Chapter 11: Royalty of the Highest Calibre Part 1
Answer to Guest: Not really. Pango and Pangu aren't exactly the same, except in name. You do know that Pangu is the name of the primoridal god of Chinese mythology, that created the heavens and earth. Leaves a lot to consider about why his name is as it is...
In the throne room, a few days later...
Pangu soon enters the room, with Dracodeus behind him, as the latter seemed to be calm and collected, as she walked in a refined and formal manner, as they soon came close enough to the sitting Zeabolos to discuss with him.
"I see that you have returned, Pangu." Zeabolos greeted Pangu.
"Likewise." Pangu answered back. "I have already decided who Ruche's ideal training partner would be. That will be Dracodeus."
"I will do my best to help if I can." Dracodeus added. "I'm sure that I'll be able to get Ruche to accept my help."
"I wouldn't declare such things so suddenly, Dracodeus." Zeabolos frowned, as he placed his hands on his chin, clasped together. "Ruche tends to be stubborn when sticking with her opinions and her way of life."
"I am aware of that, and I have faced such people before. I am experienced to understand someone like her." The silver-haired lady replied back politely, "All I need is time, and I'm sure I'll be able to see what she really is inside of herself."
"You have all the time you need, until the next awakening of Trillion." Zeabolos bluntly stated. "Until then, you are free to do as you please, so long it will eventually benefit her."
"I will, Great Overlord." Dracodeus spoke back. "May I ask where she is currently?"
"She is most possibly in the castle arena training herself." Zeabolos answered back. "Otherwise, I am not quite sure where she would be, since her nature would make her quite eager to train as soon as she is able to."
"Then I will excuse myself then." Dracodeus bowed, before she then turned around, and walked out the throne room.
As the two remaining people in the room, Pangu and Zeabolos faced each other.
"Alright, Pangu. I can understand why you have paired specific members of your own company, to support the emotional health and the combative development of my Overlords." Zeabolos stated, as he gave Pangu a serious look. "I have known ever since I saw the bonds forged between them. They would eventually rival that of my own with them."
"I thank you for the compliment of my wise and tactful assistance, Great Overlord." Pangu responded back with a faint smile.
"But why exactly did you place Dracodeus with Ruche? She does not seem to be of royal lineage in her behaviour and attire." Zeabolos stated. "Ruche will be less likely to regard the words of someone who does not have a status that is equivalent or higher of her own, due to her own pride. Are you aware of this?"
"I am." Pangu replied back, as his smile faded. "But you're wrong on something. She IS of royal lineage. You just haven't found out which it is."
"Oh? Do tell me, what kind of lineage does she possess?" Zeabolos asked in curiosity, with a raised eyebrow.
"That's for her to tell. Even being with her for so long..." Pangu commented, before he then sighed. "...I still have yet to understand her completely."
In the castle arena...
Ruche was standing quite still, as she used her own umbrella to bat away the iron chain balls that are being thrown at her, as she swung left and right, top and bottom, smashing the ball back to their owner, Ergo, who was trying to keep the balls coming at Ruche, as the purple-haired demoness only had a look of disinterest in her eyes.
"Now do you think I need to even bother dodging those steel balls?" Ruche asked in a arrogant manner. "As a servant, it is your duty to try and push me to my limits. And yet you are being easily defeated by the swing of my umbrella. Fitting for a pathetic servant of a weak Great Overlord."
"Missy, I haven't gotten warmed up enough to go at you more seriously..." Ergo replied back, with a sweat-drop on top of his head. "Just keep going, and I'll make it harder for you soon enough."
"You better! This stuff is a piece of cake! I want to prove that I'll do much better than the other Overlords!" Ruche exclaimed back, as she smashed another iron ball away from her.
Dracodeus came in, as she was looking around, and was intrigued by the sight of Ruche training with Ergo, as she was doing it with little effort.
"This actually reminds me back in those days, when I had the soldiers watch my companion train me in my youth..." Dracodeus recalled, with a smile. "I guess she's got a little bit in common with younger me, huh..."
Suddenly, she heard something flying towards her, as one of the iron balls that Ruche knocked away was approaching her from the air at high speeds, as Ergo saw it, and immediately blanched.
"Missy, look out!" Ergo cried out.
Dracodeus immediately snapped back to reality, before her instincts took over, and she immediately drew her own weapon, which was a lavender blade with three-pronged dragon claws on the bottom end of the hilt, and two curved crossguards on the side of the swords with a drop on the sides of them that are fitted with amethyst gems. The blade itself was long and straight, as the edge of the blade was very sharp and even, without any teeth or hole in the blade, and the blade radiated a aura of silver.
She immediately raised her blade, and cleaved the iron ball evenly in two at the middle, as the two pieces seperated into their own paths, passing by Dracodeus, and skidding across the sandy ground. The silver-haired lady then places the sword back where it was placed, on her back.
Ergo was surprised that Dracodeus reacted so fast, and that her sword cleaved through Underworld steel, which made regular steel seem like wet paper compared to its counterpart, easily. Even Ruche, who was training, was interested enough to spare Dracodeus a look, as she noticed Ergo stopped throwing the iron balls at her.
"My apologies for interrupting your training." Dracodeus spoke to break the silence. "Overlord Ruche, I am here to assist you in training."
"What!? Was it that masked leading freak, or that pathetic Great Overlord that told you come over?" Ruche sneered. "Whatever, I'm not interested in training with you. Get out, so that I can get back to doing my training!"
"I'm afraid I can't." Dracodeus answered back. "I have came here on both my own volition and my friends' decisions."
Although the words were sincere, they did manage to spark some outrage in Ruche, as she did not take it well, as she immediately growled, and stomped towards Dracodeus, with her umbrella clenched in one of her hands.
"What was that?" Ruche asked back, in a threatening tone. "Care to repeat what you said earlier?"
"I refuse to leave your side, until your training is complete, and you have faced Trillion." Dracodeus told her, while her tone soon shifted to a more sad one. "And I hope that you will not die to Trillion."
"Die to that bitch!?" Ruche swore. "NEVER! I'll kill that gluttonous and sadistic monster myself! I don't need your damned help!"
"I still stand by my words." Dracodeus did not flinch at Ruche's outburst.
Ruche was about to respond with another nasty retort, before she then closed her mouth, and immediately turned around, as she was sulking.
"Fine. You win this time." Ruche replied back. "But get this straight, I'm being nice enough to let you train with me. Consider that a privilege that I will take away, if you prove to be far more useless than the other partners of the Overlords. I don't work with weaklings, and don't think just because you cut that ball with that fancy sword of yours, that I'm willing to accept you."
"Thank you very much then, for your generosity." Dracodeus nodded, as she smiled underneath her mask.
Ruche only scoffed loudly, before she then returned to her position, as Dracodeus took a seat on the ground, as she was now in a place where the iron balls cannot reach her, as she watched Ruche train diligently.
In the castle library...
Ragon was standing opposite of Dracodeus and Ruche, who were sitting far apart, as they were holding books regarding to the creation of wards.
"This training will require you to create as many wards as you can by combining your natural technique and magic. Are you ready?" Ragon asked the preparing ladies.
"Hmph! I have no limit!" Ruche bragged with a proud smile on her face. "In fact, I'll make so many that you'll be begging for me to stop!"
"I see... If so, then I may as well record how long you can do this, too." Ragon calmly added.
"H-Hey, no fair!" Ruche pouted, as she felt like she was being underestimated. "Fine! I'll get this done perfectly so that you'll have nothing to complain about!"
"Then I hope you will, Lady Ruche." Ragon replied back, turning to Dracodeus. "And you, Lady Dracodeus?"
"I'm not sure that I will do well at this. But I try my best, Ragon." Dracodeus answered back truthfully.
"Hm. You may begin then, the two of you." Ragon told both Ruche and Dracodeus, as he turned away, studying a book on foreign magic types.
Ruche did not hesistate to show off her magical power, as she was chanting repeatedly, as she created magic wards in the form of magic circles one after the other, as they piled over each other, and rose to make room for the ones that were about to come, as she seemed to be doing it at a fair pace, not showing any exertion.
Dracodeus, however, did not do anything, as she was gathering magic to herself, as she was trying to find out how she could create a ward.
'This isn't easy at all... According to the book, I must be able to feel the connection to the concept, in order to create the related ward...' Dracodeus thought. 'However, I cannot feel anything... Perhaps it's because that I don't have that much magic power to begin with? Or is it because the wards use require a different type of magic.'
She then concentrated more, as she tried to find something that she could activate in her body. However, her search inside herself yielding nothing that she could help.
However, her concentration did manage to expand the range of the surroundings that she was scanning, and she noticed something in the room that she had not felt before.
'A... A Dragon Vein!?' Dracodeus thought in shock, as she could feel the familiar presence in her own inner mind. 'How strange... Why would something like this be outside of my world? This world does have secrets that I have yet to find...'
She then examined the magic conduit further, and was disappointed to find that it was very weak, and lacking in power to activate itself.
'Such a shame... Here I thought that there was any hope of drawing magic from it, possibly the kind I might need...' Dracodeus sighed internally, before she thought of a idea. 'But what if... I give it some energy to revitalise it?'
Dracodeus immediately let her own inner magic flow into the Dragon Vein, as it willingly absorbed the familiar energies, as it became more and more energised, at the cost of Dracodeus's stamina and concertration, until it was strong enough to be activated by her.
The silver-haired girl was visibly exhausted, as she was panting quietly, and sweat beads dripped down her forehead.
"Hah... Hah..." She panted. "That was a real chore... Reminds me back in those days when I was training to prove myself nobility."
Ragon then closed the book that he was reading, as he turned back to the two of them.
"It seems that a fair while has already passed by." Ragon commented. "Allow me to see your progress... Yes, Lady Ruche, you seem to have placed a fair lot of wards in this very room."
"Of course! I am the most magically-talented Overlord in this bunch." Ruche smugly stated.
"And as for you, Dracodeus..." Ragon asked, as he took a closer look at her body, and her surroundings, before frowning. "Hm... It seems that you lack talent in utilising magic. It doesn't mean that you don't have any in you. You just need to try harder."
"I understand. But... I did manage to trigger something within this room." Dracodeus nodded. "I felt something that was familiar about this place. It was something that I could activate..."
"Oh? So you didn't create wards, but you have gotten a alternative result?" Ragon questioned, intrigued by Dracodeus's findings. "Then what is it?"
"A magical conduit, near this room, if not actually within it." Dracodeus replied. "I can trigger it, but I worry about what could happen, should I invoke it voluntarily."
"It will be fine. The Great Overlord's castle is reinforced quite heavily. Even the strongest of spells would not destroy it severely." Ragon assured Dracodeus. "And all damage will be repaired on our behalf. I want to see what kind of potential lurks within you, Lady Dracodeus."
"As you wish... Here goes..." Dracodeus responded back, before she then closed her eyes, and focused back on the magical conduit she focused on, as she activated it, as the magic energy burst forth from it, and the room began to shake violently, shocking the residents inside, and some of the people who were unlucky enough to be near the centre of the quake.
As quickly as it came, it stopped after a while, as the room was made messy, with several bookshelves worth of books strewn on the floor, knocked out of their original positioning, and Ragon was on one knee, while Ruche was left lying on her back, as her legs were in the air, before the short-tempered lady got up, fuming.
"What the heck was that for!?" Ruche fumed. "You're not supposed to bring down the castle, you stupid servant!"
"I apologise. It wasn't my intention to do so." Dracodeus quickly admitted her mistake.
Ragon, however, was instead astonished, as he got up.
"Lady Dracodeus... Did you... manage to tap into one of the ancient magic conduits in the castle!?" Ragon asked, astonished.
"What conduits?" Ruche asked. "How do I not know of this!?"
"Not all of the Underworld was created under the influence of the First Great Overlord. Back then, the Underworld was visited by visitors from other dimensions, much like the group that came here." Ragon noted. "They always left something behind, whether it is something physical for the Overlords, or something far more hidden. I have only known one type of the latter, and that's magical conduits. Even I have yet to understand what magic they contain."
"I just merely found a familiar presence in that magic conduit. It was something akin to a Dragon Vein back where I lived." Dracodeus explained what she thought of the activated magic vein.
"Impressive... I take back what I have said earlier, you must be close on par with Lady Ruche." Ragon complimented Dracodeus, as Ruche only pouted at her.
Dracodeus could only smile a little, as she appreciated how Ruche noticed her actions, and actually reacted to her.
A few days later...
Dracodeus was practising her own swordsmanship, as she slashed at the training dummies from different directions, flipping and turning as if she was weaving through imaginary blows, before she then thrust her blade with a roar, right through the torso of one of them.
After she finished her combo with the thrust, she immediately pulled it back out, before shifting herself back into her ready stance, prepared for another cycle of her training, before she then noticed that Ruche was approaching her.
"Servant, you have time, right?" Ruche asked in a casual manner.
"Um, do you need me, Overlord Ruche?" Dracodeus asked, confused as to why Ruche wanted her.
"Tch, I wouldn't have come here, if I didn't need you." Ruche hissed. "Now get over here! I only come just for you, so show me respect and do as I say!"
Dracodeus doesn't seem to be fazed by her ordering, as she immediately put back her weapon, and followed after Ruche.
They soon arrived at the garden, as they sat down at the nearby table, and both took a seat together.
"Now, this is for you." Ruche told Dracodeus in a stern manner, as she handed over a straw basket filled with various kinds of flowers.
"A flower basket? Do you need me to make something out of them?" Dracodeus asked, as she accepted the basket with both of her hands.
"Rrgh... Do I need to tell you everything?" Ruche growled, unhappy about having to clarify what she needs from her partner. "I want you to help make a flower wreath."
"Ah. I can help with that." Dracodeus nodded. "I've made a few of those before. I'm sure that I'm good enough to meet your standards, however high they may be. But I do have something to ask."
"Yes?" Ruche asked.
"If you wanted to make flower wreaths, then why don't you make some with me?" Dracodeus asked in a friendly tone. "I'm sure that we can exchange pointers between each other, since we might have different styles in making them. Maybe you could teach me the specifics of making one, since I'm not exactly a expert in the matter."
"What-!?" Ruche asked, surprised by Dracodeus's statement, before she then snapped back. "Just do as I tell you! If that is all you're going to say, fine! I'll show you how a royal woman like me, does the job!"
Dracodeus remained silent, as she placed the basket between them, as they each worked on their own wreath, as Dracodeus occasionally gave a look at Ruche's, as she seemed to be struggling to make it properly.
"Um, Ruche... Are you sure you can do this?" Dracodeus asked in a concerned tone, as she threaded a flower into the wreath carefully.
"Sh-Shut up! I was only getting warmed up here!" Ruche burst out in shame. "I'll do much better in a while, and when I can get the foundation of it fixed!"
"Then I look forward to seeing the finished product." Dracodeus replied back. "I'm sure you're really good at it."
"F-Fine! I'll show you!" Ruche shouted, as she immediately dipped her head down to work on her wreath, as Dracodeus did not bother her for a moment, as she worked on her own in tandem to Ruche.
After a while, she managed to finish her wreath, which was a smaller, yet well-placed and tidy one, and she placed it down, to look at Ruche, who was using all of her skill to make it, as she seemed to be doing much better than before.
"What are you staring at!? Aren't you supposed to help make the wreaths?" Ruche exclaimed.
"I'm just simply watching you in work. Watching you try your best actually makes me smile at your effort." Dracodeus smiled.
"I'm... I'm always doing my best..." Ruche muttered softly.
"And I appreciate it. If you did your best, then no-one can hold anything against you." Dracodeus agreed, before she then noticed something wrong with the wreath in Ruche's hand. "The knot over there is too loose. It'll come apart if you keep going."
"I-I know that! Stop trying to pick out my mistakes!" Ruche lied, as she only looked away. "And this is fine as it is... It won't matter if it's dirty from my hands..."
"But you must understand that a little dirt and mud on the wreath won't undermine the beauty of a complete and tidy wreath." Dracodeus advised. "It's not the external things that make the wreath matter, but also the effort and internal beauty that was put into it."
Ruche remained silent, as Dracodeus then raised a hand to speak.
"I never did ask why you wanted to make flower wreaths?" Dracodeus questioned. "Those things are made for celebratory occasions. Perhaps there's a birthday coming right up?"
As soon as Dracodeus said that, Ruche's expression became more melancholic, as she stopped doing her wreath, as she looked at it silently.
"...Today is supposed to be Perpell's birthday..." Ruche whispered. "She's already gone, so there's no need to celebrate her birthday... I wasn't getting all sentimental about thinking she might have enjoyed these wreaths if she's around... But, as her older sister..."
Dracodeus immediately regretted asking for the reason, as she noticed that Ruche's mood deteriorated. She then tried to cheer her up a little.
"Then why didn't you say so? Then I apologise for anything I have said. As long as you have the wreaths to give to Perpell, she'll be happy wherever she is, as long as she knew you did it with all your heart, as a sign of sibling love." Dracodeus assured Ruche.
"Yeah... She was pretty much happy over anything I did for her..." Ruche responded back. "She was always so simple to please..."
Dracodeus remained silent, as she remembered her own past.
Hey! Guess what? It's your birthday, big sister!
Thank you, Elise. I wonder where-
It seems that you have been training as always. Here's a little gift for you...
Xander? Leo? What is it...? Wait, it's a cake?
We managed to get the best cooks in our city to bake it for you. Your mentor pitched in to help.
Ah... Thank you... Thank you so much-
Corrin, my sweet darling!
Camilia, wait, don't come ov- WAH!
Dracodeus then noticed that she has spaced out, and that Ruche was staring at her with a heated glare.
"What is it, Overlord Ruche?" Dracodeus asked.
"You're supposed to help me! Get back to work! I didn't bring you over to slack!" Ruche screeched in anger.
Dracodeus immediately nodded in apology, as she continued making another wreath, as Ruche went back to hers, a little more calm, after speaking of her inner feelings.
A cycle later, in the throne room...
Zeabolos was surprised when he found out that Pangu and Faust has called him, and both currently training members, Ruche and Dracodeus, to discuss something.
"I'm sorry to have called you both out of your training, and you, Great Overlord." Faust apologised in a stoic manner.
"That's fine. There must be a urgency worth disrupting us for." Zeabolos answered back.
"Hmph. My thoughts exactly. What is it?" Ruche scoffed.
"It's about Astaroth. After talking with Elma, I've been researching his soul, but..." Faust articulated her findings, before she was then grabbed by Ruche on the shoulders.
"Did you find something!?" Ruche cried, in worry.
"Let us give you the results first." Faust replied. "The only thing that is worth saying is that the Agent cannot be converted back into Astaroth when he was still alive."
"Damn it...! So there is no way then!?" Zeabolos cursed under his breath.
"Not quite..." Faust answered back. "There was one thing that we have speculated, and found possibly true. Pangu, if you may."
"There might be a way to restore Astaroth. True, the Agent cannot be turned back into Astaroth..." Pangu explained his theory. "But what if... we were to regain Astaroth's soul? With the Soul Grimoire, we can preserve it, until we can find the means to resurrect him from his spiritual form."
"So.. You're telling us that we have to kill the Agent?" Ruche asked back.
"The soul is from Astaroth, but it is better to view it as a soul crafted specifically for the Agent. It is a pure fragment mixed with the souls that Trillion manipulated to make it into the Agent's soul." Faust added. "He holds no awareness of his status and his memory of his past is gone, save for the last fragment you saw. So, this form of Astaroth is born merely by chance."
"What makes you believe that?" Dracodeus asked, as she felt dread about what she was going to hear.
"Trillion uses the souls it consumes, to create the grunts that do its bidding. As you know, there are various kinds of them, and because it has consumed so many different beings, the results are always random." Faust continued her explanation. "But Astaroth's soul is far more powerful than the typical one, so even a small fragment of it made an adverse effect on what the Agent became. So the soul was blended with many others to create the Agent. What's more, Astaroth's remaining sentience must have been corrupted by Trillion's desire, the desire to remove all in its way to sate its hunger. That is the most simple explanation we can come up with about the Agent's existence."
Just like what Anankos would have done to King Garon... Dracodeus thought grimly.
"All it does is work for Trillion's desire?" Ruche said. "If so, that's pretty stupid... To be used after death because of such bad luck. But I actually feel better listening to all of this."
"And why is that?" Pangu inquired back.
"The Agent is the Underworld, and the Overlords' enemy. He's Perpell enemy who I'll beat with my own hands, before I go for Trillion!" Ruche answered back. "I'm a Overlord that guards the Underworld! It's natural I face such enemies. But there is one wish I would like to make, Great Overlord."
"What's that?" Zeabolos asked, as he was curious about what she wanted.
"I'm skipping training today, and cover what I missed tomorrow." Ruche told him. "I need to speak to Elma about this. She might not like it, but it will at least give her some hope about getting her other brother back."
"So you wish to do it?" Faust asked. "I was the one who researched it, so I'll go and speak to her about it, since I only wanted to tell you all now, to save some trouble later."
"No, let me do it." Ruche coolly declined. "I did want to speak to her in private anyways. She is my aunt, but it never felt that way, so it was difficult to speak to her. She's just so sickly, and cries easily. With how often she cries, it makes me feel less motivated, since it feels like I'm on a death march. It's a real bother. I'm going to tell her this, so that she'll be happier, and she'll know that I'm going to come back victorious, got that?"
"Very well, but don't make her cry too much."
"Heh, you just watch me! I'm a very good talker, unlike Faust!" Ruche smiled pridefully. "Leave it all up to me, Lady Ruche!"
She then walked out, as Dracodeus followed after.
