not bad. I'll take everything," said the male, called Jack, without bothering to give them a detailed check. He even took the chance to inspect the cabin. The woman kept Lorist in the yard and asked a lot about the pelts.
75
76"We caught them with a few traps. They were impaled on stakes buried in hidden pits. Unfortunately it means they aren't worth anything on the market, but that's fine since we only wanted them for personal use." Lorist acted like a sneaky, money-grubbing farmer. In reality, Reidy had ruined them. If he hadn't they would obviously have been bought by Arriotoli and sold for money. Mountain watchers would obviously not want that.
77
78"What a shame. Where's your partner?"
79
80"There. He just went to patrol the forest. I have to stay back to feed the horses and make lunch," Lorist offered as he pointed.
81
82The woman turned around and saw Reidy coming over from the forest, a bow on his back and three turkeys and two hares in his hands.
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84Arriotoli exploded immediately.
85
86"Krimando! You're weren't patrolling at all! Hah! Caught you red-handed! You won't get any money this month! You know House Dina owns everything in the forest. I'll be taking those kills as well!"
87
88Reidy walked over crestfallenly, "But I didn't hunt them in the forest! I was hunting up the mountain! That's free game!"
89
90"I pay you to guard the forest, not to hunt in the mountains! No excuses. No money for you! And how can you prove you didn't hunt them in the forest? Maybe they live there and happened to go out to the mountains!"
91
92How... how would I prove that?! Having no choice, Reidy could only hand his game to Arriotoli, who picked them out meticulously and tossed a wild hare on the ground and complained, "Too thin. You can use it for soup."
93
94The herbalist watched on from the side.
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96So this is how a real noble acts! Jack left the cabin and shook his head slightly.
97
98Since they discovered nothing, the two prepared to head back. First, however, they had to pay for the herbs. Arriotoli was quite adept at bargaining, so it didn't take long to close the deal. She made 1 gold, 15 silvers in the trade. She pocketed the coins and tossed Lorist and Reidy two small silvers.
99
100"Not bad. Here's your reward. Should be enough to buy five wheat bears in town."
101
102Lorist smile painedly and rubbed the small silver. He had finally experienced how it felt to be a citizen taken advantage of by a noble. In fact, Arriotoli was being rather generous with two small silvers. The nobles saw everything in the dominion as their property. All of it belonged to them, so why would they pay anyone anything for getting it for them, whether that be by hunting, farming, or foraging? The three visitors left by horse. Lorist and Reidy were left with the herbs, which they had to take to town on their own. It would be shipped to Daphne by someone else from there.
103
104"Why not just have those two bring it all the way themselves?" asked the woman.
105
106"Not happening. If I let them leave, they'll vanish for who-know-how-long. I won't give them the time to waste their money, or an excuse to loiter."
107
108The couple was speechless.
109
110You call two small silvers money?!
111
112They had, at first, wanted to bribe the two so they'd spy for them, but, since Arriotoli wasn't giving them the chance, they let the thought go. Seeing that the two spent most of their time in the mountain, they probably didn't really know or see much anyway.
113
114Reidy sighed when the three vanished.
115
116"I'm really glad she's Lady Dina and not Lady Norton."
117
118"Didn't you see how good her acting was? She duped the couple completely. They don't suspect a thing. I'll start healing tomorrow. You remember the herb I asked you to get, right? Go find it for me. Also, make a bathtub.
119
120It was time for Lorist to start his internal healing. He would use Reidy's Dan Ocean Ki-refining technique instead of his Aquametal technique, the former was calmer and more suited to such endeavors. Magrut's battleforce had completely ruined his dantian, it could only be healed by slowly rebuilding it over time. The two stayed in the mountains for two seasons.
121
122Summer came and left, as did autumn. Arriotoli would come by with Sunirulu and Terryke from time to time. Sunirulu and Reidy would go scavenging in the mountain and the forest while the three nobles played around. Terryke, the chubby little rascal, kept tugging on Lorist's beard. Lorist had a new toy ready every time the kid came for a visit and the two would play together. They got along quite well.
123
124Lorist was back up to the third stage of the Dan Ocean Ki-refining technique when the third 10th month rolled by. He was now once again equal to a gold-ranker and cold just barely hold his ground against a single rank 1 blademaster. He would be back to swordsaint in six more months. He was sorting some herbs currently, preparing them for processing, when Arriotoli came rushing up the mountain on horseback.
125
126"Locke, News from The Northlands! Something's happened!"
127
128Chapter 1069: In the Name of the Aerial Knight
129Translator: TransN  Editor: TransN
130
131Inside the pilot training school in Neverwinter.
132
133"Hurry up! Hurry up! Keep your balance!"
134
135"Your legs are even shakier than a baby's!"
136
137"Keep straight. Watch where you're heading!"
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139"Hey, where are you going? Do I really have put some braziers on either side of the walkway to make you all be more careful!"
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141"Not here, not on the plank, otherwise I'll have to make you lick your vomit off it!"
142
143"Next, Good!"
144
145"Here!" Good shuddered when he heard his name being called. He took a deep breath and seated himself in a swivel chair.
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147The stern face of Eagle Face, the instructor, came into his sight.
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149Good could not even stand having mere eye contact with him. It was rumored Eagle Face had once been the commander of the garrison in the Northern Region before he had returned to Neverwinter. He had immediately taken the internal military assessment and became a member of the reserve Aerial Knights. This meant that Eagle Face had not only participated in the war against the church but had also sacrificed his vacations for the new trainees.
150
151In other words, he was strict to both others and himself.
152
153Good felt very uncomfortable under his penetrating stare.
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155As soon as he sat down, his two friends, Finkin and Hinds grouped up.
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157Good saw them cast him a sorrowful look.
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159The next moment, the chair started to spin rapidly.
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161This was the most painful training session for the reserve pilots. There was a plank five meters long, as wide as a palm, in front of the chair, which Eagle Face called a "footbridge". All the trainees had to walk the "footbridge" as steadily as possible after spinning in the chair for half a minute.
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163Due to the loss of balance, the whole world became a swirl of color after he slid off the chair. He could barely stand still, let alone crossing the "footbridge". Eagle Face would usually train ten people at a time, and the person who got the lowest grade would be subject to punishment such as "cleaning the washroom" and "weeding the yard". Sometimes, he would pick a weekend and have the poor guy sit in the spinning chair for a whole day as a way of disciplining.
164
165Unfortunately, Good had once been that unlucky person.
166
167As a result, he had ended up throwing up in his dormitory at dinner time.
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169He did not want to experience this for a second time.
170
171"Stop!"
172
173The chair immediately stopped as Eagle Face announced the magic word. Good struggled to get off the chair.
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175"Hurry up! Don't dawdle. Walk!"
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177Good raised his head with his teeth clenched. He stepped on the plank shakily and started to walk toward the other end of the "footbridge". After more than ten days of practice, he had found a little trick to succeed in the task. He noticed that he would be more likely to lose his balance if he constantly watched his steps. The best way to cross the "footbridge" was to look ahead and use his body's memory to control his strides.
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179In fact, his feet touched the solid ground before he realized it.
180
181"That's, that's amazing..."
182
183"He didn't miss a single step!"
184
185"He's the first person who did it, isn't he?"
186
187The crowd behind him broke into a loud buzz.
188
189He turned around and looked at Eagle Face. There was a rare smile on his gaunt grim face. "Well done. It seems that you aren't completely hopeless."
190
191"But一" he paused for a second and his tone instantly dropped, "there has been only one person who passed the test up to this date, which means this group is the worst of them all. Princess Tilly said the Aerial Knights should be one in a million. If you don't want to be an errand boy for the rest of your life, put yourself together and train harder. Take a five-minute break and we'll start again!"
192
193Everybody wailed at the announcement.
194
195"Hey, how did you do that?" Finkin asked Good while winking.
196
197"Just walk the way you normally do like when you aren't dizzy."
198
199"Really? How?" Hinds rejoined. "Are you saying to live the lie in your head?"
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201Both Finkin and Hinds had passed the initial assessment and joined the reserve together with Good. As the three were in the same training group, they had soon become very close friends.
202
203"Just do what I said. We just need a pass." Good tapped Hind's head. "This method probably doesn't work for the smart ones, but I think it should work for you guys."
204
205"Get over yourself," Finkin retorted with a little irritation. "You just succeeded once. Stop bragging."
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207"Do you want to make a bet? I bet I'll walk over the bridge for another three... no, five times!"
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209"If you do, I'll do all your laundry this week!"
210
211"Including my underpants?"
212
213"Um..."
214
215"Hey, you guys stop arguing," Hinds cut in. "What I really care about is— can we really become an Aerial Knight after this training program?"
216
217Good and Finkin instantly fell silent. In fact, this was the very problem that bothered all the trainees. All the training they had received so far, including walking the footbridge, passing the rotating wheel, and learning wind directions, were more like an acrobatic show than proper military training. Furthermore, Princess Tilly was supposed to teach them in person, but in the end, she had simply taught some senior officers from the First Army and asked those officers to teach them.
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219The training was pretty intense. They had to go through physical training during the daytime and learn to read and write at night. Although Princess Tilly had made her promise to all of them, they still doubted the credibility of her words.
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221However, nobody dared raise the question to the sulky, unapproachable instructor.
222
223"Who knows?" Finkin said with a shrug, after a short silence. "At least, the food here is good. We have meat every day, with an extra meal on weekends as well."
224
225"I think... Her Highness is not likely to lie to us," Good said thoughtfully. "Didn't we get a bag of books? My sister told me one of them is called something like "Aircraft Operation Manual", which was drafted by Her Highness herself. Once we learn how to read and write, we would probably know the reason for these trainings."
226
227"You are pretty optimistic, aren't you?" Finkin beamed at him.
228
229"If I thought negatively, I probably wouldn't have survived the trip here."
230
231"Alright, time's up!" Just then, Eagle Face's voice rose abruptly above the murmurs of the crowd. "Line up here. We're going to do it again in the same order in which we did last time!"
232
233"OK..." responded everybody weakly.
234
235But something unexpected happened.
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237The door of the training room was flung open and a uniformed man strode in. He whispered something in Eagle Face's ear.
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239Eagle Face nodded. After administering a salute, he wheeled around and swept over the trainees with a cold glance.
240
241"Good news for all of you. The subsequent training is cancelled. You can continue to take your break now."
242
243Finkin and Hinds heaved a sigh of relief, but Good did not. He clearly saw a calculating smile break across Eagle Face's shrewd face. It was a smile which contained a little bit of sarcasm, jesting, and even... gloating.
244
245"Not here though." As Good had expected, Eagle Face went on at once, "I know what you're complaining about in private. I didn't bother explaining to you because I know your thick skulls wouldn't understand a thing. You're indeed lucky. Now, there's a chance for you to see what an Aerial Knight truly means with your own eyes."
246
247The true meaning of... an Aerial Knight?
248
249Good's heart was pumping insubordinately.
250
251"Follow me." Eagle Face surveyed them slowly and said, "I hope you don't wet your pants when you see it."
252
253Chapter 1070: The Glider (I)
254Translator: TransN  Editor: TransN
255
256They filed out of the training room and marched along the pavement toward the south.
257
258There were brand new red brick houses along the road, some were just completed and some were half-done. According to Finkin, it had been a coastal wasteland here just a year ago, with nothing but a few tree trunks here and there. Now, the construction team had turned this place into a "city within a city".
259
260The city was walled. Although the hedge was not high, it was tall enough to set a boundary between the city and the rest of the world. A warning sign which read "No climbing. Offenders will be shot down" was hung on the wall, keeping those who attempted to climb over the hedge away from this area.
261
262There were several dormitories, cafeterias, playgrounds, training rooms and classrooms in this enclosure. It had actually taken Good a full day to completely understand what those weird words meant. In short, they lived and studied in here, cut off from contact with the outside world, leading an exclusive lifestyle which their instructor referred to as a "closed system".
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264The enclosure was pretty big. Good had been here for several weeks, but he still did not know where the edge of the hedge was. One of the reasons for this was that the trainees were confined within the area between their dormitories and the playground. They were forbidden to go anywhere else unless given special permission.
265
266It should be noted that the construction of the school had been completed within just a year.
267
268Good had known a long time ago that Neverwinter was famous for its monstrous speed of building houses. However, he had no idea how fast it actually was until he moved to the "city within a city" in the Western Region this winter.
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270It had only taken them one week to complete a red bungalow on the south side of the playground.
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272Compared to other cities, the work efficiency here was phenomenal.
273
274After they crossed the playground, the group suddenly erupted into a loud murmur.
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276This was a restricted area normally forbidden to the students.
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278For the first time, they saw what this area looked like. Their view was filled with nothing but a vast open field. All they could see was the blue sky above dotted with puffs of white clouds. A short way farther on, they saw the endless Swirling Sea. A cold sea breeze brushed upon Good's cheeks, instantly reviving his spirit.
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280Used to the familiar view of dense red brick houses, Good felt the whole world instantly expand in front of him.
281
282"Strange... I thought there would be something marvelous here," Hinds mumbled. "Isn't it just a clearing?"
283
284He was right. It was a clearing with nothing but a few blackstone tracks, wider than the main street in Neverwinter, which stretched away to the east and west.
285
286No wonder Hinds did not understand why it was a restricted area.
287
288"Probably because they feared we'd be too absorbed in this beautiful view to pay attention to the road underneath and fall into the sea." Finkin grinned. "But I think I'll be more willing to learn if our classroom is here."
289
290"But you have no desire to learn at all in the first place," someone jested.
291
292"Hey, do you want to make a bet?" Finkin stared back. "Let's see who had a higher grade in the past exam?"
293
294"Drop it. Look over there!" Good raised his brows. "Someone's already here."
295
296"They're from the other class..." At these words, the whole group fell silent. Although they had not talked to the other class, they had heard a lot about them from their instructor, who constantly spoke highly of their performances. They not only completed all the tasks assigned to them during the day but also requested for more in the evening. Some of them insisted on sitting in the chair even though they had vomit all over. They were the so-called top students who simply beat them in every subject, making them look like a bunch of dunces.
297
298They thus automatically viewed the students from the other class as their rivals.
299
300"Raise your head."
301
302"Stare right into their eyes. We don't want to lose to them!"
303
304They started to encourage each other.
305
306Meanwhile, the other group of students looked just as intense as them.
307
308Sensing the glares, those students all gazed at them coldly, long-faced, looking nothing like model students.
309
310The tension between the two groups was not reduced until they had parted.
311
312"Alright, you all wait here," Eagle Face bellowed as he stopped at the blackstone track. "Remember, you're not allowed to leave your spot no matter what you see. Both His Majesty and Her Highness will be here. Any frivolous action would be viewed as a potential danger, and you know very well its consequence."
313
314"The king... will come as well?"
315
316"No, he should be here already," thought Good, as he noticed the shed on the other side of the clearing had been surrounded by soldiers from the First Army and the police. Apparently, only the presence of the King of Graycastle would require such seamless security.
317
318It seemed that the king did highly regard the Aerial Knights.
319
320Good started to look forward to the unfolding of the event.
321
322For a second, he put Eagle Face's meaningful sneer out of his mind.
323
324...
325
326In the hangar, there was completely a different scene.
327
328The first glider, the "Seagull" was ready for her virgin trip.
329
330This was also the very first manned glider after Tilly learned how to operate the testing gilder. Compared to the testing glider, this one was larger with wider and thicker wings. The frame of the glider was covered with skins. It was equipped with various supplementary facilities such as portholes, chairs, an airtight door that could be opened from the back, etc. In short, the "Seagull" was a real plane.
331
332The traditional gliders in modern society were used as a supplementary transportation tool to cargo aircrafts. They were made of low-quality materials such as wooden frames and holey canvas. However, the "Seagull" was the exact opposite of her shabby predecessors. It was made of aaluminumalloys and steels with high tensile strength. Most of her major parts were integrally molded, with minimal bolts and welding. As for the non-structural parts, there were numerous small holes in it to minimize the weight of the aircraft. The magic coating ensured no gas would leak upon a huge air pressure difference. The bottom of the aircraft was armored for force landing purposes. As long as the plane maintained its stability, the armor would protect the crew and passengers from injuries even if the plane crashed.
333
334The glider would be used to carry witches.
335
336As the "Seagull" would be the only plane in Neverwinter, Roland had to make sure it was absolutely safe.
337
338"Well then... I'm boarding." Anna pressed a gentle kiss to Roland's cheek. "See you tomorrow."
339
340"Stay safe. Don't force yourself," Roland reminded her. "If you encounter the demons, remember to protect yourself."
341
342Anna smiled. "I know. You've said the same thing to me over and over again."
343
344"Please don't worry. I'll protect her," said Phyllis, the God's Punishment Witch, solemnly.
345
346Roland let Anna go reluctantly. After quite a while, he disengaged Anna and nodded slowly. "Off you go. I'll wait for you right here."
347
348The First Army had actually built an airport at the edge of the forest, where the railways took a turn. Since there was no transportation tool that could complete a trip of over 500 miles within one day except Maggie, Roland had to invent a glider as an alternative.
349
350The "Seagull" could carry 20 people at most. So, other than the pilots Tilly and Wendy, it could take 18 additional passengers in total, or cargo of 1,000 kilograms (when the chairs were removed). The speed of the glider depended on Wendy's magic power. Even if it flew at a "low" speed of 200 miles an hour, it could at least complete two round trips between Neverwinter and the front within a day, which was the fastest they could achieve at present.
351
352Loden
353
354Leguna sipped his coffee and observed the crowd of people on the streets quietly. Eleven days had passed since he left Doen. The boss didn’t lie. He truthfully revealed Bloodhand’s hideouts, those of which he knew. Leguna had gone around for several days now, wiping out every hideout he came across. He sat now in the city of Kent, which also housed Bloodhand’s headquarters.
355
356Kent wasn’t the provincial capital, but was in the middle of the province, which made it a natural hub of trade and activity. Most of its wealth was directly thanks to its location. It had become the richest and prosperous city in the empire in just a the few years since the empire’s founding. It’s lack of capital status was the main reason the gang could set up camp here, security would have been much tighter had it been the provincial capital.
357
358Not only did the Brotherhood focus most of their power and activities here, they were just one of many gangs and syndicates to do so. Needless to say, the most powerful man in the city was Taewon, the brotherhood’s overlord according to both managers Leguna bothered to interrogate.
359
360Leguna had learned quite a few interrogation techniques from Wayerliss’s notebook, he hadn’t had the chance to test it in practice because he was a mercenary for the last two years. Now he finally found a few lab rats, he didn’t hesitate to experiment. The two managers suffered no less than their Doen counterpart. Leguna cuffed them and started beating them without even bothering to talk. He continued until they stared at him like an innocent maiden staring at her rapist. The two fought for the chance to answer his questions when they finally came. It didn’t take him long to know everything he needed. He drew his blade and slaughtered the two, their skulls still have hopeful gazes even now.
361
362Leguna could not remember being this eager for slaughter before coming to over. It was like a haze of bloodlust constant hung over him. His beatings were as much for his own pleasure and entertainment as a tool with which to extract information. It was also a vent for his lust. He hoped, foolishly, it now seemed, to vent his frustration, anger, and lust for slaughter on men with dirtied hands, lest he be overwhelmed and bloody his hands and conscience with the innocent. He feared even more having to return to his companions with the haze still drawn over him.
363
364That they would feed Gahrona only helped convince him that their deaths had great utility. Naturally, his teacher noticed something was off and talked to him when they had free time. Their discussion didn’t help, however, he could still not pinpoint the haze’s origin. Having no other choice, he hoped his teacher paid attention to his actions and would stop him if he started acting irrationally.
365
366Combing his fringe back, he prepared to disguise himself as usual. This time, however, he wore the garments of females. The face in the mirror had long black hair and a tantalizing figure, not dissimilar from his master’s human form.
367
368{Wayerliss found himself a freaking good disciple. It’s one thing to be good at disguises, but it’s another to crossdress so easily and convincingly.}
369
370{Teacher threw me into a brothel and didn’t allow me to eat unless I could seduce the customers to feed me,} Leguna mentioned awkwardly. It was a very unpleasant memory, but he revealed it to his second teacher without hesitation.
371
372{Not a bad approach.} Gahrona nodded.
373
374{Will Loden really fall for this?}
375
376This was the first time he crossdressed to… do a man in, so to speak. He didn’t know how to feel about the whole situation.
377
378Loden was Taewon’s right-hand man. He dealt with almost everything in his place. Leguna originally wanted to approach Taewon through Loden. Though stealthily infiltrating the headquarters wasn’t too difficult, he didn’t want to just kill just Taewon. He wanted to wipe the entire leadership out in one fell swoop. This forced him to concoct a despicable plot. He knew Loden was going to talk to the representative of another syndicate in the tea house below. He planned to get him here.
379
380{How would I know what flips his switch? Then again, you should’ve taken note of your surroundings by now if you’re attentive.}
381
382{I know. The gazes really make me sick. I’ve been wanting to throw up all day.} Leguna furrowed his brow as the men gazed at him — face, breasts, and legs. He couldn’t stand having their eyes violate him like this. He had no choice, however.
383
384“Are you alone, Miss Pretty?” one of the men asked.
385
386“Buzz off!” Leguna hissed in as feminine a voice as he could manage.
387
388The man froze immediately. Fortunately, the house was a rather high class establishment and many of the visitors had impressive backgrounds. The rejected man didn’t dare to act rashly and returned to his seat.
389
390{See? It’s working well. If his tastes aren’t anything out of the ordinary, he’ll fall for it hook, line and sinker.}
391
392{It would be best if this was never necessary ever again.}.
393
394{What’s a little suffering for the sake of your goals? You’re still too green. Anyway, that’s enough of that, Loden’s here. Pay attention.}
395
396Leguna stiffened, quickly put away his thoughts, and focused his attention on the man stepping into the hall. The man was short and stocky, no older His skills had to be extraordinary to secure such a position at his age. In fact, Taewon only noticed him two years ago. Bloodhand was well-established in Semralsin already. Though Loden couldn’t contribute to the organization’s initial growth and expansion, his achievements were not something at which to scoff.
397
398He wasn’t recklessly brave like so many in their twenties. Instead, he was a rational and cowardly. Those qualities caught Taewon’s attention. Since the brotherhood had already built a stable foundation, he didn’t need to keep fighting and struggling to expand. Instead, he needed someone to micromanage internal affairs. Loden was the perfect candidate.
399
400Leguna was aware of one of the man’s weakness, an open secret in the brotherhood, lust. He didn’t think that, before he even got a chance to impress someone with is masculinity, he’d have to resort to tempting someone with his femininity.
401
402{Okay,} Leguna mouthed as he fondled his ample breasts. They were quite enticing, he had to admit.
403
404“So Loden wants some ‘action’, huh?” Leguna mused in a soft voice, “I’ll show him the time of his life!”
405
406The princess and marshal’s worries
407
408 Previous Chapter  
409Having officially been crowned as emperor, Vandalieu decided to return to Talosheim for now. The Trial of Zakkart still hadn’t appeared yet, and there were various things that needed to be done.
410
411One of them was the revelation of Privel, Zadiris and the others whose Ranks had increased while Vandalieu and his companions were away.
412
413Vandalieu himself wasn’t aware of it, but he had apparently appeared in their dreams and guided them. He found it interesting that during those dreams, he had various strange appearances to each person such as being enormous, having split into enough clones to completely cover the earth and being small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.
414
415“It could be that the shape of my soul or mind is different from regular people,” Vandalieu muttered as he poured death-attribute mana into a Mythril bar.
416
417“Because it’s a soul created from the soul fragments of the champions? Since you appeared different for everyone, I don’t think that’s the case,” said Eleanora.
418
419As she said, since his form hadn’t been a fixed one, perhaps it wasn’t anything to be concerned about.
420
421“I haven’t really been concerned about it up until now, but… now that I think about it, I can guess how it is,” Vandalieu said.
422
423When he recalled how he had behaved and moved about in Vida’s Divine Realm, he got the feeling that his movements had clearly not been those of a human.
424
425Having become curious, he remembered when he had been summoned to Mububujenge’s Divine Realm with Budarion, Godwin and the others.
426
427Back then, he had the feeling that Budarion and Godwin’s appearances hadn’t been different from normal even when they were in soul-only states.
428
429But he had been looking down on them from above… in other words, he had been clearly more enormous than his physical form. He hadn’t paid any attention to it at the time, but he wondered about it now that he knew of his own history.
430
431“Your spirit form is normal, but your soul’s form is different, huh. That’s weird,” said Borkus.
432
433“It is true that the boy changes form frequently, but he appears ordinary when he does not do so,” said Zadiris.
434
435Vandalieu used Out-of-body Experience to create a spirit clone and explain. “Maybe it’s easier to understand if I compare myself to a Slime? My soul is the core, and the spirit form is the jelly-like part surrounding it. My soul is constantly covered by my spirit form, so there’s no way that it would show itself on the surface.”
436
437“The only thing about me that’s different from others is my soul; the spirit form isn’t any different from anyone else’s. That’s why nobody noticed just by looking at my spirit-form clones,” said Vandalieu’s spirit clone.
438
439The Deep Blood Slime Kühl helped explain as well, and Borkus and Zadiris seemed satisfied by this explanation.
440
441“Thanks for your help, Kühl,” said Vandalieu.
442
443On Earth and in Origin, he would have compared the soul to the nucleus of a cell, but in Lambda, it was easier to compare it to a Slime.
444
445“Even if your form is different, you’re you, Vandalieu. It’s nothing to worry about,” said Darcia, moving her hand as if patting her son’s head.
446
447“Thanks, Mom. But more than me being worried about it myself, I was more concerned that everyone might be scared when they see my soul,” said Vandalieu.
448
449“Ah, I suppose that’s true,” Darcia said, and then she turned to speak to the people gathered around. “Everyone, be careful!”
450
451“I don’t think we’ll normally get to see the form of his soul, though. Fidirg and Zozogante reveal themselves here when we go to see them, anyway,” said Eleanora.
452
453“Yeah, it’s not like we’ll be summoned into Divine Realms along with the kid that often,” said Borkus.
454
455“And even if we were, it would not be a problem if we kept our eyes down,” said Zadiris.
456
457“… I do feel like I kind of want to see it, however,” said Luciliano.
458
459“By the way, have you managed to transform Mythril with death attribute Mana?” asked Isla, looking at Vandalieu’s hands with her dead eyes sparkling with desire.
460
461“I’ve been trying for a while, but it seems impossible. Adamantite and Obsidian didn’t work either, so maybe I can’t transform magical metals,” said Vandalieu.
462
463He was currently in his workshop, testing whether he could transform Mana-imbued metals such as Mythril and Adamantite.
464
465Vandalieu had previously created Death Iron, Dark Copper, Spirit Silver and Life Gold, but he hadn’t tested metals like Mythril and Adamantite before.
466
467One of the reasons for this was that he had been busy creating the Death Iron and Dark Copper used in the Luna currency circulating in Talosheim, but the largest reason was that metals like Mythril and Adamantite didn’t appear so frequently in Dungeons.
468
469In most cases, these metals appeared inside treasure chests or as equipment equipped by monsters. Thus, it was rare to find them in reasonable quantities.
470
471It was possible for Vandalieu to create them by spending his Mana using the Golem Creation Skill, but that took a considerable amount of time. And since Death Iron and Dark Copper were exceptional as materials, there hadn’t been much need to transform magical metals.
472
473That was why this experiment had been left until later.
474
475But now that he had finally started the experiment, the results were not favorable.
476
477“It doesn’t look like they’ll disappear or start moving around like Spirit Silver or Life Gold if we leave them alone, and there’s no change to their appearance, strength or properties,” said Vandalieu.
478
479“I see. Magical metals are originally metals that have transformed by being imbued with Mana, so this means that it is impossible for your death-attribute Mana to further transform something that has already been transformed,” said Luciliano.
480
481As Vandalieu’s apprentice but also as his research assistant, Luciliano wrote a summary for the documents detailing the results of the experiment.
482
483“By the way, are you not going to test Orichalcum?” Luciliano asked.
484
485“There’s no need, is there?” said Vandalieu.
486
487Orichalcum, the metal said to be impossible to create or manipulate by anyone other than the gods. Though Vandalieu was only able to make rough changes to the shape of lumps of Orichalcum, he had used the Golem Creation Skill to turn it into things like maces, shields and clubs.
488
489The Orichalcum was immersed in a large amount of death-attribute Mana in this process; if it could transform, it would have already done so.
490
491“Platinum didn’t transform when I tested it before, so maybe this is the limit,” said Vandalieu.
492
493“That was an experiment conducted before you acquired the divine protection of Earth’s dark gods, so how about trying again?” Luciliano suggested. “There are many cases where the acquisition of divine protections causes various changes. Perhaps you could create a metal that only exists in the afterworld of Earth’s legends.”
494
495“That’s right. You’ve become able to grow pomegranates easily with your Group Binding Technique thanks to the effect of your divine protection, so there might be other effects as well,” said Darcia.
496
497Vandalieu could cultivate plants inside his body with the effects of Plant Binding Technique that was a part of Group Binding Technique, but the cultivation of pomegranates had become simpler than before after he received the divine protection of Earth’s dark gods.
498
499“Hmm… You’re right, let’s try that on another day,” said Vandalieu.
500
501“Boy, other metals and materials exist in the worlds of Earth and Origin, do they not? Could you not create them with Golem Creation now?” said Zadiris.
502
503“There are, but I don’t know how to make them,” said Vandalieu.
504
505On Earth and in Origin, there were metals such as tungsten whose existence remained unknown in Lambda… it wasn’t clear if they even existed at all. However, Vandalieu was not very knowledgeable about such metals and materials.
506
507As a high school student on Earth, he hadn’t possessed a particular interest in metals and minerals, so he didn’t remember the properties and the process behind creating metals like tungsten and titanium alloys… if he was still a student, he would have been able to at least remember their chemical symbols, but as thirty years had passed now, he didn’t remember them at all.
508
509He had heard information about metals from the spirits of the researchers in Origin, but they had only spoken of their own research that they had conducted regarding those metals; they hadn’t explained the metals themselves in great detail.
510
511Even the Golem Creation Skill couldn’t create minerals that Vandalieu knew nothing but the names of.
512
513“Even when I asked Legion, it seemed that they weren’t very knowledgeable about them, either,” said Vandalieu. “Well, they aren’t researchers or specialists… It seems that there are various things in the deepest part of the Trial of Zakkart, but I’m really torn as to whether it’s alright to test them.”
514
515The legacy of the champion Zakkart lay inside the Dungeon that was named after him. According to the documents left in Vida’s Resting Grounds, one of the items left behind was the military weapon of the foreign world Earth that Zakkart had been partway through making to defeat the Demon King Guduranis.
516
517It was something that even Vandalieu was hesitant to put his hands on.
518
519“Well, it’s fine, isn’t it? Death Iron and Dark Copper are first-rate materials, and you have the Demon King’s fragments as well, right, kid?” said Borkus.
520
521“Mmm, yes. Now that this experiment has concluded… boy, there is something I wish to say to you,” said Zadiris, grasping Vandalieu’s shoulders.
522
523“What is it? Is it to do with your Rank increase?” Vandalieu asked.
524
525Zadiris’s Rank had increased after she received Vandalieu’s guidance in her dreams, just like Privel and the others. Vandalieu hadn’t heard the details yet, but as far as he could see, her appearance didn’t seem to have changed. He was confused as to what the problem could be.
526
527But Zadiris felt that there was a very large problem.
528
529“Zadiris, it’s selfish to be dissatisfied with your Rank increase after receiving his guidance,” said Eleanora.
530
531“I’m reluctant to agree with the little girl, but she’s right,” said Isla.
532
533But Zadiris maintained her grip on Vandalieu’s shoulders. “Boy, I do feel grateful for my Rank increase. But… why is my race title ‘Ghoul Wizard Princess?!’”
534
535Zadiris’s tear-filled question seemed to stop time itself.
536
537Princess.
538
539In many cases, this was a word referring to girls born to families of high nobility, such as royals. There were some cases where it had nothing to do with the title holder’s birth status, like Iris’s Title of ‘Liberating Princess Knight,’ but in most cases, the word was used to refer to young women born to noble parents or placed in that social position.
540
541Eleanora and Isla gave Zadiris sympathetic looks.
542
543“… I take back my words, Zadiris,” said Eleanora.
544
545“… That deserves some sympathy,” said Isla.
546
547“I think it’s cute, though…” said Darcia.
548
549Luciliano seemed to be prioritizing his scholarly curiosity. “Hmm? I don’t see any differences to her third eye or the patterns on her skin, but… no, I think that perhaps her appearance has become younger, but it might be my imagin –”
550
551Eleanora and Isla struck him lightly in the solar plexus, causing him to faint.
552
553“You never learn, do you,” Borkus said to him, knowing that both of them were capable of piercing through a knight in plate armor with their bare hands.
554
555After that, Vandalieu finally managed to squeeze out his own words. “… I-it’s cute, you know?” he said.
556
557“Boy!” Zadiris cried. “I am almost in my three-hundreds! I have grandchildren! Why am I a princess?! Even if you tell me I am cute, I cannot honestly express my happiness!”
558
559“But you do feel happy about it,” Borkus muttered.
560
561Zadiris ignored him. “I do not believe that you deliberately turned me into a Ghoul Wizard Princess with my Rank increase. It is a race title that even I have never heard of before. But I want to say this. Why is it not Geronimo or Queen or Grandmother; why is it Princess!”
562
563“… There’s probably no way to know without asking the gods that manage Statuses,” said Vandalieu, remembering what he had been told by Ricklent in Vida’s Divine Realm.
564
565Ricklent had never created a god that controlled Ranks, which only monsters possessed at the time, so it was possible that one of the evil gods of the Demon King’s army was in charge of Ranks, however.
566
567“But if I had to guess why… I guess it’s your image?” said Vandalieu.
568
569“Zadiris, it’s hard to be called a queen considering your appearance,” said Eleanora.
570
571“Calm down. Your appearance will change and you’ll become a Queen when your Rank increases again… the chance of that shouldn’t be zero,” said Isla.
572
573“I do not need kindness from you as well, Isla! You two should become a Vampire Princess and Zombie Princess as well!” Zadiris exclaimed.
574
575“Stop! Don’t put strange curses on us; what will you do if we really do become princesses?” said Eleanora.
576
577It was certainly feasible for her, because her physical appearance was that of a twenty-year-old.
578
579“It’s impossible for me, in terms of how old I appear,” said Isla, giving a quiet shrug.
580
581… Her face seemed to stiffen a little as she imagined the unlikely possibility, however.
582
583“Well, I wouldn’t be able to stand being something like a Zombie Prince Hero at my age, either, but… you can’t do anything about a Rank increase,” said Borkus.
584
585Monsters and members of Vida’s races could increase their Ranks, but their Ranks wouldn’t decrease unless they became Undead.
586
587Also, a change in race title without a Rank increase had never been seen before.
588
589Even if limbs were lost, even with aging, monster Ranks and race titles remained the same.
590
591“Indeed,” said Zadiris. “Now that I have come this far, increasing my Rank again will not be easy, but I have no other choice.”
592
593“Should I make a wand and costume?” said Vandalieu.
594
595“… I do not want a childish design. I will not ask for a queen’s design, but I would be happy with a lady or woman’s design.”
596
597Vandalieu had asked this question while imagining a “Magic girl ☆ Zadiris” in his mind, but as Zadiris didn’t know about Japan’s anime, she seemed to have interpreted it as him offering a present.
598
599Design… I’m not very confident, though, Vandalieu thought.
600
601“Alright,” he said, thinking that it would be too cruel to tell her he was joking right after her mood improved.
602
603He could make clothes by knitting the thread that he created himself. As for the wand, he decided that he would use the Demon King’s horns and exoskeleton as a base and follow her requests as much as possible.
604
605Isla lightly pulled at Vandalieu’s clothes. “Vandalieu-sama, there is something I want… could I receive a chain? Even a rope would be fine!”
606
607“Isla… that’s not for a proper hobby; it’s to attach to your collar, isn’t it. Are you alright with something made with Golem Creation?” Vandalieu asked.
608
609“Yes, of course!” Isla said, nodding in response to both questions.
610
611“Alright,” said Vandalieu.
612
613Isla had been working hard recently, and it was only natural to give her more presents after her collar.
614
615“Vandalieu-sama! Me too!” Eleanora exclaimed.
616
617“Isla-san and Eleanora-san, you should… I guess it’s impossible for you to hold back,” said Darcia.
618
619“I think so too, Mom,” Vandalieu agreed. “Eleanora, would you like a choker? Something more accessory-like.”
620
621Meanwhile, the ‘Saint of Healing’ Jeena and ‘Tiny Genius’ Zandia, former heroes of Talosheim and Borkus’s former party members, entered the underground workshop.
622
623“Your-Majesty-kun.”
624
625“Can we talk to you for a moment?”
626
627“You’re not gonna ask for collars as well, are you?” Borkus asked them fearfully, having a bad feeling because of the timing of their arrival.
628
629The two of them gave puzzled frowns.
630
631“Huh? What are you talking about? We came to give His-Majesty-kun a report on the bodybuilding tournament and talk to him about other stuff while we’re here,” said Jeena.
632
633Having learned bodybuilding poses like the side chest from Vandalieu, Jeena had thought that bodybuilding could be interesting and come up with the idea of using the theater that had been built in Talosheim to hold a bodybuilding competition.
634
635Even in Lambda, those who prided themselves in their physical beauty took poses that emphasized their muscles. It was only natural that some of them would like the same poses used by bodybuilders on Earth. There were all kinds of races in Lambda, but many of them shared the same body shape as humans of Earth.
636
637But tournaments where contestants competed solely in physical beauty were rare. In Lambda, those with physical beauty were those with exceptional physical abilities, and they were expected to possess exceptional fighting strength.
638
639In other words, tournaments were those where fighting slaves risked their lives, and even the less gory ones were combat tournaments where contestants sometimes died.
640
641This was the first tournament in which contestants competed only in beauty that had no practical use, at least within the Boundary Mountain Range.
642
643It was religiously appropriate as well, providing a good theme for worshipping Vida, the goddess of the life attribute, so the plans were to hold a grand bodybuilding tournament to celebrate Vida’s revival.
644
645Of course, Vandalieu was looking forward to the tournament. He planned to participate as a special judge on the day.
646
647“Are there any problems or anything I can help with?” he asked.
648
649“Everything’s fine at the moment. You made the contestants’ costumes for us, too. But we’re leaving the extra prizes and stuff to you,” said Zandia.
650
651Isla’s eyes shone with greed at this chance to appeal herself to Vandalieu, while Eleanora sighed, knowing that she couldn’t win against Basdia in the women’s division.
652
653“Hmph, this is a conversation that has nothing to do with me. More importantly, Zandia, what is the other information that you wanted to report?” Zadiris asked.
654
655She was a princess now for some strange reason, and she had completely given up in the field of muscles.
656
657“Hmm, first of all, the fact that our Ranks have increased and lost our Broken labels. I’m Rank 9, and Jeena-nee is Rank 10,” Zandia said. “The only other thing is that Nuaza was talking about building a statue of His-Majesty-kun next to the statue of Vida-sama to celebrate her release from Alda’s stakes and the revelation that His-Majesty-kun is the reincarnation of the four champions.”
658
659“I’ll go and stop him,” said Vandalieu upon hearing of this outrageous situation, shrugging off Zadiris’s hands and walking off in a determined fashion.
660
661“Eh? You’re going to stop him? Didn’t that great spirit Veld tell you that you could become a subordinate god when you die?”
662
663“He did, but I’m still going to stop him. I don’t plan to become a god now; I need to have him settle for building a life-sized statue like all the others he’s built up until now.”
664
665Vandalieu might become a god after he died, but he had no intention of becoming one while he was still alive.
666
667 
668
669 
670
671 
672
673Earl Thomas Palpapek, the current marshal of the Mirg shield-nation, put his signature on a document and let out a large sigh.
674
675When he stiffened up his manner, he had a powerful presence like a military officer should, and when he smiled, he had a gentleness to him that made those around him feel at ease; either way, he was perceived as a reliable individual. But he had aged considerably in the past few years.
676
677Before, he had often looked younger than his actual age, but now, he looked ten years older.
678
679But the Mirg shield-nation’s king and the high officials of the royal palace couldn’t blame him for that.
680
681Approximately four years ago, an elite force of six thousand men had been lost on an expedition, and the nation had lost much of its military power. The marshal had been engaged in exhausting work to recover as much of that power as possible.
682
683On top of that, he was in charge of the defense of the nation’s border, which was now adjacent to enemy land once more now that the Sauron region had been recaptured by the Orbaume Kingdom.
684
685He had been working so hard that his efforts were recognized even by his political enemies, the nobles on the side of the Amid Empire.
686
687Some even said that with his work, the Mirg shield-nation’s military strength would return to what it had been before the expedition within ten years.
688
689If this nation is still standing by then, Thomas thought to himself every time he heard these words of praise.
690
691“… Why have things come to this?” Thomas muttered to himself in a disgusted tone, having dealt with all of the documents that he needed to look at.
692
693The same questions always filled his head every time when he was on his own, not doing any work.
694
695Where had he gone wrong; why had things come to this? And what was he supposed to do now?
696
697Four years ago, the expedition that began as a result of the Pure-breed Vampires’ schemes had ended in a greater failure than Thomas could have imagined. Ever since then, he had been working feverishly in order to prevent his homeland from suffering any further damage.
698
699He had pacified the public outcry for vengeance and engaged in the difficult struggle to rebuild the nation’s military strength so that it would be ready whenever Vandalieu decided to come and attack.
700
701Back then, he had thought that this was the best option available. That there was no better plan against Vandalieu, the Dhampir that was likely the baby whose mother that had been killed as a result of the Vampires’ and his own schemes.
702
703The tunnel through the Boundary Mountain Range had collapsed, completely sealing the way through. It should be impossible for Vandalieu to attack the Mirg shield-nation now.
704
705Of course, the Mirg shield-nation could not cross the Boundary Mountain Range, so Thomas had never even thought about taking revenge against Vandalieu himself.
706
707He had expected the Pure-breed Vampires to do it for him with no need for him to do anything himself, or that the Amid Empire would see the situation as critical and make a move.
708
709But Thomas’s expectations had been completely betrayed.
710
711The death of the Pure-breed Vampire Gubamon, the head of one of the factions of the Vampires that Thomas had connections to. The fall of the fort that was under the command of Kurt Legston, someone whom Thomas had been expecting to take an important position in the future.
712
713And last year, the defeat of the ‘Light-speed Sword’ Rickert Amid, one of the Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords.
714
715Thomas was certain that Vandalieu was involved in every single one of these incidents.
716
717As Thomas was nothing more than a marshal of a vassal nation, he didn’t have an intelligence network as powerful as that of Marshukzarl, the emperor of the Amid Empire. But he could make conclusions based on what he saw of the Vampires with whom he had connections.
718
719While Thomas had been hard at work trying to rebuild the Mirg shield-nation’s military strength, Vandalieu had gained enough power to bury Pure-breed Vampires, power that even the Fifteen Evil-breaking Swords, the most powerful warriors of the Amid Empire, couldn’t match.
720
721Whether the Mirg shield-nation regained the military strength it possessed before the expedition or not, nothing would change. If Vandalieu wanted to, he would crush Thomas along with his entire nation.
722
723“Facing the greatest threat that this nation has ever seen, I’ve spent the last four years hard at work, achieving nothing but providing more materials for his Undead army.” Thomas gave a hollow chuckle. “I can’t help but laugh at myself.”
724
725No matter how much he trained the soldiers, even if he took a sword in his own hand and commanded the armies himself, no matter how many adventurers of B-class and above he hired, all of these would serve no purpose but to improve the quality of materials for Vandalieu’s Undead.
726
727It was possible that Vandalieu already thought of this nation as no more than a farm for Undead materials rather than as an enemy. This absurd notion had been surfacing in Thomas’s mind frequently these days.
728
729Thomas gave a self-deprecating smile as he felt the fruitlessness of his efforts. “So, my life is in the palm of a child whose face I have never seen before.”
730
731Thomas Palpapek had never directly seen Vandalieu before. He had never exchanged words with him, nor did he know exactly what kind of person he was.
732
733He had only seen a sketch drawn based on the testimony given by an adventurer who had seen Vandalieu through a Live-Dead.
734
735He knew that Vandalieu was a Dhampir who led Ghouls and commanded Undead, surpassing the limits of common knowledge. But although he knew of these abilities, he didn’t know what kind of personality Vandalieu had or what philosophies he adhered to.
736
737Just how much did Vandalieu know about Thomas… Did he know that Thomas was the one pulling the strings behind his mother’s death? If he did, Thomas had no idea how much he hated him.
738
739Considering the worst possible scenario, Thomas had already evacuated his three wives and his children to his secondary residence, but… he didn’t know how things would turn out.
740
741“Back then… I suppose it was a failure right from when I made the slow move of creating an extermination force after the adventurer’s testimony confirmed the Dhampir’s existence. I should have sent assassins to exterminate him sooner. No, back when his mother was discovered in Evbejia, I should have sent protégé knights to ensure that both mother and child were killed,” Thomas murmured to himself. “But I can’t return to the past. So then, what I should do now is…”
742
743Rely on the Vampires? A foolish plan. Thomas himself wasn’t that valuable to them. And two of the three Pure-breed Vampires had already been defeated; what was there to expect from them?
744
745Should he run crying to the Amid Empire? No; the emperor could be planning to fight Vandalieu, but it was also possible that he would try to find a point of compromise and come to a secret agreement. Thomas didn’t know the emperor’s intentions, so doing that would be dangerous.
746
747If the emperor was thinking of making a secret agreement with Vandalieu, the heads of Thomas and his family would likely be treated as convenient bargaining chips.
748
749“I’m starting to feel like hanging myself… hmm?” Thomas interrupted this thought and stood up from his seat, suddenly noticing that the wooden door was open and the night air had made its way into the room.
750
751And then he saw that a letter had fallen near the window.
752
753“A message from the Vampires? … This is…!”
754
755Thomas read the letter’s shocking contents.
756
757“Is this real? They are going to make a move for my sake? The reward will be paid only upon completion of the request… the amount is enormous, but I suppose that’s to be expected.”
758
759Thomas reread the letter over and over to confirm what had been written, and the hope in his eyes grew brighter each time he did.
760
761“With their power, I… this nation can survive!”
762
763 
764
765 
766
767 
768
769Name: Zadiris
770Rank: 10
771Race: Ghoul Wizard Princess
772Level: 0
773Job: Great Mage
774Job level: 28
775Job history: Apprentice Mage, Mage, Light-Attribute Mage, Wind-Attribute Mage, Philosopher, Great Philosopher
776Age: 298 years old (Has undergone age reversal)
777Passive skills:
778Dark Vision
779Pain Resistance: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
780Superhuman Strength: Level 2 (LEVEL UP!)
781Paralyzing Venom Secretion (Claws): Level 2
782Increased Mana Recovery Rate: Level 10 (LEVEL UP!)
783Mana Enlargement: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
784Automatic Mana Recovery: Level 4 (NEW!)
785Increased Magical Power while equipped with a staff: Medium (NEW!)
786Active skills:
787Light-Attribute Magic: Level 10
788Wind-Attribute Magic: Level 10 (LEVEL UP!)
789No-Attribute Magic: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
790Mana Control: Level 10 (LEVEL UP!)
791Alchemy: Level 6
792Chant Revocation: Level 7 (LEVEL UP!)
793Multi-Cast: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
794Surpass Limits: Level 5 (LEVEL UP!)
795Housework: Level 1
796High-speed Thought Processing: Level 4 (LEVEL UP!)
797Unique skills:
798Zozogante’s Divine Protection
799Garess’s Divine Protection (NEW!)
800 
801
802 
803
804 
805
806Monster explanation:
807
808【Ghoul Wizard Princess】
809
810A monster race title achieved by Zadiris following her Rank increase after she received the divine protection of Garess, the guardian deity of the Kijin nation, from Vandalieu in her dreams.
811
812There has been no change to her appearance, but her magic-related properties have improved from when she was a Ghoul Elder Wizard.
813
814In addition, with the effects of the Strengthened Magical Power while equipped with a staff Skill, the power of her spells has increased. (It is a Skill that increases not only her offensive power, but also the healing power of her healing spells and the duration and such of her enchantments.)
815
816Also, this Rank increase had nothing to do with Garess’s intentions.