[Chapter 5: Efficient Brutality And Brutal Efficiency]
The gates to the city opened and through came their new king. Messengers were sent out days in advance of the oncoming changes; by now everyone knew that they belonged to a different kingdom. Their king was… an odd figure. Perhaps one could say he was the most peculiar person in the political arena of the region. His power was overwhelming, having massacred tens of thousands of trained soldiers with ease and even a Demon God apparently!
However, few could say they were afraid of him. Wary? Intrigued? Hopeful? Perhaps. Outright fear of him was a rare emotion for the population. It was one popular with the nobles, many of whom escaped to Re-Estize the second the changes were announced. Abyssal King Pyke, as he was called, was a much more tangible figure for the populace than any of the nobles, bar perhaps the mayor. Over the past few weeks he and his company had healed many people, saved the city during an attack orchestrated by Zurrernorn and protected many more from monsters, whether they be in the form of a drake or a landlord.
Despite that, the streets were empty. A procession such as this was the exact opposite welcome a hero-king would expect. There was a very simple explanation for this. The army that marched behind him. At the head was Pyke, some people they recognized from the office and what they presumed to be other advisors. All of them were immaculately dressed and most of them were, despite possessing inhuman features, incredibly alluring. In the minds of a few wise individuals already bloomed the idea that someone would be hanged for trying to hit on any of them.
No, the upper management wasn't the problem. Neither was a third of the army, which consisted of angels of all sorts. A few appeared rather eldritch, yet they still radiated the warmth expected of angels and thus the populace didn't worry about them. The populace would have remained calm and probably even greeted their new monarch with something more than fearful glances out of the window if that was the entire army, but the undead that followed quickly quelled that desire in even the bravest of souls.
The aura of warmth from the angels seemed to be stifled by the cold emanated by the undead. Chills ran down the spine as the monstrosities marched through the street. This… would take some getting used to. Having the enemies of all life marching down the street was about as bad as it got in the New World and few would be willing to try their luck against them, unless some brave soul set a precedent.
Last came the demons. These, for the most part, at least were attractive. An aura of temptation surrounded them and surely a few people almost wandered onto the street after gazing at the succubi and incubi, but it seems they were restrained by their families in time. Demons were beings of legend and evil incarnate. To see them here meant one of two things. Either their ruler could now protect them even from the vilest creatures of the hells or they would soon be sent down there themselves.
The procession eventually made its way to the centre of town, where the figures of authority in the city waited. Where you would expect at least a group of people, now stood three individuals. A man with grey hair, but the definite build of a warrior, Pluton Ainzach. A robed magic caster, who nervously twitched while holding onto his staff, Theo Rakheshir. A young man of athletic build that was clad in fine silks, Recil Lasetir.
Why were there so few? Well, the nobles weren't willing to wait and see what happened to them under the new regime, nor did most of the merchants and certainly not the mayor. So these were the three left, the guild masters of the adventurer, magician's and merchant's guilds. They concealed their worries well, particularly Recil, but it was still not enough to fool those of the Swimming City.
Pyke stepped forward, causing the three men in front of him to kneel. "Your majesty." they said in unison, not a hint of enthusiasm in their voices.
"Stand." Pyke said. They did as they were told and Pyke began walking up to them one by one. First on the proverbial chopping block was Ainzach. The former adventurer felt his heart attempt to jump out of his throat. He had interacted with Jericho, a direct representative of Pyke's, in the past, and rather readily at that. Their relation seemed to be of professional respect, but that didn't help when coming face to face with his boss.
"Pluton Ainzach. I have heard of you from Jericho and Keno. Your efforts as guild master have been… praiseworthy. However, it seems to me the guild will need heavy reforms." Pyke said, prompting Ainzach to sweat profusely.
"W-what changes, your majesty?" he asked. If the guild became obsolete then so did he and that certainly did not bode well for him.
Pyke pointed towards the army behind him, "This is just a fraction of my forces. Monsters will either be subjugated, integrated or exterminated. Adventurers seem to lose their purpose then, no? You are mere mercenaries, ones who would be unwelcome in my country." Ainzach gulped. "However… I was an adventurer, both recently and in my distant past, and so were you, correct?" The guild master nodded, "Then tell me, what is an adventurer? Back in the good old days we used to run around freely, exploring whatever we came across, not collecting goblin ears or barghest asses."
Before Ainzach could answer Pyke waved the question away, ""There will be a time for discussion. Think about my question. I will visit you, personally." The ripper moved on as Ainzach finally stopped holding his breath and exhaled.
"Theo Rakheshir. You want to research magic, yes?" The caster nodded, clearly too nervous to formulate a proper sentence. He was by far the one least used to conservations with those in power. "Then I don't believe we need to talk for long. One of my subordinates will talk to you about establishing proper magical research, not whatever garbage Re-Estize had."
Finally came the turn of the merchant. "Recil Lasetir. I have only one question for you. Why did you stay when all your merchant colleagues left?" It was simple and it was direct, so the merchant responded in kind.
"I never was a big supporter of Re-Estize, your majesty. The empire is heading for financial ruin after this war. The Theocracy has the disgusting habit of slavery and the Draconic Kingdom is collapsing due to the beastmen. Around me lies ruin and in front of me is a new path. It's one I haven't travelled, but the life of a merchant is all about risk taking so what kind of merchant would I be if I didn't go on an adventure like this?" Recil could instantly tell that Pyke wasn't going to be fooled by flowery prose, so instead he said what he truly believed.
As it turned out, it was the correct decision. Pyke chuckled, "Hahaha. An adventurous merchant? I like you." He turned to the most beautiful woman in his cohort, "Lillith, what do you think? He's got potential?"
Lilith tilted her head slightly and seemed to analyse the man, "For a human? Plenty. Father, you won't mind if I'll take this one as a direct subordinate? I presume he does have connections with merchants that can revitalise our trade, yes?"
Recil was getting a bit hot under the collar, but he persevered nevertheless, "Of course, my lady. It'd be an honour to work under you." It seemed as if his future could in fact be pretty bright around these parts if he was being promoted already… He was originally a nobody and climbed to his current and high position at the age of 22, the youngest merchant guild master on record. With a ruler that has the power to summon tireless undead? Well, where there was money, there was Recil and there definitely was money here.
The Abyssal King nodded and walked forth towards the mayor's house that would now serve as his pseudo-castle. There was no time for renovations after all. Changing a nation overnight is a pressing task!
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A mayor's mansion, while the largest building in the city, paled in comparison to what a king usually had, never mind Pyke's real palace. Still, the current administration agreed that vanity wasn't something they would focus on right now. The room Pyke was sitting in had a hurricane going through it, a hurricane in the form of his ministers.
"Jericho, where are the soul eaters?! We need them to be ready in half an hour to begin pulling carriages!" yelled Lillith.
"They're on standby until your pet gets his merchants in order! Do you think I should just let soul eaters stand around in the courtyard!?" answered the demonologist.
"Lucius, Amal'Thazad! When are the practical and magical curricula going to be ready!? I want them on my table, ready to be implemented by the end of tomorrow! If we want to reap the benefits we've got to start this education program early!" yelled Winston.
Somewhere in the whirling tornadoes of paper ran Recil, desperate to keep up with the demands of his employer. Elder liches and demons accompanied him and went on to do their own errands; despite their tireless nature Pyke could swear he saw a hint of fatigue on the beings' faces. This mess would last for at least a few more days. After that things would calm down and the office would no longer look like a battlefield.
The new constitution was already written, drafted many weeks in advance, and had been sent out to any remaining officials. However, most of the old nobles were now replaced by undead, given that they were much more hardworking than nobles and certainly were more loyal. It'd take a while for the citizens to adjust to the major changes, such as accepting demihumans and heteromorphs as citizens, but there were not many such ground-shaking changes. His councillors were busy making sure everyone knew of even the minute changes, but it'd take a while.
He, meanwhile, did little. The councillors already knew what he wanted to do with the country and now they were just doing what they were created for. After counting his lucky stars that he created NPCs who knew how to run a country, he decided to take a walk among the people. He vaguely remembered some book from the past that mentioned something like this. What was the author's name? Nanibeli? Macivili? Something like that.
The streets were rather empty. These were uncertain times for the populace and most preferred to go out only when necessary. Only a few of the common people had escaped the country, most being too poor or too tied to the city to leave, so there still was some activity here and there. The real cause of this fear were the new undead patrols. Death knight sentries wandered the city and scared people half to undeath. Pyke shrugged, eventually they'll get used to it.
E-Rantel's layout was familiar to him, so he decided to wander among the poorer districts. These areas were granted food aid and promised free land if they decided to become farmers, their equipment now consisting of skeletons that would push productivity through the roof. So far there were few takers, but it was just a matter of time.
He thought about the way he was going to rule. Back in his mercenary days there were a few rules that barely anyone dared to break from his crew and if they did they tended to mysteriously disappear. First, act efficiently; torturing the target is useless if there is no information to be gathered from him or if there is no explicit reason he deserved it. Secondly, never betray the crew. That one did get broken very explicitly, but it certainly didn't end well for those who did. Thirdly, don't touch the civilians, it always just brings more problems.
However these rules, that he lived by all his life, would hardly be applicable here. 'I suppose the civilians are now part of my crew?' he asked himself. His mercenary group always had a lot of recruits, primarily due to Pyke being both notoriously skilled and him taking good care of those under him, even if he wasn't the official leader. By this logic he would have to take good care of his people, but the administrative skill was all done by his creations whom he didn't doubt in the slightest. Still, most of them had a mindset that was focused on the larger scale of the country. So there was only one thing to do, personally help any citizens he thinks may need help.
There was an issue with that however. The people, now that he was in the position of king, were more easily intimidated and he saw no one throughout the first part of his walk. That is, until he saw a woman crying on her doorstep, completely ignoring the death knight that walked past her along its patrol route. Now that was odd. What could be so distressing that she would ignore the lumbering monster next to her?
Pyke walked up to her unnoticed given his natural stealth and crouched in front of her. The woman, her hands covering her face as she wept, still didn't notice his present. At least one thing was sure, she was no rogue or ranger. He tapped her shoulder, "Are you okay?" Once again his intimidating appearance, and now position, seemed to play against him as he could almost see the woman's soul leave her body when she finally noticed him.
"Y-your m-majesty!" she cried out, attempting to bow. Pyke stopped her and signalled for her to straighten herself. "W-what are you doing here, your m-majesty?" She, despite the occasional stutter, composed herself to a decent degree rather quickly, too quickly. As far as Pyke knew there were no famous actresses in E-Rantel and her mask was as fragile as it was perfect.
Her internal strife was still visible to the ripper, as if looking through a clear window. He sat down on the curb next to her, "What's wrong?" he asked. It was a simple question, yet when one such as it came from the higher echelons of society it could only be one thing, a trap.
"Nothing, your majesty. The food aid you've given us has been very helpful." She was now entirely composed, an impressive feat even by the standards of the trained assassin.
Pyke sighed, "You think you can fool me? I just saw you cry on the curb, ignoring a death knight that would scare even the few adventurers left around here." Her lip quivered. The mask was cracking.
"Really, your majesty, there's nothing wrong. Your rule is wonderful!" she said, trying to sound enthusiastic.
"My rule has lasted for less than a week. You can't judge it quite yet. Now tell me, what is wrong?"
Seeing that her approach wasn't working, she decided to change her tune, "Your majesty, in that case shouldn't you be working to improve your rule? Why is a king wandering the streets alone?" It was a bold approach, one that would have gotten her executed in any other country, but perhaps execution is what she wished for?
"A king directs, not rules. My ministers are very capable, I don't need to sit there and gather dust. And I know what you're playing at. Saying that would've got you a noose around the neck if I was any other monarch. If you've got a death wish, I can grant it if you tell me what's wrong. A king is supposed to care for his citizens, no?"
There was silence for a minute, two and until Pyke was deciding whether to use [Control Amnesia] and see if nothing broke inside the now statue-like women, she broke down crying. The situation just kept getting more awkward, but then again, what did he expect from this encounter?
He patted her on the back like a father may his daughter and patiently waited until she was done. After a while she looked up at him, "It's about my husband." Before he could ask what about him she rolled up her sleeve and showed him a collage of bruises of different colours. "A-and he…" He didn't need to say more, it was clear as day to Pyke.
The street shook. The very foundations of every building of the district threatened to crack as Pyke lost his composure for a second. As quickly as it appeared it was gone and Pyke managed to control himself. He remembered the last time someone from his crew raped a woman. The entire district remembered the flayed corpse, with "RAPIST" carved into its chest, that appeared on every billboard in the area. It was a haunting image, but it certainly taught his crew a lesson.
Pyke stood up and opened the door, walking in. It was a rather cramped place, with few furnishings, but it was liveable. The woman followed meekly behind him and he soon found himself in what he presumed to be a living room. Sat there on a wooden chair was a burly man of impressive height, still shorter than Pyke, but impressive nonetheless.
The man instantly kneeled before his ruler and attempted to greet him, but was quickly picked up by the neck and dragged out the house. Pyke threw him on the cold stone, careful not to turn the man into bloody paste in the process. As the man choked and gasped for air, Pyke cast [Dominate] and the mind of the man was no longer his own.
"Did you rape your wife?" he simply asked. The question wasn't asked because Pyke believed maybe the woman lied; he knew sorrow like that couldn't have been faked.
"Yeh, but 's not yer problem, master. A woman 's 'er husband's thing. S'what the law says!" the man answered. Despite being mind controlled he still had an unrefined edge to his tongue, a tongue that would most likely soon be missing.
Pyke could have turned this man into paste. He could have sent him to Lillius or Jericho. He could have done an infinite amount of horrid things that would guarantee this human in front of him would suffer for all eternity. But what he felt more than anger was disappointment. How could he overlook the fact that the previous laws were so fucking horrid and people wouldn't break their habits just because he was now king?!
It was such a simple, stupid, rookie mistake! No country in the region had marital rape be illegal and most of his people weren't even able to read! How would anyone know what the laws now were when they couldn't read them?! Of course the woman didn't want to tell him! If it was legal then that meant the king approved of it and she presumed it was still legal! He exhaled, calming himself before his capital was turned to dust due to his aura. This required… an intervention.
Years, most likely decades, perhaps even centuries would have to pass before they would reach a level of literacy that was comparable to his Oldest World, so the people needed to be informed. Pyke put two fingers to his temple and sent a certain demonologist a message…
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This was supposed to be the first execution of the new regime and no amount of death knights wandering the streets would stop the people from witnessing it. It was not only the best entertainment one could get, but it also was a chance to learn what offences the new ruler would execute people for.
All in all, the square was packed with people, although it lacked the usual merchants selling snacks on the side. The structure in front of them looked like the elevated platform for the gallows, except the gallows were missing. It was made of some sort of blueish rock that oozed magic, but what caught the people's attention was the bound man in the centre.
His face was visible to all, but it seemed to be like a statue and even his eyes didn't move. He seemed to be completely paralyzed and given their king's magical prowess it was more than likely. Perhaps some recognized him as their neighbour, but no one spoke up. Then the unexpected happened, their king took the stage, weapon in hand. Behind him walked a figure the populace was even more familiar with, Jericho, who caused most of the women to immediately look upon him with adoring eyes.
Pyke walked behind the man and spoke, "It has come to my attention that you, my dear citizens, don't know the new laws." The people gathered collectively gulped. This… didn't bode well. "This man raped his wife." There was no reaction to this. It was an unpleasant thing, but it was legal, so there was nothing to be done. The church didn't care either, in fact they ridiculed the women who publicly spoke up against it. Instead the people listened for the real reason for his execution; perhaps he disrespected their king? Perhaps he attacked one of the undead servants?
"I see you don't believe that's why he's getting executed. The laws have changed, marital rape is a crime now punishable by death." The harpoon entered the back of the man's neck and came out the other side, severing his brainstem and killing him instantly. Blood spilled forth like a waterfall, but thankfully it remained on stage, rather than dirtying everyone near it.
Jericho then walked up and cast a spell, the man's corpse twisting into a new, more concerning form. His flesh fell off his bones and where once kneeled a man, now stood a skeleton. "Any of those found guilty will be executed and be made into an appropriate undead. The one who they raped may choose the undead, within reason, and be given it as a personal aid."
The crowd stood motionless and silent, deeply afraid of the forbidden ritual that just occurred in front of them and the idea that they may be next. A few men had cold sweat pouring down their brows as they looked at their wives. Pyke cleared his throat, "To avoid such a fate you may come to any government building at any time and be informed of the new laws and the punishments for breaking them."
The king, the caster and the skeleton walked off the stage, which promptly turned into mana and disappeared…
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Ainzach couldn't stifle his anxiety. His leg bounced up and down beneath the desk in the meeting room as a desperate attempt to release some of it. The spectacle that appeared a few days ago was… informative. On one hand it was the public display of necromancy, the most heinous of magics, and the public execution of a human. On the other hand, most people, particularly the women of the city, agreed with the punishment and applauded the new law.
Of course, there was also the fear of breaking the new laws and the queues to learn them were now huge, but Ainzach got preferential treatment due to his position and ability to read. He was given a copy of the new laws to read in his own time. He did it the moment he got them. In general, he would have called anyone who tried to implement them an idealistic fool, but Pyke seemed to be neither a fool, nor lacking the power to bring what seems to be idealistic into reality.
Punishments for marital rape, tighter control on worker's conditions, education and healing for all, removal of landlords that committed the slightest violation of the very strict regulations and so on. These were things one would expect a madman to write out and try to bring into reality… but healing was already free and the punishments were being implemented. It all just seemed to be a matter of time.
The old administration could be given an eternity to implement these and it would have never happened, but Ainzach already guessed that the foundations for various programs were being built. Ruthless efficiency was what seemed to characterise the new ruler and his aides, and Ainzach could only pray for the poor human staff that were probably being worked to the bone.
Frankly, Ainzach liked these laws quite a bit. They were fair, they helped the common people and gave no preferential treatment to those with money. However there was one part that he was more than sceptical on. "All humanoids, demihumans and heteromorphs are welcome in the Vadash Kingdom as long as they abide by its laws."
How could anyone try to integrate humans and things like heteromorphs!? They ate people and- Before Ainzach's inner rant could start in full force, the door opened and in came Pyke. The guild master knelt, but Pyke seemed to ignore him, sitting down at the table and pouring two drinks, "Are you gonna stay there or will we actually do our jobs?"
Ainzach woodenly and mechanically stood up, sitting down opposite of Pyke, "Your majesty, isn't this… a bit informal?" The king coming to him was already a massive breach of protocol. After all, the king didn't come to people, the people were summoned by the king. Still, unorthodox methods and behaviour seemed to be something he needed to get used to.
Pyke sighed, sliding one glass over to Ainzach, "We both were adventurers and I can see that you're not a man for the courts with all their flowery bullshit. Neither am I. I'm here to talk about adventurers so I may as well act like one. We're behind closed doors anyway, we don't have to keep up appearances." There was an implied threat at the idea that Ainzach would spread the word about this, but such things were par for the course when dealing with influential individuals.
The guild master picked up the glass and took a sip. A man unaccustomed to strong drinks may have choked and while Ainzach may have been past his drinking prime, he was still a man with experience. "Excellent vintage, your majesty." In response Pyke lowered his bandana and drank half his glass in one go.
It was odd to see a king walk around with a bandana and in what amounted to his hunting gear, but it somehow didn't subtract from his dignity. It certainly was a good look for someone who wanted to convince adventurers. "Ainzach, I already told you this guild needs to be changed. Tell me, what did adventurers do up until now?"
"A variety of jobs, your majesty. Primarily they killed monsters in the area, escorted travellers, dealt with bandits and so on." said Ainzach. It wasn't a glorious life, but most still dreamed of it, courtesy of the stories of adventurers killing dragons. Such things happened, but the job was often much more boring than that.
"Now tell me which of these things can't be dealt with by some of my undead. People will eventually get used to them and see how useful they are and I doubt there will be any adventurers who can outperform them."
"I'm sure the undead can do all of that, your majesty, but won't hiring legendary monsters be expensive? I doubt you possess that many, despite your immense power." answered Ainzach.
"Currently we have several tens of thousands, with the number only growing. We would have gotten 70000 more, but it seems I went a bit… overboard. Still, even with only that many, it won't cost much to rent a soul eater for someone's cart. We'll tax proportionally to the bonus efficiency and take whatever people will give as additional thanks." said Pyke. It was a reasonable proposal. Too reasonable. Negotiating with powerful and reasonable people was always the hardest…
"It seems to me as if adventurers who are just mercenaries, rather weak ones at that, will be obsolete. So what do you think we should do about that? I have an adventurer's spirit and I don't want them to go extinct in my country." continued Pyke, "I don't need mercenaries for hire, I need adventurers. As I said when we first talked, adventurers are meant to go out and explore, protecting as they go."
"Your majesty, it certainly sounds nice, but won't that exploration be used as part of military campaigns? This guild was created explicitly to avoid that." countered Ainzach.
"That's why I'll nationalise it. You'll work for me. Besides…" Pyke opened his inventory and pulled up the most detailed map of the area he had, "This is the map my direct subordinates made. It shows everything from Re-Estize to past even the beastmen. But do you see what is missing?"
After a few seconds of gazing at the map in disbelief Ainzach answered, "Details."
Pyke snapped his fingers and put away the map, "Precisely. I don't need adventurers to fight my wars or do my scouting, I've plenty of personnel for both. I need adventurers to be boots on the ground, looking at the details I may overlook and interacting with the people I have yet to meet. Diplomats, but martially inclined."
"Your majesty, when you mean people, you mean…"
"Yes, heteromorphs, demihumans, any and all. As long as they follow the law then they can stay in my kingdom." Pyke raised his hand before Ainzach could object, "Don't say it's impossible. Karnassus and Argland are perfect examples. Ratmen get eaten by other beastmen just as much as humans are, yet they still live together in some kingdoms. I trust you to lead the adventurers so you will have to trust me to lead the country."
Pyke refilled their glasses, "As for what the adventurers will get for being nationalised. I have a feeling there's a lot of unused potential here, like that Moknach fellow I met downstairs. He could be orichalcum with some proper training. Luckily for you, guildmaster, I know how to provide that. We need a proper dungeon with all possible environments and I know just the two to make it. It'll probably be done… right after this discussion."
Ainzach choked on his drink, "Today?!"
His king nodded, "Resurrection and repairs come free, although the creatures there will be told not to kill. Still, in the event that happens we will use resurrection that doesn't make one lose their strength. I'm sure one of the angels will be eager for the job."
"Y-you majesty, is that truly possible?" asked Ainzach, shocked. Having adventurers go out unprepared and be promptly massacred caused him great pain, even if it happened often. He felt responsible for them as guild master and tried to help, but he just didn't have the resources. With this however, he may just have gotten his dream fulfilled.
"We'll settle the matter of rewards for beating the different floors later. I'll leave the ranking system to you as well." Pyke stood up, "Follow me. See what's possible under me and then give me your judgement."
Ainzach stood up and stumbled to the door, but whether it was because of the alcohol or because of the excitement, he couldn't be sure…
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Four people stood outside of the wall of E-Rantel. One was Pyke. The two others were Jericho and Amal'Thazad. The last one was Ainzach. Pyke nodded towards the holy caster, who promptly began channelling a Super Tier spell. The guild master was initially alarmed by this, given the carnage that followed the last time something like this was used, but if his king wanted everyone dead then they would have been on the first day and so he calmed down.
"[Creation]." said Amal'Thazad, all too calmly for someone unleashing magic that could very well be called omnipotent. A massive… mansion? Villa? Well, whatever it was, it was beautiful, huge and all too decorated for a place meant for adventurer training.
"Your majesty, isn't this place rather ornate for us simple adventurers?" asked Ainzach. Adventurers were the rough sort, one who enjoyed luxury, but were much more familiar and comfortable with the rugged life that came with monster hunting.
"You haven't seen anything yet." came the answer from Jericho as Pyke wordlessly entered the mansion. The place was made of dark, brown wood and was decorated with various precious metals and priceless artworks. It would have been impressive enough, if not for the fact that the mansion itself was larger than the E-Rantel central plaza.
Inside, it felt overwhelming, but Ainzach could spot the bar, the inn, the areas meant for receptionists and so on, making it a bit more familiar to him. Jericho raised his hand and uttered an okay spell in YGGDRASIL, but a ridiculous spell in the New World, "[Maximise Magic: Euclid Be Damned]."
Jericho's knees buckled briefly, but Amal'Thazad caught him before he could hit the floor. The caster coughed, "By the depths that takes a lot mana. Took damn near all of it to make 35 floors…" His mana reserves were ridiculous and increased further by his World Item, but even they had its limits.
"Monsters included, Jericho?" asked Pyke.
"They're spawning as we speak, with the explicit direction to avoid lethal blows. I'll have to refresh the spell annually, but that shouldn't be a problem." answered the caster.
"35 floors?!" called out Ainzach, "With monsters appearing?!" He looked towards the centre of the area where there now was an ominous staircase.
A sudden clatter brought him to his senses and he looked down to see that Pyke threw some overwhelmingly powerful gear at his feet, "Care to go for a test run?" he asked and Ainzach was all too happy to oblige…
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Ainzach fell on the couch that was located in the bar as the newly stationed succubus barmaid poured him a drink. His breath was ragged and, even though his wounds were healed by one of the angels stationed, he could still swear he felt the pain of being scorched by those fire slugs.
"Your majesty," he managed to say, "why would adventurers ever have to fight in an active volcano!?" The pitch black area with ghosts and monsters that relied on vibrations and sound was bad enough, but the streams of lava were too much!
"I had to do it back in the day, so you'll have to be ready for anything as well." answered Pyke as Ainzach drank the cold beer given to him. He may have been a bit old and out of the game for a while, but he still knew that just the presence of that overwhelmingly alluring succubus barmaid would bring more adventurers here than the promise of becoming stronger.
"I presume that gear won't just be given away though?" he asked. The plate armour and trinkets that were given to him made him seem completely superhuman and killing a dragon on the tenth floor in only a few hits was quite the surprise.
"That was trash from my treasury, but it still would make even a peasant beyond adamantite… So it'll be the reward for beating floor 25, which probably not even the Thirteen Heroes would beat." It certainly was quite the incentive, probably enough to make adventurers bash their head against the adamantite wall that some of these floors were.
At this point Ainzach was above being surprised, "What's next, your majesty will give out those kelpies as graduation gifts?"
"Not a bad idea. Amal'Thazad, write that down." Ainzach could only chuckle at the ridiculous circumstances he had found himself in. "Safe to say you're onboard, guild master?" asked Pyke.
"Sure, just don't make me run that gauntlet again, your majesty…"
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Illygoden was wandering through the city, food in hand. Crescent Lake was nice and elven food was generally pretty good, but these humans had some delicacies as well! Who would have expected this new "ice cream" thing introduced by the treasurer to be so good!? It certainly got the kids out the houses as well, even if it meant walking past death knights and elder liches to get it.
He finished his scoop, ate the cone and grabbed his head as the by now familiar sensation of something called "brain freeze" hit him. Still, it was worth it. Wait! This wasn't why he was here! He was meant to find a way to meet the king! Yes, of course! To kill his father and all that! Why had he been lollygagging around for the better part of a week?! He looked to his left, "Ooooh, a grilled meat stand, don't mind if I do!" He shook his head, "No! Not again!"
There were matters more pressing than getting another snack, although at this point he thought that a good part of the country's income came from the taxes on his purchases… Ah, but the king might have something even better! Following this revelation he went to the former mayor's building that now served as the pseudo-castle.
At the entrance stood a beautiful woman and a beautiful man. Just as his inner bard was beginning to surface he reminded himself that these were probably demons. He walked up and immediately got a blade put to his neck, faster than he could perceive. Evidently these weren't any normal demons, if such a thing even existed.
"What are you here for?" asked the man, his voice deep and intimidating; it was rather appropriate for a guard.
"I bring information about the Elf King!" This short statement seemed to be enough as the two guards glanced at each other, seemingly having a conversation only the two of them could hear. The woman walked a few metres away and put two fingers to her temple.
"You may pass. The king is in his office." said the succubus, or at least he presumed she was one. Hearing this, the man sheathed his sword and instead politely opened the door for Illygoden. Frankly, the incubus was so charming that it was hard to stay mad at him. Deciding however that blowing the pair a kiss would have been inappropriate he smoothed out his clothing and went in.
After walking for a few minutes he found himself in front of the door that was marked with a crown and quill, which he presumed was the office. It did help that the door was quite literally just a five minutes walk in a straight line away from the entrance. He knocked and a maid opened the door for him. The maid, surprisingly, was an elf, one who flinched slightly as Illygoden passed by.
At the desk in the centre sat a figure that made his survival instincts kick into full gear. However, he stifled them and knelt before the king, as protocol dictated. "Ah, you're the elf that observed the battle. What information do you bring?"
Illygoden tactically coughed in order to cover his surprise, "I see nothing escapes your majesty's watchful eye." he said, trying to appeal to the ego of every monarch.
"Yes I noticed you, but it was Lily that brought my attention to you. I'm guessing you work for the Elf King? Judging by your build and what gear you had… His son and also an assassin?" Pyke asked.
Illygoden didn't dare look up at the monarch after being accused of being an assassin, "Hopefully soon to be retired, your majesty. Like most elves, I'm not a supporter of our king. The problem is that none of us are strong enough to kill him."
"And you want me to do it? About what I expected. Anything else?" asked Pyke, evidently bored.
"There is also the matter of him allying with the Theocracy to fight against you, your majesty. Given your country's nature I doubt you have positive relations with them." said Illygoden.
"That I also know. Do you think I'm blind or are you here to just spell out the obvious?" Sweat began pouring down Illygoden's back. Truly, it was a terrifying experience to try to negotiate with someone that seemed to have both supreme power and knowledge.
"Y-yes, your majesty. If I am not mistaken, my half-sister is here and she is highly desired by my king. Some of my less… scrupulous co-workers may try to kidnap her to earn favour with my current king. I'm sure he already knows she's here, or at least will know soon."
"Half-sister? Ah, you must mean Zesshi. I doubt she'll need any help. She's a strong girl, not to mention that Lily would turn anyone who would put a hand on her into kraken chum. Tell you what, elf. You tell Zesshi about the fighting capabilities of the king and I'll let you defect to me. Don't worry, the king's death is included in the offer."
For the first time during their conversation Illygoden looked up at the monster the people of the area called king and smiled, "It'd be my pleasure to help out my sister."
Pyke put his feet on his desk and sent a [Message] to Zesshi. Soon enough a gate opened and out stepped the half-elven godkin, "What is it da-" Her mouth quickly snapped shut as she noticed the unknown elf in the room.
Taking advantage of this silence, the elven maid sprang into action and began smoothing out Zesshi's clothes, applying makeup that she took out seemingly out of nowhere and combing her hair. "Lady Zesshi, as the future elven queen you need to mind your appearance!" she scolded.
Zesshi used her supernatural speed to escape the vicious maid and hid behind Pyke like a kitten that was being threatened with a garden hose, "I get it Lura, but can we not do this every time?!"
"I'll send her to you later Lura, stand down for now." said Pyke, prompting the maid to bow and return to her original position next to the door. "As for why I called you here Zesshi, this is your half-brother." he said, pointing at Illygoden.
"Illygoden, at your service." he said.
"Given that he also wants the Elf King dead, he's defecting to us and he's going to tell you all about your father's fighting capabilities."
"Really!?" the girl cried out, immediately hugging Pyke and prompting the chair to creek.
'Impressive material. Wonder what that chair is made out of?' Illygoden thought to himself.
Pyke managed to untangle himself from her grasp by turning into an intangible mist, which made Zesshi's hands just slip through him. He rematerialized next to her and patted her head, "Don't thank me yet. This is just one step closer to killing that bastard… and I don't want to think about what Lily would do should you actually be hurt in that fight because you were unprepared."
The king pointed next to Illygoden, where a chair now materialised and motioned for him to sit down. He sat in his sturdy chair and Zesshi sat on the desk. The newly created chair was cushioned and extremely comfortable, letting Illygoden relax just a little bit. "I've seen some of my friends try to fight against the king and, while they weren't enough to make him go full out, some of them were strong enough to at least reveal some part of his ability."
Pyke nodded, "Let's start with the basics. What weapons, if any, does he use?"
"He's no caster, that much I can tell you. I've seen him use blades, daggers and basically anything sharp. I suppose you'd call him a duelist? He always dual wields though, I've never seen him use a one-handed weapon."
"Any martial arts?"
"No. He uses something like martial arts, but they aren't it. Maybe they're just really rare and high level ones, but I doubt it."
"I can already guess this one, but what does he look like?"
"Big. Not as tall as you, your majesty, but rather tall. He has a lot of muscle for an elf. Light blonde hair as well; it's tied in a ponytail that goes down around halfway down his back. Also, heterochromia. His left eye is blue and right eye is green. We don't know his real name and he certainly doesn't look like a wood elf. Way, way too pale."
Pyke sighed, "Seems like I was correct. Who knew that such a weakling would find themselves here… But that must mean… Does he have any treasures that he guards personally?"
Illygoden put a hand to his chin and thought for a second, "There's a little seed that he never lets out of sight, something he called an acorn."
"I see… Can't say this is the best outcome, but at least it isn't the World Saviour… Zesshi, you'll need a world item if you want to fight him. I can assure you that that acorn isn't a regular seed. I'll give you one later." Pyke then turned to the elf, "That information is actually valuable. Go now. My agents will find you when the time comes. I can't recommend going back to the Elven Kingdom, so you can stay around here for now.
Illygoden did as he was ordered and left, leaving only Zesshi, Pyke and Lura in the room. "I knew it must have been him, only that one had such tendencies."
"Dad, what are you on about? Do you know who that bastard is?" asked Zesshi, finally free to use her preferred form of addressing Pyke.
"Yes. I killed him before. He was a weak adversary. If Winston is level 100 then this guy, Siloval Iasel, was around level 75. He was one with ambitions to usurp the Elf King that existed at the time, but he never managed to do it. He was very weak by my standards, but he was my favourite punching bag in the Old World. Whenever I'd be irritated I'd go and smack him around for a few hours, before killing him and him being reborn a bit later, since that's how that world worked. I never expected him to have a World Item though."
"I'll be fine dad! You'll see! I'll kill the fucking bastard and then Winston and I will go on a moonlit walk around Crescent Lake."
Pyke chuckled, "Then I'll make sure Winston will be free for that night…"
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"Where the hell were you Raymond?! You just had to take a vacation when that war happened!? Nobody survived from the Empire and you were doing what instead of sitting here and planning?! Killing deer?!" yelled out Ginedine, who seemed to take over Dominic's old role of being permanently angry.
"We saw our Gods be killed, Zesshi be defeated and the Supreme Treasure be stolen, and yet you are surprised that was the outcome of the battle? Maybe you should take a vacation next." answered Raymond.
Truly, nothing had changed in these meetings since he left. Well, one thing did; he now saw how disgusting were the things the others were discussing here. There were a variety of proposals for increasing their slave population, including breeding them and Raymond could only veto so many before the others caught onto him.
Thankfully the purpose of this meeting seemed to be solely to yell at him, quickly dispersing after each member of the table had their turn. Raymond walked through the streets of Kami Miyako, the people giving him a wide berth as a sign of respect. The city felt much more oppressive ever since he left.
Usually he would walk directly home, one of the few places he could call a safe haven from the hellish aura of the city. However this time he decided to do a little shopping. First he went to a tailor Yvon, before he went insane, had once recommended him. As he entered the shop the owner greeted him with much enthusiasm and Raymond spent fifteen or so minutes trying to estimate the correct size of hunting clothing. Haila said she wanted something practical, but he wasn't going to be greedy about getting her a gift.
Soon enough he was done, having bought her a black and red hunting vest and pants. He may have not known much about fashion, but he still understood ideas such as contrast and this certainly would contrast with her white hair and pale skin. In the worst case he could always return this, not like the shop owner would deny him a refund.
Next he went to grab some food. He bought quite a lot, enough to feed around seven people, using the excuse that he had guests over. This… wasn't too far from the truth, but it certainly was a bit far from reality as well. Eventually he made it to the mansion he called home.
The salary of a cardinal may have been low, but that doesn't mean that the bonuses were small! If there was one thing members of the bureaucracy were good at, it was circumventing bureaucracy. Usually he lived in this mansion alone, despite it being able to hold well over 20 people including servants, but that was no longer the case.
He put the mass of things he bought and knocked on the door in a specific pattern. He heard the sound of it being unlocked and soon enough Haila's head peeked through. Raymond made sure there was nobody around and so after a second she opened the door and helped Raymond unpack everything.
The five other elf slaves he had bought and subsequently tried to help also came to see what the commotion was about, some helping out and some staying far away from the cardinal. Haila's trust in Raymond helped assuage their fears a bit, but it certainly didn't remove decades or even centuries of mistrust born from personal experience.
Everyone grabbed their food and dispersed to different parts of the house, leaving only Haila and Raymond at the table.
"How did the meeting go?" she asked in between bites.
"It's getting worse by the day. I won't say any of the details since I don't want to spoil your appetite, but it's not good. They're getting desperate. No war with the elves mean no more slaves, which mean no more economy. Not to mention that Pyke's visit killed all the priests in the capital and faith is lacking. I can probably keep them from going overboard for a few months, but after that? It's anyone's game and I have a feeling Julius will win if our benefactor doesn't get involved."
Haila kept a smile on her face, but Raymond could still tell she was worried, "I'm sure we'll be fine. We've smuggled what? 20 elves? More? I'm sure if we ask for some help we'll be fine." Raymond could only nod and silently pray to whoever would listen.
As it turned out someone was in fact listening and the figure of a girl in an odd, white coat appeared. "Heya!" she said, as they were still recovering from the shock of someone appearing. Her wings and odd clothing gave her away as one of the advisors of Pyke that he saw.
She created a chair under herself and took out a notepad. "Tell me, Ray, do you know anything about a Catastrophe Dragon Lord? Oh, I'm Trise, nice to properly meet ya!" she said.
Raymond recovered quickly enough and answered the question, "A bit. He was meant to appear soon and was going to send out the Black Scripture to deal with him. He wasn't a True Dragon Lord, just an old dragon who took such a title for himself. He wasn't a problem during my administration, but I can tell you some stories that were in the archives."
Trise nodded to this and so Raymond continued speaking, "He was called the Catastrophe Dragon Lord because he mostly used fire and was strong enough to fight on par with True Dragon Lords. We don't know his species, but most presume he was the oldest living fire dragon. Apparently his temperament got him in trouble with the Platinum Dragon Lord, who eventually killed him."
"However before he died and when the Greed Kings were still around he managed to kill them quite a few times. Even with no Wild Magic he was still quite an impressive fighter. He was one of the very few Dragon Lords, both false and true, who managed to survive the war and rack up an impressive kill count in it. My predecessors tried to use the Supreme Treasure on him, but that plan went up in flames when the Demon Gods realised we had such an item."
"There are no instances of Dragon Lords or even just dragons coming back from the dead after a while as if nothing happened, but maybe it surrounds the unique circumstances of his death." Trise looked up from her notepad and raised an eyebrow, evidently intrigued.
"Apparently when the Catastrophe Dragon Lord attacked the Platinum Dragon Lord when the latter was on his way to Eryuentiu. Their battle is one of the reasons the desert is as vast as it is and why no vegetation even attempts to go there. Mind you, the Catastrophe Dragon Lord didn't use Tier Magic either, he simply used his fire breath and innate abilities. Some called him a mutation and abomination, perhaps that wasn't so far from the truth."
"That explains a lot…" muttered Trise, "Continue."
"After their epic brawl that one of our former godkin was lucky enough to witness, the Catastrophe Dragon Lord fell to the earth. Before he was finished off a bright light erupted in between the two Dragon Lords and the Catastrophe Dragon Lord laughed, swearing he would return. That magic apparently didn't belong to either of them, so maybe that was part of the reason why he would be revived… It remains a mystery."
Trise kept noting things down for a bit and eventually stood up, "Thanks for the info!"
Right as she was about to teleport away, Raymond called out to her, "Wait!"
"Hmm? Do you need help with anything? I suppose I should return the favour." she said.
"I don't know how long I will be able to delay the cardinals from doing some absolutely horrid things, I need Pyke to be ready to act. Soon. The country is becoming more and more unstable."
"Pff, that's no prob! I'm sure dad has everything figured out! He always does! If that's all then, cya!" With those parting words the alchemist disappeared.
Raymond could only lean back in his chair and sigh, if only he could have that much faith in that god slayer…
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Recil was finally free from work. His new position under the foreign minister, Lilith as she was called, came with many positives as well as negatives. The pay was good, the conditions were great and he was promised several months off a year to pursue his mercantile dreams. He also only had to work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week! Few could ask for better terms!
However, those 8 hours a day… They felt like 8 years. At first he was reluctant to work alongside undead and demons, but seeing the workload his new boss was pushing on him, he quickly saw the wisdom in utilising them and one could consider the group, if not friends, then at least colleagues. On the first day alone he had to reach out to each one of his contacts, draft up new tariffs, recommend which trade routes to build better roads for and so on.
It was a lot of work, but it was rewarding. He always thought that E-Rantel could be more. It was in the centre of three countries, with the Draconic Kingdom nearby as well. Only a fool would not make this city a money making machine! Sadly, the old administration were indeed fools. The new one however may have been too wise for his liking.
Well, he already accepted the job so there was nothing to be done.
And with the job came one really nice benefit. That being exclusive access to the government employee bar in the newly magically created adventurer training area! It apparently had the best drinks, the best food and even live entertainment in the forms of the adventurers training!
He made his way there and all the staff, recognizing him, let him through with no issues. Despite being in the position of guild master before this, it still felt a bit odd to be treated so well by official government staff, who he technically outranked. In the bar he found only himself and a barmaid, who he instantly recognized as a succubus.
Frankly, he thought succubi had a bad reputation that was rather unjustified. The ones he worked with were all very diligent, efficient and smart! Not once did they try to charm his soul out of him! Although that may have had something to do with the fact that they were too busy to do it… Minister Lillith really was a slave driver.
Well, it mattered not. He sat down on a couch that faced the so-called "TV screen" and ordered something called a mojito. He didn't recognize any of the ingredients, nor the drink itself, but the description said it was a refreshing beverage, something he definitely needed right now.
As expected, it was excellent. With the drink came the beginning of the show, a team called "Rainbow," formerly mithril and now gold according to the new classifications, were going to challenge the dungeon. He was partially in charge of putting the rewards in place, but after floor 10 or so he could practically put anything, as the latter floors seemed to be impossible for anyone bar a Dragon Lord of godkin.
He watched as the adventurers struggled through the dungeon. First came the forest, then the cave, then icy plains. They gave up on floor 3, preferring not to test the resurrection option provided. The show proved entertaining if nothing else, but then it hit him.
A merchant was supposed to make money. He was supposed to help the country make money. What would attract people and make them spend money? A broadcast of a tournament in this place! The greatest heroes from around the world would come here and compete for fame, glory, gear and whatever else he could convince his boss to offer!
The cash to be earned from such tourism would be insane! His mouth was damn near watering at the thought of it! Word once reached him that there was an annual tournament somewhere in Karnassus, if a champion from here would win that and then they would organise a tournament like that…
He dashed out of the door, leaving behind a slightly confused barmaid, and made his way to the office, praying that Lillith was still working. His speed would impress even a seasoned adventurer and he soon was frantically knocking on the door to Lillith's office. He heard her say "Come in" and he burst into the room.
"My lady, we need to send someone to Karnassus for their tournament!" he called out.
"Why?" Lilith asked, surprised, but intrigued.
"If we were to win that and then organise a similar one using our new adventurer training dungeon then not only would we ruin a major income of that country, but our own coffers would become so bloated they would be comparable with the old mayor!"
Sure, stealing another country's main event, one that was rooted in their traditions for hundreds of years, would normally sour relations, but Recil was sure the king would figure something out. Just sending Lillith would probably be enough, no man would be able to say no to her, at least Recil certainly couldn't imagine anyone doing so!
In the event that it was a woman running the tournament instead then they could send one of the overwhelmingly handsome male advisors! And if somehow that doesn't work then what will it matter?! No one could stand up to his king in a fight and their boring, old tournament would be nothing compared to the spectacle their dungeon could offer!
Lilith chuckled, "I knew I didn't take you under my wing for no reason. Good idea, human. That will be your personal project from now on, on top of the other work you have."
Recil's smile disappeared in an instant. How the hell did he not see this coming…
(AN: 50 favs and favourites! Thank you all so much! All that's left is the epilogue and that will be Volume 3 done! As always, more to come and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far!)